This verse reveals God’s overwhelming glory through living beings aflame with divine fire.
In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches darting back and forth among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was flashing from the fire, and the fire was radiant, and out of the fire came forth lightning. (v.13)
Ezekiel, a prophet ministering to the exiled people of Judah in Babylon, describes in this verse a compelling glimpse of God’s glory as he beholds four living beings in a dramatic, fiery scene. The “burning coals of fire” convey the intensity of God’s presence, suggesting the purifying and powerful nature of His holy realm. The lightning flashing out of this radiant fire emphasizes the awe-inspiring swiftness of divine action—an image consistent with other biblical portrayals of the Lord’s throne room where lightning and thunder often accompany God’s majesty, reflecting His unmatched sovereignty.
These “living beings” are later identified as cherubim (Ezekiel 10:1), creatures that serve at the throne of the Almighty, sometimes depicted elsewhere with radiant and blazing features. Their appearance parallels passages in Revelation, which likewise show attendants around God's throne, declaring His holiness while “flashes of lightning” proceed from God’s presence. The brightness here underscores God’s perfection and otherness, while the vivid, darting movements of what appear like torches convey a ceaseless vigilance and readiness to execute His will.
In the broader context of Ezekiel’s calling, the fiery vision signals that God’s glory is not confined to one location or circumstance. Even in exile, His power blazes forth to judge, refine, and restore His people, prefiguring the ultimate revelation of glory fulfilled in Jesus Christ (John 1:14) and fully manifested in the age to come.
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Ezekiel 1:13 meaning
In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches darting back and forth among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was flashing from the fire, and the fire was radiant, and out of the fire came forth lightning. (v.13)
Ezekiel, a prophet ministering to the exiled people of Judah in Babylon, describes in this verse a compelling glimpse of God’s glory as he beholds four living beings in a dramatic, fiery scene. The “burning coals of fire” convey the intensity of God’s presence, suggesting the purifying and powerful nature of His holy realm. The lightning flashing out of this radiant fire emphasizes the awe-inspiring swiftness of divine action—an image consistent with other biblical portrayals of the Lord’s throne room where lightning and thunder often accompany God’s majesty, reflecting His unmatched sovereignty.
These “living beings” are later identified as cherubim (Ezekiel 10:1), creatures that serve at the throne of the Almighty, sometimes depicted elsewhere with radiant and blazing features. Their appearance parallels passages in Revelation, which likewise show attendants around God's throne, declaring His holiness while “flashes of lightning” proceed from God’s presence. The brightness here underscores God’s perfection and otherness, while the vivid, darting movements of what appear like torches convey a ceaseless vigilance and readiness to execute His will.
In the broader context of Ezekiel’s calling, the fiery vision signals that God’s glory is not confined to one location or circumstance. Even in exile, His power blazes forth to judge, refine, and restore His people, prefiguring the ultimate revelation of glory fulfilled in Jesus Christ (John 1:14) and fully manifested in the age to come.