Ancient UFOs???
More than fifty years ago, I read the book Chariot of the Gods, which essentially tried to build a case for the existence of UFOs by appealing to ancient artifacts and writings. One of the “writings,” of course, was the Bible. And as a primary passage to support his theory the author appealed to Ezekiel 1.
I remember, as a freshman in high school, turning to the Scripture passage, reading it in light of Chariot, and thinking, “Well, yeah. This makes sense.”
Indeed, if you approach Ezekiel 1 with the preconceived notion that ancient peoples were visited by UFOs, you can easily read into the chapter the idea that Ezekiel was visited by ET!
That, however, is not the case.
To be sure, the prophet by the river Chebar saw an incredible, fantastic vision, but he himself tells us what he saw: “This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord” (v. 28). In other words, the vision revealed to him the majestic character of God.
With that in mind, read the chapter again, and notice how often you read x was “like” y...and watch for the word “likeness.” Those are clues telling you that Ezekiel’s trying the best he can to describe what he sees, yet words fail to capture it all.
In this re-reading, you’ll discover several indications of the Trinity.
The description of the “four living creatures” in v. 10 parallels the varied presentation of Jesus Christ in the Gospels:
In v. 12, note that “the spirit” empowered and directed the four living creatures. Evidently, the vision intends to indicate the Holy Spirit’s relationship to the Lord Jesus in His earthly ministry.
Completing the view of the Trinity is the reference in v. 24 to “the Almighty,” which corresponds to God the Father.
You also discover in this vision allusions to the primary attributes of God.
Throughout the vision are several references to “fire” (vv. 4, 13, 27), which symbolizes the Lord’s holiness.
The “wheels” (vv. 15-17) were arranged on the living creatures in such a way that they could proceed in any direction—they could go anywhere. This refers to God’s omnipresence, His ability to be anywhere, anytime and everywhere, all the time
.
The “rings…full of eyes” (v. 18) refers to God’s omniscience, that is, His ability to see everything.
Finally, the powerful voice of the Almighty (vv. 24-25) indicates God’s omnipotence.
What was the point of giving Ezekiel this vision?
It was preparatory to his calling (2:1-3). And this shouldn’t surprise us. We’ve seen it before in Isaiah 6. There, the prophet is overwhelmed by a vision of the holiness of God, and following the vision, he’s sent on a mission from the Lord.
In short, as you read Ezekiel 1, instead of looking for ancient examples of UFOs, look for the glory of the Lord; your heart will be overwhelmed by His awesome majesty!
I remember, as a freshman in high school, turning to the Scripture passage, reading it in light of Chariot, and thinking, “Well, yeah. This makes sense.”
Indeed, if you approach Ezekiel 1 with the preconceived notion that ancient peoples were visited by UFOs, you can easily read into the chapter the idea that Ezekiel was visited by ET!
That, however, is not the case.
To be sure, the prophet by the river Chebar saw an incredible, fantastic vision, but he himself tells us what he saw: “This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord” (v. 28). In other words, the vision revealed to him the majestic character of God.
With that in mind, read the chapter again, and notice how often you read x was “like” y...and watch for the word “likeness.” Those are clues telling you that Ezekiel’s trying the best he can to describe what he sees, yet words fail to capture it all.
In this re-reading, you’ll discover several indications of the Trinity.
The description of the “four living creatures” in v. 10 parallels the varied presentation of Jesus Christ in the Gospels:
- the “man” parallels Christ the Son of Man as presented in Luke
- the “lion” parallels Christ the King as presented in Matthew
- the “ox” parallels Christ the Servant as presented in Mark
- the “eagle” parallels Christ the Son of God as presented in John.
In v. 12, note that “the spirit” empowered and directed the four living creatures. Evidently, the vision intends to indicate the Holy Spirit’s relationship to the Lord Jesus in His earthly ministry.
Completing the view of the Trinity is the reference in v. 24 to “the Almighty,” which corresponds to God the Father.
You also discover in this vision allusions to the primary attributes of God.
Throughout the vision are several references to “fire” (vv. 4, 13, 27), which symbolizes the Lord’s holiness.
The “wheels” (vv. 15-17) were arranged on the living creatures in such a way that they could proceed in any direction—they could go anywhere. This refers to God’s omnipresence, His ability to be anywhere, anytime and everywhere, all the time
.
The “rings…full of eyes” (v. 18) refers to God’s omniscience, that is, His ability to see everything.
Finally, the powerful voice of the Almighty (vv. 24-25) indicates God’s omnipotence.
What was the point of giving Ezekiel this vision?
It was preparatory to his calling (2:1-3). And this shouldn’t surprise us. We’ve seen it before in Isaiah 6. There, the prophet is overwhelmed by a vision of the holiness of God, and following the vision, he’s sent on a mission from the Lord.
In short, as you read Ezekiel 1, instead of looking for ancient examples of UFOs, look for the glory of the Lord; your heart will be overwhelmed by His awesome majesty!
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