_THE VISION OF HEAVEN_ ‘Come up hither.’ Revelation 4:1 This is the first of a series of visions which St. John had in Patmos—the vision of the temple in heaven, the vision of the throne of God and the Lamb, the vision of the seven angels with the trumpets, the vision of the seven vials, of the l... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE TRIUNE GOD IN HEAVEN_ ‘Immediately I was in the Spirit, and, behold, a throne was set in heaven.’ Revelation 4:2 Other Feasts of the Christian year show our Lord God in the works and wonders which He has done; the Feast of Trinity declares to us what God is in Himself, in His divine Being. H... [ Continue Reading ]
_LESSONS FROM THE RAINBOW_ ‘And there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.’ Revelation 4:3 A storm is an awful phenomenon whenever it rages, because it is a convulsion of nature. But it has its meet set-off. If it happen in the daytime, when the rain is falling and... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE SUPER-SUPERLATIVE SONG_ ‘Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, Which was, and Which is, and Which is to come.’ Revelation 4:8 Hebrew grammarians call this Trisagion, the super-superlative. It is an ascription of praise to the Triune God. I. THE THRICE HOLY IN THE TEMPLE OF HEAVEN. (_... [ Continue Reading ]
_CASTING THEIR CROWNS_ ‘The four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne.’ Revelation 4:10 The twenty-four elders with crowns on their heads—what are they intended to represent? Not the n... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE REASON OF CREATION_ ‘Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.’ Revelation 4:11 Beyond this the highest reason of man cannot go. As proof of this, observe that all the manifold speculations of ancient and modern philosophy are compelled to acknowledge the... [ Continue Reading ]