Gluten Free & God Seeking: Looking at the Spiritual Meanings in Ezekiel's Visions -What Does the Wind, Cloud, Fire & Electrum in Ezekiel 1:4 Symbolize?

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Looking at the Spiritual Meanings in Ezekiel's Visions -What Does the Wind, Cloud, Fire & Electrum in Ezekiel 1:4 Symbolize?

Whenever I used to think of Ezekiel, I always think about the vision of the bones in the valley; maybe that's because of that kid's song about dry bones. In comparison the first vision presented in Ezekiel may seem a bit insignificant, but you'll see it's extremely critical.

And I looked, and there came a storm wind from the north, a great cloud and a fire flashing incessantly; and there was a brightness around it, and from the midst of it there was something like the sight of electrum, from the midst of the fire. Ezekiel 1:4

God gave Ezekiel the vision of the wind, cloud, fire, and electrum to portray a spiritual cycle that we should experience every day. So let's get started. The vision first begins with an image of a stormy wind blowing from the north. Why the north? Witness Lee explains that In the Psalms we can pick up that God is the One who dwells in the north (Psalm 48:2). So I learned that this means that God sends something into our life that's like a spiritual storm that turns our lives upside down. I've had that happen, so I'm sure you know what that means!

After that Ezekiel saw an image of a cloud. This should remind us of how after the Israelites built the tabernacle the Lord came down as a cloud upon it, and He also guided them with a cloud on their wilderness journey. So in this regard the cloud is God's presence hovering over us and caring for us in the "storm."

Following the wind and cloud comes the image of fire. God's presence upon us produces a fire that consumes negative things in our heart and purifies us. This goes along with the verse in Hebrews 12:29 that says our God is a consuming fire. Ultimately these three experiences produce electrum within us. I read that electrum is an alloy of gold and silver, which is a picture of the redeeming God in Revelation 22:1.

I liked this excerpt on page 40 of chapter 4 of the Life-Study of Ezekiel that explains that this vision is a picture of an ongoing cycle that should be a part of our daily experience:

Family walk

The spiritual history of every Christian should involve the wind, the cloud, the fire, and the electrum. When we were saved, we experienced the Lord in these four ways, and we should continue to experience Him in this way....When you wake up in the morning, you may sense that the wind of the Spirit is blowing upon you and that a cloud is overshadowing you. Then as you spend some time to pray, you may sense that a fire is burning within you to consume your corruption, worldliness, and many other negative things. Eventually, you may sense that within you there is a something bright, beautiful, and dignified--the glowing electrum....This kind of experience is inexhaustible and unending (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Ezekiel. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1998, Print).

I hope you'll have time to click on the above link and read this chapter for yourself. The exposition on this vision in this chapter has really helped me understand on another plane what God's doing in all the situations in my life!! He's producing electrum in us--which really just means He's transforming us a little bit more into His image like 2 Corinthians 3:18 talks about.

Other posts on the Major Prophets

Life-Study of Isaiah:
You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking the Life-Study of Isaiah on Life Study of the Bible with Witness Lee. You can also read the online Life-Studies of Isaiah and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.

How Can the Son in Isaiah 7:14 & 9:6 Be the Mighty God?
Seeing Christ as the Great Light in Isaiah 9:2
Why is Christ Called the Cornerstone in Isaiah 28:26?
Taking a Closer Look at Isaiah 53 - Christ's Crucifixion Foretold - Part 1

Taking a Closer Look at Isaiah 53 - Christ's Resurrection &Ascension Foretold - Part 2 of 2

Life-Study of Jeremiah & Lamentations: