The Four Living Creatures
και οτε ηνοιξεν την τριτην σφραγιδα ηκουσα του τριτου ζωου λεγοντος ερχου και βλεπε και ειδον και ιδου ιππος μελας και ο καθημενος επ αυτω εχων ζυγον εν τη χειρι αυτου
kai ote hnoixen thn sfragida thn trithn hkousa tou tritou zwou legontos ercou kai eidon kai idou ippos melas kai o kaqhmenos ep auton ecwn zugon en th ceiri autou
Rev 6.5 And when He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold, a black horse, and the one sitting on it having a balance in his hand.
και ηκουσα φωνην εν μεσω των τεσσαρων ζωων λεγουσαν χοινιξ σιτου δηναριου και τρεις χοινικες κριθης δηναριου και το ελαιον και τον οινον μη αδικησης
kai hkousa ws fwnhn en mesw twn tessarwn zwwn legousan coinix sitou dhnariou kai treis coinikes kriqwn dhnariou kai to elaion kai ton oinon mh adikhshs
Rev 6.6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, A choenix of wheat for a denarius, and three choenixes of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.
και οτε ηνοιξεν την σφραγιδα την τεταρτην ηκουσα φωνην του τεταρτου ζωου λεγουσαν ερχου και βλεπε
kai ote hnoixen thn sfragida thn tetarthn hkousa fwnhn tou tetartou zwou legontos ercou
Rev 6.7 And when He opened the fourth seal, I heard a voice of the fourth living creature saying, Come and see.
και ειδον και ιδου ιππος χλωρος και ο καθημενος επανω αυτου ονομα αυτω ο θανατος και ο αδης ακολουθει μετ αυτου και εδοθη αυτοις εξουσια αποκτειναι επι το τεταρτον της γης εν ρομφαια και εν λιμω και εν θανατω και υπο των θηριων της γης
kai eidon kai idou ippos clwros kai o kaqhmenos epanw | [autou] | autou | onoma autw [o] qanatos kai o adhs hkolouqei met autou kai edoqh autois exousia epi to tetarton ths ghs apokteinai en romfaia kai en limw kai en qanatw kai upo twn qhriwn ths ghs
Rev 6.8 And I saw, and behold, a pale green horse, and the name of the one sitting on it was Death; and Hades followed after him. And authority was given to them to kill over the fourth of the earth with sword, and with famine, and with death, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
Compare to 53.20…
ومنوة الثالثة الأخرى
Wamanata alththalithata al-okhra
53.20 And the decree of death, the third, the last.
منوة = “manata”
“manata” definition:
2nd declension. A decreed event. Fate; destiny: the decree of death: or the decreed term of life or of a living being: death; because it is so decreed. A man of courage upon his saddle. An idol worshipped by the pagan Arabs. It comes from the root “mana” (miim-nun-ya), which means a thing decreed; to try; to inspire with desire. He meditated a thing in his mind.
ومنوة = “wa” + “manata” = “wamanata” = and the decree of death
References
An Arabic-English Lexicon, E.W. Lane, volume eight, p. 3025
The Dictionary of the Holy Qur’an, 1st edition, Abdul Mannan Omar, pp. 543 - 544
A Dictionary and Glossary of the Koran, John Penrice, p. 141
Concordance of the Koran, Gustav Flugel, p. 187
Occurrences of “manata” in the Koran: 1
Location: 53.20
Occurrences of the root “mana” and its twenty derivatives in the Koran: 22
Locations: 2.78, 2.94, 2.95, 2.111, 3.143, 4.32, 4.119, 4.120, 4.123(2x), 22.52(2x), 28.82, 53.20, 53.24, 53.46, 56.58, 57.14, 62.6, 62.7, 75.37(2x)
Observe the Koranic usages…
• 2.78…a nation not knowing The Book except wishes
• 2.94…wished the death
• 2.95…they wish
• 2.111…your wishes
• 3.143…you wished
• 4.32…you wished
• 4.119…I shall make them desire
• 4.120…their desire
• 4.123…your wishes…The Book’s peoples wishes
• 22.52…wishes
• 28.82…they wished
• 53.24…wished
• 53.46…emitted
• 56.58…you emit
• 57.14…the wishes
• 62.6…wish the death
• 62.7…they wish him
• 75.37…is emitted
Observe that in all Koranic usages of the root “mana” and its twenty derivatives – it never once refers to idols – but instead, carries with it the contextual meaning of wishes, desires, decrees, death, The Book, and things being emitted…
ثالثة = “thalithata”
“thalithata” definition:
Feminine noun. Third. A noun of number. It comes from the root “thalatha” (tha-lam-tha), which means he took the third of the goods, or property, of the people, or company of men; to take a third part of a thing. He made twelve to be thirteen. A third, a third part or portion.
الثالثة = “al” + “thalithata” = “alththalithata” = the third
References
An Arabic-English Lexicon, E.W. Lane, volume one, pp. 347 - 349
The Dictionary of the Holy Qur’an, 1st edition, Abdul Mannan Omar, pp. 83 - 84
Concordance of the Koran, Gustav Flugel, p. 40
Occurrences of “alththalithata” in the Koran: 1
Location: 53.20
أخرى = “okhra”
“okhra” definition:
Feminine noun. Another, other, the last. It comes from the root “akhara” (alif-kha-rah), which means later, the last; he made to go back or backwards, to recede, retreat, retire, or retrograde: he put, or drove back: he put, or placed, behind, or after; back or backward: he made to be behind, or posterior, or last: he made to remain behind, hold back, hang back, or lag behind: he kept or held back: he postponed, put off, procrastinated, deferred, delayed, or retarded: he made backward, or late.
الأخرى = “al” + “okhra” = “al-okhra” = the last
References:
An Arabic-English Lexicon, E.W. Lane, volume one, pp. 31 - 32
The Dictionary of the Holy Qur’an, 1st edition, Abdul Mannan Omar, pp. 14 – 15
A Dictionary and Glossary of the Koran, John Penrice, p. 3
Concordance of the Koran, Gustav Flugel, pp. 6 - 7
Occurrences of “al-okhra” in the Koran: 5
Locations: 2.282, 39.42, 49.9, 53.20, 53.47
Observe the Koranic usages…
• 2.282…the last
• 39.42…death; the last
• 49.9…the last
• 53.47…the last creation
Summary of 53.20:
• In Revelation chapter six, John further informs us that the Four Living Creatures have the power of speech, and he tells of what he hears from them
• Each time that the Lamb (i.e. Jesus) opens one of the first four seals, one of the Four Living Creatures makes the decree of “come & see”, and a different colored horse appears with its rider
• When the Third Living Creature makes his decree – a black horse appears with its rider, who carries a pair of balances
• When the Fourth Living Creature makes his decree – a pale green horse appears with its rider, representing Death
• 53.20, is a continued description of the Four Living Creatures via the copulative conjunction “wa”(and)
• 53.20 begins by stating a decree
• This decree is one of death – as defined by the classical definition of “manata”
• Observe that in all Koranic usages of “manata’s” root (“mana”) and its twenty derivatives – it never once refers to idols – but, instead, carries with it the contextual meaning of wishes, desires, decrees, death, The Book, and things being emitted
• Further, “mana” and its derivatives, carry with it the meaning of “a man of courage upon his saddle” – which is a clear indicator to the riders of the horses called-forth by the Four Living Creatures
• 53.20 assigns this decree of death to “alththalithata” (i.e. the third) & “al-okhra” (i.e. the last, or fourth) Living Creatures
• Amazingly, 53.20 has just recanted the riders and their horses, coming forth (emitted) and representing death, as declared by the Living Creatures, as told to us in the Biblical Book of Revelation
• Thus, just as 53.19 confirms the Biblical physical descriptions for the third & fourth Living creatures – 53.20 continues on to describe what these same third & fourth Living creatures decree (when the Lamb (i.e. Jesus) opens the third and fourth seals)
• Observe the undeniable parallel descriptions given to us from 53.16 – 53.20 as compared to the Four Living creatures in Revelation:
1. Covered with eyes
2. Surrounding the Tree of Life
3. The eyes are encircling the Throne
4. The eyes never deviate
5. They are in likeness to a bird
6. They are known by their markings
7. They are referred to as the Lord’s greatest ones
8. The third one appears as an appellation of a man
9. The fourth one appears as an Eagle
10. They have the ability to speak
11. They have the decree of death