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Ezekiel 10

Ezekiel witnesses fire taken for judgment on Jerusalem and YHWH’s glory moving from the temple threshold to the east gate.

Ezekiel watches a man clothed in linen receive orders to take burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over Jerusalem. Above the cherubim appears the likeness of a throne. Cloud and brightness fill the temple as YHWH’s glory moves to its threshold. Ezekiel describes the creatures and their wheels, recognizing them from his vision by the river Chebar. Then the glory moves over the cherubim, who rise and stop at the temple’s east gate.

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1Then I looked, and see, in the expanse that was over the head of the cherubim there appeared above them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.
2He spoke to the man clothed in linen, and said, “Go in between the whirling wheels, even under the cherub, and fill both your hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city.” He went in as I watched.
3Now the cherubim stood on the right side of the house when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.
4The LORD’s glory mounted up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD’s glory.
5The sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of God Almighty when he speaks.
6It came to pass, when he commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim,” that he went in and stood beside a wheel.
7The cherub stretched out his hand from between the cherubim to the fire that was between the cherubim, and took some of it, and put it into the hands of him who was clothed in linen, who took it and went out.
8The form of a man’s hand appeared here in the cherubim under their wings.
9I looked, and behold, there were four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside one cherub, and another wheel beside another cherub. The appearance of the wheels was like a beryl stone.
10As for their appearance, the four of them had one likeness, like a wheel within a wheel.
11When they went, they went in their four directions. They didn’t turn as they went, but to the place where the head looked they followed it. They didn’t turn as they went.
12Their whole body, including their backs, their hands, their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes all around, even the wheels that the four of them had.
14Every one of them had four faces. The first face was the face of the cherub. The second face was the face of a man. The third face was the face of a lion. The fourth was the face of an eagle.
15The cherubim mounted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the river Chebar.
16When the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the wheels also didn’t turn from beside them.
17When they stood, these stood. When they mounted up, these mounted up with them; for the spirit of the living creature was in them.
18The LORD’s glory went out from over the threshold of the house and stood over the cherubim.
19The cherubim lifted up their wings and mounted up from the earth in my sight when they went out, with the wheels beside them. Then they stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD’s house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
20This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chebar; and I knew that they were cherubim.
21Every one had four faces, and every one four wings. The likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings.
22As for the likeness of their faces, they were the faces which I saw by the river Chebar, their appearances and themselves. They each went straight forward.
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Key verses
Ezekiel 10:1The throne above the cherubim establishes God’s rule over the unsettling movements and commands that follow.
Ezekiel 10:4The glory’s movement to the threshold begins the departure traced here, even as divine brightness fills the court.
Ezekiel 10:14The four faces belong to the cherubim whom Ezekiel identifies as the living creatures seen by the river Chebar.
Where this chapter reaches

Revelation shares imagery of a heavenly throne, living creatures, and eyes, while Isaiah also places burning coals within a vision of God’s throne. Exodus, 1 Kings, and 2 Chronicles share the cloud and divine glory filling a place of worship, imagery present here as the glory begins to depart.

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What stands out about the temple filling with brightness while YHWH’s glory moves toward departure?

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How does the throne above the cherubim shape your reading of the command concerning the burning coals?

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Questions people ask about Ezekiel 10

Does God’s glory leave the temple in Ezekiel 10?

YHWH’s glory moves from the cherub to the temple threshold, then from the threshold to a position above the cherubim. They rise and stop at the east gate of YHWH’s house. The chapter traces stages of departure and ends with the glory still above them at that gate.

What are the cherubim and wheels in Ezekiel 10?

Ezekiel identifies the cherubim as the living creatures he saw by the river Chebar. Each has four faces and four wings, with human hands beneath the wings. Wheels full of eyes move beside them in complete coordination. The vision associates these creatures with God’s throne without explaining every feature.

What do the burning coals mean in Ezekiel 10?

The command to scatter burning coals over the city signals judgment against Jerusalem. The fire comes from among the cherubim beneath the throne, placing the action under divine authority. Ezekiel sees a cherub hand the fire to the linen-clothed man, who goes out; the scattering itself is not described here.

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Ezekiel · 48 chapters
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).