Ezekiel 10: The Vision of God's Glory Departing the Temple

Ezekiel 10 serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of straying from God's righteous path. The departing Glory of the Lord from the Temple, however, doesn't signify an eternal absence, but a call to repentance, encouraging us to invite God's glory back into our lives by living in obedience and faith.

The Vision of the Cherubim (verses 1-8)

Ezekiel sees God above a firmament, commanding a man clothed in linen to go between the wheels under the cherubim and fill his hands with burning coals. The cherubim are depicted as radiant, powerful, and awe-inspiring entities filled with eyes, exhibiting God's omnipresence and omniscience.

Description of the Cherubim and the Wheels (verses 9-17)

Ezekiel then describes the cherubim and their four wheels, which are seen as the wheels of a chariot. The design of the cherubim and their wheels signifies God's omnipotence, depicting the divine as capable of movement in any direction, an embodiment of infinite freedom and power.

The Glory of the Lord Departs from the Temple (verses 18-22)

In the final verses, Ezekiel witnesses the glory of the Lord depart from the threshold of the temple, move above the cherubim, and stand at the entrance of the east gate of the Lord's house, marking a heart-wrenching moment of divine abandonment due to Jerusalem's sinful ways.

Ezekiel 10, a vivid chapter of prophetic visions, presents Ezekiel's divine encounter witnessing God's glory departing from the temple. This profound spectacle serves as a divine judgement signifying the abandonment of Jerusalem due to its inhabitants' continuous disobedience. God's powerful cherubim, the four living creatures filled with eyes, play a significant role in this chapter.

God's Majesty and Power
Divine Judgement
Divine Presence and Absence
Prophet's Visionary Experience
Symbolism of CherubimEzekiel's Vision of God
The Glory of the Lord
The Cherubim
The Wheel within a Wheel
The Departure of the Glory of the Lord from the TempleEzekiel
God
CherubimThe Temple in Jerusalem
The threshold of the temple
East gate of the Lord's house

1. How do the visuals in Ezekiel's vision emphasize God's omnipresence, omniscience, and omnipotence?

2. What do the cherubim symbolize in the vision?

3. Why does God command the man in linen to scatter burning coals over the city of Jerusalem?

4. What is the significance of God's glory departing the Temple?

5. How does this vision relate to the situation in Jerusalem during Ezekiel's time?

6. What could the departure of God's glory mean for believers today when they stray from their faith?

7. In what ways does this chapter challenge your understanding of God's judgement?

8. How do the movements of the cherubim and the wheels reflect the character of God?

9. How can this vision inform our understanding of God's response to disobedience and sin?

10. How does this chapter highlight the importance of obedience and faith in God?

11. In your own life, have you ever felt a similar sense of God's departure due to disobedience? How did you respond?

12. What can the church today learn from the vision of the glory of the Lord departing the temple?

13. How does the vision of God's glory leaving the temple impact your view of God's presence in your life?

14. Can you relate this vision to any modern scenarios where societies are straying from God's path?

15. What steps can individuals and communities take to ensure they are inviting, not driving away, God's presence?

16. How does this chapter of Ezekiel influence your understanding of divine judgment?

17. If you were Ezekiel, how would you have felt witnessing this vision?

18. How does Ezekiel's reaction to the vision instruct us about the appropriate response to divine revelations?

19. How can we ensure that our places of worship remain filled with God's glory?

20. Given the symbolism in Ezekiel's vision, what parallels can you draw with other parts of the Bible where God's glory is seen departing or returning?