Add parallel Print Page Options

and in front of the throne there was something like a sea of glass as transparent as crystal.

In the center of the throne and around it there were four living creatures,[a] and they were covered with eyes in front and in back. The first living creature resembled a lion, the second resembled an ox, the third had a human face, and the fourth resembled an eagle in flight. Each of the four living creatures had six wings, and all of them were covered with eyes all around and underneath their wings. Day and night they never stop saying:

“Holy, holy, holy
    is the Lord God, the Almighty,
    who was, and who is, and who is to come.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 4:6 The four living creatures represent the created world that reveals God’s goodness and power. Their many eyes symbolize the universal knowledge and providence of God. They continue to give glory to God through their work in creation. Their forms (lion, ox, human, eagle) represent what is noblest, strongest, wisest, and most agile in the created world. Ever since St. Irenaeus, Christian tradition had seen in them symbols of the evangelists Mark, Luke, Matthew, and John, respectively.