Quotes about Ezekiel

The destruction of the Temple by the Babylonians in 587 BC had been the worst possible disaster, indicating that Israel's God had abandoned his house, had left the Temple and city to their long-deserved fate. That was the verdict of Ezekiel, and it is echoed by other writers of the period. But that could not be the end of the story. God had promised to come back. He had promised one final great Passover. One day, when he returned, his people would be free forever.

On the fifth day of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin—

the word of the LORD came directly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Kebar. And there the LORD’s hand was upon him.

I looked and saw a whirlwind coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing back and forth and brilliant light all around it. In the center of the fire was a gleam like amber,

and within it was the form of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: They had a human form,

but each had four faces and four wings.

Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the hooves of a calf, gleaming like polished bronze.

Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four living creatures had faces and wings,

The form of their faces was that of a man, and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and also the face of an eagle.

Such were their faces. Their wings were spread upward; each had two wings touching the wings of the creature on either side, and two wings covering its body.

The creatures were darting back and forth as quickly as flashes of lightning.

When I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces.