This essay is to investigate how the vision of Four Living Creatures in the Book of Ezekiel was interpreted in the History of Christians. Ezekiel as well as the book of Revelation report that there are creatures with four faces of man, lion, ox, and eagle around the throne of God in heaven. In ancient period of Old Testament, animals were often used as symbols to represent divine natures. For example, lion signified royal power while eagle velocity and dignity.
It was Irenaeus, for the first time, which suggested the connection between the four living creatures and the four gospels. He viewed that face of Human represents the gospel of Matthew; eagle the gospel of Mark, ox the gospel of Luke, and that lion represents the gospel of John. However, Augustine assigned lion to Matthew, man to Mark, ox to Luke, and eagle to John. It was Jerome's idea that prevailed throughout the following hundreds years in Christian arts and architectures. The church father claimed that face of man signifies Matthew, lion Mark, ox Luke, and eagle to John. Almost all of the Eastern Church's art depicts Jerome's idea about the Four Living Creatures.
Nevertheless, the reformers such as Luther and Calvin including later church leader, Wesley did not employed the Jerome's interpretation. They agreed to view the four living creatures as nature of divinity not as prophesy of the four gospels.

• 김동주(호서대학교) | Dong Joo Kim