Revelation Chapter 4

VERSE 7 “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.”

It is important that these four are numbered. When the study of the first four Seals is undertaken, these are referred to only by number and can, thus, only be identified by referring back to this verse.

While brethren differ on which attributes the lion and the calf represent, the difference however does not (to this scribe) seem very consequential (Nevertheless for the sake of those who may see things differently we will present both views for comparisons).

(1) LION:

First view: “The most obvious symbology of the King of Beasts seems to be POWER. Thus the powerful adversary is also symbolized as a Lion.”

“A lion would represent power very aptly in the Old Testament scriptures, as lions were used to represent nations (Ezek 19:1-14). A lion makes a very good symbol of power, since a lion is very powerful and no man is able to stand before a lion. Christ was to be a lion of the tribe of Judah, which we know was a symbol of power or the right to rule (Rev 5:5).”

Second view: “Throughout Scripture the lion is used to denote power or strength. For example, when Samson proposed a riddle to the Philistines, “Out of the strong came forth sweetness,” the key to the enigma was the honey (sweetness) that the bees stored in the carcass of the dead lion (the strong one) (Judges 14:14,18). Another example is 2 Sam 1:23. In the Apocalypse Jesus is referred to as “the Lion of the tribe of Juda . . . [who] hath prevailed,” and accordingly, he is acclaimed as the strong or worthy One who overcame (Rev. 5:5, 12).

However, in spite of these and other Scriptures that correlate the lion with power, the lion face represents the attribute of JUSTICE whenever it is associated with the living creatures, as evidenced by the following citations:

“The Lord shall roar [as a lion, that is, voice His displeasure or indignation] from on high” (Jer. 25:30; Joel 3:16; Amos 3:8). “The lion [the King of Babylon, the instrument of God’s judgment] is come up from his thicket” (Jer. 4:7—compare 1 Kings 13:24, 26; 20:36).

The Adversary is also an unwitting agent of destruction, i.e., God’s executioner. “As a roaring lion, [Satan] walks about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8); and the prayer of the righteous is that they may be saved “from the lion’s mouth” (Psa. 22:21).

The hearth, or platform, of the brazen altar that will stand in the court of Ezekiel’s Temple in the future, upon which the fire and sacrifices will be offered, is called the Ariel (Hebrew), meaning the lion of God (Ezek. 43:15,16). In times past, Solomon’s ivory throne was conspicuously ornamented with brazen lions, representing messengers or agents of judgment (2 Chron. 9:17–19).

(2) OX (or calf, i.e. a young bull):

First view: “JUSTICE seems the best reference here since the calf satisfied justice in all of the typical offerings.”

“The ox is a very fitting symbol for justice, in that oxen were used in sacrifices in the tabernacle. The word ox means a young bullock Strong’s #3448, which was the actual type of animal sacrificed on the altar. In a sense, the symbol of an ox is again pointing to Christ, who satisfied justice for all of us.”

Second view: “It is appropriate that the ox face portrays God’s attribute of POWER, for the ox is universally recognized as a symbol of power. A person may have the “strength of an ox” or be as “strong as a bull.” Oxen or water buffalo, prized in the Eastern World for plowing, possess much more strength and stamina than the horse that is employed in the Western Hemisphere. The dread behemoth, a derivative of the word behemah, is translated over fifty times by the term “cattle” (Job 40:15, 16). The steer horn also denotes power. As the bull’s weapon of offense, the horn itself, a part of the animal, is emblematic of the whole.

(3) MAN:

“God is love,” says the apostle (1 John 4:8, 16). That the face of a man denotes the attribute of LOVE is more easily discerned after the symbolisms of at least two of the other faces have been identified. Several pertinent observations follow.

Man was originally made in the likeness or image of God. Of all the animal creation, only man possesses the unique quality of love—the ability to reverence and worship the unseen Creator.

Compassion for one another and responsiveness to God’s leadings are scripturally designated “a heart of flesh”; contrariwise, coldness of demeanor and callousness of feeling are considered “a heart of stone” (Ezek. 36:26).

Three or four centuries ago the word humane was merely a variant spelling of human; gradually it became more associated with mental sensitivity and moral quality, which emphasize kindness or benevolence—other forms of love.

Both God’s face and the face of man, made in God’s image are used in Scripture to denote favor. “The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee” (Num. 6:25). “And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face” (Deut. 34:10). God’s presence symbolizes His care and His sympathetic interest on behalf of His people. “My presence [Hebrew panim, face] shall go with thee, and I will give you rest” (Exod. 33:14). Also, the choice food, representing the promises of God on behalf of His called priesthood, is emblemized by the loaves of bread placed on the table in the Holy of Israel’s Tabernacle. “And thou shalt set upon the table showbread [that is, bread of ‘presence’ or ‘faces’ (plural)] before me always” (Exod. 25:30; Num. 4:7).

(4) EAGLE:

That the eagle represents the attribute of WISDOM presents no difficulty, as this bird is noted for its keenness of vision and its voracious appetite. No doubt its wondrous ability to behold afar off is a natural development and result of its vigilant search for food to satisfy its hunger. There is a spiritual parallelism here: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matt. 5:6). Moreover, “Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high? She dwells and abides on the rock [Christ—see 1 Cor. 10:4], upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place. From thence she seeks the prey, and her eyes behold afar off. Her young ones also suck up blood [John 6:54–56; Matt. 26:27, 28]: and where the slain are, there is she” (Job 39:27–30).

This association of the eagle with wisdom and the Christian’s search for more of Christ, the Wisdom of God, is what the Master meant when he said,

“For wheresoever the carcass is [that is, the core of the gospel, the dead humanity of Christ given for man’s justification], there will the eagles be gathered together [in mental communion and spiritual fellowship, feeding upon Christ and his Word]” (Matt. 24:28; Luke 17:37).

A person possessing either exceptional vision or mental alertness is sometimes spoken of as having “an eagle’s eye.”

Wisdom will be seen as the architect of God’s finished plan of redemption . . . when all its glory is revealed, following the complete removal of the rough scaffolding of sin. Until that time, Wisdom is satisfied to remain in the background lest it unduly prejudice the freewill offerings of man, interfere with the work of faith in the past or the present age, or mitigate the test of obedience at the close of the Millennium.

It is a strange fact, but true, that Wisdom’s unfathomable depth is not comprehended until maturity. “Wisdom is justified of her children,” said the Master (Matt. 11:19). In all three listings—Rev 4:7 and Ezek 1:10 and 10:14—the hoary head of Wisdom is the last attribute to be identified. Though last to be perceived, Wisdom is ever operative, ever active; hence it is portrayed as a “flying eagle”. (The Keys of Revelation)

We will move on to Verse 8 in our next post.