What is the meaning of Ezekiel 10:2? The LORD speaks to the man in linen • “And the LORD said to the man clothed in linen”. The same majestic figure appears in Ezekiel 9:2-3, 11, marked out for priest-like service and total purity (Daniel 10:5; Revelation 15:6). • God Himself issues the command, underscoring that every act in the vision unfolds at His initiative (Psalm 33:9). • The scene reminds us that heavenly messengers serve at the Lord’s pleasure and carry His absolute authority (Psalm 103:20). Directed into the wheelwork beneath the cherubim • “Go inside the wheelwork beneath the cherubim.” These are the living wheels Ezekiel first saw in Ezekiel 1:15-21—part of the mobile throne-chariot of God’s glory (Psalm 18:10; Revelation 4:6). • The command takes the messenger straight into the heart of divine activity, indicating that judgment flows from the very presence of God. • By locating the action “beneath the cherubim,” the text links what happens next to heaven’s holiness and righteousness (Exodus 25:18-22). Hands filled with burning coals • “Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim.” The coals glow with the same fire Ezekiel saw earlier: “The fire moved back and forth among the living creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it” (Ezekiel 1:13). • Throughout Scripture, coals from God’s altar represent both cleansing and judgment—Isaiah 6:6 speaks of atonement, while Revelation 8:5 connects the coals to wrath. • Here the emphasis falls on judgment: holy fire is being readied to consume impurity (Deuteronomy 4:24). Scattering coals over the city • “and scatter them over the city.” The “city” is Jerusalem (Ezekiel 9:8; 11:1-2). The act previews the literal burning of the city by Babylon in 586 BC (2 Kings 25:9; Jeremiah 39:8). • The same symbol appears when an angel hurls fire to the earth in Revelation 8:5, bringing thunder, rumblings, lightning, and an earthquake—judgment that shakes everything opposed to God. • God’s holiness demands justice; persistent idolatry and violence have turned Jerusalem into fuel for the fire (Ezekiel 24:9-10; Lamentations 4:11). Immediate obedience witnessed • “And as I watched, he went in.” Ezekiel records the prompt response, highlighting the certainty of what God decrees (Psalm 119:60). • Angelic obedience models how created beings should answer divine command (Luke 1:19; Matthew 8:9). • Ezekiel’s eyewitness detail assures readers that these events are not abstract ideas but unfolding realities in God’s redemptive timeline. summary • God personally commands a heavenly messenger, revealing His direct involvement in the fate of Jerusalem. • The wheelwork and cherubim anchor the vision in the throne-room of divine majesty, showing that judgment issues from holiness itself. • Burning coals picture pure, consuming fire—able to cleanse yet here commissioned to destroy persistent rebellion. • Scattering the coals over the city foreshadows the historical fall of Jerusalem and reminds every generation that sin invites real consequences. • The angel’s immediate obedience calls believers to respond just as promptly to God’s Word, trusting that His commands are righteous and His judgments true. |
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