The Bible In Paintings, #201: EZEKIEL'S FIRST VISION OF GOD

Bing Images ^ | c.2200 BC - c.95 AD | by the Father, Son & Holy Spirit

[Hebrews 11:6]

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E Z E K I E L' S

F I R S T

V I S I O N

O F . G O D

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EZEKIEL 1

New International Version, emphases added
Abrdgd: the complete text is in your Bible


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C L I C K :

To read EZEKIEL 1 in full
To hear MAX McLEAN reading it
To hear a DRAMATIZATION of it
HIGHLY recommended by Maudeen!
To see an ANIMATION of Ezekiel

5 9 3
B. C.

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CHAPTER 1

1 In my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.

2 On the fifth of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin— 3 the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, by the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians. There the hand of the LORD was on him.

4 I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, 5 and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was human, 6 but each of them had four faces and four wings. 7 Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. 8 Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four of them had faces and wings, 9 and the wings of one touched the wings of another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.

10 Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle. 11 Such were their faces. They each had two wings spreading out upward, each wing touching that of the creature on either side; and each had two other wings covering its body. 12 Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went. 13 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. 14 The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.

15 As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces. 16 This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like topaz, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. 17 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. 18 Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.

19 When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. 20 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. 21 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.

22 Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked something like a vault, sparkling like crystal, and awesome. 23 Under the vault their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body. 24 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.

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1 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by WILLIAM BLAKE
"The Whirlwind: Ezekiel's Vision of
the Cherubim and Eyed Wheels, 1:4-28"

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2 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by WILLIAM BLAKE
"Ezekiel's Wheels"

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3 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by ALEXEY AKINDINOV, 2006
"The Vision of Ezekiel"

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4 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by RAPHAEL, 1518
"Ezekiel's Vision"

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5 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
in The Augsburg Book of Miracles, 1550
"Vision des Hesekiel"

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6 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JULIUS SCHNORR VON CAROLSFELD
"The Vision of Prophet Ezekiel"

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7 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by BONAVENTURA GENELLI, 1857
"Die Vision des Ezechiel"

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8 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by DITLEV BLUNCK, 1830
"The Vision of the Prophet Ezekiel"

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9 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by DOMENICO GHIRLANDAIO
"Visione di Ezechiele"

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10 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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11 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
in the Zurich Bible, 1538
"Ezechiel's Vision"

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12 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by MATTHAEUS MERIAN, 1670
"Chariot Vision"

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13 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
"Ezekiel's Wheel"
1836 Fresco, St. John the Baptist Church,
Kratovo, Macedonia

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14 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by CHARLES DE LA FOSSE
"God the Father and the Evangelist Symbols
(or the Vision of Ezechiel)"

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15 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by VASILII SHEBUEV
"Vision of the Prophet Ezekiel"

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15 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by PHILIPPE JACQUES DE LOUTHERBOURG
"Ezekiel’s Vision"

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16 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
in Bible of the Monastery of
Santa Maria de Alcobaça, 1220
"Tetramorph and Sleeping Ezekiel"

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17 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by BERNARD PICART
"Visioen van Ezechiël"

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18 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JIM PADGETT, 1984
"Ezekiel Chapter 1"

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19 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by MIKHAIL VRUBEL
"The Vision of Ezekiel"

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20 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by NAHUM HALEVI
"Ezekiel's Brain Flotations and Rotations
in the River of Time"

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21 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by VICTOR ROSARIO
"Living Beings"

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22 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by MALVINA LAUDICINA
"Wheel within a Wheel"

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23 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by CAROL JONES
"Ezekiel's Vision"

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24 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by MARC CHAGALL
"The Vision of Ezekiel"

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25 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by WILLIAM HENRY JOHNSON
"Ezekiel Saw the Wheel"

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26 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by CHEVONNE WITHERSPOON
"Ezekiel 1.4"

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27 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by DAVID HORST
"Ezekiel's Vision"

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28 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
"Vision of Ezekiel"

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29 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by COCO OLSON
"Ezekiel"

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30 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
in The Winchester Bible, 12th Century
"Ezekiel's First Vision"

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31 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by Unknown Artist, 525
"Cherubim"
"Adam and Eve stand sadly outside the gates of Eden, which are guarded by a combination of the cherubim of Genesis and the cherubim of Ezekiel’s vision, creating two flaming wheels which stand before the gates. The hand of God appears from within the clouds."

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32 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by Unknown Artist, 1320
"Ezekiel`s Vision"
"Decorating a Yom Kippur hymn, the four creatures of Ezekiel`s vision of the Divine chariot appear in four cameos, on either side of scales with an aleph at its base, representing Divine judgment."

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33 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by ANTON KOBERGER, 1487
"Ezekiel`s Vision"

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34 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by PAT MANSANO
"Ezekiel's Vision"

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35 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by PAUL FALCONER POOLE
"The Vision of Ezekiel"

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36 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JOHN MOREY
"The Prophet Ezekiel's Vision"

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→ a n d…. f i n a l l y ←

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37 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎
֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎

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Preview of
COMING
ATTRACTIONS

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SNEAK PEEK: Next time,
FOUR LIVING
CREATURES

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֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎
֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎

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R E S O U R C E S

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If you'd like to see for yourself the Bing page
which yielded most of the works above, here is the link:

Ezekiel

Image Sources are provided for most individual works.
Where no attribution appears below a work,
the source did not provide the artist's name.
Works are numbered to facilitate your commenting.

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Links to three masters who painted Biblical scenes prolifically:

REMBRANDT HARMENSZOON van RIJN

GUSTAV DORÉ
241 wood engravings for
La Grande Bible de Tours

JAMES TISSOT
180 watercolors depicting Bible scenes

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Links to two Bibles with comprehensive illustrations:

The Art Bible (1896)

The Maciejowski-Morgan Bible (c.1245)

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This series keeps moving from one Bible passage to another,
so here is a fascinating and enjoyable link to assist in following along:
BIBLE TIMELINE

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Finally, what God did to initiate The Bible In Paintings:
HOW GOD STARTED THIS SERIES
BY SHOWING ME JUST ONE PICTURE

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SPECIAL THANKS
to FReeper left that other site
who allowed God to make her His conduit
for incomparable enthusiasm, encouragement,
education, advice and technical assistance!

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NOTES ON MY SELECTION CRITERIA

A r t Q u a l i t y

The Bible and its Author are my focus, not the art: this is The Bible in Paintings, not "Great Paintings" nor even "Good Paintings." Indeed, occasionally photographs illustrate the text. So, works need not be masterpieces to qualify for inclusion here—they don't need to be housed at the Louvre nor auctioned by Sotheby's. They only need to illustrate successfully some aspect of the Biblical text or, frankly, just tickle my fancy, which I'm always asking the Holy Spirit to guide.

Often, artists misrepresent the Scripture, but unless the error is material, licentious or heretical I usually include the artwork, trusting that the Spirit is perfectly capable of defending Himself. So, with such forgiving filters, it means that you're seeing practically everything I'm finding.

T e x t S e q u e n c i n g

The Protestant Canon does not (for several reasons) follow a strictly chronological sequence. There are many examples where, for God's good purposes, stories are told out-of-order. Nevertheless, for the sake of simplicity, clarity, and my sanity, I have chosen to proceed linearly and methodically from Genesis onward, illustrating each Bible passage as we come to it. Where two passages cover the same incident I omit the second telling, excepting the four Gospels which I will treat synoptically. Now, onward!

P a c i n g

The pace here may seem appallingly snail-like to those eager to see their favorite events illustrated. My commission is to search for art on each Bible passage in sequence: if I find enough, then it becomes the next installment, even if undramatic (but where there is little or no art, that Bible passage goes untold here).

Then, there is the human element: this is not actually a daily series, because I can only research, compose, edit and post five or six of these installments weekly. And because I only get to do this series once, I'm taking my time, chiefly by posting everything; if I find lots of art, I don't cherry-pick some and discard the rest. Rather, I line up all of them and then sort them into manageable bunches, often resulting in multiple days' episodes of the same story. Obviously, I like being thorough. Were you in a big hurry?

The Bible is a thick book, as you know; but we'll get there eventually, Lord willing—this is His project, after all. And always remember:
love, joy, peace, patience kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self-control is a fruit of the Spirit!

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Art is merely the Toy Department of Bible study,
so I'm just having fun here—I hope you are, too!
Thank you for your understanding.

Hebrews 11:6
Dan Lewis
DodgerDan
'55 '59 '63 '65 '81 '88 '20

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[Forgiven_Sinner]

“My disappointment is in the failure—indeed, the failure even to attempt seriously—to depict the entire scene, of which the critters were but a part.”

Your post made me re-examine the verses, looking for the non-cherubim parts.

4 I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, 5 and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures.

22 Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked something like a vault, sparkling like crystal, and awesome. 23 Under the vault their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body.

Looking for storm+metal+fire+vault I think the best are 18, 23, and 37.

A difficult scene to portray.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Thank you, Jeff, for your effort. I fully agree that, as you say, this was a tough challenge. My disappointment is that so few even bothered trying.

I would have loved to see ten or twenty versions, each showing the artist's imaginative interpretation; instead, we have the feeble 18 and 23; I put 37 last because it seemed like the only one that took the text seriously and made an honest attempt.

For the first time, I wanted to try my hand at it and show them how. Perhaps I shall.