God’s Glory Leaves the Temple

10 Then I looked, and there above the expanse over the heads^(A) of the cherubim was something like sapphire^[a] stone resembling the shape of a throne that appeared above them. ² The Lord spoke to the man clothed in linen and said, “Go inside the wheelwork beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with hot coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.”^(B) So he went in as I watched.

³ Now the cherubim were standing to the south of the temple when the man went in, and the cloud^(C) filled the inner court.^{(D) 4} Then the glory of the Lord rose from above the cherub to the threshold of the temple.^(E) The temple was filled with the cloud,^(F) and the court was filled with the brightness of the Lord’s glory.^{(G) 5} The sound of the cherubim’s wings could be heard as far as the outer court; it was like the voice of God Almighty when He speaks.

⁶ After the Lord commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from inside the wheelwork, from among the cherubim,” the man went in and stood beside a wheel. ⁷ Then the cherub reached out his hand to the fire that was among them. He took some, and put it into the hands of the man clothed in linen, who took it and went out. ⁸ The cherubim appeared to have the form of human hands under their wings.^(H)

⁹ I looked, and there were four wheels beside the cherubim,^(I) one wheel beside each cherub. The luster of the wheels was like the gleam of beryl.^{(J) 10} In appearance, all four had the same form, like a wheel within a wheel. ¹¹ When they moved, they would go in any of the four directions,^(K) without pivoting as they moved. But wherever the head faced, they would go in that direction,^[b] without pivoting as they went. ¹² Their entire bodies,^(L) including their backs, hands, wings, and the wheels that the four of them had, were full of eyes all around.^{(M) 13} As I listened the wheels were called “the wheelwork.” ¹⁴ Each one had four faces:^(N) the first face was that of a cherub, the second that of a man, the third that of a lion, and the fourth that of an eagle.

¹⁵ The cherubim ascended; these were the living creatures I had seen by the Chebar Canal.^{(O) 16} When the cherubim moved, the wheels moved beside them, and when they lifted their wings to rise from the earth, even then the wheels did not veer away from them. ¹⁷ When the cherubim stood still,^(P) the wheels stood still, and when they ascended, the wheels ascended with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in them.

¹⁸ Then the glory of the Lord moved away from the threshold of the temple^(Q) and stood above the cherubim.^{(R) 19} The cherubim lifted their wings and ascended from the earth right before my eyes;^(S) the wheels were beside them as they went. The glory of the God of Israel was above them, and it stood at the entrance to the eastern gate of the Lord’s house.

²⁰ These were the living creatures I had seen^(T) beneath the God of Israel by the Chebar Canal,^(U) and I recognized that they were cherubim. ²¹ Each had four faces and each had four wings,^(V) with the form of human hands under their wings. ²² Their faces looked like the same faces I had seen^(W) by the Chebar Canal. Each creature went straight ahead.

Vision of Israel’s Corrupt Leaders

11 The Spirit then lifted me up^(X) and brought me to the eastern gate of the Lord’s house, which faces east, and at the gate’s entrance were 25 men. Among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur, and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people. ² The Lord said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who plan evil^(Y) and give wicked advice in this city. ³ They are saying, ‘Isn’t the time near to build houses?^[c](Z) The city is the pot,^(AA) and we are the meat.’ ⁴ Therefore, prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of man!”

⁵ Then the Spirit of the Lord came on me, and He told me, “You are to say: This is what the Lord says: That is what you are thinking, house of Israel; and I know the thoughts that arise in your mind.^{(AB) 6} You have multiplied your slain in this city,^(AC) filling its streets with the dead.

⁷ “Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: The slain you have put within it are the meat,^(AD) and the city is the pot, but I^[d] will remove you from it.^{(AE) 8} You fear the sword,^(AF) so I will bring the sword against you.”^(AG) This is the declaration of the Lord God. ⁹ “I will bring you out of the city and hand you over to foreigners; I will execute judgments against you.^{(AH) 10} You will fall by the sword,^(AI) and I will judge you at the border of Israel.^(AJ) Then you will know that I am Yahweh. ¹¹ The city will not be a pot for you,^(AK) and you will not be the meat within it. I will judge you at the border of Israel, ¹² so you will know that I am Yahweh, whose statutes you have not followed and whose ordinances you have not practiced. Instead, you have acted according to the ordinances of the nations around you.”^(AL)

¹³ Now while I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died.^(AM) Then I fell facedown and cried out with a loud voice: “Oh, Lord God!^(AN) Will You bring to an end the remnant of Israel?”

Promise of Israel’s Restoration

¹⁴ The word of the Lord came to me again: ¹⁵ “Son of man, your own relatives, those who have the right to redeem you,^[e][f] and the entire house of Israel, all of them, are those that the residents of Jerusalem have said this to, ‘Stay away from the Lord; this land has been given to us as a possession.’

¹⁶ “Therefore say: This is what the Lord God says: Though I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them^(AO) in the countries where they have gone.

¹⁷ “Therefore say: This is what the Lord God says: I will gather you from the peoples^(AP) and assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.

¹⁸ “When they arrive there, they will remove all its^(AQ) detestable things^(AR) and practices from it. ¹⁹ And I will give them one heart^(AS) and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone^(AT) from their bodies^[g] and give them a heart of flesh,^{(AU) 20} so they may follow My statutes,^(AV) keep My ordinances, and practice them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God.^{(AW) 21} But as for those whose hearts pursue their desire for detestable things and practices, I will bring their actions down on their own heads.”^(AX) This is the declaration of the Lord God.

God’s Glory Leaves Jerusalem

²² Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, lifted their wings,^(AY) and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. ²³ The glory of the Lord^(AZ) rose up from within the city and stood on the mountain^(BA) east of the city.^{[h](BB) 24} The Spirit lifted me up^(BC) and brought me to Chaldea and to the exiles in a vision from the Spirit of God. After the vision I had seen left me, ²⁵ I spoke to the exiles about all the things the Lord had shown me.

Warning against Regression

6 Therefore, leaving the elementary message about the Messiah, let us go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, faith in God,^{(A) 2} teaching about ritual washings,^[a] laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.^{(B) 3} And we will do this if God permits.

⁴ For it is impossible to renew to repentance those who were once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift, became companions with the Holy Spirit,^{(C) 5} tasted God’s good word and the powers of the coming age, ⁶ and who have fallen away, because,^[b] to their own harm, they are recrucifying the Son of God and holding Him up to contempt.^{(D) 7} For ground that has drunk the rain that has often fallen on it and that produces vegetation useful to those it is cultivated for receives a blessing from God. ⁸ But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and about to be cursed, and will be burned at the end.^(E)

⁹ Even though we are speaking this way, dear friends, in your case we are confident of the better things connected with salvation. ¹⁰ For God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love^[c] you showed for His name when you served the saints—and you continue to serve them.^{(F) 11} Now we want each of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the final realization of your hope, ¹² so that you won’t become lazy but will be imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance.^(G)

Inheriting the Promise

¹³ For when God made a promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater to swear by, He swore by Himself:

¹⁵ And so, after waiting patiently, Abraham^[e] obtained the promise. ¹⁶ For men swear by something greater than themselves, and for them a confirming oath ends every dispute. ¹⁷ Because God wanted to show His unchangeable purpose even more clearly to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath,^{(I) 18} so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us.^{(J) 19} We have this hope as an anchor for our lives, safe and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.^{(K) 20} Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner,^(L) because He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.^(M)