And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
Parallel translations
- WEB The living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
- BSB The creatures were darting back and forth as quickly as flashes 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 as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
- Zech 4:10For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
- Luke 17:24For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.
- Ps 147:15He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly.
- Dan 9:21Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
- Matt 24:31And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
- Mark 13:27And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
- Zech 2:3–4And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went 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.