Then the glory of the LORD left the threshold of the temple and rested upon the cherubim. These lifted their wings, and I saw them rise from the earth, the wheels rising along with them. They stood at the entrance of the eastern gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was up above them. Then the cherubim lifted their wings, and the wheels went along with them, while up above them was the glory of the God of Israel. (Ezekiel 10:18-22)

The summer of the prophets continues with the prophet Ezekiel. In the Scriptures, Ezekiel’s strange visions are only topped by those of the Book of Revelation. But the visions from both books have the same purpose—to present of message of hope and salvation to people who are suffering. For Ezekiel, the people are in exile, having been defeated. For the Book of Revelation, Christian communities are experiencing terrible persecution. Perhaps in our own troubled times, these ancient visions can bring us new hope in the “glory of the Lord.”