The Old Testament book of Ezekiel tells us that God’s heavenly throne does not sit in a fixed location. It actually moves around over the earth and through the heavens, resting upon a mobile platform. This platform, transparent in nature with the appearance of gleaming crystal, is supported by four sets of perpendicularly-rotating wheels, each wheel set being accompanied by a majestic angelic creature, or cherub.
The apostle John was also given a vision of these four heavenly creatures, leading worship, and serving God the Father around His throne. Seven centuries before John recorded his vision in the book of Revelation, the prophet Ezekiel was treated to his vision of these exotic living beings.
4 As I looked, I saw a great storm coming from the north, driving before it a huge cloud that flashed with lightning and shone with brilliant light. There was fire inside the cloud, and in the middle of the fire glowed something like gleaming amber. 5 From the center of the cloud came four living beings that looked human, 6 except that each had four faces and four wings. 7 Their legs were straight, and their feet had hooves like those of a calf and shone like burnished bronze. 8 Under each of their four wings I could see human hands. So each of the four beings had four faces and four wings. 9 The wings of each living being touched the wings of the beings beside it. Each one moved straight forward in any direction without turning around.
10 Each had a human face in the front, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle at the back. 11 Each had two pairs of outstretched wings—one pair stretched out to touch the wings of the living beings on either side of it, and the other pair covered its body. 12 They went in whatever direction the spirit chose, and they moved straight forward in any direction without turning around.
13 The living beings looked like bright coals of fire or brilliant torches, and lightning seemed to flash back and forth among them. 14 And the living beings darted to and fro like flashes of lightning. Ezekiel 1:4-13 (NLT)
God revealed these mystical creatures to Ezekiel as part of his calling to serve as a prophet to the people of Judah, now living in exile along the Kebar River in Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon. These four intelligent and powerful beings were shown to be serving and worshiping God the Father. Unlike their roles in the book of Revelation, where they are seen bowing down before God and leading multitudes in His worship, here they take up positions to allow the movement and transport of God’s throne, working in concert with each other as God’s Spirit leads them.
Ezekiel’s vision shows these four living beings each placed at the corner or face of a square, facing outward away from the center, with God’s throne carried on a platform above them. Observed from any direction, one would see a different face on each cherub – from one direction, a human’s face, from another, a lion, an ox, or an eagle’s.
The picture of motion presented to Ezekiel confirms that the Father is active and intimately involved in the affairs of people. The different faces of these living beings give honor to all of God’s creation, but it is humans who are the major focus of His loving attention, along with the others. God is not some distant Creator who sits back and lets people twist in the wind when trials come their way. He deeply cares and desires that we seek Him to play a central role in our delivery, healing, recovery, and reconstruction from our troubles.
Our Father is always busy and at work, for our benefit. As His Son, Jesus, told the disciples:
17 But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.” John 5:17 (NLT)
We experience our greatest fulfillment in life when we, like the four heavenly creatures in Ezekiel’s vision, serve alongside God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth, and Jesus Christ, to whom He has given all glory, honor, and authority. We have been abundantly blessed with so many wonderful things, not least of which is complete forgiveness for our sins through faith in Jesus, and the offer to spend our eternal life with our loving God. With overflowing gratitude, we ask Him to show us the things that He would have us to do for Him in the here and now, and to grant us His power to help us carry them out.
May the Lord bless us all as we seek to serve Him today as the Lord reveals to us where He is already at work.
Reflection
What things have you sensed that the Lord wants you to begin doing in service to Him?
Father, thank You for working ceaselessly for our well-being. Help us to see the things that You would have us to do for You and grant us the power, the favor, and the courage to carry them out. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Have a beautiful, blessed day in the Lord today.
Daily Meditations from the Genealogy of Jesus 