旧约 - 以西结书(Ezekiel)第1章

In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.
On the fifth of the month--it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin--
the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, by the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians. There the hand of the LORD was upon him.
I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north--an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal,
and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was that of a man,
but each of them had four faces and four wings.
Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze.
Under their wings on their four sides they had the hands of a man. All four of them had faces and wings,
and their wings touched one another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.
Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a man, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle.
Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out upward; each had two wings, one touching the wing of another creature on either side, and two wings covering its body.
Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went.
The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it.
The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.
As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces.
This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like chrysolite, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel.
As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not turn about as the creatures went.
Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.
When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose.
Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
When the creatures moved, they also moved; when the creatures stood still, they also stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked like an expanse, sparkling like ice, and awesome.
Under the expanse their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body.
When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.
Then there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood with lowered wings.
Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man.
I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him.
Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
以西结书第一章   第 1 章 

  结 1 章 > 以西结于何时履行先知的职分? 

  1 章 以西结最后为神说话( 29:17 )的时间是公元前 571 年。以西结是巴比伦人在公元前 597 年二度攻占犹大时被掳的。巴比伦人于公元前 586 年,第三次也是最后一次进攻犹大彻底摧毁了耶路撒冷,烧毁了圣殿,并掳走剩下的百姓(参王下第 25 章)。以西结记载了从他自己被掳那年起(公元前 597 年)所传达信息的所有日期。他的第一个预言是在到了巴比伦(公元前 593 年)四至五年之后发出的。 

  结 1:1> 一段漂流的岁月,一个伴随同胞被掳往巴比伦的先知…… 

  1:1 以西结在犹大出生和长大。公元前 597 年在他准备在圣殿任祭司的时候,巴比伦人攻击耶路撒冷,掳走了一万人,以西结本人也在其中(参王下 24:10-14 )。整个民族面临着毁灭。四、五年后,以西结满三十岁时(这是成为祭司的法定年龄),神呼召他作了先知。在以西结于巴比伦事奉的前六年里( 1:3 ),耶利米仍在犹大向留下来的人宣教。而但以理则在尼布甲尼撒王的王宫供职。犹大人的流放地在迦巴鲁河边,也就是巴比伦与幼发拉底河相会之处。 

  结 1:1> 国破家亡,还要先知来干什么?难道他的信息还能起作用? 

  1:1 被掳至巴比伦的犹大人为什么需要一位先知呢?因为神要以西结( 1 )帮助他们理解为什么自己被掳到这儿来;( 2 )使百姓对 " 被掳将是短期的 " 虚假的希望破灭;( 3 )带来新的希望信息;( 4 )唤起人们信赖神的意识。 

  结 1:1> 以西结在蒙召中所见的异象究竟是什么?今天我还可以看见神的异象吗? 

  1:1 神通过异象与以西结交通。异象是显明神真理的神迹。这些异象是启示性的,所以看上去很奇异。这意味着以西结看见了生动的象征性画面。但以理和约翰则是使用天启异象的另外两位圣经作者。在流放中的百姓已经不晓得神有什么目的和为什么与他们同在了。以西结把从神而来的异象带到他们中间,向他们展示了神那可畏的荣耀和圣洁,并尽早地警告人们犯罪的结果。 

  结 1:3> 圣经人物的名字往往反映了他的生命与事奉的特质…… 

  1:3 “以西结”的名字是“神是刚强的”或“神是力量”的意思。更确切地说,它总结了全书的基本信息:虽然百姓被掳,但神仍在掌权;神要审判自己的敌人并使真正的百姓重建家园。 

  结 1:4-28> 在远离神荣耀的圣殿,先知看见神荣耀的异象。我是否觉得神的荣耀已不复可见? 

  1:4-28 神在这第一个异象中呼召以西结作了先知( 2:5 )。就以西结以前的经历而言,没有丝毫的预备以先知的身分来彰显神的荣耀和权柄。一朵大云夹杂着火,周围是光辉,从云火当中,显出了四个活物;它们向以西结显示了神对犹大犯罪的惩罚,也就是耶路撒冷要来的毁灭。(在启 4:6-7 中也见到这些活物)。以西结得到这异象的时候,他正在远离耶路撒冷圣殿──神同在的具体象征的地方。这一异象使以西结了解到了神无处不在,而且神在天上的活物也影响着地上的事情。 

  结 1:5> 四活物的形像有何象征的意义?早期教会的信徒是如何理解四活物意义的? 

  1:5 四个活物中每一个都有四张脸,象征着神那完美的本性。有些人认为,狮子象征力量;牛象征兢兢业业的服事;人代表智慧;鹰代表神圣。其他人认为,这些乃是神最威严的活物,因此是代表了神的整个创造。早期教会认为,这四活物和四本福音书之间的关系是:狮子是马太福音,基督代表犹大的狮子;牛是马可福音,把基督描述为仆人;人是路加福音,把基督描述为完全的人;鹰是约翰福音,把基督描述为神的儿子,被高升并且成圣。约翰在启示录第四章中的异象,与以西结的异象并行不悖。 

  结 1:16-18> “轮中套轮”喻示神的无所不在,神的灵也在我生命中的每个角落自由运行吗? 

  1:16-18 “轮中套轮”可能是彼此成直角的两个轮子,一个在南北向的轴承上,另一个在东西向的轴承上。它们可以往任何方向移动,能够看见所有的事情( 1:18 )。神并不局限在耶路撒冷,神统治整个生命和历史。流放虽给百姓带来了巨大的变化,神仍在掌握一切。 

  以西结 

  结 1:26> 神荣耀的形像是以何方式启示的?这形像与我有何关系? 

  1:26 “有仿佛人的形状”启示了神的神圣,并为以西结预备了神要他传讲的内容。这形像代表了坐在宝座上的神。基督是用相似的方式以人的形状向人启示了神,并且为我们预备了救赎的信息。基督以一个真实的人身进入了人类历史。 

  结 1:27-28> 在神的荣光面前,我的生命是荣美还是阴郁? 

  1:27-28 主的荣耀对于以西结来说,好比火和大光的出现。看到了圣洁的神和罪恶渺小的自己,以西结便俯伏于地,完全被征服了。每个人或出于对神的怜悯的尊敬,或出于对神审判的恐惧,最终都将跪倒在神的面前。我们今天如何在生活中反映出神的圣洁呢? 

  结 1:27-28> 云中彩虹是在回应神昔日的哪一个应许?它会为我带来什么盼望? 

  1:27-28 四个活物和四个轮子是一幅审判大能的图画;而横在宝座上的彩虹,则象征着神对百姓永无止境的信实。这就像神用彩虹向挪亚应许不再用洪水毁灭大地一样(参创 9:8-17 ),这条彩虹象征的是神要持守对神忠诚之人的应许。神惩罚我们的目的在于矫正我们。神最终将使和平和公义在地上永远掌权。──《灵修版圣经注释》