The Glory Arises
10 Then I looked, and behold, above the expanse over the heads of the cheruvim, there appeared above them something like a sapphire stone, resembling a throne. 2 He spoke to the man clothed in linen and said, “Go in between the whirling wheels underneath the cheruvim. Fill your hands with glowing coals from between the cheruvim and scatter them over the city.” So he went in before my eyes.
3 Now the cheruvim stood on the right side of the House when the man went in. The cloud filled the inner court. 4 Then the glory of Adonai rose up from above the cheruv to the threshold of the House. The House was filled with the cloud and the court was full of the brilliance of Adonai’s glory. 5 The sound of the wings of the cheruvim was heard as far as the outer court, as the voice of El Shaddai when He speaks.
6 After He commanded the man clothed in linen saying: “Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cheruvim,” he went in and stood beside a wheel. 7 The cheruv reached out his hand from between the cheruvim into the fire that was between the cheruvim and took some of it. He put it into the hands of the man clothed in linen, who took it and went out. 8 The cheruvim appeared to have the form of a human hand under their wings.
9 Then I looked, and behold, four wheels beside the cheruvim, one wheel beside one cheruv, and another wheel beside another cheruv. The appearance of the wheels was like the sparkling of a beryl stone. 10 As for their appearance, the four had one form—like a wheel within a wheel. 11 When they went, they would go in any of their four directions, without pivoting as they went. So to whatever place the head faced, they followed, without turning as they went. 12 Their whole body, their backs, their hands, their wings, and their wheels, the wheels of the four of them, were full of eyes all around. [a] 13 As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing “the whirling wheels.” 14 Each one had four faces: the first face was the face of the cheruv, the second face was the face of a man, the third the face of a lion and the fourth the face of an eagle.[b]
15 The cheruvim arose—these were the living creatures that I saw by the river Chebar. 16 As the cheruvim went, the wheels would go beside them. When the cheruvim lifted up their wings to rise from the earth, the wheels would not turn from beside them. 17 When they stood still, these stood still. When they rose up, these rose up with them; for the spirit of the living creatures was in them.
18 Then the glory of Adonai went forth from above the threshold of the House and stood above the cheruvim. 19 The cheruvim lifted up their wings and arose from the earth in my sight. When they went out, the wheels went with them. They stood still at the door of the east gate of Adonai’s House. The glory of the God of Israel was over them from above. 20 They were the living creatures that I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chebar. I knew that they were cheruvim. 21 Each of them had four faces and each one four wings. The appearance of human hands was under their wings. 22 As for the appearance of their faces, they were the same faces whose appearance I saw by the river Chebar. Each could move in the direction of any of its faces.
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 10:13 cf. Rev. 4:6, 8.
- Ezekiel 10:14 cf. Rev. 4:7.