Living Creatures
The Four Before the Throne
Revelation 4:6–7
And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight.
— Revelation 4:6–7 (ESV)Revelation 4:8
And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
— Revelation 4:8 (ESV)In the Apostle John's apocalyptic vision, four living creatures (zoa in Greek) surround the throne of God in heaven. They share features with both Ezekiel's cherubim and Isaiah's seraphim, yet they are described distinctly — a convergence of the most extraordinary angelic imagery in all of Scripture.
Each creature bears a single face: one like a lion, one like an ox, one with a human face, and one like an eagle in flight. Unlike the cherubim who have four faces each, these four beings each embody one aspect. They have six wings like the seraphim, and their entire bodies — front, behind, and within — are covered with eyes, signifying total awareness and perfect knowledge.
They exist in ceaseless worship, never resting day or night, proclaiming the holiness of God. When they give glory and thanks to the One on the throne, the twenty-four elders fall down in response. They also play a role in the unfolding of Revelation's judgments, calling forth the four horsemen with a voice like thunder: “Come!” They are beings of worship and witnesses to the unfolding of God's final purposes.
Further Reading
- Revelation 4:6–8
- Revelation 5:6–14