and before the throne, as a glass sea, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, four living creatures, full of eyes, before and behind;
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.
and the first living creature like a lion, and the second living creature like a calf, and the third living creature having the face as of a man, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle.
John sees four living creatures around God's throne in heaven. Their faces come from the highest ranks of creation. Why four? What does each face mean? And who are they?
The number itself carries meaning. One writer links four to the worldwide reach of God's rule:
Why "four" living ones? Because "four" represents the attributes of God in judicial dealing with man and creation. It is the mark of the world and of the human race, and it appears whenever everything everywhere is in view. Judgment is about to visit the whole scene under heaven; hence the number "four." So in the four living creatures grouped together we have a complete and perfect view of God's judicial government. The symbols are taken from the most prominent animals, not from those in the sea.
Each figure carries a quality. Where the ESV has "ox," older translations read "calf" — the word these writers use. One of them finds firmness even in the ox's foot:
The lion expresses strength, royal power. Jesus is the Lion of Judah. The likeness to a calf brings to mind firmness, the solid footing that belongs to the ox. The likeness to a man's face shows intelligence. The flying eagle stands for speed in judgment. It is always God in the creation. This points back to Ezekiel 1; but in Ezekiel every living creature had four faces, showing the power of providence, which sees all and acts on earth.
Each of the four is the best in its own class. Together they overpower every enemy:
In every sphere in the whole creation these beings are supreme. Man is supreme in intelligence. The lion is supreme among wild beasts. People count the ox as the greatest burden bearer, and the eagle as the swiftest and highest flyer… Satan and rebellious men have great intelligence, and they use it against God. But here are beings who excel in intelligence. Whatever the power, the endurance, or the speed with which the enemies move toward their goals, these living creatures will wear them down. They will out-think, out-last, out-wear and out-distance every hostile power, and they will never fail to carry out every detail of the will of God in the universe.
Some older English versions call them "beasts." One writer says that word is wrong:
The translation "beasts," as in the older common version, is wrong and misleading. It drags the human element down to the level of an animal, for the third living being has the face of a man. People constantly apply the word to animals, but it simply means (as the word animal itself does) "a living being."
Why do they stand so close? One writer answers from their role:
It seems the living creatures stand so near because they are the executive arm of judgment. Providential judgments will then be in progress. They characterize the action of the throne.
Commentators differ. One holds that the symbol shows a role, not fixed persons:
From this it follows that the four living creatures might be at one time angels, at another saints. The symbol shows the character of the attributes in action more than the persons entrusted with these judgments.
Another rules angels out, because of where the creatures stand:
These cannot be angels, for no angel is in the midst of the throne of God. Scripture says the Lamb is there (Rev. 5:6), for the Lamb is Himself God, and God gives His glory to no other. The living creatures stand for four distinct principles of God's government — living, vital principles at work in all His works.
Many have read the four figures as a portrait of Christ in the four Gospel accounts:
Here at once we see a difference between the first three and the fourth, which is the bird of heaven. As the Western interpreters saw, the eagle answers to the Gospel of John; the kingly lion to Matthew; the working ox to Mark; and the face of a man to Luke — the Gospel of His Manhood.
The pairings are not agreed. An older list matched them another way:
Irenaeus saw this as early as A.D. 120–200. He compared the Gospels with the four cherubim in Revelation. Several of the old books show a man with Matthew; a lion with Mark; an ox with Luke; and an eagle with John.
- Four = everywhere. Four is the mark of the world and the whole human race. So the four faces give a complete picture of God's judicial government.
- Four = qualities. Lion for royal strength, calf for firmness, man's face for intelligence, flying eagle for speed of judgment.
- Four = supremacy. Each creature is first in its own class. Together they out-think, out-last, out-wear and out-distance every opposing power.
- Four = position. They stand nearest the throne because they carry out its judgments. They show how the throne acts.
- Four = Christ. Many read the same faces in the four Gospel portraits of Christ. Commentators differ on which face fits which Gospel.