The four living creatures and twenty-four elders in Revelation?

The four living creatures can be identified as the last priest king given understanding of the most high, and only Lord God's will. Lion- king, Ox- priestly sacrifice, Eagle as it is soaring- one of understanding (includes the many eyes within). They four are the one mightiest angel (Chayot), who authored the small scroll; sweet in the mouth, but bitter in the belly. He would absolutely have to be foretold of throughout the entire old and new testaments. Such mystery as was commanded to be with-held. Yet, in the last day, a more pure and sure definition of the Fathers holiest name, and will, would be disclosed.

The Four living creatures are Four Angels mention In the Book Of Enoch...Chapter 40.....[Chapter 40]

1 And after that I saw thousands of thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand, I saw a multitude 2 beyond number and reckoning, who stood before the Lord of Spirits. And on the four sides of the Lord of Spirits I saw four presences, different from those that sleep not, and I learnt their names: for the angel that went with me made known to me their names, and showed me all the hidden things. 3 And I heard the voices of those four presences as they uttered praises before the Lord of glory. 4,5 The first voice blesses the Lord of Spirits for ever and ever. And the second voice I heard blessing 6 the Elect One and the elect ones who hang upon the Lord of Spirits. And the third voice I heard pray and intercede for those who dwell on the earth and supplicate in the name of the Lord of Spirits. 7 And I heard the fourth voice fending off the Satans and forbidding them to come before the Lord 8 of Spirits to accuse them who dwell on the earth. After that I asked the angel of peace who went with me, who showed me everything that is hidden: 'Who are these four presences which I have 9 seen and whose words I have heard and written down?' And he said to me: 'This first is Michael, the merciful and long-suffering: and the second, who is set over all the diseases and all the wounds of the children of men, is Raphael: and the third, who is set over all the powers, is Gabriel: and the fourth, who is set over the repentance unto hope of those who inherit eternal life, is named Phanuel.' 10 And these are the four angels of the Lord of Spirits and the four voices I heard in those days.

The best I can do for longstanding traditional interpretations is to cite those found in the Church Fathers.

The twenty-four elders are less discussed. Victorinus offers three interpretations: they are the twenty-four Old Testament books (a natural counterpart to the living creatures as the Four Gospels), or they are the twelve patriarchs and twelve apostles, or they are the angels of the twenty-four hours of the day. Oecumenius proposes twenty-four biblical persons from the Old Testament down to the earliest Christian martyrs (Abel... Stephen).

For the four living creatures, Ezekiel's vision of the four living creatures forming God's chariot also comes into play. Best known is their identification with the Four Gospels (e.g., Irenaeus), with several ancient schemes as to which gospel is which animal. Alongside that, they are also interpreted as the principal events of Christ's life (e.g., Chromatius has man=incarnation, calf=sacrifice on the cross, lion=resurrection, eagle=ascension). Methodius links them with the four elements (lion=fire, etc.). Jerome mentions certain philosophers who see also four seasons (thus probably four zodiacal constellations: lion=Leo, etc.). Origen sees the living creatures as four parts of the interior human: the eagle is the spirit, and the other three are the Platonic tripartite soul. Andrew of Caesarea sees the four virtues (lion=fortitude, etc.). Macarius sees four ruling factors in the soul (eagle=will, lion=conscience, ox=intelligence, man=love), but also four natural dominions (eagle=king of birds, lion=king of wild beasts, ox=king of tame beasts, man=king of all).

For the various interpretations of the living creatures, I refer to Kenneth Stevenson, "Animal Rites: The Four Living Creatures in Patristic Exegesis and Liturgy", SP 34 (2001), 470-492.

The four living creatures and twenty-four elders in Revelation?

According to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewaido Church the twenty-four elder are Holy Angels (Seraphim).

The twenty-four Priests of heaven are a class of priestly angels positioned in the fifth rank of angelic hierarchy and perform priestly duties without rest. (Rev. 4:4, 10, 11) They have been cleansing, praying and seek mercy for mankind as they had cleansed Isaiah with live coal from the altar. (Isa. 6:1-7).

They are also called Seraphim from the Hebrew word ‘seraph’ or ‘seraphim’ (plural) – meaning ‘burners’. They fly around the Throne of God crying "Holy, Holy, Holy” and are six-winged angles; with two wings they cover their faces, with another two they cover their feet, and the last two they use to fly. (Isa. 6:2-3)

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewaido Church has been built churches dedicated to them and celebrates their feast each year on Hidar 24 (December 3). - The Commemoration of the Festival of the Twenty four Priests of heaven

According to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church the four living beasts of the Apocalypse are are Holy Angel (Cherubim).

Every year on Hidar 8 (November 17), the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewaido Church celebrates the feast of the four beasts locally known as ‘Arba’ettu Ensisa’. Churches named after these heavenly creatures has been rarely built across the nation. They are four in number and take the form of a lion, an ox, a man and an eagle. They have six wings; are covered with eyes and continually praise God.

The Ethiopic Synaxarium records the description of the Four Living Creatures as follows:

On this day is celebrated the festival of the Four Beasts, who have no bodies, and which are the Wheels of God that bear His Divine Throne. According to the testimony concerning them by John the evangelist in his vision says, “I saw a throne in heaven, and He Who sat thereon was brighter than the sun, and more brilliant then the lightning. And I saw in the midst four beasts, full of eyes; the first had the likeness of the face of a lion, the second had the likeness of the face of a bull, the third had the likeness of the face of a man, and the fourth had the likeness of the face of an eagle; and each of them had six wings. And they cried out by day and by night, saying, “Holy, Holy, Holy, God of Hosts. All the heavens and the earth are filled with the holiness of Thy glory” (Rev. iv, 6).

And Isaiah the prophet also said, “I saw the Lord of Hosts sitting upon a high throne, and the whole place was filled with His glory. Seraphim and Cherubim surrounded Him, and His awe and majesty were exceedingly great. Each of these had six wings; with two of their wings they covered their faces, with two of their wings they covered their feet, and with two of their wings they did fly in the greatest glory by day and by night, saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts. All the heavens and the earth are filled with the holiness of Thy glory” (Isaiah vi, 2).

And David the prophet said, “He rode upon the Cherubim and did fly” (Psalm xviii, 10), and he also said, “He Who sitteth upon the Cherubim maketh the earth to quake,” And Ezekiel said concerning these wheels, “I saw a wind blow from heaven, and in it there was a cloud surrounded by fire, and brightness, and lightning, and four beasts supported Him. Each face (or person) had six wings, and they went before them. And the first beast had the likeness of the face of a man, and they ceased not to praise God by day and by night, and they said, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts, all the heavens and the earth are filled with the holiness of Thy glory” (Ezekiel I).

And John the evangelist said, “I heard a voice saying, Hallelujah! Salvation and power and blessing to our God. And the four beasts and the four and twenty elders of heaven worshipped God, saying, Hallelujah! God the Sustainer of the universe is King (Rev. xix, 4). After this I heard a voice saying, Praise our God with harp and psalms, Hallelujah! And I heard the voice of a multitude of peoples like unto the thunder, saying, God, the Sustainer of the universe, is King.” And many of the Books of the Old and the New Testaments testify concerning the honor of these Four Beasts which God hath set near Him to make supplication on behalf of all creation.

He with the man’s form maketh supplication on behalf of the children of men, he with the lion’s form maketh supplication on behalf of the beasts, he with the bull’s form maketh supplication on behalf of the cattle, and he with the eagle’s form maketh supplication on behalf of the birds. Now these beasts are very much nearer God than all the other powers of heaven.

For this reason the fathers of the Church have instituted the commemoration of the heavenly creatures, and have built churches in their name in every place because they make supplication for the race of man.

Salutation to the Four Beasts and to the horses of the Cherubim!

The Annual Feast of the Four Living Creatures (Cherubim)

Acording to Ethiopian Church tradition of iconography, the surroundings and inner door of sanctuaries ornamented by the icons of Cherubim along with the Images of Holy Trinity.

It seems that it would not make much sense for the four living creatures to represent the four evangelists, considering John was one of the four, and John was the one looking into heaven to witness these four living creatures. Why would John be represented in heaven during his own vision? I think that places the importance of John on a higher level than it should.

I believe the four creatures represent all of creation:

1. Lion - wild animals
2. Ox - tamed animals
3. Man - humans
4. Eagle - birds