Monday in Easter

1Verse 1. In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles by the River Kebar, the heavens opened and I saw visions of God. 2Verse 2. On the fifth day of the month— it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin— 3Verse 3. the word of the LORD came directly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Kebar. And there the LORD’s hand was upon him. 4Verse 4. I looked and saw a whirlwind coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing back and forth and brilliant light all around it. In the center of the fire was a gleam like amber, 5Verse 5. and within it was the form of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: They had a human form, 6Verse 6. but each had four faces and four wings. 7Verse 7. Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the hooves of a calf, gleaming like polished bronze. 8Verse 8. Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four living creatures had faces and wings, 9Verse 9. and their wings were touching one another. They did not turn as they moved; each one went straight ahead. 10Verse 10. The form of their faces was that of a man, and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and also the face of an eagle. 11Verse 11. Such were their faces. Their wings were spread upward; each had two wings touching the wings of the creature on either side, and two wings covering its body. 12Verse 12. Each creature went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they moved. 13Verse 13. In the midst of the living creatures was the appearance of glowing coals of fire, or of torches. Fire moved back and forth between the living creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it. 14Verse 14. The creatures were darting back and forth as quickly as flashes of lightning. 15Verse 15. When I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces. 16Verse 16. The workmanship of the wheels looked like the gleam of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. Their workmanship looked like a wheel within a wheel. 17Verse 17. As they moved, they went in any of the four directions, without pivoting as they moved. 18Verse 18. Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around. 19Verse 19. So as the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them, and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. 20Verse 20. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise alongside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 21Verse 21. When the creatures moved, the wheels moved; when the creatures stood still, the wheels stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose alongside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 22Verse 22. Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was the likeness of an awesome expanse, gleaming like crystal. 23Verse 23. And under the expanse, their wings stretched out toward one another. Each one also had two wings covering its body. 24Verse 24. When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings like the roar of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings. 25Verse 25. And there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood still with their wings lowered.

19Verse 19. And he spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20Verse 20. Saul promptly began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, declaring, “He is the Son of God.” 21Verse 21. All who heard him were astounded and asked, “Isn’t this the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem on those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” 22Verse 22. But Saul was empowered all the more, and he confounded the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ. 23Verse 23. After many days had passed, the Jews conspired to kill him, 24Verse 24. but Saul learned of their plot. Day and night they watched the city gates in order to kill him. 25Verse 25. One night, however, his disciples took him and lowered him in a basket through a window in the wall. 26Verse 26. When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. 27Verse 27. Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and described how Saul had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him on the road to Damascus, and how Saul had spoken boldly in that city in the name of Jesus. 28Verse 28. So Saul stayed with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem and speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29Verse 29. He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him. 30Verse 30. When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. 31Verse 31. Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria experienced a time of peace. It grew in strength and numbers, living in the fear of the Lord and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit.