Visions of God in Ezekiel

The book of Ezekiel demonstrates a tight connection between the glory of YHWH and the holiness of YHWH. Yet, previous scholarship has not fully examined Ezekiel's portrayal of the interrelationship between YHWH's glory and YHWH's holiness. By using a literary-theological approach and focusing primarily on Ezekiel's three major visions found in chapters 1-3, 8-11, and 40-48, Rebecca Basdeo Hill unveils the beauty of YHWH's glory and holiness. She develops and proposes a Pentecostal hermeneutic of 'seeing' and 'hearing' as a critically informed and appropriate strategy for biblical interpretation. Once this study's methodological approach and Pentecostal strategy are described, this research sets forth the book's literary structure based on Ezekiel's three visions of YHWH's glory and provides a brief overview of the prophet's message and theological themes. This study then sets out to apply the strategy of 'seeing' and 'hearing' the visions by using a literary-theological approach to uncover the direct relationship between the glory of YHWH and the holiness of YHWH in the book of Ezekiel. The conclusion of this research states that (1) the presence and absence of YHWH is the presence and absence of YHWH's holiness; (2) an encounter with the glory of YHWH is an encounter with the holiness of YHWH; (3) the glory and holiness of YHWH depict the sovereignty and power of YHWH; (4) experiencing the glory and holiness of YHWH require seeing and hearing the word of YHWH; (5) the Spirit of YHWH gives access to YHWH's holy presence; (6) disregarding the holiness of YHWH and the holy things of YHWH is a willful breach of the glorious presence of YHWH; (7) YHWH will depart when we violate YHWH's holy splendor; (8) YHWH manifests his glory and holiness in his judgment of us; (9) YHWH demonstrates his glory and holiness in his salvation and love for us; and (10) YHWH's holy presence is immediate, near, and universal.