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Ezekiel 1:1-11

A View into Heaven’s Glory

  • Rich Jones
  • Weekend Messages
  • May 24, 2026

Ezekiel was called to speak the word of God to the exiles that would transform their hearts so they would seek God with all their hearts and be transformed by the moving of God upon the souls. They needed a prophet to speak God’s word that would guide their transformation.

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A View into Heaven’s Glory
Ezekiel 1:1-11
May 23-24, 2026

     Ezekiel was an exile in Babylon. He had been taken from Jerusalem in the second of three waves. In the first wave, Nebuchadnezzar took the elite and the skilled, and some of the best and brightest of the young men to serve in his administration. These were men such as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah among others. This strategy was effective. It helped make the Babylonian empire the greatest the world had ever seen.

     In the second wave, Nebuchadnezzar took the king himself, the royal court, 7000 elite soldiers and several thousand craftsmen and artisans. Ezekiel was exiled in the second wave.

     Finally, in the third and final wave, he took Zedekiah, the last of the kings who were in the line of David. He took most of those who remained in the city and left in Jerusalem only a few of the poorest and destitute of the land.

     Ezekiel is a book of transformation and revival. If you remember, Jeremiah had declared that those who gave themselves up to be exiled were called the good figs, while those who remained and fled to Egypt were the bad figs who would never be heard from again.

     Those in Babylon were not called good figs because they had good hearts. No, they were obstinate and rebellious. They had to go through the fire and tumult of the exile. They would be transformed into good figs by the work of revival.

     That’s what Ezekiel was called to do, to speak the word of God to the exiles that would transform their hearts so they would seek God with all their hearts and be transformed by the moving of God upon the souls. They needed a prophet to speak God’s word that would guide their transformation.

     Ezekiel is also a book of prophecy of the latter days. He will prophesy of the regathering and restoring of Israel in the latter days. He gives a vision of a valley of dry bones coming to life, a famous vision of national resurrection. He speaks of a coalition of nations that will come against Israel in the battle of Gog and Magog who will attack Israel while she is at peace. This will happen “in the latter days.”

     He speaks of the New Temple that will be rebuilt in the latter days, of the return of God’s glory that will be greater than at the first. He speaks of a river of life that flows out of Jerusalem that flows into the desert and wherever it flows there is life; a picture of the Spirit being poured out in the latter days.

     In chapter 1 Ezekiel is called by God to be a prophet to the exiles living in Babylon, but before he is sent to deliver the message of God, he is giving a view into heaven itself. Ezekiel sees the throne of God and the glory that surrounds the throne, including the four living creatures that abide there in the presence of God before the throne.

     He describes what he saw and in so doing, he gives us a view into heaven also. The description of heavenly glory is limited by the fact that he must use human words to describe a heavenly view. There are no words that can truly capture glory of what his eyes behold.

     But these words give us the hope of heaven. And in this world of woe, such words bring hope.

     There will be many troubles that come upon the earth. I believe we are now going through that period Jesus described as the birth pangs leading up to the latter days. “There will be wars and rumors of wars, nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom and in various places there will be famines and plagues and earthquakes. But all these are merely the beginning of birth pangs,” Jesus said. In other words, troubles and trials will increase with greater intensity as the end draws near.

     But ‘after these things’ comes the hope of heaven. Paul endured many trials and troubles in his life and ministry, but he endured all these things because he had the hope of heaven.

Romans 8:18, For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.        

     When you are enduring or even suffering, you need something to hold onto that’s beyond the suffering. You need a future that has hope. This world is filled with troubles; life itself can be difficult, but there is a future glory. You can endure the troubles of this life when you have such a hope!

     For the believer in Jesus Christ, that future glory, that future hope is heaven itself. If you don’t have that hope, if you don’t have that assurance, let this be the day you find it. God is pursuing you; he’s knocking on the door of your heart. He wants to have a personal relationship with you.

     But what is heaven like? Many would love a view into heaven. What is this future glory God has in store for those who believe in Jesus Christ? Is it a place of beautiful golf courses, or perfect fishing lakes or perhaps a place where you can eat incredible delectable food… and never gain weight!!

     In chapter 1, Ezekiel is given a heavenly vision. He beholds the throne of God and all that surrounds him. There are no words, however, to adequately describe what his eyes see.

     We are brought with Ezekiel into this glimpse into heaven. If we could only see what his eyes saw, but we cannot. But we have this amazing description of the throne of heaven.

     There is a phrase I have come to truly appreciate; “We are changed in the presence of a Holy God.” These verses draw us into God’s glorious presence and gives a deeper understanding of His heart and character.

     Ezekiel describes the scene: there was a throne standing in heaven and One sitting on the throne, radiant in glory. There were four living creatures before the throne. From the book of Revelation, we come to understand that these living creatures declare the glory of God and never cease to say, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty.”

     What is holiness? Holiness is the nature and character of God Himself. God wants you to be changed to be like Him in holiness. It means that God wants you to have His heart and character.

     The four living creatures before the great throne are angels like nothing we can imagine, but these four living creatures represent the nature of Jesus Christ and the holiness and nature of God.

     Ezekiel described the four living creatures before the throne of God. They each had four faces each facing in opposite directions. Each had the face of a lion, and an ox, and of a man, and of an eagle.

     Jewish Rabbis taught that the four faces of these creatures in Ezekiel’s vision represent God’s greatest creations. They also taught that these images were on the ensign, the standard, used by each of the lead tribes when Israel camped in the desert:  

East                 Judah               Lion

West                Ephraim           Ox                  

South               Reuben            Man

North               Dan                 Eagle         

     The early church fathers taught that these faces represent the four-fold ministry of the Lord Jesus and the qualities that God desires in each of us. Some have also suggested that they represent how Jesus is presented in each of the Gospels.

     In Matthew, Jesus is seen as the King, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. In Mark, He is seen as the servant, represented by the ox. In Luke, He is seen as the Son of Man, represented by the face of a man; and then in a grand way, He is seen as the Son of God, represented by the eagle. 

I. Have the Heart of a Lion 

  • Jesus is called the Lion from the tribe of Judah, so the connection to the heart of Jesus is seen in the face of a lion of these living creatures.
  • The qualities of a lion are clear: power, authority, strength, boldness. 
  • These majestic symbols, represent the character and nature of Jesus as the King of kings. It also represents God’s heart for our transformation.
  • In other words, He wants to transform you so that you have the heart of a lion. 
  • He transforms you into His image, His character, and His nature.

A. Authority requires boldness

  • In Scripture, authority is sometimes represented by a key. The one who holds the key has the authority to open the door.

Revelation 1:17-18, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of hell.” 

  • Jesus said to Peter, “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.”
  • All authority has been given unto Jesus and He promised to be with us, with that authority, even to the end of the age…

Matthew 28:18-20, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

2 Corinthians 3: 12, Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech.

  • After the resurrection, a great revival broke out in Jerusalem. The Jewish leaders had Peter and the others arrested, but an angel opened the gates of the prison and the disciples went right back to teaching in the temple. So they had them arrested again and brought before the Council… But a certain Jewish leader named Gamaliel corrected them…

Acts 5:38-39, “If what these men are doing should be of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.”

B. To have authority, be under authority

  • There is a time to take a stand and not to compromise. Jesus repeatedly said to the churches, “He who overcomes…”
  • To overcome means to hold fast to what you have, it means to keep His word until the end.

Illus- Before 8-track players and cassettes, in the days of LP albums, the cover of an LP was one of the best parts of the album. Keith Green’s album cover “No Compromise” stands as one of the most powerful. The scene is that of a crowd before Nebuchadnezzar. Everyone is bowing before him. But one meek, powerful man stands with …no compromise.

  • One of the principles of scripture, however, is that to have authority, one must be under authority… well.
  • He is the Lion from the tribe of Judah and all authority in heaven and on earth has been given unto Him.

Matthew 8:5-10, When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, begging Him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, terribly tormented.”  Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion replied, “[Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” Now when Jesus heard this, He was amazed and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. 

  • To be under authority is to recognize that He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah and all authority has been given to Him, and when you reside well under that banner, He becomes the strong man in your life.

Romans 8:31, What can we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?      

II. Serve with the Heart of an Ox

  • The ox is the most powerful of the beasts of burden and represents the heart of the Lord in serving. It’s the character of God revealed.
  • Jesus said, “He who desires to be first, let him be the last, and he who desires to be the greatest, let him be the servant of all. In the same way, the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
  • A great quality of the ox, a beast of burden, is that he is steady and faithful.

A. Be steady and faithful

  • The ox is steady and faithful in its purpose. Apply this to your faith. You need to be steady and faithful like an ox in the things which are good.

Galatians 6:9, Do not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap if you do not grow weary.

Illus – If a farmer in those days had to plow difficult, hard ground, the animal of choice would be the ox. He is powerful, sure-footed and steady.          

An interesting factoid is that an ox is highly trainable. A farmer can direct an ox with a simple word of direction.

1 Corinthians 15:58, Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

  • One of the qualities of an ox is that he does the work without complaining. Unlike a donkey, he’ll work, but there’ll be a lot of drama. The Ox works without an attitude – no drama.

Illus – When Jesus visited the home of Martha and Mary, Martha complained because her sister Mary wasn’t helping with the preparations and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Tell her to help me.”

            Instead of telling Mary to help, Jesus corrected Martha, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things…”

            In other words, there was nothing wrong with serving, it was the attitude that went with it.

B. Do the difficult things

  • In every house and in every ministry, there are jobs no one wants to do, but those with servant hearts are willing to do the difficult things that other people are unwilling to do.
  • Don’t be afraid to do the difficult things.

Illus – I remember when we had our first baby. I knew there would be a few tasks that were, let’s just say, rather unpleasant, but I decided I would go for it. I’m in. That is, until Jordi decided to use cloth diapers… That had to be rinsed out before they could be washed. I thought to myself, “There’s a limit and we just hit it.” But, sure enough, it wasn’t long before…

  • We are drawing near to the latter days and difficult days are ahead. Those who have the heart of a servant will be spiritually valuable.
  • There is spiritual maturity in a servant heart and in the latter days this will stand in contrast to the world.

2 Timothy 3:1-2, But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,

How do you know if you have the heart of a servant?

  • By how you react when people treat you like one.
  • And if you find true pleasure in the serving.
  • In the last days, the Antichrist arises who will deceive many because it will appear as though he can provide answers to the world’s great problems; which strongly suggests that the world will encounter great turbulence leading up to the last days.
  • Those will be days when servant-hearted people must arise to help others.

III.       God Desires both Humility and Greatness

  • These living creatures before the throne are those which are the closest to the presence of God.
  • In the vision of John in the book of Revelation, we know that there are also 24 elders sitting on thrones and thrones represent authority. They were dressed in white with golden crowns on their heads… But they fell down before Him who sits on the throne and cast their crowns before the throne.
  • There are greatness, power, and authority in each of them, but there is also great humility.

A. The face of man is humility

  • Each of these living creatures before the throne represent the nature and character of God.
  • Is humility an aspect of God’s character? When Christ became a man, it was an act of greatest humility.

Philippians 2:7-8, He emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

  • God gives glory and honor to those who understand the value of humility…

Matthew 23:11-12, “The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.”

B. The eagle is the majesty of God

  • Lastly, each of the living creatures had a face like an eagle. The symbol is power and majesty and victory. He is the Son of God.

Psalm 91:1, 4, He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.… He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and a bulwark.

  • The eagle is the only animal that can look directly at the sun and not damage its eyes; as Jesus is the One who can perceive the Father in all His glory.

Illus – The eagle is the majesty of soaring high by the lift of the wind. It knows the wind that lifts and it knows the wind that flows downward.

The Holy Spirit is “the wind” which is the power of God and we are in God’s majesty when we walk by and live by the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 40:31, Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.im which

God gives us a view into heaven so that we will have hope beyond this world of woe. But also so that we can know that all that God is, He desires to be to you and in you. You are transformed in the presence of a holy God.

A View into Heaven’s Glory
Ezekiel 1:1-11
May 23-24, 2026

Ezekiel 1, beginning in verse 1, and the title of our message, A View into Heaven's Glory. A View into Heaven's Glory. By the way, thank you for letting us have a little time off for our anniversary. I said to my wife, "Would you do a little vacation?" and she said, "Our marriage is a vacation," she said. Well, she didn't exactly say it that way. I think what she actually said was, "When I married you, you were my last resort." I'm pretty sure that's-- Okay, that's just a joke. Actually, 42 years. We're celebrating 42 years.

Let's pray. Lord, thank You for Your Word and for sending it forth in power to reveal Your heart after us, to bless, to show us the way of life and great blessing. God, pour out Your Spirit through Your Word, we pray in Jesus' name. Everyone said amen. Ezekiel is a prophet to the exiles, there in Babylon. He was taken as an exile in the second wave. You might remember there were three waves that Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem.

The first was when he took the elite, the skilled, some of the best and the brightest of the young men to serve in his administration. These were men such as Daniel and Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah, Meshach, Shadrach, amongst others. This strategy was very effective. It helped make Babylon one of the greatest empires the world had ever seen. In the second wave, he took the king himself, the royal court, 7,000 elite soldiers, and several thousand craftsmen and artisans. Ezekiel was in that second wave.

In the third and final wave, he took the last of the kings in the light of David, Zedekiah, and all who remained in the city, left in Jerusalem, only a few of the poorest and the destitute, he left there in the land. Ezekiel is a book of transformation, revival, and prophecy. When you study prophecy of the latter days, you almost turn to Ezekiel all the time, that and Daniel and Revelation, which we will also, of course, study.

If you remember, Jeremiah declared that those who gave themselves up to exile were called the good figs. Those who remained or fled to Egypt were called the bad figs who would never be heard from again. Now, those in Babylon were not called good figs because they had good hearts. No, actually, they had obstinate and rebellious hearts, but they were called this because of what they

would become. God was prophesying a revival that would happen as they went through the fire and the tumult of the exile. They would be transformed into those good figs by a work of revival, and that's what Ezekiel is called to do, to speak that word of revival and transformation to the exiles that would transform their hearts, and that they would seek God with all of their heart to be transformed by the moving of God upon their souls. In other words, they needed the prophet. They needed the word of God to make this revival happen.

In other words, God can use troubles and difficulties and tumult, and He does today, by the way. God is still doing a work of transforming and reviving, and He will use trouble and tumult and difficulty to do it, but it's not only the trouble and the difficulty that brings that revival. No, it's the work of God. You need the outpouring of the word. You need the outpouring of the Spirit, and that's what we're going to see when you look at the Book of Ezekiel, but it's also a book of prophecy.

As I mentioned, later, we're going to read that he's going to prophesy about the regathering and the restoring of Israel in the latter days. We are actually seeing that aspect of the prophecy fulfilled before our eyes in the sense that May 14th, 1948, Israel became a nation again. We see, as you look at prophecy, that Israel will be the center of the unfolding of prophecy in the latter days, and Jerusalem will be the very center, and then Temple Mount will be the very epicenter of the unfolding events of the latter days prophecy.

He will also give a vision in this book about a valley of drying bones coming to life. It's a famous vision of national resurrection. He's also going to speak about a coalition of nations that come against Israel in a battle called the Battle of Gog and Magog, who will attack Israel while she is at peace. This will happen in the latter days. Whenever we study prophecy of the latter days, we study that. He speaks of a new temple that will be rebuilt in the latter days. In fact, in Israel today, they are preparing for the rebuilding of the temple in fulfillment of the Book of Ezekiel in the latter days.

He will speak of the return of God's glory that will be greater in the latter days than it even was in the beginning. That is amazing. We'll read it when we get there. He speaks of a river of life that flows out of Jerusalem, that flows into the desert, and wherever it flows, there is life. It's a picture of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the latter days. All right, that is all the backstory. Now, Ezekiel 1 is where God calls Ezekiel to be a prophet to the exiles there living in Babylon, but before He sends him to deliver the message of God, Ezekiel is given a view into heaven itself.

Before He sends him as a prophet, He's going to show him the glory and the throne room of God. He sees the glory that surrounds the throne, including, he says, four living creatures that abide there in the presence of God before the throne. We know them as angelic beings. He describes what he saw, and in so doing, he gives us a glimpse into heaven's glory. Now, he's limited by the fact that he's got to describe a heavenly vision with earthly words.

Oh, if we could only see with our own eyes, oh, what glory it would be, and one day we will see with our own eyes, for this he's describing is the hope of heaven. In a world of woe and such as we live, we need words of hope. Jesus describes that there will be troubles and greater trials that will come upon the world as we draw nearer to the latter days. I believe that we're going through now that period Jesus described as the birth pangs leading up to the latter days.

Jesus said in Matthew 24, there will be wars and rumors of wars. Nation will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and plagues and earthquakes, but all these are merely the beginning of birth pangs, Jesus said. In other words, trouble and trials will increase with greater intensity as the end draws near. In another place, He says, "But take courage. I have overcome the world." We know how this story ends. After all these things, there is the hope of heaven.

Paul, you want to talk about enduring trials and troubles, surely that would be Paul, but he endured these things because he had the hope of heaven. Notice Romans 8:18, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us." The glory of that, he says, is far beyond comparison to anything that we experience in this world of woe.

When you're enduring and suffering, you need something to hold onto that's beyond. You need to hold onto such a hope that future glory is heaven itself. If you don't have that hope, if you don't have that assurance, let this be the day that you find it. God is pursuing you. God is knocking on the door of your heart. God wants to have a personal relationship to you, and God wants to show you the greatness of His glory.

You wonder, have you ever wondered, what is heaven like? Many would love a view into heaven. What is that future glory that God has in store for those who are believers in Jesus Christ? Is it a place where there's beautiful golf courses, or maybe perfect fishing lakes, or perhaps a place where you can eat incredible, delectable, delightful food, and never gain any weight? That'd be awesome. No, he describes in Ezekiel 1 a heavenly vision where there is glory. He beholds the throne of God and all that surround him. Words are not adequate to describe. We're brought with Ezekiel into this glimpse of heaven. He describes the glory.

This is an amazing scene that he describes. There's a throne in heaven, one sitting on the throne, radiant in glory. There were four living creatures before the throne, angelic beings. We come to understand from the Book of Revelation that these four living angelic beings declare the glory of God and never cease to say, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty." There's something majestic and glorious about this declaration that they say over and over and over, like, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty."

There is this amazing view he gives of the glory he describes. The glory. When you think about standing before the throne of the living God and the glory that he describes, the radiance of the eminence of God's presence moving in glory. Can you imagine standing there in that place of glory, the fullness of glory? What would be in your heart? It's an awesome, ominous thing that many have in their minds to stand before the throne of the living God.

God is love. Is that not true? God is love. When you stand there, and you abide in the glory, that which fills your soul is the glory of His holiness, and love will pervade your soul. Can you imagine the love that just fills the soul, the joy, the peace? This is the radiance of God's glory that He moves. What is amazing is that He says that you can move in this glory even now.

Everyone who receives the Lord Jesus Christ, if you've opened your heart to receive the Lord, that He pours out the Holy Spirit, and He says the glory that abides in your soul is the glory that abided even greater that abided in Moses, it is the very glory that comes from the throne of God, and you can have that glory abiding in your soul even now. Yes, let's give the Lord praise. Amen. [applause] Amen.

These four living creatures, in many ways, they are the ones nearest to the throne. You see in the image of the faces of these angelic beings, a picture which represents the glory, the nature, the character of God; there is the face of a lion, the face of an ox, the face of man, and the face of an eagle. Each of these describe the transforming power of God upon the soul. That which God desires to do is seen in the faces of these angelic beings.

You are transformed by the outpouring of glory into His image, and it is seen in the faces of these angelic beings in a glorious, beautiful description. Let's read it. We're in Ezekiel 1:1. That is the longest introduction in the history of sermons. Ezekiel 1, "Now it came about in the 30th year on the fifth day of the fourth month," many believe this is his age. A priest must be 30 years old in order to minister, so he's giving us, we believe, his age. It's very exact.

He says, "While I was by the River Chebar amongst the exiles, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. On the fifth of the month in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's exile," how exact is that, "the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Chebar, and there the hand of the Lord was upon him."

He says, "I looked. Behold, a storm wind coming from the north." He's describing now that which is the throne in all its glory coming in this vision. He says, "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 these figures resembling four living beings." We know they're angelic beings.

"And this was their appearance: they had human form. Each of them had four faces and four wings. Their legs were straight, and their feet were like calves' hooves, and they gleamed like burnished bronze. Under their wings and on their four sides were human hands. As for the faces and the wings of the four of them, their wings touched one another; their faces did not turn when they moved, each went straight forward. As for the form of their faces, each had the face of a man; all four had the face of a lion on the right, the face of a bull on the left, and all four had the face of an eagle. Such were their faces, and their wings were spread out above. Each had two touching another being, and two covering their bodies."

Would you move to verse 26? I want you to see this description here. We'd looked at the other verses on Wednesday, but notice 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," Isaiah says, high and lifted up, "was a figure with the appearance of a man. Then I noticed from the appearance of His loins and upwards, something like glowing metal looked like fire all around within it.

"From the appearance of His loins and downward, I saw something like fire, and there was radiance around Him. Now, the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds of a rainy day, so was the appearance of this surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell on my face, and then I heard a voice speaking to me." I'll tell you what, if you beheld that glory, you'd fall on your face too.

I. Have the Heart of a Lion

What a beautiful, amazing picture of the glory of the throne of God and these four living creatures that represent the nature, the character of God's holiness, that which He does bring forth in the image of God sent forth to transform men in that image represented in these four faces. He wants to do this transforming work in your soul by that glory, starting with this image of the face of a lion. In other words, have the heart of a lion. Jesus is called the lion from the tribe of Judah, so what a powerful and appropriate picture is this, seen in the face of the lion.

The qualities are clear, right? Authority, power, strength, boldness, these majestic symbols represent that Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He wants to transform you so that you have this heart. This is that which God does in the outpouring of His glory, transforms you into His image, into His nature, into His character, and is seen in the face of the lion. Authority. Authority requires a certain boldness, you might say.

A. Authority requires boldness

In Scripture, authority is sometimes represented by a key. The one who holds the key has authority to open the door. Notice Revelation 1:17-18, He says, "Do not be afraid. I am the first, I am the last, I am the living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore." Then would you notice this, "And I have the keys of death, and I have the keys of hell." I tell you what, there's something powerful about that. You read that, it's like, "That's my king right there."

There's something powerful. "I have the keys of death, and I have the keys of hell." That is authority. Like when Jesus said to Peter, "On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." That's my king right there. That is authority right there. Can we give God the praise, right? Jesus said in Matthew 28, "All authority has been given unto Me." There's my king, all authority, in heaven and on earth. That's all authority.

Then he says, "Therefore, I say to you, I say, Go. Go therefore. Make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." That is a great promise. "All authority has been given to me, and I am with you. Go. Go in that authority." That's what he's saying.

After the resurrection, there's this story that unfolds. A great revival broke out in Jerusalem. The Jewish leaders had Peter and the others arrested, but an angel opened the gates of the prison, and the disciples went right back out, teaching in the temple, so they arrested them again and brought them before a council, the Jewish council, but a certain Jewish leader named Gamaliel corrected them. Notice these words, because it speaks of it very powerfully.

Acts 5, "And if what these men are doing should be of men, it will be overthrown, but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them, or else you may be found fighting against God." In other words, if they go by God, they're going by the authority of God, and you will not stand against them. The authority of God goes with men, but notice this principle, because it's a very important principle in Scripture: to have authority, you must be under authority.

Like, "Go in this, but know this principle." You must be under authority. Now, to have the bearing of authority, the power of the inner man he's speaking of, Jesus said in several places, "To him who overcomes," right? To overcome means that you hold fast to what you have. It means to keep God's Word with a strength in the inner man to the end. It's like no compromise. There comes a time to stand. There comes a time to take that place of saying, "No compromise."

When I think about that, I think many years ago, before modern MP3 players that we have today, before you go back in time, before cassettes, before 8-track players. If you don't know what this is, ask somebody who looks old. [laughter] Even before that, you had LP albums, Long Play albums, and these had album covers. They're about this big. With all of that size, many would put these beautiful images or whatever on their album covers.

One of them that really stood out to me was an album cover by a Christian artist named Keith Green. He was part of the Jesus Movement. He put out an album called No Compromise. Got to love the name. The image he put on the front just speaks to it so powerfully well. Here you can see clearly that it's the image of Nebuchadnezzar. He's high and lifted up on the throne, carried on the shoulders of men, right? All of these are bowing down except for one.

The meekness and the strength resides there in that posture of saying, "No. No, I will not bow. I will not bend. No. No compromise." You can almost see the one next to him trying to pull him down. "What are you thinking?" You can't see his face, but you can imagine it. A meek gentleness of strength residing in the inner man. Such authority that bears upon his soul comes from being under the authority to understand that He's king and He's Lord and that He rules and reigns over all the nations of the world.

To come under it well is a key to understand the heart and principles of the Lord. He is the lion. All authority has been given unto Him. You must come under that authority well. There's a beautiful picture of this in Matthew 8. Love this story. It's one of my favorite stories out of Matthew. It goes this way. When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion, that is, a Roman officer in the army of Rome, a centurion came to him, begging him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, terribly tormented."

Jesus said to him, "I will come, and I'll heal him." The centurion replied, "Lord, I am not worthy for you to come under my roof. You only need to say the word, and my servant will be healed." He understood the authority that resided in just the spoken word of authority of this Jesus of Nazareth. He understood what no one in Israel did, apparently, by what Jesus said. He understood that abiding in this Jesus was the authority of God Himself because He was under the authority of God His Father. All authority of His Father resided in Him, and therefore all He needed to do was speak the word.

He says, "For I too am a man under authority. I know authority. I know how authority is. I, too, am a man under authority with soldiers under me. I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes. I say to this one, 'Come,' and he comes. To another I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." In other words, "All you got to do is speak the word. You have the authority of God, your Father." When Jesus heard this, He was amazed, and He said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel."

B.    To have authority, be under authority

A wonderful understanding is this. To abide under the authority means you recognize that He is the King and the Lord and that He is the captain of your soul, so that when he speaks a word, it has authority to speak into your heart so that when His word speaks, you say, "That word has authority. I will abide in your word, for you are my King, and you are my Lord." This is abiding under the authority of the Lord well. Those who abide under the authority well are those who then bear the authority of God in their lives. It's a very important principle.

He then will become the strong man in your life. You can speak on that at great length. Romans 8:31 speaks to it. How or what can we say to these things if God be for us, who can be against us? That is the declaration. Amen? Amen. Yes, let's give the Lord praise. Exactly right. [applause] Amen. Then you see in the next face, the face of the ox is the heart of the beast of burden to serve, right? Serve with the heart of an ox. It is the nature and character of the Lord.

Jesus came to carry our burdens. Isaiah 53, "Surely our griefs and sorrows He Himself carried." He carried our sins. He took our sins upon himself and carried the greatest burden of our soul is that, which condemned our souls. He carried it Himself. This quality of the Lord, He says, "I want this to be seen in you, be transformed by the glory of God's heart and character, that you would then have this heart."

Jesus said, "He who desires to be first, let him be the last. He who desires to be the greatest, let him be the servant of all. For in the same way, the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many." That is the heart of the Lord seen in the outpouring of His glory that will transform any who stand before the glory. You open your heart to receive glory. You will be transformed into this. It's the heart of the Lord.

II. Serve with the Heart of an Ox

Be steadfast. That's one of the qualities of it. Be steady and faithful in your calling or purpose. God calls you with a purpose. God sends you out with a purpose. Be steady and faithful in it. That's the wonderful quality of an ox, you apply that to your faith. Like Galatians 6:9, "Do not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap if you do not grow weary." A farmer in those days, if he had something difficult to plow, you need an ox. You got big rocks, you need an ox for that. You got hard ground, you need an ox for that. Powerful, sure-footed, steady. It's a beautiful picture of that heart of the Lord in it, transforming us by it.

An interesting factoid about an ox many don't know is that an ox is actually highly trainable. A farmer can direct an ox with a simple word of direction. He can speak a word, and the ox will go to the right. He can speak a word, the ox will go to the left. Now, that is a beautiful picture of obedience as the heart of the servant to send with a steady faithfulness in the purpose for which God sent it.

A. Be steady and faithful

1 Corinthians 15:58, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, be immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." Now, one of the qualities of that heart, of the beast of burden, the qualities of an ox, is that he does his work without complaining, in contrast to a donkey, who will work, but there'll be a lot of drama, that attitude he's speaking of, but the ox is steady and faithful. No attitude, no drama, just a steady fulfilling of God's purpose.

B. Do the difficult things

There you see it in this quality. Do the difficult things. Carry the burdens that are difficult. In every house, in every ministry, there are jobs no one wants to do, but those with servant hearts are willing to do the difficult things that other people are unwilling to do. That's how you know they have the heart of a servant in it. Don't be afraid to do the difficult things. I was thinking of an illustration. After we were married, my wife was pregnant with our first child.

I got to tell you, when we found out that she was pregnant and going to have a baby, I was so excited, like, "I'm all in, right? I'm going to be the coach. I'm going to go to all the classes. Not only am I going to be the coach, I'm going to step it up; I'm going to be a cheerleader." I even got my cheers down, right? "Push him out, push him out, way out." [laughter] She didn't seem to appreciate that. All right, so we had the baby. We bring the baby home.

We're saying, "I'm going to get up at night. I'm in, I'm in. I'm going to do the tough things. I'm going to change the poopy diapers. I'm in." That is until, for whatever reason, she decided to go to cloth diapers. Do you know that you have to rinse cloth diapers? [laughter] There is a line, and we just hit it. Then she says, "You've been so helpful. You've done so many wonderful, helpful things, but you've never rinsed out the diapers."

I thought, "All right. All right, I'm in. I'm going to do this thing." [laughs] I literally got a clothespin and put it on my nose as I rinsed out those diapers, and I've been in counseling ever since. [laughter] I'm going to do the hard thing. I tell you, we are drawing near the latter days, and difficult times will come. Those who have a heart of the servant will be very needed in those days. 2 Timothy 3, realize this, that in the last days, difficult times will come. Men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy. In other words, chaos will reign in the unfolding of these difficult days.

Those who have a heart of a servant to serve the Lord in it will stand in great contrast to the world. How do you know if you have a heart of a servant? Well, perhaps two things: one, by how you react when people treat you like one, and two, if you find true pleasure in the serving. That's the heart of those who carry the heart of the Lord in the burdens. Then lastly, the face of man and the face of the eagle. God desires both humility and greatness.

III.       God Desires both Humility and Greatness

These living creatures, these angelic beings, are those which are closest to the presence of God. In the vision that John gives us in the Book of Revelation, we know that, also, there are 24 elders around the throne, sitting on thrones themselves, and crowns are upon their heads, but they fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and they cast their crowns before the Almighty. In other words, there's greatness, there's power, there's authority in each of them, but there's also great humility. It's a quality of the heart of the Lord, and it's seen in the face, the image of the man here, and the angelic beings. The face of man is humility.

  1. The face of man is humility

Jesus referred to Himself as Son of man more than any other way that He spoke of Himself, more than 80 times. Ezekiel is called the son of man, and that brings you to the question: Is humility an aspect of God? Is God humble? Is that an aspect of His character? Well, I bring to you Philippians 2:7-8. He, Jesus, "Emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man," thus, the image of a man here is very important, he says, "He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." The humility of what He became is amazing.

I also give you this verse in 2 Corinthians 5, where Paul describes that we who are believers in Jesus Christ have been sent as ambassadors to represent the heart of God to an unbelieving world with the heart to reconcile sinners to Himself. Take this message. 2 Corinthians 5 then says, we are therefore ambassadors for Christ. We therefore entreat you. The word "entreating" means to ask in all humility. Then he says, "Therefore, we beg you in the name of Jesus to be reconciled to God." That is an amazing verse.

This is God speaking through these ambassadors sent to reconcile sinners? Yes. What is their message? "We are entreating you, and therefore, we beg you in the name of Jesus Christ, we beg you to be reconciled to God." Don't let the enemy win. Don't let your soul be destroyed. God loves you, man. He says, "I therefore beg you in the name of Jesus Christ, I beg you to be reconciled to God." That is powerful. You see the heart of the Lord, the love that He has for sinners.

"I'm begging you. Don't let the enemy win. Don't let your life be destroyed. I've made a way for sinners to be reconciled to the living God." What a beautiful picture is this? God gives glory and honor to those who understand the heart of humility. Matthew 23, the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself, whoever puffs himself up, shall be humbled, but whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. Beautiful picture of those who understand the heart of the Lord, in that which God does by His glory is seen in that which He pours out in humility.

B. The eagle is the majesty of God

Then lastly, the eagle. The eagle is the majesty of God. Oh, what a beautiful-- He is the Son of God portrayed here in this beautiful, majestic image of the eagle. You know Psalm 91 speaks to it so well. He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. Ah, the drawing near to the glory. Then he goes, "He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge, for His faithfulness is a shield and a bulwark."

Ah, the majesty of His glory pictured here. You open your heart before the throne of God, and He will fill you with His majesty. Ah, beautiful. The eagle soaring high, lifted by the wind. The Holy Spirit literally means "wind," by the words in Greek, the power of God, and we are in God's majesty when we walk by and live by the Holy Spirit of the living God. "I will pour out my glory. I will pour out my presence upon your soul, and the majesty of on high will abide within and strengthen your soul because you have abided in the glory of His majesty." Amen. You give a little praise. Exactly right.

It's like Isaiah 40:31. Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength. He's going to do a work in the inner man by the majesty of the outpouring of His glory, and they will therefore mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weary. Oh, the majesty of His glory. Stand before the throne. Open your heart, and He'll fill you with majesty. All that He is, He says, "I will be unto you."

In the outpouring of His glory, in the outpouring of His majesty, He will transform your heart and transform your soul. How beautiful, how beautiful it is to dwell in the glory, in the majesty of the Almighty. Open your heart. Open your heart. Desire more of God. Open your heart. He'll pour out His majesty and His glory. Let's pray. Lord, we love You, honor You, and thank You for what a beautiful picture is this, that You have invited us to dwell in the majesty, in the nearness of glory.

How beautiful is that? Church, as we're praying, how many would say to the Lord, "God, I want You to fill my soul with Your majesty. I want my soul to be filled with Your glory. I open my heart to receive. You are love. You are joy. You are peace. You are majesty. You are glory. Fill me. Fill my heart"? Is that your desire? Would you say that to the Lord by just raising your hand and saying, "God, I open my heart to You. Fill me with Your majesty and Your glory"?

Do that upon my soul, God, we pray. God, we love You and honor You for what You're doing in us today. In Jesus' name, and everyone said-- Can we give the Lord praise and glory and honor? Amen? Amen.

 

 

Ezekiel 1:1-11    NASB

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. (On the fifth of the month in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile, the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and there the hand of the Lord came upon him.)

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. Their legs were straight and their feet were like a calf’s hoof, and they gleamed like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides were human hands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them, their wings touched one another; their faces did not turn when they moved, each went straight forward. 10 As for the form of their faces, each had the face of a man; all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and all four had the face of an eagle. 11 Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each had two touching another being, and two covering their bodies.

Una mirada a la gloria del cielo
Ezequiel 1:1-11
23-24 de mayo de 2026

Ezequiel fue exiliado en Babilonia. Había sido llevado desde Jerusalén en la segunda de tres oleadas de exilio. En la primera, Nabucodonosor se llevó a la élite, a los más hábiles y a algunos de los jóvenes más brillantes para que sirvieran en su administración. Entre ellos se encontraban Daniel, Hananías, Misael y Azarías. Esta estrategia resultó eficaz y contribuyó a que el imperio babilónico se convirtiera en el más grande que el mundo jamás había visto.

            En la segunda oleada, Nabucodonosor se llevó al propio rey, a la corte real, a 7000 soldados de élite y a varios miles de artesanos. Ezequiel fue exiliado en la segunda oleada.

            Finalmente , en la tercera y última oleada, capturó a Sedequías, el último de los reyes descendientes de David. Se llevó a la mayoría de los que quedaron en la ciudad y dejó en Jerusalén sólo a unos pocos de los más pobres y desamparados de la región.

            Ezequiel es un libro de transformación y renacimiento. Si recuerdan, Jeremías declaró que aquellos que se entregaron al exilio fueron llamados higos buenos, mientras que aquellos que permanecieron y huyeron a Egipto fueron los higos malos, de quienes nunca más se sabría.

Los que estaban en Babilonia no fueron llamados buenos higos por tener buen corazón. No, eran obstinados y rebeldes. Tuvieron que pasar por el fuego y el tumulto del exilio. Serían transformados en buenos higos por la obra del avivamiento.

Para eso fue llamado Ezequiel: para proclamar la palabra de Dios a los exiliados, para que transformaran sus corazones y los impulsaran a buscar a Dios con todo su ser y a ser transformados por la obra de Dios en sus almas. Necesitaban un profeta que les anunciara la palabra de Dios y los guiara en su transformación.

Ezequiel es también un libro de profecías sobre los últimos días. Profetiza sobre la reunificación y restauración de Israel en los últimos días. Ofrece una visión de un valle de huesos secos que cobra vida, una famosa visión de resurrección nacional. Habla de una coalición de naciones que se alzará contra Israel en la batalla de Gog y Magog, atacando a Israel mientras se encuentra en paz. Esto sucederá en los últimos días.

Habla del Nuevo Templo que será reconstruido en los últimos días, del retorno de la gloria de Dios, que será mayor que la primera. Habla de un río de vida que fluye desde Jerusalén hacia el desierto, y dondequiera que fluye, hay vida: una imagen del Espíritu Santo derramado en los últimos días.

            En el capítulo 1, Dios llama a Ezequiel para que sea profeta de los exiliados que viven en Babilonia, pero antes de ser enviado a transmitir el mensaje divino, ofrece una visión del cielo. Ezequiel contempla el trono de Dios y la gloria que lo rodea, incluyendo a los cuatro seres vivientes que moran allí en presencia de Dios ante el trono.

Describe lo que vio y, al hacerlo, nos ofrece también una visión del cielo. La descripción de la gloria celestial está limitada por el hecho de que debe usar palabras humanas para describir una visión celestial. No hay palabras que puedan capturar verdaderamente la gloria que sus ojos contemplaron.

            Pero estas palabras nos dan la esperanza del cielo. Y en este mundo de aflicción, tales palabras traen esperanza.

            Habrán muchas tribulaciones sobre la tierra. Creo que ahora estamos atravesando ese período que Jesús describió como los dolores de parto que preceden a los últimos días. “Habrán guerras y rumores de guerras, nación contra nación y reino contra reino, y en diversos lugares habrán hambres, plagas y terremotos. Pero todo esto es solo el principio de los dolores de parto”, dijo Jesús. En otras palabras, las tribulaciones y las pruebas se intensificarán a medida que se acerque el fin.

            Pero después de todo esto viene la esperanza del cielo. Pablo soportó muchas pruebas y dificultades en su vida y ministerio, pero lo soportó todo porque tenía la esperanza del cielo.

Romanos 8:18, “Porque considero que los sufrimientos de este tiempo presente no son dignos de compararse con la gloria que ha de ser revelada en nosotros.”         

            Cuando uno está pasando por momentos difíciles o incluso sufriendo, necesita algo a lo que aferrarse que trascienda el sufrimiento. Necesita un futuro lleno de esperanza. Este mundo está lleno de problemas; la vida misma puede ser difícil, pero hay una gloria futura. ¡Puedes sobrellevar las dificultades de esta vida cuando tienes esa esperanza!

            Para el creyente en Jesucristo, esa gloria futura, esa esperanza futura es el cielo mismo. Si no tienes esa esperanza, si no tienes esa certeza, que este sea el día en que la encuentres. Dios te busca; llama a la puerta de tu corazón. Desea tener una relación personal contigo.

Pero, ¿cómo es el cielo? A muchos les encantaría echar un vistazo. ¿Qué gloria futura tiene reservada Dios para quienes creen en Jesucristo? ¿Es un lugar con hermosos campos de golf, lagos perfectos para pescar o quizás un lugar donde se puede comer comida exquisita… ¡sin engordar jamás!

            En el capítulo 1, Ezequiel recibe una visión celestial. Contempla el trono de Dios y todo lo que lo rodea. Sin embargo, no hay palabras que puedan describir adecuadamente lo que ven sus ojos.

Junto con Ezequiel, vislumbramos el cielo. Ojalá pudiéramos ver lo que sus ojos vieron, pero no podemos. Sin embargo, tenemos esta asombrosa descripción del trono celestial.

Hay una frase que he llegado a apreciar profundamente: “Somos transformados en la presencia de un Dios santo”. Estos versículos nos introducen en la gloriosa presencia de Dios y nos permiten comprender mejor su corazón y su carácter.

Ezequiel describe la escena: había un trono en el cielo, y sentado en él, resplandeciente de gloria. Delante del trono habían cuatro seres vivientes. Del libro del Apocalipsis comprendemos que estos seres vivientes proclaman la gloria de Dios y no cesan de decir: “Santo, Santo, Santo es el Señor Dios Todopoderoso”.

¿Qué es la santidad? La santidad es la naturaleza y el carácter de Dios mismo. Dios desea que te transformes para ser como Él en santidad. Esto significa que Dios quiere que tengas su corazón y su carácter.

Las cuatro criaturas vivientes que se encuentran ante el gran trono son ángeles como nada que podamos imaginar, pero estas cuatro criaturas vivientes representan la naturaleza de Jesucristo y la santidad y naturaleza de Dios.

          Ezequiel describió a los cuatro seres vivientes que estaban ante el trono de Dios. Cada uno tenía cuatro rostros, cada uno orientado en dirección opuesta. Cada uno tenía el rostro de un león, de un buey, de un hombre y de un águila.

Los rabinos judíos enseñaron que los cuatro rostros de estas criaturas en la visión de Ezequiel representan las mayores creaciones de Dios. También enseñaron que estas imágenes estaban en el estandarte, la bandera, que usaban las tribus principales cuando Israel acampaba en el desierto.

Los primeros padres de la Iglesia enseñaron que estos rostros representan el cuádruple ministerio del Señor Jesús y las cualidades que Dios desea en cada uno de nosotros. Algunos también han sugerido que representan la forma en que Jesús es presentado en cada uno de los Evangelios.

En Mateo, Jesús es visto como el Rey, el León de la tribu de Judá. En Marcos, es visto como el siervo, representado por el buey. En Lucas, es visto como el Hijo del Hombre, representado por el rostro de un hombre; y luego, de manera grandiosa, es visto como el Hijo de Dios, representado por el águila.

I. Tengo el corazón de un león 

  • A Jesús se le llama el León de la tribu de Judá, por lo que la conexión con el corazón de Jesús se ve reflejada en el rostro de un león entre estas criaturas vivientes.
  • Las cualidades de un león son claras: poder, autoridad, fuerza, audacia. 
  • Estos majestuosos símbolos representan el carácter y la naturaleza de Jesús como Rey de reyes. También representan el anhelo de Dios por nuestra transformación.
  • En otras palabras, Él quiere transformarte para que tengas el corazón de un león. 
  • Él te transforma a su imagen, a su carácter y a su naturaleza. 
  1. La autoridad requiere audacia
  • En las Escrituras, la autoridad a veces se representa con una llave. Quien posee la llave tiene la autoridad para abrir la puerta.

Apocalipsis 1:17-18: “No temas; yo soy el primero y el último, y el que vive. Estuve muerto, y he aquí que vivo por los siglos de los siglos, y tengo las llaves de la muerte y del Hades”.

 

  • Jesús le dijo a Pedro: “Sobre esta roca edificaré mi iglesia, y las puertas del infierno no prevalecerán contra ella”.
  • A Jesús se le ha dado toda autoridad y Él prometió estar con nosotros, con esa autoridad, hasta el fin de los tiempos…

 

Mateo 28:18-20: “Toda autoridad me ha sido dada en el cielo y en la tierra. Por tanto, vayan y hagan discípulos de todas las naciones, bautizándolos en el nombre del Padre y del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo, enseñándoles a guardar todo lo que les he mandado; y sepan que yo estoy con ustedes todos los días, hasta el fin del mundo”.

 

2 Corintios 3:12, “Por tanto, teniendo tal esperanza, hablamos con gran valentía”.

  • Tras la resurrección, se produjo un gran avivamiento en Jerusalén. Los líderes judíos hicieron arrestar a Pedro y a los demás, pero un ángel abrió las puertas de la prisión y los discípulos volvieron a enseñar en el templo. Así que los hicieron arrestar de nuevo y los llevaron ante el Concilio… Pero un líder judío llamado Gamaliel los reprendió…

 

Hechos 5:38-39: “Si lo que estos hombres hacen es de origen humano, será destruido; pero si es de Dios, no podréis destruirlo; de lo contrario, podríais ser hallados luchando contra Dios.”

 

  1. Tener autoridad, estar bajo autoridad

 

  • Hay momentos para tomar una postura firme y no ceder. Jesús dijo repetidamente a las iglesias: “El que venza…”

 

  • Vencer significa aferrarse a lo que uno tiene, significa guardar Su palabra hasta el final.

 

Ilustración: Antes de los reproductores de 8 pistas y los casetes, en la época de los discos de vinilo, la portada era uno de los mejores elementos del álbum. La portada del álbum “No Compromise” de Keith Green es una de las más impactantes. La escena muestra a una multitud ante Nabucodonosor. Todos se inclinan ante él, pero un hombre humilde y poderoso permanece firme, sin ceder ante nada.

 

  • Sin embargo, uno de los principios de las escrituras es que para tener autoridad, uno debe estar bajo autoridad… bueno.

 

  • Él es el León de la tribu de Judá, y a Él se le ha dado toda autoridad en el cielo y en la tierra.

 

Mateo 8:5-10, Cuando Jesús entró en Capernaúm, un centurión se acercó a él rogándole, diciendo: “Señor, mi siervo está postrado en casa, paralizado y sufriendo terriblemente”. Jesús le dijo: “Iré y lo sanaré”. Pero el centurión respondió: “ Señor, no soy digno de que entres bajo mi techo, pero di sólo una palabra, y mi siervo sanará. Porque yo también soy un hombre bajo autoridad, y tengo soldados a mis órdenes; y le digo a éste: “¡Ve!», y va; y a otro: “¡Ven!”, y viene; y a mi siervo: “¡Haz esto!”, y lo hace . Cuando Jesús oyó esto, se asombró y dijo a los que le seguían: “En verdad os digo que no he hallado en nadie en Israel una fe tan grande”.

 

  • Estar bajo autoridad es reconocer que Él es el León de la tribu de Judá y que toda autoridad le ha sido dada, y cuando uno reside bien bajo ese estandarte, Él se convierte en el hombre fuerte en tu vida.

 

Romanos 8:31, “¿Qué diremos a esto? Si Dios está con nosotros, ¿quién estará contra nosotros?”           

 

II. Sirve con el corazón de un buey.

 

  • El buey es la más poderosa de las bestias de carga y representa el corazón del Señor al servir. Es el carácter de Dios revelado.

 

  • Jesús dijo: “El que quiera ser el primero, que sea el último; y el que quiera ser el más grande, que sea el servidor de todos. Así también el Hijo del Hombre no vino para ser servido, sino para servir y para dar su vida en rescate por muchos”.

 

  • Una gran cualidad del buey, bestia de carga, es que es firme y fiel.

 

  1. Sé constante y fiel.

 

  • El buey es firme y fiel en su propósito. Aplica esto a tu fe. Debes ser firme y fiel como un buey en las cosas buenas.

 

Gálatas 6:9, “No se cansen de hacer el bien, porque a su debido tiempo cosecharemos si no se cansan.”

 

Ilustración: Si un agricultor de aquella época tenía que arar terrenos difíciles y duros, el animal ideal era el buey. Es fuerte, de paso firme y estable.

           

Un dato interesante es que un buey es muy fácil de entrenar. Un granjero puede dirigir a un buey con una simple palabra.

 

1 Corintios 15:58, “Por tanto, amados hermanos míos, manténganse firmes e inquebrantables, abundando siempre en la obra del Señor, sabiendo que su trabajo en el Señor no es en vano.”

  • Una de las cualidades del buey es que trabaja sin quejarse. A diferencia del burro, que trabaja, pero con mucho drama. El buey trabaja sin quejarse, sin dramas.

Ilustración: Cuando Jesús visitó la casa de Marta y María, Marta se quejó porque su hermana María no la ayudaba con los preparativos y dijo: “Señor, ¿no te importa que mi hermana me haya dejado sola con todo el servicio? Dile que me ayude”.

            En lugar de pedirle a María que ayudara, Jesús corrigió a Marta: “Marta, Marta, estás preocupada y angustiada por tantas cosas…”

            En otras palabras, no había nada malo en servir, sino en la actitud que acompañaba a ello.

 

  1. Haz las cosas difíciles

 

  • En cada hogar y en cada ministerio, hay tareas que nadie quiere hacer, pero aquellos con espíritu de servicio están dispuestos a hacer las cosas difíciles que otros no están dispuestos a hacer.

 

  • No tengas miedo de hacer las cosas difíciles.

 

Illus – Recuerdo cuando tuvimos a nuestro primer bebé. Sabía que habría algunas tareas, digamos, bastante desagradables, pero decidí afrontarlo. Estaba dispuesta. Eso fue hasta que Jordi decidió usar pañales de tela… que había que enjuagar antes de lavarlos. Pensé: “Hay un límite y acabamos de llegar a él”. Pero, como era de esperar, no pasó mucho tiempo antes de que…

 

  • Nos acercamos a los últimos tiempos y nos esperan días difíciles. Quienes tengan corazón de siervo serán espiritualmente valiosos.

 

  • Hay madurez espiritual en un corazón de siervo, y en los últimos días esto contrastará con el mundo.

 

2 Timoteo 3:1-2, “Pero debes saber esto: que en los últimos días vendrán tiempos difíciles. Porque los hombres serán amantes de sí mismos, amantes del dinero, jactanciosos, arrogantes, blasfemos, desobedientes a los padres, ingratos, impíos…”

 

¿Cómo saber si tienes corazón de servidor?

 

  • Por cómo reaccionas cuando la gente te trata como a uno.
  • Y si encuentras verdadero placer en el servicio.

 

  • En los últimos días, surgirá el Anticristo, quién engañará a muchos porque parecerá que puede brindar respuestas a los grandes problemas del mundo: lo cual sugiere firmemente que el mundo enfrentará una gran turbulencia en el camino hacia los últimos días.

 

  • Serán días en los que personas con espíritu de servicio deberán surgir para ayudar a los demás.

 

III.      Dios desea tanto humildad como grandeza.

 

  • Estas criaturas vivientes que están ante el trono son las que están más cerca de la presencia de Dios.
  • En la visión de Juan en el libro del Apocalipsis, sabemos que también hay veinticuatro ancianos sentados en tronos, y los tronos representan autoridad. Estaban vestidos de blanco y llevaban coronas de oro en la cabeza… Pero se postraron ante él que estaba sentado en el trono y ponían sus coronas delante del trono.

 

  • En cada uno de ellos hay grandeza, poder y autoridad, pero también una gran humildad.

 

  1. El rostro del hombre es la humildad.

 

  • Cada una de estas criaturas vivientes ante el trono representa la naturaleza y el carácter de Dios.

 

  • ¿Es la humildad un aspecto del carácter de Dios? Cuando Cristo se hizo hombre, fue un acto de la mayor humildad.

 

Filipenses 2:7-8, “Él se despojó a sí mismo, tomando forma de siervo, haciéndose semejante a los hombres. Y hallándose en condición de hombre, se humilló a sí mismo, haciéndose obediente hasta la muerte, y muerte de cruz.”

  • Dios da gloria y honor a quienes comprenden el valor de la humildad…

 

Mateo 23:11-12: “El mayor entre vosotros será vuestro servidor. El que se enaltece será humillado, y el que se humilla será enaltecido”.

 

  1. El águila es la majestad de Dios .
  • Finalmente, cada una de las criaturas vivientes tenía rostro de águila. El símbolo representa poder, majestad y victoria. Él es el Hijo de Dios.

Salmo 91:1, 4, “El que habita al abrigo del Altísimo morará bajo la sombra del Omnipotente… Con sus plumas te cubrirá, y bajo sus alas hallarás refugio; su fidelidad es escudo y baluarte.”

  • El águila es el único animal que puede mirar directamente al sol sin dañar sus ojos: así como Jesús es el único que puede percibir al Padre en toda su gloria.

Ilustración: El águila representa la majestuosidad de remontar el vuelo impulsada por el viento. Conoce el viento que sube y conoce el viento que baja.

El Espíritu Santo es “el viento”, que es el poder de Dios, y estamos en la majestad de Dios cuando caminamos y vivimos por el Espíritu Santo.

Isaías 40:31, “Los que esperan en el Señor renovarán sus fuerzas; levantarán alas como las águilas, correrán y no se cansarán, caminarán y no se fatigarán”

 

Dios nos permite vislumbrar el cielo para que tengamos esperanza más allá de este mundo de sufrimiento. Pero también para que sepamos que todo lo que Dios es, desea serlo para ti y en ti. Eres transformado en la presencia de un Dios santo.

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