Virtual Tour

St. Mary Delaware Virtual Tour : Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John

Matthew - The Man - Humanity

The 42 generations of Jesus’ lineage, from Abraham through King David and the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah are given by the gospel writer Matthew (Matthew 1:1-17).  Therefore, in the book of Revelation, St. Matthew is seen as the creature with a human face in the Heavenly Throne room.  Matthew links the covenants of the Old Testament to the New Testament fulfillment of God’s promises in Jesus Christ.  Matthew stands before the throne with a human face, always attesting to the humanity of Christ as the bridge between the old and the new, Earth and Heaven.

Mark - The Lion - The King

The gospel writer Mark is seen as the heavenly creature who has the appearance of a lion.  Before the Presence of God sitting upon His Throne, Mark attests to the power, authority, and royalty of the Son of Man and Son of God, the King of the Jews and the King of the Universe.  The gospel writer Mark, although he offered the briefest account of the life of Christ, preached Jesus as the Lord of all time (Mark 2:27-3:12).

Luke - The Ox - Sacrifice

“In the center, grouped around the throne itself, were four animals with many eyes, in front and behind. The first animal was like a lion, the second like an ox, the third animal had a human face, and the fourth animal was like a flying eagle” (Rev 4:7). The four animals or four living creatures of  Revelation have for centuries been interpreted as the four gospel writers. They stand at the center of the Heavenly Throne room forever witnessing to the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. The gospel writer St. Luke is depicted as the ox. The ox is a sign of sacrifice. Oxen or bulls were often sacrificed for sin in the Old Testament. Luke preaches the sacrifice of Christ as a means of forgiveness of sins and reconciliation (Luke 23:26-56).

John - The Eagle - Transcendence

The gospel writer John is depicted as the eagle, who preaches a message that seems to almost soar above the feeble minds of humanity, too high to grasp let alone comprehend. John hovers before the Throne of God as a witness to this eternal truth: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:1,14). St. John raises our minds to contemplate in awe the significance and meaning of the Incarnation of God as the Eternal Word.

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