Ezekiel's Chariot Vision

Curtea de Arges, once the capital of the Principality of Wallachia. The church in the image is Biserica Domneasca - the construction was started during the reign of Basarab I, in the first half of the fourteenth century.
While the city of Curtea de Arges is famous for its splendid monastery, Biserica Domneasca is much less known. But it's a magic place. There is an inner spirit living in the Romanian cultural space, and you feel it here, in this old and quiet church.

I was only once inside it, many years ago. I had read about a mural painting there, showing the Chariot Vision from the first chapter of the Book of Ezekiel. Now I was in front of the painting and I was thinking at the various assumptions made about the vision - and precisely about that painting. Anyway, my eyes were not so trained to perceive small details leading to daring paleo-astronautic conclusions.

As years passed, I realized more and more there is another way to approach sacred stories. It is like approaching art. Looking for explanations don't get you closer. Mystery is to be contemplated in amazement.


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 Jehoi'achin's captivity,

3 the word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chalde'ans 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 infolding 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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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 creature was in the wheels.

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.

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.

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 a host: when they stood, they let down their wings.

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

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.

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.

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 spake.

(King James Bible)


1. In anul al treizecilea, in ziua a cincea a lunii a patra, cand ma aflam intre robi, la raul Chebar, mi s-au deschis cerurile si am vazut niste vedenii dumnezeiesti.
2. In ziua a cincea a lunii a patra, in anul al cincilea ai robirii regelui Ioiachim,
3. A fost cuvantul Domnului catre mine, preotul Iezechiel, fiul lui Buzi, preotul, la raul Chebar, in tara Caldeilor. Acolo a fost peste mine mana Domnului.
4. Eu priveam si iata venea dinspre miazanoapte un vant vijelios, un nor mare si un val de foc, care raspandea in toate partile raze stralucitoare; iar in mijlocul focului stralucea ca un metal in vapaie.
5. Si in mijloc am vazut ceva ca patru fiare, a caror infatisare semana cu chipul omenesc.
6. Fiecare din ele avea patru fete si fiecare din ele avea patru aripi.
7. Picioarele lor erau drepte, iar copitele picioarelor lor erau cum sunt copitele picioarelor de vitel si scanteiau ca arama stralucitoare, iar aripile lor erau sprintene.
8. De cele patru parti ele aveau sub aripi maini de om si toate patru isi aveau fetele lor si aripile lor.
9. Aripile lor se atingeau una de alta, si cand mergeau, fiarele nu se intorceau, ci fiecare mergea drept inainte.
10. Fetele lor? - Toate patru aveau cate o fata de om inainte, toate patru aveau cate o fata de leu la dreapta, toate patru aveau cate o fata de bou la stanga si toate patru mai aveau si cate o fata de vultur in spate.
11. Fetele lor si aripile lor erau despartite in partea de sus, si, la fiecare, doua din aripi erau intinse, iar doua le acopereau trupul.
12. Fiecare fiara mergea drept inainte si mergea incotro ii dadea duhul sa mearga si in mersul sau nu se intorcea.
13. Infatisarea acestor fiare se asemana cu infatisarea carbunilor aprinsi, cu infatisarea unor faclii aprinse; printre fiare curgea foc, iar din foc tasneau raze si fulgere.
14. Fiarele alergau inainte si inapoi iute ca fulgerul.
15. Cand ma uitam eu la fiare, iata am vazut jos, langa aceste fiare, cate o roata la fiecare din cele patru fete ale lor.
16. Aceste roti, dupa infatisarea lor, parca erau de crisolit, iar dupa faptura toate aveau aceeasi infatisare. Si dupa alcatuirea si dupa faptura lor ele parca erau varate una in alta.
17. Ele inaintau in toate cele patru parti, si in timpul mersului nu se intorceau.
18. Obezile lor formau un cerc larg si de o inaltime infricosatoare si aceste obezi la toate patru erau pline de ochi de jur imprejur.
19. Cand mergeau fiarele, mergeau si rotile de langa ele, si cand se ridicau fiarele de la pamant, se ridicau si rotile.
20. Ele mergeau incotro le da duhul sa mearga si rotile se ridicau impreuna, caci duh de viata era si in roti.
21. Cand mergeau acelea, mergeau si acestea, si cand acelea se opreau, se opreau si acestea; iar cand acelea se ridicau de la pamant, atunci impreuna cu ele se ridicau si rotile, pentru ca duh de viata era si in roti.
22. Deasupra capetelor fiarelor se vedea un fel de bolta, intinsa sus, deasupra capetelor lor, care semana cu cristalul cel mai curat;
23. Iar sub bolta aceasta erau intinse aripile fiarelor una spre alta, si fiecare fiara mai avea cate doua aripi, care le acopereau trupurile;
24. Cand mergeau fiarele, auzeam falfaitul aripilor lor, ca un vuiet de ape mari, ca glasul Celui Atotputernic zgomot strasnic, ca zgomotul dintr-un lagar ostasesc; iar cand ele se opreau, isi lasau aripile in jos.
25. Dupa ce fiarele se opreau si isi lasau aripile in jos, zgomotul se auzea inca sub bolta ce se intindea deasupra capetelor lor.
26. Pe bolta de deasupra capetelor fiarelor era ceva care semana cu un tron si la infatisare era ca piatra de safir; iar sus pe acest tron era ca un chip de om.
27. Si am mai vazut ceva, ca un metal inrosit in foc, ca niste foc, sub care se afla acel chip de om si care lumina imprejur; de la coapsele acelui chip de om in sus si de la coapsele chipului aceluia in jos se vedea un fel de foc, un fel de lumina stralucitoare care-l impresura de jur imprejur.
28. Cum este curcubeul ce se afla pe cer la vreme de ploaie, asa era infatisarea acelei lumini stralucitoare care-l inconjura. Astfel era chipul slavei Domnului. Si cand am vazut eu aceasta, am cazut cu fata la pamant.

(Cartea Profetului Iezechiel)