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)
This verse isn't just about Ezekiel being physically moved; it highlights that the "great rushing" sound is the audible glory of God's presence itself making way. The acclamation, "Blessed be the glory of the LORD from its place!", isn't a random utterance but a profound declaration of God’s inherent worth, even as His manifest glory begins to shift or move with the prophet.
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)
The Spirit of God has just commissioned Ezekiel to be a prophet to the exiles, a heavy and difficult task. This verse describes Ezekiel being physically lifted and moved by the Spirit to a new location among his people, accompanied by the immense, divine sound of the cherubim and wheels from the vision. As he is transported, he hears a powerful declaration: "Blessed be the glory of the LORD from its place!" signaling the awe-inspiring presence and movement of God even in their exile.
Ezekiel is 'lifted up' by the Spirit. What does this mean for a prophet, and for us today?
The prophet Ezekiel experiences a powerful, supernatural transportation. This isn't just a physical move; it's a divine appointment. The Spirit of God actively picks Ezekiel up, showing an urgent purpose behind his mission.
A Heavenly Directive
A 'great rushing' sound accompanies a voice. What does this overwhelming sound tell us about the God Ezekiel is serving?
The prophet hears a 'voice of a great rushing' behind him. This isn't just noise; it's the sound of immense power and heavenly activity, framing the profound declaration that follows.
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Sounds of the Sacred
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.
This verse occurs at the very beginning of Ezekiel's prophetic ministry, occurring just after his divine commissioning. The 'great rushing' and the acclamation 'Blessed be the glory of the LORD' likely represent the sounds and praises of the divine chariot (the Cherubim and wheels) as it begins to move, accompanying Ezekiel to the exiles in Tel-Abib. This signifies that even in exile, God's glorious presence is sovereign and active.
c. 597 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, deports King Jehoiachin and thousands of Judeans, including Ezekiel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
c. 593 BC— this verse
Ezekiel's Call to Prophecy
Ezekiel experiences a profound vision of God's glory by the Chebar canal, receiving his commission as a prophet to the exiles. This vision is described in Ezekiel chapters 1-3.
c. 593 BC
Ezekiel Lifted Up to Tel-Abib
The Spirit of God transports Ezekiel from his initial location by the Chebar canal to Tel-Abib, a settlement of Judean exiles, where he will deliver his message.
c. 593 BC
Ezekiel Sits with Exiles for Seven Days
Ezekiel remains silent among the exiles for seven days, a period of intense mourning and preparation, before beginning his prophetic ministry to them.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its Temple. This catastrophic event confirms Ezekiel's prophecies and deeply impacts the exiles, making his message of judgment and hope even more crucial.
This passage describes the 'great rushing' sound Ezekiel heard previously as the noise of the cherubim's wings and the wheels accompanying the glory of the Lord, connecting directly to the sound in Ezekiel 3:12.
Isaiah 6:3This verse presents a similar angelic acclamation, 'Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory,' highlighting the praise of God's glory as a heavenly reality that surrounds His throne.
Revelation 4:11This passage echoes the sentiment of Ezekiel 3:12 with the elders declaring, '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,' emphasizing God's worthiness of all praise.
Acts 8:39The Spirit 'snatched Philip away' after his encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch, providing a New Testament parallel to the Spirit's powerful, physical, or visionary transport of Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 10:4This verse speaks of the glory of the LORD rising up from the threshold of the temple, connecting to the 'from its place' aspect of the praise, suggesting movement or departure of God's presence.
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…
This verse isn't just about Ezekiel being physically moved; it highlights that the "great rushing" sound is the audible glory of God's presence itself making way. The acclamation, "Blessed be the glory of the LORD from its place!", isn't a random utterance but a profound declaration of God’s inherent worth, even as His manifest glory begins to shift or move with the prophet.
The Spirit of God has just commissioned Ezekiel to be a prophet to the exiles, a heavy and difficult task. This verse describes Ezekiel being physically lifted and moved by the Spirit to a new location among his people, accompanied by the immense, divine sound of the cherubim and wheels from the vision. As he is transported, he hears a powerful declaration: "Blessed be the glory of the LORD from its place!" signaling the awe-inspiring presence and movement of God even in their exile.
The Spirit of God has just commissioned Ezekiel to be a prophet to the exiles, a heavy and difficult task. This verse describes Ezekiel being physically lifted and moved by the Spirit to a new location among his people, accompanied by the immense, divine sound of the cherubim and wheels from the vision. As he is transported, he hears a powerful declaration: "Blessed be the glory of the LORD from its place!" signaling the awe-inspiring presence and movement of God even in their exile.
"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!”" — This verse isn't just about Ezekiel being physically moved; it highlights that the "great rushing" sound is the audible glory of God's presence itself making way. The acclamation, "Blessed be the glo…
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Last reviewed October 2026