In my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.
I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north—an immense cloud with flashing lightning, surrounded by brilliant light. The centre looked like glowing metal and in the fire was four living creatures. In appearance their form was human, but each of them had four faces and four wings. Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands.
Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.
Each had the face of a human being, and on the right side the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle. They each had two wings spreading upward, each wing touching that of the creature on either side; and each had two other wings covering its body.
Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went.
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 out of it. The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.
I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature. They sparkled like topaz, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel.
As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not change direction as the creatures went.
Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.
When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 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.
Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked something like a vault, sparkling like crystal, and awesome.
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.
Then there came a voice from above the vault over their heads as they stood with lowered wings... and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. 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. 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 facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
Ezekiel 1:1-30
(I edited it a bit.)
