Ezekiel’s Vision of the Four Living Creatures
In the time of Ezekiel, he saw this four living creatures appeared to him in the likeness of man with lion faces, eagles, burning coals of fire, lamps and flash lighting. All their body, backs, hands, wings, wheels were full of eyes roundabout with four faces. The first face had the face of cherub, the second face was the face of a man, the third face was the face of a lion and the fourth as the face of eagle.
‘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’ (Ezekiel 10:12).
‘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. And the cherubims were lifted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar’ (Ezekiel 10:14-15).
‘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’ (Ezekiel 10:20).
‘In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke’ (Isaiah 6:1-4).
Isaiah’s Encounter with the Living Creatures and Seraphim
Isaiah also saw this living creatures and everyone that saw it had tremendous change. These are ministering angels before the throne whose ministries are perfect, complete and undefiled. Isaiah saw this throne, the Lord sitting upon it, high and lifted up and His train filled the temple. There are different orders of angels and they all worshipped God, minister to the holiness of God. These four living creatures will be active in executing the judgment of God during the great tribulation
‘And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth’ (Revelation 6:1-8).
The Twenty-Four Elders Around the Throne
And round about the throne were 24 seats, thrones and upon the seats, thrones, I saw 24 elders sitting, clothed in white raiment and they had on their heads crowns of gold. The 24 elders siting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crown of gold. The 24 elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne and worship
‘And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold’ (Revelation 4:4).
‘The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying…’ (Revelation 4:10).
Who are these 24 elders, sitting on the throne In Revelation 4:4?
‘To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne’ (Revelation 3:21).
‘And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands’ (Revelation 5:10-11).
They were clothed in white raiment and they had on their heads crowns of gold. They are among the saints that overcame, they are the overcomers, they are among the raptured saints, prepared for the marriage of the lamb, ready to be administered for marriage with the lamb, qualified, arrayed in white fine linen, clean, for the linen is the righteousness of saints. They are saints who endured to the end, who escaped from the devil’s persecutions, trials and imprisonment, found faithful and now crowned.
They are saints who held their profession fast to the end, representative of all the raptured saints. They are selected among the saints, the raptured saints to sit round the throne of the Almighty, the throne of all thrones with special crowns to worship forever and ever. They are redeemed men; they represent all the redeemed, raptured church. They had harps, golden vials, and full of odors, which are the prayers of saints. They sung a new song.
They are among the raptured saints, made kings, priests and shall reign on earth. They are believers who kept their faith, lively stones, built up a spiritual house, and holy priesthood, to offer sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus. They are raptured saints, chosen generation, royal priests, holy, and peculiar, called out of the darkness of the world into the marvelous light that praised God on earth to the end not minding their circumstances.
They were among the rejected people, hated people by the people of the world, people whose rights were trampled upon, people treated in the world without mercy but now they obtained mercy from He that sat on in Revelation 4:4.
‘Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints’ (Revelation 19:7-8).
‘Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life’ (Revelation 2:10).
‘Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown’ (Revelation 3:11).
‘And when he had taken the book, the four beasts 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. 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; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth’ (Revelation 5:8-10).
‘Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ’ (1Peter 2:5).
‘And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them, which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy’ (1Peter 2:8-10).
Why are they only 24 elders? Seeing the church as a priesthood, the representatives are the same in number as the priesthood in the time of David, divided into 24 courses
‘And David distributed them, both Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, according to their offices in their service’ (1Chronicles 24:3-19).