The Vision of God's Glory and the Living Creatures
Ezekiel 1:1-28
1In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day of the month, while I was in the midst of the captivity upon the river Chebar, the heavens opened and I saw visions of God.2It was the fifth day of the fifth month in the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin.3The word of the LORD came to Ezekiel son of Buzi the priest in the land of Chaldea by the river Chebar, and the hand of the LORD came upon him there.4I saw, and behold, a spirit of tempest coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing, and brightness around it, and from its midst something like the eye of amber from the midst of the fire.5From its midst came the likeness of four living creatures, and this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man for them.6Each had four faces, and each had four wings.7Their feet were straight, and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot, and they sparkled like burnished bronze.8Human hands were under their wings on their four sides, and the faces and wings of the four belonged to them.9Their wings touched one another; they did not turn as they moved; each moved straight ahead in the direction of its face.10The likeness of their faces was the face of a man, the face of a lion toward the right for the four, the face of cattle from the left for the four, and the face of an eagle for the four.11Their faces and their wings were separated above; each had two wings joining another and two wings covering their bodies.12Each went toward the side of his face; wherever the spirit was to go, they went; they did not turn as they went.13The likeness of the living creatures was like coals of fire burning, like the appearance of torches moving among the living creatures; there was brightness to the fire, and from the fire lightning came out.14The creatures darted back and forth like flashes of lightning.15As I looked at the living creatures, I saw one wheel on the ground beside each of the four creatures.16The appearance of the wheels and their work was like the eye of jasper, and they had one likeness for the four; their appearance and their work were as the wheel was in the midst of the wheel.17When they went, they went upon their four sides; they did not turn as they went.18Their rims were high and awesome, and their rims were full of eyes all around for the four of them.19When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them; when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose.20Wherever the spirit would go, they went; there the spirit would go, and the wheels were lifted up alongside them, for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.21As they went, they went, and when they stood, they stood, and when they were lifted up from the land, the wheels were lifted up alongside them, for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.22Above the heads of the living creature was the likeness of an expanse like the gleam of awesome ice, stretched out above their heads.23Under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another; each creature had two wings covering its body on one side and two wings covering its body on the other side.24I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, as they went, the sound of a tumult like the sound of a camp; when they stood still their wings slackened.25There came a sound from above the expanse over their heads; when they stood still they let down their wings.26Above the expanse that was upon their heads was something like the appearance of sapphire stone, the likeness of a throne, and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness with the appearance of a man upon it from above.27I saw something like the eye of amber, like the appearance of fire within a house around it from the appearance of his loins and upward, and from the appearance of his loins and downward I saw something like fire with brightness around it.28Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness around; it was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. I saw and fell upon my face and heard a voice speaking.