I invite you to take your Bibles and turn to the book of Ezekiel chapter 1. Ezekiel 1. We're glad to be with you this morning. It's a privilege to worship with you. And as your pastor said, we're here for the wedding this week. We want to thank you for taking such good care of Sharon over the past years. We trust you'll continue to do so. Let us read the word of the Lord from Ezekiel chapter 1. Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river Chibar, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. On the fifth day of the month, which was in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity, the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chibar, and the hand of the Lord was upon him there. And behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself, and brightness was all around it, and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber out of the midst of the fire. Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures, and this was their appearance. They had the likeness of a man. Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings. Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the soles of calves' feet. They sparkled like the color of burnished bronze. They had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides, and each of the four had faces and wings. Their wings touched one another. The creatures did not turn when they went, but each one went straight forward. As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man, each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle. Thus were their faces. Their wings were stretched upward. Two wings of each one touched one another, and two covered their bodies. And each one went straight forward. They went wherever the spirit wanted to go. And they did not turn when they went. As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire. And like the appearance of torches, fire was going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightning. And the living creatures ran back and forth in appearance like a flash of lightning. Now as I looked at the living creatures, behold, a wheel was on the earth beside each living creature with its four faces. The appearance of the wheels and their works was like the color of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. The appearance of their works was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. When they went, they went toward any one of four directions. They did not turn aside when they went. As for the rims, they were so high, they were awesome. The rims were full of eyes all around the four of them. The living creatures went, the wheels went beside them. When the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, because there the spirit went. The wheels were lifted together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When those went, these went. When those stood, these stood. And when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up together with them. For the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. The likeness of the firmament above the heads of the living creatures was like the color of an awesome crystal stretched out over their heads. And under the firmament, their wings spread out straight. one toward another. Each one had two, which covered one side, and each one had two, which covered the other side of the body. When they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a tumult, like the noise of an army. And when they stood still, they let down their wings. A voice came from above the firmament that was over their heads. Whenever they stood, they let down their wings. And above the firmament, over their heads, was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone. On the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it. Also from the appearance of his waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber, with the appearance of fire all around within it. And from the appearance of his waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around, like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. So was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. So when I saw it, I fell on my face. And I heard a voice of one speaking. So far, the reading of God's Word. Let's ask His blessing in prayer. Dear God, we thank you for this tremendous vision of your glory. May we be humbled by it this morning, and may we be encouraged by it as well. And will you prepare the hearts of each and every one here for the ultimate, final display of glory at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his name we pray. Amen. It triggered one of the largest evacuations in US history. I know that here in Halifax, you've had your challenges and you know something of the power of a storm. But in 1999, the world was captivated by the awesome power of Hurricane Floyd. Some of you remember that. Hundreds of thousands of people were ordered to evacuate the Florida coast as Floyd threatened to charge towards them. Numerous people departed from the Carolina coast for fear of the storm. At the beginning of that week, it was said that Floyd was one of the most powerful storms ever to threaten the United States. With 250-kilometer-hour winds, it was predicted that it might cause enormous damage. Hurricane Andrew in 1992 caused almost $38 billion in damage, killed 26 people, and left 160,000 homeless. It was said that Floyd was much larger than Hurricane Andrew. When we consider a hurricane of such magnitude, we begin to feel very small. The freeways were lined with cars as people tried to escape the potential destruction. There was, you recall, a mass exodus. We cannot even begin to understand the amazing force of such a massive hurricane. When we see the satellite images, we're astonished and humbled both by the power of the storm and the frailty of man in the face of it. But congregation, as amazing and humbling as such a hurricane may be, it is really only a minor demonstration of the power of God. In our scripture reading for this morning we see that Ezekiel received a vision of the majesty of God that was far more glorious and awesome than that revealed in the strongest hurricane. We want to consider first of all the circumstances in which he received the vision. Second, we'll contemplate the meaning of the vision. And then third, we'll ponder the response to the vision. Our chapter begins by giving us some information about Ezekiel and the situation he was in when he received this vision of the glory of God. Please follow along in your Bibles at verse 1. Verse 1, Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. On the fifth day of the month, which was in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity, the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel. Commentators have offered various suggestions on what is meant by the 30th year, but I think it's best to understand this as a reference to Ezekiel's age. He had been deported from his beloved homeland when he was 25 years old. Verse 2 says that it was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity. Ezekiel had been in Babylon for five years when he received this vision. Just to refresh your memory for a moment, I want to take you back to Ezekiel's earlier years. He was born during the reign of King Josiah. If my calculations are correct, he was born in the same year that the book of the law was found in the temple. Being a godly king, Josiah ordered that the temple be repaired and cleansed. While that was being done, the book of the law of Moses was discovered. And the reading of the law so convicted Josiah of the sins of the nation that he began to labor with great zeal for the reformation of Judah. For the first 13 years of his life, Ezekiel was blessed by being under the rule of godly Josiah. He also undoubtedly benefited from the ministry of the prophet Jeremiah. He grew up during a time of reformation, restoration, and renewal. King Josiah was truly an exceptional man. You recall that he destroyed the images, executed the priests of Baal, broke down the altars. He also commanded that the Passover be celebrated in Jerusalem. In other words, he directed the nation back to their God and Savior, back to the gospel. But tragically, with the death of Josiah, those 31 golden years of Judah came to an end. He was the only king of Judah to be succeeded by three of his own sons and one grandson. But sadly, all of them were evil. After the death of Josiah, his son Jehoahaz was crowned as king. Jehoaz did not serve God. Therefore, after just three months on the throne, the Lord sent Pharaoh Necho, who defeated him and carried him off to Egypt. Pharaoh Necho appointed Josiah's second son, Jehoiakim, as king. He also did evil in the sight of the Lord. He rejected the warnings of the prophet Jeremiah and even tried to kill him. Because of his apostasy, the Lord sent Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon against him, and it was probably during one of the battles with his raiding bands that Jehoiakim was killed. After his 11-year reign, Jehoiachin, his son, was crowned in Jerusalem. Because he was wicked like his father, he only lasted three months on the throne. In the year 597, Nebuchadnezzar and his armies came pounding on the gates of Jerusalem, and Jehoiachin surrendered. He was arrested, made a prisoner, and led off to Babylon as the prophet Jeremiah had predicted. Jeremiah said, you shall die in Babylon. It was during this deportation of 597, 12 years after the death of Josiah, that Ezekiel was led away into captivity. So that's where we find him in verse one. He's 30 years old, he spent five years in Babylon, and he is among the captives by the river Chebar. It's hard to imagine what Ezekiel and his fellow captives went through during those five years. Their lives were drastically changed as they were uprooted from their land and made to settle by the Chebar Canal in Babylon. This was especially felt by Ezekiel. Why? Because verse 3 mentions that he was what? A priest. He was a priest. As a young man, Ezekiel would have been educated and trained for priestly service, trained in all the elaborate procedures of temple worship. As a young man, he anticipated serving in the temple of God, but it all fell by the wayside when he was brought to Babylon. In the Old Testament, a priest assumed the full responsibilities of the priesthood when he was 30 years old, Numbers 4 verse 3. When a young man turned 25, he could enter the priesthood as an apprentice. Numbers 8 says that those who were 25 years old would begin to perform service in the house of the Lord. For five years, they would serve as an apprentice, and when they turned 30, they would assume the full responsibilities of the priesthood. And so Ezekiel missed out on that opportunity altogether. When he was 25, he was carried into exile. And when he was 30, the age of full responsibility, he was living far from Jerusalem, not far from the capital city of King Nebuchadnezzar, laboring in Babylonian wastelands. He was far removed from the temple. Unable to worship and serve in accordance with the law of Moses. Not able to perform the tasks for which he had been trained. What a discouraging time it was. Some of you here this morning may be going through various trials in your life. Perhaps there are things that you wrestle with. Things that get you down. There are times when you may feel alone and even abandoned and forsaken by God. Well, Ezekiel knew exactly what that was like. When Nebuchadnezzar came to Jerusalem, his whole life fell apart. Psalm 137 says, By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion. Ezekiel had spent five years in Babylon and there seemed to be no hope of restoration. There was no light at the end of the tunnel. Ezekiel's name means what? God strengthens. God strengthens. However at that particular time it seemed as though God had given up on his people. The strength of God was against them rather than with them. God was strengthening the Babylonians rather than the people of Judah. What future was there for Ezekiel and the people of Judah by the Chibar Canal? They were cut off from the land of promise, cut off from the place where God made his presence known, cut off from the temple, cut off from the sacrifice and the shedding of blood at Mount Zion. It seemed hopeless. No gospel. No gospel. The congregation we see from this first chapter of Ezekiel, that even though the nation of Judah was suffering under God's covenant curse in Babylon, the Lord had not utterly forsaken them. After five years in exile, we read in verse one, that the heavens were opened and Ezekiel saw visions of God. Go to verse three. Word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans, by the river Chebar, and the hand of the Lord was upon him there. In that lonely wasteland, the Lord came to Ezekiel and revealed his glory. In a time when there was little hope, he was grasped by the hand of the Lord and granted a revelation of his majesty. Let us remember, congregation, that in our greatest trials and moments of loneliness, in those times when we fall into the valley of despair, God sees us, knows us, and does not forsake those who fear Him, those who have trusted His Son. In His 30th year, Ezekiel would have had the privilege of serving God in His temple. But instead God came to him through supernatural revelations so that Ezekiel found the banks of the river Chebar to be a sacred sanctuary. God showed him that his presence was not confined to the temple in Jerusalem. And that the service of God was not restricted to the temple. Ezekiel could not function in the normal role as priest, but God called him instead to the task of a prophet, spokesman to the captives. Let's have a look then secondly at the meaning of this vision. The meaning of this vision. If there is one thing that people remember about the book of Ezekiel, it is the symbolism and pictures. Ezekiel's prophecy is filled with many vivid pictures, more than any other Old Testament book. It has much in common with a New Testament author. Who is that? Well, of course, it is the Apostle John, who wrote the book of Revelation. Some of the same pictures are found in Revelation that we have here. When we interpret these visions, brothers and sisters, we need to be careful not to get lost in the details and thereby miss the point of the total vision. We need an understanding of the overall picture. What was it that Ezekiel saw when the heavens were opened? Well, look with me please to verse four. Verse four. Then I looked. And behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself, and brightness was all around it, and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber out of the midst of the fire. Ezekiel saw an immense storm approaching from the north. He saw a whirlwind and a storm cloud accompanied by raging fire. The fact that the storm came from the north is significant, for the north is always the direction from which Judah's enemies came. The prophet Jeremiah said, I am bringing disaster from the north. Out of the north calamity shall break forth on all the inhabitants of the land. Disaster appears from the north, out of the north, and great destruction. When Ezekiel saw this storm out of the north, no doubt he was immediately reminded that God was coming to judge his people. As he continued to observe the approaching storm cloud, he noticed that it was alive with winged creatures. Verse 5 Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. Now when you go to Ezekiel chapter 10, you discover that these living creatures are identified as Cherubim. Cherubim. When God created the angels, the Bible seems to indicate that He created different classes. The Cherubim were those who guarded the entrance to the tree of life. They're also the ones who guarded the holiness of God in the tabernacle and the temple. It was the cherubim who overshadowed the ark of the covenant. Cherubim were woven into the curtains, the veil of the tabernacle and carved into the walls of the temple. In the book of Revelation, cherubim stand as fearsome guards of God's throne in this vision. The cherubim are described as each having four faces. Each of them have the face of a man, the face of a lion, the face of an ox, and the face of an eagle. Man is the crown of creation. The lion is the king of wild animals. The ox is chief of the domesticated animals and the eagle is chief of the birds. The appearance of the cherubim, this appearance that we see here, suggests that they are intelligent, ferocious, powerful, and swift. They can look in any direction at once. Two of the four wings that they each possess are stretched upward, touching each other so that they form a square. They are able to see in all directions, move in all directions, and their speed is like that of lightning. Verse 12 says, They went wherever the Spirit wanted to go, and they did not turn when they went. Furthermore, these cherubim were situated at the four sides of God's chariot. Verse 15 mentions the wheels that were beside each living creature. The wheels are the wheels of God's chariot throne. These wheels are rather fascinating. Verse 16 describes them as a wheel within a wheel. Now commentators have come up with all kinds of allegorical interpretations on what that means, but it seems to me the explanation is not as difficult as some have made it out to be. The vision of the four living creatures, each having four faces, teaches us that the cherubim are able to see in all directions and move in all directions with the speed of lightning. The wheels within wheels need to be understood in the same way. The wheel within a wheel is not a little wheel encased in a big wheel, but rather two wheels of the same size intersected at right angles. Two wheels of the same size intersected at right angles. The point is, if one wheel intersects the other at right angles, they can move in four directions without having to turn. It's kind of a gyroscopic design so that God's chariot throne is able to move about in all directions. Look with me in your Bibles to verse 17. When they moved, they went toward any one of four directions. They did not turn aside when they went. The chariot-throne can move about quickly and easily, and the wheels know where they're going, for they are full of eyes. Verse 18 says, As for their rims, they were so high they were awesome, and their rims were full of eyes all around the four of them. But then, congregation, the real climax of this vision is not the cherubim, or the chariot, or the wheels, but rather the climax of the vision is the throne of glory and the one seated on it. As Ezekiel continues to describe what he sees, his eyes focus on the firmament, or the expanse. Verse 22 tells us that above the heads of the four living creatures was some kind of a vast platform the color of crystal. Then verse 26 goes on to say that above this firmament, this expanse, over the heads of the cherubim, was the likeness of a throne in appearance like sapphire stone, and on the throne was the appearance of a man high above it. The description of this man on the throne is absolutely breathtaking. He appears to be on fire. Look please to verse 27. Also from the appearance of his waist and upward I saw as it were the color of amber, with the appearance of fire all around within it. And from the appearance of his waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. Then verse 28 adds that the brightness resembled the glow of a multicolored rainbow. The rainbow is a symbol, of course, of God's unfailing covenant faithfulness. And then verse 28 concludes by saying, this was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. To sum it up, congregation, what we have in this chapter is an impressive picture of God's throne chariot driven by the Lord himself and drawn, as it were, by four heavenly creatures. As the cherubim move about, their wings sound like the noise of many waters. And like the noise of an army, verse 25 indicates that they are directed by the voice of Him who sits upon the throne. They go where He directs them with lightning speed. The intelligence, power, and swiftness of the four living creatures magnifies the awesome glory of Him who sits upon the throne. Now I find it striking, brothers and sisters, that while Ezekiel is away from Jerusalem, away from the Temple, he receives a vision that is reminiscent of the Temple. The cherubim bring to mind the cherubim over the Ark of the Covenant. The throne chariot brings to mind the Ark itself. The Ark was referred to as a chariot in 1 Chronicles 28 verse 18, a chariot. The ark is also called the throne of Yahweh. And so the symbolism that is found in this vision certainly must have brought to mind the Jerusalem temple. But at the same time, it also provided a lesson for Ezekiel, and the lesson was this. Even though Ezekiel was cut off from his homeland and cut off from the temple, he was not cut off from the Lord God. God's massive chariot descended right there by the river Chebar in Babylon. Ezekiel was shown that even though Babylon ruled over them, it was the Lord who was still in control. All the splendor, power, and might of Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom were worthless when compared to the awesome glory of God. From a human perspective, Nebuchadnezzar was a great king. But the God of Israel was the king of kings. Nothing could restrain him from going where he wanted to go and doing what he wanted to do. Nothing and no one could resist the power of him who sits upon the throne. Do you believe that today as well? Do you believe that? In a world of so much confusion, anxiety, fear, are you resting your hope and confidence in this majestic God? Are you confident that He is on the throne even in your valleys? And do you believe that He is worthy of your praise? Well, we come then thirdly from the circumstances in which Ezekiel received the vision and the meaning of the vision to the response, point number three. The response is recorded in the last line, the last verse. So when I saw it, I fell on my face. So when I saw it, I fell on my face. It was common in the ancient world for men to lie with their face on the ground when they came in the presence of their king. Ezekiel recognized that he was in the presence of the king of heaven and earth. And therefore, having seen the glory of God, he fell down before him in adoration, fear, and deep respect. Now there are some commentators who read the book of Ezekiel and doubt his mental health. The visions that he had, his response to those visions, the strange symbolisms contained in these writings, the unusual things that he did. Keep reading in the book of Ezekiel, you'll see some very unusual things that he was called to do. All of this taken together leads some interpreters to conclude that Ezekiel was mentally unstable. But to come to that conclusion is to make a serious error. He was not mentally unstable. Rather, he was the recipient of the most powerful revelation imaginable. The splendor and power of God were so overwhelming that he fell on his face. There are a few things that we need to understand about this vision. First, This vision, like Isaiah's in Isaiah chapter 6, manifested the holiness of God. It manifested the holiness of God. Ezekiel saw the appearance of the likeness of the glory of God in burning fire and brilliant light. Now fire in scripture is often a symbol of God's holiness, right? God appeared to Moses in a burning bush. When Moses approached the bush, the Lord called to him and said, Moses, Moses, take your sandals off your feet for the place where you stand is holy ground. Exodus 3 says Moses hid his face for he was afraid to look upon God. When Daniel, also in Babylon, saw a vision of the glory of God, he saw that his eyes were like torches of fire, and his face like the appearance of lightning. Daniel 10 tells us the great terror fell upon those who were with Daniel, so that they fled to hide themselves. And Daniel himself collapsed and fell into a deep sleep with his face to the ground. The apostle John received a vision of the glory of Christ. Revelation 1.14, he also saw that his eyes were like a flame of fire. And when John saw him, he fell at his feet as dead. Ezekiel, like Moses, Daniel, Isaiah, and the Apostle John, was faced with the holiness of God, His transcendent majesty, His supreme superiority. Congregation, all of Ezekiel's theological training had not prepared him for this vision of glory. Being from a priestly family, undoubtedly he had been trained in theology. He learned about God, was taught the attributes of God, and studied his great works in Israel's history. And yet all his theological studies proved to be totally inadequate in preparing him to see the glory of God. He found out that all that he had learned about God was only a thimble of water from the ocean. He had vastly underestimated His greatness. Brothers and sisters, isn't that also true of you and me? We study the character of God, we study the attributes of God, we're taught in classes about the holiness and righteousness of God, His perfection and so forth, and yet I believe we vastly underestimate His greatness. The modern church often treats God like a friendly neighbor. He's brought down to the level of man. He's treated like our equal. He's a buddy that we can call upon for assistance. Many professing Christians today are conformed to the modern spirit, the spirit that spawns great thoughts of man and leaves room only for small thoughts of God. Consequently, many North American Christians treat worship as if they're at a baseball game or a clown show. Their sometimes flippant attitude in worship lowers people's expectations and there's little sense of dignity, awe, and respect. J.I. Packer has said that people often look at God, so to speak, through the wrong end of the telescope, so reducing him to pygmy proportions. We look at God through the wrong end of the telescope and he becomes very small. Ezekiel's vision should teach us that God is far greater than what we think. No matter how deep our knowledge of theology, there is much about the nature and character of God that is far beyond us. Let me say something to you about Ezekiel's vision that may sound rather confusing. If you fail to comprehend parts of Ezekiel's vision, then you have already comprehended an important part. If you fail to comprehend parts of Ezekiel's vision, then you've already comprehended an important part. What do I mean? Well, I mean that God is beyond, ultimately beyond our comprehension. The finite cannot comprehend the infinite. Our knowledge is so limited by our humanity, there's always more to Him than we apprehend. Therefore, if you fail to comprehend parts of Ezekiel's vision, then you may be on the right track. God is far beyond our comprehension. Second, not only did this vision reveal the holiness of God, it also brought to mind the sinfulness of man. the sinfulness of man. It was not only the transcendent majesty of God that caused Ezekiel to fall on his face in the dust, it was also the realization of his own sin and unworthiness that was revealed by the light of God's majesty. You'll recall when God allowed Isaiah to get a glimpse of his glory, Isaiah said, woe is me. For I am undone, because I'm a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Having seen the glory of God, Isaiah was convicted of his own sinfulness. Surely that was also the experience of Ezekiel. In his Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin said this, man is never sufficiently touched and affected by the awareness of his lowly state until he has compared himself with God's majesty. You cannot arrive at a true knowledge of yourself until you have first of all looked in the face of God. Ezekiel saw an appearance of God in dazzling brilliance, and he immediately realized that he was a wretched, fallen, despicable sinner in need of grace. Congregation, that is also what this vision should teach you and me. As you ponder this revelation, you should see God's holiness and your sinfulness. God's power and your weakness, God's purity and your filthiness, God's righteousness and your unrighteousness. That as you ponder this vision of glory, you should come to a greater conviction of your need for the grace that is found in Jesus Christ. The day is coming when you will stand before this great, holy, and majestic God. You will stand before his awesome throne. The great cloud that Ezekiel saw in verse four reminds us of the fact that Jesus Christ will return on what? The clouds of heaven with power and great glory. During his trial, Jesus said to the high priest, Hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the power and coming on the clouds of heaven. The Apostle Paul told the Thessalonians that the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. The cloud, the fire, the brightness, the lightning, the throne, and the appearance of a man seated on the throne in Ezekiel's vision, all these things remind us of the return of our Lord at the end of the age. It is a preview of things to come when the trumpet will sound and the Lord will descend, a preview of the coming of Jesus Christ. And so I ask you, Are you ready? Are you ready? The only way that you can anticipate His coming with joy is by having your sins forgiven. You cannot stand before His holiness. You cannot stand before Him in your sin. You cannot face the brilliance of His splendor unless your transgressions are forgiven and your sins covered. The only way to stand before his glory is through the wonderful, forgiving grace of Christ. Jesus said in Matthew chapter five, blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Those who are cleansed of their sin will see God in all his beauty, glory, and majesty, and they will not be shaking in their boots. They will be able to sing, my God, how wonderful thou art, thy majesty how bright, how beautiful thy mercy seat in depths of burning light. Dear friends, are you prepared for the day of Christ? Can you say with the psalmist, when I in righteousness at last thy glorious face shall see, When all the weary night is past and I awake with thee to view the glories that abide, then, then I shall be satisfied. It would be such a terrible tragedy. It would be such a terrible tragedy if someone here heard the gospel. And yet you discover at the coming of Jesus that you are lost. eternally lost, forever lost. May it be that each and every one of us here this morning would fully embrace the grace that is found in Christ Jesus through his suffering and death so that we will be satisfied when the Son of Man returns on the clouds of heaven fully and eternally satisfied. His glorious face we shall see. Amen? Let us pray. Lord our God, we thank you and praise you for this tremendous vision of glory We read about it and we study it, but we cannot fully grasp it. Lord, as we reflect upon your holiness, may each one of us here stand in awe of you. And as we ponder this vision of glory, may we all be convicted of our own sin and guilt in your presence. That having seen this vision of majesty, we may confess our own inadequacy, pondering your purity and your righteousness, that we may see our own filthiness and unrighteousness. We pray, Heavenly Father, that should there be anyone here who has not put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, that even at this very moment, by the power of your word and spirit, you would convict their hearts, show them their need, and bring them, Lord, into your everlasting kingdom. What a joy it will be on that final day for the redeemed when our Lord Jesus returns with the trumpet sounds and our Lord comes on the clouds for those who have been cleansed, redeemed, forgiven. Oh Lord, we will sing songs of praise and rejoice in the glory of your presence. And Lord, what a horror, what a terrible day it will be for those who have not put their faith in Christ. You think of those who will cry out to the mountains and to the hills to fall on them, to hide them from the face of Him who sits upon the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. So Lord we pray that on that final day each one of us who are present here will also be present in joy and rejoicing because of the blood of the Lamb slain for us. We pray that you will use this congregation in a wonderful way to proclaim your glory, to display your glory in this world. We pray, Heavenly Father, that you will use this congregation as a shining light to others. We recognize, Lord, that there are so many, and we would be among them in darkness were it not for your grace. Lord, those who are in darkness, may we be able to explain to them their need. of the righteousness of Jesus as we cannot stand in your majestic presence without being clothed in that righteousness. We pray Lord that you will bless the proclamation of the word here in this place week after week. We pray that you will bless the leadership of this church and that through them your people may taste of your goodness and your grace. that your people may walk in the light and that your people may take great pleasure in the great shepherd of the sheep we pray heavenly father that as your people mingle with one another here they may encourage each other That Lord, we may all understand that worship on the Lord's Day is a tremendous privilege, tremendous blessing. So we pray that each one here would avail themselves of that opportunity every week again. That Lord, on the Lord's Day we would set aside all the busyness of the week and focus on the one who alone can give us everlasting rest. So we pray, Heavenly Father, also for the wedding coming up this week. We thank you, Lord, for your mercies there. We thank you for the picture that it provides also, the reminder of the great wedding feast. The bridegroom will come for his bride, the church. So we ask, Lord, that that may be a time of great celebration, God-centered celebration, that you will be glorified, that Lord we may take great joy in who you are and what you have done. And so Heavenly Father we pray that if there are those in our midst here who are struggling for whatever reason we recognize Lord also the struggles of Ezekiel and being away from his homeland, away from Jerusalem, away from the temple, away from the shedding of blood, the sacrifice away from His task as priest, and yet, Lord, You were never absent from Him. And You are not absent from Your people today, even though we may feel so at times, even though we may feel at times discouraged and abandoned and forsaken. Lord, help us to turn to Your Word, to cling to Your promises, that we would not murmur against You, that we would live our lives resting in your providential care for your people. So Lord, thank you for the opportunity we have this morning to express together our unity in Christ as we participate at your table and as we get a foretaste there of that everlasting feast. Hear our prayer and accept our thanks and may your blessing rest upon this congregation May they be used in a wonderful way to exalt our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We anticipate the day of the full revelation of His glory. And we say, come, Lord Jesus. Come quickly. Amen. May the Lord of peace himself give you peace always in every way. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. And all God's people say.