We have examined in some detail the way in which the Scriptures present Yahweh in the work of keeping the way of the tree of life. He rides the cherubic chariot and on it he comes to the earth to judge His enemies and to protect His faithful.
Ezekiel continuing his description of this apocalyptic symbol, now turns his attention to the wheels of the cherubic chariot. The R.S.V. gives at verse 15,
“Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel upon the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them.”
That there were four wheels is confirmed by Ch.10:9. The word rendered “wheel” is the Hebrew “ophan”, which is the usual word in Scripture for a chariot wheel.
In trying to visualise what Ezekiel saw in his vision we must remember that we are dealing with the language of apocalypse, i.e. symbolic language. The thing which Ezekiel saw does not necessarily have to be a mechanical possibility – the wheels represent something.
Let us note the points of description concerning the arrangement and movement of the wheels:-
- There was a wheel in the middle of a wheel (v.16)
- They could move in any of the four directions – so R.S.V. (v.17).
- They moved thus without turning,i.e. without changing direction (v.17).
- They movedwith the living creatures, which also are said to move without turning. (See 12 & 19.)
The following diagrams, whilst setting out a mechanical impossibility, offer a suggestion as to the kind of thing which Ezekiel might have seen, and satisfy all the above descriptive points.
The Colour of a Beryl
“The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl.”
Commentators and translators are not able to agree as to the identity of this stone. It is the same stone mentioned in Daniel 10:6 where Daniel sees an apocalyptic vision of God in manifestation. It is the same stone which was placed in the fourth row of the gems in the breastplate of judgment (Exod 28. read verses 15 – 20 and 30). The breastplate of judgment with its twelve stones,on which were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, was foursquare and was a representation of the nation of Israel which during its journey to the land was instructed to encamp in a foursquare arrangement.
The names of the children of Israel were also written upon the two onyx stones which were carried on the shoulders of the High Priest, and in Exod.28:10 we are told that the order of these names was according to their birth”. In the case of the twelve stones of the breastplate we read at v.21 that the names were “according to their tribes”. Since the breastplate was a foursquare representation of the tribes it seems reasonable to suppose that the order of the names on the stones corresponds to the list of the tribes . as given in Numbers Ch.2 where the foursquare encampment of the tribes is described. Thus we have:-
| Stones in Exodus ch.28 | Tribes in Numbers ch.2 |
|---|---|
|
Sardius Topaz Carbuncle v. 17 Emerald Sapphire Diamond v. 18 Ligure Agate Amethyst v. 19 Beryl Onyx Jasper v. 20 |
Judah Issachar Zebulon v. 3-7 Reuben Simeon Gad v. 10-14 Ephraim Manasseh Benjamin v. 18-22 Dan Asher Naphtali v. 25-29 |
If this is correct, then the beryl stone corresponds to the tribe of Dan. The word ‘DAN’ means ‘JUDGE’, and Jacob in Genesis confirms this connection when he says,”Dan shall JUDGE his people” (Genesis 49:16). The beryl stone in the breastplate thus represents a judging power, and Is therefore very fitting material for the wheels of the cherubic chariot, which as we have seen speaks of the judgment of God coming upon Israel.
The word ‘BERYL’ is a translation of the Hebrew word ‘TARSHISH’,and Gesenius in his Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon, and Dr. Thomas in “Phanerosis” derive the word from the root ‘RAHSHASH’ which denotes “to break in pieces; to destroy”. This word occurs in Jeremiah 5:17 which is speaking of the judgments of God to be poured upon Israel by Babylon
“… your fortified cities in which you trust they shall DESTROY (RAHSHASH) with the sword.” (R.S.V.)
Thus the wheels being the colour of beryl emphasises the fact that the idea of judgment is prominent in the wheels of the cherubic chariot, as we saw it to be in the living creatures which formed the body of the vehicle.
Full of Eyes
The A.V. of verse 18 informs us that
“their rings.. were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes….”
The R.S.V. gives,
“The four wheels had rims and they had spokes; and their rims were full of eyes round about”,
but adds a note in connection with “spokes” to the effect that the Hebrew is uncertain. So we cannot be sure that the wheels had spokes, but they did have “rings” or “rims”, and these were “full of eyes”.
According to Ezekiel 10:12 the living creatures are also full of eyes, and this agrees with John’s vision in Revelation 4:6 where again the four living ones are said to be “full of eyes before and behind”.
The same two ideas are involved here which we have seen time and again in our study – the judgment of God’s enemies and the protection of the Way of the tree of life. In Ezekiel 5:11 and 7:4,9 it is clear that “mine EYE shall not spare thee” means that apostate Israel is going to be judged. But the other idea emerges plainly in such Scriptures as Psalm 34:15 where we are told “The eyes of Yahweh are upon the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry” (see also Psalm 33:18,19).
The faithful in Israel at the time of the Babylonian judgment of which Ezekiel prophesied trusted that at the end of the seventy years (Jeremiah 29:10) Yahweh would redeem his people from the Babylonian grave in which the carcase of Israel was buried. Jeremiah had taught them that the restoration of Israel would be accomplished at the hand of a descendant of David called the BRANCH (Jer. 23:5.). A consideration of Zechariah’s reference to the bringing forth of the Branch given at the time of the restoration (Zech. 3:8) is helpful in connection with the protecting work of the “eyes”. We can see that Zerubbabel and Joshua were, as Zech. 3:8 says, “MEN OF SIGN”, but Israel at that time would see Zerubbabel as the Branch who was to bring about the restoration. We know that the Branch is none other than the great descendant of Zerubbabel – the Lord Jesus.
Concerning the bringing forth of the Branch Zechariah says “For behold the stone that I have Laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith Yahweh of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.” (Zech. 3:9.) From this we see that the bringing forth of the Branch:-
- Would be associated with Joshua
- Is represented as the laying of a stone – no doubt the foundation stone of chapter 4:9
- Upon the stone would be seven eyes
- The stone would be engraven by Yahweh
- It would bring about the removal of Israel’s iniquity
- Ultimately it would bring the establishment of the Kingdom of God.
We can see in all this the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, but we are particularly interested in the fact that upon the stone during the laying of the foundation in Zion there would be seven eyes.
Seven undoubtedly signifies completeness, the word being derived from a Hebrew root signifying to ‘completely bind with an oath’. For eyes to be upon something, as we have seen from the Psalms, denotes protection. (An interesting reference is to be found in Ezra 5:5 which is possibly the background to Zechariah 3.) And so in this prophecy Yahweh promises complete protection to the Branch when he is laid as a stone in Zion. 2 Chron. 16:9 was especially true of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The next chapter in Zechariah is really a continuation of this theme. It looks forward to the consummation of God’s purpose with Israel and with the nations, when Zerubbabel, as the headstone of the corner, would finish the work God had given him to do.
“… and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it” (Zech. 4:7).
“The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it…. ” (Zech. 4:9).
How would this be accomplished? ” Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith Yahweh of hosts” – by the spirit of God represented in the vision which Zechariah saw as seven lamps (v.2) and in verse 10 called the “Eyes of Yahweh which run to and fro through the whole earth”.
What then are these eyes of Yahweh which would protect the Branch and which would guarantee the consummation of Yahweh’s purpose? What are these seven eyes, called the spirit of God and represented by seven lamps of fire? “Yahweh hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. Bless Yahweh, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.” ” Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire.” (Psalm 103:19-20, 104:4).
The eyes thus represent the power of God as revealed in the angels. They figure prominently in the book of the Revelation and are there represented as “Seven Spirits which are before his (God’s) throne”. (ch.1:4.) In the apocalyptic vision of chapter 4 they are presented as “Seven lamps of fire burning before the throne of God” (v.5) and in chapter 5 they become associated with the Lamb who has prevailed and are there called “SEVEN EYES which are the SEVEN SPIRITS of God sent forth into all the earth” (ch.5:6.)
The eyes in Ezekiel’s cherubic-chariot wheels then represent the Spirit of God in multitudinous manifestation for the protection of the faithful and the judgment of the enemies of the Way.
The Spirit in the Wheel
The whole vision was a portrayal of the work of the Spirit through his agents, the angels. The whirlwind which came from the north was as we saw last time, a spirit whirlwind (RUACH SEARAH). Wheresoever the spirit was to go the living creatures went, and here the same spirit is said to be in the wheels. “Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.” (Ezekiel ch.1:20.) The whole chariot bearing aloft the similitude of Yahweh’s glory was bringing Yahweh’s whirlwind judgments near to the people of Israel.
“O Wheel”
We learn something new about the wheels in chapter 10 where we are told at verse 13 “As for the wheels,(Heb. OPHANIM) it was cried unto them in my hearing,0 wheel” (Heb. GALGAL). The word galgal is correctly translated in the R.V. where we read “As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing, the WHIRLING”.
Thus the wheels, which incidentally are said to touch the earth (in ch.1:15), are called ‘the Whirling’. The idea is undoubtedly again that of judgment upon the earth. When Daniel saw the vision of judgment in chapter 7 we are told
“. . . the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire”.
The idea is that of WHIRLING fire and not of chariot wheels. In Psalm 77 we read of the redemption of Israel and the outpouring of God’s judgments. In verse 18 the word in the A.V. “heaven” is GALGAL, and the R.S.V. renders
“The crash of thy thunder was in the WHIRLWIND: thy lightnings lighted up the world. . .”
Psalm 83 is a psalm again dealing with the judgment of the enemies of God’s people. (V.13.)
“O my God, make them like WHIRLING dust, like chaff before the wind.” (R.S.V.)
Again GALGAL is seen to be associated with Yahweh’s judgments.
Ezekiel in his vision sees the spirit whirlwind coming near to Israel-this spirit is in the wheels and they are called the WHIRLING. Before them, as Zephaniah had declared, the “shameless nation” would be “driven away like the drifting chaff” (Zeph. 2:2 R.S.V.) – Scattered, whirled away, as Ezekiel later shows (ch.5) , to the four winds – the directions in which the wheels are said to move.
One final thought. The word GALGAL is related to the word GILGAL – see Joshua ch.5:9. This was the reason for the captivity – to roll away the reproach out of Israel – to cut off the sinners out of God’s land.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One