The
Four Gospels and the
Four
Living Creatures
By Pastor F. M. Riley
August 5, 2010
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God [God breathed], and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness: That the man of God may
be perfect [complete; capable],
thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Introduction
Pastor Riley
I do have a question regarding the four
canonical Gospels!
Why is it necessary to have four of them to
describe a single event?
Why is it necessary that the DIVINE WORD OF
GOD be explained from four different points of view? I find this confusing!
I am a student of history and I am well
versed in the development of the Bible since circa 400 AD with Roman Emperor
Constantine, and the multitude of the counsels held by the SUPPOSEDLY learned
men in positions of Theological (Ecclesiastical) power to decide how I SHOULD
READ the Word of God today.
Pastor, that has me in a quandary! GOD BEING all powerful, why did He leave this
important function of promulgating HIS WORD to the happenstance and whim of the
occasional mortal(s) in power to do so through the ages?
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Dear _______________,
Thank you for writing. I appreciate hearing from you. Your email gives me another opportunity to
share the wonderful truths of God’s Word with you and others of His
people. The questions you set forth in
your email are timely and relevant, due to many others today having similar
questions about the Bible. So let’s see
if we can answer your questions and resolve the problem that is bothering you
and appears to be bothering many others today.
First, I want to make a few comments
about…..
The Divinely Inspired Word
Almighty God DID NOT “leave this important function of
promulgating HIS WORD to the happenstance and whim of the occasional mortal(s)
in power.” It is a simple fact of history that most of the “mortals in
positions of power” through the centuries who appeared to honor and embrace the Word of God did so for no
other reason than hoping
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to destroy it. History is filled with many such
examples.
For instance, Constantine WAS NOT the great “church father”
that some so-called “Christian religions” [Sic!]
make him out to be today. Constantine was no more
than a wicked politician and a reprobate.
The Roman Emperors from the time of the personal ministry of Christ to
the time of Constantine
had done everything in their power to stamp out this “new” Christian movement,
and had utterly failed. The more they
persecuted the followers of Christ, the faster the Christian movement
grew. So when Constantine came to the throne, being a
wicked and crafty politician, he decided to follow the plan politicians have
always followed right to this day; that is, “If
you can’t lick them, then join them and control them from within.” That is exactly what wicked old Constantine did. I too am a student of history, especially
Christian history, and if Constantine
believed what he actually said he did, then he is screaming out his damnation
in the fires of hell today. I make no apology
to anyone for making this statement.
But now let’s turn to the Word of God
itself…..
Just as our text for this study states, the
Word itself claims to be inspired of God.
Here is another Scripture that basically states the same truth…..
“For the prophecy came not in old time by
the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy
Ghost [Spirit],” 2 Peter 1:21.
Now what about it? Are these claims explicitly set forth in the
Word itself valid and true, or are they just lies? If they are just lies, then one might as well
flush the Bible down the toilet and quit pretending to even believe in
God. Either the Bible is exactly what it
claims to be; the Divinely Inspired Word
of God, or it is the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the human race. People need to make up their mind. Think about it!
I have thought about it! I can assure you that I have an absolutely
unshakeable and immoveable faith in the God of the Bible and in the Lord Jesus
Christ, God’s own precious Son, [my
Savior and my Lord] and therefore in the inspired truth and accuracy of His
Word. I am not talking about some silly
superstitious faith. I am talking about
a well studied, educated, tested, proven faith!
I have been intensely and diligently studying the Word for the past 56
years, and I have more reason today to KNOW that it is the Divinely Inspired Word of God than I did when I began studying it
56 years ago. I have personally TESTED
AND PROVEN it over and over again across these many years.
It is an absolute truth, whether men want
to believe it or not, that Almighty God inspired His Word, verbally dictating it to men whom He chose to write it. If we really believe the Word, then we know
this to be true because the Word itself explicitly states that the same men
chosen of God to write the Word then turned and “searched” the very Scriptures
they had written to see if they could learn what this thing called “grace”
was, and “what manner of time” it was to be given to mankind. Read this statement for yourself in 1
Peter 1:9-12. If they had only
written down their own personal opinions and beliefs, then why would they have
been “searching”
their own writings to discover TRUTH?
Well..?? Maybe some of the
critics of God’s Word would like to provide God’s people with an intelligent
answer to this question…..
I would suggest to anyone who has doubts
about the authenticity and accuracy of God’s Word, that they spend more time in
STUDYING THE WORD and less time in studying ABOUT THE WORD. The two are not the same thing. The inspired Word still
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says, “So then faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the Word of God,” Romans 10:17.
Almighty God gave His Word to mankind exactly the way He wanted
it given. If one cannot harmonize the
statements and teachings of the Word in accordance with their own human
reasoning, then I suggest that they turn from their human reasoning and humbly
ask the Lord in prayer to give them genuine “spiritual
discernment,” 1 Corinthians
2:11-16. However, such
discernment will only be given to those who are sincerely seeking the Lord and
the truth of His Word [Matthew 5:6],
or to those who have truly repented of their sin and received the Lord Jesus as
their own personal Savior.
Now let’s see Divine Inspiration demonstrated as we turn our attention
to…..
The Four Gospels…..
You asked why there are four gospels, and appeared
to imply in your email that it is likely because of the “mortals in power” at any given time and the “Theological powers and counsels” who have sit in judgment on the
Word. Dear friend, nothing could be
further from the truth!
If Almighty God is WHO He claims to be in
His Word, then He most certainly had [and
has] the power to watch over and preserve His Word, bringing it down to us
living today exactly like He originally gave it and wanted us to have it. Almighty God is neither impressed nor sidetracked
by men, not even the world’s most powerful men.
On the other hand, it is obvious that the best laid plans of the “elite
and powerful” men of the world are often side tracked by Almighty God! Think about it!
Now what
about there being four gospels? Any true
believer who seriously studies God’s Word knows that each of the gospels gives
a detailed account of the personal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ when He
walked among men at His first coming. The person and ministry of the Lord Jesus
Christ is the major emphasis in each gospel, even as it should be throughout
the entire Word of God. We believers
should always seek to give Christ the preeminence in everything, including
giving Him preeminence in our own lives.
Read Colossians 1:14-19.
The Gospel of Matthew is the gospel
primarily written to the Jewish people and for the Jewish people. In this gospel the Lord Jesus Christ is
presented to the Jewish people as the Messiah of Israel and “the
Lion of the tribe of Judah.”
The Gospel of Mark is the
gospel that presents the Lord Jesus Christ as the sacrificial “servant”
of God who came to live and die in order that the sin debt of humanity
might be paid. In this gospel He is then
presented as the sacrificial “calf or ox.”
The Gospel of Luke is the gospel that
presents the Lord Jesus Christ as “the Son of man,” emphasizing
His humanity, and His relationship to and compassion for fallen mankind.
The Gospel of John is the gospel that
presents the Lord Jesus Christ as the “Son of God,” emphasizing His Divine Nature even in His
incarnation. As “the eagle” spreads
his wings and soars into the heavens, so this gospel emphasizes the
resurrection of Christ and His return to His Father following His resurrection.
This is just one of the reasons why
there are four gospels; in order that four distinct
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aspects of the ministry of the
Lord Jesus Christ could be emphasized. This also explains why there are slight
differences in each of the gospels; to place emphasis on the particular work of
Christ that the Lord wanted to emphasize in each particular gospel.
However, let me make it clear to our
readers that there are absolutely NO DISAGREEMENTS OR CONTRADICTIONS between
the four gospels. They are in perfect
harmony with each other. It is only
that some details are omitted or inserted according to the spiritual truths
that the Lord wanted emphasized in each gospel.
Those who believe the gospels to be contradictory would do well to
SERIOUSLY study the gospels. Any
serious, dedicated, study will result in the supposed “contradictions” vanishing in the wind. I know!
I have been there and done that!
…..And the four camps of Israel
Now let’s carefully look at what at first
glance may seem to be a totally unrelated subject. But let’s just study to see if we can
discover a relationship between the four gospels and the camps of Israel…..
Let’s begin by taking note of the Lord’s
instructions to Israel
as recorded in Numbers 2. In this
chapter the Lord gave explicit instructions as to how the Israelites were to
camp. The twelve tribes were to be
divided into four camps with three tribes in each camp as instructed in
this chapter. As the camps were set up, there
was to be a “standard” [banner; flag]
erected before each camp with an “ensign” [symbol; emblem] on it. We
are not told in Numbers 2 what the four “ensigns” were which appeared on the
“standards”
which stood before the four camps.
But the ancient writings of the Jewish Rabbis tell us that these four “ensigns”
were as follows…..
Before the camp of Judah stood a “standard” with the “ensign”
of “a lion” on it.
Before the camp of Reuben stood a “standard”
with the “ensign” of “a calf” on it.
Before the camp of Ephraim stood a “standard”
with the “ensign” of “a man” on it.
Before the camp of Dan stood a “standard”
with the “ensign” of “an eagle” on it.
Now isn’t this interesting? Some 1,500 years before Christ came into the
world, the camps of Israel
were displaying these symbols on the flags that stood before each of the four
camps; the same symbols set forth in the four gospels by the personal ministry
of Christ. Coincidence? Not hardly!
There is not even a word for “coincidence” in the Hebrew language.
Then am I just reading my own opinion into
the personal ministry of Christ as set forth in the four gospels? In other words, have I just assigned these
four symbols to each of the four gospels arbitrarily according to my own
viewpoint? Guess again!
That I may dwell among them…..
In Exodus 25:1-2 the Lord explicitly
told Moses to speak to the children of Israel, asking them to bring an
offering to the Lord, “…of every man that giveth it willingly with
his heart ye shall take My offering.”
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This freewill offering was
to be used to build the Tabernacle and everything in it. In verse 8 the Lord explicitly stated the
purpose for building the Tabernacle, “And let them make Me a sanctuary;
that I may dwell among them.” The Lord’s desire and plan to dwell among the
children of Israel
is explicitly stated 16 times in the Old Testament Scriptures. Therefore
this IS NOT just a passing thought!
To
save time and space I will simply say that everything about the Tabernacle typified the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself
is the “sanctuary” in which Almighty God dwells bodily among His
people. No, this IS NOT just my
opinion. Read Colossians 1:18-19 and 2:9. Praise the Lord! Glory to God!
Hallelujah!
Now let’s go back to the camps of Israel. We have already noticed the arrangement of
the camps of Israel
in Numbers
2, except for one tribe!
I remind our readers that there were actually and literally 13 tribes
in the nation of Israel. However, the Scriptures are very explicit
that “…the
Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel, as the Lord commanded
Moses,” Number 2:33. See the
explicit instructions given about the tribe of Levi in Numbers 1:47-54 and other
passages. Why were the Levites not
numbered among the Israelites? Because
the Levites were chosen to represent God Himself dwelling in the midst of
the children of Israel
under the Old Covenant. See the explicit instructions given in Numbers
1:53 and 2:17 regarding the Levites.
The arrangement set forth only four camps with the camp of the
Levites in the midst of the four camps. This is a vivid picture of God’s GRACE
dwelling in the midst of Israel. Technically, the camp of the Levites would
make the fifth camp. Keep in mind that “five” [5] is the Bible number for “GRACE!”
Please
don’t miss this beautiful type of
“the
grace of God” dwelling in the midst of Israel
even during the Old Testament dispensation while Israel was still living under the
Old Covenant of Law. Those of our
readers who are true believers
should surely be able to see the love and yearning in the very heart of God
Himself to pour out His “grace” upon unbelieving and
rebellious Israel centuries before He sent His own Son into the world as the
very embodiment of His “grace.” Read John 1:17.
Glory to God!
The Four Living Creatures…..
Three truths should be obvious to every
reader at this point. (1) The nation of Israel was
divided into four camps by instructions from the Lord Himself, and (2) before each camp was a “standard”
[flag] with an “ensign” [emblem; symbol] on
it. (3) The symbols on those four flags
definitely represented the four camps of Israel with the Lord dwelling
in their midst. These three truths are indisputable
for anyone willing to deal honestly with the Word of God. Keep them in mind as we continue to study…..
Now let’s notice the Lord’s later dealings
with Israel
as recorded in Ezekiel 1. In this
chapter the prophet was given “visions of God,” Ezekiel 1:1. Beginning in verse 5 and
extending through verse 25 Ezekiel is shown “four
living creatures.” He describes
them in detail in these verses. In verse
6 the
prophet says that each of these “living creatures” has “four
faces.” Then in verse 10 Ezekiel
describes their four faces by saying, “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
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the face of an eagle.” Whoa!
Wow!
These
“four
living creatures” have exactly the same four faces which the
Jewish Rabbis claim were the symbols on the four flags which stood before the
four camps of Israel,
and which also typified the
four aspects of the personal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ in the four
gospels. So here in Ezekiel is a direct Scriptural connection back
to the four camps of Israel
and forward to the four gospels of our Lord Jesus Christ. Is this just “coincidence”? Well…??
But let’s not stop here! In Ezekiel 10 the prophet is given a
vision of these same “living creatures” again [10:22], except that in this chapter he
refers to them as “cherubim.” A careful
study of the Scriptures makes it clear that the “cherubim” are angelic
beings which usually are seen around the very throne of God
Himself. In verse 14 of this chapter
Ezekiel describes these “cherubim” by stating, “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.” It is obvious that
here again are the same four symbols set forth in the four camps of Israel and in
the four gospels, with the exception that in this passage the “cherub”
is substituted for the “calf or ox.” Why?
I
don’t know that I can Scripturally answer that question for our
readers. All I can say is that the calf
or ox was both a beast of burden and an animal used for sacrifice, all of which
are identified with the nation and people of Israel in God’s Word. There might be a possible connection given in Acts 6:15 where the face
of Stephen, the first Jewish Christian martyr, was transformed as “the
face of an angel.”
But this is still not the end of the
matter. In Ezekiel 40 through 42 the
beloved prophet was given a vision of the Millennial
Temple which is to be erected during
the Millennial Kingdom following the Tribulation
period. In Ezekiel 41:17-20 the
decorations or adornments around the door of the Temple are described. Ezekiel states that “cherubim [plural]
and palm trees” were [apparently]
carved or engraved around the door and on the wall, and that each “cherub
had two faces,” 41:18. In verse 19 it
is explicitly stated that one of the faces was “the face of a man” and
the other was “the face of a young lion.”
It appears that at that future time the other faces will have
been replaced by only two, both of which apparently represent the Lord Jesus
Christ Himself dwelling among the children of Israel. Read Ezekiel 43:1-7 and 43:9.
John’s Vision of Heaven
Now let’s go to John’s vision of Heaven
beginning in Revelation 4. It is
obvious to those who know how to “rightly divide the Word of truth” [2 Timothy 2:15] that this chapter begins in 4:1-2 with John being
caught up [raptured] to Heaven.
Immediately John began describing what he
saw in Heaven. He first described the
throne of God and the ONE who sat upon it, 4:2-3.
Then John described twenty four more thrones and those who sat
upon them “round about” the throne of God, 4:4. Next John described the “lightnings
and thunderings and voices” coming forth from the throne of God and the
“seven
lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God,”
4:5.
But then in verses 6 – 9
John describes a “sea of glass” before the throne of
God, and
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states that “in the midst of the throne, and round
about the throne were four beasts [Greek…living creatures]….,” 4:6.
In verse 7 John describes these “living
creatures” by saying, “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.” The
description of these “four beasts” continues through
verse 9.
So here in Heaven around the throne of
God are found the exact same “living creatures” whose symbols
represented the four camps of Israel some 3,500 years
ago. Now isn’t this interesting? So who do these “four living creatures”
represent in Heaven around the throne of God?
Isn’t it obvious that they represent the redeemed of Israel? But let’s just verify this truth…..
The Four and Twenty Elders
Before dealing with the “four
living creatures” let’s first look at the “four and twenty elders” whom
John saw in Heaven. I have often been
asked about the identity of these elders.
Who are they? Or, who do they
represent?
It should be easy for any true believer who
accepts the Word of God as literal truth to identify these elders. In 5:9-10 the elders themselves
explicitly state, “…for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out
of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto
our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” This explicit statement makes it clear that
these twenty four elders are redeemed believers, redeemed from among the
Gentile nations of the earth. At
that point in time [the future
Tribulation] they will have been resurrected and raptured from the
earth. It should be obvious to any
reader that there are far more than 24 kindreds, tongues, peoples, and nations
on the earth. Therefore the number of
elders [24] is only symbolic of all
of the redeemed Gentiles up to that point in time, who have obviously been
resurrected and raptured from off of the earth.
Number “24” is a composite
of the numbers “5” and “19.” Five is the
Bible number for “grace,” and
nineteen is the Bible number for “faith.” In Ephesians 2:8 the inspired Word
explicitly states, “For by grace [5] are ye saved, through faith [19], and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God…” There is the number “24” seen in this
passage of Scripture dealing with salvation.
This is exactly why there are 24 elders in Heaven representing the
redeemed from among the Gentiles; because they are there only by the
grace of God through faith in the Son of God. Read Ephesians 2:11-22.
The Four Living Creatures
I pointed out what the Scriptures say about
the 24 elders in order to likewise point out the truth about the “four
living creatures.”
Carefully notice that in 5:7-10, when the “Lamb”
[the Lord Jesus Christ] takes “the book” out of the
hand of the Father sitting upon the throne, then…..
“the four beasts [living creatures] and four and twenty
elders fell down before the
Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odors, which
are the prayers of saints.
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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;
and hast made us unto our God kings
and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”
Are you paying attention? The context
and statement made in these verses clearly reveals the “four living creatures” joining
with the 24 elders in singing the “new song” of redemption. In other words, just like the 24 elders these
“four
living creatures” have been redeemed from the earth. They have “harps” just like the 24
elders. They have “golden vials full of odors,
which are the prayers of saints” just like the 24 elders. They join the 24 elders in singing the “new
song” of redemption. Therefore
these “four living creatures,” just like the 24 elders, are
[or symbolize] obviously redeemed
believers. This truth should be
obvious to anyone willing to dealing honestly with the Scriptures.
Further, these “four living creatures” are
mentioned in Revelation exactly 20 times. “20” is the Bible number for “redemption.” Take your Bible and Concordance and count
the times they are mentioned for yourself.
By carefully studying each of the references mentioning them, it is
obvious that they will have an active role to play in the Tribulation judgments
poured out upon the earth.
Since the 24 elders represent or symbolize
the redeemed Gentiles, then it should also be obvious that these “four
living creatures” represent or symbolize the redeemed of Israel. Glory hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Now where are they seen in Heaven in this
vision given to John? They are seen around
the throne of God, with God Himself in their midst, exactly as the
camps of ancient Israel
were arranged.
Positive proof of this truth are the
symbols which have been connected with the camps of Israel since the Jews left Egypt some 3,500 years ago. These exact same symbols are
explicitly connected with these “four living creatures” in Revelation
4:7. Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!
Glory to God!
Conclusion
What this whole study points out is that
the four “ensigns” [symbols] which were displayed on the flags
that stood before the camps of Israel
can be traced from ancient Israel
to the courts of Heaven itself. How
could this possibly be unless each of the writers, living in different
centuries, was indeed inspired of God? Praise the Lord!
It is therefore no “accident” that the
personal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ in the four gospels is portrayed
by these same four symbols. Our
wonderful Jewish Savior was indeed “the Lion of the tribe of Judah.” He was the sacrificial beast of burden, the “calf
or ox,” who bore the burdens of our sin in His own body and paid for
our sin by the sacrifice of Himself at Calvary. He was [and
is] the “Son of man” who gave up His glory with His Father to become
man; THE SINLESS MAN needed to pay the sin debt of fallen mankind and redeem
Adam’s fallen race. He was “the eagle,”
who after having paid for man’s sin on Calvary
rose from the dead and then soared back to His rightful position at
His Father’s right hand in Heaven. Glory to God! Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord!
Thank you Lord Jesus, our precious and
beloved Savior!
Thank you Holy Father, for the love for our
souls which you displayed at Calvary when you
allowed your own Son to die for us and pay our sin debt.
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Thank you blessed Holy Spirit, for revealing the true and only
WAY of salvation to us when we were still poor lost sinners, thereby enabling
us to come to Christ as hungering, seeking, souls, and be saved with such a
great salvation.
Dear reader, are YOU truly saved? I am not asking if you believe in God,
or are a member of some church or religious organization. I am asking if you truly know the Lord
Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior?
The inspired Word admonishes every one of us to examine ourselves
to see whether we really are “in the faith,” or whether we are
just deceiving ourselves by our own vain “religion,” 2 Corinthians 13:5; 2 Peter 1:10.
If any reader has doubts, or if any
reader wants to be saved, then I urge you to read John 3:1-7, 3:16, 3:36, 5:24,
14:6, Acts 4:12, 16:30-31, 20:21, Romans 10:8-13, Ephesians 2:8-10, Titus
3:5-6, and 1 John 5:12-13. If any
reader needs spiritual help, please feel free to contact me. I DO KNOW HIM who is “the way, the truth, and the
life,” and I will do whatever I can to help you find salvation and
peace in the Lord Jesus Christ. May the
Lord bless His Word to your heart, mind, and soul.
“Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.” Psalm 150:6.
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NOTICE: Permission is granted to any true believer or Christian
ministry to reproduce this study to share with others or to quote from it in context as written.
Please address all
questions, comments, and correspondence to:
Pastor F. M. Riley, 184 County Road
108, Harrisburg, Missouri 65256. I can also be contact by email at:
fmrglbd5@yahoo.com or fmr7sngn@centurylink.net
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