Are the Four Orders Accurate?
This is a legitimate considering I claim to have built Allies of Majesty around biblical imagery and beliefs. Are the four Orders of elohim in the game: Warriors, Messengers, Ministering Spirits, and Minstrels actually based upon real angelic divisions?
The most direct answer is, "No."
That being said, the imagery is certainly present and the so are the concepts represented by each of the Orders. The imagery of the four Orders shows up most directly in both Ezekiel and Revelation.
In Ezekiel's visions four beings, called cherubim, each have all four faces, one in each of the cardinal directions.
10 The likeness of their faces was the face of a human in front, and the face of a lion on the right ⌊of each of them⌋, and the face of an ox on the left ⌊of each of them⌋, and the face of an eagle ⌊for each of them⌋.
-Ezekiel 1:10 LEB
Since the beings were coming from the North, the orientation can be determined for the Man being to the South and the Eagle to the North. It is debatable whether the Lion and Ox are being relayed as from Ezekiel's right and left or the being's right and left.
I have opted for using the Lion on the East and the Ox on the West, drawing support from the camp of Israel in the wilderness. The for anchor tribe for the East is Judah and is associated with the Lion (Gen. 49:9; Rev. 5:5). The anchor tribe on the West is Ephraim and (with Manasseh as well) and they are associated with the Bull/Ox (Duet. 33:17).
These cherubim are seen again later in Ezekiel.
14 And ⌊each one had four faces⌋; the face of the one was the face of a cherub, and the face of the second was the face of a human, and the face of the third was the face of a lion, and the fourth was the face of an eagle.
-Ezekiel 10:14 LEB
You will notice that the ox face from the first vision is now called a cherub face. These are identified as the same beings and it is possible that one of the faces changed, but it is more likely that a different word is used here for some reason. For what it is worth, this is one of the multiple reasons why I chose to have the Cherub Discipline as a subclass of the Ministering Spirit.
In Revelation we see similar beings except they have six wings, are covered with eyes, and the faces are split, one to each being.
6 And before the throne was something like a sea of glass, like crystal, and in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 7 And the first living creature was similar to a lion, and the second living creature was similar to an ox, and the third living creature had a face like a man’s, and the fourth living creature was similar to an eagle flying.
-Revelation 4:6-7 LEB
In this reference the beings are called similar to each of the animals, and only one specifically references the face. Still, the same creature imagery is in play.
It is also observable that each of these creatures represent an aspect of the Anointed (Messiah in Hebrew, Christ in Greek), Jesus. There is tradition within the church that connects these four images to each of the four Gospels, although which Gospel is which has not always been consistent. The most common associations are:
Matthew = Lion
Mark = Man
Luke = Ox
John = Eagle
The imagery of each of these creatures also shows up elsewhere in the Bible. The meaning behind them works well to embody larger biblical themes and concepts. The four Orders make for rich and meaningful characters, especially when characters are comprised of multiple Orders. It is especially interesting when comparing the Orders to their cardinal directions. The game attributes of neighboring Orders are the most different, while the game attributes of the Order facing opposite are the most complimentary. Yet, the Orders facing opposite directions also present directly opposing imagery, despite the complimenting in game attributes.
The Lion, representing mighty rulership, can be contrasted with the Ox, representing burden bearing service. Interestingly enough, both of these pictures are painted of the Anointed in the Scriptures, but in part due to Roman subjugation, the people were more hopeful for the ruler anointed over sacrificial ox. While the story of Jesus' sacrifice is well known, he did also conquer his enemies. At this time, those enemies were spiritual and not flesh and blood. He has delayed establishing a material kingdom to allow for his faithful followers to spread the news of his victory over sin, death, and the spiritual powers to the ends of the earth. When the Father decides the time is right, the Anointed will return to fully enact his prior victory and establish his material kingdom, overlapping heaven and earth, as was the case in Eden.
The Eagle, representing divinity, can be contrasted with the Man, representing humanity. While Jesus is the second Yahweh figure seen in the Hebrew Bible that is often presented as manifest bodily, in the Gospels we are told of how he literally took on humanity, which was necessary for him to fulfill many of the prophecies to be the ultimate Redeemer of humanity. In being human, he could be Daniel's Son of Man, and could be the son promised to king David that would rule forever in faithful and perfect obedience to the Father. No human was able to be the worthy seed of the woman, Eve, that would crush the serpent and restore the original plan for Yahweh to rule the earth in partnership with his human creation. Instead, Yahweh, in the person of Jesus, assumed humanity and accomplished it himself.
These nuances help make character creation and development a true adventure. The Orders can be combined to both compliment and contrast one another and create a vibrant and interesting world full of complex characters, all the while still exploring imagery found in the Bible. So, while the four Orders are not likely accurate divisions of elohim, they are definitely biblical.