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The Pórtico de la Gloria, Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, detail of the seated Christ, with John and Luke on the left, Matthew and Mark on the right. |
The four Evangelists with their symbols, mosaic apse of Santa Maria in Trastevere, Rome (13th century)
St. Matthew: Winged Man; St. Mark: Lion; St. Luke: Ox; St. John: Eagle
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Apocalypsis beati Joannis Apostoli CAP. IV. Post haec vidi, et ecce ostium apertum in caelo, et vox prima quam audivi, tamquam tubae loquentis mecum, dicens: Ascende huc, et ostendam tibi quae oportet fieri post haec. Et statim fui in spiritu; et ecce sedes posita erat in caelo, et supra sedem sedens. Et qui sedebat, similis erat aspectui lapidis jaspidis et sardinis; et iris erat in circuitu sedis, similis visioni smaragdinae. Et in circuitu sedis sedilia viginti quatour, et super thronos viginti quatuor seniors sedentes, circumamicti vestimentis albis, et in capitibus eorum coronae aureae; et de throno precedebant fulgura, et voces, et tonitrua; et septem lampades ardentes ante thronum, qui sunt septem spiritus Dei. Et in conspectu sedis tamquam mare vitreum simile crystallo. Et in medio sedis, et in circuitu sedis, quatuor animalia plena oculis ante et retro. Et animal primum simile leoni, et secundum animal simile vitulo, et tertium animal habens faciem quasi hominis, et quartum animal simile aquilae volanti. Et quatuor animalia, singular eorum habebant alas senas, et in circuitu et intus plena sunt oculis; et requiem non habebant die ac nocte, dicentia: Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus Dominus Deus omnipotens, qui erat, et qui est, et qui venturus est. Et cum darent illa animalia gloriam, et honorem, et benedictionem sedenti super thronum, viventi in saecula saeculorum, procidebant viginti quatuor seniors ante sedentem in throno, et adorabant viventem in saecula saeculorum, et mittebant coronas suas ante thronum, dicentes: Dignus es, Domine Deus noster, accpipere gloriam, et honorem, et virtutem, quia tu creasti omnia, et propter voluntatem tuam erant et creata sunt. CAP. V. Et vidi in dextera sedentis supra thronum, librum, scriptum intus at foris, signatum sigillis septem. Et vidi angelum forem, preaedicatntem voce magna: Quos est dignus aperire librum, et solver signacula ejus? Et nemo poterat, neque in caelo, neque in terra, neque subtus terram, aperire librum, neque respicere illum. Et ego flebam multum, quoniam nemo dignus inventus est aperire librum, nec videre eum. Et unus de senioribus dixit mihi: Ne fleveris; ecce vicit leo de tribu Juda, radix David, aperire librum, et solvere septem signacula ejus. Et vidi, et ecce in medio throni et quatuor animalium, et in medio seniorum, Agnum stantem tamquam occisum, habentem cornua septem, et oculos septem, qui sunt septem spiritus Dei, missi in omnem terram. Et venit, et accepit de dextera sedentis in throno librum. Et cum aperuisset librum, quatuor animalia et viginti quatuor seniores ceciderunt coram Agno, habentes singuli citharas, et phialas aureas plenas odoramentorum, quae sunt orationes sanctorum: et cantabant canticum novum, dicentes: Dignus es, Domine, accipere librum, et aperire signacula ejus, quoniam occisus es, et redemisti nos Deo in sanguine tuo, ex omni tribu, et lingua, et populo, et natione; et fecisti nos Deo nostro regnum, et sacerdotes, et regnabimus super terram. Et vidi, et audivi vocem angelorum multorum in circuitu throni, et animalium, et seniorum; et erat numerus eorum millia milium, dicentium voce magna: Dignus est Agnus, qui occisus est, accipere virtutem, et divinitatem, et sapientiam, et fortitudinem, et honorem, et gloriam, et benedictionem. Et omnem creatura quae in caelo est, et super terram, et sub terra, et quae sunt in mari, et quae in ea, omnes, audivi dicentes: Sedenti in throno et Agno, benediction, et honor, et gloria, et potestas in saecula saeculorum. Et quatuor animalia dicebant: Amen. Et viginti quatuor seniors ceciderunt in facies suas, et adoraverunt viventem in saecula saeculorum. |
The Revelation of St. John the Apostle Chapter 4. After this I looked, and lo, in heaven an open door! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and lo, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne! And he who sat there appeared like jasper and carnelian, and round the throne was a rainbow that looked like an emerald. And round the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clad in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. From the throne issued flashes of lightning and voices and peals of thunder, and before the throne burned seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God; and before the throne there is as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. And round the throne, on each side of the throne, four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature 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 a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all round and within, and day and night they never cease to sing, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” Chapter 5. And I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals; and I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I wept much that no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. Then one of the elders said to me, “Weep not; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders, I saw a Lamb standing as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth; and he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints; and they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain and by your blood did ransom men for God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on earth.” Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads, saying with a loud voice “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all therein, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down on their faces and worshiped him who lives for ever and ever. |