Scripture Reading: Ezek. 1:1-3
Ⅰ
The date of Ezekiel's visions was in the thirtieth year, which was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity—1:1a, 2:
A
The thirtieth year refers to Ezekiel's age:
１
According to Numbers 4:2-3 and 1 Chronicles 23:3, a priest started to serve the Lord at the age of thirty—cf. Luke 3:23:
ａ
This indicates that if we would see the visions in the book of Ezekiel, we must have maturity in life.
ｂ
Thirty is a number related to preparing Christ, ministering Christ to others, enjoying the riches of Christ, and expressing the fullness of Christ—Ezek. 46:22; 40:17; 41:6.
ｃ
Thus, the number thirty signifies that we need to be matured in our spiritual life so that we can see the visions concerning Christ and His Body, prepare Christ for others' enjoyment, and enjoy all the riches of Christ to become the fullness of Christ as His expression.
B
The fifth year refers to the fifth year of captivity—Ezek. 1:2:
１
The visions did not come earlier because God's people and Ezekiel were not ready—cf. Num. 4:2-3; 8:24.
２
In the fifth year (five is the number of responsibility) God wanted Ezekiel to bear the responsibility to speak to the people of Israel, and He wanted Israel to bear the responsibility of listening to His words.
Ⅱ
The place of Ezekiel's visions was "in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar"—Ezek. 1:3:
A
The people from Israel had fallen back into the place where Satan instigated the greatest rebellion against God among the fallen people, the place out of which their forefather Abraham had been called by God, a place of degradation— Gen. 11:6, 31; Ezek. 14:3; 22:30; cf. Hosea 14:1-4.
B
The river Chebar signifies the power of the enemy to damage God's people (Chebar means "strong," "many," "powerful")—cf. Isa. 8:7-8:
１
The river Chebar, the river of Babylon, is the satanic trend, course, tide, of the age that carries people away from God—1 John 2:15.
２
The river Chebar destroys the building of God; the river of water of life builds up God's dwelling place—Ezek. 47:1-12.
３
The visions of Ezekiel are messages of God for the present age, an age in which God's people have fallen into captivity in Babylon, where they do not live in Christ properly and continually and where they do not enjoy the riches of Christ.
Ⅲ
The person who saw the visions was Ezekiel:
A
Ezekiel was a captive in the land of captivity, where he was tested and surely must have felt perplexed, distressed, and depressed—1:1; cf. 2 Cor. 1:8-9; 4:8.
B
Ezekiel was a priest, one who lived in the presence of God, serving God and being mingled with God—Ezek. 1:3.
C
Ezekiel (meaning "God will strengthen") was the son of Buzi (meaning "contempt" or "despised")—v. 3:
１
Ezekiel was despised and treated with contempt, but he was strengthened by God—3:8-9a; cf. 2 Cor. 6:8; 1 Cor. 4:10-13.
２
God appointed Ezekiel to be a sign to the people of Israel, a sign of their being put to shame—Ezek. 12:6, 11; 24:24, 27.
Ⅳ
Ezekiel fulfilled the conditions for seeing the visions:
A
The heavens were opened to Ezekiel—1:1:
１
Whenever God finds a man on earth who is one with Him and whose heart is a duplication of God's heart, the heavens are opened to him.
２
The heavens were also opened to Jacob (Gen. 28:12-17), to Jesus (Matt. 3:16), to Stephen (Acts 7:56), to Peter (10:11), and to John (Rev. 4:2; 19:11).
B
Ezekiel saw visions of God—Ezek. 1:1; cf. Rev. 1:10-11; 4:2; 17:3; 21:10:
１
God's visions are His revelations, which enable us to see divine, spiritual, and heavenly things—Ezek. 40:4; cf. Eph. 1:17-18; 6:17-18.
２
What we present to the children of God should be spiritual, heavenly visions we have seen in our spirit under the open heavens through our contact with God—Acts 26:16-19; cf. S. S. 1:15; 7:4.
３
This will cause God's people to be recovered from their captivity, and it will lead to the building up of God's churches.
C
The word of Jehovah came expressly to Ezekiel—Ezek. 1:3:
１
God's words are His explanations of His visions.
２
We need to have an express word from the Lord—John 6:63; S. S. 8:13:
ａ
We need God to give us special, fresh, and vivid words which convey His divine visions—1 Cor. 2:13; 1 Pet. 4:11a.
ｂ
We need the words that will enable us to understand the visions, and we need the words that will enable us to proclaim and explain what we have seen—Ezek. 3:1-4.
D
The hand of Jehovah was upon Ezekiel—1:3:
１
God's hand always follows His speaking; God will come in to do what He says and to work according to His speaking—Psa. 33:9.
２
God's hand upon man is for leading and directing man and for causing man to take action—cf. 1 Kings 18:46; Dan. 11:32; John 7:6, 8; 2 Cor. 5:14.
３
May we all have an open heaven, see God's visions, receive God's words, and have God's leading and directing hand upon us to meet God's need!