Another interpretation: "The chariots of God" teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, descended with twenty-two thousand chariots, and every single chariot was like the one that Ezekiel saw. "Thousands of angels" [alfei shinan]: Rabbi Tanhum bar Hanilai said: up to the point that the accountant is able to reckon. ["For all the earth is Mine," word upon word, land upon land.] Rabbi Eleazar ben Pedat said: and all of them descended sharpened, ready to destroy the enemies of Israel, that is, Israel themselves; for had they not accepted the Torah, the angels would have destroyed them. Rabbi Levi said: "the LORD is among them" (Psalms 68:18); whoever sees the face of a king does not die, as it says, "In the light of the king's face is life" (Proverbs 16:15).
Twenty-Two Thousand Chariots and the Face of the Living King
Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 286:2
דָּבָר אַחֵר "רֶכֶב אֱלֹהִים" מְלַמֵּד שֶׁיָּרַד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּעֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁתַּיִם אֶלֶף מֶרְכָּבוֹת וְכָל מֶרְכָּבָה וּמֶרְכָּבָה שֶׁרָאָה יְחֶזְקֵאל, "אַלְפֵי שִׁנְאָן", אָמַר רַבִּי תַּנְחוּם בַּר חַנִּילַאי, עַד מָקוֹם שֶׁהַסּוֹפִיטוֹם יָכוֹל לְחַשֵּׁב. (כִּי לִי כָל הָאָרֶץ מִילֵי מִילֵי אָרֶץ). אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן פְּדָת וְכֻלָּן יָרְדוּ שְׁנוּנִים לְכַלּוֹת שׂוֹנְאֵיהֶן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁאִלּוּ לֹא קִבְּלוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה הָיוּ מְכַלִּין אוֹתָן. אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי "ה' בָם" מִי שֶׁרוֹאֶה פְּנֵי מֶלֶךְ אֵינוֹ מֵת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי טז, טו) "בְּאוֹר פְּנֵי מֶלֶךְ חַיִּים".