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Eze. 1:8-10

8 And they had the hands [yad] of a man [adam] under their wings [kanaph] on their four [arba] sides [reba]; and they four [arba] had their faces [paniym] and their wings [kanaph].
9 Their wings [kanaph] were joined [chabar] one [ishshah] to another [achowth]; they turned [cabab] not when they went [yalak]; they went [yalak] every one [iysh] straight [eber] forward [paniym].
10 As for the likeness [damuwth] of their faces [paniym], they four [arba] had the face [paniym] of a man [adam], and the face [paniym] of a lion [ariy], on the right side [yamiyn]: and they four [arba] had the face [paniym] of an ox [showr] on the left side [samo'wl]; they four [arba] also had the face [paniym] of an eagle [nesher]. KJV-Interlinear

8 Under their wings on their four sides were human hands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them, 9 their wings touched one another; their faces did not turn when they moved, each went straight forward. 10 As for the form of their faces, each had the face of a man, all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and all four had the face of an eagle. NASB

And now we see the creatures as portraying the supports of the throne, and the pattern of march (the way and direction of life) for the nation of Israel (Gods chosen nation - all believers). Not only are they living creatures (the word of God is alive and powerful) but they represent living and active attributes of Gods government (attributes of God).

The lion symbolizing courage, nobility, authority, dominion.

The ox, or young bullock symbolizing strength, ability, endurance, stability, firmness, power.

The man symbolizing reasoning capacity, intelligence, wisdom, self consciousness, self awareness, self determination.

The eagle symbolizing keen vision, swiftness and speed, height, and majesty, and gracefulness.

God has in His possession the authority and dominion to do His own will. He has the power and endurance to accomplish His will. He has the wisdom to discern and do what is right, always avoiding that which is wrong. He has far vision, the foresight, foreknowledge, and can see all that is beneath His dominion to know all of its components, to know all things. These characteristics have existed throughout all of eternity, and continue currently and into eternity without diminishing. These characteristics of God, support His throne, and guide the administration of His will.

God is able to do all that He wills. All that is right and true. God is able, not to do that which is wrong and untrue. God is eternal and immutable. He never changes. His policy, His government is consistent and never veers to the left or to the right, but remains stable for all time without wavering.

This then is what we look to with our faith and our confidence as to our eternal security and future with God in heaven.

Ezekiel sends the message that the judgment of God must be feared with tremendous trembling. For as certain as Jerusalem is and will transgress against God, as certain as the existence of God is in His heaven and is sitting on His throne, as certain as there is a history of man, then there is certainty of Gods inevitable wrath.

As a policy and teaching aid, the Israelites camped and marched in a particular order. We discussed this yesterday. When the Israelites made camp, the Levites encamped around the tabernacle and the tribes camped outside them according to their divisions.

From Num. 2, in the east was Judah and then Issachar and Zebulan. In the south was Reuben and next to him Simeon and then Gad. In the west was Ephraim, next Manasseh and then Benjamin. In the north was Dan and then Asher and then Napthali.

This encampment pattern never varied and therefore, as Ezekiel saw the vision coming from the north with the face of a man in front, then he was looking at Reuben who was positioned on the south side of the formation.

The face of a lion on the right side was Judah in the east. The face of an ox on the left was Ephraim in the west and the face of an eagle at the back was Dan in the north looking forward to the direction from which they had come.

The orientation of the nation around the tabernacle did not vary and for this reason Ezekiel states that they each went straight forward without turning.

Each of these had four wings, two of these wings touched one another performing the role of a defensive perimeter for the encampment symbolizing unity and physical protection of the nation and the tabernacle. This is fellowship with God from inside of the encampment. And, they also symbolized the attributes of Gods righteousness and justice which together combine to form Gods holiness. Gods righteousness and justice guard truth and form a basis for Gods fortress in truth.

The two wings covering the bodies symbolizing the spiritual protection of the individual perfected as a servant of God in spiritual maturity. These two wings stand for the love of God, which are His principles of doctrine from throughout the scriptures, and Gods grace policy toward all of creation.

The hands under the wings symbolize that all of Gods works come from within His character. None of Gods works come from any other source - not man, not angel, not anything else real or imagined.

Now is the time to post a prayer.

End Of Lesson

Study to show thyself approved (mature) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (studying/discerning), the Word of truth.

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