Four Living Creatures

Biblical Text

Ezekiel: During the Babylonian exile, Ezekiel sees a vision by the river Chebar (Ezekiel 1:1-3). Four living creatures appear amid a whirlwind and fire. They have the likeness of a man, and each has four faces and four wings. Each has the face of a man in front, a lion on the right, an ox on the left, and an eagle at the back (Ezekiel 1:5-14). Beside the creatures are wheels full of eyes that move together with them. Above the creatures, upon the firmament (a broad expanse of the heavens), are a throne and the glory of the LORD (Ezekiel 1:15-28). In chapter 10 Ezekiel states that he knew these creatures were cherubim (Ezekiel 10:15, 20). The same chapter lists "the face of a cherub" in place of the face of the ox (Ezekiel 10:14).

Revelation: In the vision of the heavenly throne seen by John, the four living creatures are in the midst of the throne and round about it. The first is like a lion, the second like a calf, the third has the face of a man, and the fourth is like a flying eagle; each has six wings and is full of eyes within and without. They "rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy" (Revelation 4:6-8). Together with the twenty-four elders they fall down and worship (Revelation 5:8, 14; 19:4), and as each of the first four seals is opened, they cry out, "Come" (Revelation 6:1-7). One of them gives golden vials to the seven angels (Revelation 15:7).

Background

The Hebrew hayyot and the Greek zōa, both translated "living creatures," mean "living things." Winged guardian figures combining human and animal features were widespread in the ancient Near East. Scholars sometimes compare Ezekiel's vision with figures such as the guardian statues of Assyrian palaces.

Significance in the Whole of Scripture

Because the book of Ezekiel identifies the four living creatures with the cherubim, they are read as beings surrounding the presence of God, alongside the cherubim above the ark of the covenant and the cherub figures in the Most Holy Place. The wheels that move in every direction are commonly interpreted as showing that God's glory could come even to Babylon, the land of exile.

The four living creatures of Revelation carry forward Ezekiel's imagery, combined with the six wings of the seraphim and their threefold "Holy" in Isaiah 6 (Isaiah 6:2-3). For this reason, many hold that the features of the seraphim and cherubim have been merged into a single image.

Interpretations and Issues

• The four Gospels: Irenaeus in the second century is known to have linked the four living creatures with the four Gospels. In the Western church, the assignment made by Jerome became widespread: Matthew is the man, Mark the lion, Luke the ox, and John the eagle. Assignments, however, varied among writers. This is not something the text itself states but a symbolic interpretation developed by the later church.
• Meaning of the symbols: Many interpreters see the four forms as representing humanity, wild beasts, domestic animals, and birds. Read this way, the four living creatures portray the whole created order worshiping God. Another interpretation holds that they represent qualities such as majesty (the lion), service (the ox), wisdom (the man), and swiftness (the eagle).
• Nature of the beings: Some regard them as actual angelic beings, while others see them as symbols depicting the presence of God. The views divide according to how one understands the literary conventions of apocalyptic literature.
• Later traditions: According to one tradition, the banners of four tribes in the camp of Israel bore images of a lion, a man, an ox, and an eagle. This comes from later Jewish tradition; the text of Numbers does not mention any images on the banners.

In the Korean Church

In worship music and preaching, the throne vision of Revelation 4 is frequently cited as a model of heavenly worship. The four living creatures' cry of "Holy" is drawn upon especially often.