EZEKIEL’S INAUGURAL VISION AND CALL 

1.  Inaugural Vision (Ezekiel 1:1-28) 

     A. Who, When, and Where? (Ezekiel 1:1-3) 

     B. The Whirlwind and Four Creatures (Ezekiel 1:4-14) 

     C. The Wheels and the Fiery Image (Ezekiel 1:15-28) 

2.  Call to Prophetic Ministry (Ezekiel 2:1-8) 

     A. Lifted by the Spirit (Ezekiel 2:1-2) 

     B. Sent to a Rebellious People (Ezekiel 2:3-8) 

3.  Difficult Ministry Forewarned (Ezekiel 2:9—3:11) 

     A. Bitter but Sweet (Ezekiel 2:9—3:3) 

     B. Harder Than Flint (Ezekiel 3:4-11) 

Central Truth:  Jesus Christ calls all His disciples to endure difficulties as they follow Him. 

Focus:  Investigate Ezekiel’s vision and call to ministry, and receive God’s direction and empowerment. 

Evangelism Emphasis: Through a relationship with Christ, sinners do not have to face difficulties alone. 

Text:  “The spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me” (Ezekiel 2:2). 

INTRODUCTION 

What is the goal of Christian worship? For Pentecostals, our desire in worship is to encounter the glory and presence of God. Like Moses, we pray, we cry, and we sing, “Show [us] Your glory” (Ex. 33:18 NKJV). Yet, unlike Moses’ experience, we do not want a hidden view of God’s glory. Rather, we want to see and behold the full glory of God that is made available to us through the Holy Spirit (see 2 Cor. 3:18). Therefore, we can join with the psalmist and sing, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Ps. 42:1-2 NKJV), and, “My soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water” (63:1 NKJV). Indeed, nothing less than God’s full and felt presence will satisfy our powerful and insatiable desire for Him. 

Why is God’s glory and presence so essential to our worship of God? For Pentecostals, worship that is void of the glory and presence of God is lifeless, impotent, and barren. We understand that sickness, oppression, bondage, troubles, distress, fear, anxiety, and death cannot exist in the presence of God. Accordingly, we expectantly desire to experience the same miracles of salvation, healing, and deliverance that are written in Scripture. Since we believe God is, we look for God to move and act in our present realities as He did in the past. 

Furthermore, to experience the presence of God is to come to an intimate knowledge of God. To know God is to be in a personal, dynamic relationship with Him. Encountering God’s glory will effect transformation. To sense God’s presence during our worship services affirms that God is near us and we are not God-abandoned, but God is with us. 

The next few lessons will explore Ezekiel’s vision of God’s glory, his prophetic ministry that emerges from this encounter, and the role the Spirit plays when encountering God’s glory. 

1. INAUGURAL VISION 

A. Who, When, and Where? (Ezekiel 1:1-3) 

3 The word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was there upon him. 

The first three verses of Ezekiel serve as an introduction to the book and provide background information to Ezekiel’s inaugural vision, prophetic call to ministry, and prophetic message. This background information presents the date, place, historical setting, and a brief biographical note on the prophet. Scripture offers us little information on Ezekiel, and what is known about him comes exclusively from the book that bears his name. The name Ezekiel means “May God strengthen,” an appropriate name for one who is called to preach to a rebellious people (see 2:3, 8). He identifies as a priest, his father’s name is Buzi (1:3), and he is thirty years old, living in Babylon as a captive when he is called to the prophetic ministry (v. 1). 

Ezekiel’s entire ministry occurs while he is in Babylonian exile. To understand the Israelites’ captivity and exile, we must recall God’s words to them just before they crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land. In Deuteronomy 28 and 30, God promised to bless the people of Israel in the land He was giving to them as long as they were faithful to Him and obeyed His commandments. If, however, they chose to rebel against God and worship the idols of the land, they would be destroyed by their enemies and be driven to a distant land into exile: “And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the Lord shall lead thee” (Deut. 28:37). 

God’s instructions to the people of Israel were clear and straightforward. However, God knew they would rise in rebellion against Him, so He told Moses, “This people will rise and play the harlot with the gods of the foreigners of the land, where they go to be among them, and they will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them” (Deut. 31:16 NKJV). As we follow the Israelites’ story from Joshua through 1 and 2 Kings, it is clear that Israel deliberately chose to rebel against God. The people’s spiritual perversion and moral depravity became so entrenched and widespread, and their hearts became so hardened against God, that exile was the only possible outcome. 

The Babylonians, who had besieged the southern kingdom of Judah during Jeremiah’s prophecy (Jer. 32:2), had now conquered Judah. Ezekiel’s exile began in 597 BC when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, invaded Judah and took a group of captives, including Ezekiel, to Babylon (2 Kings 24). Then, in 587 BC, the Babylonians once again invaded Judah and laid siege to Jerusalem. However, this time the city was not saved. Jerusalem was plundered and the Temple destroyed: “And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, that one who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me and said, ‘The city has been captured!’” (Ezek. 33:21 NKJV). Therefore, when the book opens, it is clear that Ezekiel is already in Babylon when he sees “visions of God” (1:1).

• What did Ezekiel see (v. 1)? What did he hear and feel (v. 3)? 

B. The Whirlwind and Four Creatures (Ezekiel 1:4-14) 

4 And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire. 5 Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. 

9 Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward. 10 As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle. 11 Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies. 12 And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went. 

The Exile was a confusing and distressing experience for Ezekiel and his compatriots. They were forcibly removed from their homeland, relocated to a strange land, and suffered severe economic loss and destruction of property. Even more, they were away from the Temple and believed they were away from God’s presence. Where was God? Had God abandoned His people? The last place the exiles expected to see God was in Babylon. Yet, it was there—in the land of their captivity—that “the heavens were opened” (v. 1), and Ezekiel saw a stunning vision of the glory of God. The sight of God’s presence in a foreign land assured Ezekiel that God was not confined to an earthly building; He was free to move and act as He willed; He had not abandoned them; and wherever His people were, He would be present with them. 

Ezekiel’s vision begins with the sight of a windstorm coming “out of the north” (v. 4). As the windstorm approaches, he sees it is accompanied by a cloud that is bright and set ablaze by flashes of fire. This fiery windstorm signals a visible manifestation of God. Throughout the Old Testament, fire is closely associated with the presence of God. In Exodus 3, God appeared to Moses “in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush” (v. 2). When the people of Israel left Egypt, God’s presence directed them by a “pillar of a cloud” during the day, and by “a pillar of fire” at night (13:21-22). When God appeared to Israel at Mount Sinai, He descended in fire, and His descent was preceded by “thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud” (19:16). In Deuteronomy 4:24, God is called “a consuming fire.” Fire is a dominant feature in Ezekiel’s inaugural vision. His vision begins with a fiery cloud (1:4) and ends with a fiery image on a throne (v. 27). This leaves no doubt that the prophet is seeing “the glory of the Lord” (v. 28). 

Out of the midst of the fiery windstorm emerges “four living creatures” (v. 5). Significant details about these creatures deserve our attention. The first is their appearance. Although they have a human form, their faces, legs, feet, and wings show they are a hybrid of God’s creation, suggesting (1) God is close to His creation, and (2) the creation in Heaven accords with the creation on earth.   

The second noteworthy detail about the living creatures is their movement. They always move straight ahead and never turn as they move (v. 9). Moving straight ahead enables them to advance with precision and at maximum speed, which allows for a well-timed arrival: “The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning” (v. 14 NIV). This suggests that when God comes to us, He comes straight ahead with purpose and certainty. In addition to moving straight ahead, the living creatures follow the direction of the Spirit: “they went wherever the spirit wanted to go” (v. 12 NKJV). The Hebrew word ruach is often translated as “spirit,” but it could also mean “wind” and “breath.” 

In the Book of Ezekiel, it is not surprising to find the various meanings of ruach closely linked to Yahweh in the same chapter. The first occurrence of ruach in Ezekiel is in verse 4, in reference to a windstorm (ruach saar). At first, this windstorm may appear to be a mere meteorological occurrence, but since it is associated with the glory of the Lord, it is clear the ruach saar is from God. The next appearance of ruach is in verse 12, where it is the energizing and animating force of the living creatures. The ruach functions as the “breath of the living creatures” (Daniel Block, “The Prophet of the Spirit,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, March 1989). Since the ruach gives breath to the living creatures and animates their swift and straightforward movement, it must be the Spirit of Yahweh. 

The third striking detail about the living creatures is their fiery appearance (v. 13). It indicates that the four living creatures are directly linked to the presence of God.

• Compare Ezekiel’s vision of the four living creatures with John’s vision in Revelation 4:6-8. 

C. The Wheels and the Fiery Image (Ezekiel 1:15-28) 

15 Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces. 16 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. 

20 Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. 

27 And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. 28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.    

The wheels, perhaps, are the most well-known feature of Ezekiel’s inaugural vision. Appearing next to each living creature is a wheel, which is described as “a wheel in the middle of a wheel” (v. 16). Their rims are “high, . . . awesome; and . . . full of eyes, all around the four of them” (v. 18 NKJV). The wheels move in the same direction and manner as the living creatures (v. 17); they move in unison with the living creatures (vv. 19-21); and, like the living creatures, they follow the spirit wherever the spirit wants to go (v. 20). These are no ordinary wheels, for they are animated by the same spirit that is in the living creatures (vv. 20-21). The wheels, therefore, are not inanimate objects, but are alive as the four living creatures. The theological implication is plain: Nothing is lifeless in the presence of God because His Spirit effects life, dynamism, and vitality. 

The next element in the vision is a formidable and dazzling crystal surface extended above the heads of the four living creatures (v. 22). Remarkably, Ezekiel describes the deafening sound of the creatures’ wings as the “noise of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a tumult like the noise of an army” (v. 24 NKJV). The sound of the creatures’ wings becomes one with the sound of the Almighty, which is like the sound of rushing waters and the uproar of an army, indicating the extraordinary power that is in the voice of God. Ezekiel then sees a sapphire throne, and on the throne is a fiery figure with bright light all around. The shining, bright light looks like a rainbow, immediately reminding us of the promise God made with Noah (Gen. 9:16). Seeing the rainbow as an abiding and integral part of God’s presence reminds Ezekiel that God keeps His promises, and so gives hope to Ezekiel, who is in exile in a foreign land. 

Fully realizing he has just seen the awesome glory of God, Ezekiel responds in the only appropriate way: worship (v. 28). Ezekiel moves from watching a vision of God’s presence to complete worship, indicating that an encounter with God results in authentic worship. 

Now that we have the full picture of Ezekiel’s vision, we discern that his vision is of God’s throne-chariot. God’s throne is not stationary, but is mobile, signifying that God is always seated on His throne as King over all. 

Bored by Worship? 

I can safely say, on the authority of all that is revealed in the Word of God, that any man or woman on this earth who is bored and turned off by worship is not ready for Heaven.—A. W. Tozer 

2. CALL TO PROPHETIC MINISTRY 

A. Lifted by the Spirit (Ezekiel 2:1-2) 

1 And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee. 2 And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me. 

God commands Ezekiel to arise and stand on his feet (v. 1). However, to stand in the presence of the awesome and Almighty God is a task too hard for mortals to accomplish. Our limbs would be liquid and our heart would melt with the glory of God. Scripture repeatedly speaks of those who fell prostrate in the presence of God. Neither you nor I nor Ezekiel could possibly remain standing should God’s presence suddenly enwrap us. The command of God to Ezekiel to arise in His presence had to be accompanied with the empowerment to obey. 

Ezekiel realized something out of the ordinary was taking place and recognized it as the entering in of the Holy Spirit of (v. 2). Ezekiel found himself able to stand on his feet in the presence of God through the power of the Spirit. In fact, it seemed to Ezekiel that the Holy Spirit had “set me upon my feet.” An important message was about to be related to Ezekiel and he, of necessity, had to be in position—emotionally and physically—to receive it. 

Though the awe of God should always cause us to bow ourselves to the ground before Him, the service we are to perform for Him in this world requires that we move past the sense of being awestruck and become ready listeners to the sound of His voice. The Holy Spirit took Ezekiel from that awestruck position to the position of readiness to hear God’s words. 

• How can we distinguish the Holy Spirit’s voice from other voices? 

B. Sent to a Rebellious People (Ezekiel 2:3-8) 

3 And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day. 

7 And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious. 8 But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee. 

When God speaks to Ezekiel, He does not call him by his name, but calls him “son of man” (v. 3), pointing to his weakness, fallibility, and pitiable character as a human being. This expression is used ninety-two times in the Book of Ezekiel. The Lord would grant Ezekiel great spiritual revelations, so the Lord frequently reminded him he was a “son of man”—a mere mortal. Yet Ezekiel was chosen and empowered to speak for God. 

Israel’s rebellion is not a recent occurrence, but traces back to Israel’s beginning and has continued to Ezekiel’s present day. Israel’s rebellion is mentioned seven times in ten verses! In verse 3, God uses two different words to convey Israel’s rebellion—“rebellious” and “transgressed.” Rebellious is the Hebrew marad, which was used in a political context to indicate a national rebellion against a ruler, signifying that Israel has revolted against God as their King. The second word, transgressed, is pasha, and indicates the people of Israel have refused to obey the commands of God. 

In spite of Israel’s resistance, Ezekiel must still speak the word of the Lord because speaking God’s words is the necessary task of a prophet. Furthermore, God warns Ezekiel against his own rebellion (vv. 6-8). Although God has called Ezekiel to be a prophet, it appears that he, like the rest of Israel, is inclined to rebel against God. 

Enabled to Call 

In The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair, Aslan the lion tells Jill Pole, “You would not have called to me unless I had been calling to you.” Aslan (a symbol of Jesus Christ) shows us that our mission in the kingdom of God begins first with God calling us. This is what Jesus means when He says, “No one can come to me, except the Father . . . draw him” (John 6:44). 

3. DIFFICULT MINISTRY FOREWARNED 

A. Bitter but Sweet (Ezekiel 2:9—3:3) 

2:9 And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein; 10 And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe. 

3:3 And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness. 

After God cautions Ezekiel against his own rebellion, He gives him a scroll to eat. On both sides of the scroll are “funeral songs, words of sorrow, and pronouncements of doom” (2:10 NLT). Without a doubt, Ezekiel’s message will cause deep anguish and sorrow. God tells Ezekiel to fill his stomach with the scroll (3:3). As the prophet obeys, the scroll’s contents are expressions of intense grief; the scroll’s taste is not bitter, but sweet as honey. The message from God might be difficult, but when obeyed, it is sweet and pleasant to the taste. 

If God is calling for repentance, the message is sweetened by the grace of God. If God is calling for judgment, the message is sweetened by the mercy of God. If the message is a pronouncement of blessing, it is sweetened by the goodness of God. In all things and through all proclamations of God, sweetness tempers every word to those who love God. 

The Battle 

Life is a hard fight, a struggle, a wrestling with the principle of evil, hand-to-hand, foot-to-foot. Every inch of the way is disputed.—Florence Nightingale 

B. Harder Than Flint (Ezekiel 3:4-11) 

5 For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel. 

9 As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. 

11 And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord God; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear. 

Ezekiel is now fully equipped with God’s Spirit, God’s message, and with God’s promise to strengthen him against the rebellious people of Israel. Therefore, from this point forward, Ezekiel will embody the meaning of his name, “May God strengthen.” After preparing the prophet for his arduous task, God tells Ezekiel, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them” (v. 4 NKJV). Ezekiel must have felt an exceptionally heavy load as God gave him that challenge. It was not as though he was unfamiliar with the people to whom God made reference (v. 5). He had lived with them and had gone into captivity with them—all the while knowing their hardness of heart and tendency to stray from God’s way. 

Seeing that the people would not respect Ezekiel nor receive his message (v. 7), God granted a special demeanor and tenacity to him for the purpose of delivering His word. God gave to Ezekiel an aura and a countenance that was as tough as stone against the people of Israel (vv. 8-9). In doing this, Ezekiel would be able to prophesy without sympathy and without regret against the rebelliousness of his brothers and sisters, yet he would still continue to love them. 

As in the instructions God gave to Ezekiel to devour the scroll, He once again instructed Ezekiel to “receive in thine heart” the words of God—to listen carefully to what God said and make His word an integral part of his life (v. 10). Ezekiel was not to simply be the herald of a message from God; instead, he was to accept that message into his heart and make it a part of his own being. 

God told Ezekiel to stand up and proclaim, “Thus saith the Lord” (v. 11). There is to be no ambiguity, no tentativeness or timidity in the delivery of a message from God. The preacher must believe with all his or her heart that this is God’s Word. 

• Why wouldn’t the people of Israel receive the ministry of Ezekiel, according to verse 7? How is this relevant to our current culture? 

RESPONSE TO THE VISION AND CALL 



When the vision ends, Ezekiel does not obey God, but rather sits in silence, bitterness, anger, and astonishment for seven days (3:14-15). Why would Ezekiel depart in burning, bitter rage and despair after encountering the awesome, majestic, holy presence of God? Ezekiel does not give us the answer, and so we are left to form a conclusion from what is provided in the text. It seems Ezekiel is resisting his call, and thus shares Israel’s rebellious condition. It appears he is appalled and greatly distressed that God would call him to preach such a grievous word to a people who would not hear him. Although Ezekiel sits in silence for seven days, he says the “hand of the Lord was strong upon me” (v. 14). While he resists his call, God will not leave him alone. Next week’s lesson will show us that like Jonah, Ezekiel is compelled to fulfill the call of the Lord. 

Daily Devotions 

M. Call of First Disciples (Luke 5:1-11) 

T. Call of More Disciples (John 1:43-51) 

W. Call to the Weary (Matthew 11:25-30) 

T. Call to Salvation (Acts 2:36-41) 

F. Call of Paul Recounted (Acts 22:6-16) 

S. Call to Faithful Ministry (1 Timothy 4:6-16) 

Adopted from the Evangelical Sunday School Lesson Commentary 2021-2022.