Exposition of Ezekiel 1-5, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 1 · Verse 22
VER. 22, &c.
And the likeneſſe of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature, was as the colour of terrible Cryſtall ſtretched forth over their heads above.
23. And under the firmament were their wings, ſtreight the one towards the other: every one had two, which covered on this ſide, and every one had two, which covered on that ſide their bodies.
24. And when they went, I heard the noyſe of their wings, like the noyſe of great waters; as the voyce of the Almighty, the voyce of ſpeech, as the noyſe of an hoſt: when they ſtood, they let down their wings.
25. And there was a voyce from the firmament, that was over their heads when they ſtood, and had let down their wings.
IN theſe Verſes we have the fourth Viſion, or fourth part of the generall Viſion, which is concerning the firmament. This Viſion, as formerly hath been ſhewne, holds forth unto us the glory of God: and of that glory which lies in his providence and government of the world, wee have ſpoken in the precedent parts of this Viſion; there is yet more, and higher glory to be ſpoken of, and that is the glory of God, in the perſon of Chriſt. This Viſion of the firmamen, is preparatory to the Viſion of Chriſt upon the Throne; it's deſcribed,
1. From the place of it; it was upon the heads of the living creatures.
2. From the colour: it was like Cryſtal, and terrible Cryſtal.
3. From the n…yſe came thence; verſ. 25.
In the 23. and 24. Verſes, wee have a renewed and intermixt deſcription of the living creatures from their wings, the ſituation, the number, the office, and noyſe of them.
foreign d ſtendere, expandere.To begin with the Firmament; the Hebrew word is Rachiah from a word ſignifies to draw out and make thin, as metals are, and wooll, to ſtretch out, as Curtains and Tents are, Iſa. 40.22. whence heaven is called expanſum, becauſe it is ſtretched out over the whole earth; the Greeks call it foreign, becauſe of the firmneſſe and permanency; hereupon wee call it the firmament, not from the hardneſſe or ſolidity, as if it were like Iron, or Stone, but from the firmneſſe of it, that it hath endured many thouſand yeers, and is not melted by its motion, nor at all changed; it's taken ſometimes for the ayre, ſometimes for the clouds, and ſometimes for heaven it ſelf, and ſo wee may take it here; even the ſtarry firmament.
This firmament was over the heads of the living creatures, the wheels & Angels were under it, and it was between the Lord Chriſt and theſe creatures, and did the office of that pair of wings which did cover the faces of the Seraphims in Iſa. 6.2. great was the glory of Chriſt, and through this vail of the firmament preſented to them.
The colour and likeneſſe of it was as the terrible cryſtal.
We muſt a little explain theſe words, it was the likeneſs of the firmament, not the firmament it ſelf. The Hebr. words run thus, the ice, foreignthe terrible, or the terrible ice, foreign is ice, water hardened by cold, whence Cryſtal hath its birth; for, though ice be not Cryſtal, yet Cryſtal is from ice; when ice is hardened into the nature of a ſtone, it becomes Cryſtal;foreign quaſi foreign. Nat. hiſt. l. 37. c. 2. more degrees of coldneſſe, hardneſſe, and cleerneſſe, give ice the denomination of Cryſtal, and the name Cryſtal imports ſo much, that is, water by cold contracted into ice, and Pliny ſaith, the birth of it is from ice, vehemently frozen; and ſo you ſee the originall of Cryſtal.
The Epithet here added, terrible, hath ſome difficulty in it, that heaven, a viſionall firmament, ſhould be terrible, ſeems ſtrange: terribleneſſe ariſeth from newneſſe, greatneſſe, or the glory of a thing: Things new and ſtrange, do cauſe fear: as when the earth opened, and ſwallowed up Corah, Dathan and Abiram, there was great feare, it was a terrible thing; and this is called a new thing, Numb. 16.30. If the Lord make a new thing: ſo when new ſights are ſeen in the heavens, they cauſe aſtoniſhment to the beholders: as comets, the ſtanding of the Sun, and the like.
2. Things great are dreadfull; great waters, great mountains, great armies, Deut. 1.19. he calls the Wilderneſſe a great and terrible wilderneſſe: Joel 2.11. the day of the Lord is great and terrible: and ſo, the Lord great and terrible, Nehem. 4.14. from the greatneſſe of it therefore might this Cryſtal be terrible.
3. The glory of it, that might make it terrible; for glorious things are ſo, lightning is glorious and dreadfull: when Gods glory appeared in the mount, it was terrible unto Moſes, and made him to quake, Heb. 12.21. At Pauls converſion there was a glorious light, which ſtroke feare into all were with him, Act. 9. And this Cryſtalline firmament was full of glory: Cryſtal is a cleer thing, receives the light, ſo as to affect the eyes much, in like manner this firmament had a great cleerneſſe, and tranſparency, being the foot-ſtool of Chriſt ſitting upon the Throne.Suppedaneum Chriſti ſedentis in throno. foreign. The Septuag. ſometimes tranſlate the Hebrew word for terrible, glorious, Deut. 10.21. Who hath done for thee theſe great and terrible things? great and glorious things, ſay they; ſo Iſa. 64. ver. 3. Thou diddeſt terrible things; they render it glorious things; Tam vehementer nitebat ut form dinem aſpicienti afferret, Pol. Divinitatem quandam praeſe fer…bat, Mald.for they are terrible: and here from the gloriouſneſſe of this Cryſtal or Cryſtalline viſionall firmament, it may be called terrible; and this I conceive to be the true cauſe of its terribleneſſe, it was ſo glorious, that none could behold it without being dazled, aſtoniſhed and put into a trembling.
Obſerv. 1. That all creatures are under Chriſt, even Angels themſelves, they and the wheels are under the firmament where Chriſt is, he walks above; his feet are where creatures heads are, all are ſubject to the power of Chriſt, and hee ſits above, and hee rules them, and over-rules their actions. Angels and all wheels ſtoop to him; the Prophet ſaw the wheel on the earth, the Angels under the firmament, but Chriſt was above, 1 Cor. 15.27. All things are put under him, all Angels, all men, all devils; God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, Phil. 2.9.
2. That heavenly things are pure and glorious, and hold forth the glory of God,Rev. 22.1. they have the cleerneſſe, ſplendor, and lively colour of the Cryſtal. The higher wee aſcend, the more purity, beauty and glory; there is more in the ayre then in the earth and waters; more in the Sun, more in the ſtars and firmament, then in the inferiour things: Gods glory is every where, the earth is full of it; If wee look downwards, we may ſee it, but if we look upwards, we ſhall ſee more excellency and glory. How much glory is in the Sun? who can tell how many wonderfull things it hath in it? and ſo the firmament, Pſal. 19.1. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament ſheweth his handy work. The out-ſpread firmament, that is ſo vaſt, ſo tranſparent, ſo beſet with ſtars, that darts down ſuch ſweet influences, it holds forth Gods glory exceedingly; the glory of his wiſdome, power, goodneſſe; There is much of Gods glory ſeen in it: Job 37.18. The sky or firmament is compared to a looking-glaſſe; not becauſe you may ſee ſeverall ſpecies of things, as we ſee ſeverall faces in the water, and birds in the ayre, but chiefly, becauſe in it wee ſee ſo much of the glory of God, even moſt of his attributes, we ſhould be oft looking in this glaſſe, and obſerve the glory of God.
3. That the things above are dreadfully glorious, ſo glorious, that our weak eyes cannot behold;Incu…iunt ſacrum quendam honorem. the glory of the firmament was as the terrible Cryſtal, ſuch as cauſed dread in a Prophet; what eye can look upon the Sun in its glory and ſtrength? could we ſee an Angel in his glory,Jud. 6. Jud. 13. Senſibile excellens deſtruit ſenſorium. it would terribly affright us; when Angels vayl'd up their glory in humane ſhapes, it made great Worthies of God to quake; as Gideon, Manoah, and others: glorious objects work ſtrongly upon our ſpirits, and quickly ſcatter them. And if the glory of creatures be ſuch, what is the glory of God himſelf? 1 Tim. 6.16. God dwels in the light, which no man can approach unto: it's ſuch exceeding glorious light, that no created eye can endure; that light or glory is Gods habitation, and ſo glorious a one it is, that wee cannot look upon it. Act. 22.11. Paul could not behold that glorious light ſhined about him. The earth, heavens and world, which are Gods out-houſe, we may behold, but his glory, which is himſelf, his inmoſt roome, we may not, wee cannot eye; this light is darkneſſe unto us, there is ſo much brightneſſe in it, that it will put out our eyes; and whether this glory be acceſſible by the Saints or Angels, may … diſputable; becauſe God is inviſible, and his glory inacceſſible, and beſides, the Angels, they had wings to cover their faces, Iſa. 6. And here they are preſented to Ezekiel under the firmament, with that upon their heads, which ſhewes, that they, and all creatures are diſtanced from God, and capable of ſeeing his glory only in that way, he thinks good to propound it. That in Mat. 18.10. ſeems to ſpeak the contrary, where it's frid, that in heaven, their Angels do alwayes behold the face of my father; it's true, they are in the ſpeciall preſence of God, have ſweet and ſatisfactory communion with God, ſtand ready to do his will; but God hath no face in heaven, and whether they ſee his eſſentiall glory, I leave to farther inquiry.
4. That all things here below are expreſſed to the eye and view of Chriſt, the firmament is ſo cleere that Chriſt ſees through it. It's the window of heaven, and through it hee looks into the world; it's a molten looking-glaſſe;Job 37.18. and as wee may ſee Gods attributes and glory in it, ſo Chriſt ſees our ſhapes, thoughts, diſtempers and motions: he ſaw Saul when he got the Letters to Damaſcus, to perſecute the Saints; the Lord Chriſt ſaw him, and knew the bloodineſſe of his mind, and ſaid unto him, Saul, Saul, Acts 9. many are Atheiſticall, and ſay in their hearts, as hee in Job 22.13. How doth God know? can he judge through the dark clouds? Eſa. 29.15.they do evill in the dark, and ſay, who ſeeth us? and who knoweth us? there is one in the heavens that ſeeth through the clouds, and darkneſſe it ſelf, they are as the Sun and Firmament to him; darkneſſe is no darkneſſe, the firmament is as light it ſelf; all things done in Armies, Councels, Markets, Shops, Families, Cloſets, Beds, Hearts, are naked and open to the eyes of him, with whom wee have to do, Heb. 4.13.
I come now to the 23. Verſe, where the glory of Chriſt is ſet out from his Miniſters, or Officers; and they are the living creatures.