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The Vision of Four Figures

¹ Now it came about when I was in my ^(F1)thirtieth year of life, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles beside the ^(C1)River Chebar in Babylonia, the ^(C2)heavens were opened and I saw ^(C3)visions of God.² (On the fifth of the month, which was in the ^(C1)fifth year of ^(F1)King Jehoiachin's captivity, ^(VR1)3 the ^(C1)word of the LORD came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the ^(C2)land of the ^(F1)Chaldeans by the River ^(F2)Chebar; and ^(C3)the hand of the LORD came upon him there.) ^(VR1)

⁴ As I looked, I saw a ^(C1)stormy wind coming out of the north, a great cloud with fire flashing continually from it; and a brightness was around it, and in its core there was ^(C2)something like glowing amber-colored metal in the midst of the fire.⁵ Within it there were figures resembling ^(F1)(C1)four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human ^(C2)form.⁶ Each one had ^(C1)four faces and ^(C2)four wings.⁷ Their legs were straight and the soles of their feet were like a calf's hoof, and they sparkled and gleamed like ^(C1)shiny bronze.⁸ Under their wings on their ^(C1)four sides they had human ^(C2)hands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them,⁹ their wings touched one another; their faces did ^(C1)not turn when they moved, each ^(C2)went straight forward.¹⁰ Regarding the ^(F1)(C1)form and appearance of their faces: they each had the ^(C2)face of a man in front, and each had the face of a lion on the right side, and the face of an ox on the left side; all four also had the face of an eagle at the back of their heads. ^(VR1)11 Such were their faces. Their wings were stretched out upward; two wings of each one were touching another the wings of the beings on either side of it, and the remaining ^(C1)two wings of each being were covering their bodies.¹² And ^(C1)each went straight forward; ^(C2)wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went.¹³ Among the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of ^(C1)fire, like torches moving back and forth among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was flashing from the fire.¹⁴ And the living beings ^(C1)moved rapidly back and forth like flashes of ^(C2)lightning.

¹⁵ Now as I looked at the living beings, I saw one ^(C1)wheel on the ground beside the living beings, for each of the four of them.¹⁶ Regarding the ^(C1)appearance of the wheels and their construction: they gleamed like ^(C2)chrysolite (beryl, olivine); and the four were made alike. Their appearance and construction were a wheel set at a right angle within a wheel.¹⁷ Whenever they moved, they went in any one of their four directions without ^(C1)turning as they moved.¹⁸ Regarding their rims: they were so high that they were awesome and dreadful, and the rims of all four of them were ^(C1)full of eyes all around.^19 (C1)Whenever the living beings moved, the wheels moved with them; and when the living beings ^(C2)rose from the earth, the wheels rose also.^20 (C1)Wherever the spirit went, the beings went in that direction. And the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit or life of the living beings was in the wheels.^21 (C1)Whenever those went, these went; and whenever those came to a stop, these came to a stop; and whenever those rose from the earth, the wheels rose close beside them, for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.

Vision of Divine Glory

²² Now stretched ^(C1)over the heads of the living beings there was something like an expanse, looking like the terrible and awesome shimmer of icy crystal.²³ Under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another. Every living being had ^(C1)two wings which covered its body on one side and on the other side.²⁴ As they moved, I also heard the sound of their wings like the ^(C1)sound of great rushing waters, like the ^(C2)voice of ^(F1)the Almighty, the sound of tumult like the ^(C3)noise of an army camp. Whenever they came to a stop, they lowered their wings.²⁵ And there was a voice above the ^(C1)expanse that was over their heads; whenever they stopped, they lowered their wings.

²⁶ Now ^(C1)above the expanse that was over their heads there was something ^(C2)resembling a throne, it appeared like it was made of ^(C3)sapphire or lapis lazuli; and seated on that which looked like a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a ^(C4)man. ^(VR1)27 Now upward, from that which appeared to be His waist, I saw something ^(C1)like glowing metal that looked like it was filled with fire all around it; and downward, from that which appeared to be His waist, I saw something like fire; and there was a brightness and a remarkable radiance like a halo around Him.²⁸ As the appearance of the ^(C1)rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. This was the appearance of the likeness of the ^(C2)glory and brilliance of the LORD. And when I saw it, I ^(C3)fell face downward and I heard a voice of One speaking. ^(VR1)