What happensPermalink
God commands the man in linen to take burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over Jerusalem. The vision returns to God’s glory at the temple threshold, a cloud filling the temple and radiance filling the court. A cherub gives the man the coals, and he leaves. God’s glory then departs from the threshold and mounts above the cherubim. They rise with the wheels beside them and stop at the temple’s east gate.
Why it mattersPermalink
The coals from God’s throne announce fiery judgment on the city whose abominations filled His temple. Ezekiel now identifies the living creatures from chapter 1 as cherubim, bearers of God’s mobile throne. The description revisits the threshold scene of chapter 9 before the glory moves to the east gate. Its departure from Jerusalem comes in chapter 11.
Key versePermalink
And the cherubim lifted up their wings and mounted up from the earth before my eyes as they went out, with the wheels beside them. And they stood at the entrance of the east gate of the house of the Lord, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them.