Ezekiel saw a stormy cloud with flashing fire, four living creatures, and wheels moving in perfect coordination Ezekiel 1:4–21. Above them was an expanse, and above the expanse a throne with a humanlike figure surrounded by radiant glory Ezekiel 1:22–28. He identifies it as “the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD” Ezekiel 1:28.
In Ezekiel 1:4–7 the scene opens with Ezekiel watching a violent weather-front coming from the north. He describes a huge cloud with lightning and an intense surrounding glow. At the center is something like fire and something that looks like glowing metal. These verses sit at the beginning of Ezekiel’s opening vision (1:1–28), where the prophet reports what he sees in careful, step-by-step description. The writing moves from the widest frame (a storm approaching) to the inner core (fire and glowing brightness) and then to the beings that come out of it.
Ezekiel reports an overwhelming sight that moves from the outside in: a violent storm-front from the north, a cloud packed with lightning and radiant glow, and a blazing center that looks like fire mixed with something like glowing metal (Ezekiel 1:4).
A careful answer keeps the immediate passage, the book's argument, and the whole-Bible storyline together, so the question is answered in context instead of as a detached idea.
Start with Ezekiel 1:4-21, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
4I looked, and, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, a great cloud, with flashing lightning, and a brightness round about it, and out of the midst of it as it were glowing metal, out of the midst of the fire.
5Out of the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. This was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.
6Everyone had four faces, and everyone of them had four wings.
7Their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf`s foot; and they sparkled like burnished brass.
8They had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings [thus]:
9their wings were joined one to another; they didn`t turn when they went; they went everyone straight forward.
10As 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.
11Their faces and their wings were separate above; two [wings] of everyone were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
12They went everyone straight forward: where the spirit was to go, they went; they didn`t turn when they went.
13As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches: [the fire] went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.
14The living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
15Now as I saw the living creatures, behold, one wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, for each of the four faces of it.
16The appearance of the wheels and their work was like a beryl: and they four had one likeness; and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel within a wheel.
17When they went, they went in their four directions: they didn`t turn when they went.
18As for their rims, they were high and dreadful; and they four had their rims full of eyes round about.
19When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
20Wherever the spirit was to go, they went; there was the spirit to go: and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
21When 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.