Ezekiel 1

1 ¹ In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of our Father. ^a a v1 The thirtieth year was most likely Ezekiel's own age — the year priests traditionally entered temple service.

² On the fifth day of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin ³ —the word of our Father came directly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the Kebar River. There the hand of our Father was upon him.

⁴ I looked, and a windstorm was coming out of the north—an immense cloud with flashing fire and brilliant light all around it. The center of the fire looked like gleaming metal. ⁵ and within it was the likeness of four living creatures. This was their appearance: they had a human likeness, ⁶ but each had four faces, and each of them had four wings. ⁷ Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf's foot, and they gleamed like burnished bronze. ⁸ Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four of them had faces and wings, ⁹ and their wings touched one another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.

¹⁰ Their faces looked like this: each of the four had the face of a human, and on the right the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox, and each also had the face of an eagle. ¹¹ Such were their faces. Their wings were spread upward; each had two wings touching the wing of another on either side, and two wings covering its body. ¹² Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they went, without turning as they moved. ¹³ The living creatures themselves looked like burning coals of fire, like torches. Fire moved back and forth among them; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it. ¹⁴ And the living creatures darted back and forth like flashes of lightning.

¹⁵ As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces. ¹⁶ This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: they gleamed like topaz, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be a wheel within a wheel. ¹⁷ As they moved, they went in any of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not turn as the creatures went. ¹⁸ Their rims were tall and terrifying, and the rims of all four were full of eyes all around. ¹⁹ When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. ²⁰ Wherever the spirit would go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. ²¹ When the creatures moved, the wheels moved; when the creatures stood still, the wheels stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

²² Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was the likeness of an expanse, gleaming like awe-inspiring crystal, stretched out above their heads. ²³ Under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another, and each had two wings covering its body. ²⁴ When they moved, I heard the sound of their wings like the roar of mighty waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a thunder like the sound of an army. When they stood still, they let down their wings.

²⁵ And a voice came from above the expanse over their heads; when they stood still, they let down their wings. ²⁶ Above the expanse over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a human. ²⁷ From what appeared to be his waist up I saw what looked like gleaming metal, with fire all around; and from what appeared to be his waist down I saw what looked like fire, and brilliant light surrounded him.

²⁸ Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of our Father. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard a voice speaking to me. ^b b v28 Ezekiel's throne-vision is the glory of our Father — the same throne John later sees in heaven (Revelation 4), ringed by the rainbow that recalls his covenant mercy.