LIFE-STUDY OF EZEKIEL
Read and pray: “That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Rom. 8:4)
Being a Proper Man
In order to participate in the coordination of the living creatures, we must have human hands. This means that we must be a proper man. If we lack proper humanity, there will be problems in our coordination.
This was the situation with a certain brother who insisted on visiting a particular family at a time that was inconvenient for them. He was determined to visit that family at mealtime, even though the saints in that family felt that mealtime was not an appropriate time for him to visit. This brother may even have eagle’s wings, but he does not have human hands.
A few days after his visit, we received a report from a member of the family concerning what had happened. The brother visited the family at lunchtime, expecting that a meal would be served to him. However, the wife was sick and could not prepare anything for him to eat. Nevertheless, the brother sat there in the house, waiting for lunch to be served, even though he could see that the husband was busy taking care of his wife and could not serve him anything to eat. This brother does not have human hands; he does not have proper humanity. Such a person cannot coordinate with other saints.
In Ezekiel 1 we see not only eagle’s wings but also human hands. The divine revelation shows us that we need to be balanced. No matter how spiritual we may be, we still must be a proper human being.
For example, a young brother may be very spiritual, but when he is with an older person, he should have proper human respect. If we do not have human hands and do not have the balance of spirituality and proper humanity, we cannot coordinate with others.
Having Calf’s Hoofs
Another prerequisite of coordination is to have calf’s hoofs. If a certain brother does not have calf’s hoofs, his walk is crooked, and this will make it impossible for him to coordinate with others.
We all need to be clear concerning the prerequisites of coordination. The wind, the cloud, the fire, the electrum, the faces of a man, a lion, a calf, and an eagle, the eagle’s wings, and the human hands — all these are the prerequisites for entering into the coordination of the four living creatures.
THE PRACTICAL CONDITION OF COORDINATION
We will now continue to consider the practical condition of coordination.
Living and Acting by the Grace and Power of God
Ezekiel 1:11b says, “Their wings were spread out above; each one had two joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.” This indicates that the four living creatures were arranged not in a line but in a square. In the Bible we have shown that eagle’s wings typify the grace and power of God. If the four living creatures were not joined by their wings to form a square, they could not be coordinated. This indicates that the coordination of the living creatures is in the Lord and by the grace of God.
If, as believers in Christ, we are not in the Lord and in the grace of God, we cannot be joined to others. But if we remain in God, trust in God, and express God, we will be able to coordinate together in God. Our coordination, therefore, is not based on our ability and talent but on our abiding in God and depending on God.
If we all remain in God, trust in God, and express God, God will become the power and the means of our coordination. Then we will coordinate and move forward in oneness, because we are in God.
Just as the boards of the tabernacle in the Old Testament were held together by gold to be one entity, so the living creatures are joined by their wings to be one unit. If the gold that overlaid the boards were removed, the tabernacle would collapse. If the living creatures did not have wings, they could not be joined.
The meaning in both cases is the same: We are held together because we are in God. The crucial point here is that the oneness and coordination of the four living creatures depend on the eagle’s wings, that is, the grace and power of God. The grace and power of God make the living creatures one entity and are the means by which they coordinate.
This picture of coordination corresponds to the teaching in the New Testament. Romans 12:5 says, “So we who are many are one Body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” First Corinthians 12:13 says, “For also in one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and were all given to drink one Spirit.”
These verses reveal that we are united as one Body and coordinate as one Body because of Christ and the Spirit. If Christ and the Spirit were taken away from us, we could not be one, and coordination would be impossible. Coordination in the church requires that we all deny the self and live in the Lord. Without the eagle’s wings we are separated, but with them we are coordinated.
Walking According to the Spirit
The second aspect of the practical condition of coordination is walking according to the Spirit (Ezek. 1:20). The living creatures follow the Spirit. Wherever the Spirit goes, the living creatures also go. This indicates that if we, as living creatures in Christ, desire to be coordinated, we must walk by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16, 25).
We should not follow ourselves. If we deny ourselves and walk according to the spirit (Rom. 8:4), we will have genuine coordination. However, if we walk arbitrarily according to the will of the self and live in the flesh, we will not be able to coordinate together.
Moving Straight and Receiving Others
Another aspect of the practical condition of coordination is moving straight and receiving others. When the living creatures move, they go forward; they do not turn. If one living creature takes the lead to move forward to the east, the other living creatures also move in that direction. This indicates that all function properly in coordination.
In the church life today, each member has his own function (1 Cor. 12:14-30) and moves forward in one direction to fulfill his function, without turning to do something else. While one of the four living creatures advances in a particular direction, the others receive him by moving in the same direction, walking backward or sideways to the right or to the left.
Only one living creature at a time can advance. However, in moving with him, the others do not turn; instead, they walk backward or sideways. Regardless of the direction in which the living creatures move, if one moves forward, the others move backward or sideways. Thus, those who move backward and sideways receive the one who moves forward.
This should be the situation in the church life today. Many times we need to move backward or sideways in order to receive the one who is advancing. In the meetings or in the practical service, when someone is exercising his function and moving forward, we need to receive him by moving either backward or sideways. This is coordination.
However, if everyone follows his own way and does not receive others, we may not be a corporate entity and cannot coordinate together. The move of the living creatures is not individual; it is corporate. The living creatures move by coordinating together. If we want to participate in such coordination, we need to deny ourselves, experience the grace of God, and follow the Spirit in a corporate way.
I believe that in the Bible the clearest picture of coordination is found in Ezekiel chapter one. A central feature of the vision of the four living creatures is their coordination. Here we do not see the move of an individual living creature but the corporate move of four living creatures. This portrays the move not of believers individually but of the church in a corporate way.
We, the living ones, who are in the grace and power of God, become one entity. All have their ministry and exercise their proper function. This means that each goes forward in his own direction, without turning.
Although the directions may be different, the move is the same. When one goes to the north, all the others follow him by moving in that direction. If one moves to the south, all the others move with him to the south. Whenever someone is moving forward, all the others receive him by moving either backward or sideways. If we study the clear picture of the coordination of the living creatures in Ezekiel 1, we will understand what coordination is.
THE RESULT OF COORDINATION
Finally, we need to see the various aspects of the result of coordination.
The Corporate Expression of Christ
First, coordination results in the corporate expression of Christ.
Becoming Burning and Full of Light
Second, coordination results in those who coordinate together becoming burning coals and full of light. By burning and shining, they can enlighten others.
The Move of the Great Wheel
Another result of coordination is the move of God, represented by the great wheel (vv. 16-19). When the living creatures coordinate, the great wheel appears. This indicates that the move of God follows the coordination of the four living creatures. If there is no coordination, there can be no move of the great wheel.
The Administration of God
The coordination of the four living creatures also results in the administration of God. The throne of the divine administration rests upon the coordination of the living creatures. Without this coordination, God would have no means to govern and no way to express His authority and glory.
The Fulfillment of God’s Will
Another result of coordination is the fulfillment of God’s will and His plan. Because of the coordination of the four living creatures, there is a way for God’s will and His plan to be accomplished.
We need to be impressed with the crucial importance of coordination. Before we can be coordinated together, we need to experience the wind, the cloud, the fire, and the electrum and thereby become the living creatures. Then we need to have the image of a man and the faces of a man, a lion, a calf, and an eagle. In addition, we must have eagle’s wings, human hands, and calf’s hoofs.
If we have all these things, then we will be able to coordinate together. This coordination will result in the corporate expression of Christ, in our becoming burning, shining, and full of light, in the move of God, in the administration of God, and in the fulfillment of God’s eternal plan.
We need to see that coordination is the key to understanding the vision of Ezekiel 1. On the one hand, many things are for coordination; on the other hand, many things are based on coordination. Coordination is the key.
May we all see this, and may the Lord bring us all into coordination with many other living creatures for the sake of the corporate expression of Christ, the move of God, and the administration of God.
🌿Enjoy more:
Hymn: H301 - “His Humanity”
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