(Flag (Ezek 1:10, 10:14; Rev 4:7-4 Faces, throne on the sea of glass, rainbow){Picture of the Flag}
Four Faces The Face of a Lion The Face of an Ox The Face of an Eagle The Face of a Man
The flag of the New Jerusalem Kingdom is based on the symbolic imagery of
four mysterious faces that is given in Ezekiel 1:10, 10:14 and Revelation 4:7.
Traditionally, in Church history, these images have been said to represent the
four gospel writers: the Man was attributed to Matthew, the Lion to Mark, the
Eagle to Luke and the Ox to John, but this is without any basis or support. A
closer look at these symbols in Biblical light reveals a more grounded meaning
and interestingly enough a meaning that is very significant to a Kingdom of God,
i.e., a Kingdom where God can rule upon.
A reading of the context in which these descriptions reveals that always
named in conjunction with a base for the throne of God. (see Ezek. 1:26, 10:1;
Rev 4:2-6, 9-11).
In the Bible the lion is recognized as a symbol of royalty and kingly
authority. When Jacob was blessing his twelve sons in Gen 49 he blessed his
fourth son Judah by ascribing him with lion attributes (vs. 9). He then clearly
bestowed upon Judah then authority of being the royal tribe by saying:
The ox that is mentioned in Ezekiel refers particularly to the "mature head
of cattle" [Heb: "shor" -Strong’s #7794] as opposed to a "young bull" [Heb:
"par" -#6499]. In the history of Ancient Israel, the ox was valuable to both the
people’s everyday well being as well as their religious life. The ox did most of
the laborious field chores which could result in great prosperity (Prov. 14:4).
It was therefore mentioned as one of the things that should not be coveted from
a neighbor (Exod 20:17). So great was the significance of the ox to the people
that it was once infamously raised to a godlike stature in the incidence of the
"golden calf" (see Psa 106:19:22 & Exod 32).
In the ordained religious service, the ox was prescribed as a sacrificial
animal for the very important "peace offering." (Lev 4:10; 9:4, 18). The peace
offering was a freewill offering of thanksgiving to God. It celebrated the fact
that a state of peace existed. The Hebrew word for the "peace offering" is from
the root "sh-l-m" (e.g., "shalom-peace") which expresses in its meanings:
"completion, fulfillment, wholeness, unity, restored relationship." Thus "peace"
became a most important blessing in the covenant between God and His people.
(See Isa 54:10; Ezek. 34:25 [Num 25:12]; Psa 85:8; Mal. 2:5; Num 6:24-26), and
the capital city of Israel was named: Jerusalem- the city of peace. (Later when
Jesus, at the Triumphal Entry, wept over the city because they had failed to
enter into covenant with Him, He particularly the fact that, ‘the things which
would make for Jerusalem’s peace had, "as of now, been hidden from their
eyes" and that future destruction was coming. (Luke 19:41-44).
So from just these biblical examples of the significance of the ox in
Israel’s "economy," it can be seen that the ox was directly and indirectly tied
the covenant between God and His people. A covenant whose promises delivered
great spiritual, physical and material prosperity.
Now a very interestingly substitution in Ezekiel concretely seals the
significance of the ox symbol. In his description of the four faces in chapter
10:14 three of the four faces are mentioned again as they appear in 1:10 except
for the face of the ox which is now depicted as the face of a cherub. The first
image that come to one’s mind at the mention of the cherub is the image of the
angels positioned on top of the Ark of the Covenant, (Exod 25:18-21 cf. 1 Kgs
6:23-28) the seat of God’s presence within the Israelites. (Exod 25:22; Num
7:89; 2 Sam 6:2; 2 Kgs 19:15; cf. Ezek 9:3). The function and position of the
cherubim (plural) indicates that they were entrusted with the protection of the
presence and covenant of God. In fact, after Adam and Eve sinned and were driven
out of the Garden of Eden, "[God] stationed the cherubim, and the flaming sword
... to guard the way to the tree of life." (Gen 3:24).
So based on all of these references, it can be seen that the face of the
ox/cherub stands for the covenant of God and its safeguarding and embodies the
religious, spiritual and the resulting cultural aspects of a people of
God.
The image of the face of an eagle among the other four faces at first seems
somewhat incongruent in respect to the other three faces because the eagle, a
redoubtable bird of prey, seems to be at first an unholy symbol. In fact the
eagle was declared to be an unclean bird (see Lev 11:13, Deut 14:12) apparently
because one of their primary food intake were carcasses. So why the use of the
eagle? Why not for example a dove? Well for starters, it is God who created the
eagle and "saw that it was good" (Gen 1:21), but it is the entrance of sin that
made it into a bird of prey. Secondly, the eagle, particularly the flying eagle,
is one of the most amazing and awesome sights in God’s creation. Throughout the
Bible, the eagle is often alluded to refer to its two prominent traits of speed
(Jer 48:40; 2 Sam 1:23; Lam 4:19; Hab 1:8) and strength/power (Isa 40:31; Jer
49:16; also Psa 103:5). Indeed this unique combination easily make the eagle the
incontestable "chief of birds", and fitting symbol of assured provision, safety
and protection (Exo 19:4, Deut 32:11). In fact when Israel was warned of a
future destruction by an enemy it would be an eagle that was used to symbolize
this coming, overwhelming enemy (Deut 28:49; Jer 49:7; Hos 8:1; Hab 1:8). In the
Bible
Now, twice in the Bible the eagle is used to symbolically represent a nation,
namely the kingdom of Babylon (Ezekiel 17 and Daniel 7:4). In the Daniel 7:4
Babylon is described as a lion with eagle’s wings. The symbol of the lion is
apparently used to emphasize the previously mentioned statement of Babylon’s
superiority over other kingdom (Dan 2:32, 37-39) as the ‘head of fine gold’, and
with king Nebuchadnezzar being the ‘king of kings" (vs. 37). Since the wings of
the eagle represent the eagle’s great speed and the strength of the eagle is
apparently being replaced here by the stronger lion (cf. 2 Sam 1:23), then it
must be asked how where the Babylonians both swift and strong.
and in the allegory of Ezekiel 17, the eagle that is used to bring
destruction to God’s people is again.
Interestingly, the only nation in the Bible that was describe directly by
using an eagle was the Kingdom of Babylon
The most straightforward of the four faces is that of the "face of man."
There should not be seen any hidden meaning here as it clearly is a reference to
the crowning creation of God, human beings (Genesis 2:5-25). Nothing is more
essential to the establishment and continuity of the Kingdom of God than human
who love Him and love their fellow humans, i.e., who live according to His
Commandments (Matthew 22:37-40; cf. 7:12).
In today’s everyday life, nothing makes ‘the world go round’ (so to speak)
than the human factor. Decisions and actions that men and women take on a case
by case basis have some effect or another one someone else at the minimum to
possibly many peoples. That is why this face of a man can be understood to
represent the "well being" or the "great economy" of mankind. Under this heading
falls many sub-headings such as "farming and agricultural development for
Nourishment (cf. Gen 2:5)," the care/prevention and restoration of Health (cf. 3
John 1:2) and physical/material and "financial" Providence, Sustenance and
Wealth (Deuteronomy 7:11-15). Today’s economic world parallel these sub
categories as a nation’s economy is considered to be composed of the sectors of:
Agricultural (- man-grown crops), Industry (-man-made goods) and
Services ( man provided work)
(cf
May 28, 2008