The
Living Creatures And The Glory Of The Lord
In
the thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day,
While
I was among the Exiles by the Kebar River,
THE
HEAVENS WERE OPENED AND I SAW VISIONS OF GOD.
2
On the fifth of the month--
It
was the fifth year of the Exile of King Jehoiachin--
3
The Word of the Lord
Came
to Ezekiel the Priest, the son of Buzi,
By
the Kebar river in the land of the Babylonians.
THERE
THE HAND OF THE LORD WAS UPON HIM.
4 I
looked, and I saw a Windstorm coming out of the north--
And
Immense Cloud with Flashing Lightning
And
Surrounded by Brilliant Light.
The
Center of the Fire looked like Glowing Metal,
5
And in the Fire was what looked like Four Living Creatures.
In
appearance their form was that of a man,
6
But each of them had Four Faces and Four Wings.
7
Their legs were straight ;
Their
feet were like those of a calf
And
Gleamed like burnished bronze.
8
Under their Wings on their four sides
They
had the hands of a man.
All
Four of them had Faces and Wings,
And
their Wings touched one another.
Each
one when straight ahead;
They
did not turn as they moved.
10
Their Faces looked like this:
Each
of the Four had the Face of a man,
And
on the right side each had the Face of a Lion,
And
on the left the Face of an Ox;
Each
also had the Face of an Eagle.
11
Such were their Faces.
Their
Wings were spread out upward;
Each
had Two Wings,
One
touching the Wing of another Creature on either side,
And
Two Wings covering its body.
12
Each one went straight ahead.
WHEREVER
THE SPIRIT WOULD GO THEY WOULD GO,
Without
turning as they went.
13
The appearance of the Living Creatures
Was
like Burning Coals of Fire or like Torches.
Fire
moved back and forth among the Creatures;
It
was Bright, and Lightning Flashed our of it.
14
The Creatures sped 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.
15
This was the appearance and structure of the Wheels:
They
Sparkled like Chrysolite, and all Four looked alike.
Each
appeared to be made like a Wheel intersecting a Wheel.
17
As they moved,
They
would go in any one of the four directions the Creatures faced;
The
Wheels did not turn bout as the Creatures went.
18
Their Rims were high and Awesome,
AND
ALL FOUR RIMS WERE FULL OF EYES ALL AROUND.
19
When the Living Creature moved,
The
Wheels beside them moved;
and
when the Living Creatures rose from the ground,
The
Wheels would rise along with them,
BECAUSE
THE SPIRIT OF THE LIVING CREATURES
WAS
IN THE WHEELS.
21
When the Creatures moved, they also moved;
When
the Creatures stood still, they also stood still;
And
when the Creatures rose from the ground,
The
Wheels rose along with them,
BECAUSE
THE SPIRIT OF THE LIVING CREATURES
WAS
IN THE WHEELS.
22
Spread out above the heads of the Living Creatures
Was
what looked like an Expanse,
Sparkling
like ice and Awesome.
23
Under the Expanse their Wings were stretched out
One
toward the other,
And
each had Two Wings covering its body.
24
When the Creatures moved, I heard the sound of their Wings,
LIKE
THE ROAR OF RUSHING WATERS,
LIKE
THE VOICE OF THE ALMIGHTY,
LIKE
THE TUMULT OF AN ARMY.
When
they stood still, they lowered their Wings.
25
Then there came a Voice from above the Expanse over their heads
As
they stood with lowered Wings.
26
Above the Expanse over their heads
Was
what looked like a Throne of Sapphire,
And
high above the Throne was a Figure like that of a man.
27
I saw that from what appeared to be His Waist up
He
looked like Glowing Metal, as if Full of Fire,
And
that from there down He 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 THE LORD.
When
I saw it, I fell face down,
And
I heard the Voice of One speaking.
(Ezekiel
1)
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