The Four Living Creatures

Lord, give me the ability t take these truths from Your Word and incorporate them into my life today.


"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. The four living creatures ... were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!" (Revelation 4:7-8).


There's a secondary meaning in the living creatures that we don't want to miss. Their all-seeing eyes speak of wisdom. And these four creatures of great wisdom represent the four Gospels which each reveal something unique about the character of Jesus.


First is the Gospel of Matthew, where we see Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. The lion is the king of beasts and this speaks of the regality of our Lord Jesus.


The next creature was like a calf, or a better translation might be an ox. The ox is the beast of burden and of sacrifice, and it is the Gospel of Mark that shows us Jesus as the suffering Servant, the One Who bore the yoke. This speaks of the humility of Jesus.


Luke's Gospel tells how Jesus was the virgin-born Son of God. So Luke is represented by the third creature with a face like a man. This speaks of the perfect humanity of Jesus.


Then the fourth is the Gospel of John, for the eagle is a heavenly bird, and John speaks of the heavenly origin of the Lord Jesus. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1).


So we find symbolism piled upon symbolism here as these living creatures before the throne are crying, "Holy, holy, holy!" And what do the saints do when that happens? The elders fall before the Lord, casting their crowns at His feet (Revelation 4:9-10). Remember, that will be us some day - falling before Jesus, singing His praise, casting our crowns before him and giving Him glory and honor forever!


~Adrian Rogers~