No sooner had St. John received in the preceding vision the documents he was to transmit to the seven Churches of Asia [Asia Minor], when, behold, a new scene displays itself. Heaven opens, and St. John is invited up thither by the voice which had spoken to him before, and is told he shall see what... [ Continue Reading ]
_I was in the spirit, rapt as it were in an ecstacy into heaven, and saw a throne, and one sitting, representing God the Father. (Witham)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_And he....was to the sight like the jasper, [1] or had the appearance of jaspers, as to the colours with which he appeared, &c. (Witham)_ [BIBLIOGRAPHY] Similis erat aspectui jaspidis, _Greek: omoios orasei iaspidi._... [ Continue Reading ]
_About the throne were four and twenty seats, or lesser thrones, twenty-four seniors or senators upon them, representing the illustrious saints both of the Old and New Testament, clothed in white garments, in token of their innocence, and crowns of gold, signifying the glory of the heavenly inhabita... [ Continue Reading ]
_Lightnings, a symbol of God's majesty and power. --- Seven lamps burning, which signified the seven spirits of God, the chief spirits that attend his throne. See chap. i. 4. (Witham) --- The lightnings, loud voices, and thunders, which come from the throne of God, announce alarms and severe hardshi... [ Continue Reading ]
A sea of glass, like crystal, calm and transparent, and may signify that the saints had passed a boisterous sea of troubles in this world, which is now changed into everlasting tranquility. --- Four living creatures, or animals. Alcazar (p. 364) takes notice of thirty different expositions of these... [ Continue Reading ]
_Like a lion, &c. The qualities in these animals are observed to be courage and strength in the lion; profit to human life, by the calf; reason and wisdom, by the face of man: soaring high, and rapidity or swiftness, by the eagle: whether we understand those spiritual perfections to belong to blesse... [ Continue Reading ]
_Each of them six wings. See the like visions, Ezechiel i. 4; Isaias vi. 2. These signify their swiftness in executing God's just commands. --- Full of eyes: a symbol of knowledge and watchfulness. --- They rested not day and night. There is no night in heaven; but hereby is signified, that they pra... [ Continue Reading ]
Nothing is so well adapted to give us an idea of the infinite majesty of God, and of the sovereign respect which is due to him, as this description. How ought Christians to appear in the presence of the God of armies, if what is most august and most elevated in heaven acknowledges its lowness and no... [ Continue Reading ]