Ezekiel’s intense vision of spreading wings, animal faces, wheels, and mathematical motion have held my attention for some time now. It would probably be fair to say that Ezekiel’s visions are more abstract than any other recorded in the Bible. To be sure, John appropriates some of Ezekiel’s material, but most scenes in the Apocalypse are easy to visualize, if not understand. Ezekiel presents a unique challenge to the reader of the Bible, because the pictures that Ezekiel creates in chapter one do not make for a quick mental snapshot. Those who wish to encounter the Holy Spirit through Ezekiel’s vision will have to meditate just to see what was going on.
Isn’t this appropriate, though? Much narrative material in the Bible is straightforward and easy to understand, but difficult to apply. Conversely, Ezekiel’s first chapter is opaque, but its application is practically automatic. As soon as we meditate on the puzzling vision of the four living creatures, we begin to worship God as we see his order, his transcendence, his power over nature, and his indescribability. That the four creatures follow the movement of the Spirit bespeaks God’s superintendence even of non-human creation. That God’s presence appears in flashing light implies that he cannot be ignored.
If the narrative material in the Bible is baroque chamber music, Ezekiel’s first vision is a symphony from the Romantic Period. It should be no surprise that Tchaikovsky devotees will appreciate Ezekiel more than Handel fans will. Wasn’t it smart of God to include the intense with the subtle? It’s almost as if he planned it from eternity past . . .
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