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

“But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. “But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.” Mark 13:24-37

The brief apocalyptic sections of Mark, and later of Matthew and Luke who clearly follow him, have always been something of a puzzle to me because they are so out of character with the rest of the Gospel. I assume that these traditions were so prevalent in the early church that Mark simply couldn’t ignore them. Note, however, that I use the plural – apocalyptic traditions – because it seems there were at least two. Some, perhaps including the Apostle Paul, expected Jesus’ return very soon. We might say they held an imminent eschatology. Others, in response to the already longer-than-expected delay and the death of many of the original eye-witnesses, had begun to cast Jesus’ return as the culmination of human history, an event that would occur at the end of time. We might call this a delayed or future eschatology.

I kind of wish Mark would just make up his mind. Rather than compromise, couldn’t he have just decided which it was – imminent or future eschatology? But what if Mark wasn’t simply a middle child trying to make peace between two opposing views? What if, instead, Mark recognized that neither tradition had the last word on Christ’s return? Indeed, he says as much in one of the key verses in this week’s passage: “But about that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (13:32). No one knows, and that includes Paul…and Mark…and us. For this reason, we are always waiting, always watching, always preparing for Christ’s return.” (David Lose, “…in the Meantime”, Preaching a Participatory Advent, November 24, 2014)

So, my friends, it is Advent once again, and I ask you again to think about waiting. There are benefits to learning how to wait – I have a few to throw at you this morning…

1. Waiting teaches us patience. It isn’t always good to get whatever you want immediately, or all of the time, even if it means some suffering, whether real or imagined. Paul, in Romans, even teaches that suffering produces endurance, patience and endurance.

2. That’s the second thing that waiting teaches us, endurance and perseverance. Think of our friend Joseph, the husband of Mary, who was patient, and endured and persevered with his betrothed who was with child by the Holy Spirit. What blessings came to him through waiting – patient waiting.

3. Waiting teaches humility. To wait means to allow others to go ahead of you. To wait means putting yourself second, and maybe putting G-d and your neighbor first.

4. Waiting heightens expectation. Those of us who are parents know that waiting nine months heightens the expectation of the birth of a child. This Advent, how will you allow this waiting time to heighten your relationship with G-d?

5. Finally, waiting teaches faithfulness. The whole story of the forty years of wandering for the Israelites was about teaching faithfulness. This was the central message to G-d’s people – to follow means we must allow someone to lead. We want to be the leader in our lives, but G-d wants us to follow – to patiently wait to hear G-d’s voice, and to follow G-d’s direction.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t often experience G-d’s voice in the heavens being ripped open. Instead, I experience G-d in the whispers of our lives, the whispers that nudge us, the glimpses that surprise us, that vague unexplainable experiences that strengthens and confirms our faith. But, it is only by faith that we can continue to wait – while others drift away to other voices we wait patiently for that day when the heavens will be ripped open once again, and the blessings from G-d made manifest through Jesus Christ will descend on all of G-d’s people.

Pastor Dave