Today on gurujis instructions as I browsed the internet I found about the Book of Revelation i.e. The Book of Ezekiel ... [similar happenings as mentioned in the book have taken place at Kanpur wadda durbar and most of the videos have been updated. even a being which looks like burning charcoal has been sighted by me but at that time the cameras were not installed rest. all are able to see all these videos that have been updated till now and will under stand the divine messages better after reading these prophecies..... ◄ Ezekiel 1 ► Barnes Notes Introduction to Ezekiel We know scarcely anything of Ezekiel except what we learn from the book that bears his name. Of the date and authorship of this book there has scarcely been any serious question. The Book of Ezekiel has always formed part of the Hebrew canon of the Old Testament. Ezekiel is found in the most ancient versions. The Book of Ezekiel may be said in this respect to be the moral of the captivity. The captivity was not simply a divine judgment, but a preparation for a better state, an awakening of higher hopes. It was Ezekiels part to direct and satisfy these hopes. He was to set before his countrymen the prospect of a restoration, reaching far beyond a return to their native soil; he was to point to an inauguration of divine worship far more solemn than what was to be secured by the reconstruction of the city or temple on its original site in its original form. Their very condition was intended, and was calculated, to stir their hearts to their inmost depths, and awaken thoughts which must find their answer in the messages characteristic of Gospel truth. In the Law there had been intimations of restoration upon repentance Deuteronomy 30:1-10 : but this is expanded by Ezekiel Ezek. 18, and the operations of the Holy Spirit are brought prominently forward Ezekiel 37:9-10. . The order and the character of the prophecies which this book contains are in strict accordance with the prophets mission. His first utterances are those of bitter denunciation of judgment upon a rebellious people, and these threatenings are continued until the storm breaks in full fury upon the deserted city. Then the note is changed. There are yet indeed threatenings, but they are for unfaithful shepherds, and for the enemies of Gods people. The remainder of the book is full of reassurances, of hopes and promises of renovation and blessing, in which the spiritual predominates over the temporal, and the kingdom of Christ takes the place of the kingdom upon Mount Zion. The leading characteristics of Ezekiels prophecies are, first, his use of visions; secondly, his constant reference to the earlier writings of the Old Testament. The second of these characteristics is especially seen by his application of the Pentateuch. It is not merely the voice of a priest, imbued with the Law which it was his profession to study. It is the voice of the Holy Spirit Himself, teaching us that the Law, which came from God, is always just, wise, and holy, and preparing the way for the enlarged interpretation of the ancient testimonies, which our blessed Lord Himself promulgated afterward. To many the prophecy is still in the course of fulfillment. The temple in its completeness is for the time when the kingdom of Christ shall be fully established, and He shall have put down all rule and all principalities and power, to deliver up the kingdom unto the Father, that God may be all in all (see the Ezekiel 37 notes). The relation of the visions of Ezekiel to those of the Book of Revelation is very marked. So much is common to the two books that it is impossible to doubt that there is in the Revelation In Ezekiel, the various particulars are parts of one whole, which represents the manifestations of the glory of God upon earth, and in all the creatures of the earth: in John the scene is heaven. Again, a characteristic feature of Ezekiels prophecy is the declaration of Gods judgments, first against the rebellious city, and then against the enemies of the chosen people. The parts of the book were probably arranged by the prophet himself, who, at the same time, prefixed the dates to the several prophecies. The precision of these dates affords a clear proof that the prophecies were in the first instance orally delivered, written down at the time of their delivery, and afterward, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, put together into one volume, to form a part of those Scriptures which God has bequeathed as a perpetual inheritance to His church. Points of contact in the writings of Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah, and John, are numerous, and the principal will be found noted in the marginal references. The first three chapters of Ezekiel contain the account of Ezekiels call. A mighty whirlwind issues from the north, and a dark cloud appears in that quarter of the heavens. In the midst of the cloud is an area of dazzling brightness surrounded by encircling flames. Therein are seen four beings of strange and mysterious shape standing so as to form a square, below their feet are four wheels, and over their heads a throne on which is seated the likeness of a man dimly seen, while a voice issuing from the throne summons the prophet to his office. Ezekiel 1:1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. Ezekiel 1:2 In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachins captivity, Ezekiel 1:3 The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him. Came expressly - The phrase marks that it was in truth a heaven-sent vision. The hand of the Lord - A phrase in all prophecy implying a constraining power, because the spirit constrains the prophet independently of his own will. Ezekiel 1:4 And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire. Infolding itself - Forming a circle of light - flames moving round and round and following each other in rapid succession, to be as it were the framework of the glorious scene. Amber - The original word occurs only in Ezekiel. The Septuagint and the Vulgate have electrum, a substance composed by a mixture of silver and gold, which corresponds very well to the Hebrew word. The brightness, therefore, is that of shining metal, not of a transparent gum. Render it: out of the midst thereof, like Ezekiel 1:7 burnished gold out of the midst of fire. Ezekiel 1:5 Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. Living creatures - The Hebrew word answers very nearly to the English beings, and denotes those who live, whether angels, men (in whom is the breath of life), or inferior creatures. Ezekiel 1:6 And every one had four faces, and everyone had four wings. Ezekiel 1:7 And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calfs foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass. Ezekiel 1:8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings. Or, They had the hands of a man under their wings on all four sides, just as they had wings and faces on all four sides. Ezekiel 1:9 Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward. Two of the wings were in the act of flying, so stretched out that the extremity of each touched a wing of a neighboring living creature, similarly stretched out. This was only when they were in motion. Ezekiel 1:9 stretched upward parted) so as to meet, each a wing of the neighboring living creature, just as the wings of the cherubim touched one another over the mercy-seat of the ark. Ezekiel 1:10 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; they four also had the face of an eagle. Each living creature had four faces, in front the face of a man, that of a lion on the right side, that of an ox on the left side, and that of an eagle behind, and the chariot would present to the beholder two faces of a man, of a lion, of an eagle, and of an ox, according to the quarter from which he looked upon it. Ezekiel 1:11 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. Ezekiel 1:12 And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went. Ezekiel 1:13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, 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. Ezekiel 1:14 And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning. Ezekiel 1:15 Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces. Ezekiel 1:16 The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. Ezekiel 1:17 When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went. Upon their four sides - i. e. straight in the direction toward which their faces looked. Since the four quarters express all directions, the construction of the living creatures was such that they could move in each direction alike. Ezekiel 1:18 As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four. Ezekiel 1:19 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. Ezekiel 1:20 Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither 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. Whithersoever the spirit of the four living creatures was to go, the wheels went - there was the spirit of the wheels to go. All four creatures together with their wheels are here called the living creature, because they formed a whole, one in motion, and in will, for one spirit was in them. Ezekiel 1:21 When those went, these went; and 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. Ezekiel 1:22 And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above. The color (Hebrew, eye) of the terrible crystal refers to the dazzling brightness of the firmament, a clear bright expanse between the throne and the living creatures, separating heaven from earth. Ezekiel 1:23 And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies. Every one had two, which covered ... - Or, each one had two wings covering his body on either side. Ezekiel 1:24 And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings. The voice of the Almighty - Thunder. The voice of speech - Rendered in Jeremiah 11:16 a great tumult. Some take it to describe the rushing of a storm. Ezekiel 1:25 And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings. A voice from the firmament - Compare Ezekiel 3:12; in the midst of the tumult, are heard articulate sounds declaring the glory of God. Ezekiel 1:26 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. Sapphire - Clear heavenly blue. The appearance of a man - Deeply significant is the form of this manifestation. Here is no angel conveying Gods message to man, but the glory of the Lord Himself. We recognize in this vision the prophetic annunciation of the Holy Incarnation. We are told little of the extent to which the human form was made evident to the prophet. For the vision was rather to the mind than to the bodily eye, and even inspired language was inadequate to convey to the hearer the glory which eye hath not seen or ear heard, and which only by special revelation it hath entered into the heart of man to conceive. Ezekiel 1:27 And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. Ezekiel 1:28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake. The rainbow is not simply a token of glory and splendor. The cloud and the day of rain point to its original message of forgiveness and mercy, and this is especially suited to Ezekiels commission, which was first to denounce judgment, and then promise restoration. Notes on the Bible by Albert Barnes [1834]. Text Courtesy of Internet Sacred Texts Archive. Bible Hub
Posted on: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 20:34:39 +0000
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