Book 3 of Musings The Lion, Ox, Man, and Eagle
The indomitable will to conquer; inexhaustible willingness to bear burdens; loving relationships and righteous behavior; and the unceasing renewal of strength through unceasing prayer; this is the image of Christ.
These four attributes, which come from God, yield clear understanding of the past, the present, and the future.
The four living creatures, the Cherubim of Glory, reflect what God requires of man.
The number "four" is symbolic of the communication of God's Person, will, way, and eternal purposes in Christ. The fourth of the feasts of the Lord is Pentecost, speaking of the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai. The fourth furnishing of the Tabernacle of the Congregation was the golden Lampstand, representing Christ, the Word of God. The fourth day of creation was the giving of the sun, moon, and stars-the light by which we live.
The living creatures have six wings. Six is the number of man in that man was created on the sixth day. The sixth feast of the Lord is the Day of Atonement, the period when man is reconciled to God by means of the judgment and deliverance of his personality.
The sixth furnishing of the Tabernacle was the Ark of the Covenant, representing Christ and the members of His Body.
The four living creatures were covered with eyes. Those who are in the image of Christ can see God, His will, His way, and His eternal purposes in Christ. Those who live according to their sinful nature are blind to God, His will, His way, and His eternal purposes in Christ.
Righteousness, holiness, and obedience to God give us spiritual sight.
The lion tells us of the will to overcome, to conquer, that must be present in those who are to be coheirs with the Lord Jesus. Jesus is a Conqueror and we must conquer through Him.
God was displeased when the Israelites were afraid of the inhabitants of Canaan, and turned them back into the wilderness. The first group of people in the Lake of Fire are the fearful.
We might not regard cowardice as a great sin, but it is. We cannot get anywhere with God if we are fearful. We will go back and forth without being able to make up our mind to do God's will.
Actually, fear is the opposite of faith. Faith includes courage-courage to go forward on the basis of what God has stated.
The Lord Jesus Christ is a Man of courage. He will give us of His courage if we will ask Him.
We must have a will to conquer. We must choose to overcome all that comes against us. If we will decide to be a victorious saint, God will make it possible. The victorious saints inherit all that God is making new in the Lord Jesus. The double-minded, the fearful, the timid, the cowardly, will receive nothing but endless torment.
I am not altogether certain why God places such an emphasis on courage; but I know He does. It probably is because we have to have courage to assert ourselves and do His will when there are spirits and people around us who are seeking to discourage us. Joshua and Caleb had courage and were blessed accordingly.
We also must have the willingness to bear burdens. When we are young in the Lord we are not given much of a load to carry, just as we spare children from having to bear loads they cannot carry.
As we come to maturity in the Lord we are entrusted with some of the sufferings and burdens of Jesus Christ. We enter the travail that is bringing in the Kingdom of God. Usually our yoke is easy and our burden is light; but there do come times when the burden of prayer is quite heavy. But if we bear it faithfully the Lord soon comes to the rescue and we can breathe more easily.
Lions are not of much use when it comes to bearing burdens. They enjoy charging against the enemy. Oxen patiently submit themselves to the yoke and pull the wagon or the plow.
It is necessary to be a lion. It is necessary also to be an ox if we are to do the Lord's will in the earth.
The face of the man is that of loving relationships and righteous behavior. Neither the lion nor the ox is capable of loving relationships or of making righteous decisions. As necessary as lions and oxen are, it is man who is in the image of God. It is man who is able to be joined with God and other people in loving relationships. God will never dwell in an animal.
It is man who is to govern the creation in righteousness, bringing peace and joy to the nations of the earth.
Finally there is the eagle. Those who wait on the Lord renew their strength and mount up with the wings of eagles.
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:29-31)
The older saints will appreciate this. They know the endless problems and burdens. They know what it is like to come to the end of our strength.
But we learn to place our hope in the Lord. We look to Him ceaselessly in prayer. He renews our strength. The problems of earth seek to trap us, to bow us down, to entangle us. But as we look to the Lord we soar into the heavens. We are set free. We are renewed and refreshed in body, soul, and spirit.
Growth in Jesus Christ is growth into the lion, the ox, the man, and the eagle. He who lacks one or more of these attributes is blind in some areas. He cannot rightfully understand the past, the present, or the future.
But those whom the Lord has carefully brought up in these four characteristics can see the wisdom of God in history. They are not terrified or concerned about the present because they see the Lord working each day. They understand the will of God for the future, the coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth to establish justice among the nations.
Be patient with God. Endure hardships as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Whatever you do, do not blame people for your pains and perplexities. If you are denying yourself and carrying your cross each day, following the Lord Jesus, all you are experiencing is coming from the Lord who working to build you up as a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle.
God rides on the cherubim. They are His chariots. But it is God's will that people be His chariots. God wants thousands upon thousands of chariots in which to ride.
The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands; the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary. (Psalms 68:17)
God's sanctuary is Christ-Head and Body. The sanctuary of God is built up by the ministries and gifts given by the ascended Christ to the members of His Body. Jesus Christ and the members of His Body are the chariots of God. They are taking the place of the Cherubim of Glory.
Therefore they must be fully developed as lions, oxen, men, and eagles.
When they have been fully transformed they will never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty." Day and night we are to say this in our hearts. We are to be imbued fully with the holiness of God.
As we are transformed we become filled with eyes.
We look back at world history and we do not interpret it in economic terms, or according to outstanding personages. We see only the Glory of Him who was.
We are not distressed over the present. We do not fret over the evil in the world. We see only the Glory of Him who is.
We do not perceive the future according to religious thinking-that we are saved by grace to live in Heaven forever. We see only the Glory of Him who is to come and establish His righteous Kingdom on the earth.
Thus we become the chariots of God.
Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." (Rev 4:6-8)