King James Bible

Explanation by  Ad Roest

1. Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth [month], in the fifth [day] of the month, as I [was] among the captives by the river of Chebar, [that] the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

2  In the fifth [day] of the month, which [was] the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity,

3  The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him.

4. And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire unfolding itself, and a brightness [was] about it, and out of the midst thereof as the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire.

A VTOL vehicle with a rotor (wind) and at least two revolving jet engines (fire). In the middle the metal belly of the aircraft.  

5  Also out of the midst thereof [came] the likeness of four living creatures. And this [was] their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.

Four men in suites as astronauts with open helmet vizor.

6  And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.

The wings may possibly have been back packs.

7  And their feet [were] straight feet; and the sole of their feet [was] like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the color of burnished brass.

The shoes may have had copper nose protectors.

8  And [they had] the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.

9  Their wings [were] joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.

2x2 wings attached to each other, and this twofold.

The rotor blades revolve in one direction. The rotor blades are so long that they revolve in front of his face.

10  As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.

The helmet and the rounded attachment at the back resembles the silhouette of lion men. The ox has horns which may be antennas on the suits. An oxygen tube or microphone handle may look like the beak of an eagle.

11  Thus [were] their faces: and their wings [were] stretched upward; two [wings] of every one [were] joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.

The wings (rotor blades) consist of a stack of two. Alternatively, 1 rotor blade and two fixed wings.

12  And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; [and] they turned not when they went.

The rotor blades always revolve in one and the same direction.

‘The spirit’ refers to the machine as a whole.

13  As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance [was] like burning coals of fire, [and] like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.

Possibly reflecting cloths that give certain light effects by the movement of the cloths. Illumination in the air craft or a lamp on the suits? Flash light of  a camera?

14  And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

The vehicles easily could move horizontally.

15. Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.

The shape of the bottom and the sides of the vehicle are called wheel. All planes are curved or round. All together it looks like a sphere.

16  The appearance of the wheels and their work [was] like unto the color of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work [was] as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.

The color of the vehicle is sea-green. The sides are almost identical. The shapes are mainly round; round curves in a round plane. All together it looks like a sphere.

17  When they went, they went upon their four sides: [and] they turned not when they went.

As above, the toror blades revolve in one and the same direction. The wings are situated at their side, so horizontally.

18  As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings [were] full of eyes round about them four.

The rings are the sides of the helicopter. They are at a frightening height. Plenty of windows and other round items such as lamps, loudspeakers and sensors. See for instance the ‘eyes’ of a Chinook helicopter.

19  And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.

All components are attaches to each other; The aircraft takes off vertically.

20  Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither [was their] spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature [was] in the wheels.

Speaks for itself if one imagines a helicopter with passengers moving in any direction.

21  When those went, [these] went; and when those stood, [these] stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creatures [was] in the wheels.

As the rotors revolve, the whole vehicle moves. Everything moves vertically at the same time. When the vehicle stands still, the rotors stand still as well.

22  And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature [was] as the color of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.

The passengers were sitting in a (plexi-)glass dome which stretched above their heads.

23  And under the firmament [were] their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies.

These could be the passenger seats with high back sides and side bracings.

24  And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.

The sound needs no further explanation. The rotors of a helicopter are flexible and drop down once the vehicle stand still.

25  And there was a voice from the firmament that [was] over their heads, when they stood, [and] had let down their wings.

A voice from a loudspeaker. Apparently positioned above the passengers cabin.

26. And above the firmament that [was] over their heads [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.

The pilot sits in a cabin above the passengers as is the case with a rescue helicopter.

The interior may have been dark blue, or possibly the exterior had that colour above a certain height.

27  And I saw as the color of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.

A vertical pipe releasing fire. At a short distance this fire looks differently because of the jet stream.

28  As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so [was] the appearance of the brightness round about. This [was] the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw [it], I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke. 

The window-glasses of the cockpit are heat resistant, are made with thin wiring to prevent freezing. This gives a polarising or rainbow effect. The flames of the jet-pipe also gives such an effect.