Creatures

Generally, living beings within God's creation, especially the exotic animals seen in visions, which often have a deep symbolic significance.

Creatures representing angelic beings who worship God

Ezekiel 1:5–6; Revelation 4:6–8 The strange creatures of Ezekiel and Revelation seem to stand for the fulness and variety of God's creation. See also Ezekiel 1:7–25, Ezekiel 3:12–13, Ezekiel 10:15–22 The creatures are here identified as cherubim; Revelation 4:9–11, Revelation 5:6–14, Revelation 6:1–3, Revelation 6:5–6, Revelation 7:11, Revelation 14:3, Revelation 15:7, Revelation 19:4

and within it was the form of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: They had a human form, but each had four faces and four wings.

And before the throne was something like a sea of glass, as clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, covered with eyes in front and back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second like a calf, the third had a face like a man, and the fourth was like an eagle in flight. And each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around and within. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

Creatures representing kings or kingdoms

Daniel 7:17, Daniel 8:20–21 The “beasts” here are unnatural, and represent the hostility of human empires to the rule of God. The horns represent individual kings within an imperial dynasty.

‘These four great beasts are four kings who will arise from the earth.

The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. The shaggy goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes is the first king.

Creatures representing Satan

The beast here represents Satan, with the horns representing royal authority at a time of Roman persecution of the church: Revelation 12:3–4, Revelation 12:7–9, Revelation 13:1; Daniel 7:2–8, Daniel 7:19–26, Daniel 8:3–12; Revelation 11:7, Revelation 13:2–8, Revelation 13:11–18, Revelation 17:3, Revelation 17:7–13