The Man on the Throne: Ezekiel 1:22-28
Introduction: The Unbearable Glory
We live in an age that has domesticated God. We have made Him manageable, predictable, and, if we are honest, a bit boring. We want a God who fits neatly into our theological systems, our three-point sermons, and our quiet, suburban lives. We want a God who is more of a cosmic guidance counselor than the sovereign Lord of heaven and earth. But the God of the Bible, the God revealed to the prophet Ezekiel, is none of these things. He is terrifying. He is overwhelming. He is glorious beyond all description, and the only appropriate response to a true sight of Him is to fall on your face as though dead.
Ezekiel's vision is a splash of ice water on the face of a sleepy church. It is a necessary corrective to our casual, buddy-buddy approach to the Almighty. The book of Ezekiel is, in many ways, the book of Revelation of the Old Testament. It is filled with strange wheels, bizarre creatures, and visions that stretch the limits of human language. And the point of all this is to communicate one central reality: God is utterly transcendent. He is not like us. There is an infinite qualitative distinction between the Creator and the creature, and to forget this is the beginning of all idolatry and folly.
This vision comes to Ezekiel at a time of profound crisis. He is an exile in Babylon, the holy city of Jerusalem is about to be razed to the ground, and the people of God are scattered and defeated. It would be easy to conclude that the God of Israel had been defeated by the gods of Babylon. But this vision smashes that lie to pieces. God is not trapped in the Temple in Jerusalem. His throne is a mobile war chariot. He is on the move, and His glory is not diminished in the slightest by the disobedience of His people or the apparent triumph of His enemies. This is a vision of the absolute, untamable sovereignty of God. And it is this vision that must anchor us in our own chaotic times.
As we work our way through the climax of this vision, we are moving from the servants of the throne to the throne itself, and finally, to the One who sits upon it. This is holy ground. We must approach with reverence and awe, because what Ezekiel sees is nothing less than a pre-incarnate vision of the Lord Jesus Christ, the glory of Yahweh in human form.
The Text
Now over the heads of the living creatures there was something with the likeness of an expanse, like the awesome gleam of crystal, spread out over their heads above. And underneath the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward the other; each one also had two wings covering its body on the one side and on the other. I also heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters as they went, like the sound of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army camp; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings. And there came a sound from above the expanse that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings.
Now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something in the likeness of a throne, like sapphire stone in appearance; and upon the likeness of the throne, high up, was the likeness of one with the appearance of a man. Then I saw from the appearance of His loins and upward something like the gleam of glowing metal with the appearance of fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something with the appearance of fire; and there was a radiance all around Him. As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the radiance all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Yahweh. And I saw this, and I fell on my face and heard a sound of a voice speaking.
(Ezekiel 1:22-28 LSB)
The Awesome Expanse (vv. 22-25)
Ezekiel's gaze is drawn upward, above the living creatures, to the foundation of the throne.
"Now over the heads of the living creatures there was something with the likeness of an expanse, like the awesome gleam of crystal, spread out over their heads above." (Ezekiel 1:22)
This expanse, or firmament, serves as a platform. It is described as having the "awesome gleam of crystal." The word for awesome here is the same Hebrew word for "fear" or "terror." This is not a pretty, decorative platform; it is a terrifying, glorious, and holy foundation. It is a clear, solid separation between the created realm of the cherubim and the uncreated majesty of God who is enthroned above. This reinforces the Creator/creature distinction. There is a barrier, a firmament, that cannot be crossed. God is holy, separate, other.
Beneath this terrifying platform, the creatures are poised in service. Their wings are stretched out, ready for action, yet they also have wings covering their bodies, a posture of humility and reverence, reminiscent of the seraphim in Isaiah 6 who cover their faces and feet in the presence of God's holiness. They are both powerful and submissive.
"I also heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters as they went, like the sound of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army camp..." (Ezekiel 1:24)
The sound of their movement is overwhelming. It is compared to a flood, to the very voice of God Himself (Shaddai), and to the noise of a massive army. This is the sound of heaven on the move. It is the sound of irresistible power executing the will of the King. When God's purposes advance, it is not a quiet or timid affair. It is a thunderous, world-shaking event.
But notice the contrast. When they stand still, they drop their wings. And a voice comes from above the expanse. This is crucial. The creatures only move when commanded, and when the voice from the throne speaks, they fall silent. All the power, all the noise, all the tumult of the created order ceases in an instant when the Creator is about to speak. This is the posture of all creation before its Lord. We are to be silent and listen. All our frantic activity, all our noise, must cease before the Word of God.
The Man on the Throne (vv. 26-27)
Now we come to the absolute center of the vision, the very heart of reality.
"Now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something in the likeness of a throne, like sapphire stone in appearance; and upon the likeness of the throne, high up, was the likeness of one with the appearance of a man." (Ezekiel 1:26 LSB)
The throne itself is like sapphire, a deep, royal blue, the color of the sky. It speaks of heavenliness, of transcendent authority. But the most staggering thing is who sits on it. It is "the likeness of one with the appearance of a man." Let this sink in. At the control center of the universe, on the throne of all power and authority, Ezekiel sees a human figure. This is a profound Christophany, a pre-incarnate appearance of the Son of God.
Centuries before the incarnation, God is revealing that the ultimate ruler of the cosmos is a Man. This is not because God is in the image of man, but because man was made in the image of God, specifically in the image of the Son who would one day become a man. All of history is moving toward the incarnation, when the eternal Son would take on flesh and blood. This vision is a preview. The one who rules all things is the one who relates to us in our own form. He is not an abstract force or an impersonal principle. The King is a Man, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The description of this man is a torrent of fire and light.
"Then I saw from the appearance of His loins and upward something like the gleam of glowing metal with the appearance of fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something with the appearance of fire; and there was a radiance all around Him." (Ezekiel 1:27 LSB)
Ezekiel is struggling for words, piling up similes: "like the gleam," "with the appearance of." He cannot describe God directly, only what He is like. The figure is engulfed in fire and glowing metal. Fire in Scripture represents God's holiness, His purity, and His consuming judgment. This is the God who is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29). He is unapproachably holy. The radiance, the sheer brilliance, speaks of His glory. This is not a tame man on the throne. This is a man of fire, a man of glory, a man of terrible and beautiful holiness.
The Rainbow of Covenant Promise (v. 28)
Surrounding this terrifying figure of fire and judgment is something remarkable.
"As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the radiance all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Yahweh." (Ezekiel 1:28a LSB)
The radiance surrounding the throne has the appearance of a rainbow. The rainbow is the sign of God's covenant promise to Noah, His pledge to never again destroy the earth with a flood (Gen. 9). It is a symbol of mercy in the midst of judgment. The bow is a weapon of war, but in the rainbow, it is hung up, pointed away from the earth and toward heaven. It is God absorbing His own wrath.
Here, surrounding the throne of judgment, is the promise of covenant faithfulness. The fire of God's holiness is encircled by the rainbow of His mercy. This is the gospel in brilliant color. The God who must judge sin is the God who has promised to save His people. His justice and His mercy are not at odds; they meet at the throne. The same vision is picked up by the apostle John in Revelation: "And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald" (Rev. 4:3). The throne of God is a throne of judgment, but for those who are in Christ, it is forever encircled by the promise of grace.
Ezekiel's response is the only sane and appropriate one.
"Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Yahweh. And I saw this, and I fell on my face and heard a sound of a voice speaking." (Ezekiel 1:28b LSB)
Notice the careful, repeated qualifications: "the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Yahweh." Ezekiel knows he has not seen God in His unshielded essence. No man can see God and live. He has seen a manifestation, a likeness of His glory. And the sight is unbearable. He falls on his face. This is the universal reaction of sinful men who encounter the holy God: Isaiah says, "Woe is me, for I am undone!"; Peter says, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"; John, seeing the glorified Christ, falls at His feet as though dead.
There is no room for pride or self-righteousness in the presence of God. There is only prostration. And it is in this position, on his face, that Ezekiel is prepared to hear the word of the Lord. God casts us down in order to raise us up. He humbles us so that He can speak to us. We cannot receive His commission or hear His word until we have first been undone by a vision of His glory.
The Glory of the Man Christ Jesus
This vision is not just for Ezekiel. It is for us. It is a vision of our Lord, Jesus Christ, enthroned in glory. He is the Man on the throne. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him (Matt. 28:18).
He is the one whose appearance is like fire. He is the one who will judge the nations with righteousness. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and from His mouth comes a sharp, two-edged sword (Rev. 1:14-16). We must not trifle with Him. He is holy and He demands holiness from His people.
But He is also the one who is surrounded by the rainbow of covenant mercy. The fire of His holiness and the flood of His judgment were poured out upon Him at the cross. He absorbed the full measure of God's wrath so that we could be brought near. In Jesus Christ, the consuming fire of God's presence becomes a welcoming, refining fire for His people.
Therefore, our response must be the same as Ezekiel's. We must fall on our faces. We must abandon all pretense of our own righteousness. We must confess our sin and our weakness. And in that place of humility, we will hear His voice. He does not crush those who fall before Him. He speaks to them. He commissions them. He raises them up and sends them out in His power.
Do you feel like you are in exile? Does the world seem to be winning? Does God seem distant? Lift your eyes. Look at the man on the throne. He is sovereign. He is holy. He is merciful. And He is on the move. His throne is not static. The sound of His army is like a flood. Let us fall down in worship, and then rise to follow our glorious, fiery, rainbow-crowned King.