What is the meaning of Ezekiel 1:26? Above the expanse over their heads Ezekiel’s gaze rises beyond the awesome cherubim and their glistening platform. • Genesis 1:6-8 reminds us that an “expanse” separates heaven and earth; here it separates the created throne-bearers from the Creator Himself, underscoring His transcendence. • Revelation 4:6 echoes the scene: “Before the throne was something like a sea of glass, similar to crystal”. The crystal-like distance proclaims that no creature can approach God on its own terms. • Even so, the throne is visible—God chooses to reveal Himself, bridging the gap without surrendering His holiness. was the likeness of a throne Ezekiel does not say he saw the throne itself but “the likeness of a throne,” acknowledging the limits of human language when describing divine realities. • Isaiah 6:1: “I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne”. The throne is the settled symbol of absolute kingship. • Revelation 4:2 reinforces this: “Behold, a throne stood in heaven, and One seated on the throne”. • The likeness underscores literal truth—God truly reigns—while admitting the vision’s indescribable glory. with the appearance of sapphire Sapphire’s deep, pure blue suggests heaven’s clarity and majesty. • Exodus 24:10: “Under His feet was something like a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself”. At Sinai, the same gemstone marked a covenant encounter. • Revelation 21:19 lists sapphire among the foundation stones of the New Jerusalem, connecting God’s throne with His eternal dwelling. • The gem’s brilliance conveys purity; its hardness, unshakable stability; its royal hue, divine authority. and on the throne high above The throne is “high above,” lifting God’s rule over every earthly and heavenly power. • Psalm 97:9: “For You, O LORD, are Most High over all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods”. • Ezekiel 10:1 later shows the same elevated seat, confirming continuity in the prophet’s visions. • The height stresses God’s supremacy while assuring the exiles that their Lord has not been dethroned by Babylon. was a figure like that of a man Ezekiel beholds a human-shaped glory—God accommodating Himself to human perception, yet not denying His deity. • Daniel 7:13 foresees “One like a Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven”, linking the figure to messianic authority. • Colossians 1:15 declares Christ “the image of the invisible God,” and John 1:14 affirms, “The Word became flesh.” Ezekiel’s vision anticipates the incarnation without diminishing God’s eternal nature. • Genesis 1:26-27 grounds this appearance: humanity is made in God’s image, so a human likeness most fittingly communicates His person to us. summary Ezekiel 1:26 lifts our eyes from created wonders to the One enthroned above them all. The crystal expanse separates yet reveals; the throne proclaims sovereign kingship; sapphire radiates pure, royal glory; its lofty position exalts God above every power; and the human-like figure foreshadows the ultimate revelation of God in Christ. The verse assures us that, whatever earthly chaos we face, the Lord reigns in unassailable majesty and graciously makes Himself known. |
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