Ezekiel 1:12

These fiery creatures had wings and legs. They could move very quickly in any direction, like lightning. No one could escape from such powerful beings.

In a similar vision in Ezekiel 10, Ezekiel identifies them as cherubim. Cherubim are heavenly beings who carry out God’s judgment.

The language of this opening vision describes a theophany (a visible appearance of God; see study note on Deuteronomy 1:33). Ezekiel found it hard to describe what he saw. He often used phrases such as "the appearance of," "looked like," and "the likeness of." These words show that the vision was beyond normal human experience.

Even so, the message is clear and serious. The vision combines movement with symbols of judgment. It warns that God’s judgment would surely come upon rebellious Jerusalem.

Old Testament prophetic books often begin with a “call narrative.” A call narrative describes how God chose and sent a prophet to serve in this role (for example, Jeremiah 1:4–19).

This account showed that the prophet’s message was legitimate. It made clear that the prophet spoke as the Lord’s ambassador (a representative sent with authority). The call narrative also introduced important themes that the book would explain more fully later.

In Ezekiel, the call narrative focuses on the Lord’s coming judgment on his people.