Eisemann points out that Prophetic books start out with the time of the prophecy given since events of the time determined the nature of the prophecy. This holds even though the full import of the message was for the distant future. Ezekiel was with those captives of Judah who had been taken into exile with Jehoiakin. According to tradition Ezekiel had received the gift of prophecy while still in the Land of Israel even though his book begins with his being in the land of Babylon. “THE RIVER OF CHEBAR”: Some say “Chebar” is another name for the River Euphrates. Others say that it was actually a large irrigation channel or a branch of the Euphrates that had been converted into an irrigation channel. At that time the irrigation works of Mesopotamia (Iraq) were very sophisticated and superior to those now in use in modern Iraq.

This whole section has been given philosophical and mystical interpretations all of which we can learn from. In the meantime for our part we must recognize that at our present level the deeper meaning behind this passage is beyond our ken. For the time being do not dwell on the deeper meaning of this vision just take it in as a general impression and move onward to simpler passages."THEY HAD THE LIKENESS OF A MAN" i.e. they had the physical form of a man but only one of the four faces was that of a man.

There were four angels and each angel had four faces.

The word translated as "rings" more properly should be rendered as "backs".

"LIVING CREATURE" is "Chayah"; "Wheel" is "Ofen". "Chayah" and "Ofen" are considered to be the names of different grades of angels. When loked at in this light the passage receives a different aspect, i.e. there were two grades of angels and the higher grade transmitted power to the lower.

"CRYSTAL" in Hebrew "Korach" also translated as "Ice"

"LIKENESS AS THE APPEARANCE OF A MAN": God has no form and it is forbidden to ascribe form to God.
<<I AM THE LORD THY GOD, WHICH HAVE BROUGHT THEE OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT, OUT OF THE HOUSE OF BONDAGE.<THOU SHALT HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME.<<THOU SHALT NOT MAKE UNTO THEE ANY GRAVEN IMAGE, OR ANY LIKENESS OF ANY THING THAT IS IN HEAVEN ABOVE, OR THAT IS IN THE EARTH BENEATH, OR THAT IS IN THE WATER UNDER THE EARTH [Exodus 20:-2-4].
Nevertheless this "Likeness" in the vision of Ezekiel somehow or other represented the Divine Presence of God that was departing from Jerusalem when the Temple was being destroyed.

Below is the translation of the Jewish Publication Society. This translation actually follows the King James and repeats what could be considered the "innacuracies" of the KJ. Nevertheless on a few points it is
worth comparing.

Ezekiel
1,1 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 Chebar
that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. 1,2 In the fifth
day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity,
1,3 the word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of
Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the
LORD was there upon him. 1,4 And I looked, and, behold, a stormy wind came
out of the north, a great cloud, with a fire flashing up, so that a
brightness was round about it; and out of the midst thereof as the colour
of electrum, out of the midst of the fire. 1,5 And out of the midst thereof
came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance:
they had the likeness of a man. 1,6 And every one had four faces, and every
one of them had four wings. 1,7 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 colour of burnished brass. 1,8 And they had the hands of a man
under their wings on their four sides; and as for the faces and wings of
them four, 1,9 their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when
they went; they went every one straight forward. 1,10 As for the likeness
of their faces, they had the face of a man; and they four had the face of a
lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left
side; they four had also the face of an eagle. 1,11 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. 1,12 And they went every one
straight forward; whither the spirit was to go, they went; they turned not
when they went. 1,13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their
appearance was like coals of fire, burning like the appearance of torches;
it flashed up and down among the living creatures; and there was brightness
to the fire, and out of the fire went forth lightning. 1,14 And the living
creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning. 1,15
Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel at the bottom hard
by the living creatures, at the four faces thereof. 1,16 The appearance of
the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl; and they
four had one likeness; and their appearance and their work was as it were a
wheel within a wheel. 1,17 When they went, they went toward their four
sides; they turned not when they went. 1,18 As for their rings, they were
high and they were dreadful; and they four had their rings full of eyes
round about. 1,19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went hard
by them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the bottom, the
wheels were lifted up. 1,20 Whithersoever the spirit was to go, as the
spirit was to go thither, so they went; and the wheels were lifted up
beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. 1,21
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 beside them;
for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. 1,22 And over the
heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of a firmament, like
the colour of the terrible ice, stretched forth over their heads above.
1,23 And under the firmament were their wings conformable the one to the
other; this one of them had two which covered, and that one of them had two
which covered, their bodies. 1,24 And when they went, I heard the noise of
their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty,
a noise of tumult like the noise of a host; when they stood, they let down
their wings. 1,25 For, when there was a voice above the firmament that was
over their heads, as they stood, they let down their wings. 1,26 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
a likeness as the appearance of a man upon it above. 1,27 And I saw as the
colour of electrum, as the appearance of fire round about enclosing it,
from the appearance of his loins and upward; and from the appearance of his
loins and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was
brightness round about him. 1,28 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
spoke. {P}