The four faces of the cherubim in Revelation 4 (lion, ox, man, eagle) serve as a model for the dominant theme of each Gospel. Jewish tradition also makes them the standards of the lead tribes during Israel's wilderness journey: Judah the lion, Ephraim the ox, Reuben the man, and Dan the eagle. Because that journey is a type of the Christian pilgrimage, each figure gives guidance on what to rally one's life around. Each symbol is used in both good and bad senses in Scripture, but here all are applied in a good sense to facets of Christ. The lion, shown in Revelation 5:5, Genesis 49, and Hosea, denotes power, courage, and kingship, and corresponds to Matthew, where Christ is Son of Abraham through David and heir of the Kingdom. The ox, drawn from Proverbs 14:4 and Hosea 10:11, denotes patient, enduring labor and corresponds to Mark's emphasis on service. The man, drawn from Genesis 1:26 and Hebrews 2 and 5, denotes empathy, compassion, and mercy in a universal sense and corresponds to Luke. The eagle, a soaring, far-seeing bird, denotes Christ's divinity and corresponds to John. Each Gospel contains all four aspects, but one dominates, as the outline of a building dominates when seen from afar. The writers' backgrounds shaped their perspectives: Matthew the tax collector, Mark the servant, Luke the Gentile physician, and John the cousin. The sequence deepens like Ezekiel's river, giving a fuller picture of Christ so that believers can grasp the image into which they are being transformed.

The four living creatures of Revelation 4:6-8, the lion, calf (ox), man, and flying eagle, are symbols of Jesus Christ, whose purpose is to reveal His glory. Each creature represents one of the four Gospel accounts of His life, so that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are not merely corroborating one another but show Christ in distinct relationships. Each is incomplete alone yet essential to grasping the whole man Jesus Christ. The cherubim, described more fully in Ezekiel 1 and 10, are awesome angelic beings in themselves, but in Revelation 4 they point to a greater Being. The scriptural basis for the symbolism is found in Numbers 2, where the twelve tribes camped and marched around the tabernacle in four groups of three, each led by a tribe whose banner bore one of the four emblems. Judah carried the lion, Reuben the man, Ephraim the ox, and Dan the eagle. Jewish tradition supports these identifications, and the Bible offers further indications: Judah as a lion's whelp in Genesis 49:9, and Ephraim pushing like an ox in Deuteronomy 33:17. The Reuben and Dan links are weaker. Israel itself was meant to be a banner, witnessing to its God through obedience to the Torah (Deuteronomy 4:5-8). Seeing Christ through all four views gives a fuller picture of Him, helps believers imitate Him, and guards against deception by imposters. Like Treasury agents who study the genuine currency, believers recognize counterfeits by knowing the real image well.

The four living creatures figure in the third seal in two ways. First, the voice announcing inflated grain prices comes "in the midst of the four living creatures." Since Revelation 4:6 places the creatures in the midst of and around the throne (compare Ezekiel 1:4-28), with one on each side, the voice must come from the One sitting on the throne. God Himself therefore sets the disaster prices: a quart of wheat or three quarts of barley for a denarius, a day's wage. This is an unusual departure, because nothing else is said to or about the Four Horsemen. His command not to harm the oil and the wine is directed at the horseman. Second, the third horseman is introduced by the third living creature, identified in Revelation 4:7 as having a face like a man. This can be seen as God putting a human face on the third seal, or as an irony that the creature who looks like a man introduces such inhumanity. The man's face also reminds that famine is largely man-made, the fruit of war, oppression, corruption, and poor stewardship of the land, rather than something that simply happens. Obedience to God's law brings abundance, while disobedience brings the curses of scarcity.

The second living creature, which introduces the second seal with "Come and see," is probably the calf, since Revelation 4:7 lists the creatures in the order lion, calf, man, and eagle. Just as the lion introducing the first seal foretells the white horseman's ferocious pursuit of prey, the calf foretells the red horseman's chief trait. The calf, young bull, or ox is known in Scripture for strength and staying power (Numbers 23:22; Psalm 144:14; Proverbs 14:4; Hosea 4:16). It works all day for days on end, even to exhaustion, without complaint, a relentless and untiring worker. The red horse and its rider are to be seen along the same lines, as a picture of inevitable, unceasing, insatiable warfare. The wild ox of Job 39:9-12 sharpens the image, since it cannot be domesticated and is likely to gore anyone who tries to yoke it. Psalm 22:20-21 and Isaiah 34:7 use wild oxen in the same way, connecting them with the sword and with blood-soaked land. The calf-like horseman thus symbolizes unremitting, intensifying, uncontrolled conflict. God intends this figure to instill terror so that mankind will repent of its enmity and be saved.

The four living creatures of Revelation 4:6-8 stand in the midst of and around God's throne, full of eyes in front and back, with the faces of a lion, a calf (young bullock), a man, and a flying eagle, each having six wings. They are linked to the seraphim of Isaiah 6 and the cherubim of Ezekiel 1 and 10, heavenly beings of the highest order involved in the worship and government of God. Ezekiel describes them as spirit beings, probably cherubim, bearing God's chariot-throne, which may explain how he and others like Enoch and Elisha were carried away. The eyes portray God's omniscience and watchful guidance. The faces symbolize qualities of His administration: the lion, royal power and authority; the calf, firmness, endurance, and strength as a support of the throne; the man, intelligence and wisdom, showing His government is not blind chance; and the eagle, the swift, powerful execution of His commands and His protective care, as in Deuteronomy 32:11-12. The six wings suggest unlimited mobility and readiness to do His will, with two likely covering the face in reverence, as in Isaiah. They ceaselessly cry "Holy, holy, holy," and when they give glory, the twenty-four elders fall down and cast their crowns before the throne. Together they portray the majesty of God, what sustains His throne, and the energy, intelligence, and firmness of His government.

The four living creatures of Revelation 4:6-8 stand in the midst of and around God's throne, full of eyes front and back, each with six wings, with faces of a lion, a calf (young bullock), a man, and a flying eagle. They are linked to the seraphim of Isaiah 6 and the cherubim of Ezekiel 1 and 10, heavenly beings of the highest order involved in God's worship and government. Ezekiel describes them as spiritual beings of fire and lightning whose spirit is in the wheels of God's chariot-throne, which moves wherever the Spirit goes and may be a portable replica of the main throne. The eyes picture God's omniscience and ever-watchful guidance. The faces symbolize qualities of His government: the lion represents royal authority and dominion; the calf, firmness, endurance, and strength, as a support of the throne; the man, intelligence and wisdom, showing that God's rule is not blind chance; and the eagle, the swift, powerful execution of His commands and His protective care, as in Deuteronomy 32:11-12. Their wings suggest unlimited mobility and readiness, with two likely covering the face in reverence, as in Isaiah. They ceaselessly cry "Holy, holy, holy," and their praise prompts the twenty-four elders to fall down and cast their crowns before the throne. Together they portray the majesty of God and the energy, intelligence, and power sustaining His throne, which explains why humans fall on their faces in His presence.

The four living creatures appear in the setting of God's throne room, where they stand in the midst of and around the throne beside the sea of glass. Revelation 4:6-8 describes them as full of eyes in front, in back, around, and within, each with six wings. The first is like a lion, the second like a calf, the third has a face like a man, and the fourth is like a flying eagle. They never rest day or night, crying "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty." Whenever they give glory, honor, and thanks to God, the twenty-four elders fall down, worship, and cast their crowns before the throne. In Revelation 7 they join the angels and elders in falling on their faces to worship God. Ezekiel 1 shows similar living creatures that look like burning coals and flashes of lightning, with wings whose noise sounds like many waters, moving wherever the spirit goes, with the spirit of the creatures in the wheels. Above them is a crystal-like firmament and a replica of God's throne. These are spirit beings made visible to human eyes, and in the cherubim the throne is a temporary, movable one that goes where God goes. Ezekiel's being carried off by the Spirit amid the noise of their wings and wheels is likened to a ride on a cherub, as with Enoch and Elisha. Such visions are so overwhelming that humans fall prostrate before them.