In the midst of the throne and all around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like a calf, the third had a human face, and the fourth living creature was like an eagle in flight. Each of the four living creatures had six wings, the wings were full of eyes, all around and even underneath. Rev. 4:6-8.
Here we run into a group of four "living things," the first of many strange and unusual creatures in the book of Revelation. The creatures are covered with eyes and have six wings each. Other strange beasts in Revelation include a slain lamb with seven horns and seven eyes, a talking vulture, locusts that have human faces and scorpion stingers, and a seven-headed, 10-horned dragon. While they are all interesting, you won't run into any of them in the forest or in a zoo--unless you've been drinking!
This reminds me of one of the most popular cartoon movies of all time--The Lion King. While The Lion King appears on the surface to be an animal story, it's not actually about animals. The creatures in the story represents people and how they relate to each other. The Lion King is, in fact, an African apocalypse. The cartoon begins with a perfect world, in which everything is in balance and harmony. The forces of evil then destroy that world, and eventually the heroic actions of a son restore it to harmony. The book of Revelation is a lot like that.
Writers of books and cartoons have often used animals to illustrate how people and groups of people behave. We find it easier to recognize ourselves and our behaviors if the insight comes through a story about animals. If a writer tries to make sensitive points more directly, we tend to resist or reject them because we feel under attack.
That's what makes the book of Revelation so powerful. Although it reads like an animal story, it's not really about animals. It is more like a cartoon drama about the interactions among groups of people, both good and evil. And it is about the relationship between God and the human race, and how the course of human history will eventually turn out.
Why then do people find the book of Revelation so tough to understand? It's because the author recorded the drama of Revelation not in the twenty-first century but rather in the 90s of the first century A.D., and it is directed to a group of seven churches in the Roman province of Asia. God spoke their language and encouraged them in their situation. But in His message to them He was creating a dramatic series of images that would continue to inspire His people for nearly 2,000 years.
Lord, thank You for reaching out to the human race in forms that we have learned to enjoy. Help us to see the deeper meaning behind Your words.
Here we run into a group of four "living things," the first of many strange and unusual creatures in the book of Revelation. The creatures are covered with eyes and have six wings each. Other strange beasts in Revelation include a slain lamb with seven horns and seven eyes, a talking vulture, locusts that have human faces and scorpion stingers, and a seven-headed, 10-horned dragon. While they are all interesting, you won't run into any of them in the forest or in a zoo--unless you've been drinking!
This reminds me of one of the most popular cartoon movies of all time--The Lion King. While The Lion King appears on the surface to be an animal story, it's not actually about animals. The creatures in the story represents people and how they relate to each other. The Lion King is, in fact, an African apocalypse. The cartoon begins with a perfect world, in which everything is in balance and harmony. The forces of evil then destroy that world, and eventually the heroic actions of a son restore it to harmony. The book of Revelation is a lot like that.
Writers of books and cartoons have often used animals to illustrate how people and groups of people behave. We find it easier to recognize ourselves and our behaviors if the insight comes through a story about animals. If a writer tries to make sensitive points more directly, we tend to resist or reject them because we feel under attack.
That's what makes the book of Revelation so powerful. Although it reads like an animal story, it's not really about animals. It is more like a cartoon drama about the interactions among groups of people, both good and evil. And it is about the relationship between God and the human race, and how the course of human history will eventually turn out.
Why then do people find the book of Revelation so tough to understand? It's because the author recorded the drama of Revelation not in the twenty-first century but rather in the 90s of the first century A.D., and it is directed to a group of seven churches in the Roman province of Asia. God spoke their language and encouraged them in their situation. But in His message to them He was creating a dramatic series of images that would continue to inspire His people for nearly 2,000 years.
Lord, thank You for reaching out to the human race in forms that we have learned to enjoy. Help us to see the deeper meaning behind Your words.
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