Revelation 4:6b-8 6And around the throne and on each side of the throne are four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. 7And the first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. 8And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they do not cease saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
The strangeness of John’s vision continues. As he looked around the throne, he saw four living creatures on each side of the throne, representing all directions. Four similar creatures are described also in Ezekiel 1:4-24. These strange creatures can see in all directions with their eyes all over their head (Ezekiel 1:17). Their eyes allow them to see what is happening; nothing escapes their gaze.
The creatures are similar to four animals. Their description should be taken as symbolic, indicated by the word like (homoion). They had features like those of the animals listed, but each one had something unique. Interpreters have debated the meaning of these descriptions. These creatures represent the fearsome and ferocious lion, the hardworking ox, the intelligent human being, and the all-seeing eagle. Their strangeness becomes even more apparent with six wings and eyes under their wings. Their wings allow them to go in any direction, and their eyes enable them to see everything.
All these attributes only serve to praise God by recognizing his holiness, power, and eternality. Their praise reflects back to the phrase in 1:4 about God’s eternality and echoes Isaiah 6:3 about God’s holiness. It seems that these creatures were created for the very purpose of praise. Their attributes describe different aspects of human life and symbolize how we should give all our praise to God. We were created to praise God with the freedom to love God. We fulfill the purpose of our creation when we do what these four creatures do.