An Analysis of Ezekiel 1:28: God's Glory in Splendor

Historical Setting and the Vision of God's Glory

This vision comes to Ezekiel not in Jerusalem, but among the exiles by the Chebar canal in Babylon, years after King Jehoiachin and thousands of Judeans were taken captive in 597 BC.

At this time, the people felt abandoned, wondering if God still saw them or cared. But God appears in overwhelming beauty and power, showing that His presence and authority extend far beyond the temple walls. The rainbow-like brilliance around Him echoes His covenant promise from Noah’s day (Genesis 9:13), reminding the exiles that even in judgment, God remembers mercy.

The scene sets the stage for the rest of Ezekiel’s message: though judgment is coming, God has not forsaken His people.

The Rainbow Glory: A Sign of Covenant and Heaven's Throne

This radiant image of God’s glory wrapped in a rainbow is a dazzling vision that connects deeply with both past promises and future hope.

The text says, 'Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around' (Ezekiel 1:28), directly echoing Genesis 9:12-17, where God set the rainbow in the sky after the flood as a sign of His covenant: 'I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.' That rainbow was God’s promise never to destroy the earth by flood again - a pledge of mercy even after judgment. Here in Ezekiel, the same image appears not over a storm, but around the throne of God, showing that even in exile and discipline, God has not revoked His faithfulness. It’s a powerful reminder that judgment does not cancel covenant. God is still the God of promise.

Later, Revelation 4:3 echoes this exact picture: 'And around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.' John sees the same radiant bow, now in heaven itself, linking Ezekiel’s vision with the eternal throne room. This shows that God’s glory and His covenant mercy are not limited to one time or place - they span the whole story of the Bible. The rainbow is both a near and far sign. It offers comfort to the exiles, showing God had not forgotten them. It also previews the unshakable glory that will fill the new creation.

The rainbow around God’s throne isn’t just beauty - it’s a promise that His mercy still stands, even in judgment.

This prophecy is less about predicting a single future event and more about preaching a lasting truth: God reigns in holiness and mercy, no matter where His people are. The vision calls for worship, not wonder. Seeing God for who He is should lead us to fall before Him like Ezekiel did.

God's Glory in Exile: A Promise of Presence and Restoration

This vision was a stunning display and a comfort to a broken people, showing that God’s presence hadn’t left them, even in a foreign land.

Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord surrounded by the rainbow, a sign of God’s covenant faithfulness, reminding the exiles that though they were scattered and judged, God had not abandoned His promise to be their God. Just as He promised in Leviticus 26:44, 'Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not spurn them, neither will I abhor them so as to destroy them utterly,' God’s glory in Babylon proves He is still near, still ruling, still committed to restoration.

Even in exile, God’s glory appears not as a distant memory, but as a living promise that He is still with His people.

This same theme echoes in John 1:14, where we’re told, 'And 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' - showing that God’s glory didn’t stay distant, but came to live with us in Jesus, fulfilling the promise of presence forever.

From Ezekiel's Vision to the New Creation: The Glory That Fills All Things

The radiant, rainbow-encircled glory Ezekiel saw is a promise that began to be fulfilled in Jesus and will reach its fullness in the world to come. It is not merely a memory from the past or a vision of ancient judgment.

John 1:14-18 declares, 'And 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.' This is the same divine glory Ezekiel witnessed - not distant or untouchable, but now living among us in Jesus. The text continues, 'From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace,' showing that God’s glory is no longer confined to visions or temples, but is given freely to all who believe.

Yet this glory is not yet fully revealed. Revelation 21:3 echoes with future hope: 'And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “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 fulfills Ezekiel’s vision completely - not in a temporary cloud or a portable throne, but in a new creation where God’s presence is permanent and unmediated. Revelation 22:4 adds, 'They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads,' bringing us full circle to Ezekiel falling on his face in worship. One day, we will see Him face to face, not merely the brightness around God.

So Ezekiel’s vision points both backward and forward: to Jesus, who brought God’s glory near, and to the day when that glory will flood the earth like water, and every tear, exile, and brokenness will be made whole. This is the hope we live in: transformation into the light we once could not bear, not merely rescue from judgment.

The glory Ezekiel saw in exile is the same glory that now lives in us through Jesus - and will one day fill the whole earth.

The journey from Ezekiel’s rainbow to the New Jerusalem shows us that God’s glory is not static - it moves toward us, lives with us, and will one day be our eternal home.

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