Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
Ezekiel sees a glorious chariot, and God presiding upon His throne. First, therefore, he sees a whirlwind, cloud, and fire coming from the North. Second, at verse 5, from the fire he sees four living creatures emerging, each with four faces, namely of a man, and on its right a lion, on its left an ox, and above an eagle, which moved like lightning. Third, at verse 15, he sees four wheels of terrifying height, full of eyes, which advanced together with the four living creatures, for they had the spirit of life. Fourth, at verse 22, he sees above the creatures a firmament like terrible crystal, and in it a throne of sapphire. Fifth, at verse 26, he sees seated on the throne a man, above resembling electrum, below entirely fiery and clothed with a rainbow.
Vulgate Text: Ezekiel 1:1-28
1. And it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, when I was in the midst of the captives by the river Chobar, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. 2. On the fifth of the month, which is the fifth year of the captivity of King Joachin, 3. the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the son of Buzi, the priest, in the land of the Chaldeans, by the river Chobar: and the hand of the Lord was upon him there. 4. And I looked, and behold, a whirlwind came out of the North: and a great cloud, and a fire enveloping itself, and brightness round about it: and out of the midst thereof as the appearance of electrum, that is, out of the midst of the fire: 5. and in the midst thereof the likeness of four living creatures: and this was their appearance — there was the likeness of a man in them. 6. Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings. 7. Their feet were straight feet, and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot, and they sparkled like the appearance of glowing bronze. 8. And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides: and they had faces and wings on their four sides. 9. And their wings were joined one to another: they did not turn when they went, but each one went straight forward before its face. 10. And the likeness of their faces was the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right side of the four; and the face of an ox on the left side of the four, and the face of an eagle above the four. 11. Their faces and their wings were stretched upward: two wings of each were joined, and two covered their bodies. 12. And each one went straight forward before its face: where the impulse of the spirit was, there they went, nor did they turn back when they walked. 13. And the likeness of the living creatures: their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps. This was the vision running in the midst of the creatures — the splendor of fire, and from the fire lightning going forth. 14. And the creatures went and returned, in the likeness of a flash of lightning. 15. And as I beheld the living creatures, there appeared one wheel upon the earth beside the living creatures, having four faces. 16. And the appearance of the wheels and their work was like the appearance of the sea: and all four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as if a wheel were in the midst of a wheel. 17. Going upon their four sides, they went, and they did not turn back when they walked. 18. The wheels also had a body, and a height, and a terrible appearance: and the whole body was full of eyes round about the four of them. 19. And when the living creatures walked, the wheels also walked beside them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels also were lifted up together. 20. Wherever the spirit went, there they went, the spirit going, and the wheels were lifted up together, following it. For the spirit of life was in the wheels. 21. When the creatures went, the wheels went; and when the creatures stood still, the wheels stood still: and when they were lifted up from the earth, the wheels likewise were lifted up, following them, because the spirit of life was in the wheels. 22. And the likeness of a firmament was over the heads of the living creatures, like the appearance of terrible crystal, stretched out over their heads above. 23. And under the firmament their wings were straight, one toward another: each one covered its body with two wings, and the other was likewise covered. 24. And I heard the sound of their wings, like the sound of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty God: when they walked, there was a sound like a multitude, like the sound of an army; and when they stood still, they let down their wings. 25. For when a voice came from above the firmament that was over their heads, they stood still and lowered their wings. 26. And above the firmament that was over their heads, there was the appearance of a sapphire stone, the likeness of a throne: and upon the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. 27. And I saw as the appearance of electrum, as the appearance of fire within it round about: from His loins and upward, and from His loins and downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire shining round about. 28. Like the appearance of the rainbow that is in the cloud on a rainy day: this was the appearance of the brightness round about.
Verse 1: And It Came to Pass in the Thirtieth Year
1. AND IT CAME TO PASS. — The conjunction "and," says St. Gregory here in Homily 1, and St. Augustine on Psalm IV, connects the outward words of the Prophet with his interior vision. Previously, therefore, he had inwardly seen or heard certain things from God in his mind, which he passes over in silence, and he joins these with the other things he afterwards saw and heard, which he here recounts, by the conjunction "and." But more simply and soundly, St. Augustine in the same place, Origen, Maldonatus, and others here observe that the word "and" is added pleonastically according to Hebrew usage, and therefore is redundant and superfluous. For the Hebrews place vav, that is "and," as the beginning of a book or narrative, as is evident in the book of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Joshua, Judges, and Kings, all of which begin with vav, that is "and."
Vatablus notes that vav, placed at the beginning of books, only converts the future tense into the past.
IN THE THIRTIETH YEAR — of Ezekiel's life, says Origen, Homily 1, St. Gregory, Homily 2, and Torniellus in his Chronology. But St. Jerome rejects this: for the Prophets are not accustomed to mark years in public writings from the number of their own life, or that of another private individual. Second, "in the 30th year" from the last jubilee, say St. Jerome and R. David. Third, in the 30th year from the 18th year of Josiah, when the book of the law was found and the solemn Passover was celebrated; so Jonathan the Chaldean Paraphrast also, as Maldonatus and Theodoret say, the Babylonian captivity was foretold (for that is what is discussed here), IV Kings XXII, 16, in these words: "Behold, I will bring evils upon this place, etc., all the words of the law which the king of Judah has read;" for from that 18th year of Josiah to the 5th year of the captivity of Joachin there are precisely 30 years. Again, a certain notable chronologist considers this to be the 30th year of the reign of Astyages, grandfather of Cyrus. Fourth and more certainly, our own Prado: "In the thirtieth year" from when, he says, Nabopolassar began to reign, the father of Nebuchadnezzar and founder of the Chaldean monarchy. For from the first year of Nabopolassar, by public authority an era was established from which the Babylonians numbered their years and dated public documents. Just as Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah date their records by the years of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia, because they lived among them and were subject to them: so also Ezekiel dates his oracles by the beginning of the Chaldean kingdom, because he lived among the Chaldeans and with all the Jews, and Judea itself, was subject to them.
IN THE FOURTH month. So the Septuagint; for what we express by placing the word "month" first, saying "in the fourth month," the Hebrew expresses by leaving "month" to be understood.
BY THE RIVER CHOBAR. — "Chobar" is the Euphrates (for this river washes Babylon, in which Ezekiel was held captive), as Lyranus notes. Or rather, Chobar is a river or canal near Babylon, as the Chaldean, Theodoret, Maldonatus, and others hold. In a similar way, when Christ was baptized, the heavens were opened, Matthew III, 16, and to Stephen undergoing martyrdom, Acts VII, 55.
THE HEAVENS WERE OPENED — that is, the sky, or rather the ether, appeared to me to be divided and opened by a gap appearing in it, through which I could see what was above in the firmament and in the empyrean, just as he who looks through a window into the king's bedchamber sees the magnificence within.
AND I SAW — by an imaginary and mental vision: if anyone further contends that he saw these things with bodily eyes, I will not much resist.
VISIONS OF GOD — that is, wondrous, magnificent, divine visions. Thus the cedars of God, the mountains of God, are so called on account of their excellency.
You ask why Ezekiel and Daniel saw their visions and divine mysteries near water. R. Solomon and R. David respond that the Shekinah, that is, the divine presence and revelation, would not come upon one who was sad, but only upon one who was joyful: hence Ezekiel dwelt by the river, so that the pleasantness of the place might cheer him for receiving divine visions.
Apollinaris gives a mystical reason: Because, he says, the Holy Spirit, who instructs the Prophets, is compared to water, as in John 7:38: "Rivers of living water shall flow from his belly."
Symbolically, a river is nothing other than a great force of flowing water, by which is signified that the power of prophecy, divine grace, and revelation flows like a river from God into the Prophets.
Verse 2: On the Fifth of the Month
2. ON THE FIFTH — supply DAY.
THIS IS THE FIFTH YEAR OF THE CAPTIVITY OF KING JOACHIN. — Joachin here is the same as Jeconiah, that is, the son of Jehoiakim, who was carried away by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon, together with Ezekiel. See what was said in the Prooemium.
Verse 3: The Word Came to Ezekiel the Son of Buzi
3. THE WORD CAME. — What he previously called a vision, he here calls a word, namely an oracle and prophecy containing both sights and words.
TO EZEKIEL — that is, to me. This is a change of person, for he speaks of himself in the third person.
THE SON OF BUZI — that is, son of contempt: for such is Ezekiel, meaning the strength of God. For whomever the world despises, God strengthens.
Allegorically, St. Gregory, Homily 2: Ezekiel, he says, that is Christ, who is the strength of God, is the son of Buzi: for He was despised by men, according to Isaiah 53:3.
AND THE HAND OF THE LORD WAS UPON HIM THERE. — "Hand," that is, power, efficacy, impulse, and mighty virtue, namely the prophetic spirit, which moved the Prophet to prophesy.
Verse 4: A Whirlwind Came Out of the North
4. AND BEHOLD — a wondrous thing.
A WHIRLWIND — a turbulent wind, which is called a tornado. Hence Theodotion translates: a whirlwind of wind.
A GREAT CLOUD — as if a vehicle of God: or rather "great" because it was dark and laden with rain, hail, and tempest.
AND A FIRE ENVELOPING ITSELF. — Vatablus translates: A self-reciprocating fire, as if to say: this cloud was fiery, and the fire seemed to fold back upon itself and to roll within the cloud.
AND BRIGHTNESS ROUND ABOUT IT — namely, of the cloud. For around the fire there could not fail to be brightness, as if the cloud were encircled by a nimbus of light.
AND OUT OF THE MIDST THEREOF — Not of the cloud, as the Chaldean holds, but of the fire, as is evident from the Hebrew — there appeared AS THE APPEARANCE OF ELECTRUM, that is, out of the midst of the fire.
On the Nature of Electrum
You ask what electrum is. I respond: In Hebrew it is chasmal, which is found nowhere except in Ezekiel. More recent Rabbis interpret it as meaning "swift-speaking," but more probably the word denotes a metal of golden appearance.
First, therefore, Antonius Nebrissensis in Quinquagena ch. XVIII, and many others think electrum is what is commonly called amber — that golden, translucent, fragrant substance.
Second, Pliny, bk. XXXIII, ch. IV, and following him St. Gregory and our own Alcazar in Apocalypse ch. IV, 3, note 4, think that electrum is a mixture of gold and silver, which was the most precious of metals among the ancients.
Third, Origen, St. Jerome, Theodoret following St. Dionysius in ch. XV of the Celestial Hierarchy, Prado, and others generally hold that electrum here is orichalcum, that is, golden bronze or fine brass — a metal that gleams with a fiery golden color. This is the most probable opinion, because: first, this electrum was in the midst of fire and was itself fiery; second, it is compared to glowing bronze at verse 7; third, the appearance of God was seen by Ezekiel to be of orichalcum, that is, golden bronze; fourth, because the Hebrew chasmal seems to derive from a root meaning a bright metal of reddish-golden hue.
Verse 5: The Likeness of Four Living Creatures
5. AND IN THE MIDST THEREOF (namely, of the fire just described, there came forth) THE LIKENESS OF FOUR LIVING CREATURES. — The Chaldean translates: four living creatures. The Hebrews call them Chayoth, that is, living creatures, because they seemed full of life, vigor, and agility. These four living creatures are the four Cherubim, as Ezekiel himself declares in chapter 10.
AND THIS WAS THEIR APPEARANCE — THERE WAS THE LIKENESS OF A MAN IN THEM — that is, their general form was human, though with additional features: wings, multiple faces, and calves' feet.
Verse 6: Each One Had Four Faces
6. EACH ONE HAD FOUR FACES. — The question is: how many faces did each of these four creatures have?
First, the Chaldean Paraphrast and some others think each creature had only one face — one was a man, another a lion, another an ox, another an eagle — but that each is said to have "four faces" because each had four aspects or sides.
But the common and true opinion, held by Origen, St. Jerome, St. Gregory, Theodoret, Maldonatus, Prado, and others, is that each creature genuinely had four distinct faces: the face of a man in front, a lion on the right, an ox on the left, and an eagle above or behind. They prove this, first, because verse 10 expressly describes these four faces as belonging to each; second, because in chapter 10 Ezekiel says: "Each one had four faces" and then lists them individually; third, because four faces on each creature creates the fitting symbolism of perfect harmony and universality in God's providence.
AND EACH ONE HAD FOUR WINGS. — Each Cherub had four wings: two stretched upward and joined to the wings of the neighboring Cherub, and two covering the body below.
Verse 7: Their Feet Were Straight Feet
7. THEIR FEET (that is, their shins and legs, as the Septuagint translate) WERE STRAIGHT FEET — that is, their legs were upright and straight, not bent at the knee like human legs, but perpendicular like columns.
AND THE SOLE OF THEIR FEET WAS LIKE THE SOLE OF A CALF'S FOOT — that is, round and undivided, like a calf's hoof.
Symbolically, therefore, the angels have straight feet for three reasons. The first is that they did not wander uncertainly, but went directly where God directed. Second, they stood firmly and immovably in the truth. Third, they proceeded with constancy and perseverance.
Tropologically, St. Gregory, Homily 3: The saints, he says, have straight feet, because their going forth and their work is directed straight to God.
AND THEY SPARKLED LIKE THE APPEARANCE OF GLOWING BRONZE. — So also the Chaldean and Septuagint translate. The sparkling denotes the beauty, vigor, and swiftness of the angels and their operations.
These feet symbolically denote the Angels and Apostles, of whom it is said: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach peace, who bring good tidings!" Romans 10:15.
Verse 8: They Had the Hands of a Man Under Their Wings
8. AND THEY HAD THE HANDS OF A MAN UNDER THEIR WINGS ON THEIR FOUR SIDES. — They had arms corresponding to their four faces, hidden under their wings. The hands signify their efficacy and operation, hidden and invisible under the wings, says Theodoret. Just as a preacher has a tongue, and under it a hand, signifying that for speech to be effective, what one says and urges must be fulfilled by deeds.
AND THEY HAD FACES AND WINGS ON THEIR FOUR SIDES — that is, faces and wings were arrayed on all four sides of each creature.
Verse 9: Their Wings Were Joined One to Another
9. AND THEIR WINGS WERE JOINED ONE TO ANOTHER. — The creatures were adjacent to each other, and the wing of one touched the wing of the next, signifying their union and concord.
Moreover, this joining signified both their union and their equal and uniform motion, namely that by one and the same impulse of God they all moved together in the same direction.
Tropologically, St. Gregory, Homily 7: "What," he says, "in Ezekiel is called a wing, in Peter (I Epistle, ch. IV) is called charity. For charity joins us to one another just as wings join the Cherubim."
THEY DID NOT TURN BACK WHEN THEY WALKED — that is, they did not go backward, but always advanced forward with their chariot. They went wherever the Spirit directed, without deviation or retreat.
Verse 10: The Face of a Man, a Lion, an Ox, and an Eagle
10. AND THE LIKENESS OF THEIR FACES WAS THE FACE OF A MAN. — Hence certain Hebrews, as Vatablus and Maldonatus attest, think each had only one face, namely a human face; but the preceding verse expressly states four faces. The human face was the principal one, in front.
AND THE FACE OF A LION ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FOUR — the mane of a lion appeared on the right shoulder of each creature.
AND THE FACE OF AN OX ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FOUR — the features of an ox appeared on the left side.
AND THE FACE OF AN EAGLE ABOVE THE FOUR OF THEM. — The word "above" means either behind (since the Hebrew for "face" can mean the visible part), or literally above, placed upon the head like a crest on a helmet.
Symbolically, the four faces, the same for all and each, signify the wondrous harmony and agreement of these four creatures in representing the manifold attributes of God and His providence.
Verse 11: Their Wings Were Stretched Upward
11. THEIR FACES — Supply: were such, and arranged in the manner described. So much for the faces. So Vatablus.
AND THEIR WINGS WERE STRETCHED UPWARD — reaching upward toward heaven, by the force of grace and the divine Spirit impelling them.
THE TWO WINGS OF EACH WERE JOINED — not to the wings of another Cherub, but to each other, as if to say: the two wings of each creature were spread and raised upward, touching each other at their tips.
Tropologically, St. Gregory, Homily 4: "There are four virtues," he says, "which lift every winged creature from earthly things: prudence, fortitude, temperance, and justice."
AND TWO COVERED THEIR BODIES — the other two wings hung down to cover and veil their lower parts, signifying modesty and humility.
Verse 12: Each Went Straight Before Its Face
12. AND EACH ONE WENT STRAIGHT BEFORE ITS FACE — because they had four faces, says Theodoret, toward the four regions of the world: whichever way the chariot moved, one face was always looking directly forward.
WHERE THE IMPULSE WAS — that is, God as charioteer, in place of whip and reins, impressed upon the creatures a spirit, that is, an inner impulse and force, by which He drove and directed them wherever He wished. They obeyed instantly and perfectly.
Tropologically, St. Gregory, Homily 4: "It is signified," he says, "that every intention and every contemplation of the saints is directed straight to God, without deviation or turning aside."
Verse 13: Like Burning Coals of Fire
13. THEIR APPEARANCE WAS LIKE BURNING COALS OF FIRE, AND LIKE THE APPEARANCE OF LAMPS. AND IN THE MIDST OF THE CREATURES WAS THE SPLENDOR OF FIRE. — Between the four creatures there burned a fire, like a brazier or furnace placed in the center of the chariot. From this fire, lightning flashed forth in all directions.
Tropologically, St. Gregory, Homily 5: "Because," he says, "holy men kindle those placed near them to the love of the heavenly fatherland by the burning of their own charity."
THIS WAS A VISION RUNNING ABOUT — that is, the splendor of fire appeared to run about in the midst of the creatures, and from this fire, lightning went forth.
Verse 14: They Went and Returned Like Lightning
14. THEY WENT AND RETURNED — not backward, for this was denied at earlier verses — but they darted forth and came back with incredible speed, as lightning flashes across the sky and seems to return.
IN THE LIKENESS OF LIGHTNING — that is, the Cherubim were not only like coals, but like flashing lightning, moving with supreme swiftness and brilliance.
Tropologically, St. Gregory, Homily 5: "The impulse of the spirit," he says, "drives the elect to charity, humility, contemplation, and every virtue."
Verse 15: One Wheel Beside Each Living Creature
15. AND AS I BEHELD THE LIVING CREATURES, THERE APPEARED ONE WHEEL UPON THE EARTH BESIDE THE LIVING CREATURES, HAVING FOUR FACES — that is, each wheel was beside each living creature; for these four wheels were alike in all respects, and like one wheel in appearance.
"Upon the earth" — not the earth which we tread upon here, but one similar to it shown to Ezekiel in heaven through the vision.
"Having four faces" — Vatablus translates: "According to the fourfold pattern of their faces," that is, at the four corners of the chariot stood four wheels, corresponding to the four living creatures. Third, better from the Hebrew you may translate: "according to four faces of it," namely of the living creature, as if to say: each wheel had four spokes or sections corresponding to the four faces of its creature.
Note: The living creatures had the wheels beneath them; because the wheels touched the earth, while the living creatures stood above them, bearing the firmament, the throne, and God upon their wings.
Verse 16: The Appearance of the Wheels Was Like the Sea
16. AND THE APPEARANCE OF THE WHEELS, AND THEIR WORKMANSHIP, WAS LIKE THE APPEARANCE OF THE SEA — that is, it was of a sea-blue and cerulean color. In Hebrew it is "like the appearance of Tarshish," or "of the stone of Tarshish," that is, chrysolite or beryl, which has a sea-green or golden-blue hue.
Furthermore, these wheels, similar to the sea, signify that created things have the appearance of the sea: because they are vast, deep, changeable, and full of hidden wonders, in which the providence and governance of God is most resplendent.
ONE LIKENESS OF THE FOUR OF THEM — as if to say: the appearance, figure, dimension, and color of each of the wheels was the same, denoting the uniformity of God's governance.
AS IF A WHEEL WERE WITHIN A WHEEL. — That is, as if there was a circle cutting through a circle in the sphere at right angles, so that each wheel had a fourfold path, able to move in any of four directions without turning. This is the most common interpretation: the wheel was a globe or sphere formed by two circles intersecting at right angles.
Symbolically, this wheel within a wheel is, first, the circulation of sublunary and terrestrial things, which is encompassed and governed by the celestial circulation; second, the hidden counsels of God within His visible providence; third, the New Testament within the Old.
Verse 17: Going on Their Four Sides
17. GOING ON THEIR FOUR SIDES, THEY WENT — as if to say: These wheels went in four directions — now to the right, now to the left, now forward, now backward — because they were spherical and could roll in any direction.
AND THEY DID NOT TURN BACK — that is, they did not revolve backward or in retreat, but proceeded directly wherever the spirit drove them.
Verse 18: They Had Height and a Terrible Appearance
18. AND THEY HAD HEIGHT ALSO. — In Hebrew: they had rims, or felloes, and they had such height as to bring fear and astonishment to those who beheld them.
Tropologically, St. Gregory, Homily 6: "Sacred Scripture," he says, "has stature, because it directs moral conduct to straightness."
THEIR WHOLE BODY WAS FULL OF EYES — that is, of most beautiful eye-like spots, similar to the eyes on a peacock's tail.
Symbolically, the wheels adorned with eye-spots are the heavens adorned with most brilliant stars, like most beautiful eyes. As many stars as you see in the sky at night, by that many and far more eyes of angels does God survey and govern all things.
Mystically, these eyes are a symbol of circumspection and vigilance, which ought to be present in the driving of the chariot of God's providence.
Tropologically, this signifies that a ruler ought to be most vigilant, so as to survey and perceive all things.
Verse 19: The Wheels Walked Beside the Living Creatures
19. AND WHEN THE LIVING CREATURES WALKED, THE WHEELS WALKED EQUALLY BESIDE THEM — as if to say: The wheels rolled equally to the course of the living creatures, whether upward or downward, so that the divine chariot moved in perfect coordination.
Verse 20: Wherever the Spirit Went
20. WHEREVER THE SPIRIT WENT, THERE THE WHEELS ALSO WENT, FOLLOWING IT. — For of the living creatures he said in verse 12: "Where the impulse of the spirit was, there they walked." So Maldonatus. The wheels obeyed the same divine impulse as the creatures.
Verse 21: The Spirit of Life Was in the Wheels
21. BECAUSE THE SPIRIT OF LIFE WAS IN THE WHEELS — as if to say: Wherever the spirit of the living creatures impelled the creatures, the spirit of the wheels impelled the wheels equally, because one and the same spirit of life animated both the creatures and the wheels.
Symbolically it is signified, says Polychronius, that the heavens, and all things and seasons, as if they had spirit and life, obey God's governance without resistance.
Verse 22: The Likeness of a Firmament Like Terrible Crystal
22. THE LIKENESS OVER THE HEADS OF THE LIVING CREATURES OF A FIRMAMENT, LIKE THE APPEARANCE OF TERRIBLE CRYSTAL — as if to say: Above the heads of the Cherubim I saw a firmament — that is, a spherical heaven extended, transparent and shining, like most excellent crystal of awful beauty.
Note: "Terrible" (horribile), that is "dreadful," is taken by metalepsis for something wondrous and astonishing.
Note second: Because these wheels and living creatures appeared to be on the earth — for on it the living creatures and the wheels stood — while above their heads was the firmament, and above the firmament the throne of God, the whole structure represented a miniature cosmos: earth below, heaven above, and God reigning supreme over all.
Verse 23: Their Wings Were Straight, One to Another
23. THEIR WINGS WERE STRAIGHT, ONE TO ANOTHER. — In Hebrew issah el achotah, that is, "a woman to her sister," that is, each one to the one next to it. He does not mean that the two wings of a single creature were joined to each other (for that was said at verse 11), but that the wing of one creature was joined to the wing of the neighboring creature, forming a continuous canopy.
EACH ONE WAS LIKEWISE COVERED — by its two wings. This is clear from the Hebrew, which says each creature had two wings covering its body below.
Verse 24: The Sound of Their Wings Like Many Waters
24. I HEARD THE SOUND OF THEIR WINGS, LIKE THE SOUND OF MANY WATERS. — The Cherubim had a twofold motion. First, they flew like birds, when by the force of the spirit they were lifted on high; second, they walked on the earth. When flying, their wings made a tremendous sound, like the roaring of many waters, or the voice of the Almighty, or the tumult of an army.
AND WHEN THEY STOOD STILL, THEIR WINGS WERE LET DOWN — from motion and beating, as if to say: When they stopped, then their wings fell silent and hung at rest.
Verse 25: When There Was a Voice
25. WHEN THERE WAS A VOICE — from above the firmament. This marks the swift obedience of the angels to God's nod in all things, says Theodoret, as if to say: When God, as charioteer, commanded them to halt, instantly they stopped and lowered their wings in reverent silence.
Verse 26: The Likeness of a Throne
26. THE LIKENESS OF A THRONE. — This is a hysterologia, or inverted order. For the words must be transposed and arranged thus: Above the firmament was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man above.
AS THE APPEARANCE OF A MAN — as if to say: I seemed to myself to see a man, a king as it were, on this throne. To this figure of a man St. John alludes in Revelation 4:3.
Whether God stood or sat upon this throne, the Prophet does not express. Some think He stood: first, because this is the posture of one commanding and threatening; second, because God was preparing for war. Others more probably say He sat, for a throne implies sitting, and a king sits upon his throne to judge.
Hence beautifully and devoutly St. Bernard, Sermon 23 on the Song of Songs, says: O truly a place of rest in which God is not seen as standing or passing by, but as sitting. He does not descend, but remaining in it, with only a light shadow overshadows you for conceiving Christ.
Verse 27: The Appearance of Amber
27. AND I SAW AS IT WERE THE APPEARANCE OF AMBER. — Concerning amber, see what was said at verse 4. From the Hebrew Vatablus clearly translates thus: "And I saw as it were the color of amber, as the appearance of fire within it round about; from His loins upward and from His loins downward."
Second, St. Gregory and Maldonatus translate and explain it thus: From the loins upward, the image appeared to be of amber; from the loins downward, it was all fiery — the upper part signifying God's intrinsic nature of mercy and goodness, the lower part His outward works of justice and vengeance.
Similar was the riddle of Demetrius of Phalerum: "I saw," he says, "a man of fire-bronze, gluing something to a dead man."
Verse 28: Like the Appearance of a Rainbow
28. LIKE THE APPEARANCE OF A RAINBOW — as if to say: The fire and splendor which appeared below the loins was similar to the color that appears in the rainbow. So also St. John, Revelation 4:3, saw God clothed with a rainbow: "And the rainbow was round about the throne."
Symbolically, the amber is Christ's most excellent humanity; the fire, His divinity; the rainbow, the glory of Christ's grace and mercy, through which He reconciles the world to God, just as the rainbow after the flood was a sign of reconciliation.
Summary of the Vision
This, therefore, is the concept of the vision, as well as the summary of the entire chapter. Before the imagination of Ezekiel there was presented a chariot of four living creatures or Cherubim, each with four faces — of a man, lion, ox, and eagle — and four wings, standing on straight legs with calves' feet, burning like coals and flashing like lightning, moving with hands under their wings. They moved as one, making a sound like many waters, like armies clashing in battle, or the sea dashed against rocks, or thunder. Each also had his own hands. Each stood at one of the sides of the chariot. Above them was a firmament of terrible crystal; above that, a throne of sapphire; and upon the throne, a figure of a man — a human form of kindled and gleaming amber, clothed in a rainbow.
Note first: This vision was similar to, and represented, the Cherubim both of the tabernacle of Moses and of the temple of Solomon. For Solomon, as 1 Chronicles 28:18 attests, fashioned a chariot of the Cherubim extending their wings and covering the Ark of the Covenant.
Moreover, the furnace of fire which Ezekiel saw in the chariot between the four living creatures represented the altar of incense in the tabernacle and temple, which stood before the Ark between the Cherubim.
Furthermore, that these Cherubim of Ezekiel were similar to those of Solomon and Moses is clear from the fact that all were called Cherubim, all had the same function of attending God's throne, and all were associated with the Ark.
However, they differed in several respects: first, in that at the Ark there were only two Cherubim, but here at the wheels there were four; second, in that the Cherubim of Moses had only two wings, while these had four.
Parallels with Other Visions
Second, this vision of the Cherubim in Ezekiel is similar to the vision of the Seraphim in Isaiah, chapter 6. For both were heavenly beings attending God's throne, both had wings, and both praised God. However, the Seraphim had six wings, while the Cherubim had four. And St. Dionysius in the Celestial Hierarchy, and after him the whole Church, places the first order of angels as the Seraphim, the second as the Cherubim.
Third, this vision is similar, and almost the same, as the vision of St. John, Revelation chapter 4, verse 7, where he saw four living creatures around the throne: a lion, a calf, a man, and a flying eagle.
Fourth, the same vision is similar to the vision of Daniel, chapter 7, where he saw God as a judge on a throne set upon wheels of burning fire.
Fifth, in a similar way throughout Scripture God is presented as a horseman, or a charioteer, riding the chariot of the Cherubim, as in Psalm 18:10 and 2 Samuel 22:11.
Finally, the Poets, emulating this, imagined and depicted Jupiter, Apollo, Mercury, etc., riding in a winged and divine chariot through the heavens.
Thus far concerning the literal surface and the appearance of the vision; now let us investigate its signification.
Question 1: What Do the Wind, the Whirlwind, and the Fire Signify?
I respond: They signify that a great power, that is, a great calamity, threatens the Jews and other nations from the North — namely, the Chaldean invasion under Nebuchadnezzar.
The great cloud signifies the immense army of Nebuchadnezzar; for of him Jeremiah said in chapter 4, verse 13: "Behold, he shall come up as clouds."
The enveloping fire signifies, first, the wrath and indignation of God, which was soon to be poured out through the Chaldeans upon the Jews; second, the burning of Jerusalem and the temple.
This tempest is attributed to God, because God brought it about through the Chaldeans. Therefore the "splendor round about" signifies that even in His wrath, God's justice shines with glory and brilliance.
This chariot of God, therefore, is wrapped in a tempest and comes from the north; because it carries God in His wrath, rushing against the Jews from the direction of Babylon, which lies to the north of Jerusalem.
Allegorically, St. Gregory, Homily 2, refers these things to the day of judgment, when Christ will come in a shining cloud with power and great glory.
Question 2: What Does the Chariot of the Cherubim Signify?
First, St. Justin, Question 44 to the Orthodox, and Sixtus of Siena, Bibliotheca Book 1, hold that this chariot represents the seven principal angels who attend God's throne.
Second, Origen holds that this chariot is the four regions of the world: these have four faces, that is, four elements — fire, air, water, earth.
Third, the same Origen and Gregory of Nazianzus, Oration 47, hold that the four living creatures are the four Gospels.
Fourth, Apollinaris and Polychronius in the Catena hold that this chariot of the Cherubim is the angelic armies of God — the very angels who minister to God's providence and execute His commands.
Fifth, Lyra holds that the chariot is the four monarchies — Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Roman.
Sixth, the Hebrews say: The chariot is the square formation of the camp of Israel in the desert, which had four divisions under four standards: the lion (Judah), the ox (Ephraim), the man (Reuben), and the eagle (Dan).
Seventh, de Castro holds that this four-formed living creature signifies the Jewish state in its fourfold aspect: royalty (lion), priesthood (ox), prophecy (eagle), and common people (man).
Eighth, Irenaeus, Book 3, chapter 11, takes them as the four covenants of God: the first with Adam, the second with Noah, the third with Moses, the fourth with Christ.
Ninth, St. Jerome by these four understands all creatures, both celestial and terrestrial.
I say, therefore, that this chariot of the Cherubim is a symbol of the glory of God, as is said in chapter 10 — that is, of God's universal providence and governance over all things. Moreover, God's providence has four faces: for it is strong, like a lion; swift and penetrating, like an eagle; gentle and rational, like a man; patient and laborious, like an ox.
Second, literally this is a chariot of glory, that is, of war, victory, and triumph, which God achieved over His enemies. Ezekiel therefore saw God angry at the Hebrews, as if borne on His fiery war chariot, to punish and crush the Hebrews and other nations through the Chaldeans.
Third, this chariot foreshadowed the four monarchies: the Babylonian (lion), the Persian (eagle), the Greek (man), and the Roman (ox). God used all four as instruments of His providence.
Allegorically, this chariot is a symbol of the war and triumph of the Son of Man — that is, of Christ — over Satan, sin, and death. The four Evangelists are the four Cherubim bearing Christ's Gospel to the four corners of the earth: "Go, teach all nations" — as if to say: Drive the chariot of the Gospel and of My glory.
Question 3: Why Do the Cherubim Have Four Faces?
I reply: because by these they signify the four insignia and emblems of their Lord and King — that is, of God.
Therefore the faces of the four animals are symbols of God's four primary virtues and gifts. For the lion is a symbol of royal power and magnanimity; the eagle, of vigilance and far-sighted providence; the ox, of patience and sacrifice; the man, of wisdom and mercy. But God is the most mighty, the most vigilant and provident, and the most to be feared: therefore His hieroglyphic is the combination of all four.
Second, as God is the Redeemer of Israel, these four faces of the Cherubim are a hieroglyphic of His war, vengeance, and judgment against the enemies of His people.
Third, properly and genuinely here, as God is the Warrior and Avenger, and the Destroyer of Jerusalem, He has four faces signifying the multiple instruments and modes of His punishment.
Allegorically, these emblems belong to the Son of Man — that is, Christ. Indeed, Christ in His Incarnation showed Himself as a man; in His sacrifice on the Cross, as an ox; in His Resurrection, as a lion; in His Ascension, as an eagle. That they did not turn back denotes the constancy of Christ in the work of our redemption. The appearance as of burning coals signifies the burning charity of Christ, by which He gave Himself to death for us.
Hence, St. Irenaeus, and after him St. Athanasius, Augustine, Jerome, Ambrose, Gregory, and generally the Fathers, see in these four living creatures the four Evangelists: Matthew (man), Mark (lion), Luke (ox), John (eagle). They had the hands of a man under their wings, because the evangelical works were accomplished in humility and hiddenness.
Tropologically, these four faces are the four emblems of the Church. For to her, as to His kingdom, Christ the King committed the lion's courage, the eagle's contemplation, the ox's laborious service, and the man's wisdom.
Anagogically, these four are the emblems of the Church Triumphant and of the heavenly kingdom, where God properly reigns upon the chariot of the blessed.
Question 4: What Do the Wheels Signify?
I reply: Just as the chariot signifies God's majesty, providence, kingdom, and glory, so the wheels signify God's eternal governance and the cycles of His dispensation — His turning of all things in their appointed courses.
Literally, therefore, the first face in the wheels is that of the eagle, which flies from earth to heaven, as if to God most swiftly; the second is the lion, signifying royal power; the third is the ox, signifying patient labor; the fourth is the man, signifying wisdom and rationality.
Note: At the motion of the Cherubim — that is, the presiding angels — the wheels and chariot move — that is, the whole created order responds to God's angelic governance.
Tropologically, first, these wheels signify that all kingdoms and all creatures are rotated, turned, and governed by God as a charioteer turns his wheels. Second, that we are like wheels in the hand of God, and therefore we ought to allow ourselves to be ruled and turned by Him. Third, that we must in all things follow His impulse and the onset of the Spirit; for then we cannot stray from the path.
Anagogically, just as this triumphal chariot of God represents the Church of the Blessed triumphant in heaven, so the wheels represent the eternal and unceasing motion of praise and love in the heavenly kingdom.
Question 5: What Do the Throne, the Firmament, the Ark, and the Furnace Signify?
I reply: The throne signifies, first, divine majesty and exaltedness; second, His royal dignity; third, His permanence and stability in governing all things.
The furnace of fire, or the brazier borne on the chariot, is the altar of incense; and allegorically the unbloody sacrifice of the Eucharist, in which Christ is daily offered to the Father.
Symbolically, Tertullian, or rather Novatian, in his book On the Trinity, ch. VIII, says: In this chariot — that is, in this visible creation — God rides and governs all things.
Question 6: What Does the Appearance of a Man on the Throne Signify?
I reply: This amber or orichalcum, because it is the most excellent, most brilliant, hardest, and most resonant of metals, signifies the divine nature in its supreme perfection. He will remember mercy, Habakkuk III, 2. For since amber has the power to attract and draw straws, it is a symbol of mercy. So also Origen here, Homily 1: "The charioteer," he says, "of the four living creatures is not entirely fiery, but from the loins upward, and from there to the top, He gleams with the brightness of electrum: for God not only has torments, but there are also refreshments in Him; He punishes sinners, but through those ministries which are below."
Second, the rainbow beneath the feet of God signifies, first, the variety and beauty both of God's providence and of His creatures. For the rainbow, because it has the appearance of a bow, is a symbol of judgment and vengeance: its blue color denotes the judgment of water, already accomplished through the flood; its red color denotes the judgment of fire by which the world is to be burned at the end. Third, the rainbow signifies that this vengeance is mingled with clemency and mercy, as the rainbow was a sign of the covenant with Noah, Genesis IX, 13.
Allegorically, this fiery amber is Christ — namely, the humanity united to the divinity and, as it were, set ablaze through it. Just as this appearance consisted of electrum and fire, so Christ consists of humanity and divinity. Hence the Hebrew chasmal, that is, electrum, if you read it by anastrophe in reverse order, is the same as lammasiach, that is, Messiah, or Christ. So the Cabalists. His humanity grew to the glory of majesty, His divinity tempered itself from the power of its own splendor to human eyes, and like electrum in fire, God became man in persecution.
Again, St. Gregory, homily 7, says: Above the loins — that is, before the Incarnation — the fire was in Judea only, interiorly, and did not shine outwardly, because the Holy Spirit had filled Judea in many parts, but did not reach the knowledge of the Gentiles: but from the loins downward, the fire shines round about, because after the Incarnation the grace of the Holy Spirit was diffused far and wide. "For by the loins the propagation of mortality is signified. For from the loins of Abraham was born the Virgin Mary, in whose womb the Son of God was incarnated, and through that incarnation God became known to the whole world."
Tropologically, the fiery amber represents the Saints, tested, purified, and chosen in the furnace of tribulation and charity, and especially of martyrdom. For these are selected by God, terrible to demons, admirable to others by their example and brilliance. Of whom it is said in Wisdom III, 6: "As gold in the furnace He proved them, and as a sacrificial holocaust He accepted them." These are above the loins, says St. Jerome, where the senses and reason dwell, and therefore they have no need of exterior fire and flames, but of the most precious and purest metal. But those who are below the loins, where intercourse and generation occur, where the incentives to vice are found, need the purification of flames, so that once purified they may have the likeness of the rainbow. These, therefore, through tribulation become divine, and like gods sitting on the throne of God, superior to the world. The Cherubim and Angels attend them, and as if carrying victors on a triumphal and fiery chariot, like new Elijahs, they snatch them up and lead them into heaven.
Again, the glowing bronze is the life of preachers — resounding and burning, as St. Gregory teaches, saying: "It is called glowing bronze, because the life of preachers resounds and burns: it burns with desire, it resounds with the word."
Mystically, St. Bernard, in his homily On the Two Disciples Going to Emmaus, understands by the sparks which this amber produces, the ray of jubilation, which from fervent contemplation, as if from fire, rebounds in the mind and, as it were, sparkles: "This," he says, "is that most sweet ray of contemplation, by which the soul is raised by the lock of its head. When meditation grows ardent and prayer sparkles, there is born in the heart a kind of jubilation — namely, a honey-sweet laughter of the heart, which no one knows except the one who feels it, and not even he who feels it, because it passes quickly. Happy hour, but brief delay, because there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Those who have experienced it know what I say, who have learned these things by the experience of intimate sweetness — because when the ardor of meditation is mingled with the fervor of prayer, that ray of contemplation bursts forth from the midst of them, like the appearance of amber — that is, from the midst of fire — and sparks like glowing bronze, namely the sighs of a jubilant conscience."