That Israel is the ‘bearer of God’s image’ is apparent from the four living creatures. On the banners of the children of Israel were depicted the lion, belonging to Judah, the bull (calf) to Ephraim, the man to Ruben and the eagle to Dan. The other tribes were camped in the desert under these four banners/standards—Judah to the East, with Issachar and Zebulon: lion; Reuben to the South, with Simeon and Gad: man; Ephraim to the West, with Manasseh and Benjamin: bull (calf); Dan to the North, with Asher and Naphtali: eagle.1 Just like Israel was called and chosen to do, the living creatures must praise God and they represent the relationship of His Being to the peoples/nations of the world and to Creation itself.
But the four living creatures also invoke the apocalyptic horsemen of judgment.2 With their praises, they fulfil the same function as another group of angels, the seraphim.3 Creation, man, Israel, the world of angels—all are called to praise and worship God. We are the expression of His Being and we can glorify, serve and obey Him in love.
How deeply the sin of rebellion has permeated God’s good Creation. How terrible are the consequences of Adam’s wrong choice in Paradise visible in Creation (death and dying out entered into the world), in the relationships between people and in their penchant, their inclination towards (self) destruction. Creation is being plundered by man. People take each other’s lives; the first murder took place almost immediately after the Fall in Paradise.4 Cain murdered his brother Abel. Wars developed over the centuries with ever increasing deadly weapons and means of destruction. And, in an extreme desire towards self- preservation and defeating and destroying the enemy, the arsenal of weapons developed by man today has the potential to destroy the world many times over—the demonic ABC weapons: Atomic, Bacteriological and Chemical.
In the world of angels, who that are created spiritual beings, decay has also set in. Lucifer (which means light-bearer) chose to exalt himself instead of God. He turned his love to himself instead of to his Maker. “I will make myself like the Most High,”5 he said. He dragged part of the world of angels down with him.6
The four living creatures, God’s throne-bearers, raise the song of praise, however, and the twenty-four angelic rulers – the generals of the Heavenly hosts – surrounding them join in this song of praise, while the millions of angels surrounding them make the praise complete. The cherubim praise Him for His eternal and everlasting existence—Who was, Who is and Who is to come; the twenty-four elders praise Him for the glory of His created works, and the millions of angels praise the Lamb together with them, with a new song. Although the songs of praise are spoken each time – ‘they do not cease to say” -, Revelation 5:9 says that they sing a new song. This is why the victors, the overcomers, the glorified humans, who join their voices to those of the angelic choirs,7 have harps of God. People, human beings, reach the climax of their being, of their existence, when they start to praise God for the love and the grace He has given them in Christ!
• The ‘Trisagion’—the threefold ‘Holy’—is a prayer from the Eastern Orthodox Church liturgy that is included in the Roman Catholic prayer book for the morning service on Good Friday. It says: Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. This is different to the ‘Sanctus’ (‘Holy’), derived from Isaiah 6:3 and used in the mass, at the end of the preface, before the ‘Benedictus’.
• The ‘Sanctus’ does not play a role in the Reformed Communion formula. The service book being prepared by the Dutch Reformed Church has included this in the third order of service for the celebration of Holy Communion, the Lord’s Supper.
Bible References:
1. Numbers 2 2. Revelation 6:1–8 3. Isaiah 6:2–3 4. Genesis 4:1–10 5. Isaiah 14:12, 14 and Luke 10:18 6. Revelation 12:9 7. Revelation 15:2
