God’s Glory Departs from the Temple

Ezekiel 10:1-22 

1 And I looked, and there in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubim, there appeared something like a sapphire stone, having the appearance of the likeness of a throne. 2 Then He spoke to the man clothed with linen, and said, "Go in among the wheels, under the cherub, fill your hands with coals of fire from among the cherubim, and scatter them over the city." And he went in as I watched.

3 Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and the cloud filled the inner court. 4 Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub, and paused over the threshold of the temple; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD's glory. 5 And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even in the outer court, like the voice of Almighty God when He speaks.

6 Then it happened, when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, "Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubim," that he went in and stood beside the wheels. 7 And the cherub stretched out his hand from among the cherubim to the fire that was among the cherubim, and took some of it and put it into the hands of the man clothed with linen, who took it and went out. 8 The cherubim appeared to have the form of a man's hand under their wings.

9 And when I looked, there were four wheels by the cherubim, one wheel by one cherub and another wheel by each other cherub; the wheels appeared to have the color of a beryl stone. 10 As for their appearance, all four looked alike—as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 11 When they went, they went toward any of their four directions; they did not turn aside when they went, but followed in the direction the head was facing. They did not turn aside when they went. 12 And their whole body, with their back, their hands, their wings, and the wheels that the four had, were full of eyes all around. 13 As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing, "Wheel."

14 Each one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, the second face the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. 15 And the cherubim were lifted up. This was the living creature I saw by the River Chebar. 16 When the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also did not turn from beside them. 17 When the cherubim stood still, the wheels stood still, and when one was lifted up, the other lifted itself up, for the spirit of the living creature was in them.

18 Then the glory of the LORD departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim. 19 And the cherubim lifted their wings and mounted up from the earth in my sight. When they went out, the wheels were beside them; and they stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD's house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.

20 This is the living creature I saw under the God of Israel by the River Chebar, and I knew they were cherubim. 21 Each one had four faces and each one four wings, and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings. 22 And the likeness of their faces was the same as the faces which I had seen by the River Chebar, their appearance and their persons. They each went straight forward.

Because of the continuing unrepentant sin of God’s people in which they broke the covenant which He had made with them conditional on their obedience to His Law, God finally left the house of worship and sin’s atonement which He had given to them according to the heavenly pattern to be built.  The vision between heaven and earth which was shown to Ezekiel described a sky with a sapphire stone looking throne surrounded by the cherubim of the inner sanctuary.  The living wheels which he had seen in the first vision (Ezekiel 1:13-15) under that throne had burning coals under the angelic beings which a man was instructed to gather by hand and scatter over the city in judgment.  The coals did not burn the messenger, only those under judgment.  The cloud of God’s bright glory filled the temple as that man went in to the holy of holies as the sound of the flapping cherubim wings sounded like the voice of the LORD (Ezekiel 1:24) in bubbling sounds so glorious.  The cherubim had a man’s hands and handed the coals to the man in linen to carry to implement God’s justice.  What a confusing and marvelous scene that that must have been which was shown to Ezekiel!  These words cannot ignite our imaginations enough to fully understand the glory and awe of that heavenly inspiring sight.  Even the description of the angelic ones with four different faces is difficult to visualize and the words Ezekiel used are not enough to put us there alongside him to appreciate the magnificent awe of that moment, just as the Revelation given to John later to see things of the heavenly realm and struggle to find the words to fully describe it all, such as how they could move only straight ahead and yet maneuver around.  Here were same living wheels moving the throne around with coals seemingly part of and under the cherubim which is so beyond our grasp that Ezekiel had seen before by the River Chebar, the  'Royal Canal' of Nebuchadnezzar (Ezekiel 1:1).  God’s glory came from the temple and rested over these as they arose and stood by the east gate.  These things may seem to only have meaning for the judgment on Israel at the time, but also give a glimpse, a glimmer, into the heavenly majesty of God’s unseen kingdom which we will experience face to face after the final judgment of all as He brings heaven down to earth in the New Jerusalem (Hebrews 11:10, Revelation 21:2) without sinners there to be judged (Isaiah 52:1) and where He will live with His people face to face at last (Job 19:26-27).  The redeemed of the Lord say so (Psalm 107:2) in one accord.  His glory which departed the temple will return forever in that Celestial City and we will worship the Lamb on the throne who sacrificed Himself for us as no temporary sacrifice of animals in the old temple ever could.  His people therefore say, Glory to God and the Lamb who was slain (Revelation 5:12)!