Ezekiel 9:1

The Bible says in Ezekiel 9:1-6, “He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand.[2] And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar.[3] And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side;[4] And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.[5] And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:[6] Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.” Ezekiel was told to get six men with weapons of war, and one also had a writing utensil. That person was told, “set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.” The symbolism is that God knows those that are His. This is eternal security. Once you give your heart to Jesus by calling upon His name, you belong to Him. He will not lose those that belong to Him. Jesus said in John 10:27-30, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:[28] And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.[29] My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
[30] I and my Father are one.”

Those who did not have the mark from God were destroyed. This symbolizes the difference between the saved and the lost. It is a warning from God. He wants everyone to be saved from their sins, but if you refuse to turn to Jesus, your soul will be lost forever. You will either be saved by grace, or you will be judged by law. The law is unforgiving, but Jesus will forgive any sin.

The Bible says in Ezekiel 9:7-11, “And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.[8] And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?[9] Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not.[10] And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head.[11] And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.” A lot of killing was going on by the commandment of God. Those were harsh times in the Old Testament, but they show how much the Israelites failed the Lord. But in reality everyone who dies is killed by God we could say. The Lord gives life, and He takes it. The Lord decides when each of us breathes our last, and He decides how we die. The important thing is to be spiritually ready to leave this earth with Jesus as your Savior so that you will live forever.

The Bible says in Ezekiel 10:1-12, “Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.[2] And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight.[3] Now the cherubims stood on the right side of the house, 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 stood over the threshold of the house; 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 cherubims' wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh.[6] And it came to pass, that when he had commanded the man clothed with linen, saying, Take fire from between the wheels, from between the cherubims; then he went in, and stood beside the wheels.[7] And one cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubims unto the fire that was between the cherubims, and took thereof, and put it into the hands of him that was clothed with linen: who took it, and went out.[8] And there appeared in the cherubims the form of a man's hand under their wings.[9] And when I looked, behold the four wheels by the cherubims, one wheel by one cherub, and another wheel by another cherub: and the appearance of the wheels was as the colour of a beryl stone.[10] And as for their appearances, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel.[11] When they went, they went upon their four sides; they turned not as they went, but to the place whither the head looked they followed it; they turned not as they went.[12] And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had.” Once again Ezekiel saw wheels that were part of the vision about God. God wheels are always moving. God is always at work. God is at work in every person’s life: always. The end is coming. The judgment is coming. God is at work. God was at work with the nation of Israel, and God decided that it was time for punishment for that nation. That is why Almighty God said, “Take fire from between the wheels, from between the cherubims.” The fire represents judgment.

Verse 11 says about the wheels, “When they went, they went upon their four sides; they turned not as they went, but to the place whither the head looked they followed it; they turned not as they went.” Have you ever known a determined person that always finishes something once they start it? God is like that and even more so. God makes a decision and the wheels start turning, and everything and everyone becomes subservient to what God is doing. His truth is marching on. The Judge is judging. Nothing can stop the juggernaut of God’s wrath against sin. But we can influence Him through our prayers. Jesus loves to hear the voice of the people that He has put upon the earth, and He loves to give us what we ask Him. God likes to hear our voice so much, that He has made that very thing the means of salvation when we call upon the name of Jesus. Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” You can pray to the Lord and He will save your soul. You can pray to the Lord and the direction of the world can be changed. You can pray to the Lord and your nation can be saved from impending judgment and destruction. Our hope is in the Lord.

Ezekiel 10:8 is an interesting verse with a very practical symbolism to it. It says, “And there appeared in the cherubims the form of a man's hand under their wings.” The cherubims are angelic beings, flying around in the presence of the glory of God. What a tremendous spiritual experience they have every moment of every day. And yet there is a man’s hand under each wing. A hand symbolizes doing something, getting something done. God wants us to be busy in the Master’s service. God wants Christian’s who accomplish something. What are you doing for the glory of the Lord? What works are you doing for Christ? Jesus spoke to the church in Ephesus and He said, “I know thy works.” He spoke to the church in Smyrna and He said to them, “I know thy works.” Jesus said the same thing to each of the seven churches in the book of Revelation: to Pergamus, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea. Do you have true belief in Jesus? That it is good: it results in the saving of your soul. But what works are you doing now that you are saved? What are you using your hands for? God gave you hands for a reason.

In Ezekiel 10:10 it says, “And as for their appearances, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel.” The fact that they had one likeness speaks of their common purpose and their common goal under the direction of God. God likes unity when the unity is for the right reason. God does not like unity when that unity is for the wrong reason. Just think of the tower of Babel. Christians are told to be separate from the world, but to be united by their common faith in Christ. Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

The Bible says in Ezekiel 10:13-15, “As for the wheels, it was cried unto them in my hearing, O wheel.[14] And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.[15] And the cherubims were lifted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar.” Interesting that verse 14 tells us exactly what was said to the wheels: “O wheel.” That’s it. That’s the message: Very profound. Just calling them out by what they are. Find out what God wants you to be, and then just be that. Be true to yourself. Be true to who you really are as a Christian. Be consistent. A wheel turns. A wheel keeps moving, if it does what it is designed to do. Do not stop serving the Lord. Do not let anything stop you. Don’t let your sins, don’t let your failures, don’t let discouragement, don’t let opposition, don’t let anything cause you to stop. Keep turning, keep moving, keep serving the Lord who died for you. It says in First Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” A voice was heard speaking to the wheels, and the voice said, “O wheel.” A wheel is a wheel and nothing else. It has certain specific activity to do because it is a wheel. It will not do well as a table because food will fall through the spokes or will be thrown off as the wheel turns. A wheel is a wheel because God designed it to be a wheel. Therefore, it does the work of a wheel. What does God want you to do: that depends upon what you are in Christ. It says in Ephesians 4:8, “Wherefore he saith when he ascended upon high, he led captivity captive, and he gave gifts unto men.” And it says in Ephesians 4:11, “And he gave some apostles; and some prophets; and some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers.” Concerning gifts that are given to Christians, it also says in First Corinthians 12:4-11, “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.[5] And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.[6] And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.[7] But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.[8] For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;[9] To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;[10] To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:[11] But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” And it says in the same chapter in verses 27-31, “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.[28] And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.[29] Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?[30] Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?[31] But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.” If Jesus gave you the gift of administration or helps, then do not try to be a pastor or teacher. Here is how to serve Christ: find out what your gift or gifts are, and then keep looking for opportunities to put those gifts into practice. That is how you find your calling and fulfill it.

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