Growing with the Lord

8/30/26 Ezekiel 8–11 and Revelation 4 represent opposing trajectories in how divine presence relates to space and community—one depicting departure and judgment, the other depicting eternal worship and restoration. Contrasting spatial movements. Ezekiel is transported in visions to Jerusalem, where he encounters the glory of God ( Ezek 8:1–4 ), only to witness its progressive withdrawal. The glory rises from above the cherub to the temple threshold ( Ezek 9:3 ), then the cherubim lift their wings with the glory of God above them, and the glory of the LORD rises from within the city and stands on the mountain east of the city ( Ezek 11:22–23 ). This represents divine abandonment of the sanctuary due to Israel’s idolatry. By contrast, Revelation opens with an invitation to ascend through an open door in heaven, where John is shown what must take place ( Rev 4 ). Rather than God departing from a corrupted space, John is drawn upward into God’s eternal throne room—a movement toward rath...