1. The Encampment of Israel

4. Marching order LION - JUDAH Issachar Zebulun
Gershon-Merari w/tabernacle
MAN - REUBEN
Simeon Gad
Kohathites w/sanctuary
OX - EPHRAIM
Manassah Benjamin
EAGLE - DAN
Asher Napthali

7. Elpis Israel p154
We have arrived then at this, that the Mosaic cherubim were symbolical of “God manifest in the flesh.” We wish now to ascertain upon what principles his incarnate manifestation was represented by the Cherubim? First, then, in the soloution of this interesting problem, I remark, that the scriptures speak of God after the following manner. “God is light and in him is no darkness at all” 1Jn 1:5; again, “God is a spirit; and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” in John 4:24; and thirdly, “our God is a consuming fire” Deut 4:24. in these three text, which are only a sample of many others, we perceive that God is represented by light, spirit, and fire; when, therefore, he is symbolized as manifest in flesh, it becomes necessary to select certain signs representative of light, spirit, and fire, derived from the animal kingdom. Now, the ancients selected the lion, the ox, and the eagle, for this purpose, probably from tradition of the signification of these animals, or the faces of them, in the original cherubim.

8. Elpis Israel p154
They are called god’s faces because his omniscience, purity, and jealousy, are expressed in them. But the omniscient jealous, and incorruptible God, was to be manifest in a particular kind of flesh. Hence, it was necessary to add a fourth face to show in what nature he would show himself. For this reason, the human face was associated with the lion, the ox and the eagle.

9. Matthew – Lion
Mark – Ox
Luke – Man
John – Eagle

10. Divine Majesty in Motion
The Gospels are not mere repetition, but reveal the different facets of the ministry and words of Christ as the Lion, the Ox, the Man, and the eagle. He is the the Lion in Matthew, for Matthew dwells on his royal majesty; he is the Ox in Mark, for Mark reveals him as a servant devoted to the needs of the people he desired to help; he is the Man in Luke, for Luke traces his genealogy back to Adam and wrote for gentiles; he is the Eagle in John, for John reveals him as the word from the beginning then made flesh, and shows the influence of his divine begettal more than any of the other writers.

19. Law of Moses p
The appointment of a tabernacle and its various appurtenances as a meeting place between God and Israel necessitated the appointment also of an order of men to act as intermediaries; how otherwise could Israel acceptably draw near? Israel was unfit to draw near Man cannot approach God except in God’s own way: that this we can only learn by the revelation of his mind, and that all other so-called religion is the mere device of human ignorance and presumption.

22. Tabernacle in the wilderness

23. The Encampment Num.2 and 3

25. Baptized in the Sea 1Cor.10:2

28. Matthew – Lion
Mark – Ox
Luke – Man
John -- Eagle

30. The Lion; Light, Strength and rulership. Rev. 5:5
The Ox - Cherub; Fire, strength, and a suffering servant Isa.42:1 Isa. 53
The Man; who attained the intellectual and physical image and likeness of God Gen.1:26
The Eagle; Overshadowing protection,Symbol of the spirit without measure

31. Divine Majesty in Motion
The Lion, with its shining eyes, its tawny gold-like color, its flowing mane, its irresistable strength suggest the velocity and superiority of light over darkness. The Ox or bull with its horns, its curling locks on its forehead, its relentless fury when aroused is descriptive of the appearance and terrible effect of fire. The Eagle, with its silent movements, lofty soaring high into the heavens, is suggestive of the spirit in motion.