Ezekiel 1
1
1In the thirtieth year on the fifth day of the fourth month, as I was among the exiles by the river Chebar, the heavens opened, and I saw visions of God.
2In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity,
3the word of Adonai came to Ezekiel the kohen, son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar. (The hand of Adonai was upon him there.)
Vision of Supernatural Beings
4I looked, and behold, a storm wind came from the north, a great cloud with flashing fire and brightness all around it, and something like a glowing alloy out of the fire.
5From within it came the likeness of four living creatures. This was their appearance: they had a likeness of a human,
6but each one had four faces and each one of them had four wings.
7Their legs were straight and the soles of their feet were like the hoof of a calf. They sparkled like the color of burnished bronze.
8They had human hands under their wings on their four sides. The four of them had faces and wings:
9their wings touched one another; they did not turn when they moved; each could move in the direction of any of its faces.
10As for the form of their faces, each had a human face, the four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side and the four had the face of an eagle.
11Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above. Each creature had two wings touching the wing of another, while another two were covering their bodies.
12Now each being could move in the direction of any of its faces; wherever the Ruach would go, they went, without turning as they went.
13As for the form of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, resembling torches moving between the living creatures. There was brightness to the fire, and lightning went forth from the fire.
14The living creatures were running back and forth like flashes of lightning.
15As I looked at the living creatures, behold, one wheel was on the ground next to each of the four-faced creatures.
16The appearance and structure of the wheels was like the gleaming of beryl. The four had the same likeness, their appearance and their structure seemed to be a wheel within a wheel.
17When they went, they went in any of their four directions without pivoting as they went.
18Their rims were high and awesome—all four rims were full of eyes all around.
19When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them. When the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose.
20Wherever the Ruach wanted to go, they went, in the direction the Ruach wanted to go. The wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
21Whenever the creatures went, the wheels went. When the creatures stood still, these wheels stood still. When the creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
22Now over the heads of the living creatures there was something like an expanse, shining like the color of ice, stretched forth over their heads.
23Under the expanse, their wings were stretched out straight, one toward the other. Each had another pair covering its body.
24When they moved, I could hear the sound of their wings like the sound of rushing waters, like the voice of Shaddai, a noise of tumult like the noise of an army. Whenever they stood still, they let down their wings.
25There came a voice from above the expanse over their heads. Whenever they stood still, they let down their wings.
26Above the expanse over their heads was something like a throne, resembling a sapphire stone. Above the shape of the throne was a figure of human appearance.
27From what appeared as his waist upward, I saw a glowing metal, looking like a fire encased in a frame. From what was like his waist down, I saw the appearance of fire radiating around him.
28Like the appearance of the rainbow in the cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the radiance. It was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Adonai. I saw it, fell upon my face, and heard the voice of the One who was speaking.
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
Ezekiel 1
1
Ezekiel sees the Lord's glory and is chosen to be his prophet
1-3I am Ezekiel—a priest and the son of Buzi.#1.1-3 a priest and the son of Buzi: Or “the son of Buzi the priest”.#Rev 19.11.#2 K 24.10-16; 2 Ch 36.9,10.
Five years after King Jehoiachin of Judah had been led away as a prisoner to Babylonia, I was living near the River Chebar among those who had been taken there with him. Then on the fifth day of the fourth month#1.1-3 Five years…prisoner…fourth month: Probably July of 593 BC. of the thirtieth year,#1.1-3 thirtieth year: The event from which this date is worked out is unknown. the heavens suddenly opened. The LORD placed his hand upon me#1.1-3 The LORD placed his hand upon me: This was a sign that the LORD had chosen Ezekiel to be his prophet. and showed me some visions.
4I saw a storm blowing in from the north. Lightning flashed from a huge cloud and lit up the whole sky with a dazzling brightness. The fiery centre of the cloud was as shiny as polished metal, 5and in that centre I saw what looked like four living creatures. They were somewhat like humans,#Rev 4.6. 6except that each one had four faces and four wings. 7Their legs were straight, but their feet looked like the hoofs of calves and sparkled like bronze. 8Under each of their wings, these creatures had a human hand. 9The four creatures were standing back-to-back with the tips of their wings touching. They moved together in every direction, without turning their bodies.
10Each creature had the face of a human in front, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of a bull on the left, and the face of an eagle at the back.#Ez 10.14; Rev 4.7. 11Two wings#1.11 Two wings: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. of each creature were spread out and touched the wings of the creatures on either side. The other two wings of each creature were folded against its body.
12Wherever the four living creatures went, they moved together without turning their bodies, because each creature faced straight ahead. 13The creatures were glowing like hot coals, and I saw something like a flaming torch moving back and forth among them. Lightning flashed from the torch every time its flame blazed up.#1.13 up: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 13.#Rev 4.5. 14The creatures themselves moved as quickly as sparks jumping from a fire.#1.14 as sparks jumping from a fire: Or “as flashes of lightning”.
15I then noticed that on the ground beside each of the four living creatures was a wheel,#1.15 wheel: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 15.#Ez 10.9-13. 16shining like chrysolite.#1.16 chrysolite: A precious stone that has an olive green colour. Each wheel was exactly the same and had a second wheel that cut through the middle of it,#1.16 a second wheel that cut through the middle of it: Or “a smaller wheel inside it”. 17so that they could move in any direction without turning. 18The rims of the wheels were large and had eyes all the way around them.#1.18 them: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 18.#Rev 4.8. 19-21The creatures controlled when and where the wheels moved—the wheels went wherever the four creatures went and stopped whenever they stopped. Even when the creatures flew in the air, the wheels were beside them.
22-23Above the living creatures, I saw something that was sparkling like ice, and it reminded me of a dome. Each creature had two of its wings stretched out towards the creatures on either side, with the other two wings folded against its body.#Rev 4.6. 24Whenever the creatures flew, their wings roared like an ocean or a large army or even the voice of God All-Powerful. And whenever the creatures stopped, they folded their wings against their bodies.#Rev 1.4-15; 19.6.
25When the creatures stopped flapping their wings, I heard a sound coming from above the dome. 26I then saw what looked like a throne made of sapphire,#1.26 sapphire: A precious stone that has a blue colour. and sitting on the throne was a figure in the shape of a human.#Ez 10.1; Rev 4.2,3. 27From the waist up, it was glowing like metal in a hot furnace, and from the waist down it looked like the flames of a fire. The figure was surrounded by a bright light,#Ez 8.2. 28as colourful as a rainbow that appears after a storm.
I realized I was seeing the brightness of the LORD's glory! So I bowed with my face to the ground, and just then I heard a voice speaking to me.
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012