Good morning. It is certainly good to be here and to share with you. And we've got a whole bunch to cover this morning. So I'm just going to jump right into it. So if you would open your Bibles to Ezekiel chapter 1. Now perhaps this chapter is the most enigmatic chapter you'll find in the word of God. I could read all kinds of quotes about this and the confusion that reigns in the minds of people about this chapter. And I'm talking about from Jewish people to Christian theologians and others, it's a very, Let me use the word mysterious. I don't think it is. I think it's very clear. I hope I'm gonna show that to you this morning. But in the minds of many people, it's very, very mysterious. Charles Spurgeon, back in a sermon that he preached in 1891, Jehovah Shema, a glorious name. He said this on this chapter, he said, has been telling us many remarkable things which I shall not attempt to explain to you. And my chief reason for not doing so is the fact that I do not understand them. You know, when a preacher preaches through the word of God and if he skips over a portion of it and moves on, it's more than likely he doesn't know what he's teaching. But be that as it may, he didn't have any idea what it spoke about. Oftentimes in the unsaved world, they talk about Ezekiel chapter one speaking of UFOs, unidentified flying objects. And, oh, I'm trying to remember the name of the man years ago, I can't remember off my head, who wrote a book and referenced this as speaking of UFOs in the Bible. This is not a chapter of UFOs. It's at least an IFO, an identified flying object, if you will. As we look at it, But, you know, all scripture is inspired of God, right? And it's profitable, right? For doctrine, for reproof, correction, for instruction in righteousness. Well, if we can't understand something, how can it be profitable, right? You must be able to understand what the Word is teaching to profit from it. So, I want us to look at this and I think you will see what it is speaking about. Now, starting in verse 1, and we're going to move pretty quick. What time do we usually end here? 1045. Who said that? You and me are together on this. So we got all 20, I think it's 28 verses to cover. So we got a long way to go and not much time. So we're gonna move pretty quickly on this. It starts in verse one. Now it came to pass in the 30th year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month. As I, Ezekiel, was among the captives by the river Shabar, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. Now, there are two verses, this one, the last verse, that give the foundation or the basis for understanding what this entire chapter is about and what Ezekiel is unfolding for us. Notice what he tells us at the end of verse one. The heavens were opened, yes, I saw visions of God. So the vision that Ezekiel is seeing is of God. That's what he's explaining to us. Now look at the last verse of this chapter. Down in verse 28. As the appearance of the bowl that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so is the appearance of the brightness round about. But it's the last phrase in this verse. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. So what he is seeing, what he is telling us, what he is revealing to us is the likeness of the glory of the Lord. Now, a couple of things. Glory. The word glory literally means impressiveness. how impressive one is. For example, in the Bible, the heavens declare the glory of God. The expanse of the universe shows us how impressive God is. You know, the universe is huge and constantly expanding. And God spoke and it came into existence. That's pretty impressive to me. Israel in Isaiah 46 verse 13. At the end of that verse, and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory. Israel my impressiveness. And God has used Israel as an illustration, as a picture as a reminder to us of how impressive He is with how He has worked through that people, that nation through the centuries. Israel is my, or shows my impressiveness, my glory. Or we can think of John 1.14 with Jesus. The word was made flesh and dwelt among us. We beheld his glory. The glory is of the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth. The glory of Jesus. How impressive was the life of Jesus on earth? Unparalleled. Has there ever been anyone else who from the moment he was born to the moment he died, never sinned, never made a mistake? No, he had a very impressive life. And we as believers, whatever we do, whether we eat or we drink, we're to do all to what? To show how impressive God is in our life. So glory speaks of the impressiveness of God. So what we have here is Ezekiel, receiving a vision of God, and the vision is showing the glory of God, the likeness of the glory of God. And I submit to you that the glory of God expressed here, that is being referred to, because it is a vision of God, is God the Son, Jesus, the Messiah, who is John 1.14, glory of God. And what we have in this entire chapter is a picture, a vision of no one else but Jesus. From beginning to end. So keep that in mind, the first and the last verse. Now, verses 2 and 3 They just give us the time of the vision. In the fifth day of the month, the fifth year of King Jehoiakim's captivity, the word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel, the priest, the son of Buzi in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Shabar, and the hand of the Lord is there upon me. Now, in verse four, we're told, and I looked, Ezekiel looked, and behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire enfolding itself, and a brightness was around about it, and out of the midst thereof is the color of amber out of the midst of the fire. So what we see here is Ezekiel sees in this vision, this vision of God coming from the north. Now let me refer you, and you may or may not want to try to follow me. Sometimes you may get there before me, sometimes not. Certainly not this time because I haven't told you where I'm going yet. Psalm 75. Listen to what verses 6 and 7 tell us. For promotion comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the judge. He puts down one and sets up another. So where is God then located? If promotion comes neither from the east or the west nor the south, where obviously does promotion come from? The north, where God is. It's believed that God is in the northern parts of the universe, the dwelling. Well, here Ezekiel sees coming from the north, and he sees two things. We are told he sees a whirlwind coming out of the north. Remember what Job in chapter 38, one communicated that God was in the whirlwind. And then also we are told here in verse four, there was a great cloud and fire enfolding itself. Now this is what Ezekiel is seeing. And if I might bring your thoughts back with me or turn the pages if you so desire back to the book of Exodus chapter 40. Exodus chapter 40 and verses 34 through 38. the tabernacle in the wilderness. Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud apploded thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys. But the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys. And the cloud and the fire symbolized or represented the presence of the God of Israel. And so when Ezekiel sees coming from the north, a whirlwind and a cloud and a fire, it's a picture of what's already been communicated in the word of God, that this is a picture of God coming. Now, as we go down through this chapter, and I should have mentioned this earlier, there are no less than 18 times where the term like, or likeness or as is used. Those are words that are communicating a picture, an illustration. You know, I was sharing yesterday at one point when, and I don't know if Pastor was in the room, but with Daniel about about this morning's message, Ezekiel 1. Were you in the room then? I think, yeah. And I pulled out a picture of my wife, which I've done oftentimes when I've spoken on this in churches and said, and I'm not gonna pull it out right now. It is in my wallet. But here's my wife. Maybe I should pull it out. I know we only have a little time. My wife's sitting there and says, he always embarrasses me. And I can show you my daughter. I may have to stick with my daughter. I can't get you out of my wallet, Cheryl. Where are you? She's stuck in the wallet. Here's my wife. Is this my wife? I don't put this on the pillow next to me every night. Night, honey. See you in the morning. No, there's my wife right there. No, this is a picture. This is a likeness. of my wife. And so when we look at this chapter, and we have all these likeness, like, as comments, it's an illustration, it's a picture. And what Ezekiel is illustrating for us, or picturing for us, is the vision that God gave him of God himself, and specifically the glory of God, which I submit to you as Jesus. So he sees God coming from the north, the whirlwind and the fire and the cloud. And we know from the scriptures, did God leave heaven and come to earth? He certainly did, about 2,000 years ago. And so he comes down and then we are told in verse 5, also out of the midst thereof, Came the likeness, notice likeness. The likeness of four living creatures. So we're gonna look at a lot more detail these four creatures in verse 10. But it's a picture, it's a likeness. So he is seeing a likeness of four living creatures. But I want you to capture in your mind and heart the next phrase. Look what it says. And this was their appearance. They, all four, they had the likeness of a single man, of a man. So even though we have four creatures, these creatures illustrate, picture, represent a single individual, a single man, okay? Now, verse six. Every one of these creatures had four faces. And every one had four wings. Now, again, this is illustrative. And these creatures, artistry defies the ability to draw this picture. There's not enough dimensions. in our world to draw what is being explained here. You know, people have attempted it, but it never really captures it. But they had wings, and they had also faces. Now, just to comment briefly on the wings, because we're going to see wings throughout this portion of Scripture, Chapter 1. Sometimes the wings are up, sometimes the wings are over, And one time the wings are down. Now, if you remember in Psalm chapter 90, I believe it is, it talks about God covering us with His wings. 91, thank you. See, she's the Bible scholar. She should be here. Thank you. Anyway. Now, does God have wings? No. It's a picture. It's an illustration. It's like a bird protecting her young with her wings and taking care of him. So wings speaks of God's protection. Wings covering the body speaks of that. But then as we move down, verse 7, and their feet were straight feet. So their feet were straight feet, and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot, and they sparkled like the color of burnished brass. Now, the feet being straight feet, literally the thought is, and I have a long quotation from a Jewish source, but I don't have time, I'm not gonna read it. But the thought is here, straight feet is because the leg is rigid. Even the thought is there are no joints in the leg. No knee joint, no ankle joint, just a straight leg and straight feet. So, and the joints allow you to pivot, to turn, right? Straight feet, you're kind of stuck in one direction to go straight. Well, when Jesus came and walked on earth, he had one direction and he kept on that direction, which was the Father's will, right? Straight feet. So you have the wings. you have the straight feet. But the sole of their feet was like a calf's foot, and they sparkle like the color of a burnished brass. So there's two thoughts here. They had calf's foot, but they sparkle like burnished brass. Well, calf's foot, I would suggest too, would represent the Lamb of God, and the burnished brass speaks of judgment. that ultimately Jesus is coming back as the King of Kings. So the two comings of Jesus, what you have here. But then in verse eight, and they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides. So under the wings, they had the hands of a man. Now the wings speak of the protection of God. So when Jesus came to earth, He was God in the flesh, He was the God-man, but He put aside the prerogative of deity, and He did His work amongst us. He walked amongst us as a man, perfect man, but as a man, protected by God, led by God. The wings were over Him. And then it says, And the four had their faces and their wings. And we'll look at the faces in verse 10 where you get a lot of detail. The wings were joined one to another, verse nine. They turned not when they went, they went every one straight forward. So the wings are joined together and they all in unison went together. Even though they all represent one man, these four creatures and faces represent a different facet of this individual man. And there is no contradiction. There is no competition. They all in unison went together in the walk of this individual. But then look at verse 10. As for the likeness, again it's a picture. As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man and the face of a lion on the right side. And they four had the face of an ox on the left side and therefore also had the face of an eagle. Now there's so much in this verse we could have probably spent the whole morning just on verse 10. Notice there are four faces here. You have a lion, you have an ox, you have a man, and you have an eagle. Now if you were going to portray or understand the life of Jesus, read about the life of Jesus. Where would you go to get the definitive account of the life of Jesus on earth? The gospels. There are a lot of good commentaries out there that might help, but they are not definitive. The only thing that's definitive is the word of God. And the work that is definitive on the life of Jesus as he walked on earth, is Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Each gospel was written with a purpose. The Gospel of Matthew was written primarily to the Jewish people presenting Jesus as the King, the Messianic King. Now if you were going to choose one of God's creation to represent the King What in God's creation would you possibly choose? It's right here. It's been done for us. The lion is the what of the jungle? The king of the jungle. You know, when you think of when they refer to Jesus as the king, he's coming from the tribe of? The tribe of the kings. Matthew presents Jesus as king. Mark presents Jesus as a servant. If you were going to choose one of God's creation to communicate the truth about being a servant, what might you choose? Now you've got a hint, it's right down here for you. How about the ox? You know, what else do you use an ox for but to pull a plow? Especially in biblical days when you didn't have the John Deers. Or whatever else might be out there. There's nothing else out there. There's a John Deere man here. Amen. My son-in-law works for John Deere. But that's a whole other story. The ox. You know, and when you come to the Gospel of Luke, it presents Jesus as perfect man. So if you were going to have one of God's creation to represent perfect man, what might you use? Man. I mean, that fits the bill. And it's interesting, you know, in Matthew you have a genealogy. that shows that Jesus is from the lineage of David and gives the Messianic line that He was in the line to be the King of Israel through Joseph. In Luke you have a genealogy. It goes though from Mary back also through the line of David but there it goes all the way back to Adam, the first perfect man before he sinned. You know if you have A king coming, you want to know where he comes from. If you meet a perfect man, I want to know where he comes from. And so you have a genealogy in Matthew, you have a genealogy in Luke, but when you come to the Gospel of Mark, you have no genealogy. Who cares where a servant comes from? Just do your job. Matthew the king, Mark the servant, Luke the perfect man, and John presents Jesus as the Son of God from heaven. If you were going to choose one of God's creation to depict that truth, what might you choose? You can cheat again, read the verse. The eagle, that majestic bird that flies through the skies. And John presents Jesus as the Son of God from heaven. And the eagle, there's no better bird to represent the majesty of that reality. So here you have these four faces that represent Jesus and him being the king, the servant, perfect man, the Son of God from heaven. I mean, we could take this so far. How many colors were in the entrance into the tabernacle and ultimately into the Holy of Holy and the curtain? Remember? Not one, not three, four. Four colors. And those colors, purple, scarlet, white. and blue. And ultimately, when you went from the outer curtain into the courtyard, as it were, then ultimately into the holy place, and then into the holy of holies, you had to go through the same four colored curtains, you went into the presence of God. Purple's the color of a king. Scarlet's the color of a servant. White, perfection, righteousness, perfect man. blue, the color of heaven, the Son of God from heaven. But look closer at these verses. It gets even better. Look closer at verse 10. As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man. All four had the face of a man. Now, skip down to the last phrase. They four also had the face of an eagle. All four fully had the face of a man. All four fully had the face of an eagle. You can't draw this, just believe it. All four had the face of a man. All four had the face of an eagle. See, the Bible teaches that Jesus is God who became man. He is the God-man. And the eagle represents the Son of God, deity. And Jesus is fully God. He's not half God, half man. He is fully God, and all four had the faces of a man. He was fully man. And in this picture you have The likeness in the picture of Jesus being God who took on flesh, God who became man, the God-man Jesus. But look at the other two faces. And the face of a lion on the right side, and the right side happens to be the place of authority and power by the way, but that's not what I'm driving at. They four had the face of a lion on the right side, and they had the face of an ox on the left side. So if you have a left side and a right side, those two parts make up the whole. See, when Jesus came, He's all God, all man, all four faces. But there are two parts to His ministry. He first came as the servant of God, as the ox. He first came as God's servant to die for the sins of the world, but he's returning as the lion, as the King of Kings, as the Lord of Lords. So in verse 10, you have a picture of the glory of God, Jesus, God himself, who's fully God, fully man, who first came as the servant to die for the sins of the world, but who is now ultimately going to return as the King of kings. Wow. Verse 11, thus were their faces. And their wings were stretched upward. Two wings of every one were joined one to another and two covered their bodies. Jesus's dependency was totally upon the Father. And the Father's protection was complete over His Son as He walked on earth as a man. And they, the faces, verse 12, they went every one straight forward Whether the Spirit was to go, they went. And they turned not when they went. They went straight. Wherever the Spirit led, they went. They didn't go to the right. They didn't go to the left. They went straight forward. Jesus was led by the Spirit and went straight forward in His ministry, following the will of the Father. Verse 13. and like the appearance of lamps. It went up and down among the living creatures, and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning." And so what we have in verse 13 here, burning coals of fire, in Hebrews 12, 29, our God is a consuming fire. It's a picture of the holiness of God. That He's a consuming fire. Daniel 10.6 you can look at later talks about the appearance of lamps and up and down. That means just fully, totally, completely an awesome, holy God is being described. Verse 14. And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning. Notice what it says, the living creatures that represent God and the glory of God, which I think unquestionably is Jesus who came from heaven, who walked the straight narrow path, who ultimately is all that the gospel portray him to be. He is the lion, he is the ox, he is perfect man, he is the son of God from heaven, and ultimately this one ran. But notice the second phrase. and returned. See, Jesus came the first time, but He's returning. And when He's returning, He's returning as the appearance of a flash of lightning. You just have to look at Matthew 24, 27, lightning from the east to the west. When the Lord comes, He's going to light up the whole sky, is what it's saying. Then look at verse 15. So now we have a wheel. Now a wheel has no beginning or ending. If you've been to a Christian wedding before, maybe not always, but not unoccasionally, the preacher will take the wedding ring and say, see, this is no beginning and no ending. It's just circular. And God wants this relationship to go on forever. But the wheel with no beginning and no ending speaks of eternality. it speaks of God. But what about a wheel in a wheel? Well Jesus is the Son of God, He is very God, but He is led by the Holy Spirit who is the second person of the Godhead. And when they went, verse 17, They went upon their four sides, and they turned not when they went. So when they went, again, they just went one direction straight. As for their rings, that's the rims around the wheels, they were so high that they were dreadful. And the rings were full of eyes round about them four. So around the rims of these wheels were eyes. Speaking of our all-seeing, our all-knowing God. And Jesus is God. Verse 19, And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them. And when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. Whithersoever the Spirit was to go, they went. Then there was their spirit to go, and the wheels were lifted up over against them. For the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. When those went, these went. When those stood, these stood. And when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them, for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. So the living creatures went as the spirit led them. The wheels went. But notice verse 22. and the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the color of the terrible crystal stretched forth over the heads above. I would submit to you that the firmament here is heaven itself, not the celestial dwelling place of God, but just heaven, the firmament. God created the firmament, he called it heaven. But notice what it says. In verse 23, and under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other. Everyone had two, which covered on this side, everyone had two, which was covered on that side, their bodies. And when I went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of the speech, as the noise of a host. This type of terminology is used in Revelation of Jesus. When they stood, So He looked, the wings were protecting these creatures. These creatures had the voice of an Almighty and it was God being led by God. God in human flesh. The wings protecting Jesus. But look at the end of verse 24. they let down their wings. Wings straight up speaks of the protection coming from God. Coupled with the wings being over the body speak of that protection. But when the wings are let down, speaks of the removal of that protection. And when Jesus is lifted up and stood up and hung on a cross between heaven and earth, God let down His wings of protection. In verse 25, there was a voice from a firmament that was over their heads when they stood and had let down their wings. This is my beloved Son. But the beloved Son on the cross cried out, My God! My God! Why has thou let down your wings? I'm paraphrasing. Why has thou forsaken me? And the voice came from heaven over their heads. This is my beloved son, who I sent to die. for the sins of the world. And so we are taken from the life of Jesus, who is the King, the Servant, perfect Man, the Son of God from heaven, who walked amongst men, to ultimately we see the cross where He hung between earth and heaven and God let down His wings. because He died for us. And then we are taken to the next scene. We are taken to the throne room because Jesus did not remain on the cross. He did go in the grave, yes. He did not remain in the grave though. He came out of the grave and He ultimately did what? He ascended into the heavens where today He sits on the right hand of God, the place of authority. And so in verse 26 we are told, above the firmament, the firmament is the heaven, so above it is the heaven of heavens. This is the throne room. And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne. as the appearance of a sapphire stone. And upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. And Ezekiel sees this picture of a throne. And sitting on this throne is a man. And then in verse 27, he says, and as I saw the color of amber, as the appearance of fire round about it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, from the appearance of his loins even downward. I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire that had brightness round about. He saw Jesus in all of his glory, from head to toe, sitting on the throne. He'd gone through the cross, gone through the grave, ascended up into the heavens, sitting on the throne at the right hand of the Father, ruling. And verse 28, as the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness around about it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. I have seen an illustration, a likeness, a picture of God coming from heaven in the person of Jesus, who walked a perfect walk. who came as the king, the servant, perfect man, who is the Son of God from heaven, who was protected by God until that one eventful day when He hung between heaven and earth on a cross, that God forsook His Son, because His Son took the wrath of God upon Himself, upon His Son in our place. So He had to let down the wings of protection. But we are taken through the burial, through the resurrection, to the ascension where He is in heaven. And a picture of Jesus. But I want you to notice Ezekiel's response. The end of verse 28. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke. Three thoughts. I saw, I fell, I heard." We will never be privileged to see what Ezekiel saw in a vision, nor what Isaiah saw in Isaiah chapter 6, or Daniel, the book of Daniel, the vision he saw, or Paul on the road to Damascus. But through this completed revelation, we see just as much, if maybe not more, than they. When anybody saw the reality of who Jesus is, like Ezekiel, like Isaiah, like Paul, like Daniel, like every man and woman down through history, when they really saw and understood, they fell. in humble obedience, adoration to the God of all gods, the King of all kings, the Savior of the world. And when you're in that position, whatever He tells you, you will do. Ezekiel says, I saw, I fell, I heard. Read just a few chapters on. Ezekiel was asked to do crazy stuff. Crazy stuff. Lay on your, I forget exactly, lay on your left side for 45 days and lay on your right side for 345 or whatever it was and all kinds of, he never complained. He did it all. Why? He saw, he fell, he heard. We should be no less obedient because we got the full picture of Jesus, who He is, what He did, and what will come. Ezekiel chapter 1 is not an unidentified flying object in the Bible. It's profitable for us because it's a challenge through a picture, through a likeness of Jesus and His life. and what He has done and what He will do. We have an amazing God, an amazing book, and if you're a believer, an amazing future. Let's pray. Father, we are grateful and thankful for the Word of God. Lord, may the Bible become real to us. May You become even more real in our life. We've seen You as we Understand who you are. We should fall in obeisance in our heart. And here, whatever you tell us, we should do. So Lord, we commit this to you and thank you in Jesus' name. Amen. Pastor, you're dismissed. It's 10 till. I went five minutes over. So I will go five minutes over further in the next message to balance everything out. I don't know if that balances it.