In both the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible, do we come across the imagery of what is known as the vision of the four living creatures. For when gazing into the Old Testament book of the prophet Ezekiel, are we first faced with this most awesome vision of four heavenly beings with four faces each. In Ezekiel’s account the four living creatures possessed the likeness of that of the face of a man, and the face of a lion, the face of an ox, and also the face of an eagle (Ezekiel 1:10). Ezekiel’s vision, which occurred in Old Testament times, is nearly identical to the vision of St. John the Theologian, who wrote the New Testament book of Revelation several decades after the life and times of Jesus Christ. John describes his vision of the four living creatures as follows, “The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle” (Revelation 4:7). As we can clearly see, this scene from the New Testament book of Revelation mirrors that which is described in the Old Testament book of Ezekiel. The continuity of these two visions, one found in the Old Testament and the other being revealed in the New Testament, provides typological credibility to the Bible as a legitimate source of truth as a whole. For many prophecies written in the Old Testament find their fulfillment in the New Testament. The following presentation will be an attempt to link the two covenants of the Bible together, by comparing the vision of the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel, with the New Testament vision of the Revelation of St. John the Divine.
Beginning with Ezekiel’s vision, some background information concerning the prophet needs to be clearly addressed. First of all, it must be understood how Ezekiel received his vision in Babylon and not in Judea. For prophet Ezekiel was included among the Judeans who were taken captive by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II, during the first wave of the Jewish deportations to Babylon, beginning in the year 597 BC. In addition to holding the office of prophet, Ezekiel was also a priest stemming from the tribe of Levi. For the Levites were one of the twelve tribes of Israel, specially selected from among the twelve tribes, who presided over the religious administration of the nation of Israel, such as in the ritual of animal sacrifice. Also, Ezekiel himself writes how he was by the river Chebar when the heavens were opened, and he saw the visions of God (Ezekiel 1:1). Now the Chebar River is believed to have been a tributary of the Euphrates River located in the region of Mesopotamia, which is in modern-day Iraq, but today the exact location of the ancient River Chebar is not definitively known. But what is known, is that the hand of the LORD was upon Ezekiel, and it was there in Babylon where he has his vision.
Although the vision of the four heavenly beings with four faces that Ezekiel experienced is similar to that of St. John’s vision of the four living creatures in Revelation, there are in fact a couple of distinct differences between these two analogous accounts. For instance, the four living creatures in Ezekiel’s vision moved about in a number of different directions by a supernatural power which is described as a wheel within a wheel (Ezekiel 1:15-21). However, in the book of Revelation the four living creatures do not move about at all, but rather remain stationary before the throne of God in heaven (Revelation 4:6). Also, Ezekiel describes the appearance of each of the four living creatures as having the form of a man but with four differing faces. While on the other hand, St. John describes the appearances of the four living creatures as having one complete form each, along with only one face each. A singular face which naturally corresponds to the same type of the particular body of each individual creature. So, now that we have covered some of the differences held between these two visions, let us begin to look more intently into their similarities as we continue with our survey of this quite unique and fascinating Biblical typology.
When comparing the four living creatures in Ezekiel’s vision with the four living creatures in John’s vision we see that in both visions the living creatures have more than one pair of wings. However, in Ezekiel’s vision the four living creatures are described as having four wings each, while the four living creatures in John’s vision are described as having six wings each. Though this factor between the two visions is not an exact match, these characteristics concerning the number of wings does indeed bear a resemblance when comparing these two Biblical accounts to one another. Another parallel between the two visions is that in both accounts the four living creatures are described as being full of eyes. The symbolism of these celestial beings as being “full of eyes” can be interpreted as the attributes of wisdom and discernment, as well as signifying their ability to see and comprehend everything, including the mysteries of the hidden or spiritual realms. But the most striking similarity concerning these two visions has to do with the physical characteristics of the four living creatures. For in both Ezekiel and Revelation the four living creatures are described as having the likeness of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle. Let us turn now and breakdown in further detail the symbolism and significance of each of the four faces of the four living creatures.
The face of a man, or human, on one of the living creatures symbolizes humanity or mankind. It represents the aspect of creation that reflects God’s image and signifies the role of humanity in creation and its relationship with the divine. The lion represents strength, power, and royalty. It symbolizes majesty, leadership, and courage. The symbolism of the lion could also be associated with Jesus Christ, as He is described elsewhere in Revelation as the Lion of Judah (Revelation 5:5). The ox or calf symbolizes service, sacrifice, and labor. It represents hard work, endurance, and humble service. The eagle symbolizes swiftness, vision, and spiritual elevation. It represents soaring towards the heavens, spiritual insight, and divine perspective. The eagle is often associated with God’s providential care and protection. Overall, the combination of these four living creatures with their unique attributes and symbolism is believed to convey a holistic representation of different aspects of creation, divine qualities, and spiritual realities. Together, they reflect the multifaceted nature of God’s creation and the diverse roles and characteristics found within it.
The four living creatures described in the books of Ezekiel and Revelation carry rich symbolism that conveys various spiritual meanings. In Greek Orthodox theology each of the four living creatures is representative of the four Evangelists who wrote the four Gospels in the New Testament. The association between the living creatures and the Evangelists is based on the attributes and symbolism traditionally assigned to each one of them. For example, The Gospel of Matthew is often represented by a winged man or angel, symbolizing Christ’s incarnation and human nature. This is comparable to the human face of the living creatures, emphasizing the humanity of Jesus. The Gospel of Mark is associated with a lion, symbolizing strength and courage. This aligns with the lion imagery among the living creatures, signifying the powerful proclamation of the Gospel message. The Gospel of Luke is linked to an ox or calf, representing service and sacrifice. This corresponds to the ox symbolism among the living creatures, highlighting themes of service and humility. The Gospel of John is often represented by an eagle, symbolizing high spiritual insight and divine perspective. This parallels the eagle imagery among the living creatures, emphasizing spiritual elevation and profound understanding.
In conclusion, the imagery of the four living creatures in both visions symbolizes various attributes such as strength, service, sacrifice, spirituality, and insight. Though both visions appear similar, they also have their differences. Such as how the creatures in Ezekiel’s vision are associated with a divine chariot, while the creatures in Revelation’s vision are part of the heavenly scene around God’s throne. Additionally, the heavenly beings in Ezekiel are not recorded as speaking, while the living creatures of Revelation continuously, day and night, never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty…” (Revelation 4:8). Also, the association between the four living creatures in Revelation and the four Evangelists who wrote the Gospels is a way to connect the heavenly vision described in Revelation with the earthly mission of the Evangelists in proclaiming the message of Jesus Christ. It emphasizes the harmony and unity of the Gospel message as conveyed by these inspired writers. In summation, while both the visions of Ezekiel and Revelation share common themes of divine presence, symbolism, and worship, they also exhibit distinct characteristics and emphasize different aspects of the spiritual significance of each of the four living creatures.
References:
Ancient Faith Study Bible. (Nashville, Tennessee: Holman Bible Publishers, 2019).
Holy Apostles Convent. The Lives of the Holy Prophets. (Buena Vista, CO: Holy Apostles Convent, 1998).
Nelson. The Holy Bible, New King James Version. (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1984).
Orthodox Study Bible (Elk Grove, CA: St. Athanasius Academy of Orthodox Theology, 2008).
Zondervan. The Holy Bible, King James Version. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2009).