The symbols of the Evangelists and their meaning

Winged man, ox, lion, and eagle. The symbols of the Evangelists have been part of the history of sacred art and theology for centuries. Here is how they originated and why they were attributed to them.

With the term tetramorph, of Greek origin and indicating an iconographic representation made up of four figures or elements since ancient times, we refer to an image composed of four symbols associated with the four Evangelists: a winged man (Gospel of Matthew), a lion (Gospel of Mark), an ox or calf (Gospel of Luke), and an eagle (Gospel of John). The first to define what would become the symbols of the Evangelists was Irenaeus of Lyon. A bishop, theologian, and Father of the Church, he interpreted the vision described by the Hebrew prophet Ezekiel in the Old Testament (Ezekiel 1:10), which he had during the deportation to Babylon in 593 BC. Ezekiel recounted seeing a great cloud surrounded by radiance, and in the midst of that cloud, four creatures—later identified as cherubim—each with four wings. One figure had the face of a man, one of a lion, one of a calf, and the last of an eagle. These creatures stood at the foot of God’s throne and seemingly helped move it with wheels placed beside them.

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In his work Adversus Haereses, Saint Irenaeus introduced the idea of a tetramorphic or quadriform Gospel. For him, the four winged beings seen by Ezekiel could be identified with the seraphim, which, according to Isaiah (Isaiah 6:3), occupy the highest ranks of the angelic hierarchy. At the same time, they symbolise the four canonical Gospels, the true spiritual pillars of the Church and the entire world. To each Evangelist, Saint Irenaeus assigned a specific symbol, also referring to Revelation (Revelation 4:6–8), where the “four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind,” are described as being at the foot of God’s throne: “the first living creature was like a lion, the second like an ox, the third had a face like a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle.”

Each of the four Gospels focuses on a specific aspect of Christ’s figure:

– Gospel of Matthew (man or angel): His Incarnation

– Gospel of Mark (lion): His victorious power (the Resurrection)

– Gospel of Luke (ox or calf): His sacrifice (the Passion)

– Gospel of John (eagle): The outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost)

According to Irenaeus, even from the prologue of each Gospel, one can derive the symbol of each Evangelist, the core of the fourfold evangelical message, and the particular aspect of Christ highlighted in the text.

Saint Jerome also embraced the symbolism identified by Irenaeus, applying it not only to four aspects of Jesus’ figure but also to four phases of His mortal life. According to Jerome, Christ:

– was born as a man (Incarnation, winged man, Gospel of Matthew);

– died as a sacrificial calf (Passion, ox or calf, Gospel of Luke);

– rose from death with the strength of a lion (Resurrection, lion, Gospel of Mark);

– ascended to Heaven like an eagle (Ascension, eagle, Gospel of John).

Over the centuries, other scholars and men of faith have examined the Evangelists and their symbols, defining various sequences and combinations. The tetramorph, an iconographic depiction of four elements already present in Middle Eastern symbology (consider the protective spirits guarding the royal palaces of Babylon), has been widely used in Christian iconography and sacred art.

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Not only that, but the symbols of the four Evangelists also determine the order in which the Gospels are arranged in both ancient manuscripts and modern editions of the Bible, following the sequence codified by Ezekiel: man (Matthew), lion (Mark), ox (Luke), eagle (John).

Saint Matthew the Evangelist

The Gospel of Matthew begins with the genealogy of Jesus, a list of men, followed by the account of Jesus’ birth and childhood. According to some biblical scholars, it may have been the first Gospel to be written and served as a source for the Gospels of Mark and Luke, while others suggest it borrowed heavily from the Gospel of Mark.

What is certain is that the Evangelist Matthew devoted considerable attention to Jesus as a man, starting with His genealogy and highlighting His human story. For this reason, he has been associated with the tetramorph figure of the man or angel, where the angel symbolises the union between the human aspect and the divine nature.

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Saint Mark the Evangelist

The Gospel of Mark, on the other hand, begins with John the Baptist, who took on the mission of preparing the way for the Messiah. Dressed in animal skins and deeply devoted to his role, John the Baptist can easily be imagined as a lion, with a voice as powerful as a roar, announcing that the Time was near. In the Middle Ages, the lion symbolised justice. Its majestic head indicated divine nature, while its body and paws represented human nature.

The Evangelist Mark does not mention Jesus’ childhood but focuses significantly on His Passion, inspiring many works of art depicting this episode.

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Saint Luke the Evangelist

The Gospel of Luke opens with a sacrifice: Zechariah, the husband of Elizabeth, a relative of the Virgin Mary, offers an ox to God. Then he has a vision in which he is told that his wife will bear a child, who must be named John. That child would become the Baptist.

From the beginning, we see how the Evangelist Luke focuses on the theme of sacrifice—not only that of Christ but also that of Mary, whose story Luke examines in detail.

Saint John the Evangelist

From the Gospel of John, we understand that this Evangelist was likely the favourite among the apostles who followed Jesus. Deeply mystical, his Gospel is infused with spirituality and is less concerned with human events than with their deeper, religious significance.

In the prologue to his Gospel, John reflects on the concept of the Word, the Word of God, capable of dispelling darkness. It was believed that the eagle could stare at the sun without being blinded, and for this reason, Saint John, who sought to gaze deeply into God, was attributed this symbol.