Audio Links

Video Links

Audio Download

Revelation 4:6-7 The Four Beasts, Part 2A

Updated January 25, 2024

Introduction

Here is what we must keep in mind as we read all these Old Testament prophecies:

Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

That especially includes all of the symbols of all of these prophecies concerning “the patterns of the things of the heavens themselves.” The heavens are where God dwells in His temple, and His ‘temple’ is within His people (1Co 3:16). We will not belabor that already established truth, but we must keep our focus on the Truth that Heaven, and all these things about the kingdom of the heavens, are all within each and every one of us. All these writings concerning “a door opened in heaven” and “the pattern of the heavens themselves” are not written aforetime for others. They are written for you and for me.

Last week we followed the scriptures concerning these four beasts from their first mention in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3 through Exodus and then to Ezekiel 1. In Genesis their number is not even given, but we did become familiar with the Biblical term ‘cherubim’, and we were given to know that these creatures “Keep the way of the tree of life with a flaming sword.” We know from the gospels and from the book of Revelation that Christ is both “the way” of the tree of life and that He is “the life” of that tree of life.

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Joh 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

Rev 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

So it is Christ’s “way” with His fiery words that is kept by these cherubims which “keep the way of the tree of life… which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” So, for those with eyes that see, we are being told right from the beginning that “the way of the tree of life” is a fiery way. It is “the word that Christ speaks to us.”

Gen 3:24 So he [God] drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

It’s simply not possible that the tree of life can signify anything other than Christ and His words of life.

Joh 6:67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
Joh 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life [You are “the way of the Tree of Life”].
Joh 6:69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

The next time these cherubims appear in scripture is in Exodus where we discovered that they shadow the mercy seat, which Ezekiel 1 shows us is a type of the throne of God. Does no one ask, “What became of the tree of life? Where was Eden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life from Adam to Noah? Where were these cherubims all those 1500 or so years?” The answers are that Eden, the serpent and those trees were used to symbolize spiritual realities, and after they had served as the symbols of those spiritual realities, they were no more needed than a physical altar and physical animal sacrifices after the sacrifice of Christ.

The point of the events of the garden of Eden is that the “tree of life” was a type of Christ who is seated on the spiritual throne of God. The serpent signifies Satan, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil signifies the law of Moses, by which we know what sin is:

Rom 7:7  What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Christ tells us plainly that His Father dwells in Him.

Joh 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Therefore His Father’s throne has always been in Christ, and the tree of life, which was rejected by Adam and Eve in favor of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, was really nothing more or less than the rejection of the throne of God for the throne of Satan, typified by the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It was the rejection of the things of the spirit in favor of the things of the flesh. And this is all “after the counsel of His own will.”

Mat 11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and [he] to whomsoever the Son will reveal [him].

Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

1Co 11:12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.

Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

We learned in Exodus that it is from His throne that God speaks to His people “from between the cherubims.”

Exo 25:22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

Num 7:89 And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that [was] upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims: and he spake unto him.

1Sa 4:4 So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims [“the spirit of God dwells in you” (1Co 3:16)]: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

Psa 99:1 The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.

Isa 37:16 O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth.

In Exodus we learned much more about the meaning of the phrase “round about the throne” because we saw that the cherubims were not just shadowing the mercy seat. They were also everywhere in the tabernacle of Moses and everywhere in the temple of Solomon. They were woven into the veil that comprised the tabernacle and made up its walls and doors. They were carved into the walls and doors of the temple, and in the temple they were covered with pure gold.

Rev 4:6  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 [Cherubims] full of eyes before and behind.

We also discovered in Exodus that the cherubims were even on the bases of the lavers, which were made of copper, in the court of the brazen altar. Our earlier studies in the spiritual significance of base metals in scripture, showed us that the significance of finding that the cherubims are also of copper, and they are found in the court of the altar is that God’s elect are His elect from “before times eonian” or as the KJV puts it, “before the world began.”

Psa 139:16 Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was none of them.

2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Tit 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

Here in Exodus we are shown that there were only two cherubims shadowing the mercy seat, and we were told only that they had two wings with which they covered the mercy seat throne.

1Ki 8:7 For the cherubims spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above.

The next place we encountered these cherubims was in Ezekiel 1. Here we were told that “the heavens were opened.” We have learned from this chapter we are covering in Revelation, that an “open heaven” is an exponentially increased knowledge of heavenly things, and sure enough, Ezekiel sees much, much more concerning “the pattern of the things in the heavens.” It is here in Ezekiel that we learn for the first time that there are four creatures around the throne; that they each have four wings; that they are like fire and like lamps of fire. We learned that they each have four faces, that those four faces are the face of a man, a lion, an ox and a flying eagle. We saw that there was a very close relationship between the four creatures and the four wheels which are like a wheel within a wheel. We learned that these wheels are full of eyes before and behind, and we learned that the relationship between the four creatures and the four wheels was so close that we are told that “the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.”

All of this throne scene, we are told, is surrounded by a rainbow, and it is all said to be “the glory of the Lord.”

Eze 1:26 And above the firmament that [was] over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.
Eze 1:27 And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.
Eze 1:28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.

This is what Christ tells us about this very same throne:

Mat 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration  when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Ezekiel 10

Today we will examine the next entry where these four living creatures are found which is in Ezekiel 10.

Eze 10:1 Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.
Eze 10:2 And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight.
Eze 10:3 Now the cherubims stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.
Eze 10:4 Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD’S glory.
Eze 10:5 And the sound of the cherubims’ wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh.
Eze 10:6 And it came to pass, that when he had commanded the man clothed with linen, saying, Take fire from between the wheels, from between the cherubims; then he went in, and stood beside the wheels.
Eze 10:7 And one cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubims unto the fire that was between the cherubims, and took thereof, and put it into the hands of him that was clothed with linen: who took it, and went out.
Eze 10:8 And there appeared in the cherubims the form of a man’s hand under their wings.
Eze 10:9 And when I looked, behold the four wheels by the cherubims, one wheel by one cherub, and another wheel by another cherub: and the appearance of the wheels was as the colour of a beryl stone.
Eze 10:10 And as for their appearances, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel.
Eze 10:11 When they went, they went upon their four sides; they turned not as they went, but to the place whither the head looked they followed it; they turned not as they went.
Eze 10:12 And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had.
Eze 10:13 As for the wheels, it was cried unto them in my hearing, O wheel.
Eze 10:14 And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face [was] the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.
Eze 10:15 And the cherubims were lifted up. This [is] the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar.
Eze 10:16 And when the cherubims went, the wheels went by them: and when the cherubims lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also turned not from beside them.
Eze 10:17 When they stood, [these] stood; and when they were lifted up, [these] lifted up themselves [also]: for the spirit of the living creature [was] in them.
Eze 10:18 Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims.
Eze 10:19 And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went out, the wheels also [were] beside them, and [every one] stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD’S house; and the glory of the God of Israel [was] over them above.
Eze 10:20 This [is] the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubims.
Eze 10:21 Every one had four faces apiece, and every one four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a man [was] under their wings.
Eze 10:22 And the likeness of their faces [was] the same faces which I saw by the river of Chebar, their appearances and themselves: they went every one straight forward.

Five Characteristics of “The Pattern of the Things of the Heavens Themselves” Mentioned in Chapter One Which are not Mentioned in Chapter Ten

First:

This whole vision is presented only in chapter 1 as “a whirlwind out of the north.”

Eze 1:4 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.

The fact that the tribe of Dan was to be on the north during Israel’s travels and when they settled in the land, tells us of the meaning of the symbolism of ‘the north.’ Dan means ‘judge.’

Gen 49:16 Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.

Num 2:25 The standard of the camp of Dan shall be on the north side by their armies: and the captain of the children of Dan [shall be] Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

Ezekiel 9, describing the judgment of Jerusalem coming out of the north, the killing of the offering on the north side of the altar, and Israel’s judgment coming out of the north country, all tell us that this entire vision of “the pattern of the things of the heavens themselves” is a vision of the judgment of the deeds done in this “marred in the hand of the Potter… vessel of clay” which we call this body.

Eze 9:2 And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them [was] clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brazen altar.

Lev 1:11 And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the altar.

Eze 8:5 Then said he unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.

Jer 1:14 Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

It is this verse 4 which explains the tone of both the book of Ezekiel and of Revelation. Both books are the judging of God’s people and are a record of the purging of “the pattern of the things of the heavens themselves.”

Eze 1:4 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.

Rev 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

Rev 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
Rev 6:13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
Rev 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
Rev 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
Rev 6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
Rev 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Second:

That these creatures have “the likeness of a man” is mentioned only in chapter 1. The spiritual significance of this statement is obvious in light of what they tell us of themselves in Revelation 5.

Rev 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

Eze 1:5 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.

This statement at the very beginning of this “open heavens” vision tells us up front who these “four living creatures” symbolize.

Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

We will pause here and continue to the third through the fifth differences between the first and the tenth chapters of Ezekiel which describe the four beasts and their function and service in the Lord’s kingdom in our next study.