Ezekiel’s Vision of God

1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by ^(A)the River Chebar, that ^(B)the heavens were opened and I saw ^(C)visions^[a] of God. ² On the fifth day of the month, which was in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, ³ the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the ^[b]Chaldeans by the River Chebar; and ^(D)the hand of the Lord was upon him there.

⁴ Then I looked, and behold, ^(E)a whirlwind was coming ^(F)out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire. ^5 (G)Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. And ^(H)this was their appearance: they had ^(I)the likeness of a man. ⁶ Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings. ⁷ Their ^[c]legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the soles of calves’ feet. They sparkled ^(J)like the color of burnished bronze. ^8 (K)The hands of a man were under their wings on their four sides; and each of the four had faces and wings. ⁹ Their wings touched one another. The creatures did not turn when they went, but each one went straight ^(L)forward.

¹⁰ As for ^(M)the likeness of their faces, each ^(N)had the face of a man; each of the four had ^(O)the face of a lion on the right side, ^(P)each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, ^(Q)and each of the four had the face of an eagle. ¹¹ Thus were their faces. Their wings stretched upward; two wings of each one touched one another, and ^(R)two covered their bodies. ¹² And ^(S)each one went straight forward; they went wherever the spirit wanted to go, and they did not turn when they went.

¹³ As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, ^(T)like the appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightning. ¹⁴ And the living creatures ran back and forth, ^(U)in appearance like a flash of lightning.

²¹ And you, ^(A)who once were alienated and enemies in your mind ^(B)by wicked works, yet now He has ^(C)reconciled ^22 (D)in the body of His flesh through death, ^(E)to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— ²³ if indeed you continue ^(F)in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are ^(G)not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, ^(H)which was preached to every creature under heaven, ^(I)of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Sacrificial Service for Christ

^24 (J)I now rejoice in my sufferings ^(K)for you, and fill up in my flesh ^(L)what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for ^(M)the sake of His body, which is the church, ²⁵ of which I became a minister according to ^(N)the ^[a]stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, ^26 (O)the ^[b]mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, ^(P)but now has been revealed to His saints. ^27 (Q)To them God willed to make known what are ^(R)the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: ^[c]which is ^(S)Christ in you, ^(T)the hope of glory. ²⁸ Him we preach, ^(U)warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, ^(V)that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me ^(W)mightily.

Not Philosophy but Christ

2 For I want you to know what a great ^(X)conflict^[d] I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, ² that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, ^[e]both of the Father and of Christ, ^3 (Y)in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

⁴ Now this I say ^(Z)lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. ⁵ For ^(AA)though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing ^[f]to see ^(AB)your good order and the ^(AC)steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

^6 (AD)As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, ^7 (AE)rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding ^[g]in it with thanksgiving.

¹⁵ Now as I looked at the living creatures, behold, ^(A)a wheel was on the earth beside each living creature with its four faces. ^16 (B)The appearance of the wheels and their workings was ^(C)like the color of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. The appearance of their workings was, as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel. ¹⁷ When they moved, they went toward any one of four directions; they did not turn aside when they went. ¹⁸ As for their rims, they were so high they were awesome; and their rims were ^(D)full of eyes, all around the four of them. ^19 (E)When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. ²⁰ Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, because there the spirit went; and the wheels were lifted together with them, ^(F)for the spirit of the ^[a]living creatures was in the wheels. ²¹ When those went, these went; when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up together with them, for the spirit of the ^[b]living creatures was in the wheels.

^22 (G)The likeness of the ^[c]firmament above the heads of the ^[d]living creatures was like the color of an awesome ^(H)crystal, stretched out ^(I)over their heads. ²³ And under the firmament their wings spread out straight, one toward another. Each one had two which covered one side, and each one had two which covered the other side of the body. ^24 (J)When they went, I heard the noise of their wings, ^(K)like the noise of many waters, like ^(L)the voice of the Almighty, a tumult like the noise of an army; and when they stood still, they let down their wings. ²⁵ A voice came from above the firmament that was over their heads; whenever they stood, they let down their wings.

^26 (M)And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, ^(N)in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above ^(O)it. ²⁷ Also from the appearance of His waist and upward ^(P)I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. ^28 (Q)Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. ^(R)This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.

Ezekiel Sent to Rebellious Israel

So when I saw it, ^(S)I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.

The Way, the Truth, and the Life

14 “Let ^(A)not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. ² In My Father’s house are many ^[a]mansions; if it were not so, ^[b]I would have told you. ^(B)I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, ^(C)I will come again and receive you to Myself; that ^(D)where I am, there you may be also. ⁴ And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

^5 (E)Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”

⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am ^(F)the way, ^(G)the truth, and ^(H)the life. ^(I)No one comes to the Father ^(J)except through Me.

The Father Revealed

^7 (K)“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”

⁸ Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”

⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? ^(L)He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Do you not believe that ^(M)I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you ^(N)I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. ¹¹ Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, ^(O)or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.

The Answered Prayer

^12 (P)“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. ^13 (Q)And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be ^(R)glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ^[c]ask anything in My name, I will do it.

Jesus Promises Another Helper

^15 (S)“If you love Me, ^[d]keep My commandments. ¹⁶ And I will pray the Father, and ^(T)He will give you another ^[e]Helper, that He may abide with you forever— ^17 (U)the Spirit of truth, ^(V)whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you ^(W)and will be in you. ^18 (X)I will not leave you orphans; ^(Y)I will come to you.

Indwelling of the Father and the Son

¹⁹ “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but ^(Z)you will see Me. ^(AA)Because I live, you will live also. ²⁰ At that day you will know that ^(AB)I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. ^21 (AC)He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and ^[f]manifest Myself to him.”

^22 (AD)Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”

²³ Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, ^(AE)and We will come to him and make Our home with him. ²⁴ He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and ^(AF)the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.

The Gift of His Peace

²⁵ “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. ²⁶ But ^(AG)the ^[g]Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will ^(AH)send in My name, ^(AI)He will teach you all things, and bring to your ^(AJ)remembrance all things that I said to you. ^27 (AK)Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. ²⁸ You have heard Me ^(AL)say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because ^[h]I said, ^(AM)‘I am going to the Father,’ for ^(AN)My Father is greater than I.

²⁹ “And ^(AO)now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. ³⁰ I will no longer talk much with you, ^(AP)for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has ^(AQ)nothing in Me. ³¹ But that the world may know that I love the Father, and ^(AR)as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here.