Common Call, Different Road
1 In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the Chebar canal, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. 2 On the fifth day of the month (it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin), 3 the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the Chebar canal, and the hand of the LORD was upon him there.
In the above passage we read about the prophet Ezekiel’s call to the ministry. In fact, in the first six chapters of the book are about his call. He has this amazing vision and is actually taken on a heavenly trip and is exposed more to God. He has a chance to see the glory of God. Note what happens in this call:
So I arose and went out into the valley, and behold, the glory of the Lord stood there, like the glory that I had seen by the Chebar canal, and I fell on my face.
However, in the first three verses of the book we read three things about Ezekiel and his new ministry:
1. He saw a vision from God.
2. He heard a word from God.
3. He felt the touch of God.
Although all the prophets of the Old Testament had different ministries and different results, they all had these three things in common. They saw God, heard from God and felt God in their lives. In the New Testament era we are told that “in these last days” God spoke to us through the Son:
1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Ezekiel had a vision of Christ. These three areas are actually experienced in the age of the Church but in a very different way.
1. Vision of God - we see the glory of God via Christ. Notice in the Hebrews passage that Christ is the “radiance of the glory of God” and the “exact imprint of His nature.” When we read about Christ and see His glory in the scriptures, we see God.
2. Word of God - we now have the New Testament scriptures. These pages, written by the Holy Spirit through mankind, God is speaking to us through His Word.
3. Touch of God - through the ministry of the Spirit we experience what Ezekiel experienced. The unction and leading of the Spirit is a real ministry to the Saints.
God spoke in the to and through the prophets. He interacted with them. In these last days He is doing the exact same thing, but through the ministry of the Word and the Spirit. Ezekiels vision was spectacular. But, it was nothing compared to what we know now in the power of the Spirit through the Word.
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