The first chapter of Ezekiel contains many figures which compose one picture. Unless all these figures are applied in a spiritual way, they seem to be meaningless. Consider, for example, the four faces of the living creatures: the face of a man, the face of a lion, the face of an ox, and the face of an eagle. If we apply these things spiritually, they are quite significant.
In this message we will consider the eagle’s wings, the human hands, and the calf’s hoofs. The four faces are the expression of the living creatures, and the wings, the hands, and the hoofs are related to the actions and moves of the living creatures.
Speaking of the living creatures, Ezekiel 1:6 says, “Every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.” Surely the wings are the wings of an eagle because among the creatures represented by the four faces, only the eagle has the wings.
Verse 8 says, “They had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides.” On every side there was the wing of an eagle, and under the wing there was the hand of a man.
Verse 7 speaks of the calf’s hoofs: “Their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot.” Of the creatures signified by the four faces, only one, the ox, has straight feet. Man’s feet are not straight but are shaped like an L. A lion does not have feet, but instead has paws with claws. An eagle also has claws. Strictly speaking, verse 7 speaks not of ox’s feet but of calf’s feet, or, hoofs, which are straight.
If we would understand the spiritual significance of the eagle’s wings, the man’s hands, and the calf’s hoofs, we need to remember the significance of the blowing of the wind, the hovering and brooding of the cloud, and the consuming, searching, enlightening, and burning of the fire, out of which comes the glowing electrum. As we have pointed out, the experience of all these things causes us to become the living creatures, expressing Christ and living out His life in a corporate way.
Let us now begin to consider the eagle’s wings.
According to the pure Word it is easy to see the spiritual significance of the eagle’s wings, the man’s hand, and the calf’s feet. In the Bible the wings of an eagle signify the strength of God applied to us. In Exodus 19:4, God said to His people, “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.” This verse speaks of the strength of God applied to His people. Isaiah 40:31 says, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” This also shows us that God’s strength applied to us is like the wings of an eagle.
In the New Testament the eagle’s wings are the grace, the power, and the strength of God in Christ applied to us. Second Corinthians 4:7 says, “We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not out of us.” This is the eagle’s wings. In 1:12 Paul says, “Our boasting is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in singleness and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and more abundantly toward you.” Again, this is the eagle’s wings. Furthermore, in 12:9a the Lord Jesus said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Because of this, in 12:9b Paul could say, “Most gladly therefore will I rather boast in my weaknesses that the power of Christ might tabernacle over me.” In our experience of the Lord, the power of Christ may overshadow us, even as the eagle’s wings overshadow the covered ones. From these verses we can see that the eagle’s wings signify the strength and the grace of the Lord Jesus applied to us.
In 1 Corinthians 15:10 Paul says, “By the grace of God I am what I am; and His grace unto me did not turn out to be in vain, but, on the contrary, I labored more abundantly than all of them, yet not I but the grace of God which is with me.” This is the eagle’s wings. Whatever we do and whatever we are should not be according to our own wisdom, strength, and ability but by the grace, power, and strength of the Lord. Therefore, as Paul says, if we boast, we should boast in the Lord (1:31). We have no boast in ourselves or in anything else but only in the Lord. His power, strength, and grace are the eagle’s wings to us today.
In our Christian life we all should bear four wings on four sides, showing others that whatever we are and whatever we do is not by ourselves and is not of ourselves but of God, so that the excellency of the power may be of God and not out of us.