The creatures were darting back and forth as quickly as flashes of lightning.
Parallel translations
- WEB The living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
- KJV And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
- NKJV And the living creatures ran back and forth, in appearance like a flash of lightning.
- NASB And the living beings ran back and forth like bolts of lightning.
- NLT And the living beings darted to and fro like flashes of lightning.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The living creatures dart back and forth like flashing lightning. Their swift movement shows the energy and immediacy of heaven's service.
Overview
The lightning-like motion conveys speed, brilliance, and tireless activity around God's throne. Nothing delays the creatures from carrying out the divine will. This restless energy underscores the dynamic majesty of God's heavenly court. It reminds readers that the unseen realm is alive with reverent, active obedience.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Matt 24:27For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
- Zech 4:10For who has despised the day of small things? But these seven eyes of the LORD, which scan the whole earth, will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.”
- Luke 17:24For just as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so will be the Son of Man in His day.
- Ps 147:15He sends forth His command to the earth; His word runs swiftly.
- Dan 9:21while I was still praying, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice.
- Matt 24:31And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
- Mark 13:27And He will send out the angels to gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
- Zech 2:3–4Then the angel who was speaking with me went out, and another angel came out to meet him
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The promise of one Shepherd-King David, a new heart and new Spirit, and the river of life flowing from the temple all stream toward Christ, the good Shepherd who gives the Spirit.
How Ezekiel 1:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.