The book of Ezekiel in the Old Testament contains a striking vision that the prophet Ezekiel saw of God’s glory. In Ezekiel chapter 1, Ezekiel describes seeing four living creatures, each with four faces (of a man, lion, ox, and eagle) and four wings. But the most curious part of the vision are the wheels that Ezekiel sees.
Ezekiel 1:15-21 describes the appearance of the wheels in detail:
Now as I looked at the living creatures, behold, a wheel was on the earth beside each living creature with its four faces. The appearance of the wheels and their workings was like the color of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. The appearance of their workings was, as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel. When they moved, they went toward any one of four directions; they did not turn aside when they went. As for their rims, they were so high they were awesome; and their rims were full of eyes, all around the four of them. When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, because there the spirit went; and the wheels were lifted together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When those went, these went; when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
So what exactly are these mysterious wheels? Here are some key points about the wheels in Ezekiel’s vision:
1. The wheels moved with the living creatures
The text indicates that the wheels stayed beside the living creatures and moved when they moved. This implies the wheels are connected to the living creatures and their movements.
2. Each living creature had a wheel
Ezekiel saw that each living creature had a wheel next to it, so there were four wheels total matching the four living creatures.
3. The wheels had complex intersecting parts
The description of the wheel seeming like a “wheel in the middle of a wheel” indicates complex intersecting parts fitting together almost like gears. This allowed wheels to move in any direction without turning.
4. The wheels were covered in eyes
The rims of the wheels were covered with eyes all around. This conveys that the wheels were beings with intelligence and awareness, not inanimate objects.
5. The spirit of the creatures empowered the wheels
Ezekiel notes the “spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels” meaning the divine spirit animating the creatures also enabled the wheels to move in unison with the living beings.
6. The wheels represent divine upholding and omnipresence
The mobility of the wheels with the living creatures portrays God’s upholding presence and ability to go in any direction. They point to God’s sovereignty over all things. Similar language exists in spirit beings like angels having wheels indicating this concept (Daniel 7:9).
7. The wheels reflect guardianship and agency
Wheels depict upholding power but also executing what God ordains. They carry out God’s will like angelic agents. The wheels moving with the creatures reflect this guardianship and agency.
8. The wheels display order, harmony and concerted purpose
The coordinated synchronized movement shows systematic order and shared purpose between the wheels and creatures. This reflects God’s organized design in His created order.
In summary, the mysterious wheels in Ezekiel’s vision of God’s glory emphasize key divine attributes: God’s omnipresence and sovereignty, His upholding providence, His organized design and agency via angelic beings. The wheels serve the living creatures who reflect God’s glory. Their responsive movement points to doing God’s will. Together the wheels and creatures display the majestic moves of God to accomplish His purposes.
Other Details about the Wheels in Ezekiel 1
Here are some other noteworthy details about the appearance and nature of the wheels in Ezekiel’s vision:
- The wheels sparkled like beryl, a shining gemstone, conveying splendor (Ezekiel 1:16)
- They were under the living creatures, implying a position of service (Ezekiel 1:15)
- Their rims were tall and frightening, conveying divine awe (Ezekiel 1:18)
- The wheels were full of eyes conveying awareness, wisdom and vigilance (Ezekiel 1:18)
- The spirit empowering the creatures also empowered the wheels (Ezekiel 1:20,21)
- The wheels lifted up when the creatures ascended, showing unified motion (Ezekiel 1:19,21)
Overall, the account in Ezekiel provides an elaborate picture of the wheels that leaves them shrouded in some mystery. But clearly they operate in tandem with the four living creatures as part of a majestic divine throne-chariot. The wheels are impressive parts of a larger vision testifying to God’s glory, wisdom, power and purpose in the world.
9. Connections to other wheels in the Bible
The idea of wheels associated with God’s throne and attending spirit beings also appears in other biblical visions:
- Daniel 7:9 mentions the “Ancient of Days” on a fiery throne with wheels blazing beneath it conveying movement and power.
- Psalms 18:10 describes God riding on a cherub with wings and flying on the wind, implying wheels or a moving throne.
- The living creatures in Revelation 4:6-8 recount the cherubim in Ezekiel’s vision who serve God’s throne.
Though wheels are not directly mentioned elsewhere, these passages convey a similar idea of various attending heavenly beings emphasizing God’s sovereignty. The concept of wheels underscores God ubiquitously upholding, moving, and actively working out His will.
10. The wheels reflect order in creation
The organized movement of the wheels maintained by the divine spirit reflects God’s orderly design in creation. Though the world is tainted by sin, it still exhibits reliable physical laws, biological systems, and recognizable moral order. The wheels’ synchronized operation points to this underlying created framework upheld by God.
11. The wheels showcase God’s divine mobility
The wheels’ ability to move effortlessly in any direction without turning display God’s omnipresence and unfettered divine mobility. Just as wheels revolutionize transportation, the wheels by God’s throne signify His ability to be anywhere and accomplish anything.
12. The wheels depict God’s sustaining providence
The wheels uphold and move the living creatures just as God sustains all things in the universe. Colossians 1:17 says Jesus “is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” The wheels constant coordinated movement reflects this ongoing divine preservation.
13. The wheels represent aspects of God’s infinite nature
The complex intersecting wheels portray a small part of God’s larger infinite being just like all created things only partially reflect the Creator. This underscores that full knowledge of an infinite God remains inaccessible to finite humans. The wheels showcase a glimpse of God’s deeper mysteries.
14. The wheels foreshadow vehicles God uses for His plans
Not only do the wheels reflect God’s upholding presence, but they also represent His work through created agencies. God uses people, nations, and spiritual forces as vehicles to accomplish His will, depicted by the wheels moving with the creatures.
15. The wheels provide locomotion directed by the spirit
The wheels follow the spirit guiding the living creatures. This emphasizes that God’s spirit initiates and directs all activities aligned with God’s purposes. The wheels provide locomotion for where God directs.
In conclusion, the wheels in Ezekiel’s vision have deep symbolic significance even if the full meaning remains enigmatic. By highlighting attributes like order, mobility and concerted purpose, the wheels ultimately direct attention to the glory and sovereignty of the God ruling over all.
