Audio Download

Eze 1:15–28 A Wheel upon the Earth

Introduction

[Study Aired January 29, 2024]

In Today’s study, we are going to look in details of a wheel that Ezekiel saw which was upon the earth and is controlled by the living creatures, and the likeness of a man on the throne above the firmament in a vision given to him. In the previous study, we came to know who the four living creatures were. That is, they represent the whole of the elect of every generation. 

The Lord revealed this heavenly vision to Ezekiel to show us the pattern of the heavenly things themselves. What we are therefore studying is to deepen our understanding of our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and how this relationship affects our walk here on earth. 

Heb 9:23  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 
Heb 9:24  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

This pattern of the heavenly things was first revealed to Moses during Israel’s sojourn in the wilderness. Ezekiel’s vision therefore serves as a witness to this pattern of the heavenly things. Both Moses and Ezekiel who represent the elect, did not understand what the pattern revealed to them signifies. However, we are the generation that the Lord has opened our eyes to see and ears to hear the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven.

Heb 8:5  Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

1Pe 1:10  Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 
1Pe 1:11  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 
1Pe 1:12  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

Today’s study will therefore deepen our understanding of how, as His elect, we are caused to live according to the purpose of His will in this tent of the flesh.

The Wheel on Earth

Eze 1:15  Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces. 
Eze 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.

In Ezekiel chapter 10, another vision was given to Ezekiel which gives us a witness to this description of the wheel. This means that what we deduce about the wheels by comparing scripture with scripture is an established fact. 

Eze 10:9  And when I looked, behold the four wheels by the cherubims, one wheel by one cherub, and another wheel by another cherub: and the appearance of the wheels was as the colour of a beryl stone. 
Eze 10:10  And as for their appearances, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel.

2Co 13:1  This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.

To understand what the wheels represent, we need more information about the wheels. In verse 20, we are given to know that the spirit of the Lord is in the wheels which causes them to move according to the dictates of the spirit of the Lord.

Eze 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.

What is significant is that this wheel was upon the earth but filled with the spirit of the Lord. The earth signifies we, as earthen vessels and therefore the wheels on the earth with the spirit of the Lord in them represent the treasure in earthen vessels.

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

This means that the four wheels represent the whole of the elect as earthen vessels that are led by the spirit of the Lord. The living creatures signify the elect in our heavenly status where we are raised up to sit with Christ in heavenly places. The wheels represent us as earthen vessels where we are moved by the spirit of the Lord to empower us to live a life pleasing to the Lord to become witnesses here on earth. This means that without the spirit of the Lord, we are just like the people of this world.

Act 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 

Verse 15 confirms our assertion that the wheels symbolize the elect as the appearance of the wheels and their work resemble the color beryl. The mention of the color of beryl reminds us of the Lord Jesus Christ whose body appeared as beryl in a vision by Daniel.

Dan 10:5  Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: 
Dan 10:6  His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.

Beryl is also one of the twelve precious stones that serve as the foundation of the wall of New Jerusalem. These precious stones signify the precious words of the Lord which is also Christ. What this implies is that the appearance of the wheels and their works as the color of beryl is another way of saying that as He is, so are we here on this earth. In other words, we must be like Christ here on this earth and our works must serve as witness of Christ even as the Lord Jesus’ works here on earth serve as witness to our Father God.

Rev 21:19  And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; 
Rev 21:20  The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. 

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 

Verse 16 also mentions that the four wheels had one likeness, and their appearance and their work are like a wheel within a wheel. The one likeness means the elect of every generation all have the same spiritual experience, and therefore they all go through the same judgment of our old man to exhibit Christ. The wheel within a wheel is Christ within the elect.

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 

Ecc 9:2  All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

Eze 1:17  When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went. 
Eze 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. 
Eze 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.

The wheels are such that they go in any of the four directions without turning as they went. This was because the living creature’s movement is mimicked by the wheels here on earth and the reason, they go according to the living creatures is that the spirit of the living creatures is in the wheels. That is, when we walk in the spirit or live in heavenly places, our earthen vessels are carried along by the spirit to please the Lord. In other words, walking in the spirit means that we do not fulfill the desires of the flesh. If we live in the spirit, we will not turn or look back to the deeds of the flesh.

Gal 5:16  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 
Gal 5:17  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 
Gal 5:18  But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 

In Ezekiel 1:18, we are told that the “rings” or the rims in the wheels were very high and dreadful and are full of eyes.  The adjective “high” is used in the positive sense in the word of the Lord to signify the heavens. The following verses make this clear:

Job 11:8  It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? 

Psa 103:11  For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

The word “dreadful” on a positive note is another accolade of the Lord especially to those who do not know Him.

Mal 1:14  But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.

Dan 9:4  And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;

The rotating of the rings is what causes the wheel to move and what causes the rings to rotate is the spirit within the wheel. The rings being part of the wheel and being as high as the heavens refer to our walk here on earth which is in the spirit. To those who do not know the Lord, our walk in the spirit is a dreadful or horrible experience because of the fiery trials that accompany it. The rings being full of eyes all round suggest that we, His elect have been given the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven to guide our walk here on earth.

Eze 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. 
Eze 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.

As indicated, the living creatures represent the Lord’s elect who are raised to sit with the Lord in heavenly places. The wheels also represent the elect in having treasure in their earthen vessels here on earth. It is when we are sitting in the heavenly places with Christ empowered by the spirit, that is, walking in the spirit that we are able to influence our earthen vessels or bodies to follow wherever we go.

Gal 5:16  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Gal 5:17  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 
Gal 5:18  But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

Before the Throne

Eze 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 likeness of the firmament or expanse appearing as the color of the terrible or fearful crystal over the heads of the living creatures brings to mind the overcomers standing on the sea of glass. In Ezekiel chapter 1, the appearance of the firmament as fearful crystal is the same as the sea of glass the overcomers were standing on in the Book of Revelation. The difference between the two narrations is the position of the elect. In Ezekiel, the living creatures representing the elect were yet to experience the appearance of the fearful crystal since it was over their heads. In the case of the sea of glass, the elect had experienced it and overcome.

Rev 15:2  And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

Rev 4:6  And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

The sea refers to the laver filled with water between the tent of meeting and the altar where only the priests were to wash and cleanse themselves before entering the temple. It is also called the molten sea which is consistent with the sea of glass mingled with fire. The sea of glass is therefore the fire of the word of the Lord which washes us of everything of the flesh to make us transparent before God and man. This is what Brother Mike said about the sea of glass in His review of the Revelation chapter 15:

“But the sea was for the priests to wash in” tells us why those who are on this “sea of glass mingled with fire”, are God’s “kings and priest”, His very elect, who have overcome the image, name, number and mark of the beast. The Levites, who served the temple but were not the sons of Aaron the high priest, were never permitted to wash in this “molten sea” which is the shadow and type of this “sea of glass, mingled with fire” in the heavens here in Rev 15.

But why is this sea called a sea of glass? The Greek word here is ‘hualinos’, and it means clear or transparent. So those who are on this sea of glass know who they are, from whence they have come and how they have been placed where they are by the sovereign hand of their Lord and Savior. They themselves, like the sea on which they stand at this time in their walk, are completely transparent and have nothing to hide. 

While it is argued that glass, as we know it today, did not exist when the book of Revelation was written, it is interesting to note that this sea of glass is “like crystal” which was transparent, and which did exist when the book of Revelation was written. It is also instructive to note that the glass of today is made of sand which has been melted, unified and purified and made transparent by means of the heat into which it is placed. That is the significance of the fire here as it is the significance of fire throughout God’s Word. God’s fiery Word is the fire mingled with this “sea of glass”. It is God’s Word which has purified and made transparent everyone who stands upon this sea of glass. It is through God’s Word, “Christ in us”, that any of us are given the victory over the beast, his image, his number, his name and his mark. Christ is the fire that is mingled with those who are standing on this clear and transparent “sea of glass”.

The fact that in Ezekiel chapter 1, the appearance of the firmament as terrible or fearful crystal is that when we hear of the Lord’s judgment and are yet to experience it, it becomes fearful.

Eze 1:23  And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: everyone had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies.
Eze 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.

In verse 23, the wings of the living creatures stretching out straight and towards one another means that they are in motion. The next verse shows us that when they are in motion, the noise of their wings is the same as the voice of the Almighty God. What this implies is that the stretching of their wings towards one another is what every joint supplies. In other words, we minister the words to each other during our walk here on earth. Their wings being straight means that there are no false doctrines emanating from the words of these living creatures.

Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

In verse 23, we are told that each living creature has two wings which covered their bodies. Having two or more witnesses regarding His words is what protects us (our bodies) to know the mind of Christ and become established in Him. 

2Co 13:1  This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.

Eze 1:25  And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings.

As explained earlier, firmament which appears as terrible crystal is the same as the sea of glass mingled with fire. It is through our fiery trials that we clearly hear the voice of the Good Shepherd, who is Christ. When these living creatures stood still and let down their wings, that is when a voice from the firmament was heard. This means that the Lord coming to us to open our eyes to see and hear His words is not dependent on what we are doing for Him. It is through the mercies of the Lord that we are given the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven.

Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 
Mat 13:13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 
Mat 13:17  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Eze 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.

By comparing scripture with scripture, we are given to know that the appearance of a man in verse 26 is Christ our Lord, who has overcome and sits on the throne of our hearts and mind.

Exo 24:10  And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. 

From the above verse, we can see that the man Ezekiel saw sitting on the throne is the God of Israel, who is Christ our Lord. It is He who comes with His judgment as He sits in the throne of our hearts and mind.

Eze 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. 
Eze 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. 

As indicated in the previous study, the color amber is translated in many versions to mean polished or glowing metal. 

Eze 1:27  From the waist up, it was glowing like metal in a hot furnace, and from the waist down it looked like the flames of a fire. The figure was surrounded by a bright light,

What the polished or glowing metal of the Lord’s appearance from His loins upward and downwards in the midst of the fire signifies is that when Christ comes to us, He comes to initiate our fiery trials to remove all that contaminates our walk with Him so that we can be presented blameless before God.

Col 1:21  And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
Col 1:22  In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

The brightness of the Lord’s coming is the fire of His words, or His judgement as indicated in the following verse:

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

This brightness of the Lord’s coming is compared to the appearance of rainfall after rain. In Genesis, the appearance of a rainbow was to serve as surety of the Lord’s promise that He shall preserve humanity and not destroy them with the waters of a flood. What this signifies is that the Lord’s judgment now in the lives of His elect and later in the age of the lake of fire is not to destroy us, His elect, and humanity through false doctrines (waters of the flood) but is a way of preserving us His elect to be used as instruments to preserve humanity from destruction later. This means the Lord’s judgment is for the salvation of His elect first and then later for the salvation of all flesh from Adam to date. In this verse, we are given to know the instrument that the Lord will use to save humanity – the truth of the word of the Lord and not false doctrines or the waters of the flood. This means that the Lord, through His elect, will burn every false doctrine in our hearts and mind. What we are therefore learning of the word of the Lord is not only for our salvation, but the salvation of our children, family, friends, etc. at a later time set by the Lord.

Gen 9:11  I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 
Gen 9:12  And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 
Gen 9:13  I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 
Gen 9:14  When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 
Gen 9:15  I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 

May the Lord help us to know Him more as we see the day approaching. Amen!!