Bible Question:
To me the phrase Son of Man comes from beings who are telling us they are not us, and we are not them or from them. If we were their created offspring, then they would refer to us as family members. This leads a person to understand that these beings are from somewhere else or from another dimension of existence. Do not put so much emotion into the religion of Man. The Book of Ezekial tells us all we need to know.
Bible Answer:
Some have believed that the book of Ezekiel describes UFOs or spaceships from outer space. They believe these UFOs contain aliens from another dimension or distant galaxy. The purpose of this Q&A is to answer the question, “Does Ezekiel 1 describe UFOs or beings from another dimension?”
Description In Ezekiel 1:4-28
Verse 1 of Ezekiel tells us that the prophet saw visions of God.
Now it came about in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was by the river Chebar among the exiles, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. Ezekiel 1:1 (NASB)
He did not open his eyes and see something happening on planet earth or in the sky above.
The Four Living Beings
The description of what he saw starts in verse 4 and continues through verse 28. In verse 4 we are told that the prophet saw four living beings in the vision. We are told that they were glowing like metal in the midst of fire. That is, they glowed like hot metal.
As I looked, behold, a storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually and a bright light around it, and in its midst something like glowing metal in the midst of the fire. Within it there were figures resembling four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human form. Each of them had four faces and four wings. Ezekiel 1:4-6 (NASB)
We are also told that the prophet saw four living beings who looked something like humans, with the exception that each being had four faces and four wings.
Verses 8-10 describe their faces. Verse 11 repeats that they had four wings. Verse 12 states that they did not move like a bird, but instead they moved in the direction they desired to go without turning. Verses 13-14 state there was something like fire and lightning in their midst.
The Four Wheels
Beginning with verse 15 and continuing through verse 21 the description is about the appearance of four wheels (v. 16) that were near the four living beings (v. 15). Verse 16 states that these wheels appeared like sparkling beryl. Verses 17-19 are amazing,
Whenever they moved, they moved in any of their four directions without turning as they moved. As for their rims they were lofty and awesome, and the rims of all four of them were full of eyes round about. Whenever the living beings moved, the wheels moved with them. And whenever the living beings rose from the earth, the wheels rose also. Ezekiel 1:17-19 (NASB)
Notice that the rims of the wheels are filled with what appeared to be eyes, and again they moved wherever they desired without turning.
Our Glorious Lord
The most significant verses in chapter 1 are verses 22-28 because they describe the glory of God. Verses 22-25 are an introduction to the description of God, which begins in verse 26.
Now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something resembling a throne, like lapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a man. Ezekiel 1:26 (NASB)
Here we are told that God appeared as lapis lazuli, which is a deep-blue stone and in some sense like a man. Verse 27 says that beginning with His waist down to His feet, He appeared like glowing metal and fire. Finally, verse 28 describes Him as a rainbow and His shekhinah glory was visible.
That was the vision. The vision should not be partitioned into pieces. We cannot consider just one portion of it and ignore the rest. The four living beings and the four wheels are beneath God. They cannot be separated.
Explanation of Ezekiel 1
Now the question is, what does Ezekiel 1:4-28 teach us about UFOs or aliens? There are five points that we must understand.
Visions – First, the prophet Ezekiel did not see the living beings, the wheels or God in His shekhinah glory with his physical eyesight. These beings were seen in a vision. That is, Ezekiel did not see these beings in the sky above!
Four Living Beings – Second, the living beings in verses 4-14 are described as cherubim in Ezekiel 10:14. Then in Ezekiel 10:15, 20 the prophet Ezekiel states that the four living beings he saw in his vision in Ezekiel 1:4-28 are the same ones he was seeing in Ezekiel 10:1-22. We must also remember that cherubim first appeared in Genesis 3:24. That is, these four living beings are angels called cherubim.
The Wheels – The wheels with eyes around the rims which have fire and lightning associated with them are always connected to the cherubim. They are never described independent of the angels. They are never described as acting independently of the cherubim.
Our Glorious Lord – It is important to notice that the description of the “glory of the Lord” in Ezekiel 1:26-28 states that the Lord has an appearance of rainbow colors surrounding Him. In Exodus 24:9-11 we are told that under the Lord’s feet there was a pavement of sapphire, clear as crystal. In Ezekiel 10:1 we are told that “something” appeared like sapphire above the cherubim, which agrees with Ezekiel 1:26 when it states that the Lord was above the cherubim. Then in Ezekiel 10:2 we are told that the “something” spoke. That is, the Lord spoke. In Revelation 4:2-6 the apostle John had a vision in which he saw a throne and a rainbow surrounding the being on the throne. That is, the Lord in Exodus 24:9-11; Ezekiel 1:22-26; 10:2 and Revelation all refer to the same being. He is referred to as the God of Israel in Exodus 24:9-11. He is the God of the Bible.
Aliens – The Bible clearly reveals that Ezekiel 1 refers to cherubim, including their associated wheels, and the God of Israel. It is important to realize that the God of Israel states in Isaiah 43:10 that there is no other God and there will not be another one after Him. He has existed from eternity (Isaiah 43:13). In Isaiah 44:6-7 the Lord reveals, “I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me. Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it . . .” Notice that He says there is no one even like Him. Then in verse 8 He says, “Is there any God besides Me, or is there any other Rock? I know of none.” The message is that the Lord in Ezekiel 1:28 is the God of the Bible, and there are no other gods. There is only one God!! Ezekiel is not speaking of aliens as conceived by popular theories!
Conclusion:
Does Ezekiel describe UFOs or beings from another dimension of existence? No! The four living beings in Ezekiel 1 are cherubim and the wheels are directed by the Holy Spirit. The Lord in Ezekiel 1:28 is the God of the universe. Yes, we could call our God an alien since we are not like Him, but that would be an insult to Him. He is infinitely more than our popular concept of an alien. He is our God!! He created everything, including us. Sadly, in the documentary titled, “Expelled,” the well known atheist Richard Dawkins can be seen speaking and denying that there is a God who created everything. Yet, he shortly claims to believe that an alien could have created us.[1] He will deny the existence of God but was willing to accept an alien as our creator. That is just blind foolishness!
Our God is omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient and infinite in all of His attributes. That is the witness of the Bible. Yet He loves us! This God has warned us twice that only fools say there is no God.
The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” Psalm 14:1 (NASB)
The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God . . .” Psalm 53:1 (NASB)
Ezekiel 1 does not teach of aliens or flying saucers from another planet. Instead, Ezekiel 1 gives us an amazing vision of God. It is given in honor of God and for our benefit. Now we know that He is wrapped in His shekhinah glory. 1 John 1:5 says that God is light. Ezekiel 1:4-28 gives us a vision that honors our God.
References:
1. Ben Stein. Expelled (DVD). Statements are made at the end of the DVD.