God’s Glory Exits the Temple

1Then I looked, and, behold, over the firmament that was above the head of the cherubs there was a likeness of a throne over them, as a sapphire stone. 2And he said to the man clothed with the long robe, Go in between the wheels that are under the cherubs, and fill thine hands with coals of fire from between the cherubs, and scatter them over the city. And he went in my sight.

3And the cherubs stood on the right hand of the house, as the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court. 4Then the glory of the Lord departed from the cherubs to the porch of the house; and the cloud filled the house, and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the Lord. 5And the sound of the cherubs' wings was heard as far as the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God speaking.

6And it came to pass, when he gave a charge to the man clothed with the sacred robe, saying, Take fire from between the wheels from between the cherubs, that he went in, and stood near the wheels. 7And he stretched forth his hand into the midst of the fire that was between the cherubs, and took thereof, and put it into the hands of the man clothed with the sacred robe: and he took it, and went out. 8And I saw the cherubs having the likeness of men's hands under their wings.

9And I saw, and behold, four wheels stood by the cherubs, one wheel by each cherub: and the appearance of the wheels was as the appearance of a carbuncle stone. 10And as for their appearance, there was one likeness to the four, as if there should be a wheel in the midst of a wheel. 11When they went, they went on their four sides; they turned not when they went, for whichever way the first head looked, they went; and they turned not as they went. 12And their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about the four wheels. 13And these wheels were called Gelgel in my hearing. 14(OMITTED TEXT)

15And the cherubs were the same living creature which I saw by the river of Chobar. 16And when the cherubs went, the wheels went, and they were close to them: and when the cherubs lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, their wheels turned not. 17When they stood, the wheels stood; and when they mounted up, the wheels mounted up with them: because the spirit of life was in them.

18Then the glory of the Lord departed from the house, and went up on the cherubs. 19And the cherubs lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went forth, the wheels were also beside them, and they stood at the entrance of the front gate of the house of the Lord; and the glory of the God of Israel was upon them above.

20This is the living creature which I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chobar; and I knew that they were cherubs. 21Each one had four faces, and each one had eight wings; and under their wings was the likeness of men's hands. 22And as for the likeness of their faces, these are the same faces which I saw under the glory of the God of Israel by the river of Chobar: and they went each straight forward.