face of the cherub [a bull’s face, in Ezekiel 1:10], and the second face was the face of earthling man, and the third was the face of a lion, and the fourth was the face of an eagle. And the cherubs would rise—it was the same living creature that I had seen at the river Chebar—and when the cherubs went, the wheels would go alongside them; and when the cherubs lifted up their wings to be high above the earth, the wheels would not change direction, even they themselves, from alongside them. When these stood still, they would stand still; and when these rose, they would rise with them, for the spirit of the living creature was in them.” (Ezekiel 10:14-17) There was thus perfect cooperation between the wheels and the cherubs. There was no disharmony or disorganization about this celestial chariot of Jehovah.

28. To what new position did the “glory of Jehovah” and the celestial chariot now move?

²⁸ The “fire” taken from between the cherubs of this chariot and tossed by the linen-clad man over the city of Jerusalem had not yet reached the temple. So, in the vision, the “glory of Jehovah” still continues to maneuver in that area, just as Ezekiel now tells us: “And the glory of Jehovah proceeded to go forth from over the threshold of the house and to stand still over the cherubs. And the cherubs now lifted up their wings and rose from the earth before my eyes. When they went forth, the wheels also were close alongside them; and they began standing at the eastern entrance of the gate of the house of Jehovah, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them, from above. This is the living creature that I had seen under the God of Israel at the river Chebar [in Babylonia], so I that came to know that they were cherubs. As for the four, each one had four faces and each one had four wings, and the likeness of the hands of earthling man was under their wings. And as for the likeness of their faces, they were the faces the appearance of which I had seen by the river Chebar, the very ones. They would go each one straight forward.”—Ezekiel 10:18-22.

29. To where must the prophet Ezekiel now be brought, and what are we interested to learn respecting him now?

²⁹ As the celestial chariot, with Jehovah seated upon the sapphire throne above it, stands at the outer eastern entrance of the temple, what instructions are to be given to the prophet Ezekiel? But first he must be brought from his position in the inner court of the temple in order to view what may be seen from the outer eastern gate that looked toward the Mount of Olives. We are interested to learn what he sees and hears there.

Chapter 11

Disappointment in Store for Overconfident Ones

1. Whom, in vision, did Ezekiel now get to see in the eastern gate of the temple, and what were they saying?

IN HIS next vision, what does Ezekiel see happen? Listen: “And a spirit proceeded to lift me up and bring me to the eastern gate of the house of Jehovah that is facing eastward, and, look! in the entrance of the gate there were twenty-five men, and I got to see in the midst of them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people. Then he [Jehovah] said to me: ‘Son of man, these are the men that are scheming hurtfulness and advising bad counsel against this city; that are saying, “Is not the building of houses close at hand? She is the widemouthed cooking pot, and we are the flesh.”’”—Ezekiel 11:1-3.

2. What do we note about the identity of these twenty-five men, and what political movement were they scheming?

² Apparently these are not the twenty-five men