There
are also four “living creatures” surrounding God’s throne (Revelation 4:6-8).
These “living creatures” are similar, but are probably not the same figures
either Isaiah or Ezekiel saw.
Revelation 4:6-8 –Also in front of the throne there was what
looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around
the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes,
in front and in back. 7 The first living
creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like
a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each
of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around,
even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
“Holy, holy, holy”
is the Lord God Almighty,
who was, and is, and is
to come.’”
Isaiah 6:1-3 – In the year that King Uzziah
died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of
His robe filled the temple. 2 Above Him were seraphim, each with six wings:
With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and
with two they were flying. 3 And
they were calling to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of His glory.’”
Ezekiel
1:4-24 – I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north —an immense
cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of
the fire looked like glowing metal, 5 and in the fire was
what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was
human, 6 but each of them had four faces and four wings. 7 Their
legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like
burnished bronze. 8 Under their wings on their four sides
they had human hands. All four of them had faces and wings, 9 and
the wings of one touched the wings of another. Each one went straight ahead;
they did not turn as they moved.
10 Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human
being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the
face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle. 11 Such
were their faces. They each had two wings spreading out upward, each wing
touching that of the creature on either side; and each had two other wings
covering its body. 12 Each one went straight ahead.
Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they
went. 13 The appearance of the living creatures was like
burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the
creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it. 14 The
creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.
15 As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside
each creature with its four faces. 16This was the appearance
and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like topaz, and all four looked
alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. 17 As
they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures
faced; the wheels did not change direction as the creatures went. 18 Their
rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.
19 When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when
the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. 20 Wherever
the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with them,
because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 21 When
the creatures moved, they also moved; when the creatures stood still, they also
stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along
with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
22 Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked
something like a vault, sparkling like crystal, and awesome. 23 Under
the vault their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two
wings covering its body. 24 When the creatures moved, I
heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice
of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they
lowered their wings."
The
reason I say that they are similarly appearing creatures but different comes
from the description each prophet gives of them.
The
creatures John saw are covered with eyes, as were the creatures Ezekiel
saw.
The
creatures John saw have six wings, as did the seraphim Isaiah saw, but
Ezekiel’s creatures only had four wings each.
The
creatures John saw each have one face, but the creatures Ezekiel saw had six
faces, albeit the faces are the same four faces between them (lion, ox, eagle,
human).
Description
|
Isaiah
|
Ezekiel
|
John
|
Wings
|
6
|
4
|
6
|
Eyes
|
Covering
Body
|
Covering
Body
|
Covering
Body
|
Faces
|
?
|
4
|
1
|
It’s
possible that the creatures from Isaiah and John’s visions are the same, but it
would be curious that Isaiah wouldn’t mention the fact that the creatures he
saw had animal faces.
Either
way, we should not assume that these creatures are the same just because they
are described so similarly and have such similar duties. It is completely
possible that God made these angels with some diversity between the different
groups.
They
seem to always surround God’s throne in these prophetic visions. In human
terms, they seem to be something like God’s chariot drivers or litter-carriers.
They are also His criers, but rather than shouting, “Make way!” they call,
“Holy, holy, holy…”
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