The four creatures are also an example of the ancient mystical use of the category 'four' as a representation of cosmic order, as in the four phases of the moon, the four cardinal points of the earth, the four rivers of Paradise (Genesis 2:10), the four guardians of the throne of God. But the number can also represent the adversaries of order- for example, the four Horsemen who bring calamity on the earth (Revelation 6:1-8) and the four sore Acts of Judgement with which God threatens the idolators of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 14:21). The creatures first make their appearance in Ezekiel's visions whilst he was a Judean exile in Babylon. Although one aspect of the creatures was human, Ezekiel described them all as divine winged apparitions, termed 'cherubim' or 'angels'.

4 I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north-     an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The centre of the fire looked like glowing metal, 5 and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was that of a man, 6 but each of them had four faces and four wings. 7 Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. 8 Under their wings on their four sides they had the hands of a man. All four of them had faces and wings, 9 and their wings touched one another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.