Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Revelation 5:11

Revelation 5:11. The song of the triumphant Church has been sung, and an innumerable host of angels takes up the chorus. These angels occupy a place outside of all that we have hitherto met in connection with the throne, of the throne itself, of the four living creatures, and of the twenty-four Elders. The reason is obvious. The Son of God, in carrying out the process of redemption, took on Him the nature of man, that man might be elevated to a participation in His Divine nature, and it is this process of redemption that is here the main topic of praise. Angels do not share in it, and they accordingly are farther from the throne. The same thought is implied in Psalms 8; 1 Corinthians 6; Hebrews 2 Although, however, angels are not themselves partakers of the redemption spoken of, they have the deepest interest in its glorious results (comp. Luke 15:10; Ephesians 3:10; 1 Peter 1:12). The number of the angels is given in general terms, for they cannot be numbered (comp. Hebrews 12:22). It is remarkable that the smaller number seems to be given last, and various explanations have been offered, that ‘in enormous numbers distinctions vanish,' ‘that the larger number preceding, large as it is, is not enough,' that ‘the same idea is conveyed whether by climax or anticlimax.' No one of these explanations is satisfactory. The Seer's arrangements of his words are always for the purpose of strengthening his statement in the second part. We may observe that he often uses another word for thousands (chaps, Revelation 11:3; Revelation 12:6, etc.); but it is always with inferior objects, never with men. With men we seem invariably to find the word here employed (chaps. Revelation 7:4; Revelation 11:13, etc.); only once is it used with a material (if even then a material) object (chap. Revelation 21:16). It would seem, therefore, as if with this word were associated a higher idea than that of number, such as that of spiritual superiority and rule. Thus, though ‘thousands' is a numerically smaller number than ‘myriads,' the idea associated with it is greater.

Such being the numbers of the angels, we have now their song.

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Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Revelation 5:11

Old Testament

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