What’s easy to miss is that the angel, previously a protector of the faithful, is now tasked with wielding judgment. The "coals of fire" are not just random destruction, but a deliberate wrath taken from the very place of God’s presence, signifying that abuse of His grace leads to His judgment.
And he said to the man clothed in linen, “Go in among the whirling wheels underneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city.” And he went in before my eyes.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Just before this, Ezekiel saw a vision of God's glory departing from the Temple, but now it's returning, seated above the living creatures and wheels. This verse describes God commanding the same angelic figure who marked the faithful in the previous chapter to now enter among the wheels and gather burning coals. This act is explicitly to scatter over the city, signifying the impending fiery destruction that will consume Jerusalem.
The same angelic figure who just marked God's people for salvation is now tasked with destruction. How can this be?
In Ezekiel's vision, the man clothed in linen shifts roles. Previously (in chapter 9), he was an agent of mercy, marking the faithful so they would be spared. Now, he becomes an instrument of judgment.
This highlights a crucial biblical truth: God's messengers and even His blessings can become agents of His wrath when met with persistent sin and rebellion. It's not that the angel changes his nature, but that God directs his actions based on the people's response to His grace. Mercy, when rejected, can indeed turn to judgment.
Where do these 'coals of fire' come from? It's not a random act, but a deliberate move from a specific place.
The fiery coals are not taken from just anywhere; they are gathered 'from between the cherubim.' This is profoundly significant.
Cherubim were closely associated with God's presence and His throne (as seen in the vision of the Ark of the Covenant and Ezekiel's own vision of the throne chariot). Taking fire from this place signifies that the judgment is not arbitrary or humanly devised. It originates from God Himself, who is in the midst of His people, yet also a 'consuming fire' to sin. This emphasizes that the impending destruction is a direct consequence of sinning against the very presence and grace of God.
Why 'scatter' the coals? Why the urgency? This imagery speaks volumes about the coming destruction.
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The command to 'scatter them over the city' and the immediate obedience ('And he went in before my eyes') paint a picture of swift and comprehensive judgment. The coals are not meant to be contained but distributed widely, symbolizing that the entire city will be consumed.
This imagery underscores the certainty and speed with which God's judgment will fall upon the unrepentant. The 'whirling wheels' (galgal) suggest rapid, chaotic movement, and the coals being scattered imply an unavoidable and widespread conflagration. It serves as a stark warning that sin, especially the sin of rejecting God's grace and messengers, will not go unnoticed or unpunished.
Understand the original words
gachale esh · Hebrew Noun phrase
Refers to the holy fire of God’s presence or judgment; coals represent the divine energy of purification or the consuming fire of judgment against sin.
This vision of scattering coals of fire over Jerusalem wasn't a prophecy of a future event but a symbolic reenactment of Jerusalem's destruction, which had already occurred. It emphasizes that the devastation was not a random act but a direct, divine judgment carried out by God's agents for the city's profound unfaithfulness.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many Israelites and resettling the area with foreigners. This marks a significant loss of national sovereignty and religious identity for the northern tribes.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and deports a group of elite Israelites, including the prophet Daniel, to Babylon. This event signifies the rising power of Babylon and the beginning of Judah's exile.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Babylon deports more Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon. This further weakens Judah and intensifies the sense of impending doom.
587/586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Destruction of the Temple
The Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple, the center of Israelite worship and national identity. This is the catastrophic climax of Judah's fall and the beginning of the main Babylonian exile.
c. 586 BC
Ezekiel's Vision of Divine Judgment
In the midst of the Babylonian exile, Ezekiel receives this vision where he sees the glory of God departing from the ruined Temple and witnesses an angelic figure being commanded to scatter coals of fire over the city, symbolizing its complete destruction.
539 BC
Fall of Babylon to Persia
The Persian Empire under Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon. This marks a shift in regional power and eventually leads to the decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem.
This passage describes one of the four living creatures giving seven golden bowls full of God's wrath to seven angels, mirroring the scattering of coals of fire over the city as a divine judgment.
Isaiah 33:12This verse speaks of people being burned like lime or thorns, a powerful image of destruction by fire that resonates with the scattering of burning coals in Ezekiel.
2 Kings 25:9This historical account directly shows the fulfillment of Ezekiel's vision, detailing how the Babylonians burned Jerusalem, the city, and its great houses.
Jeremiah 21:12-14This prophetic warning to Jerusalem about God's impending judgment and fire serves as a direct precursor and thematic parallel to Ezekiel's vision of destruction.
Ezekiel 1:13This earlier verse in Ezekiel describes the appearance of the living creatures and wheels, noting that the appearance of the wheels was like the flash of lightning, connecting the fiery coals to the intense, powerful nature of God's judgment.
pooleEzekiel 10:2: "And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight."
He spake that sat on the throne, i.e. God, who rules the world and church. Unto the man; to Christ, as before, Ezekiel 9:2 . Go in: it is said, Ezekiel 1:18 , that the rings of the wheels were dreadful, but here is a Divine command which encourageth,…
calvinEzekiel 10:2: "And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight."
And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight.
Et dixit ad…
What’s easy to miss is that the angel, previously a protector of the faithful, is now tasked with wielding judgment. The "coals of fire" are not just random destruction, but a deliberate wrath taken from the very place of God’s presence, signifying that abuse of His grace leads to His judgment.
Just before this, Ezekiel saw a vision of God's glory departing from the Temple, but now it's returning, seated above the living creatures and wheels. This verse describes God commanding the same angelic figure who marked the faithful in the previous chapter to now enter among the wheels and gather burning coals. This act is explicitly to scatter over the city, signifying the impending fiery destruction that will consume Jerusalem.
Just before this, Ezekiel saw a vision of God's glory departing from the Temple, but now it's returning, seated above the living creatures and wheels. This verse describes God commanding the same angelic figure who marked the faithful in the previous chapter to now enter among the wheels and gather burning coals. This act is explicitly to scatter over the city, signifying the impending fiery destruction that will consume Jerusalem.
"And he said to the man clothed in linen, “Go in among the whirling wheels underneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city.”
And he went in before my eyes." — What’s easy to miss is that the angel, previously a protector of the faithful, is now tasked with wielding judgment. The "coals of fire" are not just random destruction, but a deliberate wrath taken…
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Last reviewed October 2026
