Understanding Ezekiel 1:26-28 in Depth: God's Glory Revealed

God’s Glory in Exile: The Throne Vision of Ezekiel

This vision of God’s throne appears not in Jerusalem’s temple but in Babylon, where God’s people were scattered and broken, far from home.

Ezekiel was a priest taken into exile when Babylon conquered Judah, and like many of his people, he likely felt abandoned - like God had forgotten them. But this vision shocks him. God is not confined to a building. He is present even in a foreign land, appearing in radiant glory above a sapphire-like throne. The people had sinned, broken their covenant with God, and lost the temple, yet here He is, ruling and holy, showing He has not left them. This moment fulfills what God warned long before - that He would remove His presence if they turned away, a reality later shown when the glory leaves the temple in Ezekiel 10.

Above the expanse, Ezekiel sees a figure with a human appearance, surrounded by fire and brilliant light, like glowing metal and a rainbow in the clouds. This is not a literal human, but a vision of God’s glory in a form we can begin to grasp - holy, powerful, and alive with movement and light. The rainbow-like radiance recalls God’s promise after the flood in Genesis 9, yet it now surrounds the Lord’s presence, showing His faithfulness remains even in judgment.

When Ezekiel sees this, he falls face down - not from fear alone, but from awe, recognizing he is in the presence of the living God. Then he hears a voice, as described in Revelation 4:2‑3, where John sees a similar throne and hears a voice from heaven. This connection shows that God’s glory seen in exile points forward to Christ, the one who rules from heaven and will one day make all things new.

The Human-Like Figure on the Throne: Divine Glory and the Hint of a Coming Savior

Ezekiel’s vision weaves together symbols from Scripture to reveal God’s presence in exile and a promise of a coming one who will carry that glory into the world.

The sapphire throne echoes the scene in Exodus 24:10, where elders saw God’s feet on a pavement of sapphire, showing that Ezekiel is being given a priestly glimpse of heaven - something only the high priest was meant to see, and yet it’s revealed to a prophet in Babylon. The fire surrounding the figure recalls God’s presence in the burning bush and on Mount Sinai, a consuming fire that purifies and judges, as Hebrews 12:29 reminds us: 'Our God is a consuming fire.' This is not ordinary light. It is holy power in motion. The rainbow glow around Him, like the one in Genesis 9 after the flood, ties God’s glory to His promise: even in judgment, He remembers mercy. But now, the rainbow encircles not the sky, but the very throne of God, showing His covenant faithfulness still shines, even over a broken people.

Most striking is the 'likeness of a human form' seated above the throne. This isn’t God taking on flesh yet, but a vision pointing forward. In Daniel 7:13, we read of 'one like a son of man' coming on the clouds of heaven to receive everlasting dominion - a figure both human and divine, given authority by God. That same image echoes in Revelation 1:13-15, where Jesus appears 'like a son of man,' clothed in glory, eyes like fire, voice like rushing waters. John 1:14 says, 'The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.' So Ezekiel’s vision goes beyond God’s presence in exile; it previews how that presence would one day walk the earth in Jesus. The glory Ezekiel saw in Babylon would later pitch a tent, so to speak, in a human life.

This prophecy is both a message to Ezekiel’s time and a window into the future. It preaches hope to a people in exile: God has not left you. But it also predicts a day when divine glory would appear in visions and live among us. The throne in the sky points to the one who would come not only as King, but as Savior - the human-like figure who fulfills both presence and judgment, grace and holiness, making a way for us to see God and live.

Falling in Awe: The Call to Repentance and the Voice of God

The vision of God’s glory is a display of power and a divine summons to humility and obedience, especially for a people who have turned away from Him.

When Ezekiel sees the glory of the Lord, he falls facedown, as Moses did when he encountered God at the burning bush and as John did when he saw the risen Christ in Revelation 1:17. This response shows that no one can stand proudly in God’s presence - only repentance and awe are fitting. God then speaks to Ezekiel, commissioning him to go to a rebellious house, calling them not as allies but as rebels who have long resisted His ways, as stated in Ezekiel 2:3-6.

This moment echoes the holiness seen in Exodus and the call to submission found throughout the prophets, but it also points forward to Jesus, who both reveals God’s glory and calls us to turn from sin.

Ezekiel heard a voice from the throne; Jesus said, 'When you hear my voice and believe, you pass from death to life' (John 5:25). The same glory that made Ezekiel fall is now extended in grace, inviting us not only to fear but to follow the one who speaks with authority and offers new life.

From Ezekiel’s Throne to the Lamb’s Victory: The Unfolding Story of God’s Glory

The vision Ezekiel saw was not only for his time; it was a glimpse of a story still unfolding, from exile to eternity.

The 'one like a son of man' in Daniel 7:13 is given everlasting dominion, and John’s vision in Revelation 1:12-16 echoes Ezekiel’s fiery, radiant figure - only now, the voice speaking is Jesus, risen and reigning. This is the same glory Ezekiel fell before, now revealed in the face of Christ.

At the transfiguration, Jesus’ appearance changed, and His face shone like the sun (Matthew 17:1-8), revealing the divine light Ezekiel saw around the throne. Stephen, filled with the Spirit, looked up and saw Jesus standing at God’s right hand (Acts 7:55-56), confirming that the human-like figure Ezekiel saw is now exalted in heaven, ruling and interceding.

Yet the full promise is not yet complete. Revelation 21:3 says, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.' This is the hope we wait for - the day when the glory Ezekiel saw in a vision will be our daily reality, not in a distant throne room, but in a new creation where every tear is wiped away.

So this passage looks back to Ezekiel and forward to Jesus’ return; it pulls us into the final chapter, where God’s presence, once seen only in visions and veiled in fire, will fill the earth as the waters cover the sea, and we will see Him face to face.

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