Old/New Testament

Ezekiel Sees God’s Throne

1 On the fifth day of the fourth month in the thirtieth year, while I was by the Chebar River with the Jews who had been taken away from their land, the heavens were opened and I saw God in a special way. ² (On the fifth day of the month in the fifth year that King Jehoiachin had been living in a strange land, ³ the Word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the religious leader, son of Buzi, in the land of the Babylonians by the Chebar River. There the hand of the Lord came upon him.)

⁴ I looked and saw a wind storm coming from the north. There was a big cloud with lightning coming from it and with a bright light around it. Inside the fire was something like shining brass, ⁵ and in the fire was what looked like four living beings. They looked like men, ⁶ but each of them had four faces and four wings. ⁷ Their legs were straight, and their feet were like those of a calf. They shined like bright brass. ⁸ Under their wings on their four sides were hands like a man’s. As for the faces and wings of the four of them, ⁹ their wings touched one another. Their faces did not turn when they moved. Each one moved straight ahead. ¹⁰ As for what their faces looked like, each of the four had the face of a man, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of a bull on the left side, and the face of an eagle. ¹¹ Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above. Each had two wings touching the wings of another, and two covering their bodies. ¹² And each one went straight ahead. Every place where the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went. ¹³ Between the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like fire lamps moving from side to side among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was coming out of the fire. ¹⁴ And the living beings ran this way and that, like lightning.

¹⁵ As I looked at the living beings, I saw one wheel on the earth beside each of the living beings with its four faces. ¹⁶ The way the wheels were made, they looked like shining chrysolite stone. All four of them looked the same. They were made to look as if one wheel were within another. ¹⁷ When they moved, they went in one of their four ways, without turning as they went. ¹⁸ The wheels were so high that they caused fear. And all four of them were full of eyes all around. ¹⁹ When the living beings moved, the wheels moved with them. And when the living beings rose from the earth, the wheels rose also. ²⁰ Whatever way the spirit would go, they would go that way. And the wheels rose close beside them, for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels. ²¹ When the living beings moved, they moved. When the beings stood still, they stood still. And when the beings rose up from the earth, the wheels rose close beside them. For the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.

²² Over the heads of the living beings there was something that looked like the sky. It shined like crystal and spread over their heads. ²³ Under this covering their wings were spread out straight, one toward the other. Each one also had two wings covering their bodies on one side and on the other. ²⁴ When they went, I heard the sound of their wings. They sounded like many waters, like the voice of the All-powerful. They sounded like the noise of an army camp. Whenever they stood still, they let down their wings. ²⁵ A voice came from above the large covering over their heads. Whenever they stood still, they let down their wings.

²⁶ Above the large covering that was over their heads there was something that looked like a throne, and looked like it was made of sapphire. Sitting on the throne was what looked like a man. ²⁷ Then I saw that there was something like shining brass from the center of his body and up to his head. It looked like fire all around within it. And from the center of his body and down to his feet I saw something like fire. There was a bright light shining all around Him.

²⁸ This light shining around Him looked like the rainbow in the clouds on a day of rain.

This was what the shining-greatness of the Lord looked like. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking.

God Calls Ezekiel to Speak for Him

2 He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” ² And when He spoke to me, the Spirit came into me and set me on my feet. I heard Him speaking to me. ³ He said, “Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to sinful people who have turned against Me. They and their fathers have sinned against Me to this very day. ⁴ I am sending you to these strong-willed children who show no respect. And you must say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says.’ ⁵ If they listen or not (for they are sinful people) they will know that a man of God has been among them. ⁶ And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or of what they say, even if thistles and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or lose strength of heart by their looks, for they will not obey Me. ⁷ You must speak My words to them if they listen or not, for they do not obey Me.

⁸ “As for you, son of man, listen to what I am telling you. Do not be sinful like these sinful people. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.” ⁹ Then I looked and saw that a hand was held out to me, and there was a book in it. ¹⁰ He held it out in front of me, and it had writing on the front and back. Words of trouble and sorrow were written on it.

Faith

11 Now faith is being sure we will get what we hope for. It is being sure of what we cannot see. ² God was pleased with the men who had faith who lived long ago.

³ Through faith we understand that the world was made by the Word of God. Things we see were made from what could not be seen.

⁴ Because Abel had faith, he gave a better gift in worship to God than Cain. His gift pleased God. Abel was right with God. Abel died, but by faith he is still speaking to us.

⁵ Because Enoch had faith, he was taken up from the earth without dying. He could not be found because God had taken him. The Holy Writings tell how he pleased God before he was taken up. ⁶ A man cannot please God unless he has faith. Anyone who comes to God must believe that He is. That one must also know that God gives what is promised to the one who keeps on looking for Him.

⁷ Because Noah had faith, he built a large boat for his family. God told him what was going to happen. His faith made him hear God speak and he obeyed. His family was saved from death because he built the boat. In this way, Noah showed the world how sinful it was. Noah became right with God because of his faith in God.

⁸ Because Abraham had faith, he obeyed God when God called him to leave his home. He was to go to another country that God promised to give him. He left his home without knowing where he was going. ⁹ His faith in God kept him living as a stranger in the country God had promised to him. Isaac and Jacob had received the same promise. They all lived in tents together. ¹⁰ Abraham was looking to God and waiting for a city that could not be moved. It was a city planned and built by God.

¹¹ Because Sarah had faith, she was able to have a child long after she was past the age to have children. She had faith to believe that God would do what He promised. ¹² Abraham was too old to have children. But from this one man came a family with as many in it as the stars in the sky and as many as the sand by the sea.

¹³ These people all died having faith in God. They did not receive what God had promised to them. But they could see far ahead to all the things God promised and they were glad for them. They knew they were strangers here. This earth was not their home. ¹⁴ People who say these things show they are looking for a country of their own. ¹⁵ They did not think about the country they had come from. If they had, they might have gone back. ¹⁶ But they wanted a better country. And so God is not ashamed to be called their God. He has made a city for them.

¹⁷ Because Abraham had faith, when he was tested, he gave his son Isaac as a gift on the altar in worship. God had made a promise to Abraham that He would give him a son. And yet Abraham was willing to give his only son as a gift on the altar in worship. ¹⁸ God had said to Abraham, “Your family will come from Isaac.” ^{(A) 19} Abraham believed God was able to bring Isaac back to life again. And so it may be said that Abraham did receive him back from death.