And behold the glory of the God of Israel came in by the way of the east: and his voice was like the noise of many waters, and the earth shone with his majesty.
וְהִנֵּ֗ה כְּבוֹד֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בָּ֖א מִדֶּ֣רֶךְ הַקָּדִ֑ים וְקוֹל֗וֹ כְּקוֹל֙ מַ֣יִם רַבִּ֔ים וְהָאָ֖רֶץ הֵאִ֥ירָה מִכְּבֹדֽוֹ׃
2 Church Fathers comment on this verse · 3 commentaries
Ezekiel beheld the glory of God return through the same eastern gate from which it had previously left. Just as the prophet had previously declared that the glory of the Lord had vacated the house of God, resting over the Cherubim before exiting through the east gate of the Lord’s house, he now announces that the glory of God has re-entered through the east-facing gate.
The glory of the God of Israel approached from the east, accompanied by a sound resembling the roaring of mighty waters. The earth radiated with the brilliance of His glory surrounding it, and the revelation I beheld mirrored another vision I had when I entered to consecrate the temple. In this second vision, the Prophet depicted a scene where axes were brought forth, as the inhabitants of the city were struck down, and coals were scattered throughout the city. He also witnessed a mark placed upon those who stood firm against the transgressions of the people. The elders, understanding the significance of this utterance, referred to the marking on the foreheads of those spared from the judgment imposed by the wielders of axes as a form of anointing.
Additionally, the vision of the chariot was akin to the revelation I experienced at the river Hobar. Upon witnessing it, the Prophet related that he fell to the ground. The glory of the Lord then filled the temple, entering through the eastern gates. He did not say, "The Lord entered," for God's essence cannot be fully articulated; rather, he proclaimed, "The glory of the Lord entered," signifying the manifestation that was displayed.
The magnificence of the God of Israel approached from the east, accompanied by a sound resembling the roar of mighty waters. The earth radiated with the brilliance of His glory all around, and the vision I beheld was akin to the one I witnessed when I entered to consecrate the hail. The Prophet refers to a subsequent vision, where he observed axes being brought in to strike down the residents of the city, and another figure scattering coals throughout the entire city. Furthermore, he witnessed a mark placed upon those standing firm against the evils of the people. It is likely that the seventy, grasping the significance of the message, referred to the marking of the foreheads of those spared from the judgment inflicted by the axes as an anointing.
The vision of the chariot mirrored the experience I had at the river Hobar. Upon witnessing this, the prophet stated that he fell prostrate. The glory of the Lord entered the temple through the eastern gate. He did not describe this as ‘the Lord entered,’ for God's essence is beyond description, but rather noted that ‘the glory of the Lord entered,’ indicating the vision that materialized.
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THEOSIS