Keys to the Kingdom by Carolyn Tucker
Around 1971, the Mt. Zion Bible School choir from Ava, MO, came to my church at Stockton and presented an enthralling concert. The piano and organ were masterfully played by two students and the musical talents of the chorale had my steadfast attention. I was completely taken by a song I’d never heard before and I don’t believe I’ve heard it since. Some of the lyrics in the refrain was, “He’s my Rock my Sword my Shield, He’s my wheel in the middle of the wheel.” My heart grabbed that song and it’s still in there!
While reading through the Old Testament recently, I felt a strong prompting to study Ezekiel and his God-given vision of the wheels. During this time, I purchased a large round decorative piece of aluminum which reminded me of Ezekiel‘s wheels. I attached the circular décor to my east fence where I can see it from my front porch.
Ezekiel was about 30 years old when God commissioned him as a prophet and watchman and gave him a bizarre vision of the glory of God. He was beside the Kebar River and the heavens opened and he saw visions of God and felt the hand of the Lord take hold of him. “From the center of the cloud came four living beings that looked human, except that each had four faces and four wings. Each had a human face in the front, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle at the back. They went in whatever direction the spirit chose, and they moved straight forward in any direction without turning around. As I looked at these beings, I saw four wheels touching the ground beside them, one wheel belonging to each. …each wheel had a second wheel turning crosswise within it. The rims of the four wheels were tall and frightening, and they were covered with eyes all around. When the living beings moved, the wheels moved with them. The spirit of the living beings was in the wheels. So wherever the spirit went, the wheels and the living beings also went“ (Ezekiel 1:5,6,10,12,15,16,18-20 NLT).
Bible scholars believe the wheels display the omnipotence and omnipresence of God. The explanation of the four faces are as follows: Man is considered the king of the earth and has dominance over the animals and rules the earth. The lion is considered the king of the jungle and represents strength, fierceness, and commands respect. The ox symbolizes strength, honesty, and hard work. The eagle is the king of the air, has an all-seeing eye, and represents victory, speed, royalty, release from bondage, longevity, inspiration, and power. The eyes around the wheel portray an all-knowing God who sees the good and the bad no matter which way humans turn. Ezekiel’s wheels are said to be a symbol of moving forward with the presence of God. As we study Ezekiel’s calling and visions, we can think about the Spirit of God resting on him while moving him forward into the prophetic ministry. May our eyes be opened to the unique ways God still works today.
The amount of time it takes believers to move up spiritually depends on how long we spin our wheels trying to make things happen on our own. When the hand of the Lord takes hold of us, we must be willing and ready to move forward with Him. As we worship and respond in obedience to the moving of the Spirit, heavenly things can be released upon us that we couldn’t have made happen ourselves. Let’s intently ask and expect God to move in our lives daily.
The Key: Allow the Holy Spirit to move you forward in your life and calling.