The Throne Of God Above The Cherubim
Part 1: The Four Living Creatures In Ezekiel And Revelation
By Ed Tarkowski

The Four Kingdoms In Daniel and Revelation

In Daniel four beasts are mentioned that come up out of the sea: a lion, a bear, a leopard and a terrible beast that crushed everything in its sight. In Revelation, we see that these are combined to make a fourth beast, having the appearance made up of parts of the three other beasts. The description of these changed in the Old Testament description compared to the description of them in the New. They are the same beasts, yet different.

The Four Living Creatures In Ezekiel And Revelation

Ezekiel 1 and Revelation 4 and 5 both give descriptions of four living creatures, though they vary in description in these two books. Just as the beast of Revelation 13 describes a conglomerate of the four beasts described in Daniel 7, the four living creatures are similar yet different as well:

Ezekiel 1:1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
2 In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity,
3 The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him.
4 And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
5 Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.
6 And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.
7 And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.
8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.
9 Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.
10 As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.
11 Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
12 And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.
13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.
14 And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

Revelation 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.
2 And immediately I was in the spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.
8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,

You can read the strong similarities between Ezekiel's living creatures (reading chapter one in its entirety would be beneficial) and those of John in Revelation. Because of the closeness of the descriptions, the extremely strong assumption is that these four living creatures in Revelation are angelic beings and the same beings in both testaments. In Ezekiel they are said to be cherubim, and there is no reason not susupect they are anything else but that in Revelation 4 and 5.

Part 1: The Four Living Creatures In Ezekiel And Revelation
Part 2: Two Cherubim Or Four In The Holy of Holies?
Part 3: Do The Four Cherubim Return With Christ?
Part 4: Seraphim Compared to Cherubim
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