Revelation 4

Re 4:1-11.

VISION OF

GOD'S

THRONE IN

HEAVEN; THE

FOUR AND

TWENTY

ELDERS; THE

FOUR

LIVING

CREATURES.

Here begins the Revelation proper; and first, the fourth and fifth

chapters set before us the heavenly scenery of the succeeding visions,

and God on His throne, as the covenant God of His Church, the

Revealer of them to His apostle through Jesus Christ. The first great

portion comprises the opening of the seals and the sounding of the

trumpets (fourth to eleventh chapters). As the communication respecting

the seven churches opened with a suitable vision of the Lord Jesus as

Head of the Church, so the second part opens with a vision suitable to

the matter to be revealed. The scene is changed from earth to

heaven.

1. After this--Greek, "After these things," marking the

opening of the next vision in the succession. Here is the transition

from "the things which are"

(Re 1:19),

the existing state of the seven churches, as a type of the Church in

general, in John's time, to "the things which shall be hereafter,"

namely, in relation to the time when John wrote.

I looked--rather as Greek, "I saw" in vision; not as

English Version means, I directed my look that way.

was--Omit, as not being in the Greek.

opened--"standing open"; not as though John saw it in the act of

being opened. Compare

Eze 1:1;

Mt 3:16;

Ac 7:56; 10:11.

But in those visions the heavens opened, disclosing the visions to

those below on earth. Whereas here, heaven, the temple of God, remains

closed to those on earth, but John is transported in vision through an

open door up into heaven, whence he can see things passing on earth or

in heaven, according as the scenes of the several visions require.

the first voice which I heard--the voice which I heard at first,

namely, in

Re 1:10;

the former voice.

was as it were--Omit was, it not being in the

Greek. "Behold" governs in sense both "a door," &c., and "the

first voice," &c.

Come up hither--through the "open door."

be--come to pass.

hereafter--Greek, "after these things": after the present

time

(Re 1:19).

2. And--omitted in the two oldest manuscripts, Vulgate,

Syriac.

I was, &c.--Greek, "I became in the Spirit" (see on

Re 1:10):

I was completely rapt in vision into the heavenly world.

was set--not was placed, but was situated,

literally, "lay."

one sat on the throne--the Eternal Father: the Creator

(Re 4:11):

also compare

Re 4:8

with Re 1:4,

where also the Father is designated, "which is, and was, and is to

come." When the Son, "the Lamb," is introduced,

Re 5:5-9,

a new song is sung which distinguishes the Sitter on the

throne from the Lamb, "Thou hast redeemed us to

God," and

Re 5:13,

"Unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." So also in

Re 5:7,

as in

Da 7:13,

the Son of man brought before the Ancient of days is

distinguished from Him. The Father in essence is invisible, but in

Scripture at times is represented as assuming a visible form.

3. was--omitted in the two oldest manuscripts but supported by

Vulgate and Coptic.

to look upon--Greek, "in sight," or "appearance."

jasper--From

Re 21:11,

where it is called most precious, which the jasper was

not, EBRARD infers it was a diamond. Ordinarily,

the jasper is a stone of various wavy colors, somewhat

transparent: in

Re 21:11

it represents watery crystalline brightness. The sardine, our

cornelian, or else a fiery red. As the watery brightness represents

God's holiness, so the fiery red His justice executing fiery wrath. The

same union of white or watery brightness and fiery redness appears in

Re 1:14; 10:1;

Eze 1:4; 8:2;

Da 7:9.

rainbow round about the throne--forming a complete circle (type

of God's perfection and eternity: not a half circle as the earthly

rainbow) surrounding the throne vertically. Its various colors, which

combined form one pure solar ray, symbolize the varied aspects of God's

providential dealings uniting in one harmonious whole. Here, however,

the predominating color among the prismatic colors is green, the most

refreshing of colors to look upon, and so symbolizing God's consolatory

promises in Christ to His people amidst judgments on His foes.

Moreover, the rainbow was the appointed token of God's covenant with

all flesh, and His people in particular. Hereby God in type renewed to

man the grant originally made to the first Adam. The antitype will be

the "new heavens and the new earth" restored to redeemed man, just as

the earth, after the destruction by the flood, was restored to Noah. As

the rainbow was first reflected on the waters of the world's ruin, and

continues to be seen only when a cloud is brought over the earth, so

another deluge, namely, of fire, shall precede the new heavens and

earth: the Lord, as here, on His throne, whence

(Re 4:5)

proceed "lightnings and thunderings," shall issue the commission to rid

the earth of its oppressors: but then, amidst judgment, when other

men's hearts fail them for fear, the believer shall be reassured by the

rainbow, the covenant token, round the throne (compare DE BURGH, Exposition of

Revelation). The heavenly bow speaks of the shipwreck of the world

through sin: it speaks also of calm and sunshine after the storm. The

cloud is the regular token of God's and Christ's presence, for

example, in the tabernacle's holiest place; on Mount Sinai at the

giving of the law; at the ascension

(Ac 1:9);

at His coming again

(Re 4:7).

4. seats--rather as the Greek is translated in this very

verse, "thrones," of course lower and smaller than the grand central

throne. So

Re 16:10,

"the seat (rather, throne) of the beasts," in hellish parody of

God's throne.

four and twenty elders--Greek, "the four and

twenty (or as one oldest manuscript, 'twenty-four') elders": the

well-known elders [ALFORD]. But

TREGELLES translates, "Upon the twenty-four

thrones (I saw: omitted in two oldest manuscripts) elders

sitting": which is more probable, as the twenty-four elders were

not mentioned before, whereas the twenty-four thrones were. They

are not angels, for they have white robes and crowns of

victory, implying a conflict and endurance, "Thou hast redeemed

us": they represent the Heads of the Old and New Testament

churches respectively, the Twelve Patriarchs (compare

Re 7:5-8,

not in their personal, but in their representative character), and

Twelve Apostles. So in

Re 15:3,

"the song of Moses, and of the Lamb," the double

constituents of the Church are implied, the Old Testament and the New

Testament. "Elders" is the very term for the ministry both of

the Old and New Testament, the Jewish and the catholic Gentile Church.

The tabernacle was a "pattern" of the heavenly antitype; the holy

place, a figure of HEAVEN ITSELF. Thus Jehovah's

throne is represented by the mercy seat in the holiest, the

Shekinah-cloud over it. "The seven lamps of fire before the throne"

(Re 4:5)

are antitypical to the seven-branched candlestick also in the holiest,

emblem of the manifold Spirit of God: "the sea of glass"

(Re 4:6)

corresponds to the molten sea before the sanctuary, wherein the priests

washed themselves before entering on their holy service; so introduced

here in connection with the redeemed "priests unto God" (compare

Note, see on

Re 15:2).

The "four living creatures"

(Re 4:6, 7)

answer to the cherubim over the mercy seat. So the twenty-four throned

and crowned elders are typified by the twenty-four chiefs of the

twenty-four courses of priests, "Governors of the sanctuary, and

governors of God"

(1Ch 24:5; 25:1-31).

5. proceeded--Greek, "proceed."

thunderings and voices--The two oldest manuscripts transpose,

"voices and thunderings." Compare at the giving of the law on Sinai,

Ex 19:16.

"The thunderings express God's threats against the ungodly:

there are voices in the thunders

(Re 10:3),

that is, not only does He threaten generally, but also predicts

special judgments" [GROTIUS].

seven lamps . . . seven Spirits--The Holy Spirit in

His sevenfold operation, as the light-and-life Giver (compare

Re 5:6,

seven eyes . . . the seven Spirits of God;

Re 1:4; 21:23;

Ps 119:105)

and fiery purifier of the godly, and consumer of the ungodly

(Mt 3:11).

6. Two oldest manuscripts, A, B, Vulgate, Coptic, and

Syriac read, "As it were a sea of glass."

like . . . crystal--not imperfectly transparent as the

ancient common glass, but like rock crystal. Contrast the turbid "many

waters" on which the harlot "sitteth"

(Re 17:1, 15).

Compare

Job 37:18,

"the sky . . . as a molten looking-glass." Thus, primarily,

the pure ether which separates God's throne from John, and from all

things before it, may be meant, symbolizing the "purity, calmness, and

majesty of God's rule" [ALFORD]. But see the

analogue in the temple, the molten sea before the sanctuary

(see on

Re 4:4,

above). There is in this sea depth and transparency, but not the

fluidity and instability of the natural sea (compare

Re 21:1).

It stands solid, calm, and clear, God's judgments are called "a

great deep"

(Ps 36:6).

In

Re 15:2

it is a "sea of glass mingled with fire." Thus there is

symbolized here the purificatory baptism of water and the Spirit of all

who are made "kings and priests unto God." In

Re 15:2

the baptism with the fire of trial is meant. Through both all the

king-priests have to pass in coming to God: His judgments, which

overwhelm the ungodly, they stand firmly upon, as on a solid sea of

glass; able like Christ to walk on the sea, as though it were solid.

round about the throne--one in the midst of each side of the

throne.

four beasts--The Greek for "beasts,"

Re 13:1, 11,

is different, therion, the symbol for the carnal man by

opposition to God losing his true glory, as lord, under Him, of the

lower creatures, and degraded to the level of the beast. Here it

is zoon, "living creatures"; not beast.

7. calf--"a steer" [ALFORD]. The

Septuagint often uses the Greek term here for an

ox

(Ex 22:1; 29:10,

&c.).

as a man--The oldest manuscripts have "as of a man."

8. about him--Greek, "round about him."

ALFORD connects this with the following sentence:

"All round and within (their wings) they are (so two oldest

manuscripts, A, B, and Vulgate read) full of eyes." John's

object is to show that the six wings in each did not interfere with

that which he had before declared, namely, that they were "full of eyes

before and behind." The eyes were round the outside of each

wing, and up the inside of each when half expanded, and of the

part of body in that inward recess.

rest not--literally, "have no rest." How awfully different the

reason why the worshippers of the beast "have no rest day nor night,"

namely, "their torment for ever and ever."

Holy, holy, holy--The "tris-hagion" of the Greek

liturgies. In

Isa 6:3,

as here, it occurs; also

Ps 99:3, 5, 9,

where He is praised as "holy," (1) on account of His majesty

(Re 4:1)

about to display itself; (2) His justice

(Re 4:4)

already displaying itself; (3) His mercy

(Re 4:6-8)

which displayed itself in times past. So here "Holy," as He "who was";

"Holy," as He "who is": "Holy," as He "who is to come." He showed

Himself an object of holy worship in the past creation of all things:

more fully He shows Himself so in governing all things: He will, in the

highest degree, show Himself so in the consummation of all things. "Of

(from) Him, through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory

for ever. Amen." In

Isa 6:3

there is added, "the whole EARTH is full of His

glory." But in Revelation this is deferred until the glory of THE LORD fills the earth,

His enemies having been destroyed [BENGEL].

Almighty--answering to "Lord of hosts" (Sabaoth),

Isa 6:3.

The cherubim here have six wings, like the seraphim in

Isa 6:2;

whereas the cherubim in

Eze 1:6

had four wings each. They are called by the same name, "living

creatures." But whereas in Ezekiel each living creature has all four

faces, here the four belong severally one to each. See on

Eze 1:6.

The four living creatures answer by contrast to the four world

powers represented by four beasts. The Fathers identified them

with the four Gospels, Matthew the lion, Mark the ox, Luke the man,

John the eagle: these symbols, thus viewed, express not the personal

character of the Evangelists, but the manifold aspect of Christ

in relation to the world (four being the number significant of

world-wide extension, for example, the four quarters of the world)

presented by them severally: the lion expressing royalty, as

Matthew gives prominence to this feature of Christ; the ox,

laborious endurance, Christ's prominent characteristic in Mark;

man, brotherly sympathy with the whole race of man, Christ's

prominent feature in Luke; the eagle, soaring majesty, prominent

in John's description of Christ as the Divine Word. But here the

context best suits the view which regards the four living

creatures as representing the redeemed election-Church in

its relation of ministering king-priests to God, and ministers of

blessing to the redeemed earth, and the nations on it, and the animal

creation, in which man stands at the head of all, the

lion at the head of wild beasts, the ox at the head of tame

beasts, the eagle at the head of birds and of the creatures of

the waters. Compare

Re 5:8-10,

"Thou hast redeemed us by Thy blood out of every kindred

. . . and hast made us unto our God kings and priests:

and we shall reign on the earth"; and

Re 20:4,

the partakers with Christ of the first resurrection, who conjointly

with Him reign over the redeemed nations that are in the flesh.

Compare as to the happy and willing subjection of the lower animal

world,

Isa 11:6-8; 65:25;

Eze 34:25;

Ho 2:18.

Jewish tradition says the "four standards" under which Israel encamped

in the wilderness, to the east, Judah, to the north, Dan, to the west,

Ephraim, to the south, Reuben, were respectively a lion, an

eagle, an ox, and a man, while in the midst was

the tabernacle containing the Shekinah symbol of the Divine Presence.

Thus we have "the picture of that blessed period when--the earth having

been fitted for being the kingdom of the Father--the court of heaven

will be transferred to earth, and the 'tabernacle of God shall be with

men'

(Re 21:3),

and the whole world will be subject to a never-ending theocracy"

(compare DE BURGH,

Exposition of Revelation). The point of union between the two

views given above is: Christ is the perfect realization of the ideal of

man; Christ is presented in His fourfold aspect in the four Gospels

respectively. The redeemed election-Church similarly, when in and

through Christ (with whom she shall reign) she realizes the ideal of

man, shall combine in herself human perfections having a fourfold

aspect: (1) kingly righteousness with hatred of evil and judicial

equity, answering to the "lion"; (2) laborious diligence in every duty,

the "ox"; (3) human sympathy, the "man"; (4) the contemplation of

heavenly truth, the "eagle." As the high-soaring intelligence, the

eagle, forms the contrasted complement to practical labor, the

ox bound to the soil; so holy judicial vengeance against evil,

the lion springing suddenly and terribly on the doomed, forms

the contrasted complement to human sympathy, the man. In

Isa 6:2

we read, "Each had six wings: with twain he covered his face (in

reverence, as not presuming to lift up his face to God), with

twain he covered his feet (in humility, as not worthy to stand in God's

holy presence), and with twain he did fly [in obedient readiness

to do instantly God's command]."

9-11. The ground of praise here is God's eternity, and

God's power and glory manifested in the creation of all

things for His pleasure. Creation is the foundation of all God's other

acts of power, wisdom, and love, and therefore forms the first theme of

His creatures' thanksgivings. The four living creatures take the lead

of the twenty-four elders, both in this anthem, and in that new

song which follows on the ground of their redemption

(Re 5:8-10).

when--that is, whensoever: as often as. A simultaneous giving of

glory on the part of the beasts, and on the part of the elders.

give--"shall give" in one oldest manuscript.

for ever and ever--Greek, "unto the ages of the

ages."

10. fall--immediately. Greek, "shall fall down":

implying that this ascription of praise shall be repeated onward

to eternity. So also, "shall worship . . .

shall cast their crowns," namely, in acknowledgment that all the

merit of their crowns (not kingly diadems, but the

crowns of conquerors) is due to Him.

11. O Lord--The two oldest manuscripts, A, B, Vulgate,

and Syriac add, "and our God." "Our" by virtue of creation, and

especially redemption. One oldest manuscript, B, and Syriac

insert "the Holy One." But another, A, Vulgate, and

Coptic omit this, as English Version does.

glory, &c.--"the glory . . . the honour

. . . the power."

thou--emphatic in the Greek: "It is

THOU who didst create."

all things--Greek, "the all things": the universe.

for, &c.--Greek, "on account of"; "for the sake of Thy

pleasure," or "will." English Version is good Greek.

Though the context better suits, it was because of Thy will,

that "they were" (so one oldest manuscript, A, Vulgate, Syriac,

and Coptic read, instead of English Version "are":

another oldest manuscript, B, reads, "They were not, and were

created," were created out of nothing), that is, were existing,

as contrasted with their previous non-existence. With God to

will is to effect: to determine is to perform. So in

Ge 1:3,

"Let there be light, and there was light": in Hebrew an

expressive tautology, the same word and tense and letters being used

for "let there be," and "there was," marking the simultaneity and

identity of the will and the effect. D. LONGINUS

[On the Sublime, 9], a heathen, praises this description of

God's power by "the lawgiver of the Jews, no ordinary man," as one

worthy of the theme.

were created--by Thy definite act of creation at a definite

time.