The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

for instance the giving of the sealed book to Christ (Rev. 5:1-7), carries us forward to the
very end of the Age, indeed, to the very end of God's great Plan, when all creation will be
giving praise and honor and glory unto Him that sat on the throne and unto the Lamb
forever. (Rev. 5:13.) This accounts for the fact that the Church triumphant has a place in
the symbolization of the throne vision. The vision is in a measure synoptical--affording a
general view of the whole Divine Plan.
The four living ones
"And the first living one resembled a lion, and the second living one resembled a steer,
and the third living one having the face as of a man, and the fourth living one was like to a
flying eagle. And the four living ones, having each of them six wings apiece, round about
and within are full of eyes; and they have no rest day and night, saying, 'Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God, the Omnipotent! the One who was, and the One who is, and the One who is
coming.'"--Rev. 4:6-8.
It is of course well known that expositors differ concerning what these four living
creatures represent--their relation to the throne vision, and their agency in connection with
carrying forward the Divine purposes. Most all expositors are influenced in their
interpretations by erroneous views in regard to the state or condition of the saints in death;
believing as many do that the dead have a conscious existence in the intermediate state,
instead of the Scriptural view, that they are in the death-sleep--unconscious. Mr. Elliott's
interpretation is that the twenty-four elders represent the saints in paradise, and the four
living creatures, those living on earth. D. N. Lord's view is that the twenty-four elders
represent the mass of the redeemed, and the living ones, those who are raised to special
eminence. Mr. Mede's thought is that the living creatures represent the Church
worshipping on earth. Mr. Daubuz represents the beasts to be symbols of the Church on
earth. Vitringa's view concerning the living ones is similar to the latter--that they
symbolize eminent teachers in every age or generation. Moses Stuart, who wrote in the
early years of the nineteenth century, interprets the living ones to represent the Divine
attributes. This view was adopted by Mr. Mann, for it is certain that he was not the first
expositor who advanced it. We quote Mr. Mann's words:
"What, then, do the cherubim [living ones] symbolize? We think they personify the
attributes of God. Scholars have suggested a number of attributes. We think that there are
just four which are fundamental, namely Power, Wisdom, Justice, and Love. These four
include all others. For instance independence, omniscience, holiness, and benevolence are
dependent on or similar to the above mentioned in their absolute perfection as God has
them. On these His throne is represented as being supported."
Mr. Barnes held nearly the same view as Moses Stuart and Mr. Mann, although he does
not attempt to apply each one of these four attributes as distinctively characteristic of
certain of the living creatures; neither does Mr. Mann attempt this. By some who adopt
this interpretation, the first living creature, like a lion, is made to represent Justice; the
second, like a calf [ox], is applied to Power; the third, which had a face like a man,