Tabor Baptist Church

A tale of two cities by Charles Dickens - the Book of Ezekiel is like this book, the tale of the city of Israel and the tale of the city of Babylon
The best of times for Babylon - it is the worst of times for God's people

The context of Ezekiel's ministry

• The context of hopelessness
• Our hope is lost ... we are cut off (37:11)
• The king had been taken captive (1:2)
• There was no priest hood
• Psalm 137:4 - "How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?"
• Their faith seems irrelevant in a pagan environment
• Does this sound familiar?
• We are facing spiritual decline
• We seem to be in a pagan land
• The decline of Christian religion
• Agnostics and atheists think that God is a delusion
• God comes to Babylon
• God comes in the form of vision (1:1)
• God is above and transcends pagan culture
• God comes by His word (1:3)
• God is not confined to the temple or any other place
• The situation is not that hopeless because God is there
• God is close to Ezekiel (1:3)
• Psalm 139:7-10
• God's presence was there
• God's power was there
• God's protection was there
• God's guidance and leadership was there
• God is here
• We are not without hope in today's spiritual decline

The content of Ezekiel's ministry

• This is apocalyptic literature (like CS Lewis or Tolkien)
• It is loaded with symbolism (1:1-28)
• One commentator has called it "one massive, multi-media experience"
• Main themes
• v5-14: picture of living creatures
• They are cherubim, angelic beings
• They are depicted as four different creatures:
• Human - reason, wisdom
• Lion - strength
• Ox - fertility
• Eagle - swift to move
• They are supporting the platform
• They are all subject to a throne
• v15-21: picture of the wheels
• Wheels within wheels
• There is mobility of the platform upon which the throne sits
• It has eyes - nothing is hidden
• v22-24: picture of the throne
• The throne in Jerusalem was empty (cf Isa 6:1)
• There is a place of majesty, authority, sovereignty
• There is still somebody in control
• Who is on the throne?
• v26-28: picture of the Son of Man
• The appearance of a rainbow - a reminder of God's covenant promise to Noah in preservation and mercy (1:28)
• At the middle of the covenant promise is The Lord Jesus Christ
• John 1:14 - The glory
  of God is located in the person of Jesus Christ
• God has not yet finished with His people

The consequences of the vision

• Ezekiel fell on his face (1:28)
• He responded to the glory of God
• How do we respond to the glory of God?
• "Lord bend me"
• 'Bow down and worship for this is your God'
• Ezekiel had a job (2:1-2)
• There was a job to be done, be on your feet
• Speak the word of God
• Share the gospel of God with those around you
• If you believe that God is so glorious, tell others about it