Ezekiel 3:12 Study Bible: Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great rushing, saying, "Blessed be the glory of the LORD from his place."

◄ Ezekiel 3:12 ►

Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a great rumbling sound behind me: 'Blessed be the glory of the LORD in His dwelling place!'

Study Bible

Then the Spirit lifted me up
The phrase begins with "Then," indicating a continuation of the divine encounter Ezekiel is experiencing. The "Spirit" here refers to the Ruach in Hebrew, which can mean breath, wind, or spirit. In the context of Ezekiel, it signifies the Holy Spirit's active presence, guiding and empowering the prophet. The lifting up by the Spirit symbolizes a divine elevation, both physically and spiritually, preparing Ezekiel for the prophetic mission. This act of being lifted is reminiscent of other biblical instances where God's presence elevates individuals, such as Elijah's ascension or the transfiguration of Jesus, emphasizing the transformative power of divine encounters.

and I heard a great rumbling sound behind me
The "great rumbling sound" can be understood as a manifestation of God's majestic presence. The Hebrew word used here, "ra'ash," often describes an earthquake or a loud noise, symbolizing God's power and authority. This auditory experience underscores the awe-inspiring nature of God's glory and serves as a reminder of His omnipotence. The sound coming from "behind" suggests that God's presence is encompassing and not limited to a single direction, indicating His omnipresence. This echoes the biblical theme that God's voice and actions are often accompanied by natural phenomena, as seen in the giving of the Law at Sinai.

'Blessed be the glory of the LORD
The proclamation "Blessed be the glory of the LORD" is a doxology, a short hymn of praises to God. The "glory" (Hebrew: "kavod") of the LORD refers to His weighty, significant presence, often associated with light and splendor. This phrase acknowledges God's supreme majesty and holiness. In the conservative Christian perspective, this blessing is a recognition of God's eternal and unchanging nature, deserving of worship and reverence. It reflects the biblical tradition of glorifying God for His mighty works and His covenantal faithfulness to His people.

in His dwelling place!
The "dwelling place" refers to the location of God's presence. In the Old Testament context, this would be the Temple in Jerusalem, the earthly representation of God's heavenly abode. The Hebrew term "mishkan" can mean tabernacle or dwelling, emphasizing God's desire to be among His people. For Christians, this concept is expanded to include the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within believers, making each person a temple of God. This phrase highlights the intimate relationship God seeks with His creation, dwelling among and within His people, and points to the ultimate fulfillment of God's presence with humanity in the New Jerusalem as described in Revelation.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Ezekiel
A prophet called by God to deliver His messages to the Israelites during their Babylonian exile. Ezekiel's visions and prophecies are central to understanding God's communication with His people.

2. The Spirit
Refers to the Holy Spirit, who empowers and guides Ezekiel. The Spirit's role is crucial in the prophetic experience, indicating divine authority and inspiration.

3. The Glory of the LORD
Represents God's majestic presence and holiness. In Ezekiel's vision, the glory of the LORD is a recurring theme, symbolizing God's sovereignty and power.

4. The Dwelling Place
This refers to the heavenly realm or the temple where God's presence resides. It signifies the sacred space where God's glory is most manifest.

5. The Great Rumbling Sound
This sound accompanies the movement of the Spirit and the glory of the LORD, emphasizing the awe-inspiring nature of God's presence and actions.

Teaching Points

The Role of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is essential in guiding and empowering believers for God's work. Just as the Spirit lifted Ezekiel, we too must rely on the Spirit for strength and direction in our spiritual journey.

The Majesty of God's Glory
God's glory is awe-inspiring and demands reverence. Recognizing His glory in our lives should lead us to worship and obedience, acknowledging His sovereignty over all creation.

The Importance of God's Dwelling Place
God's dwelling place, whether in heaven or within us as believers, is sacred. We are called to honor His presence in our lives and maintain purity in our hearts as His temple.

Responding to God's Call
Like Ezekiel, we are called to respond to God's call with faithfulness. Our willingness to be lifted by the Spirit and proclaim His message is crucial in fulfilling our divine purpose.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does the lifting of Ezekiel by the Spirit in Ezekiel 3:12 relate to the empowerment of believers by the Holy Spirit in the New Testament?

2. In what ways can we recognize and respond to the glory of the LORD in our daily lives?

3. How does the concept of God's dwelling place in Ezekiel's vision influence our understanding of the church and our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit?

4. What are some practical steps we can take to ensure we are sensitive to the Holy Spirit's guidance in our lives?

5. How can the imagery of the great rumbling sound in Ezekiel 3:12 inspire us to live with a sense of awe and reverence for God's power and presence?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Isaiah 6
Isaiah's vision of the LORD's glory in the temple parallels Ezekiel's experience, highlighting the theme of divine holiness and calling.

Revelation 4
John's vision of God's throne room echoes the imagery of God's glory and the heavenly dwelling place, reinforcing the continuity of God's majestic presence throughout Scripture.

Acts 2
The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost demonstrates the Spirit's role in empowering believers, similar to how the Spirit lifts and guides Ezekiel.

Sermons

Ambassadorship	J.D. Davies	Ezekiel 3:4-14
Celestial Voices	J.R. Thomson	Ezekiel 3:12, 13
The Light of God Reconciles the Disorders of Life	A. W. Welch.	Ezekiel 3:12-13

People

Ezekiel

Places

Chebar, Tel-abib

Topics

Behind, Blessed, Dwelling, Ears, Earthquake, Glory, Honour, Lift, Lifted, Loud, Noise, Praised, Rumbling, Rushing, Saying, Spirit, Voice, Wind

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Ezekiel 3:12

3272 Holy Spirit, in OT

Ezekiel 3:12-13

4627 creatures
5621 wheel

Library

Cæsarius of Arles.
He was born in the district of Chalons-sur-Saone, A. D. 470. He seems to have been early awakened, by a pious education, to vital Christianity. When he was between seven and eight years old, it would often happen that he would give a portion of his clothes to the poor whom he met, and would say, when he came home, that he had been, constrained to do so. When yet a youth, he entered the celebrated convent on the island of Lerins, (Lerina,) in Provence, from which a spirit of deep and practical piety …
Augustus Neander—Light in the Dark Places

Boniface, Apostle of the Germans.
BONIFACE, or Winfried, as they called him in Anglo-Saxon, born at Crediton in Devonshire, in 680, deserves to be honoured as the father of the German Church, although he was by no means the first who brought the seeds of the Gospel to Germany. Many had already laboured before him; but the efforts which had been made here and there did not suffice to secure the endurance of Christianity amongst the many perils to which it was exposed. Christianity needs to be linked with firm ecclesiastical institutions, …
Augustus Neander—Light in the Dark Places

Epistle xxxiv. To Venantius, Ex-Monk, Patrician of Syracuse .
To Venantius, Ex-Monk, Patrician of Syracuse [1331] . Gregory to Venantius, &c. Many foolish men have supposed that, if I were advanced to the rank of the episcopate, I should decline to address thee, or to keep up communication with thee by letter. But this is not so; since I am compelled by the very necessity of my position not to hold my peace. For it is written, Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet (Isai. lviii. 1). And again it is written, I have given thee for a watchman …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

The Greatness of the Soul,
AND UNSPEAKABLENESS 0F THE LOSS THEREOF; WITH THE CAUSES OF THE LOSING IT. FIRST PREACHED AT PINNER'S HALL and now ENLARGED AND PUBLISHED FOR GOOD. By JOHN BUNYAN, London: Printed for Benjamin Alsop, at the Angel and Bible in the Poultry, 1682 Faithfully reprinted from the Author's First Edition. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. Our curiosity is naturally excited to discover what a poor, unlettered mechanic, whose book-learning had been limited to the contents of one volume, could by possibility know …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

The Servant's Inflexible Resolve
'For the Lord God will help Me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set My face like a flint.'--ISAIAH l. 7. What a striking contrast between the tone of these words and of the preceding! There all is gentleness, docility, still communion, submission, patient endurance. Here all is energy and determination, resistance and martial vigour. It is like the contrast between a priest and a warrior. And that gentleness is the parent of this boldness. The same Will which is all submission …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Iranian Conquest
Drawn by Boudier, from the engraving in Coste and Flandin. The vignette, drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a statuette in terra-cotta, found in Southern Russia, represents a young Scythian. The Iranian religions--Cyrus in Lydia and at Babylon: Cambyses in Egypt --Darius and the organisation of the empire. The Median empire is the least known of all those which held sway for a time over the destinies of a portion of Western Asia. The reason of this is not to be ascribed to the shortness of its duration: …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 9

The Prophet Jonah.
It has been asserted without any sufficient reason, that Jonah is older than Hosea, Joel, Amos, and Obadiah,--that he is the oldest among the prophets whose written monuments have been preserved to us. The passage in 2 Kings xiv. 25, where it is said, that Jonah, the son of Amittai the prophet, prophesied to Jeroboam the happy success of his arms, and the restoration of the ancient boundaries of Israel, and that this prophecy was confirmed by the event, cannot decide in favour of this assertion, …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Ezekiel
To a modern taste, Ezekiel does not appeal anything like so powerfully as Isaiah or Jeremiah. He has neither the majesty of the one nor the tenderness and passion of the other. There is much in him that is fantastic, and much that is ritualistic. His imaginations border sometimes on the grotesque and sometimes on the mechanical. Yet he is a historical figure of the first importance; it was very largely from him that Judaism received the ecclesiastical impulse by which for centuries it was powerfully …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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