Ezekiel 1:28

• rainbow in a cloud: This image mixes the idea of judgment with a hint of mercy. The storm clouds were ready to bring judgment on God's sinful people, but a rainbow, the sign of hope God established after the flood (Genesis 9:12–17), would also appear.

  Although the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of its people to Babylon would be a severe disaster where many would die, God would remember his promise to keep a remnant alive. Judgment would not be God's final word.

• When Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord, he fell face down on the ground as though dead. This was a common human response when people experienced God’s glory (compare Leviticus 9:23–24; Numbers 22:31; 1 Kings 18:38–39; 1 Chronicles 21:16; 2 Chronicles 7:1–3; Matthew 17:5–6).

The language of this opening vision describes a theophany (a visible appearance of God; see study note on Deuteronomy 1:33). Ezekiel found it hard to describe what he saw. He often used phrases such as "the appearance of," "looked like," and "the likeness of." These words show that the vision was beyond normal human experience.

Even so, the message is clear and serious. The vision combines movement with symbols of judgment. It warns that God’s judgment would surely come upon rebellious Jerusalem.

Old Testament prophetic books often begin with a “call narrative.” A call narrative describes how God chose and sent a prophet to serve in this role (for example, Jeremiah 1:4–19).

This account showed that the prophet’s message was legitimate. It made clear that the prophet spoke as the Lord’s ambassador (a representative sent with authority). The call narrative also introduced important themes that the book would explain more fully later.

In Ezekiel, the call narrative focuses on the Lord’s coming judgment on his people.