And in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and back. The first living creature was like a lion; the second living creature like a calf; the third living creature had a face like a man; and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy; Lord God, Almighty; who was and is and is to come!” Revelation 4: 6-8
In the throne room scene, John also sees what he terms as four living creatures. They are the closest around the throne. Their role appears to be that of guarding the throne and leading out in worship and praise. And later on, in Rev.’s chaps. 6: 1, 3, 5, 7, they seem to serve as presenters of what is coming on this earth, in terms of character and behavior, In 15: 7, they are seen as intermediaries between God and other angels.
The description of these living creatures are similar to that which we have seen before. The prophet Isaiah had a vision in which he saw Seraphim with six wings, and who exclaimed “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts” (Isa. 6: 2, 3). Then there’s the prophet Ezekiel’s vision. In his, he saw four living creatures. Each had four faces: that of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle (Ezek. 1: 6-10; 10: 14). Each were “full of eyes all around (10: 12). Ezekiel identified them as Cherubim (10: 20-22).
Seraphim and Cherubim are angels. That brings to mind the Old Testament imagery of the Cherubim being the closest to God’s throne. They face each other; their wings stretched over the ark of the covenant (God’s mercy seat/throne – Exodus 25: 18-21; 1 Kings 6: 23-28).
Considering this, and that some scholars suggest that the living creatures represent in nature, the noblest (man, eagle), strongest (ox), wisest (full of discerning eyes), and swiftest (six wings); it all seems to point towards the conclusion that the four living creatures are symbolic of the most exalted order of God’s angels. Meaning, I don’t know specifically the number of which, but it seems safe to say that the four living creatures are a combination of Seraphim and Cherubim.