If I Could Ask One Question of Ezekiel, I would ask “Was it a UFO?”

As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them.  As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like the gleaming of beryl; and the four had the same form, their construction being something like a wheel within a wheel. When they moved, they moved in any of the four directions without veering as they moved. Their rims were tall and awesome, for the rims of all four were full of eyes all around. When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them; and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose. Wherever the spirit would go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When they moved, the others moved; when they stopped, the others stopped; and when they rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.” Ezekiel 10:9-17

This vision that Ezekiel is certainly a strange vision. There have been many attempts to explain the vision, but without witnesses, it would be hard to know what he was seeing. I have included a picture that one person painted to give some context to the vision. Each wheel was two wheels in one, with one apparently set inside the other at right angles which enabled the “living creatures” to move in any direction instantly without having to turn, like a flash of lightning. These wheels had the appearance of chrysolite, which may have been a topaz or other semiprecious stone. The outer rim of the wheels was described as high and awesome with the outer edge of the rims inset with “eyes”. And the Spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. As a result, the creatures were able to move any direction the wheels moved.

Most biblical scholars hold to the idea that the mobility of the wheels suggests the omnipresence of G-d; and the eyes to G-d’s omniscience. The elevation of the wheels describes G-d’s His omnipotence. This vision appeared to Ezekiel as a powerful statement of G-d’s divine nature.

Of course, there are those who believe that Ezekiel’s vision was something else more terrestrial – or should I say extra-terrestrial. Instead of believing that the vision was from G-d, they believe Ezekiel saw a spaceship – and was trying to make sense of his UFO sighting.

No matter what you believe, I would want to ask Ezekiel this simple question: Was it a spaceship, or something truly “Otherwordly”? What question would you like to ask Ezekiel?

Pastor Dave