The Call of Prophet Ezekiel, What A Wonderful Encounter

Good day Beloved of God in Christ Jesus. You are all welcome to another new day. Glory to God for the gift of life.

In our today’s episode 542 of studying and understanding the Bible, we shall be looking into the book of Ezekiel Chapter 2 titled:

The Call of Prophet Ezekiel, What A Wonderful Encounter

First, as promised yesterday, let me quickly explain the meaning of the four living creatures that Ezekiel saw through the vision he had in Chapter 1

Here is the breakdown:

According to verse 4 of chapter 1, the imagery was ushered in by a storm and lightning flashing from a huge cloud and the sky around it was glowing.

Thereafter, he saw the four living creatures. They appeared in human form, each of them had four different faces and four wings. Human face in front, a lion’s face at the right, a bull or ox’s face at the left and an eagle’s face at the back.

Recall that Daniel and Apostle John also had similar visions as well.

What does this imagery signify?

Remember, there have been various instances in the Bible whereby before God called his Prophets, He would do something remarkable to get their attention.

He used the burning bush to get Moses’ attention.

He used the great fish to get Jonah’s attention.

He spoke to Samuel in a voice that resembled that of Eli.

He a powerful figure sitting on a throne, high and exalted with his robe filling the whole temple to get Isaiah’s attention.

He spoke directly to Jeremiah to get his attention.

In the case of Ezekiel that we are studying currently, God gave him a symbolic representation of His glory.

He met Saul on his way to Damascus and spoke directly to him.

There are various examples in both old and new testament where God did something remarkable to get people’s attention and to call them into ministry.

The vision of the four living creatures, and of the four wheels, vv. 4-25.

No wonder the book of Hebrews 1:1 says, In the past, God spoke to our ancestors many times and in many ways through the prophets.

Meaning that God used various imagery, figures, symbols and figurative expressions to get their attention and to communicate His will to them.

However, in our dispensation, God speaks through His Son – The Word.

Now, let’s quickly examine the faces of the four living creatures (which were later described as the Cherubs according to the angelic hierarchy in Ezekiel 10: 15,20) that Ezekiel saw and what they mean.

The fact that he saw four living creatures means that God was about to give him an assignment where he would proclaim the Word of God that would touch every four corner of the whole world.

The wings, which is means to soar symbolises the fact that the message would be superior to any other message. This is why the Word of God is our standard and anything contrary to it should be trashed. The wings also symbolize the speed at which the Word would travel far and wide the four corners of the world.

The face of man symbolizes the incarnation of Jesus as human and how through His finished work empowers believers to function in the five-fold ministry through the Holy Spirit.

The face of Lion symbolizes the Apostolic Ministry.

The face of Eagle symbolizes the Prophetic Ministry.

The face of Ox symbolizes the Pastoral, Evangelist and Teaching ministries.

You will also see more mentions of the Cherubs in the following Bible passages: Genesis 3:24; Exodus 25:17–22; 2 Chronicles 3:7–14; Ezekiel 10:12–14, 28:14–16; 1 Kings 6:23–28.

Funny enough, even satan, the arch enemy of the church was previously one of the Cherubs until he allowed pride to ruin him. Read Ezekiel 28:14-15 KJV

When Ezekiel saw all these imageries in the vision, then he fell face down on the ground, because they were too powerful for him to behold. Then he heard a voice that asked him to stand up to receive the Message.

While he was still trying to cope with the heavy impact of the vision, then the Spirit of the Lord strengthened him and raised him to his feet. You will find this in Chapter 2:1-2

Verses 3 to 10 give us the details of what he was told to do. The same way God instructed Isaiah and Jeremiah was what God did for Ezekiel too. For him to be fulfilled in that ministry, he must not entertain fear, he must not practice their terrible acts.

Finally, he was symbolically given the Word to eat. The truth is, when God calls you, He will definitely give you His Word. You will always have a message to preach and most importantly, you will have the platform to deliver the message and audience to receive the message.

Looking very well into how these people were strategically called and positioned by God, you find out that Isaiah was used to open the prophetic floor alongside Amos, and Micah before the invasion.

Close to the time the prophecies began to find full expression, then they handed the baton to Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Nahum, Habakkuk and finally right there in captivity, Ezekiel, Daniel and others took over the prophetic mantle.

Each of them had his season, location and timing. They were not competing with one another as we see today. Their focus was on the message.

You will be shocked to discover that while Daniel was sent to the Palace to fulfil God’s assignment, Ezekiel did not have the Palace opportunity, his own ministry was also in the exile but within the country side area. The Bible says he was living with the Jewish exiles by the River Chebar right there in Babylon.

Jeremiah himself did not go to Babylon. Rather, he stayed right there in Judah to continue preaching to the remnant. You can see how strategic God can be and none of these people argued with God or felt jealous of one another.

This is a big lesson to all the ministers of God in our dispensation. Not every Prophet or Pastor will preach abroad or in the city. There are some that would be sent to the villages, some to towns, some to cities and some to developed countries.

Whichever location you find yourself, your utmost priority is to serve God faithfully. Make sure what you are preaching is the truth and not mammon Gospel. Do not beg for platforms. Do not pay money for endorsement so that they can identify you with the so-called spiritual fathers. Allow God to endorse you Himself and you will see your ministry skyrocketing and spreading to the four corners of the world.

To be continued…stay tuned and stay blessed.

Let us pray:

The revelation knowledge of God will flood your heart and enable you see beyond the ordinary and your life will be completely transformed beyond your wildest imaginations, in Jesus name.