Raffaello, visione di ezechiele, 1518 ca., 02

God is depicted as a powerful, bearded figure with outstretched arms, emerging from a radiant golden light in the clouds. He is carried by a human figure, a lion, an ox, and an eagle, which represent the four living creatures described in the biblical text. Two small cherubs assist in supporting his weight as he descends through a stormy atmosphere.

This scene depicts the 'Merkavah' or Divine Chariot, which forms the basis of Merkavah mysticism, a precursor to and major component of the Kabbalistic tradition. In Renaissance Neoplatonism, the four creatures were often synthesized with the four elements and the fixed signs of the zodiac, representing the harmony of the cosmos under divine providence.