fbpx
Wikipedia

Living creatures (Bible)

August 18, 2023

"Hayyoth" redirects here. For the name, see Hayyoth (names).

The living creatures, living beings, or hayyot (Hebrew חַיּוֹת ḥayyōṯ) are a class of heavenly beings in Jewish mythology. They are described in the prophet Ezekiel's vision of the heavenly chariot in the first and tenth chapters of the Book of Ezekiel. References to the sacred creatures recur in texts of Second Temple Judaism, in rabbinical merkabah ("chariot") literature, in the Book of Revelation in the New Testament, and in the Zohar.

Ezekiel's "chariot vision", by Matthaeus Merian (1593–1650)
Ezekiel's Wheel
Ezekiel's encounter with the Merkabah and the Living Creatures

According to Jewish and Christian traditions, there are four living creatures, although their description varies by source. The symbolic depiction of the four living creatures in religious art, especially Christian art, is called a tetramorph.

Ezekiel's four living creatures

Ezekiel's vision of the four living creatures in Ezekiel 1 are identified as cherubim in Ezekiel 10, [1] who are God's throne bearers.[2] Cherubim as minor guardian deities[3] of temple or palace thresholds are known all over the Ancient East. Each of Ezekiel's cherubim have four faces, that of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle.[2] However, the fact that they manifest in human form sets them apart from the griffin-like cherubs and lamassu of Babylonia and Assyria. Concerning their ability to move, Ezekiel's cherubim do not need to turn, since they face all compass points simultaneously.[1] This description of movement differs from that of the seraphim in Isaiah's vision (Isaiah 6:2) who have an extra set of wings, giving them the ability to fly.[4]

Revelation's four living beings

In Revelation 4:6–8, four living beings (Greek: ζῷον, zōion)[5] are seen in John's vision. These appear as a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle, much as in Ezekiel but in a different order. They have six wings, whereas Ezekiel's four living creatures are described as only having four.[5] In verse 6, they are said to have "eyes all over, front and back", suggesting that they are alert and knowledgeable, that nothing escapes their notice.[5] The description parallels the wheels that are beside the living creatures in Ezekiel 1.18; 10.12, which are said to be "full of eyes all around". The Hebrew word for "wheel" (ôpannîm) was also used in later Jewish literature to indicate a member of the angelic orders (1 Enoch 71.7; 3 Enoch 1.8; 7.1; 25.5–6, etc.). In this passage in Revelation, the four beasts surround "the one" on the red throne (which is of ruby and sardius), which is contrasted with the white throne in Daniel 7:9 and Revelation 20:11–15.

Comparing the living creatures in Ezekiel with Revelation's is a prominent apocalyptic study in Western Christianity.[6] An example is the 18th Century works of Jonathan Edwards' recorded interpretation of 1722/23.[7] The four living creatures that John of Patmos sees in the Book of Revelation, is the author's reworking of the living creatures in the visions of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:5–28)[8] and Isaiah (Isaiah 6:2).[9]

William D. Mounce noted a belief that the living creatures may have been associated with the four principal (or fixed) signs of the zodiac (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius),[5][8] but other scholars have doubted this interpretation.[quote 1]

In a critical analysis of John's vision, April De Conick's 2006 essay outlines that the hayyot in Ezekiel are perhaps not original with the author of Revelation. De Conick suggests that John may have drawn from other merkabah-related texts and by subtly working with images already known to his audience, he reshaped them for his own purposes.[10] With John blending and transforming the images of his sources, it has given way to different interpretations.[8]

Religious views

In Judaism, the living beings are considered angels of fire, who hold up the throne of God.[11] According to the Zohar, they hold up the firmament itself.[11][12] They are ranked first in Maimonides' Jewish angelic hierarchy. They have also been correlated with four biblical archangels: "Michael is the 'lion-headed', Raphael the "human-headed", Uriel the "bull-headed", and Gabriel the "eagle-headed".[13]

In Christianity, the four living creatures are Cherubim.[3] A prominent early interpretation, variously modified by different interpreters, has been to equate the four creatures with the Four Evangelists. Throughout church history, the most common interpretation (first laid out by Victorinus), but not the original or the only, is that the lion represents Mark, the calf Luke, the man Matthew, and the eagle John. Irenaeus was the first to make the association with the evangelists, but the interpretation laid out by Victorinus and adopted by Jerome, Gregory the Great, and the Book of Kells became dominant.[14] Its influence has been on art and sculpture[9] and is still prevalent in Catholicism[15] and Anglicanism.[16] A view held by many modern commentators is that the four living creatures of Revelation are agents of God and heavenly representatives of the created order, who call every living thing to worship the Creator.[17]

See also

Quotes

  1. ^ Smalley 2012, p. 120: "It is most unlikely that the four living creatures are to be identified with either the four constellations of stars (cf. Charles 1, 123), or the four principal signs of the zodiac (cf. Mounce 124 n. 26)."

Notes

  1. ^ a b Eichrodt (2003), p. 55.
  2. ^ a b Duguid (2011), pp. 58–59, 346.
  3. ^ a b Senior, Collins & Getty (2011), p. 1162, fn. 1:5.
  4. ^ Eichrodt (2003), p. 57.
  5. ^ a b c d Mounce (1997), pp. 123–125.
  6. ^ Pate (2009), p. 19.
  7. ^ Kreider (2004), p. 111.
  8. ^ a b c Smalley (2012), pp. 120–121.
  9. ^ a b Woodman (2008), p. 128.
  10. ^ De Conick (2006), pp. 203–204.
  11. ^ a b Davidson (1967), p. 137.
  12. ^ Noach 261–265, Zohar.
  13. ^ Stafford (1979), p. 72.
  14. ^ Kovacs & Rowland (2004), p. 66.
  15. ^ Barber (2005), p. 86.
  16. ^ Stevenson (2001), p. 470.
  17. ^ Koester (2014), p. 353.

References

  • Barber, Michael (2005). Coming Soon: Unlocking the Book of Revelation and Applying Its Lessons Today. Emmaus Road Publishing. ISBN 9781931018265.
  • Davidson, Gustav (1967). A Dictionary of Angels, Including The Fallen Angels. New York: Free Press.
  • De Conick, April D. (2006). Paradise Now: Essays on Early Jewish and Christian Mysticism. Society of Biblical Literature. ISBN 9781589832572.
  • Duguid, Iain M. (2011). Ezekiel: The NIV Application Commentary. Zondervan. ISBN 9780310866107.
  • Eichrodt, Walther (2003). Ezekiel: A Commentary. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664227661.
  • Koester, Craig R. (2014). Revelation. New Haven: Yale University Press.
  • Kovacs, Judith; Rowland, Christopher (2004). Revelation: The Apocalypse of Jesus Christ. Oxford: Blackwell publishing. ISBN 9781405143219.
  • Kreider, Glenn (2004). Jonathan Edwards' Interpretation of Revelation 4:1-8:1. University Press of America. ISBN 9780761826705.
  • Mounce, Robert H. (1997). The Book of Revelation (rev. ed.). Grand Rapids, Michigan: W. B. Eerdmans. ISBN 0802825370.
  • Pate, C. Marvin (2009). Reading Revelation: A Comparison of Four Interpretive Translations of the Apocalypse. Kregel Academic. ISBN 9780825433672.
  • Senior, Donald; Collins, John J.; Getty, Mary Ann (2011). Catholic Study Bible-NABRE. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195297751.
  • Smalley, Stephen S. (2012). The Revelation to John: A Commentary on the Greek Text of the Apocalypse. InterVarsity Press. ISBN 9780830829248.
  • Stafford, Barbara Maria (1979). Symbol and Myth: Humbert de Superville's Essay on Absolute Signs in Art. University of Delaware. ISBN 978-0874131208.
  • Stevenson, Kenneth (2001). Biblica. Vol. 34: Animal Rites: The Four Living Creatures in Patristic Exegesis and Liturgy. Peeters Publishers. ISBN 9789042908819.
  • Woodman, Simon P. (2008). The Book of Revelation. Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd. ISBN 9780334041047.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Living creatures (Bible).
  • Jewish Encyclopedia: Angelology


August 18, 2023
living, creatures, bible, hayyoth, redirects, here, name, hayyoth, names, living, creatures, living, beings, hayyot, hebrew, ḥayyōṯ, class, heavenly, beings, jewish, mythology, they, described, prophet, ezekiel, vision, heavenly, chariot, first, tenth, chapter. Hayyoth redirects here For the name see Hayyoth names The living creatures living beings or hayyot Hebrew ח י ו ת ḥayyōṯ are a class of heavenly beings in Jewish mythology They are described in the prophet Ezekiel s vision of the heavenly chariot in the first and tenth chapters of the Book of Ezekiel References to the sacred creatures recur in texts of Second Temple Judaism in rabbinical merkabah chariot literature in the Book of Revelation in the New Testament and in the Zohar Ezekiel s chariot vision by Matthaeus Merian 1593 1650 Ezekiel s WheelEzekiel s encounter with the Merkabah and the Living CreaturesAccording to Jewish and Christian traditions there are four living creatures although their description varies by source The symbolic depiction of the four living creatures in religious art especially Christian art is called a tetramorph Contents 1 Ezekiel s four living creatures 2 Revelation s four living beings 3 Religious views 4 See also 5 Quotes 6 Notes 7 References 8 External linksEzekiel s four living creatures EditEzekiel s vision of the four living creatures in Ezekiel 1 are identified as cherubim in Ezekiel 10 1 who are God s throne bearers 2 Cherubim as minor guardian deities 3 of temple or palace thresholds are known all over the Ancient East Each of Ezekiel s cherubim have four faces that of a man a lion an ox and an eagle 2 However the fact that they manifest in human form sets them apart from the griffin like cherubs and lamassu of Babylonia and Assyria Concerning their ability to move Ezekiel s cherubim do not need to turn since they face all compass points simultaneously 1 This description of movement differs from that of the seraphim in Isaiah s vision Isaiah 6 2 who have an extra set of wings giving them the ability to fly 4 Revelation s four living beings EditIn Revelation 4 6 8 four living beings Greek zῷon zōion 5 are seen in John s vision These appear as a lion an ox a man and an eagle much as in Ezekiel but in a different order They have six wings whereas Ezekiel s four living creatures are described as only having four 5 In verse 6 they are said to have eyes all over front and back suggesting that they are alert and knowledgeable that nothing escapes their notice 5 The description parallels the wheels that are beside the living creatures in Ezekiel 1 18 10 12 which are said to be full of eyes all around The Hebrew word for wheel opannim was also used in later Jewish literature to indicate a member of the angelic orders 1 Enoch 71 7 3 Enoch 1 8 7 1 25 5 6 etc In this passage in Revelation the four beasts surround the one on the red throne which is of ruby and sardius which is contrasted with the white throne in Daniel 7 9 and Revelation 20 11 15 Comparing the living creatures in Ezekiel with Revelation s is a prominent apocalyptic study in Western Christianity 6 An example is the 18th Century works of Jonathan Edwards recorded interpretation of 1722 23 7 The four living creatures that John of Patmos sees in the Book of Revelation is the author s reworking of the living creatures in the visions of Ezekiel Ezekiel 1 5 28 8 and Isaiah Isaiah 6 2 9 William D Mounce noted a belief that the living creatures may have been associated with the four principal or fixed signs of the zodiac Taurus Leo Scorpio and Aquarius 5 8 but other scholars have doubted this interpretation quote 1 In a critical analysis of John s vision April De Conick s 2006 essay outlines that the hayyot in Ezekiel are perhaps not original with the author of Revelation De Conick suggests that John may have drawn from other merkabah related texts and by subtly working with images already known to his audience he reshaped them for his own purposes 10 With John blending and transforming the images of his sources it has given way to different interpretations 8 Religious views EditIn Judaism the living beings are considered angels of fire who hold up the throne of God 11 According to the Zohar they hold up the firmament itself 11 12 They are ranked first in Maimonides Jewish angelic hierarchy They have also been correlated with four biblical archangels Michael is the lion headed Raphael the human headed Uriel the bull headed and Gabriel the eagle headed 13 In Christianity the four living creatures are Cherubim 3 A prominent early interpretation variously modified by different interpreters has been to equate the four creatures with the Four Evangelists Throughout church history the most common interpretation first laid out by Victorinus but not the original or the only is that the lion represents Mark the calf Luke the man Matthew and the eagle John Irenaeus was the first to make the association with the evangelists but the interpretation laid out by Victorinus and adopted by Jerome Gregory the Great and the Book of Kells became dominant 14 Its influence has been on art and sculpture 9 and is still prevalent in Catholicism 15 and Anglicanism 16 A view held by many modern commentators is that the four living creatures of Revelation are agents of God and heavenly representatives of the created order who call every living thing to worship the Creator 17 See also EditAnemoi Group of Greek gods Eye of Horus Ancient Egyptian symbol of protection royal power and good health Four Dwarves Norse mythology Four dwarfs who hold up the sky in Nordic mythologyPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Four Heavenly Kings Buddhist gods Four Holy Beasts Four sacred animals in Chinese mythology Four sons of Horus Ancient Egyptian gods Four Stags Norse mythology Four stags in the Poetic Edda Four Symbols Mythological creatures in Chinese constellations Four temperaments Proto psychological theory Guardians of the directions Deities of the eight directions in Hinduism and Buddhism Lokapala Guardians or Kings of the cardinal directions Royal stars Persian definition in astronomy Tetramorph Symbolic arrangement of four differing elementsQuotes Edit Smalley 2012 p 120 It is most unlikely that the four living creatures are to be identified with either the four constellations of stars cf Charles 1 123 or the four principal signs of the zodiac cf Mounce 124 n 26 Notes Edit a b Eichrodt 2003 p 55 a b Duguid 2011 pp 58 59 346 a b Senior Collins amp Getty 2011 p 1162 fn 1 5 Eichrodt 2003 p 57 a b c d Mounce 1997 pp 123 125 Pate 2009 p 19 Kreider 2004 p 111 a b c Smalley 2012 pp 120 121 a b Woodman 2008 p 128 De Conick 2006 pp 203 204 a b Davidson 1967 p 137 Noach 261 265 Zohar Stafford 1979 p 72 Kovacs amp Rowland 2004 p 66 Barber 2005 p 86 Stevenson 2001 p 470 Koester 2014 p 353 References EditThis article lacks ISBNs for the books listed in it Please make it easier to conduct research by listing ISBNs If the Cite book or Citation templates are in use you may add ISBNs automatically or discuss this issue on the talk page Barber Michael 2005 Coming Soon Unlocking the Book of Revelation and Applying Its Lessons Today Emmaus Road Publishing ISBN 9781931018265 Davidson Gustav 1967 A Dictionary of Angels Including The Fallen Angels New York Free Press De Conick April D 2006 Paradise Now Essays on Early Jewish and Christian Mysticism Society of Biblical Literature ISBN 9781589832572 Duguid Iain M 2011 Ezekiel The NIV Application Commentary Zondervan ISBN 9780310866107 Eichrodt Walther 2003 Ezekiel A Commentary Westminster John Knox Press ISBN 9780664227661 Koester Craig R 2014 Revelation New Haven Yale University Press Kovacs Judith Rowland Christopher 2004 Revelation The Apocalypse of Jesus Christ Oxford Blackwell publishing ISBN 9781405143219 Kreider Glenn 2004 Jonathan Edwards Interpretation of Revelation 4 1 8 1 University Press of America ISBN 9780761826705 Mounce Robert H 1997 The Book of Revelation rev ed Grand Rapids Michigan W B Eerdmans ISBN 0802825370 Pate C Marvin 2009 Reading Revelation A Comparison of Four Interpretive Translations of the Apocalypse Kregel Academic ISBN 9780825433672 Senior Donald Collins John J Getty Mary Ann 2011 Catholic Study Bible NABRE Oxford University Press ISBN 9780195297751 Smalley Stephen S 2012 The Revelation to John A Commentary on the Greek Text of the Apocalypse InterVarsity Press ISBN 9780830829248 Stafford Barbara Maria 1979 Symbol and Myth Humbert de Superville s Essay on Absolute Signs in Art University of Delaware ISBN 978 0874131208 Stevenson Kenneth 2001 Biblica Vol 34 Animal Rites The Four Living Creatures in Patristic Exegesis and Liturgy Peeters Publishers ISBN 9789042908819 Woodman Simon P 2008 The Book of Revelation Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd ISBN 9780334041047 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Living creatures Bible Jewish Encyclopedia Angelology Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Living creatures Bible amp oldid 1161305011, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.