have seen the King, Jehovah of armies, himself!”—Isa. 6:5.

25. How, by the seraph’s aid, did Isaiah come to live to tell the story?

²⁵ How did Isaiah come to live to tell the story? In this way: From the temple now filled with miraculous smoke one of those winged seraphs came to his aid. “At that,” Isaiah tells us, “one of the seraphs flew to me, and in his hand there was a glowing coal that he had taken with tongs off the altar. And he proceeded to touch my mouth and to say: ‘Look! This has touched your lips, and your error has departed and your sin itself is atoned for.’”

26. (a) For what did Isaiah, now cleansed, get to volunteer? (b) In what way did Isaiah truly prefigure the Messiah and furnish a lesson for us?

²⁶ Isaiah now felt clean in the Divine Presence, even clean enough to volunteer for Jehovah’s further prophetic service. “And,” says he, “I began to hear the voice of Jehovah saying: ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ And I proceeded to say: ‘Here I am! Send me.’ And he went on to say: ‘Go, and you must say to this people.’” Forthwith Isaiah was sent on a prophetic errand that foreshadowed the work of the coming Messiah, more than eight hundred years in the future. Never did Isaiah forget that temple vision of Jehovah’s glory. As a correct prefigurement of the Messiah, Isaiah proved true to his commission received from Jehovah. (Isa. 6:6-13; Matt. 13:10-15) But what about us? Do we, on becoming better acquainted with Jehovah God, readily offer ourselves for His service, as Isaiah did? Yes, fuller acquaintance with God impels us to say to him: “Here I am! Send me.”

THE PROPHET EZEKIEL’S VISIONS

27. When did the prophet Ezekiel begin to have visions of God?

²⁷ Before the Messiah or Anointed One came, still another man had miraculous visions of the living and true God. This was the prophet Ezekiel, in the century following that of Isaiah. The ruin that Isaiah had foretold to come upon his own people was just six years away when Ezekiel had his first awe-inspiring vision. He was then an exile in pagan Babylonia. He says that it was “while I was in the midst of the exiled people by the river Chebar, that the heavens were opened and I began to see visions of God.” He dates it as occurring on Tammuz 5 of the year, Jewish calendar, that is, “in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month,” and “in the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin,” or in the year 613 before our Common Era.—Ezek. 1:1-4.

28. In his first vision, what thing in motion did Ezekiel see, and what was it that propelled it?

²⁸ At that time the Creator of heaven and earth was on the march toward executing his judicial decision against his unfaithful people in the kingdom of Judah with its capital at Jerusalem. Accordingly what Ezekiel saw was like something on the move. It was like a chariot so gigantic as to make him feel like an ant. It had no gasoline engine or electric or atomic motor to propel it, but it moved swiftly, rolling over everything in its way. It had no visible steering gear and no brakes, and yet it could change the direction of its movement from straight forward to sideways, instantaneously, without slowing down in order to overcome the momentum of the chariot. What made this colossal chariot go? It was evidently the active force, the spirit, of the One who rode on the chariot.

29. What was peculiar about the wheels of this celestial chariot?

²⁹ This was not a two-wheeled chariot. It was one of four wheels. As for the wheels themselves, they were of strange construction. Evidently they could see where they were going, for the rims were filled with eyes, all around. Moreover, inside each wheel that revolved forward there was another wheel that cut across at right angles, vertically, enabling the chariot to move sideways without its wheels turning as when wheeling around a corner. Note how Ezekiel describes the locomotion of this chariot:

30. How does Ezekiel describe the movement of the chariot wheels?

³⁰ “As for the appearance of the wheels and their structure, it was like the glow of chrysolite; and the four of them had one likeness. And their appearance and their structure were just as when a wheel proved to be in the midst of a wheel. When they went they would go on their four respective sides. They would not turn another way when they went. And as for their rims, they had such height that they caused fearfulness; and their rims were full of eyes all around the four of them.”—Ezek. 1:16-18.

31. Who accompanied the chariot like runners?

³¹ In ancient times the royal chariots would have runners to run before and beside them, to impart grandeur to the chariot rider. (1 Ki. 1:5; 18:44-46) There were four cherubs that accompanied the celestial chariot that the prophet Ezekiel saw in vision. Those cherubs corresponded with runners. At first Ezekiel calls them “living creatures.” They were certainly not human creatures, although they had some features like those of a man. (Ezek. 1:5, 15; 10:9-13) The prophet Ezekiel helps us to visualize how the sight of the four living creatures and the chariot then burst in upon him with an almost indescribable glory:

32. According to Ezekiel’s description, how did the cherubs look?

³² “And I began to see, and, look! there was a tempestuous wind coming from the north, a great cloud mass and quivering fire, and it had a brightness all around, and out of the midst of it there was something like the look of electrum, out of the midst of the fire. And out of the midst of it there was the likeness of four living creatures, and this was how they looked: they had the likeness of earthling man. And each one had four faces, and each one of them four wings. And their feet were straight feet, and the sole of their feet was like the sole of the foot of a calf; and they were gleaming as with the glow of burnished copper. And there were the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides, and the four of them had their faces and their wings. Their wings were joining one to the other. They would not turn when they went; they would go each one straight forward.”

33. What faces did the cherubic living creatures have?

³³ The prophet Moses gave no description of the cherubs that appeared at the entrance of the garden of Eden over thirty-four centuries previous when the sinful Adam and Eve were driven out. (Gen. 3:24) But the prophet Ezekiel gives us the above description of the cherubic living creatures and adds the following: “And as for the likeness of their faces, the four of them had a man’s face with a lion’s face to the right, and the four of them had a bull’s face on the left; the four of them also had an eagle’s face. That is the way their faces were. And their wings were spreading out upward. Each one had two joining to each other, and two were covering their bodies.”—Ezek. 1:4-11.

34. How did the wheels harmonize with the cherubs in movement?

³⁴ How did the wheels of the celestial chariot harmonize with the movement of the runner-like cherubs? The prophet Ezekiel tells us: “And when the living creatures went, the wheels would go beside them, and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels would be lifted up. Wherever the spirit inclined to go, they would go, the spirit inclining to go there; and the wheels themselves would be lifted up close alongside them, for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. When they went, these would go; and when they stood still, these would stand still; and when they were lifted up from the earth, the wheels would be lifted up close alongside them, for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.”—Ezek. 1:19-21.

35, 36. (a) What do the features of the cherubs symbolize? (b) What did Ezekiel see just above the cherubs and wheels, and what did he hear?

³⁵ Creatures according to the description of those cherubic living creatures do not, of course, exist in the heavens, in the invisible spirit realm. For this reason the various features of their seemingly grotesque appearance were symbolic of good qualities such as are outstanding in man, lion, bull, eagle, and other winged creatures. Interesting as these qualities are, here for the moment we are interested more in what was above the four cherubic living creatures and above the wheels alongside them. What did the prophet Ezekiel see up there? He tells us:

³⁶ “And over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse like the sparkle of awesome ice, stretched out over their heads up above. And under the expanse their wings were straight, one to the other. Each one had two wings covering on this side and each one had two covering on that side their bodies. And I got to hear the sound of their wings, a sound like that of vast waters, like the sound of the Almighty One, when they went, the sound of a tumult, like the sound of an encampment. When they stood still, they would let their wings down.”—Ezek. 1:22-24.

37. As what part of a chariot does that “expanse” serve, and what dominated above all the other sound effects?

³⁷ Ah, that “expanse”! It was the platform of that celestial chariot. Like translucent ice it seemed, but awesome it was. The One riding on the chariot was thus pictured as moving ahead to the execution of his judicial decision on a firm platform, like congealed water. Underneath this awe-inspiring platform the sound of the movement of the chariot of the Almighty One was like that of tumultuous waters, or like an encampment of soldiers clamoring to move into action in order to execute the enemies of the Almighty One. But there was a voice that dominated over all these sound effects below the icelike platform or “expanse.” The prophet Ezekiel hears it coming forth from above the awesome expanse. It came from the Almighty One riding on this chariot platform. What appearance did he take on? Ezekiel tells us:

THE RIDER ON THE CELESTIAL CHARIOT

38. How does Ezekiel describe the chariot rider and the light effects about him?

³⁸ “And there came to be a voice above the expanse that was over their head. (When they stood still, they would let their wings down.) And above the expanse that was over their head there was something in appearance like sapphire stone, the likeness of a throne. And upon the likeness of the throne there was a likeness of someone in appearance like an earthling man upon it, up above. And I got to see something like the glow of electrum, like the appearance of fire all around inside thereof, from the appearance of his hips and upward; and from the appearance of his hips and downward I saw something like the appearance of fire, and he had a brightness all around. There was something like the appearance of the bow that occurs in a cloud mass on the day of a pouring rain. That is how the appearance was of the brightness round about. It was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Jehovah. When I got to see it, then I fell upon my face, and I began to hear the voice of one speaking.”—Ezek. 1:25-28.

39. (a) All together those light effects are summed up in what word? (b) How much detail is given about the chariot rider, and what did his throne resemble?

³⁹ The glow like that of electrum (the metallic mixture of gold and silver), the fire completely surrounding and outlining the chariot rider, with a brightness all around, and the semicircular bow with all the variety of colors of the rainbow—all this is summed up in the one word of description, “glory.” The “glory of Jehovah”! There was an appearance of a form that suggested that of a man, with an “appearance of his hips.” But nothing of the features of face and form is given with any detail. The throne upon which this Almighty One, Jehovah, sits, is as a sapphire stone expertly cut and faceted, its deep blue suggesting the heavens, where Jehovah really thrones. From this sapphire-like throne Jehovah spoke to his prophet Ezekiel.

40. The following year Ezekiel had a vision of the celestial chariot as being where?

⁴⁰ The following year the prophet Ezekiel had another vision of Jehovah’s celestial chariot with the wheels beside which were the cherubic living creatures, this time, however, before the temple built by King Solomon in Jerusalem. “And I continued to see,” says Ezekiel, “and, look! upon the expanse that was over the head of the cherubs there was something like sapphire stone, like the appearance of the likeness of a throne, appearing above them. . . . And the cherubs were standing to the right of the house when the man entered, and the cloud was filling the inner courtyard. And the glory of Jehovah began to rise up from the cherubs by the threshold of the house, and the house gradually became filled with the cloud, and the courtyard itself was full of the brightness of the glory of Jehovah. And the very sound of the wings of the cherubs made itself heard to the outer courtyard, like the sound of God Almighty when he speaks.”—Ezek. 10:1-5; 8:1.

41. (a) From where had the chariot rolled, and what did its new location suggest? (b) How was it as if Ezekiel himself were destroying Jerusalem?

⁴¹ Thus Jehovah’s celestial chariot had wheeled itself from the Babylonian river Chebar, where Ezekiel first had a vision of it, and had rolled westward to Jerusalem and its temple. This betokened that the fiery execution of Jehovah’s judicial decision upon unfaithful Jerusalem and its polluted temple was getting closer. The city, along with its temple, was to be destroyed. (Ezek. 10:6-22) In a figurative way, Ezekiel was himself destroying the unfaithful city of Jerusalem. How? It was by receiving the commission from Jehovah to be a prophet and by then declaring the message of impending destruction. Twenty years after Ezekiel saw Jehovah’s chariot at the river Chebar, or fourteen years after the actual destruction of Jerusalem, Ezekiel was caused to think back on his destructive mission. In the twenty-fifth year of his exile in Babylon he was given a vision of a new temple of Jehovah, in all its completeness. An angel, taking on the appearance of a man, conducted Ezekiel on a sight-seeing tour of it.

42. Fourteen years after Jerusalem’s destruction, what vision of God did Ezekiel have in connection with the new temple?

⁴² “Then he made me go to the gate, the gate that is facing toward the east,” says Ezekiel. “And, look! the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the direction of the east, and his voice was like the voice of vast waters; and the earth itself shone because of his glory. And it was like the appearance of the vision that I had seen, like the vision that I saw when I came to bring the city to ruin; and there were appearances like the appearance that I saw by the river Chebar, and I went falling upon my face. And the glory of Jehovah itself came into the house by way of the gate the front of which was toward the east.”—Ezek. 43:1-4; 40:1-4.

43. What does the effect of the vision upon Ezekiel indicate as to God’s glory?

⁴³ So glorious was the vision of the Almighty God Jehovah that it was enough to make frail man of flesh fall upon his face, prostrating himself. The glory of Jehovah God is nothing to look at profanely, impudently, defiantly. Ezekiel’s miraculous visions of the “glory of Jehovah” were awesome enough to make a man quail and feel obliged to worship. But Ezekiel survived those extraordinary experiences according to God’s purpose for him.

44. In view of Ezekiel’s vision, why does it now behoove men to acquaint themselves with God and come to peace with him?

⁴⁴ Glorious is Jehovah God as he rides along victoriously on his celestial chariot, attended by his cherubic living creatures. He is similarly riding today to the execution of his judgments. It now behooves men to acquaint themselves with this God and make peace and keep peace with him.

Acquaintance with God Leads to Eternal Peace

1. When did Daniel have his vision of Jehovah, and what did he see at the start of the vision?

AROUND sixty years after Ezekiel had his first vision of the glorious Charioteer Jehovah, a fellow exile of Ezekiel in Babylonia had a vision of God as the Sovereign of the universe. It was at night when the vision came. The account in Daniel 7:1-3 reads: “In the first year of Belshazzar the king of Babylon, Daniel himself beheld a dream and visions of his head upon his bed. At that time he wrote down the dream itself. The complete account of the matters he told. Daniel was speaking up and saying: ‘I happened to be beholding in my visions during the night, and, see there! the four winds of the heavens were stirring up the vast sea. And four huge beasts were coming up out of the sea, each one being different from the others.’”—Dan. 7:1-7.

2. What do the four beasts symbolize, and for what are the symbolic beasts to be judged by the Supreme Judge?

² The vision was prophetic. According to what Daniel was told by an interpreter in the vision, the four huge beasts pictured four world powers that would follow one another on the world stage of politics. Their political domination of all the earth would carry forward from the days of Belshazzar’s grandfather Nebuchadnezzar, who had destroyed Jerusalem in 607 B.C.E. It would continue down to the time for God to set up his promised kingdom and destroy the beastly political governments of the earth. These world powers would be judged according to their record, especially according to their dealings with the faithful people of Jehovah God. He is the Supreme Judge, he being Sovereign of all the universe. In Daniel’s vision His time came to pass judgment on those beastly political world powers and to execute his judicial sentence.