Crystallization-Study of Ezekiel (1)
Message One
Visions of God and the Unveiling of God’s Purpose and the Desire of His Heart
Opening Word of the Prophesying Meeting
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
…while I was among the captives by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God—Ezek. 1:1.
The word of Jehovah came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of Jehovah was upon him there—v. 3.
And the man said to me, Son of man, look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart on all that I show you…—40:4.
Word of Appetizer
Why were the heavens opened to Ezekiel?
Because Ezekiel stood in the position of a priest, one who was seeking God and contacting God and who was connected to the heavens. Ezekiel was carrying out his priesthood in the spirit, serving God and fellowshipping with God, so that the heavens were opened, and he saw the glorious vision of God being life to man so that He and man could be built together. Whenever God finds a man on earth who is one with Him and whose heart is a duplication of His heart, the heavens are opened to him.
Spiritual Burden
The most important matter for a person who serves the Lord is that he must see visions of God. Under the visions from God we are directed toward God’s destination, and our life is controlled according to God’s economy.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
“The heavens were opened and I saw visions of God”. Ezekiel saw visions of God—divine, spiritual, heavenly visions—in his spirit, under an opened heaven. God wanted Ezekiel not only to behold with his eyes but also to hear with his ears.
Ezekiel 1 unveils to us the desire of God’s heart and the purpose that He wants to accomplish. The Bible as a whole, and the book of Ezekiel as a miniature of the Bible, reveal that God’s eternal intention is to dispense Himself into His chosen people, making them the same as He is in His life, His nature, and His image but not in the Godhead.
The Experience of Life
Whenever God finds a man on earth who is one with Him and whose heart is a duplication of His heart, the heavens are opened to him.
Visions of God govern us, restrict us, control us, preserve us, revolutionize us, give us the boldness to go on, and keep us in the genuine oneness.
Practice and Application
In order to see a vision, we need revelation, light, and sight. We need the kind of prayer that brings us into a trance and that brings a heavenly vision to us.
We need to have an express word from the Lord. We should ask God for words that will enable us to understand the visions.
Using Key Verses to Have a Bird’s-Eye View over the Whole Outline
Key Verses (1)
…while I was among the captives by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God—Ezek. 1:1.
And he became very hungry and wanted to eat. And while they were preparing, a trance came upon him; And he beheld heaven opened, and a certain vessel like a great sheet descending, being let down by four corners onto the earth—Acts 10:10-11.
I. “The heavens were opened and I saw visions of God”
The heavens were opened to Ezekiel.
• The opening of the heavens was God’s special visitation.
• Ezekiel stood in the position of a priest, one who was seeking God and contacting God and who was connected to the heavens.
Ezekiel saw visions of God—divine, spiritual, heavenly visions— in his spirit under an opened heaven:
• God’s visions are His revelations, which enable us to see divine, spiritual, and heavenly things. These visions will lead to the building up of God’s churches.
• The most important matter for a person who serves the Lord is that he must see visions of God. Visions of God govern us, restrict us, control us, preserve us.
• We need the kind of prayer that brings us into a trance and that brings a heavenly vision to us.
Key Verses (2)
The word of Jehovah came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of Jehovah was upon him there—Ezek. 1:3.
And the man said to me, Son of man, look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart on all that I show you, because for this purpose you have been brought here, that it may be shown to you. Tell all that you see to the house of Israel—40:4
Not only to behold with his eyes but also to hear with his ears; God’s hand upon
God wanted Ezekiel not only to behold with his eyes but also to hear with his ears; hence, He gave him His words along with His visions:
•God’s word to Ezekiel was not an ordinary word but an express word, a special word.
• God’s words are His explanations of His visions. We need to have an express word from the Lord.
God’s hand always follows His speaking; thus, the hand of Jehovah was upon Ezekiel.
• God’s hand upon man is for leading and directing man and for causing man to take action.
Key Verses (3)
Predestinating us unto sonship through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure—Eph. 1:5.
He who descended, He is also the One who ascended And from the midst of it there came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: They had the likeness of a man—Ezek. 1:5.
And above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, like the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was One in appearance like a man, above it—v. 26.
II. Ezekiel 1 unveils to us the desire of God’s heart and God’s purpose
•The biblical term that refers to the desire of God’s heart is the good pleasure of His will; the good pleasure of God’s will is the desire of God’s heart.
•Ezekiel 1 unveils God’s desire to be expressed in His Son.
•The One signified by the glowing electrum, the Lamb-God, dwells within us as a priceless treasure for His expression.
• The four faces of the four living creatures signify the complete and adequate expression of Christ.
• “Upon the likeness of the throne was One in appearance like a man.”
•The Bible as a whole, and the book of Ezekiel as a miniature of the Bible, reveal that God’s eternal intention is to dispense Himself into His chosen people, making them the same as He is in His life, His nature, and His image but not in the Godhead.
Prophesying Topics—Twelve Topics per Week
D1
T1 The opening of the heavens was God’s special visitation (Ezek. 1:1)
(Please use Bible verses to explain that the heavens were opened to Jacob (Gen. 28:11-17), to Jesus (Matt. 3:16-17), to Stephen (Acts 7:56), to Peter (10:11), and to John (Rev. 4:2; 19:11).)
T2 Ezekiel was carrying out his priesthood in the spirit (Ezek. 1:3)
(Please explain that Ezekiel stood in the position of a priest, one who was seeking God and contacting God and who was connected to the heavens.)
D2
T1 vision denotes an extraordinary scene (Dan. 7:1, 9-10, 13-14)
(Please explain that in order to see a vision, we need revelation, light, and sight.)
T2 God’s visions are His revelations (Acts 26:19)
(Please explain that the most important matter for a person who serves the Lord is that he must have visions.)
D3
T1 A trance means that we have been brought out of our self (Acts 10:9-16)
(Please explain that we need the kind of prayer that brings us into a trance and that brings a heavenly vision to us.)
T2 God wanted Ezekiel not only to behold with his eyes but also to hear with his ears (Ezek. 40:4)
(Please explain that God gave him His words along with His visions.) (Refer to Outline I. C)
D4
T1 God’s hand always follows His speaking (Ezek. 1:3)
(Please explain that God’s hand upon man is for leading and directing man and for causing man to take action.)
T2 Having an opened heaven, seeing God’s visions, receiving God’s words, and having God’s leading hand (Ezek. 1:1-3)
(Please explain what the four conditions that every minister of God’s word needs to fulfill for seeing God’s visions are.)
D5
T1 God’s good pleasure (Eph. 1:5)
(How do we know that we are living a life according to God’s good pleasure?)
T2 Ezekiel 1 unveils God’s desire to be expressed in His Son (Heb. 1:3)
(Please explain that the four faces of the four living creatures signify the complete and adequate expression of Christ.)
D6
T1 If we would live out God and express God, we need to be a man and have the appearance of a man (Ezek. 1:26, 28)
(Please use Bible verses to explain that the Lord on the throne is not only the mighty God but is also a man.)
T2 The central point of the visions presented in the book of Ezekiel (Eph. 1:17-23; 3:15-21)
(Please explain what the book of Ezekiel as a miniature of the Bible, reveals to us.) (Refer to Outline II. F)
