3527 - The Four Beasts of Rev. 14:3 by T. E. W.

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Aug 1, 1911

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 38, No. 30.

3527 — The Four Beasts of Rev. 14:3

By T. E. W.

Who are or what are the four beasts of Rev. 14:3?

Read in the Revised Version, "the four living creatures." "Beasts" is not a proper translation of the term at all; "four living ones" it is given by some translations. These are the same as presented in Rev. 4:7, 8. Similar creatures are described in Ezekiel as cherubim (see chapters 1 and 10; compare also with Isa. 6:1, 2; see also studies on Revelation covering the four living ones). They represent, under the forms of those four creatures, the might, and patience, and wisdom, and glory of God working out God's plan and purpose in human affairs, and seem to be composed of angels in vast numbers working in that way, even as the angels of God came in the form of chariots and horses to take away Elijah. So we read in Ps. 68:17, "The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels."