Part 8 - The Throne of God and The Four Living Creatures

“Christ is not Jesus’ last name.
The word Christ means “Anointed One” or “Messiah.”
It is a title that points to an experience.
It was not sufficient that Jesus be sent from heaven to earth with a title.
He had to receive the anointing
in an experience to accomplish what the Father desired.”
Bill Johnson – When heaven Invades Earth (p79)

Part 8 - The Throne of God and The Four Living Creatures

The azure sapphire answers to the color of the sky.
As others are called "sons of God," but He "the Son of God,"
so others are called "sons of man" (Ezekiel 2:1-3),

1Then He said to me, "Son of man,
stand on your feet that I may speak with you!"
2As He spoke to me the Spirit entered me
and set me on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me.
3Then He said to me, "Son of man,
I am sending you to the sons of Israel,
to a rebellious people who have rebelled against Me;
they and their fathers
have transgressed against Me to this very day.
Ezekiel 2:1-3 NASB

but He "the Son of man"
As they were coming down the mountain,
Jesus instructed them,

"Don't tell anyone what you have seen,
until the Son of Man
has been raised from the dead."
Matthew 17:19 NASB

being the embodied representative of humanity
and the whole human race; as, on the other hand,
He is the representative of
"the fullness of the Godhead"

9For in Him
all the fullness of Deity
dwells in bodily form,
Colossians 2:9 NASB

While the cherubim are movable,
the throne above,
and Jehovah who moves them,
are firmly fixed.
It is good news to man,
that the throne above is filled
by One who even there appears
as "a man."

The throne is the fourth part of the vision.

What Ezekiel saw
was not necessarily an actual throne,
then again perhaps it was a vision of God’s throne.
It was like lapis lazuli,
a sapphire-like stone
that was very valuable in the ancient world.
Ezekiel did not dwell on the throne itself,
because He who is on the throne
is far more important.
Nevertheless, a throne
is always an image of power and authority.

The word “throne” is a key word in the revelation.
Here, Ezekiel was relating the universal power
of the “King of kings.”
God’s throne rises above
the feeble attempts of authority and rule of man;
it is far more glorious than the throne of any earthly king
or the imagined thrones of pagan gods.
Ezekiel described God in symbolic terms,
saying that He had the appearance of a man.
He took great pains to avoid
making God creature-like,
because God is indescribable
and cannot be compared to anything or anyone.

27 Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw,
as it were, the color of amber

colour of amber—"the glitter of chasmal"
See note above on Ezekiel 1:4; rather, "polished brass"
Messiah is described here as in Daniel 10:5, 6; Revelation 1:14, 15.

with the appearance of fire all around within it;
and from the appearance of His waist
and downward I saw, as it were,
the appearance of fire
with brightness all around.
The awe-inspiring portrayal of God in verse 27
emphasizes three primary features:
His fearsomeness,
His radiance,
and His majesty.
God is depicted as being surrounded
From His waist up by something glowing metal
From His waist down,
Ezekiel said that He was encompassed
by what looked like fire.
The entire figure, then,
Was encompassed with splendor “Fire”
is that which can destroy (in judgment)
purify in fire or
or can illuminate through revelation.
Ezekiel would announce
the fiery judgments of God.

The ultimate method of purifying anything is through fire.
Fire can remove anything that is not pure or true.
It was fire that purified Sodom and Gomorrah

24Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah
brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven,
Genesis 19:24 NASB

God revealed Himself to Moses in a burning bush.

2The angel of the LORD appeared to him
in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush;
and he looked, and behold,
the bush was burning with fire,
yet the bush was not consumed.
Exodus 3:2 NASB

God lead the children of Israel in the wilderness by fire.

24At the morning watch, the LORD looked down
on the army of the Egyptians
through the pillar of fire and cloud
and brought the army of the Egyptians into confusion.
Exodus 14:24 NASB

Fire accompanied God’s presence on Mount Sinai

18Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke
because the LORD descended upon it in fire;
and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace,
and the whole mountain quaked violently.
Exodus 19:18 NASB

It was fire that consumed flesh in sacrifice to Jehovah

18"You shall offer up in smoke
the whole ram on the altar;
it is a burnt offering to the LORD:
it is a soothing aroma,
an offering by fire to the LORD.
Exodus 29:18

Fire represents the purity and holiness of God
particularly with application to His Word

36"Out of the heavens
He let you hear His voice
to discipline you;
and on earth
He let you see His great fire,
and you heard His words
from the midst of the fire.
Deuteronomy 4:36

The Word says that the fire of God
consumes all his enemies.

1The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice;
Let the many islands be glad.
2Clouds and thick darkness surround Him;
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
3Fire goes before Him
And burns up His adversaries round about.
Psalm 97:1-3

28 Like the appearance
of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day,

the rainbow—the symbol of the sure covenant of mercy
to God's children remembered amidst judgments on the wicked;
as in the flood in Noah's days (Revelation 4:3).
Like hanging out from the throne of the Eternal a symbol of peace,
assuring all that the purpose of Heaven was to preserve rather than to destroy.
Even if the divine work should require the outpouring of wrath,
still the faithfulness of God would only shine forth the more brightly
to the children of promise,
in consequence of the tribulations needed
to prepare for the ultimate good. (Isaiah 54:8-10).

8"In an outburst of anger
I hid My face from you for a moment,
But with everlasting lovingkindness
I will have compassion on you,"
Says the LORD your Redeemer.
9"For this is like the days of Noah to Me,
When I swore that the waters of Noah
Would not flood the earth again;
So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you
Nor will I rebuke you.
10"For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake,
But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you,
And My covenant of peace will not be shaken,"
Says the LORD who has compassion on you.
Isaiah 54:8-10 NASB

so was the appearance of the brightness all around it.
This was the appearance
of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.
Ezekiel 1:1-28 NKJ

The description in this verse
includes the image of a rainbow.
For Jews, the rainbow was a symbol
of God’s mercy and God’s covenant.

End Part 8
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