4 As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness round it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal. 5 And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And 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 sparkled like burnished bronze. 8 Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus: 9 their wings touched one another. Each one of them went straight forward, without turning as they went. 10 As for the likeness 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. 11 Such were their faces. And their wings were spread out above. Each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while two covered their bodies. 12 And each went straight forward. Wherever the spirit would go, they went, without turning as they went. 13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches moving to and fro among the living creatures. And the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. 14 And the living creatures darted to and fro, like the appearance of a flash of lightning.
15 Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them. 16 As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like the gleaming of beryl. And the four had the same likeness, their appearance and construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel. 17 When they went, they went in any of their four directions without turning as they went. 18 And their rims were tall and awesome, and the rims of all four were full of eyes all round. 19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose.20 Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 21 When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
22 Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring crystal, spread out above their heads.23 And under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one towards another. And each creature had two wings covering its body. 24 And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the sound of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army. When they stood still, they let down their wings. 25 And there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads. When they stood still, they let down their wings.
26 And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance. 27 And upwards from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all round. And downwards from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him. 28 Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all round.
Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
The vision given to Ezekiel has a fourfold component, and we must look at it in some detail, but first of all we should see the association of ideas it contains. In 3 we are told that the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel, but in 4 that word is something he 'saw': the vision was so vivid, and the revelation so acute, that it could be 'seen' to be the word of the Lord. Furthermore, in 28, we are told that out of the vision came a 'voice'. This double association of ideas is significant, for it reminds us that ethereal or mystical visions need to be 'earthed', in the way that one earths an electric current. Visions without a voice are best treated with caution, for they have a great potential for leading people astray, tempting them to attribute more importance to them than they warrant. The vision appears to have emerged from a natural phenomenon, a whirlwind storm building up from the horizon - a common enough sight in eastern, tropical countries. It was only as the prophet's attention was diverted to it that it became the vehicle of the revelation and the context in which God revealed Himself to him, as the whirlwind began to manifest supernatural associations. The word 'amber' used to describe the brightness emerging from the storm is one which refers to shining metal, and in every case where it is used in Scripture, it refers to the dazzling splendour of the glory of God. Ezekiel was not slow to identify what he was seeing.