Four Symbols

I, John, had a vision of an open door to heaven, and I heard the trumpetlike voice that had spoken to me before, saying, "Come up here and I will show you what must happen afterwards." At once I was caught up in spirit.  A throne was there in heaven, and on the throne sat one whose appearance sparkled like jasper and carnelian. Around the throne was a halo as brilliant as an emerald.  Surrounding the throne I saw twenty-four other thrones on which twenty-four elders sat, dressed in white garments and with gold crowns on their heads.  From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder.  Seven flaming torches burned in front of the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.  In front of the throne was something that resembled a sea of glass like crystal.

In the center and around the throne, there were four living creatures covered with eyes in front and in back.  The first creature resembled a lion, the second was like a calf, the third had a face like that of a man, and the fourth looked like an eagle in flight.  The four living creatures, each of them with six wings, were covered with eyes inside and out.  Day and night they do not stop exclaiming:  "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come."  

Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before the one who sits on the throne and worship him, who lives forever and ever.  They throw down their crowns before the throne, exclaiming: "Worthy are you, Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things; because of your will they came to be and were created."

These passages from Revelations reveal the source of our Church’s use of the sign of the lion for Mark, a man for Matthew, an ox for Luke, and an eagle for John.  However, Revelations borrowed from Ezekiel who said: “…I saw there the glory of the God of Israel, like the vision I had seen on the plain.  The cherubim were stationed to the right of the temple…Each had four faces [and four wings]: the first face was that of an ox, the second that of a man, the third that of a lion, and the fourth that of an eagle…” (Ezekiel 10:8-15).

Each sign has a special significance for our Church.  For example, the eagle was believed to be able to look straight into the sun.  Therefore, this sign symbolizes that Christians should look on eternity without flinching as they journey towards their goal of union with God. 

Good goal.   However, my goal always has been a union with family and friends - now.   That’s a real journey of love.  I know God is present in those unions.  I don’t have to wait until death and eternity.

Deacon David Pierce