Meditation 15
The Mystery of the Tetramorph
In the Old covenant
the capital heading of salvation was the West. Abraham went to the west
from Ur as well as the Magi who came from the East. We see this
repeated in a quotation of unknown origin in the New testament, “I
called my son out of Egypt” (Mt 2. 15). The gate of the tabernacle was
on the east side (Ex 38. 13-14) and Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord
enter the temple from east (43. 2-4).
But after Christ's incarnation on earth the East becomes the capital heading of salvation and thus churches are placed on an west-east axis with the altar and most Holy Sacrament on the eastern side. This fact affects all our understanding on the Sanctuary as a prefiguration of the church. In the New covenant the Holy of Holies is at the eastern side and thus the golden table of loaves is placed on the northern side and the lamp stand on the southern side in the Holy. This is how God emphasizes the importance of the Eucharist as foundation of all spiritual growth in the Holy (see Med. 19).
As early as the second century church fathers as Ignatius of Antioch (d. 130) and Ireneus of Lyon (ca. 120-202) discussed the Mystery of the Tetramorph in their writings. Thus Ireneus saw the Bull as the emblem of St. Luke referring to the sacrificial and sacerdotal order of Christ, the Eagle to St. John and the gift of the Spirit hovering with his wings over the Church, the Lion as Christ's royal power referring to St. Mark and the Winged man the emblem of St. Matthew and revealing the authentic incarnation of the Son of God. [1] Later Hyppolytus of Rome (d. 235) sought symbolic representation of the Four Evangelists in the visions of Isaiah (Is 6), Ezekiel (Ezk 1. 1.-28) and of St. John (Rv 4. 6-10). St. Jerome discussed also the Tetramorph referring to the prophet Ezekiel (In Ezk., 1,7) as well as St. Ambrose (Expos. Ev. S. Luc.), Pseudo-Atanasius (In Synopsis) followed up by St. Augustine of Hippo (De consensus evangelistarum), Pope Gregory the Great (In Ezk, Hom. I, vi, 1) and Bede the Venerable, just to mention few devising different combination. Finally the prevailing adoption of the Church consisted in symbolizing St. Luke as an Ox (bull), St. John by an Eagle, St. Mark as a Lion and St. Matthew as a Winged man.
It is not going to far to say that within sacred arts the Tetramorph has played dominant role already appearing in churches in Rome in the second century and in this context it is sufficient to mention one of the most ancient appearances in a mural work in Sta Maria della Vittoria in Rome and mosaics of the churches of S. Pudentiana, S. Sabina. S. Maria Maggiore and S. Paolo fuori le Mura at Rome. The Tetramorph enjoyed also much popularity in illuminated gospel books starting with Diatesseron composed by the priest Tatian in the early second century and became for centuries the standard gospel text of the Church of Antioch. In Diatesseron the emblems of the Evangelists are offered a whole page preceding each gospel, a tradition which became so to say a rule rather than exemption even in as remote corners of the world as Ireland, Scotland and Iceland. [2]
In the Old Testament it is perhaps the prophet Zechariah who sheds best light on the meaning of the four creatures in the minds of the ancient Jews,
In the Book of Enoch – which many look upon as one of the most ancient source regarding the religious beliefs of the Hebrews – we read following words regarding the role of the four archangels and their guardianship,
The four creatures are thus identified with four of the seven archangels in accordance with Hebrew tradition watching over the well being of the earth revealing one aspect of the protection which is hidden in the Divine Order of March or the El Shaddai Tetramorph ( Ps 91) which was also revealed to Elisha when his servant became terrified facing the army of the Syrians,
The four archangels are thus closely related to the power hidden in the name of Yahweh. The four creatures and the division of the world into four quarters stems from the ancient times of the patriarchs and appears already in the beginning words of the Bible in Genesis,
As a matter of fact the Tetramorph is so common in the ancient world that we can maintain that it has universal acceptation in the cosmology of various cultures from the tips of South America to China as a foundation of all social order. It is out of the scope of this work to discuss this in detail as the emphasize here is on its meaning in Christian spirituality flowing as a living tradition to the farthest corner of the habitual world. Thus we see this spirituality appear in an authentic way in the Icelandic Book of Homilies,
The ancient author continues and says, “One of these creatures was like the wild animal, another as an ox, the third as a man and the fourth was like a flying eagle.” [5] I draw the reader's attention to the “wild animal” as a dragon and distinct mark of the Icelandic Tetramorph as well as the Celtic one as the lion appears with a dragon's head in the Celtic manuscript the Book of Kells which can both be trace to the fact that that lions were unknown in these high northern latitudes and in the Septuagint text of Psalm 91 the dragon or dragonta is mentioned in verse 13.
As one of God's sacred symbols in the Bible the Tetramorph reveals how His blessings streams to the four quarters of the earth. It was in this way how the ancient Hebrews understood the fourfold power which was hidden in the name of YHWH as a tetragram. The letters referred thus to the four cardinal headings of the earth. This we see clearly in the 91. psalm of David where the name of Yahweh is exposed as as the source of His power,
But after Christ's incarnation on earth the East becomes the capital heading of salvation and thus churches are placed on an west-east axis with the altar and most Holy Sacrament on the eastern side. This fact affects all our understanding on the Sanctuary as a prefiguration of the church. In the New covenant the Holy of Holies is at the eastern side and thus the golden table of loaves is placed on the northern side and the lamp stand on the southern side in the Holy. This is how God emphasizes the importance of the Eucharist as foundation of all spiritual growth in the Holy (see Med. 19).
As early as the second century church fathers as Ignatius of Antioch (d. 130) and Ireneus of Lyon (ca. 120-202) discussed the Mystery of the Tetramorph in their writings. Thus Ireneus saw the Bull as the emblem of St. Luke referring to the sacrificial and sacerdotal order of Christ, the Eagle to St. John and the gift of the Spirit hovering with his wings over the Church, the Lion as Christ's royal power referring to St. Mark and the Winged man the emblem of St. Matthew and revealing the authentic incarnation of the Son of God. [1] Later Hyppolytus of Rome (d. 235) sought symbolic representation of the Four Evangelists in the visions of Isaiah (Is 6), Ezekiel (Ezk 1. 1.-28) and of St. John (Rv 4. 6-10). St. Jerome discussed also the Tetramorph referring to the prophet Ezekiel (In Ezk., 1,7) as well as St. Ambrose (Expos. Ev. S. Luc.), Pseudo-Atanasius (In Synopsis) followed up by St. Augustine of Hippo (De consensus evangelistarum), Pope Gregory the Great (In Ezk, Hom. I, vi, 1) and Bede the Venerable, just to mention few devising different combination. Finally the prevailing adoption of the Church consisted in symbolizing St. Luke as an Ox (bull), St. John by an Eagle, St. Mark as a Lion and St. Matthew as a Winged man.
It is not going to far to say that within sacred arts the Tetramorph has played dominant role already appearing in churches in Rome in the second century and in this context it is sufficient to mention one of the most ancient appearances in a mural work in Sta Maria della Vittoria in Rome and mosaics of the churches of S. Pudentiana, S. Sabina. S. Maria Maggiore and S. Paolo fuori le Mura at Rome. The Tetramorph enjoyed also much popularity in illuminated gospel books starting with Diatesseron composed by the priest Tatian in the early second century and became for centuries the standard gospel text of the Church of Antioch. In Diatesseron the emblems of the Evangelists are offered a whole page preceding each gospel, a tradition which became so to say a rule rather than exemption even in as remote corners of the world as Ireland, Scotland and Iceland. [2]
In the Old Testament it is perhaps the prophet Zechariah who sheds best light on the meaning of the four creatures in the minds of the ancient Jews,
'What are these my
lord?' The angle replied, 'They are the four winds of heaven.
They came out vigorously, eager to patrol the world.' He said to them,
'Go and patrol the world.' And they patrolled the world (Zc 6. 5-8).
In the Book of Enoch – which many look upon as one of the most ancient source regarding the religious beliefs of the Hebrews – we read following words regarding the role of the four archangels and their guardianship,
And then Michael,
Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel, looked down from heaven and saw much blood
being shed upon the earth, and all the lawlessness being wrought upon
the earth. And they said one to another: 'The earth, made without
inhabitant, cries the voice of their crying up to the gates of heaven.'
[3]
The four creatures are thus identified with four of the seven archangels in accordance with Hebrew tradition watching over the well being of the earth revealing one aspect of the protection which is hidden in the Divine Order of March or the El Shaddai Tetramorph ( Ps 91) which was also revealed to Elisha when his servant became terrified facing the army of the Syrians,
Next day, Elisha got
up early and went out; and there surrounding the town was an armed
force with horses and chariots. 'Oh my lord,' his servant said, 'what
are we to do?' 'Do not be afraid,' he replied, 'for there are more on
our side than on theirs.' And Elisha prayed, 'Yahweh,' he said, 'open
his eyes and make him see.' Yahweh opened the servant's eyes, and he
saw the mountain covered in fiery horses and chariots surrounding
Elisha (2K 6. 15 - 17).
The four archangels are thus closely related to the power hidden in the name of Yahweh. The four creatures and the division of the world into four quarters stems from the ancient times of the patriarchs and appears already in the beginning words of the Bible in Genesis,
A river flowed from
Eden to water the garden, and from there it divided to make four
streams (Gn 2. 10).
As a matter of fact the Tetramorph is so common in the ancient world that we can maintain that it has universal acceptation in the cosmology of various cultures from the tips of South America to China as a foundation of all social order. It is out of the scope of this work to discuss this in detail as the emphasize here is on its meaning in Christian spirituality flowing as a living tradition to the farthest corner of the habitual world. Thus we see this spirituality appear in an authentic way in the Icelandic Book of Homilies,
Properly God called
four evangelists as His doctrine was intended to reach the four capital
headings of the earth. These four evangelists refers to the four rivers
falling from Paradise to this world as their heavenly teaching streams
over whole the world like rivers and water and enkindle the spiritual
fruits in the hearts of the faithful, quench spiritual thirst and
purifies us of all sins. [4]
The ancient author continues and says, “One of these creatures was like the wild animal, another as an ox, the third as a man and the fourth was like a flying eagle.” [5] I draw the reader's attention to the “wild animal” as a dragon and distinct mark of the Icelandic Tetramorph as well as the Celtic one as the lion appears with a dragon's head in the Celtic manuscript the Book of Kells which can both be trace to the fact that that lions were unknown in these high northern latitudes and in the Septuagint text of Psalm 91 the dragon or dragonta is mentioned in verse 13.
As one of God's sacred symbols in the Bible the Tetramorph reveals how His blessings streams to the four quarters of the earth. It was in this way how the ancient Hebrews understood the fourfold power which was hidden in the name of YHWH as a tetragram. The letters referred thus to the four cardinal headings of the earth. This we see clearly in the 91. psalm of David where the name of Yahweh is exposed as as the source of His power,
You
who live in the secret place of Elyon (1),
spend your night in the shelter of Shaddai (2),
saying to Yahweh(3), ‘My refuge, my fortress,
my Elohim (4) in whom I trust!’
spend your night in the shelter of Shaddai (2),
saying to Yahweh(3), ‘My refuge, my fortress,
my Elohim (4) in whom I trust!’
In the Old Covenant
God's power was inseparable from His glory: God revealed His power by
His glory. In the New Covenant He revealed finally and once and for all
the power of His glory in the Incarnation of His Son in the womb of a
woman as to make His Invisible and Uncreated super mundane power
visible and touchable in a created human flesh! This was the turning
point in human history and its focal point that had lived in the heart
of God before the world was made, THUS HE CHOSE US IN CHRIST BEFORE THE
WORLD WAS MADE TO BE HOLY AND FAULTLESS BEFORE HIM IN LOVE (Ep 1. 4).
Two patristic texts are most frequently cited in this context in order to shed light upon this mystery from Ireneus and Athanasius. Ireneus said, “The Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, who because of his limitless love became what we are in order to make us what even he himself is.” [6] Athanasius is still more daring, “Christ became human that human might become divine.” [7] Thus Gregory of Nyssa shouted by joy, “God put the bait of humanity on the angle of salvation and Satan swallowed it spontaneously without giving it a thought.” [8]
This fact is what makes Christianity unique among the religions on this acorn in the universe which we call mother earth. It is in the light of this revelation that we can scrutinize God's meaning hidden in the Tetramorph or Divine Order of March of the Old Covenant as His intentional plan and prefiguration of the community of His spiritual Israel – the Church – the place where He reveals His power.
In the New Covenant it is our Lord Jesus Christ who reveals this mystery of the power of the Holy Name in far more profound way than in the Old Covenant as a pentagram. The Holy Name of J E S U S with its five letters reveals the fivefold protection which is hidden in the Tetramorph, that is, the circle itself and its center point. Clement of Alexandria (d. 215) shed further light on the power of the Holy Name by referring to the six levels in space, that is, the four cardinal headings besides the nadir and the zenith, which with the center point formed the numeral seven. This became a vast area of speculative theology in the ancient Church revealing the name as an all protective power. We can thus define the Tetramorph as a sacred symbol in threefold way in the light of Christ's incarnation.
Firstly as a formation of the “perfect Man fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself” (Ep 4. 13). Each quarter of the Tetramorph sheds light on this formation:
http://myweb.lmu.edu/fjust/Evangelists_Symbols.htm
[2].
We see this tradition appear in an authentic way in the Book of Kells and in the Book of Lindisfarne.
[3]. Book of Enoch, XI. 1. It is necessary to emphasize here that in the Scriptures the proper names of only three angels are revealed, all of whom belong to the choir of the Archangels, that is: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael. The name Uriel is not found in the canonical books of the Bible, but in the apocryphal book of Enoch, fourth book of Esdras and in rabbinical literature. As to uproot the persistent danger of adoration of angels or angelism so popular in modern times within the New Age heresy all names of angels that were taken from apocryphal writings were rejected under Pope Zachary, in 745. There must have been danger of serious abuses in this regard during that century, because a similar step was taken in a synod held at Aix-la-Chapelle in 789. I ask the reader to bear this in mind as in this context I am simply pointing to the Hebrew/Christian origin of the tetramorph. In the Christian tetramorph the Hebrew archangel Uriel refers to the power of the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit: His Uncreated light. On the Chaplet of the Sparkling Stones the Uncreated light is represented by the fourth jewel discussed in Meditation 12 above. It is this Uncreated light – the Light of Glory – that is an authentic experience of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the higher states of the contemplation as the most mysterious Person of the Trinity. We find an analogy of this in the natural creation in the sun and its rays.
[4]. Book of Homilies, p. 23.
[5]. This tradition is persevered in the Icelandic cote of arms and thus whole of Iceland was divided into subsections in accordance to the tetramorph in ancient times which was almost unchanged as late as 1874.
[6]. Adversus Hareses 5, Preface.
[7]. On the Incarnation, 54.
[8]. From Glory to Glory: Selection from the Writings of Gregory Bishop of Nyssa, Introduction.
[9]. I picked this word from Archimandrite’s Sophrony work, His Life is Mine.
Two patristic texts are most frequently cited in this context in order to shed light upon this mystery from Ireneus and Athanasius. Ireneus said, “The Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, who because of his limitless love became what we are in order to make us what even he himself is.” [6] Athanasius is still more daring, “Christ became human that human might become divine.” [7] Thus Gregory of Nyssa shouted by joy, “God put the bait of humanity on the angle of salvation and Satan swallowed it spontaneously without giving it a thought.” [8]
This fact is what makes Christianity unique among the religions on this acorn in the universe which we call mother earth. It is in the light of this revelation that we can scrutinize God's meaning hidden in the Tetramorph or Divine Order of March of the Old Covenant as His intentional plan and prefiguration of the community of His spiritual Israel – the Church – the place where He reveals His power.
In the New Covenant it is our Lord Jesus Christ who reveals this mystery of the power of the Holy Name in far more profound way than in the Old Covenant as a pentagram. The Holy Name of J E S U S with its five letters reveals the fivefold protection which is hidden in the Tetramorph, that is, the circle itself and its center point. Clement of Alexandria (d. 215) shed further light on the power of the Holy Name by referring to the six levels in space, that is, the four cardinal headings besides the nadir and the zenith, which with the center point formed the numeral seven. This became a vast area of speculative theology in the ancient Church revealing the name as an all protective power. We can thus define the Tetramorph as a sacred symbol in threefold way in the light of Christ's incarnation.
Firstly as a formation of the “perfect Man fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself” (Ep 4. 13). Each quarter of the Tetramorph sheds light on this formation:
The Western Quarter Under the Emblem of
the Bull refers to the three jewels of the Holy Trinity and to
the fullness of the baptismal grace. In the sacrament of Baptism the
soul is filled with grace which she loses soon again in her spiritual
inconsistency. All our efforts in the prayer life and all the infused
grace which the Holy Spirit gives us participation in restores this
grace in its purity. In the gateway referring to the western quarter of
the Tetramorph God enkindles the threefold grace of obedience, poverty
of spirit and purity in order to make the soul able to proceed further
on this Sacred Way.
The Northern Quarter Under the Emblem
of the Eagle is the place which marks the beginning of struggle
in the prayer life – the period of the desert prayer – when the soul
has to face her base nature and conquer it in the Night of the senses or the winter of the senses as the holy fathers named it in ancient
times (Macarius of Egypt). Only thus the soul rises up like an eagle on
the wings of her growing love in the infused prayer of rest in order to
enter the Holy.
The Eastern Quarter Under the Emblem of
the Lion marks the beginning stage of the prayer of union at the
golden table of loaves and lamp stand which reaches culmination at the
golden altar of incense, completed at the curtain and entrance into the
Holy of Holies in the Night of the powers or spirit.
In the Southern Quarter Under the
Emblem of the Winged Man the soul enter into the Night of
redemption at the curtain and entrance into the Holy of Holies
referring to the complete union with God or the spiritual marriage. It
is this ontological fact which St. Paul referred to as growth in “Christ Jesus, who for us was made wisdom from God, and saving justice
and holiness and redemption” (1 Cor 1. 30).
Secondly as a
formation of the the human being as a six days creation in order to
become a theological being or “microtheos” [9] in its Christification in the fullness of the
seventh day in the grace of the seven sacraments as revealed by the
greater tools of the Sanctuary and we will scrutinize in Meditation 19.
And thirdly or
lastly as healing of the impediments of the soul originating in her
alienation from God. This truth God revealed already by the impediments
of the priests of Aaron in the Old Covenant,
None of your
descendants, for all time, may come forward to offer the food of his
God if he has any infirmity, for none may come forward if he has an
infirmity, be he blind (1)
or lame (2), disfigured (3) or deformed (4), or with an injured foot (5) or arm (6), a hunchback (7), someone with rickets (8) or opthalmia (9) or the scab (10) or running sores (11), or a eunuch (12). No descendant of the
priest Aaron may come forward to offer the food burnt for Yahweh if he
has any infirmity; if he has an infirmity, he will not come forward to
offer the food of his God. He may eat the food of his God, things
especially holy and the things holy, but he will not go near the
curtain or approach the altar, since he has an infirmity and must not
profane my holy things for I, Yahweh, have sanctified them (Lv 21.
16-24).
We have already discussed the first three of these spiritual impediments above (Med. 12) which will gradually be healed in the illumination of the twelve jewels of the spiritual breastplate.
[1].
Adversus Hareses, 3. 11, 8.
Prof.
Felix Just, S. J., Loyola Marymount University, has opened an excellent
Home Page on the Symbols of the Evangelists on the internet, Its
Url is:
http://myweb.lmu.edu/fjust/Evangelists_Symbols.htm
[3]. Book of Enoch, XI. 1. It is necessary to emphasize here that in the Scriptures the proper names of only three angels are revealed, all of whom belong to the choir of the Archangels, that is: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael. The name Uriel is not found in the canonical books of the Bible, but in the apocryphal book of Enoch, fourth book of Esdras and in rabbinical literature. As to uproot the persistent danger of adoration of angels or angelism so popular in modern times within the New Age heresy all names of angels that were taken from apocryphal writings were rejected under Pope Zachary, in 745. There must have been danger of serious abuses in this regard during that century, because a similar step was taken in a synod held at Aix-la-Chapelle in 789. I ask the reader to bear this in mind as in this context I am simply pointing to the Hebrew/Christian origin of the tetramorph. In the Christian tetramorph the Hebrew archangel Uriel refers to the power of the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit: His Uncreated light. On the Chaplet of the Sparkling Stones the Uncreated light is represented by the fourth jewel discussed in Meditation 12 above. It is this Uncreated light – the Light of Glory – that is an authentic experience of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the higher states of the contemplation as the most mysterious Person of the Trinity. We find an analogy of this in the natural creation in the sun and its rays.
[4]. Book of Homilies, p. 23.
[5]. This tradition is persevered in the Icelandic cote of arms and thus whole of Iceland was divided into subsections in accordance to the tetramorph in ancient times which was almost unchanged as late as 1874.
[6]. Adversus Hareses 5, Preface.
[7]. On the Incarnation, 54.
[8]. From Glory to Glory: Selection from the Writings of Gregory Bishop of Nyssa, Introduction.
[9]. I picked this word from Archimandrite’s Sophrony work, His Life is Mine.