Such was the vision of the likeness of the glory of God. The beginning of the book of the prophet Ezekiel (as a matter of fact the whole of the first chapter) deals with the visions that accompanied the calling of the prophet. This part of the book can be intimidating (and even frightening) to read because of the contents of the visions. As the narrator (presumably the prophet himself) goes ahead with the description of the visions, one is struck by the abnormality of the creatures in the vision. For it appears that no one creature is really one! The narrator sees in any one creature two or more creatures. And as if the abnormality in their appearance was not enough, their movements and the sounds they produced were unusual as well. But instead of being scared, the narrator is struck with awe, for he realized he was in the presence of God’s glory. And it is on this backdrop that the prophet Ezekiel is called and sent by God.
When Moses requested God to allow him to see God’s face, God declined, saying that no one can see God’s face and live. Ezekiel found himself thrust into the presence of God, and although he did not “see” God in se, he was able to marvel at the glory of God. The narrator could only afford to identify them as “creatures” because he could not give them a name. To do so would be synonymous to naming God, yet no one can name God (naming God or giving God a name equals having control over/manipulating God). The visions were not meant to scare or intimidate Ezekiel. Rather, they were meant to help him become aware of where he was and in whose presence he was thrust: a God of the living (a living God). This was a message that was particularly appropriate to the people whose experience in exile had left them wondering if there was anything left to live for.  
The message that Ezekiel was bringing to them was a message of hope, a message of revival. Theirs was a God of the living, and God was not going to abandon them or leave them to perish. God was going to create a new spirit in them and make a new covenant with them. From the rubble, God was going to create a new people, a people after God’s own heart-a people whose shepherd would be God.