Ezekiel 3:12
Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great earthquake: “Blessed be the glory of the LORD from its place!”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The "great rushing" sound isn't just a backdrop; it's described like an earthquake or the roar of battle, suggesting the immense, powerful, and even overwhelming presence of God's glory moving with Ezekiel. The declaration, "Blessed be the glory of the LORD from its place!" is a profound acclamation from this divine presence, praising God even as circumstances might suggest otherwise.
After receiving his divine commission and understanding the weighty message he's been given, Ezekiel is physically lifted by the Spirit and moved to a new location among the exiles. As the heavenly vision he experienced departs, he hears a mighty sound, like an earthquake or rushing wind, accompanied by the praise of heavenly beings declaring God's glory. This event closes the initial commissioning phase and prepares him for his ministry among the captive people, highlighting God's ongoing presence and sovereignty even in their distress.
Ezekiel is 'lifted up' by the Spirit. Was this a dream, or something more profound?
The text says, 'Then the Spirit lifted me up.' While many visions in Ezekiel occur 'in the Spirit' or in a trance-like state, the scholars suggest this particular movement might have been a real, physical transport. Think of how the New Testament describes Philip being 'snatched away' by the Spirit (Acts 8:39). This isn't just a mental journey; it's the powerful, tangible intervention of God's Spirit guiding His prophet to where He needs him to be.
What is this deafening sound behind Ezekiel, and what does it celebrate?
The 'voice of a great rushing' isn't just random noise. It's described as the sound of divine beings – perhaps the cherubim and wheels seen in the earlier vision – moving with immense power. This sound accompanies a powerful declaration: 'Blessed be the glory of the LORD from its place!' This is a cosmic acclamation, a heavenly chorus celebrating God's inherent majesty and worth, regardless of where He is manifested or how His people are suffering.
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The phrase 'from its place' sounds almost defiant. What does it reveal about God's glory?
This phrase, 'from its place,' is crucial. It can mean God's glory is praised even as it departs from a place (like the temple or the vision site), or that it is praised in its appointed place. Either way, it underscores that God's glory is not dependent on earthly circumstances or locations. It is inherently glorious, worthy of praise whether He is visibly present in the temple or in the midst of His people's exile. This is a profound comfort: God’s essential worth and majesty remain constant, a solid anchor in shifting realities.
Understand the original words
ruach · Hebrew Noun
The third person of the Trinity, representing God's active, dynamic power and presence in the world to empower, reveal, and move His servants to accomplish His will.
kabod · Hebrew Noun
The visible manifestation of God’s holiness, majesty, and radiance. It represents the very presence of God as He reveals Himself to humanity.
ra'ash · Hebrew Noun
Divine judgment or a powerful demonstration of God's presence, often associated with the shaking of the earth when He manifests His power or holiness.
Ezekiel's prophetic call and commissioning occur during a period of deep crisis for the Jewish people in exile. The vivid imagery of God's glory departing and the prophet being transported emphasizes that God's presence and message are not bound to the land or the Temple, but extend even to the exiles in Babylon.
c. 597 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
The Babylonian army under Nebuchadnezzar II deports King Jehoiachin and a significant portion of the Jerusalem elite, including many skilled workers and prophets, to Babylon.
c. 597 BC
Ezekiel among the Exiles
Ezekiel is among the exiles settled in Babylonia, near the Chebar canal, where he experiences his initial prophetic visions.
c. 593 BC— this verse
Ezekiel's Call to Prophesy
Ezekiel receives his commissioning as a prophet, marked by a powerful vision of God's glory and a divine mandate to speak to the rebellious house of Israel.
c. 593 BC
Spirit Lifts Ezekiel
The Spirit of God lifts Ezekiel and carries him, apparently in a vision, to a community of exiles at Tel-Abib, signaling the start of his ministry among them.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
Jerusalem is destroyed by the Babylonians, and a final wave of exiles is deported. This event further underscores the severity of God's judgment on Judah.
This passage describes the seraphim crying out 'Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!' echoing the praise of God's glory heard by Ezekiel.
Revelation 4:11The elders in this vision declare 'Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created,' showing a similar heavenly acclamation of God's worthiness.
Ezekiel 1:28This verse describes the appearance of the glory of the LORD to Ezekiel, providing the visual context for the voice proclaiming 'Blessed be the glory of the LORD' that follows.
Acts 8:39The Spirit catching Philip away is a parallel to Ezekiel being 'lifted up' by the Spirit, illustrating a supernatural transportation in service to God's purposes.
Ezekiel 10:4This verse describes the glory of the LORD departing from the cherubim, which resonates with the commentary suggesting 'from its place' could imply God's glory moving or even leaving the temple, a theme of divine presence and departure.
barnesEzekiel 3:12: "Then the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the LORD from his place."
I heard behind me - The commission having been given, and the prophet transported to the place of his ministry, the chariot of the vision passes away with the proper tokens Ezekiel 1:24-25 . A voice from above the firmament is now heard proclaiming the divine glory. From his place - The place where the glory of the Lord had revealed itself in the…
ellicottEzekiel 3:12: "Then the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the LORD from his place."
(12) Then the spirit took me up. —This also is to be understood as done in vision, as in Ezekiel 8:3 ; Ezekiel 11:1 ; Ezekiel 11:24 . (Comp. Acts 8:39 .) In the last case the “taking up” is expressly said to have been in vision. This closes one act, so to speak, of the prophet’s consecration, and now the vision which he has been seeing all along…
The "great rushing" sound isn't just a backdrop; it's described like an earthquake or the roar of battle, suggesting the immense, powerful, and even overwhelming presence of God's glory moving with Ezekiel. The declaration, "Blessed be the glory of the LORD from its place!" is a profound acclamation from this divine presence, praising God even as circumstances might suggest otherwise.
After receiving his divine commission and understanding the weighty message he's been given, Ezekiel is physically lifted by the Spirit and moved to a new location among the exiles. As the heavenly vision he experienced departs, he hears a mighty sound, like an earthquake or rushing wind, accompanied by the praise of heavenly beings declaring God's glory. This event closes the initial commissioning phase and prepares him for his ministry among the captive people, highlighting God's ongoing presence and sovereignty even in their distress.
After receiving his divine commission and understanding the weighty message he's been given, Ezekiel is physically lifted by the Spirit and moved to a new location among the exiles. As the heavenly vision he experienced departs, he hears a mighty sound, like an earthquake or rushing wind, accompanied by the praise of heavenly beings declaring God's glory. This event closes the initial commissioning phase and prepares him for his ministry among the captive people, highlighting God's ongoing presence and sovereignty even in their distress.
"Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great earthquake: “Blessed be the glory of the LORD from its place!”" — The "great rushing" sound isn't just a backdrop; it's described like an earthquake or the roar of battle, suggesting the immense, powerful, and even overwhelming presence of God's glory moving with E…
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