The Gospel According to Ezekiel, Chapters 10-11

The Vision of God's Glory and Judgment

We are in the middle of a vision in Ezekiel's life, seeing the spiritual side of judgment coming upon Jerusalem from the Babylonian empire. This is God-initiated judgment for 430 years of sin, worse than the nations around them. They received direct revelation from God—the oracles of God, the law, statutes, and principles—yet had no excuse for rejecting them. This is high-handed, deliberate sin: knowing what to do and utterly rejecting it, thumbing their noses at God, saying "not your will, but mine."

The elders and leaders in Jerusalem imagined sin and idols in their minds, worshipping them. Their thoughts and private lives were flooded with sin, hearts far from God. They even said, "God does not see us," claiming freedom to live as gods of their own lives.

Ezekiel 10: The Scribe and the Coals of Fire

Then I looked, and behold, in the expanse that was over the heads of the cherubim, something like a sapphire stone, in appearance resembling a throne, appeared above them. He spoke to the man clothed in linen... “Enter between the whirling wheels under the cherubim and fill your hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And he entered in my sight.

Now the cherubim were standing on the right side of the temple when the man entered, and the cloud filled the inner court. Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherubim to the threshold of the temple, and the temple was filled with the cloud and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the Lord. Moreover, the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when He speaks.

The cherubim are God's throne-bearers, expressing His attributes, even in the sound of their wings. Ezekiel sees the glory of the Lord again—enthroned, stepping down, returning. The main focus is the glory of God, the foundational principle of Ezekiel. Even amid horrific judgment, God's glory stands central, making Him more desirable and beautiful, like a diamond against a black surface.

God remains intolerant of sin, moved by His justice and righteousness to purify the city with burning coals. This fulfills judgment, as seen in Jeremiah 52:13.

Responses to God's Judgment

The natural response to God's glory is to fall prostrate in worship, adoring His magnificence and majesty. These descriptions magnify God's glory, bringing it to our understanding. We must see Him in judgment to fully know Him—not just as loving or merciful, but as just and judge. If God did not reveal Himself this way, He would not receive full glory from His creatures.

For Unbelievers: Awakening to the Need for Christ

For unbelievers, this vision awakens the need for Jesus Christ. The same judgment awaits, physical and eternal. Jonathan Edwards warns of hell's gaping mouth, held back only by God's pleasure.

Hebrews 12:25-29 See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven... Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.

There is no escape from God's judgment except through Christ. Old Testament saints like Moses regarded "the reproach of Christ" (Hebrews 11). Faith in the coming Christ was always the way. Only the elect escape.

For Believers: Gratitude and Worship

For Christians, respond with broken gratitude: "Thank you, God, for the cross." This leads to acceptable worship—a lifestyle moved from sin to righteousness. If worship feels difficult, behold God's wrath. Our age overemphasizes love, forgetting justice. His love is for those marked by the cross, grieving over sin.

Thankfulness is constant worship. Even in trials, thank God for salvation or His judgment displaying His glory.

Romans 9:22-23 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory.

God displays wrath to reveal glory on vessels of mercy. Approve of all He does—worthy of praise. Rejoice in the God who controls, not evil itself.

Ezekiel 11: Judgment on Leaders and Grace for the Remnant

Moreover, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the Lord’s house which faced eastward. And behold, there were twenty-five men at the entrance of the gate... “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and give evil advice in this city... ‘The city is the pot and we are the flesh.’”

These leaders claim safety like meat in a pot—no consequences for sin, safe from nations and God. Same lie as the elders: "Do not walk in the counsel of the wicked." Grace doctrines are twisted into license for sin.

Thus says the Lord God, “Your slain whom you have laid in the midst of the city, they are the flesh and this city is the pot; but I will bring you out of it... I will judge you to the border of Israel. You have not walked in My statutes, nor have you executed My ordinances, but have acted according to the ordinances of the nations around you.”

God knows their thoughts—excruciating for sinners, encouraging for worshippers. He sees internal dialogue, idols in minds. Guard hearts and minds (Philippians 4:7-8).

Ezekiel cries for the remnant; God assures: exiles are His brothers. Though scattered, He was their sanctuary. He will gather them, remove abominations, give one heart and new spirit.

I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.

Heart of stone: stubbornness, inability, lack of desire—spiritual deadness. God performs spiritual surgery: unearned grace, replacing separation with union. Obedience flows from Him.

1 John 3:9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

1 John 5:1,4 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God... For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

1 John 5:18 We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.

Regeneration precedes victory, love, faith, protection (Philippians 1:6). Hearts chasing detestable things face judgment—the heart is the issue.

Like Nicodemus (John 3), regeneration is necessary, even in the Old Testament. For unbelievers: believe. For believers: hold saving faith.

Then the cherubim lifted up their wings with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered over them. The glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood over the mountain which is east of the city.

Ezekiel shares the vision—judgment and grace—with exiles. Proclaim both: it blesses and awakens.