four faced creatures

[NewCreation435]

Ezekiel 1:4-14 says this
4 As I looked, behold, a storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually and a bright light around it, and in its midst something like glowing metal in the midst of the fire. 5 Within it there were figures resembling four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human form. 6 Each of them had four faces and four wings. 7 Their legs were straight and their feet were like a calf’s hoof, and they gleamed like burnished bronze. 8 Under their wings on their four sides were human hands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them, 9 their wings touched one another; their faces did not turn when they moved, each went straight forward. 10 As for the form of their faces, each had the face of a man; all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and all four had the face of an eagle. 11 Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each had two touching another being, and two covering their bodies. 12 And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went. 13 In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches darting back and forth among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was [h]flashing from the fire. 14 And the living beings ran to and fro like bolts of lightning.

The church I was at this morning talked about this passage and what it means that this creature had four faces and four wings. The faces were of a man, lion, bull and eagle. What do you believe is the significance of this?

 

[Pedrito]

The question regarding the significance of the four faced creatures in Ezekiel 1 is a good one.

A companion question is: What is the significance of the four faced creatures in Ezekiel 10?

It could well be that there is more then a single significance associated with those faces. Let’s consider two possibilities.

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The first possibility is that the faces represent the camp of Israel, ordered as God commanded around the tabernacle during the wilderness journey.

The standard (flag) of the leading tribe on each side of the tabernacle was: Judah, a lion, on the east; Reuben, a man, on the south; Ephraim, an ox, on the west; Dan, an eagle to the north.

That coincides with the faces on the beings Ezekiel observed.

(The faces could also represent aspects of Jesus in His earthly ministry.)

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The second possibility is that the comparison between the creatures as represented in Ezekiel 1 and those in Ezekiel 10, is prophetic.

In Ezekiel 1, the vision of the creatures precedes proclamations of judgement.

In Ezekiel 10, the vision of the creatures precedes proclamations of judgement and restoration.

The ox in Ezekiel 1 becomes a cherub in Ezekiel 10.

While the immediate focus would pertain to the return of a remnant from the captivity of that day, other Scripture supports the idea that this also refers to an ultimate, secure restoration of Israel to the land at a time still future to us. That of necessity would mean something that would take place after Jesus’ atoning death and glorification. (The judgement that resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem and the resulting diaspora, also happened after Jesus’ glorification.)

If those ideas bear merit, then the transformation from a beast of burden in Ezekiel 1 (consider “the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6) to a spiritual being of majestic importance, seems decidedly prophetic.

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Just some thoughts. There could be even deeper ones.

 

[Andrew]

Oh cool I was going to make this thread but keep forgetting, I'll have to read it later

Sent from my LGLS755 using Tapatalk

 

[NewCreation435]

I always thought of it as symbolic of the birds or flying animals, domestic animals, wild animals and mankind