"Whom Say Ye That I Am?"
~ Matthew 16:15, Mark 8:29, Luke 9:20 ~

To that question, which the gospels atest that Jesus did ask, the various aspects to the Four Faces of Christ of the Lion, Ox/Calf, Man and Eagle, does potentially shed considerable light and understanding. And this beyond the one perspective Jewish analysis which the Bible, both Old and New does so provide. For that record is that of the Jews and does but view through the singular myopic Jewish perspective and is therefore so skewed as to not fully represent Jesus Christ in a multi-dimensional perspective such as that which the four faces of Christ may so reveal him in.

"And the first living being was like a lion, and the second living being like a calf [ox], and the third living being had a face as a man, and the fourth living being was like a flying eagle. And the four living beings had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." ~ Revelation 4:7-8 (see also: Ezekiel 1:7-11)

These four symbolic figures have been written about much and as to just what they do or do not represent. Beginning more anciently, some have spoken to the consideration that these four 'faces' or 'aspects' of Christ as Lion, Ox, Man and Eagle may be represented by or a representation of the four gospels of the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. This may not be exactly the actual case, but since each gospel does convey the life and minstery of Christ, it would be wrong to state that the gosepls do not speak to such 'faces' or 'aspects' of Christ and perhaps dividing them per gospel does come in useful if not only to consider each aspect apart and separatedly. But certainly each may be found in all four gosepl across the board. And though such testaments do also witness as to Christ, his character, being and attributes; let it be said here that this is not that particular representation which Ezekiel in his first chapter, long before such gospels were written and even selected and John in Revelation, which was written well after the four gospels had been written, has reference to in the Lion being only and prime in Matthew, the Ox or calf being only and prime in Mark, the Man per Luke and Eagle per John. And this must be understood that in each of the four gospels, since they do testify of Christ, such elements of the Lion, Ox, Man and Eagle, may be found in each; but to single any one such 'Gospel' out as singularly as the representation the Lion only in Matthew, the Ox only in Mark, the Man only in Luke and the Eagle only in John is to so skew what the Lion, Ox, Man and Eagle actualy does represent to so fit that particular gospel.

True, Matthew's gospel does look to the 'Jewish' perspective the most and thus to Christ being the Son of David and heir to the throne of David, but Matthew does also speak to the 'Suffering Servant', the 'Son of Man', and the spiritual concepts of the Eagle as well. And though it may be pointed out that John does speak upon that which does apply more to the members of the Chruch in so becoming like and just what is needful in man becoming one in and with Christ and the Father, which the spiritual birth of the gospel does so consider; John does also speak to the other aspects of Christ as well. And Luke is not the only gospel which speaks of Christ as the Son of Man, the Son of God; all the gospels do. And when one comes to fully understand that full perspective of the 'Ox', the sacrificial suffering servant, Messiah ben Joseph signified by that Ox of Ephraim; none of the 'Jewish' sourced gospels from their 'Jewish' perspectives—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all being 'Jews'—none of them treat well the full and correct face or aspect of the Ox.

In fact the bits and pieces of Messiah ben Ephraim, the Ox, are scattered throughout the four gospels. Matthew speaks of the weeping of Rachel as the true mother of the slaughtered babies of Ramah, Israel, the House of David (Matthew 2:16-18). John points out Philip's witness to Nathanael that Christ had come, the very anticipated 'Son of Joseph' (John 1:44-45). Luke speaks of the parable of the Good Samaritan, who is a personification of Christ (Luke 10:33-37). And again it is John who witnesses of the Jew's half truth slander of Christ as truthfully a 'Samaritan', which Christ never does deny, being of mixed Israel and other nations by such as Rahab and Ruth; and so also having falsely the spirit of the devil in him (John 8:48-49). And Christ as the suffering servant may be seen in all the four gospels and both the New and Old Testament, particulary Isaiah 53 and even all the sacrifices of Adam, Noah, Abraham and the whole of the Law of Moses which does point to and foreshadow the suffering servant in Christ.

There is however that singular symbolic structural representation so left from the camp of Israel set out by Moses well before Ezekiel and John the beloved which may be picturestly relied upon. This is where the primary faces of that encampment had Judah and the ensign of the Lion on the east, the ensign of the Ox of Ephraim on the west, the ensign of the Man of Rueben upon the south, and the ensign of the Eagle of Dan upon the north as the primary 'faces' to the tabernacle or House of the Lord or the Lord himself in the wilderness.

It ought to be noted that in the presentation and interpretation of such an analogy, symbolic or otherwise, the taking of a full extensive detailed interpretation is not feasible for the analogy will brake down in that it is only a representation of the more complex reality and even the 'detailed aspects' of the analogy representation do not correspond fully to that which it does represent. That is while the analogy comparison of the camp of Israel does show and reprent the four faces of the Lord, it does not in every detail speak precisely of him. For example the Eagle of Dan, just what does the detail of the tribe of 'Dan' have to do with Christ in such an analogous interpretation?

Now then, much has been written and speculated as to the four faces or aspects of the Lion, Ox, Man and Eagle in respect to the Lord Jesus Christ himself. And of such, as in all thing pointing and representing him as a witness of him, these considerations are of prime interest here. Thus we will now turn unto Christ as the Lion, Christ as the Ox, Christ as the Man and Christ as the Eagle. And as we do, there is a very particular note to make in relation to each of the four faces, and that is that each has their own particualr 'birthing' and ancestry to consider in relation to the Savior.

Christ the Lion
(Messiah ben David/Judah ~ Heir to the Throne)

Birthing of the Lion: The birth and sonship of Christ as the Lion is well represented by the information so presented in the Old Testament and New Testament of the 'Jewish' Bible and traditions of the Jews. Christ is the Son of David, the heir to the Kingdom and throne of the House of David. He is the King of Israel. Christ's literal blood line descent from Judah the Lion is well preserved and emphasized in and by the Biblical presentation of him beginning with the skewed story of the Book of Ruth so slated to his birth to Boaz, though Boaz was but surrogate parent of Obed by Ruth. Even Matthew's gospel does present this primary aspect of Jesus Christ that he was and is the heir to David's throne as King of Israel (the Jews). The genealogy that Matthew presents is that precise royal genealogy which yields Jesus Christ as the Messiah son of David, Messiah ben David. This is the strength of the Biblical record given from that perspective of the Jews. Yet it is that very strength of Jewish 'only' perspective which also leaves the other three aspects of Jesus Christ wanting and variously ignored in their details of expression. What of the Ox, the Man and the Eagle?

As to Christ as the Lion, it seems to be first referenced by father Jacob in his blessing of his son Judah as he states that, "Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him?" (Genesis 49:9). First a 'lion's whelp' is a young lion still in a mother's care. Yet 'whelp' can also be used as a 'transitive verb', that is 'to give birth to (young)' and as such a lion's whelp is that young which it gives birth to and in that sense a direct implication can be made, Christ being born of Judah, the lion's young or offspring. In this it is true, Jesus was a direct bloodline descendant of Judah. However on the other hand if Judah is the lion's young or offspring who is the lion but Jacob? And in that all the sons of Israel my be viewed as the lion's offspring the lion's whelp and in Micah it speaks to 'the remnant of Jacob' among the nations like a young lion among the flock of sheep (Micah 5:8). And this 'remnant of Jacob' is spoken of in 3 Nephi 20:16 and 3 Nephi 21:12 by Christ and in Mormon 5:24 is such like reference.

Yet, even John the revelator who saw as a Jew saw Chirst being the Lion of Judah as the Revelation so states:

"Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, has prevailed to open to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof." ~ Revelation 5:5

And then John saw a Lamb, the sacrificial beast, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. John's vision goes on to site the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth which may be seen as the seven lights of the Menorah of the temple, having seven horns, seven eyes and so forth. That aspect of the seven spirts is left, not to be covered here. It is but the Lion covered here and the other of the four beasts.

Christ the Ox
(Messiah ben Ephraim/Joseph ~ The Firstborn, Heir of the Covenant)

'Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest.' ~ from Proverbs 14:4 (New International Version - UK)

This probverb, such as like a parable, has various depths of meaning and application. The obvious is that of the working ox which provides the literal harvest of the fruits of the field and that the ox is necessary. When compared to Israel and even Jesus Christ, the meaning deepens. The Ox is the symbol for and does refer to the tribe of Ephraim. The 'manger' or 'crib' thereof is where the fruit of the harvest is brought and also in terms of Jesus Christ, it is where the Christ Child was born. Thus the deeper meaning is that without the covenant birthright of Ephraim there is no covenant child born in the manger and further the abundant gathering of the house of Israel would not be either. Remeber it is by the work of the ox of Ehraim that the nations are herded in that great last gathering of Israel in the latter days (Deuteronomy 33:17/D&C 58:44-45).

When it comes to the sacrificial beast which represents Jesus Christ, the ox or calf of Ephraim is the pre-emminent one. Thought the land or sheep is common, in reference to any specific type of Israel, it is the ox of Ephraim which stands clear. It is of some interest that the Jewish tradition projects the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 on to the person of Messiah ben Ephraim and the Christian world sees in the suffereing servant of Isaiah 53 none other than Jesus Christ. This begs the question, "Is not the suffering servant of Messiah ben Joseph of Isaiah 53 the same being as Jesus Christ?

The Birthing of the Ox, The Firstborn - Heir of the Covenant: As pointed out in scripture the 'Birthright' was Joseph's (1 Chronicales 5:1-2) which then pasted to Ephraim as of Jacob's blessing of the two sons of Joseph in Genesis 48, and so stated by God, that He God was the Father to Israel and that Ephraim was and 'is' even in the time of Jeremiah and so on indeed his Firstborn (Jeremaih 31:9). Now this 'Firstborn' blessing of the covenant of the fathers is also so related in the modern scriptures of the restoration in D&C 27:10 (9-11) where it states that the promises so held from Adam down and through such as Abraham, Isaac and Jocab where so preserved through, in and with Joseph, Joseph thus confired as the son of that birthright covenant of the fathers, even the Covenant of Abraham which included the right to the legal and rightful ancestry to the Messiah and that right to the priesthood of God as elsewhere in the D&C alluded to as so belong rightfully to those of Ephraim such as Joseph Smith himself. And particularly the 'birthright' of the covenant was preserved to Christ by the fact that Boaz was but surrogate parent to the Son of Naomi or the household of Elimelech and the first husband of Ruth, Mehlon, those Ephraimites (Ephrathites) of Bethlehem. Boaz did but raise up seed to his maternally related cousins and Obed was legally and rightfull heir to the blessings of the coveant of the firstborn of Israel, of Ephraim, even of Messiah ben Joseph (Ruth 1:2, Ruth 4:5, 9-11, 13-17).

Christ the Man
(Only Begotten Son of God that Man of Holiness)

From being the son of man as of Adam to being the Son of Man as the Son of God, Christ descends to be born of woman though Son of God, from his throne of creation on high he so condescends to come to earth not only to gain his own body but to perform that which no mere mortal can; the atonement of descending below all thins is to be seen of him in his dualist condescension here below.

The Birthing of The Man, The Son of Man: Jesus Christ was and is the 'Son of Man' meaning dualistically that he was the very Son of that Man of Holiness even Elohim the Father of Spirits. And this not only in being the Firstborn Son in the Spirit but as well being the Only Begotten Son in the Flesh. God was the Father of the man Jesus Christ and in this we may know well that Christ, who is the same as Jehovah of the Old Testament came down upon earth and this is that which is referred to as God's condescension or the Condescension of God. And dualistically Jesus is the son of man, a mortal being, being the son of Mary. Thus Jesus had both the mortal ability to die and the Godly ability to rise from the dead.

"The Spirit of the Lord upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the borkenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. . . . This day is this scripture fulfilled in you ears." ~ Luke 4:18-21 (Isaiah 61:1-2)

Christ, the God of Creation under the direction of the Father, came down amongst us as a man to save his people of his creation. This transformation is represented by the Tribe of Rueben as man, and Christ like Rueben would be tempted as to the things of the flesh, but unlike Rueben Christ would resist all such temptation to remain as perfect in that respect, sinless, a sinless infinite sacrifice as a man-god and thus able atonement for man, reconciling man unto God.

As the Firstborn Son of God the Father of Spirits, Jehovah was heir to the Father's House and so Jehovah was so selected from among us to be our Ministering God to become not only the Firstborn Son in the Spirit, but also the Only Begotten Son in the Flesh; our Redeemer, Deliver, our Advocate with the Father, our Intercessor and Mediator between us of the Second Estate and our Fahter of our Spirits, Who Art in Heaven. Only those who so pertain unto this estate do minister unto it (D&C 130:5), and thus our elder brother Jehovah was so chosen and selected of the Father and so anointed and ordained to act in the stead of the Father in all things pertaining unto this world. From being the Creator under the direction of the Father including the forming of the tabernacle of man, to being the the atoning Savior, to finallying being that Millennial King and ultimate Judge of Heaven and earth. It is He who would be that Jehoshua(Jesus), Jehovah Deliverer, that was opposed in the preexistence by Satan (See Zechariah 3), who was tempted of him and who will so dispose of him in the sides of the pit in that great and last day. And this he has and will do in the Name of the Father, Acting in behalf of the Father, by that power and authority given him by the Father, to the glory of the Father; He being the Son of the Father, even that very Son of that Man of Holiness, Amen.

Christ the Eagle
(Born of the Spirit)

" . . . I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: . . . I will be like the most High." ~ Isaiah 14:13&14

When speaking of the fall of Lucifer, this is referenced. Yet in truth it is Christ who will rise to sit upon the right hand of God, upon the north, upon the throne of God and will be lke the most High. Now whither symbolic, representative or actual, Kolob's association with the throne of God has been directionally equated to the location of the North Star. This is of an ancient recognition such that even the Egyptian's in their structures are pointing to and reference the North or Polar Star and equating their heaven with such. The Babylonians and other ancinet societies also held this perception that the dwelling of the gods was to the north in heavens. Psalms 48:2 alludes to it. Mormon theology, whither traditional, symbolic or actual also looks to the direction of the north or North Star for its association with Kolob and the throne of God. Symboliclly, the north star is the navigational star, that which guides the traveler and equates to magnetic north on the compas. These associations with diety with being upon the 'north' are therefore deemed to be significant as also so referenced in Isaiah.

The Birthing of the Eagle: The baptism birth of Christ was on this wise, when Jesus came to John the Baptist, he emplored John that he the he the Christ should be baptised by him. John however recognized that in the Messiah there was not the need of such baptism as to the removal of sin. Yet Jesus instructed John that he needed to be baptised of him 'for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness (Matthew 3:15). This baptism is that 'second birth', that birth by which man is born again both of the water and of the spirit in order that 'fallen man' might again return to God. Thus even Jesus became Son of the Spirit of Righteousness as required of all men, even Jesus Christ himself that he rightfully would enter back to the kingdom of god and resume his divine position of God there.

Thus so being born of the water and of the spirit brings man back to God from whence man came, and it enjoins man into that eternal perspective of perfect righteousness necessary to be come immortal, that is without beginning or end, even as God is. We are all without beginning from that ever eternal matter or substance of intelligence and through the blessings of the plan of God we may so become eternal and everlasting, thus being without beginning or without end. This is the power of the 'birth of the spirit', the 'second birth', that baptism of water and spirit which even Jesus Christ himself did so subject himself to in order to fulfill all righteousness in complilance to the plan of god.

The Son of Righteousness: From all eternity to all eternity, that which ties Christ, God and man to all eternity is that which the birth of the spirit will bring. As Man is God once was and As God is Man may become. Each has/will so evolve(d) through the plan of exaltation, even God as now with man. And that which ties us all to eternity without beginning and without end is that eternal spirit of truth and righteousness which always has and always will permiate and hold together that eternity which is. It is that eternal intelligence which has is without beginning and without end and unto that we are born by the baptism of the spirit, so sanctified that we may dwell in that very eternal realm of the heavens thus also so being without beginning or end even as our God before us.

Now as the Son of Righteousness, Christ takes upon himself the name of Dan, in that Dan means "Judge". And he assumes his role as our very eternal Judge of Heaven and Earth. And his judgment will be as the two edged sword which meats out justice and mercy. Even as the serpent requires judgment even the healing which is in the wings of the eagle will the sting of the serpent's bit be swept away and disposed of through and in and by the grace and mercy of God by means of the atonement for all who do turn unto Christ.

The Eagle, the Restoration, the Fulfillment, and the Culmination

As it is that Christ becoming and acting ultimately as the Judge of Mankind, that it is still much in the future, so is a more complete understandin of Christ as the Eagle and just what the flying eagle does completely represent. It is said that there are three pilars of eternity, having to do with the creation, the fall and the atonement. I think that there is a four and since its works stands in a great part in the future, it like the Eagle stands in a mist yet to be fully comprehended. That final pillar is but the judgment and final determination of man into eternity. And just as the wings of the Eagle are the lands of North and South America, that land of Joseph, it is Christ who will come to the New Jerusalem here in the original land of Adam to bring to culmination his work in relation to this earth. And that will be the great day of the Millennial Reign and the Final Judgment of mankind in determination of just where each will stand in eternity to come.