The Illustrated History of the New Testament

John the Evangelist, faithfully handing down the mystery original Latin: "mysterium" of Christ’s divinity, is portrayed in the likeness of an eagle.

[Image: A woodcut illustration depicts Saint John the Evangelist seated on the ground in a landscape with trees. He is turned toward the right, looking upward, and holds a book on his lap while writing. To his right stands an eagle with a halo, his traditional attribute. In the upper right sky, a small figure is enveloped in a radiant burst of light.]

Saint John the Evangelist is shown in the form of an eagle; he describes the hidden mysteries original German: "heimligkeit," meaning secrets or mystical depths of the divinity of Christ Eagle: The eagle is the traditional symbol for John because his Gospel is thought to "soar" to the highest spiritual heights, focusing on the eternal and divine nature of Jesus as the Word of God..