Revelation 4:6: . . . and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

In addition to the 24 Elders and other angels in heaven¹ (celestial paradise),² John saw four living creatures. Bible translators misidentify these creatures as four beasts,³ even though they were and are four actual living creatures⁴ that may have lived on planets other than this earth.⁵ John saw them in his vision as living and intelligent creatures⁶ that are antithetical to the symbolic beasts in John's visions that represent some part of Satan's kingdom.⁷ Doctrine and Covenants Section 77:1 states that the four beasts "represent the glory of the classes of beings in their destined order or sphere of creation, in the enjoyment of their eternal felicity."⁸ In other words, the four beasts are creatures that will be redeemed by the atonement of Jesus Christ,⁹ and their spirits were in the celestial paradise of the postmortal spirit world¹⁰ awaiting their resurrection as of 96 AD.¹¹ They were four in number (the world number) to represent the whole of creation.¹² Thus, like the 24 Elders, the four beasts are real but also symbols.¹³

John saw the four beasts round about the throne.¹⁴ This imagery is much like the sea of glass from Revelation 4:6, which also stood before‒and apart from‒the throne of God.¹⁵ This reaffirms that the four beasts were in the postmortal spirit world called paradise, and not in the post-resurrection celestial kingdom.¹⁶ In the celestial kingdom after the resurrection there will be no such separation. The four beasts also stood in a favored position close to the throne in paradise,¹⁷ but they did not occupy the throne.¹⁸ They were close to the throne to represent that the spirits of all classes of creation worshiped God as their creator.¹⁹

Some scholars have suggested that the four beasts were close to the throne to serve as guides²⁰ and guardians²¹ based on the similar visions of Isaiah and Ezekiel.²² The four beasts are similar to Isaiah's seraphim²³ and to Ezekiel's cherubim.²⁴ However, at least three of the four creatures in John's vision do not have a human form at all, whereas the seraphim and cherubim seen by these other prophets consistently do.²⁵

John also notes that the four beasts in his vision were full of eyes before and behind.²⁶ The Lord revealed to Joseph Smith the symbolic meaning of their eyes²⁷ in Doctrine and Covenants Section 77:4, saying: "Their eyes are a representation of light and knowledge, that is, they are full of knowledge."²⁸ Eyes before and behind may symbolize the power of all creation in paradise to see both the past and the future.²⁹ This is correspondingly consistent with the symbol of paradise as a sea of glass to represent a Urim and Thummim.³⁰ The eyes of the living creatures and the sea of glass express the truth that all spirits in paradise awaiting their celestial resurrection³¹ are filled with great light and knowledge.³² It cannot be otherwise for the spirits in paradise are in the presence of the Father and the Son.³³ The Father sits on the throne in celestial paradise,³⁴ although his fulness is withheld until after the resurrection.³⁵ Paradise is not the dwelling place of the Father.³⁶ The disembodied spirits of the just in paradise receive of God's presence only by and through the atonement of Jesus Christ.³⁷

The Father and the Son do not have a presence in that part of the postmortal spirit world called hell or spirit prison.³⁸ The spirits consigned to prison do not possess any more light and knowledge than what they possess at the time of their death.³⁹ The light and influence of the Holy Ghost in spirit prison varies depending on the degree of wickedness of the spirits present.⁴⁰ Outer darkness exists at one extreme in spirit prison for sons of perdition and this part of sprit prison (hell) is devoid of light and God's spiritual influence.⁴¹

Revelation 4:7: And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

The four beasts were and are literal creatures in paradise, but John's description of them was highly figurative and symbolic.⁴² Ezekiel had a similar vision of heaven in which four cherubim had the face of a lion, calf, man, and eagle, respectively.⁴³

Scholars interpret the symbolic faces of the four beasts very differently. Some say they represent four divisions within the twelve tribes of Israel⁴⁴ with Judah as the lion, Ephraim as the calf, Reuben as the man, and Dan as the eagle.⁴⁵ Others say the Four Beasts represent the four evangelists of the New Testament,⁴⁶ four dispensations of time,⁴⁷ four attributes of God's heavenly government,⁴⁸ and even a four-fold description of Jesus Christ.⁴⁹ The faces of the Four Beasts have no allusion to such things.

The Four Beasts represent four⁵⁰ classes of beings⁵¹ that were physically created⁵² and will be fully redeemed by the atonement of Jesus Christ.⁵³ Their spirits were created long ago by God the Father during the premortal existence.⁵⁴ As classes of beings, the four living creatures symbolize the kingdoms⁵⁵ of mankind, animals, plants, and minerals,⁵⁶ which are governed by strict undeviating laws.⁵⁷ Their symbolic faces depict the most noble creature in each class or kingdom.⁵⁸ Since the time of Noah, the whole of creation has been divided by four classes among man, cattle, beasts, and birds.⁵⁹ Their representative heads consist of the following:

The lion, which is considered to be king of the beasts even today.⁶⁰

The calf (a young bullock or ox),⁶¹ which is an emblem of firmness, endurance, strength, and steadfastness.⁶² Such attributes made bullocks an object of worship in ancient cultures.⁶³

The face of a man, which is emblematic of mankind as the highest class of all God's creations.⁶⁴

The eagle, which is considered the most majestic of all birds.⁶⁵ In John's vision, the eagle is flying with its wings extended to build upon lofty imagery found in other scriptures.⁶⁶

Revelation 4:8: And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within....

The six wings on each of the four beasts resemble the six wings on the four seraphim (angels)⁶⁷ from Isaiah's vision of Jesus Christ⁶⁸ in the heavenly temple of God.⁶⁹ The wings are purely symbolic⁷⁰ because real angels don't have wings.⁷¹ In Isaiah's vision, two of the six wings covered the faces of the seraphim to show humility or reverence,⁷² and two wings covered their feet to express respect.⁷³ The third pair of wings gave them power to fly (move and act),⁷⁴ as they promptly⁷⁵ carry out the works of God.⁷⁶ The six wings on each of the four beasts in John's vision probably have a similar symbolic meaning.⁷⁷ However, John's vision lacks the necessary detail to confirm this conclusion,⁷⁸ and there are notable differences in the imagery.⁷⁹

Revelation 4:6 states that the four beasts were full of eyes before and behind, and verse 8 adds that they are full of eyes within.⁸⁰ This can also be translated as "full of eyes round about and within."⁸¹ Most scholars interpret this to mean that the eyes of the four beasts looked within or toward the throne as well as without or away from the throne.⁸² The wings of the four beasts did not obstruct their view in either direction.⁸³ Some scholars believe the wings were also full of eyes.⁸⁴

Doctrine and Covenants Section 76:94 may add another meaning to the imagery of the eyes before and behind, saying: "They who dwell in [God's] presence are the church of the Firstborn; and they see as they are seen, and know as they are known, having received of his fulness and of his grace." This may suggest that the four beasts representing all classes of creation in the presence of God with eyes before and behind can see as they are seen and know as they are known.