“And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.”
My Notes
What Does Ezekiel 1:26 Mean?
Ezekiel 1:26 is the climax of the prophet's inaugural vision — the most elaborate theophany in Scripture. After describing the four living creatures, the wheels within wheels, and the firmament above them, Ezekiel finally looks up to the highest point: a throne. And on the throne, something that looks like a person.
The language is wrapped in layers of qualification: "the likeness of a throne" (demuth kisse), "as the appearance of a sapphire stone" (ke'ma'reh even sappir), "the likeness as the appearance of a man" (demuth kema'reh adam). Likeness. Appearance. As. Like. Ezekiel stacks approximations because he's describing something language wasn't built for. He can't say "I saw God." He says: I saw something that looked like a throne that looked like sapphire, and on it, something that resembled the appearance of a man.
The sapphire (sappir) connects to Exodus 24:10, where Moses and the elders saw under God's feet "a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness." The throne of God is associated with sapphire blue — the color of the sky, of depth, of heaven itself. And the figure on the throne is described as adam — a human form. The God who is spirit (John 4:24) and whom no one has seen (1 Timothy 6:16) appears to Ezekiel in a form recognizable as human. The incarnation is foreshadowed: the God of the sapphire throne has always been willing to take human shape.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Ezekiel stacks approximations — 'likeness,' 'appearance,' 'as' — because language can't hold what he's seeing. When have you encountered something about God that your words couldn't adequately capture?
- 2.God appears on the throne in human form. How does this foreshadowing of the incarnation change how you think about God's willingness to be known in a way you can recognize?
- 3.The sapphire throne is majesty; the human figure is accessibility. Which do you need more right now — awe of God's transcendence or comfort in His nearness?
- 4.Ezekiel saw God and could barely describe it. How has your capacity for experiencing God's presence grown or atrophied over time?
Devotional
Ezekiel looks up and can barely describe what he sees. A throne — or something like a throne. Sapphire — or something that looks like sapphire. And on it, a figure that resembles... a person. The language buckles under the weight of what he's witnessing. Every word is an approximation. Every description is hedged. Not because Ezekiel is uncertain but because the thing he's looking at exceeds the capacity of the words available to him.
The fact that God appears in human form on the throne is the detail that should stop you. This isn't the incarnation — that's centuries away. But it's the same instinct. The God of infinite power and incomprehensible glory chooses to present Himself in a form that Ezekiel can recognize: human-shaped. The sapphire throne establishes the majesty. The human form establishes the accessibility. Both are present simultaneously. God is enthroned above the firmament in unapproachable splendor — and He looks like a person. The majesty and the intimacy are not in tension. They're the same vision.
If your picture of God has become either all majesty (distant, terrifying, incomprehensible) or all intimacy (friendly, approachable, safe), Ezekiel's vision holds them together. The throne is sapphire. The figure is human. The glory blinds and the form invites. You're looking at the God who will eventually become an actual human — who will walk dusty roads and touch lepers and die on wood — and you're seeing that the willingness to take human form was there from the beginning, seated on a throne that looks like the sky.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And above the firmament that was over their heads,.... The heads of the living creatures:
was the likeness of a…
Sapphire - Clear heavenly blue. The appearance of a man - Deeply significant is the form of this manifestation. Here is…
A sapphire - The pure oriental sapphire, a large well cut specimen of which is now before me, is one of the most…
All the other parts of this vision were but a preface and introduction to this. God in them had made himself known as…
The throne and glory of Him who sat on it
Above the firmament was the appearance of a throne, like a sapphire stone;…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture