Tetramorphs
The Bible has three identified Tetramorphs (fourfold
shapes): Ezekiel 1:5-10 (man, lion,
calf, eagle); 10:14 (cherubim, man, lion, eagle); Revelation 4:7 (lion, calf,
man, eagle). Even though there is some
dispute; many see these Tetramorphs as images or types of the four Gospels.
The so-called synoptic problem has been around for a long
time. Attempts to harmonize the Gospels
are nearly as old as the Church, roughly 2000 years old. None of these are entirely satisfactory. The outcome is usually some sort of scheme
for finding different audiences for each Evangelist.
We would suggest that this might be as far away from the
point of having four Gospels as we could possibly get. After decades of struggling with this issue
we offer this tentative suggestion.
† The four Gospels have nothing to do with four audiences in the first century: they were always written to the whole Church on earth.
† The four Gospels are about the prophetic complexities of the nature of Christ Himself.
† Matthew, which is about forgiveness, is a portrayal of Christ as our Great High Priest: for it is the High Priest, Who brings the bloody and innocent sacrifice and gives absolution, forgiveness, and restoration of fellowship based upon His own offering to all the earth.
† Mark, is abrupt, decisive, and direct as kings are wont to be; we believe that Mark, Peter’s Gospel, is a portrayal of Christ as our King.
† Luke, Paul’s Gospel, together with its sequel, Acts is about Christ as our Prophet, the bringer of the Holy Spirit, to make the human Church alive… thus it also expresses His humanity.
So now we have three pictures of Christ: He is Priest, King,
and Prophet. Only one picture remains.
† John, we believe, portrays Christ as God, which explains its unique heavenly perspective. Unlike mere mortals, when Christ looks heavenward He sees it opened in all its fullness and glory. These perspectives of heaven are what John unfolds for us in his Gospel and in Revelation.
So, the four Gospels are absolutely necessary to unfold for
us a complete depiction of Christ as God-man; and as Prophet, King, and
Priest. This is also why everyone who is
baptized into Christ, who is in Christ, is also prophet. King, and priest: we
should pursue these glorious offices with all earnestness, humility, and
sobriety.
Christ is frequently shown riding on the Tetramorphs: for,
indeed the four Gospels lift Him up in a most unusual way. We may never sort the Tetramorphs out; our
suggestion is that: Matthew is the ox, calf or cherub, as these are descriptive
of sacrifice, priesthood, and God’s eternal message of forgiveness; Mark is the
lion, Christ the king; Luke is the man, the recipient and bearer of prophetic
utterance in Christ, the perfect man; John is the great eagle, soaring high
above our worldly concerns, as Christ-God paints all the eternal heavenly
realities across the sky.
These four Gospels are presented in logical order.
† The first thing we need to know is the forgiveness of God, and that we have the freedom to enter into it, which is Matthew. This message is an invitation to the whole world to enter into discipleship: for we need to follow the One Who absolves us from every sin, and learn more about this all forgiving Christ: so, the last verses of Matthew introduce the other Gospels. We also discover in Matthew, that, as Christ is our Great High Priest, we are being ordained as priests by baptism. Matthew answers to the great Pascha of Christ.
† In Mark, we discover, as Matthew suggested, that we must meet this Christ, who is our King, and serve Him only. Since, Christ is King, we are elevated to be kings in His Heavenly Kingdom. Mark answers to the Ascension and Enthronement of Christ, forty days after Pascha.
† Luke, then lays out the path we are to follow as members of the Body of Christ. This is a prophetic office: for our chief duty is to live out the message of Christ’s likeness. As He is Prophet, we are called prophets. Luke answers to Pentecost, the Descent of the Holy Spirit, and the start of the embodiment of the Law living in our hearts, fifty days after Pascha.
† John, finally, invites us as priests, kings, and prophets, to look heavenward; which, when we do, becomes a clearer and clearer picture every day: for, at first, we are unable to tolerate the light: yet, our spiritual eyesight is getting stronger every day. John, sees only eternity, which has no counterpart in time… if anything, it is symbolic of Tabernacles, the entering into the Rest of God.
We have hardly solved the riddle: this link should give you
an idea of how great an enigma this has always been. Of course if these various pictures call
different ideas to mind in your meditations and thoughts, you will come up with
different solutions. There are 24
possible solutions; so, we have just begun to scratch the surface. Not to worry.
We don’t need a perfect solution to the Tetramorphs. What we do need is to grow in our understanding
of Christ in His God-man nature, and in His principle offices: Prophet, King,
and Priest: we’re off to a good start, and we don’t need complete understanding
of the Tetramorphs to continue. The more
we know Christ, the more we can become like Him by faith energized with the
Spirit’s works within us.
[1]
If you have been blessed or helped by any of these
meditations, please repost, share, or use any of them as you wish. No rights are reserved. They are designed and intended for your free
participation. They were freely
received, and are freely given. No other
permission is required for their use.
No comments:
Post a Comment