Ezekiel was also a prophet in captivity. His visions were concerning the spiritual recovery of God’s people.
Verse 4 says, “And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire.”
This verse mentions four things: wind, cloud, fire, and amber or electrum. God uses physical things to illustrate spiritual things. The strong wind signifies the Holy Spirit. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out as a rushing violent wind (Acts 2:1-4). The whirlwind brought in a great cloud, which also signifies the Spirit. When the Spirit stirs up people, He is like the wind. When the Spirit visits people and overshadows people, He is like a great cloud. The great cloud was covered with a fire. God is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29). Therefore, fire signifies God’s burning and sanctifying power, which performs a shining and purifying work in man. Out of the fire comes the glowing electrum. Electrum signifies the divine nature in glory and honor.
Whenever there is a spiritual revival, there is the rushing wind of the Spirit followed by the covering of man by the Spirit. There is the burning of the consuming fire in man, shining and purifying. Thus man becomes like the electrum, shining with glory and honor.
Verses 26 and 27 say, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you...And I will put my Spirit within you.” Before a person is saved, his heart is an old heart. But after a person is saved, his heart becomes a new heart. Furthermore, man’s heart is renewed in every revival. The heart is man’s loving organ. The old heart does not love God but rather things outside of God. When God comes in to visit and revive man, He not only cleanses his defilement, but also renews his heart and softens it to love God.
God also gives man a new spirit. The spirit of man was deadened because of the fall. The new spirit is a living spirit. God revives man’s old and deadened spirit and makes it a new spirit. He gives the spirit of man a new function that man may be able to contact God and fellowship with Him.
Furthermore, God puts His own Spirit within man. When God puts His Spirit within man, God Himself enters into man, so that within man, there is God. At such a time, man is completely renewed within and becomes a renewed man.