Upon the banks of the river Chebar, Ezekiel beheld a whirlwind seeming to come from the north, "a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the color of amber." A number of wheels intersecting one another were moved by four living beings. High above all these "was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it." "And there appeared in the cherubims the form of a man's hand under their wings." Ezekiel 1:4, 26; 10:8. The wheels were so complicated in arrangement that at first sight they appeared to be in confusion; yet they moved in perfect harmony. Heavenly beings, 536 sustained and guided by the hand beneath the wings of the cherubim, were impelling those wheels; above them, upon the sapphire throne, was the Eternal One; and round about the throne was a rainbow, the emblem of divine mercy.

På floden Kebars bredder så Ezekiel et stormvejr, som syntes at komme fra nord, "og en vældig sky fulgte med, omgivet af stråleglans og hvirvlende ild, i hvis midte det glimtede som funklende malm". Et antal hjul, som var anbragt inden i hinanden, blev drevet frem af fire levende væsener. Højt over alt dette "var der noget som safir at se til, noget ligesom en trone, og på den, ovenover, var der noget ligesom et menneske at se til". "Under kerubernes vinger sås noget, der lignede en menneskehånd." Ez. 1,4. og 26; 10,8. Hjulene var anbragt på en så kompliceret måde, at det hele ved første øjekast så ud til at være én stor forvirring. Men i virkeligheden bevægede de sig i fuldkommen harmoni. Hjulene blev drevet frem af himmelske væsener, som blev støttet og ledet af hånden under kerubernes vinger. Over dem sad den evige Gud på safirtronen. Rundt om tronen var der en regnbue, som er symbolet på Guds nåde.