GOING OVER THEIR HEADS

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As for the likeness of their faces, each had a human face. The four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle. Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring crystal, spread out above their heads. And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance. Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
 Ezekiel 1:10, 22, 26, 28 ESV



¶The surrounding nations would depict their dieties in ways that reflected some aspects of the heavenly beings seen by Ezekiel: The human-headed sphinx. "The lion-headed goddess of war, Sekhmet, is one of the oldest known Egyptian deities. She protected the great pharaohs and led them in war. Her very name is derived from the Egyptian word for power, and she was known for being fierce and bloodthirsty." "The ox was the most frequent symbol of fertility. It was the emblematic animal of the northwest Semitic storm-god Adad, the one who brought rain and with it renewed fertility of the land." Horus bore the head of the hawk. "With his ability to look out over the kingdom from the sky, Horus was viewed as a protector of the people of Egypt.' "In Mesopotamia it is lesser divinities like guardian genii that are portrayed in composite form, including winged biped or quadrupeds with human faces. The major difference between the prophet’s vision and Mesopotamian parallels is that Ezekiel’s creatures have four different faces; for that we have no known analogues." Above all these manifestations of the spiritual powers to whom the regional powers were obliged to pay homage sat One upon a throne of whom Ezekiel could speak only of “the appearance of the likeness of the glory” of the Lord (1:28), "a way of speaking essentially three steps removed from a direct description of God." It was before this One that Ezekiel fell upon his face in worship.

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