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by the "appearance of fire". When the parents of Samson realized that "the man of God,
whose countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God" was indeed "The angel
of the Lord" they said "we shall surely die, because we have seen God". We remember
how that at Peniel, where Jacob saw God "face to face", we are told "a man" wrestled
with him, which Hosea 12: 4 interprets as an "angel". The word "appearance" comes
over and over again in the opening visions of Ezekiel's prophecy. Describing the
"likeness" of the four living creatures, Ezekiel said "And this was their appearance; they
had the likeness of a man" (Ezek. 1: 5), and throughout the wondrous and perplexing
imagery of these chapters that "likeness of a man" persists, and at the close of chapter 1:
the prophet said:
"And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne . . . . .
and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of A MAN
above upon it . . . . . this was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD"
(Ezek. 1: 26-28).
Let it be noted, Ezekiel saw the "likeness" of the firmament, the "likeness" of the
throne, the "likeness" of the glory of the Lord. He even says:
"Upon the LIKENESS of the throne was the LIKENESS as the APPEARANCE of a
man above upon it".
Not merely "likeness", but "likeness of appearance" stressing the interposition of type,
shadow and similitude. The description of this man is striking:
"And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it,
from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even
downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire . . . . . And when I saw it, I fell upon
my face, and I heard a voice of One that spake" (Ezek. 1: 27, 28).
Note again, Ezekiel is careful to say that what he saw was "as" the colour of amber, it
was "as" the appearance of fire. He does not say he saw the "loins" of this man but "the
appearance" of his loins. There can be no possible doubt that the vision granted to
Ezekiel and the vision granted to John are of the same blessed Person.
"In the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of Man . . . . . His eyes
were as a flame of fire; and His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace
. . . . . and when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead" (Rev. 1: 13-17).
"The similitude of the LORD shall he behold" (Numb. 12: 8).
Just as Col. 2: :2, 3 declares that the mystery of God is solved in the person of Christ,
so the apparent contradictions cited above of the experience of Moses, of Jacob, of
Manoah and of Ezekiel, are all resolved into harmony by the revelation of Heb. 1: 3, that
He, Who in fullness of time was made flesh, was from the creation of the world, "God
Manifest" even as later He stooped to become "God manifest in the flesh". The
brightness of His glory is followed by "the express image of His person", an equally
mighty theme that must occupy our worshipping attention in another article.