Ezekiel and the Second Advent
By W. R. Uchtmann
THE most inspiring message in either Old or New Testament scripture, which is, and always has been, present truth, and on which hang all other lines of prophecy, is the second advent of Christ. As we are nearing this great and glorious scene, it seems that the word of God opens in a special manner its brightest and most fascinating gems of truth to those who ask, seek, and knock; for such only will receive, find, and enter. Christ is coming soon with all the holy angels, a mighty and numberless host; yet with Jesus as the commander-in-chief, there will be such perfect order that it will amaze the entire universe, but the glory of it will consume all the wicked. I once watched a German army at drill. Whenever the officer gave the command, the whole rank and file moved as one man. It was a fine sight. Every movement was under the control of the general. But what will all the armies of this whole world amount to, when the army of heaven falls into line, and every loyal angel, beautiful and glorious, advances under the direct leadership of Jesus, “the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords,” worshiped and adored by all? All the prophets have given much light on this greatest of all subjects, but I like to ponder over the wonderful visions of Ezekiel, the mourning, exiled prophet. In chapter 1 he describes the cherubim (compare* chapter 10: 20-22), beneath which are the high and dreadful intersecting wheels, which at first to the prophet’s mind must have seemed complicated and confusing, but when they started to go, everything was in perfect harmony and beautiful exactness. The hand of God was under the wings of the cherubim. What a beautiful demonstration of Matt. 28: 18, “All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth”! Reading Ps. 68: 17, R.V., we find that “the chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands upon thousands.” In the last clause of the same text, and also in Deut. 33: 2, we find that these chariots came down to Mount Sinai, no doubt at the proclaiming and giving of the law of God. The doubting servant of Elisha, in 2 Kings 6: 17, was much encouraged by a glimpse of these same chariots, made up of angels, ready to fight the battles of Israel at the request of the prophet. Daniel, in his vision of the judgment (Dan. 7: 9, 10), saw the angels and the throne of God like the fiery flame, and the wheels as burning fire. John, on the isle of Patmos, dwelt so much upon the heavenly scenes, of which he received new visions, one after another, that his exile to this desolate island was turned by the same hand of God into the greatest and richest blessing. It was the cross which brought the crown. These visions were recorded for our special benefit, to prepare us, like the seers of old, for the coming battle. I believe that these great wheels, full of eyes, and guided by the Spirit of God, were like the chariots, made up of angels; because everything given in the description denotes intelligence. The great generals in this world seem to maneuver mostly in angles and squares, but our divine Commander uses that which indicates endless life and joy—unbroken circles. Above the wheels are the cherubim, and above these great leading angels is the firmament, likened to the terrible crystal (Eze. 1: 22), or, as John has it, the sea of glass, which is the foundation of God’s glorious throne. Here Christ the Lord is established, above all, as the mighty conqueror and ruler, and the beautiful rainbow encircles it round about. Let me call your attention to something which seems to me worthy of considerable thought. After the vision in chapter 1, the prophet hears a voice, and he falls on his face, but was told to rise to his feet. In the next seven chapters, the Lord tells Ezekiel about the fearful and fatal backslidings of Israel, which extend until the time of the sealing and judgment, which is clearly shown in chapter nine. In the next chapter the entire heavenly host, including the throne of God, come down to the earth and return heavenward. Now, there is only one thing which brings our blessed Lord to this planet, directly after the sealing of the remnant in their foreheads, which is this: Jesus will first raise His sleeping subjects from their dusty beds to life and immortality, and then translate the living saints, who have been true to all His commandments, and place them beside Him, on the sea of glass. Rev. 15: 2, 3. Next, we enter upon the most blessed journey to the mansions ready for those who were willing to be prepared by letting Jesus have His way in them, tho it took all to buy the pearl of great price. Let us run no risk by holding on to any one thing. Jesus must be all in all, or remain a stranger; “Jesus only.”