God's Glory Appears

God Meets Us Where We Are

Before we read, understand where Ezekiel is.

Ezekiel is not in Jerusalem. He is not in the temple. He’s not in a place of worship. He’s in exile.

Everything familiar is gone. Everything stable is shaken. Everything he thought represented God’s presence is behind him.

And it is there - in exile - that heaven opens.

Ezekiel 1:4 NKJV

Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire.

Notice how God appears. Not as a whisper. Not as calm. But as a storm.

A whirlwind. Fire flashing. Clouds rolling.

This is not the picture most people expect when they thin of encountering God.

Sometimes God shows up in ways that disrupt before they comfort.

We like God predictable. We like Him manageable. We like Him to fit into our understanding.

But God is not a concept to be contained - He is glory to be revealed.

Think about a storm: From the ground, it feels chaotic...loud...even frightening. But from above, it follows order, patterns, and purpose.

What feels chaotic to you...is not chaotic to God.

Where in your life does it feel like a storm right now?

A situation you didn’t expect

A season you didn’t plan

A burden you didn’t choose

What if...that’s where God is about to reveal Himself?

2. God Is Beyond Our Understanding

Ezekiel 1:5–14 NKJV

Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man. Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings. Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the soles of calves’ feet. They sparkled like the color of burnished bronze. The hands of a man were under their wings on their four sides; and each of the four had faces and wings. Their wings touched one another. The creatures did not turn when they went, but each one went straight forward. As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man; each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle. Thus were their faces. Their wings stretched upward; two wings of each one touched one another, and two covered their bodies. And each one went straight forward; they went wherever the spirit wanted to go, and they did not turn when they went. As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightning. And the living creatures ran back and forth, in appearance like a flash of lightning.

Ezekiel begins to describe what he sees - and it almost feels impossible to picture.

Living beings with four faces:

A man

A lion

An ox

An eagle

They move like lightening. They don’t turn - they go straight forward. There is perfect coordination.

Ezekiel struggles to describe it because human language falls short.

That's intentional.

Because God is not meant to b e fully explained - He is meant to be encountered

Isaiah 55:8–9 NKJV

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

It’s like standing inches away from a massive machine. All you see is movement, noise, confusion. But if you step back - you realize everything is working together perfectly.

Some of you are trying to figure everything out before you trust God. But God never asked you to understand Him fully - He asked you to trust Him completely.

3. God Is Active And Present Everywhere

Ezekiel 1:15–21 NKJV

Now as I looked at the living creatures, behold, a wheel was on the earth beside each living creature with its four faces. The appearance of the wheels and their workings was like the color of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. The appearance of their workings was, as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel. When they moved, they went toward any one of four directions; they did not turn aside when they went. As for their rims, they were so high they were awesome; and their rims were full of eyes, all around the four of them. When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, because there the spirit went; and the wheels were lifted together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When those went, these went; when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

Now Ezekiel sees something even more unusual - wheels within wheels, covered in eyes.

Where the Spirit moves, the wheels move. They go in every direction - without turning.

The eyes represent this: God sees everything. The movement represents this: God is active everywhere. And the Spirit directing it all means: Nothing is random. Nothing is wasted. Nothing is outside His control.

Psalm 139:7–10 NKJV

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.

Have you ever looked at gears in a clock? Each one turning differently...but all working toward the same purpose. You may not understand the movement - but the Designer does.

That things you’re walking through right now -

God sees it

God is in it

God is working through it

Even when you don’t feel Him.

4.God Is Still On The Throne

Ezekiel 1:22–26 NKJV

The likeness of the firmament above the heads of the living creatures was like the color of an awesome crystal, stretched out over their heads. And under the firmament their wings spread out straight, one toward another. Each one had two which covered one side, and each one had two which covered the other side of the body. When they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a tumult like the noise of an army; and when they stood still, they let down their wings. A voice came from above the firmament that was over their heads; whenever they stood, they let down their wings. And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it.

Above all the movement...above the creatures...above the wheels...

There is somethings higher. A platform like crystal. And above it - A throne.

Don’t miss this. Before God reveals His plan… He reveals His position.

He is seated.

He is not pacing. He is not anxious. He is not reacting.

He is ruling.

Psalm 103:19 NKJV

The Lord has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all.

In a courtroom, everything changes when the judge enters and sits. Why? Because authority has taken its place.

What in your life feels out of control? Now ask yourself: Have I forgotten that God is still on the throne?

5. The Right Response To God’s Glory

Ezekiel 1:27–28 NKJV

Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.

Ezekiel sees brightness...fire...radiance...and something like a rainbow. Then he says: “This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.” Even this vision is only a glimpse. And what does Ezekiel do?

“when I saw it, I fell on my face”

He doesn’t analyze it. He doesn’t debate it. He doesn’t explain it. He falls. Because when you truly see God - pride cannot stand.

Revelation 1:17 NKJV

And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.

We don’t need more casual encounters with God. We need moments that bring us to our knees.

Have we made God too small?

Have we made Him to familiar?

Have we lost our awe?

You cannot encounter the glory of God and stay the same.

Today, we don’t need more information - we need transformation.

Please bow your heart before Him

Surrender control

Trust His sovereignty

It’s time to Return to awe

God, forgive us for making You smaller than You are. Forgive us for trying to understand everything instead of trusting You. Today we lay it down - our fears, our control, our questions. You are on the throne. You are in control. And we surrender to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.