Heaven opened Chap. Revelation 4:1-9 1. _I looked_ Better, I BEHELD, AND LO! as Revelation 5:6; Revelation 5:11 &c.; Daniel 7:6; Daniel 7:11 &c. The purport of the word is rather that he _continued_looking at what he had seen before, than that he looked in another direction. There _is_a transition:... [ Continue Reading ]
_I was in the spirit_ As Revelation 1:10 q.v. It is implied that he was caught up through the open door into Heaven, and saw what was going on above. _was set_ i.e. was there already not that he saw it put in its place. There is a description of the Throne of God in the apocryphal Book of Enoch, Re... [ Continue Reading ]
_a jasper and a sardine stone_ Our jasper, a stone the colour of which varies between red, green and yellow, does not seem very appropriate to the image here, nor to answer to the description in Revelation 21:11, as it is not sparkling nor transparent. But it seems proved that the jasper of the anci... [ Continue Reading ]
_four and twenty seats_ Better, THRONES; it is the same word that is used of _the_throne. Cf. Daniel 7:9. _four and twenty elders_ There are two views as to the significance of these, both leading to substantially the same result: (i) that they are the twelve Patriarchs, the heads of the Tribes of I... [ Continue Reading ]
_seven_ Typified by the seven lamps of the candlestick in the Tabernacle, and represented by the "seven golden candlesticks" of the Church on earth: see on Revelation 1:20. The significance of the seven-branched candlestick in relation especially to the _Spirit_is suggested in Zechariah 4. _seven S... [ Continue Reading ]
_a sea of glass_ As there was a brazen "sea" in front of Solomon's Temple, 1 Kings 7:23 &c. We find from Revelation 11:19; Revelation 15:5, &c. that St John was now in front of the heavenly Temple whether the Throne was inside it seems doubtful: Revelation 16:17 looks as if it were, Revelation 11:19... [ Continue Reading ]
The description of these living creatures does not exactly agree with any of the O. T. parallels: in Ezekiel 1, which is the nearest, the four Cherubim, as they are called, have human figures, calves" feet, and _each_has four faces, of the same four animals as these: also they have each four wings,... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the four beasts_&c. Render, AND THE FOUR LIVING CREATURES, HAVING EACH OF THEM SIX WINGS, ARE FULL OF EYES ROUND ABOUT AND WITHIN:" i.e. the statement of Revelation 4:6, that they are "full of eyes before and behind," is extended to tell us that they are covered with eyes, not only on the parts... [ Continue Reading ]
_And when those beasts_, &c. Read AND WHEN THE LIVING CREATURES SHALL GIVE GLORY AND HONOUR AND THANKS TO HIM THAT SITTETH UPON THE THRONE, TO HIM THAT LIVETH FOR EVER AND EVER, THE FOUR AND TWENTY ELDERS SHALL FALL DOWN BEFORE HIM THAT SITTETH …, AND SHALL WORSHIP HIM …, AND SHALL CAST.…" The meani... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thou art worthy_, &c. Here we have the praise of God the Creator by His Creatures as such: in the next ch. we have the praise of the Redeemer. _for thy pleasure_ Better, BECAUSE OF THY WILL. _they are_ Read THEY WERE: not exactly "they came into being," but "they had their being," as the simple v... [ Continue Reading ]