Living creatures (Bible)

Lore & Background

In Ezekiel 1, the four living creatures are identified as cherubim in Ezekiel 10, serving as God's throne bearers. Each cherub has four faces: a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle. In Ezekiel 10:14, the faces are a cherub, a man, a lion, and an eagle. They manifest in human form, distinguishing them from griffin-like cherubs and lamassu of Babylonia and Assyria. Their movement does not require turning, as they face all compass points simultaneously, differing from the seraphim in Isaiah's vision who have an extra set of wings for flight.

In the Book of Revelation, John sees four living beings (Greek: zōion) appearing as a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle, in a different order than Ezekiel's. They have six wings, whereas Ezekiel's creatures have four. They are described as having 'eyes all over, front and back,' paralleling the wheels beside Ezekiel's living creatures that are 'full of eyes all around.' The Hebrew word for 'wheel' was later used in Jewish literature to indicate a member of the angelic orders.

Reader's Guide

The living creatures hold significance across Judaism and Christianity. In Judaism, they are considered angels of fire who hold up the throne of God; according to the Zohar, they hold up the firmament itself. They are ranked first in Maimonides' Jewish angelic hierarchy and have been correlated with four archangels: Michael (lion-headed), Raphael (human-headed), Uriel (bull-headed), and Gabriel (eagle-headed).

In Christianity, the four living creatures are identified as cherubim. A prominent early interpretation equates them with the Four Evangelists: the lion with Mark, the calf with Luke, the man with Matthew, and the eagle with John—an association first made by Irenaeus and later adopted by Victorinus, Jerome, Gregory the Great, and the Book of Kells. Another traditional view sees the four faces as aspects of Jesus Christ: the man representing His humanity, the ox His servanthood, the lion His royalty, and the eagle His divinity. A Greek Orthodox Catechism interprets them as representing four covenants: the lion the Noahic covenant, the ox the Abrahamic covenant, the man the Mosaic law, and the eagle the new covenant Gospel. Modern commentators often view them as agents of God and heavenly representatives of the created order. Secular proposals suggest the phenomena in Ezekiel were halos caused by ice crystals in the atmosphere.

Did You Know?

• In Revelation, the four living beings have six wings, while Ezekiel's have four.
• The four living creatures have been correlated with the archangels Michael, Raphael, Uriel, and Gabriel.