Ezekiel 1:20 Study Bible: They went in whichever direction the spirit would go, and the wheels rose alongside them because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

◄ Ezekiel 1:20 ►

Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise alongside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

Study Bible

Wherever the spirit would go
This phrase emphasizes the divine guidance and sovereignty of God's Spirit. The Hebrew word for "spirit" here is "ruach," which can mean breath, wind, or spirit. In the context of Ezekiel's vision, it signifies the life-giving and directing force of God. The Spirit's movement indicates that God's presence is dynamic and not confined to a single place. Historically, this reflects the belief in God's omnipresence and His active role in guiding His creation. The Spirit's direction is purposeful, reminding believers that God's plans are intentional and for the ultimate good.

they would go
The "they" refers to the living creatures described earlier in Ezekiel's vision. These creatures, often interpreted as cherubim, are symbolic of God's majesty and power. The Hebrew verb "yalak," meaning "to go" or "to walk," suggests obedience and readiness to follow the Spirit's leading. This obedience is a model for believers, illustrating the importance of aligning one's actions with God's will. The creatures' movement in harmony with the Spirit underscores the unity and order within God's creation.

without turning as they moved
This phrase highlights the unwavering focus and determination of the living creatures. The Hebrew word "panah," meaning "to turn," is negated here, indicating that the creatures do not deviate from their path. This steadfastness is a powerful image of faithfulness and commitment to God's direction. In a historical and scriptural context, it serves as a reminder of the importance of remaining true to God's path, despite distractions or challenges. The creatures' consistent movement reflects the constancy of God's purpose and the reliability of His guidance.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Ezekiel
A prophet and priest during the Babylonian exile, Ezekiel is the author of the book and the recipient of the visions described.

2. Living Creatures
These are angelic beings, often identified as cherubim, that accompany the glory of God in Ezekiel's vision.

3. Wheels
Part of the vision, these wheels are associated with the living creatures and symbolize the omnipresence and omnipotence of God.

4. Spirit
Refers to the divine presence or life force that directs the movement of the living creatures and the wheels.

5. Babylon
The place of exile for the Israelites, where Ezekiel received his visions.

Teaching Points

God's Sovereignty and Omnipresence
The vision of the wheels and living creatures illustrates God's ability to be present and active everywhere. We can trust in His sovereign control over all creation.

The Role of the Spirit
Just as the spirit directed the living creatures, the Holy Spirit guides and empowers believers today. We should seek to be sensitive to the Spirit's leading in our lives.

Divine Order and Purpose
The coordinated movement of the creatures and wheels reflects God's orderly nature and purposeful design. We are called to align our lives with His divine order and purpose.

Vision and Revelation
Ezekiel's vision reminds us that God reveals Himself in diverse ways. We should be open to receiving and understanding God's revelations through Scripture and prayer.

Holiness and Worship
The awe-inspiring nature of the vision calls us to a deeper reverence and worship of God. Our response to His majesty should be one of humility and adoration.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does the vision of the living creatures and wheels in Ezekiel 1:20 enhance your understanding of God's omnipresence and sovereignty?

2. In what ways can you be more attentive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in your daily life, as illustrated by the spirit directing the living creatures?

3. How does the order and purpose seen in Ezekiel's vision challenge you to align your life with God's plans?

4. Reflect on a time when God revealed Himself to you in a unique way. How did that experience impact your faith and understanding of God?

5. How can the vision of God's majesty and holiness in Ezekiel 1 inspire you to deepen your worship and reverence for Him?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Revelation 4
The vision of the throne room of God in Revelation shares similarities with Ezekiel's vision, including the presence of living creatures.

Isaiah 6
Isaiah's vision of the seraphim and the throne of God parallels the themes of divine majesty and holiness found in Ezekiel.

Psalm 139
This psalm speaks to God's omnipresence and omniscience, concepts that are visually represented by the wheels and living creatures in Ezekiel's vision.

Acts 2
The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost demonstrates the guiding and empowering presence of God's Spirit, similar to the spirit directing the living creatures.

Sermons

The Nobility of a Devout Soul Under the Spirit's Influence		Ezekiel 1:20
The Unity of Providence	A. Raleigh, D. D.	Ezekiel 1:20
The Glory of the Eternal	Various Authors	Ezekiel 1:4-25
The Providential Government of God	W. Jones	Ezekiel 1:4-28
Nature's Material Forces are the Active Servants of the Church	J.D. Davies	Ezekiel 1:15-21

People

Babylonians, Buzi, Ezekiel, Jehoiachin

Places

Chebar

Topics

Along, Beings, Beside, Close, Creature, Creatures, Direction, Lifted, Over-against, Rise, Rose, Spirit, Thither, Wheels, Wherever, Whither, Whithersoever

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Ezekiel 1:1-28

8474 seeing God

Ezekiel 1:3-28

7775 prophets, lives

Ezekiel 1:4-28

1090 God, majesty of
1469 visions

Ezekiel 1:5-25

4627 creatures

Ezekiel 1:15-21

5252 chariots

Library

God's Providence
"Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces. The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went. As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 54: 1908

The Noble Results of this Species of Prayer
The Noble Results of this Species of Prayer Some persons, when they hear of the prayer of silence, falsely imagine, that the soul remains stupid, dead, and inactive. But, unquestionably, it acteth therein, more nobly and more extensively than it had ever done before; for God Himself is the mover, and the soul now acteth by the agency of His Spirit. When S. Paul speaks of our being led by the Spirit of God, it is not meant that we should cease from action; but that we should act through the internal …
Madame Guyon—A Short and Easy Method of Prayer

'Deliver us from Evil'
'But deliver us from evil.'--MATT. vi. 13. The two halves of this prayer are like a calm sky with stars shining silently in its steadfast blue, and a troubled earth beneath, where storms sweep, and changes come, and tears are ever being shed. The one is so tranquil, the other so full of woe and want. What a dark picture of human conditions lies beneath the petitions of this second half! Hunger and sin and temptation, and wider still, that tragic word which includes them all--evil. Forgiveness and …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

This State of Prayer not one of Idleness, but of Noble Action, Wrought by the Spirit of God, and in Dependence Upon Him --The Communication Of
Some people, hearing of the prayer of silence, have wrongly imagined that the soul remains inactive, lifeless, and without movement. But the truth is, that its action is more noble and more extensive than it ever was before it entered this degree, since it is moved by God Himself, and acted upon by His Spirit. St Paul desires that we should be led by the Spirit of God (Rom. viii. 14). I do not say that there must be no action, but that we must act in dependence upon the divine movement. This …
Jeanne Marie Bouvières—A Short Method Of Prayer And Spiritual Torrents

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

How Subjects and Prelates are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 5.) Differently to be admonished are subjects and prelates: the former that subjection crush them not, the latter that superior place elate them not: the former that they fail not to fulfil what is commanded them, the latter that they command not more to be fulfilled than is just: the former that they submit humbly, the latter that they preside temperately. For this, which may be understood also figuratively, is said to the former, Children, obey your parents in the Lord: but to …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

A Sight of the Crowned Christ
(Revelation, Chapter i.) "Since mine eyes were fixed on Jesus, I've lost sight of all beside, So enchained my spirit's vision, Looking at the Crucified." "The Lord Christ passed my humble cot: I knew him, yet I knew him not; But as I oft had done before, I hurried through my narrow door To touch His garment's hem. "He drew me to a place apart From curious crowd and noisy mart; And as I sat there at His feet I caught the thrill of His heart-beat Beyond His garment's hem. "Rare was the bread He broke …
by S. D. Gordon—Quiet Talks on the Crowned Christ of Revelation

Appendix v. Rabbinic Theology and Literature
1. The Traditional Law. - The brief account given in vol. i. p. 100, of the character and authority claimed for the traditional law may here be supplemented by a chronological arrangement of the Halakhoth in the order of their supposed introduction or promulgation. In the first class, or Halakhoth of Moses from Sinai,' tradition enumerates fifty-five, [6370] which may be thus designated: religio-agrarian, four; [6371] ritual, including questions about clean and unclean,' twenty-three; [6372] concerning …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Of Love to God
I proceed to the second general branch of the text. The persons interested in this privilege. They are lovers of God. "All things work together for good, to them that love God." Despisers and haters of God have no lot or part in this privilege. It is children's bread, it belongs only to them that love God. Because love is the very heart and spirit of religion, I shall the more fully treat upon this; and for the further discussion of it, let us notice these five things concerning love to God. 1. The …
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial

Covenanting Enforced by the Grant of Covenant Signs and Seals.
To declare emphatically that the people of God are a covenant people, various signs were in sovereignty vouchsafed. The lights in the firmament of heaven were appointed to be for signs, affording direction to the mariner, the husbandman, and others. Miracles wrought on memorable occasions, were constituted signs or tokens of God's universal government. The gracious grant of covenant signs was made in order to proclaim the truth of the existence of God's covenant with his people, to urge the performance …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

An Advance Step in the Royal Programme
(Revelation, Chapters iv. and v.) "We are watching, we are waiting, For the bright prophetic day; When the shadows, weary shadows, From the world shall roll away. "We are watching, we are waiting, For the star that brings the day; When the night of sin shall vanish, And the shadows melt away. "We are watching, we are waiting, For the beauteous King of day; For the chiefest of ten thousand, For the Light, the Truth, the Way. "We are waiting for the morning, When the beauteous day is dawning, We are …
by S. D. Gordon—Quiet Talks on the Crowned Christ of Revelation

Brief Outline of Ancient Jewish Theological Literature
The arrangements of the synagogue, as hitherto described, combined in a remarkable manner fixedness of order with liberty of the individual. Alike the seasons and the time of public services, their order, the prayers to be offered, and the portions of the law to be read were fixed. On the other hand, between the eighteen "benedictions" said on ordinary days, and the seven repeated on the Sabbaths, free prayer might be inserted; the selection from the prophets, with which the public reading concluded--the …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

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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