“And in the sight of the throne was, as it were, a sea of glass like to crystal; and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four living creatures, full of eyes before and behind. And the first living creature was like a lion: and the second living creature like a calf: and the third living creature, having the face, as it were, of a man: and the fourth living creature was like an eagle flying. And the four living creatures had each of them six wings; and round about and within they are full of eyes. And they rested not day and night, saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come.’ And when those living creatures gave glory, and honour, and benediction to him that sitteth on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever; the four and twenty ancients fell down before him that sitteth on the throne, and adored him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: ‘Thou art worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory, and honour, and power: because thou hast created all things: and for thy will they were, and have been created.”
The sea is not an ocean, but a great basin used in the temple: “He made also a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round all about; the height of it was five cubits, and a line of thirty cubits compassed it round about” (3 Kings 7:23), used primarily for the ritual ablution of priests, but did have other uses in Jewish worship. It, in the New Testament sense, represents the baptismal font, that is crystal, showing that Jesus is not hiding anything from you, but shows everything you need to know in public revelation: “And you have no need that any man teach you: but as his unction teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie. And as it hath taught you, abide in him” (1 John 2:27). The sea in heaven with its clarity and serenity could also represent the lack of anxieties and troubles in heaven, where the saints enjoy perpetual rest in the loving bosom of the Father: “For he that is entered into his rest, the same also hath rested from his works, as God did from his” (Hebrews 4:10). What follows are the four living creatures, which are also seen in the prophecy of Ezekiel: “And I saw, and behold a whirlwind came out of the north: and a great cloud, and a fire infolding it, and brightness was about it: and out of the midst thereof, that is, out of the midst of the fire, as it were the resemblance of amber: and in the midst thereof the likeness of four living creatures” (Ezechiel 1:4-5), and are “full of eyes.” This is because the four Gospels, which are living in the sense that when they are read, they impact different hearts in different ways at different times, as Christ is present through them: “For the word of God is living and effectual, and more piercing than any two edged sword; and reaching unto the division of the soul and the spirit, of the joints also and the marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12) emit light, through which all reality is seen, trickling down from the Gospels to the rest of the Scriptures, which in turn reign over earthly sciences and philosophy. When anything leaves this light, it walks in darkness: “Beware lest any man cheat you by philosophy, and vain deceit; according to the tradition of men according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossian 2:8). The three representations that walk are the three Gospels that focus primarily on Christ’s humanity, as He walked on the earth, with St. Matthew’s being that of the lion, which represents the regal character of Christ: “Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest” (Matthew 21:9), St. Luke’s that of the calf, for it shows His priesthood: “And it came to pass, whilst he was at table with them, he took bread, and blessed, and brake, and gave to them” (Luke 24:30), while St. Mark focuses on neither, but does focus primarily on His humanity and life on earth, and is thus the figure of the man. St. John, however, begins loftily: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1) and stays in the sky of Christ’s divinity: “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham was made, I am” (John 8:58); “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). The four Gospels then fly on six wings, denoting the Law, historical books, Psalms, wisdom literature, prophets, and New Testament Epistles, for without all of these the Gospel message of love would not fly so high into the mind and ways of God, but without the understanding of the Gospel and the love within it, these books fall flat, not animated from the life that is in the love of Christ: “As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in me” (John 15:4). They had eyes within and without, because with the Gospels and other books of Sacred Scripture, you come to understand yourself, and the deep things of God, which are the eyes within, and understand others and the world as a whole, which are the eyes without. This is done so thoroughly that one can be called “full” of eyes when they see with the eyes of Christ: “But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16), loving God, themselves, and others as He loves them: “A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34). Both the angels in heaven and the Gospels proclaim the Triune, perfectly holy, magnificent Godhead that lies beyond all understanding, proclaiming Him Lord God Almighty, which is God’s most solemn title. When one loves, one sings in their heart: “Speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual canticles, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19), and the hymn of the living creatures is a simple way to let your heart rejoice: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4). This heavenly singing, this perpetual liturgy, never ceases in the life to come, thus they sing that He was, is, and is to come. To think of the sheer number of sins both in your life and in the entire life of the Church that Jesus has forgiven for the sake of love, is indicated in the Gospel: “One was brought to him, that owed him ten thousand talents… And the lord of that servant being moved with pity, let him go and forgave him the debt” (Matthew 18:24-27), and is alone extraordinary enough to humble even the grandest saint, who submits their crown of glory to the glory of the King of Love, who is worthy of all praise and honor, and to receive recognition of His unbelievable might, which created and upholds all things with an abundance of love, protects His Church from demons and evil wills, and forgives sins by the millions: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, to forgive us our s ins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity” (1 John 1:9).