The four evangelists by Johann Dominik Mahlknecht in the Parish church of St. Ulrich in Gröden around 1859 St. Matthew St. Luke St. Mark St. John the Evangelist Abbey church of St. George (Ják, Hungary) The four evangelists in the Abbey church of St. George in Ják, Hungary St. John the Evangelist These symbols are taken first from the Prophet Ezekiel (1:1-21): In Christian tradition, the Four Evangelists are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the authors attributed with the creation of the four Gospel accounts in the New Testament that bear the following titles: Gospel according to Matthew; Gospel according to Mark; Gospel according to Luke and Gospel according to John. They are taken from the vision of Ezekiel and the Revelation of St. John. Emblems of the Four Evangelists. Jacob Jordaens, The Four Evangelists, 1625–1630.. Within the first few centuries of Christianity, however, evangelist came to refer almost exclusively to the men that we call the Four Evangelists—that is, the authors of the four canonical gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.Two (Matthew and John) were among Christ's Twelve Apostles; and the other two (Mark and Luke) were companions of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.
Traditionally, the four Gospel writers have been represented by the following symbols (as indicated in the question): St. John, a rising eagle. Q: The Gospel writers have symbols — a man, a lion, a bull and an eagle — which I think refer to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
The Four Evangelists: 4 authors of Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John This image is not available to print and is not available for sale as it may be subject to copyright. The winged living figures, symbols of the evangelists, which are most frequently met with, and which have ever been most in favour with Early Christian artists, appear to have been used at a very early date. Symbols of the Four Evangelists compiled by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D. Christian tradition has long connected the authors of the four canonical Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) with the four "living creatures" that surround God's throne, as described in Rev 4:7, in the following pairs: It is displayed here under Fair Use.