And before the throne [there was] a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, [were] four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
6. a sea of glass ] As there was a brazen “sea” in front of Solomon’s Temple, 1Ki 7:23 &c. We find from Rev 11:19, Rev 15:5, &c. that St John was now in front of the heavenly Temple whether the Throne was inside it seems doubtful: Rev 16:17 looks as if it were, Rev 11:19 as if it were not. That Temple had a real sea in front of it sea-like in extent, no doubt, but a glassy sea, calm and transparent, and apparently solid, Rev 15:2: its earthly representative (see Sir 50:3 , and note on Rev 2:17 above) was hardly more than a tank, though richly ornamented.
like unto crystal ] Ancient glass being not so clear as ours, a further term of comparison seemed necessary. The word may mean “ice,” but Rev 21:11 confirms the A. V.
in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne ] It is not quite clear how they are placed whether with their bodies partly under the Throne, or only so far “in the midst” of it, that each of the four was in (or opposite to) the middle of one of its four sides. In Eze 1:22 we see that the Cherubim support the Throne of God, which points to the first view.
four beasts ] Should be rendered living creatures, as Eze 1:5 &c.: the word for the “beasts” of ch. 13 &c. is quite different: and that used here, like the Hebrew one in Ezekiel, is cognate with the word for “life.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And before the throne there was a sea of glass – An expanse spread out like a sea composed of glass: that is, that was pellucid and transparent like glass. It is not uncommon to compare the sea with glass. See numerous examples in Wetstein, in loco. The point of the comparison here seems to be its transparent appearance. It was perfectly clear – apparently stretching out in a wide expanse, as if it were a sea.
Like unto crystal – The word crystal means properly anything congealed and pellucid, as ice; then anything resembling that, particularly a certain species of stone distinguished for its clearness – as the transparent crystals of quartz; limpid and colorless quartz; rock or mountain quartz. The word crystal now, in mineralogy, means an inorganic body which, by the operation of affinity, has assumed the form of a regular solid, by a certain number of plane and smooth faces. It is used here manifestly in its popular sense to denote anything that is perfectly clear like ice. The comparison, in the representation of the expanse spread around the throne, turns on these points:
- It appeared like a sea – stretching afar.
(2)It resembled, in its general appearance, glass; and this idea is strengthened by the addition of another image of the same character – that it was like an expanse of crystal, perfectly clear and pellucid. This would seem to be designed to represent the floor or pavement on which the throne stood. If this is intended to be emblematical, it may denote:
(a) that the empire of God is vast – as if it were spread out like the sea; or.
(b) it may be emblematic of the calmness, the placidity of the divine administration – like an undisturbed and unruffled ocean of glass. Perhaps, however, we should not press such circumstances too far to find a symbolical meaning.
And in the midst of the throne – en meso tou thronou. Not occupying the throne, but so as to appear to be intermingled with the throne, or in the midst of it, in the sense that it was beneath the center of it. The meaning would seem to be, that the four living creatures referred to occupied such a position collectively that they at the same time appeared to be under the throne, so that it rested on them, and around it, so that they could be seen from any quarter. This would occur if their bodies were under the throne, and if they stood so that they faced outward. To one approaching the throne they would seem to be around it, though their bodies were under, or in the midst of it as a support. The form of their bodies is not specified, but it is not improbable that though their heads were different, their bodies, that were under the throne, and that sustained it, were of the same form.
And round about the throne – In the sense above explained – that, as they stood, they would be seen on every side of the throne.
Were four beasts – This is a very unhappy translation, as the word beasts by no means conveys a correct idea of the original word. The Greek word – zoon – means properly a living thing; and it is thus indeed applied to animals, or to the living creation, but the notion of their being living things, or living creatures, should be retained in the translation. Prof. Stuart renders it, living creatures. Isaiah Isa 6:1-13, in his vision of Yahweh, saw two seraphim; Ezekiel, whom John more nearly resembles in his description, saw four living creatures – chayowt Eze 1:5 – that is, living, animated, moving beings. The words living beings would better convey the idea than any other which could be employed. They are evidently, like those which Ezekiel saw, symbolical beings; but the nature and purpose of the symbol is not perfectly apparent. The four and twenty elders are evidently human beings, and are representatives, as above explained, of the church.
In Rev 5:11, angels are themselves introduced as taking an important part in the worship of heaven: and these living beings, therefore, cannot be designed to represent either angels or human beings. In Ezekiel they are either designed as poetic representations of the majesty of God, or of his providential government, showing what sustains his throne; symbols denoting intelligence, vigilance, the rapidity and directness with which the divine commands are executed, and the energy and firmness with which the government of God is administered. The nature of the case, and the similarity to the representation in Ezekiel, would lead us to suppose that the same idea is to be found substantially in John; and there would be no difficulty in such an interpretation were it not that these living creatures are apparently represented in Rev 5:8-9, as uniting with the redeemed from the earth in such a manner as to imply that they were themselves redeemed.
But perhaps the language in Rev 5:9, And they sung a new song, etc., though apparently connected with the four beasts in Rev 4:8, is not designed to be so connected. John may intend there merely to advert to the fact that a new song was sung, without meaning to say that the four living beings united in that song. For, if he designed merely to say that the four living beings and the four and twenty elders fell down to worship, and then that a song was heard, though in fact sung only by the four and twenty eiders, he might have employed the language which he actually has done. If this interpretation be admitted, then the most natural explanation to be given of the four living beings is to suppose that they are symbolical beings designed to furnish some representation of the government of God – to illustrate, as it were, that on which the divine government rests, or which constitutes its support – to wit, power, intelligence, vigilance, energy. This is apparent:
(a)Because it was not unusual for the thrones of monarchs to be supported by carved animals of various forms, which were designed undoubtedly to be somehow emblematic of government – either of its stability, vigilance, boldness, or firmness. Thus, Solomon had twelve lions carved on each side of his throne – no improper emblems of government – 1Ki 10:10, 1Ki 10:20.
- These living beings are described as the supports of the throne of God, or as that on which it rests, and would be, therefore, no improper symbols of the great principles or truths which give support or stability to the divine administration.
- They are, in themselves, well adapted to be representatives of the great principles of the divine government, or of the divine providential dealings, as we shall see in the more particular explanation of the symbol.
- Perhaps it might be added, that, so understood, there would be completeness in the vision.
The elders appear there as representatives of the church redeemed; the angels in their own proper persons render praise to God. To this it was not improper to add, and the completeness of the representation seems to make it necessary to add, that all the doings of the Almighty unite in his praise; his various acts in the government of the universe harmonize with redeemed and unfallen intelligences in proclaiming his glory. The vision of the living beings, therefore, is not, as I suppose, a representation of the attributes of God as such, but an emblematic representation of the divine government – of the throne of Deity resting upon, or sustained by, those things of which these living beings are emblems – intelligence, firmness, energy, etc. This supposition seems to combine more probabilities than any other which has been proposed; for, according to this supposition, all the acts, and ways, and creatures of God unite in his praise.
It is proper to add, however, that expositors are by no means agreed as to the design of this representation. Prof. Stuart supposes that the attributes of God are referred to; Mr. Elliott (i. 93), that the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures symbolize the church, or the collective body of the saints of God; and that as there are two grand divisions of the church, the larger one that of the departed in Paradise, and the other that militant on earth, the former is depicted by the twenty-four elders, and the latter by the living creatures; Mr. Lord (pp. 53, 54), that the living creatures and the elders are both of one race; the former perhaps denoting those like Enoch and Elijah, who were translated, and those who were raised by the Saviour after his resurrection, or those who have been raised to special eminence – the latter the mass of the redeemed; Mr. Mede, that the living creatures are symbols of the church worshipping on earth; Mr. Daubuz, that they are symbols of the ministers of the church on earth; Vitringa, that they are symbols of eminent ministers and teachers in every age; Dr. Hammond regards him who sits on the throne as the metropolitan bishop of Judea, the representative of God, the elders as diocesan bishops of Judea, and the living creatures as four apostles, symbols of the saints who are to attend the Almighty as assessors in judgment! See Lord on the Apocalypse, pp. 58, 59.
Full of eyes – Denoting omniscience. The ancients fabled Argus as having 100 eyes, or as having the power of seeing in any direction. The emblem here would denote an everwatchful and observing Providence; and, in accordance with the explanation proposed above, it means that, in the administration of the divine government, everything is distinctly contemplated; nothing escapes observation; nothing can be concealed. It is obvious that the divine government could not be administered unless this were so; and it is the perfection of the government of God that all things are seen just as they are. In the vision seen by Ezekiel Eze 1:18, the rings of the wheels on which the living creatures moved are represented as full of eyes round about them, emblematic of the same thing. So Milton:
As with stars their bodies all,
And wings were set with eyes; with eyes the wheels.
Of beryl, and careening fires between.
Before – In front. As one looked on their faces, from whatever quarter the throne was approached, he could see a multitude of eyes looking upon him.
And behind – On the parts of their bodies which were under the throne. The meaning is, that there is universal vigilance in the government of God. Whatever is the form of the divine administration; whatever part is contemplated; however it is manifested – whether as activity, energy, power, or intelligence – it is based on the fact that all things are seen from every direction. There is nothing that is the result of blind fate or of chance.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Rev 4:6
A sea of glass like unto crystal.
The spiritual navigator bound for the holy land
And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal. I find hereof seven several expositions.
1. Some expound this glassy and crystal-like sea, of contemplative men.
2. Some conceive it to be an abundant understanding of the truth, a happy and excellent knowledge given to the saints, and that in a wonderful plenitude.
3. Some understand by this glassy sea like crystal, the fulness of all those gifts and graces which the Church derives from Christ.
4. Some intend this glassy sea like to crystal to signify the crystalline heaven, where the eternal God keeps His court and sits in His throne.
5. Some expositions give this sea for the gospel. And their opinion is probably deduced from the two attributes, glassy and crystalline.
(1) The first expresseth a bright and clear matter. Which sets a difference betwixt that legal and this evangelical sea. That was duskish and shadowy matter, not penetrable to the sight. This is a sea of glass, more clear and transparent.
(2) Crystalline is the other attribute. Now as the other attribute takes from the gospel all obscurity, so this takes from it all impurity.
6. Some by this glassy and crystal sea conceived to be meant baptism, prefigured by that Red Sea (Exo 14:1-31.). The accordance of the type and antitype stands thus: as none of the children of Israel entered the terrestrial Caanan but by passing the Red Sea, so, ordinarily, no Christian enters the celestial Caanan but through this glassy sea. The laver of regeneration is that sea, wherein we must all wash.
7. Lastly, others affirm that by this glassy sea is meant the world. This being the most general and most probable opinion, on it I purpose to build my subsequent discourse. A special reason to induce me I derive from Rev 15:2, where the saints, having passed the dangers of the glassy sea–all the perils of this slippery world–and now setting their triumphant feet on the shores of happiness, they sing a victorious song. Now for further confirmation of this opinion, in the third verse, the exultation which they sing is called the song of Moses the servant of God. So that it seems directly to answer in a sweet allusion to the delivery of Israel from the Egyptians. Our adversaries like theirs, our dangers like theirs, our warfare like theirs; but the country we sail to far transcends that earthly Caanan.
Against this construction it is objected–
(1) This sea is before the throne; how can the world be so said? Properly, to show that all things in the world are not subject to fortune, but governed by Him that sits on the throne.
(2) The world is rather thick and muddy; how can it be called crystal? Fitly, not in regard of its own nature, for so it is polluted; but in regard of God that beholds it, who sees all things done in it so clearly as in crystal.
I. A sea.
1. The sea is an unquiet element, which none but the Makers hand can bridle (Mat 8:27). The world is in full measure as unruly. The Psalmist matcheth roaring waves and roaring men; the raging of the sea with the madness of the world. And yet God is able to still them both (Psa 65:7). The prophet calls the sea a raging creature, and therein yokes it with the wicked (Isa 57:20). The world is full o| molesting vexations no less than the sea.
(1) Sometimes it swells with pride, as the sea with waves.
(2) Vain-glory is the wind that raiseth up the billows of this sea.
(3) The world, like the sea, is blue with envy, livid with malice.
(4) Sometimes it boils with wrath: and herein the world and the sea are very similar.
(5) The sea is not more deep than the world. A bottomless subtilty is in mens hearts, and an honest man wants a plummet to sound it.
(6) There is foaming luxury in this sea; a corrupt and stinking froth, which the world casts up. The steam of lust fumes perpetually.
(7) The world, as the sea, is a swallowing gulf. There are four great devourers in the world, luxury, pride, gluttony, covetousness.
2. The sea is bitter. The waters thereof are salt and brinish. All demonstrates the world to have an unsavoury relish. So it bath truly, whether we respect the works or the pleasures of it. But how bitter, saltish, and unsavoury soever the sea is, yet the fishes that swim in it exceedingly like it. The world is not so distasteful to the heavenly palate as it is sweet to the wicked.
3. The sea is no place to continue in. No man sails there to sail there; but as he propounds to his purpose a voyage, so to his hopes a return. The world in like sort is no place to dwell in for ever. Self-flattering fools that so esteem it (Psa 49:11).
4. The sea is full of dangers.
II. A sea of glass.
1. There is a glassy colour congruent to the sea. All the beauty of glass consists in the colour; and what in the world, that is of the world, is commendable besides the colour? A cottage would serve to sleep in as well as sumptuous palace, but for the colour. Russets be as warm as silks, but for the glistering colour.
2. Glass is a slippery metal. The wisest Solomon, the strongest Samson, have been fetched up by this wrestler, and measured their lengths on the ground. How dangerous, then, is it to run fast on this sea, where men are scarce able to stand.
3. This glass denotes brittleness. A fit attribute to express the nature of worldly things; for glass is not more fragile. The world passeth away and the lust thereof, saith St. John. Man himself is but brittle stuff, and he is the noblest part of the world (Job 14:1). Now, since the world is a sea, and so brittle, a sea of glass, let us seek to pass over well, but especially to land well. A ship under sail is a good sight; but it is better to see her well moored in the haven. Be desirous of good life, not of long life; the shortest cut to our haven is the happiest voyage. Who would be long on the sea?
III. Thus far we have surveyed this glassy sea, the world, in regard of itself. The other two attributes concern almighty Gods holding and beholding.
1. That God may most clearly view all things being and done in this world; it is said to be in His sight as clear as crystal. As in crystal there is nothing so little but it may be seen; so there is nothing on earth, said or done, so slight or small, that it may escape His all-seeing providence (Heb 4:13). God beholds, as in a clear mirror of crystal, all our impurities, impieties, our contempt of sermons, neglect of sacraments, dishallowing His sabbaths. Well, as God sees all things so clearly, so I would to God we would behold somewhat. Let us open our eyes and view in this crystal glass our own works.
2. Lastly, this glassy sea is not only as crystal for the transparent brightness that the Almightys eye may see all things done in it, but it lies for situation before His throne; generally for the whole, and particularly for every member, subject to His judgment and governance. His throne signifies that impartial government which He exerciseth over the world (Psa 9:7-8). (T. Adams.)
Four beasts full of eyes before and behind.—
The ideal of intelligent creatureship
I. It stands in immediate contact with the presence and government of god.
1. It is the ideal of intelligent creatureship to live in the immediate presence of God.
2. It is the ideal of intelligent creatureship to serve in connection with the celestial government of all things.
II. It has numerous inlets of knowledge which aid in a vigilant conduct of life.
1. They have a power to understand history: eyes behind.
2. They have a power to comprehend prophecy: eyes before.
3. They have power to interpret self: eyes within.
III. It is gifted with a combination of varied and well-balanced abilities.
1. Great courage.
2. Enduring industry.
3. True intelligence.
4. Sublime aspiration.
5. Swift service.
IV. It is ever ascribing devout praise to the great God. Lessons:
1. There are in the unseen universe intelligent creatures vastly superior to man.
2. As these creatures find the highest joy in the service of God, so should man.
3. Man should seek to enter into the vigour of an ideal creatureship. (J. S. Exell, M. A.)
Full of eyes within.
Spiritual introspection
I. A few thoughts respecting these awful intelligences of whom we read in the text. Every manifestation of the glory of God has usually been accompanied with the presence of these living creatures. In the column of fire at the gate of Eden were seen the mystic forms and evolutions of these wondrous beings. In after times, God was addressed as dwelling between the cherubim. In the holiest of all, there was the ark of the covenant, and the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. The symbol of the Divine presence seems associated with them. It is to be remembered that the Oriental court was framed on the principle that it was the pattern of the Divine. The monarch was the visible representative of God. His laws, like those of God, were immutable. No one without permission could see his face and live; and the highest princes of the realm stood in his presence. In the court of our sovereign the most exalted personages–the highest in title, rank, and wealth–minister to royalty. Their very greatness is necessary to qualify them for service, and thus they manifest the glory of the monarch. Those created beings who stand before God in an official character are represented as possessing all possible perfections. They are the highest order of created intelligences; they are the ministers of the great King–and yet between them and God how great, how inconceivable the distance! The impropriety of terming these living creatures beasts has been admitted by every writer–the term is utterly at variance with their character and perfections. They are evidently official personages. All their acts are official. That these living creatures possess the highest capacities may be presumed from their dignified station. Their penetrating and comprehensive knowledge is intimated by their being full of eyes, before and behind. They see the past as well as the present; they can look all ways and see all things. They have, in its perfection, the faculty of introspection, for they have eyes within. This singular statement is but the symbol of their knowledge of themselves, as well as of outward things.
II. A few suggestions relative to the faculty of introspection. Man is related to the outward and to the spiritual world to the things that are seen and to the things that are unseen–to the things that are temporal and to the things that are eternal. He has an outward and an inward life–the sense of sight and the faculty of introspection. Man is fearfully and wonderfully made; he has the faculty of introspection, but through disuse it becomes dimmed, or paralysed, and dead. Christ comes., that men may see. He opens blind eyes. The regenerated men is the spiritual man, with the full use of spiritual powers, with the faculty of spiritual discernment. But more particularly–
1. Man does not recognise his own spiritual nature. He does not know how awful and mysterious that nature is. His outward life overshadows his inner life. His body is the prison-house of his soul. The spiritual man has eyes within. He communes with his own heart; he listens to the utterances of his spirit; he is familiar with the sorrows and joys of his soul. We may well pray, each for himself, Open Thou my eyes that I may see myself.
2. Man does not study the phenomena of his own mind. He thinks, but he thinks about his calling, about his trade; his thoughts are like his tools, his implements, he does not employ the powers of his mind on spiritual realities, or make his thoughts the chariot in which he can ascend to God. If we had eyes within we should see that there is nothing more wonderful than thought. We should see that as a man thinketh in his heart so is he; that if he thinks worldly thoughts, he is worldly; that if he thinks sensual thoughts, he is sensual; that if he thinks spiritual thoughts, he is spiritual; that thoughts are of moment and of the utmost importance.
3. Men do not know their own hearts. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? There is only one Being who knows it. If our eyes were opened, we should cry out, Create in me a clean heart, O God.
4. Men do not form a correct estimate of their own capabilities. Man, says Pascal, is the scorn and the glory of the universe. You have a nature that can only find its completeness in God, and therefore you can only find your satisfaction in Him. You have capabilities that you do not conceive of, for joy or for misery. You can become a partaker of a Divine nature, or you can sink into the most fearful degradation and infamy. (H. J. Bevis.)
The seeing eye
Full of eyes they are, these living creatures, not only before and behind, but within and without. Within every living creature perceives itself, scrutinises its own inner mysteries, and knows its own instincts and feelings and passions and ambition and hope and purpose. All these it has eyes to see in their manifold combinations even as it moves on and acts. And eyes without, not absorbed in introspection, but rather, and at the same moment at which it searches the deep things of the spirit, and by the same act it has eyes without, eyes that see so far away into the heart of things, eyes that gaze upon all the amazing scenery of the world about it, eyes that look upon the face of the eternal God. Full of eyes! What a surprising characteristic of nature for us! Our modern feeling about nature, derived from unphilosophic popularised science of the day, pronounced that nature is eyeless, that it works in the dark, that its laws are blind to its issues and action. Nature crushes and ruins the distinction between good and bad and right and wrong, and knows not what it does. Rivers run blindly down in their grooved channels; the seas beat blindly against blind rocks; the winds moan in blindness round the blind walls of the hills. The whole earth is blind. The heavens are vacant of any vision; they tell us we have put out their eyes. And this has happened, we know, because we have dropped God and His Christ out of their own creation. We have tried to look at it as if they were not there. We are compelled, in order to accomplish certain analytical issues essential to scientific investigation, to omit the spiritual factors of the universe from our immediate calculations. But then this abstraction is confessedly only for a purpose that is partial and incomplete in itself, and the danger lies in this, that when once this partial purpose of science is satisfied we forget to restore what our abstraction had eliminated. And then we look up and out and are appalled–for lo, God has vanished out of the natural scene! It is all empty of His presence of His will! It is purposeless, it is mechanical, it is blind–so we cry in our dismay! How could God be expected to appear in the shape of a material phenomenon, and yet only so could our scientific methods of research come upon Him. So it is that the world is blind, is godless to this pseudo-science. Look at nature with the eyes of a spirit, according to the rules and methods of spiritual vision; bring into play the organs that belong to a spiritual world, and lo! it is no longer sightless and meaningless and dark; it has become full of eyes within and without. In every portion of it there is a light, a purpose, a hope. The soul of man becomes conscious of a spirit that is abroad and about him on every side, and which fills his earthly house with the presence of Him he knows and who knows him. On all sides of him in this natural life here on earth he dimly perceives by the inspiration of a fellow feeling the living creatures full of eyes within and without, who unite with him in uttering the one phrase, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty! Full of eyes within and without. Our common humanity–that too should become full of eyes. Every faculty, every capacity in us which before had passed under Christs sway while it was of the earth earthy was always blundering into the dark, should discover that the quickening power of the Spirit has brought out one great boon–the gift of eyes–the capacity to see. That is the triumph of grace–that it enables this natural gift of man, his reason, to see where before he could not see. Grace gives it eyes, and reason henceforward can join in the hymn of adoration. It looks within and it looks without, and everywhere it now recognises the triple law of the spiritual life, the triple evidence of the threefold God! And thus made full of eyes to see, it, too, sings its song, Holy, holy, holy! And not reason only, but conscience gains eyes; the natural conscience lifted and transfigured perceives what it had never seen hitherto. It sees, for instance, the higher possibility of purity to which it had been wholly dark; it sees that purity holds the secret of true growth, for man and for woman all alike and both equally, which was never suggested to it until Christ opened its eyes. It detects the powers inherent in humiliation, in self-sacrifice, and in brotherly service. Therefore, where before it expected only weakness, it now perceives strength; the glories that lay concealed in virtues that it deemed passive and petty and effeminate are now disclosed to it. The darkness should always be turning into light as the fulness of grace spreads throughout the dim surface of human life, and touches it all with glory. Full of eyes! A question appropriate to Trinity Sunday for each one of us is, Do we use our human capacities with better precision than we did? Do we use them over the larger surface of life? Do we see more than we used to of Gods counsels for us here, of mans obligations, of our own possibilities and calls and duties? Grace should be for ever raising our ordinary capacities to a higher power, enriching their insight, fertilising their judgment. Is it so? Ask yourselves. Your imagination, for instance, is it more full of eyes than before? Does your imagination bring the sorrow of the world before you as if it were your own case, as a bitter sorrow, as a personal disgrace, for which you abhor yourself in dust and ashes? And your sympathies, are they more alert, quicker than once they were? Ah, the sins! They, too, stand out, now that you have eyes to see them, with a worse ugliness and a more rooted, stubborn repugnance. You had not thought yourself so bad, so base, so selfish, but now the light is thrown on you. You have eyes to see all the black wrong. (Canon Scott Holland.)
They rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy.—
Labour and rest
God has affixed certain peculiarities to our present state of being. It can be shown that there are portions even of the visible creation in which there can be no succession of day and night such as there is on earth–regions far removed in space from us, where clusters of suns must of necessity make perpetual sunshine. And we know from Scripture that the peculiar relation between rest and labour which is characteristic of earth, at all events as it is, is local, or temporary, or both; and that in another state of things the words of our text take the place of it, and they rest not day and night.
I. In Eden there was rest without labour. Eden in its innocence gave no trouble to its inhabitants. They trimmed its roses, and trod its velvet lawns, and ate its fruits, and drank its transparent rivers, and enjoyed the tranquillity of unbroken rest. And this is the reason why, though man now cannot be really happy without employment, he naturally turns in imagination to such a state as one of perfect enjoyment. It was his primary condition before sin entered into the world.
II. We turn to labour and rest–the relation which exists on earth as it is. That in this state of things there should be labour is expressly declared after the fall. In the sweat of thy brow shalt thou eat bread. That there must be rest is expressly taught: Man goeth forth to his work and to his labour until the evening. And we know, in practice, that within certain limits there may be a change in the relation subsisting between the two, but that if these limits are exceeded either way, the result is ruin to mans moral and physical constitution. It degrades him to be without labour; it destroys him to be without rest. There is but one who has lived in this ruined world without sin. Christ, as man, is the model of what man ought to be in a world which is as it ought not to be. In Christs example we see what ought to be mans state in the present world, as it respects labour and rest: that the two should interchange–that because it is paradise no longer there must be toil, and because it is still earth there must be rest–rest for bodily refreshment, rest for the friendly intercourse of one with another, rest for communion with Him whose presence alone can give the soul of man true rest.
III. There is another solution of the problem of the relation between labour and rest–labour without rest. And this is only to be found in hell. Satan himself is always represented as a being of restless activity: going about, walking up and down. There is a faint reflection of hell in the bosom of each unconverted man; and of such we read (Isa 57:20). And let me say that whatever makes earth approximate to a state of restlessness, so far makes it approach to a resemblance to the place of everlasting misery.
IV. We come to the last and best relation between rest and labour, that which exists in heaven, where they rest not day and night, because they rest in labour. In heaven employment is unceasing–for those who are there are freed from the weariness of the flesh. Free from all infirmity, they rest not day and night. And employment is unceasing in heaven–for the employments of heaven are restoring instead of exhausting. They have life in them. (S. Garratt, B. A.)
True worship a foretaste of heaven
Now, what are the characteristic features, so to call them, of the perfect worship of heaven, which are touched on in the text?
1. It will be a continuous service. There will be no break or intermission on the part of those who join in it. The now that is there is always.
2. It will be united worship–all join and all join alike.
3. The character of the worship will be one and the same.
4. The worship will be before the throne, i.e., in the conscious immediate presence of Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, with all the surroundings of visible glory.
5. The worship will be all-absorbing in contemplation of the Divine glory and perfections. No thought of personal doings or deservings can find place there. There is only the acknowledgment that all are His gifts–all has come from Him–and there is the humble tendering back of everything. The crowns are cast before the throne in adoring thankfulness to Him who is the Giver of them all. Worship, as distinct from prayer and praise and thanksgiving, is the conscious lifting up of the soul to God in contemplation of Him, in His Being and acts, whether towards ourselves in particular, or towards our whole race, or in all His works, according to our knowledge of them. We cannot really worship without knowledge–we cannot worship a blank; we must have knowledge of Him to whom we pay homage; and that knowledge must be received into ourselves from without. Thus worship is both a taking in and a giving out: taking in, i.e., receiving, and following out, and expanding, and setting forth before ourselves, who that great Being is with whom we have to do, whose works encompass us, and to whom we desire to draw near, to know better and to hold communion with; and then giving back, as it were, this knowledge at which we have arrived, in acts of adoration and praise, expressed in different ways according to the subject matter as regards Almighty God, in which we may be engaged. The two must go hand in hand: you cannot rightly worship except you have acquaintance with Him whom you worship, and you cannot have this acquaintance without worship. You cannot come at a right knowledge of Almighty God, much less of Almighty God as revealed under the Christian dispensation, except the knowledge acquired and the spirit in which that knowledge is dwelt on and followed up, be with a mind of adoration and worship. And the two (the knowledge and the worship) grow and advance together. Increased knowledge of God carries us on in worship, and fuller worship leads up to fuller knowledge. What is set before us in the text is the type of the perfect worship of heaven, and it is toward this that our life on earth should lead. For mans eternal joy will be in praising God. The power of fully appreciating the love of God towards us will prompt the unceasing praise, and in that unceasing praise will be the joy of heaven. The Divine love, which receives the praises of that innumerable blessed company, will ever fresh inspire their song, will pour into it new depth and richness, and will receive it into the fulness of the Divine life. There is no intermission, there is no end; for Gods glory cannot be known in its eternity except by the gift of an eternal power of contemplation and of union with Him. People talk a great deal about places of worship and forms of worship. But do they consider what worship means? They think perhaps of edification by sermons, or of instruction out of Gods Holy Scriptures, or of joining in prayers and hymns, or of the good they may feel, or of the things they need to ask, but these are not worship. In all these we look for something for ourselves, something to get. But worship does not mean getting anything, but it means giving something. And what? Money, costly offerings, such things as come by birth, high station, or intellect? Not so; not so, in the truest sense of giving. For these things are not our own. It is of them that the man after Gods own heart said, Of Thine own have we given Thee. Wherein, then, consists that offering which we may more truly call our own than all such things without, though in a sense, and for a time at least, they do belong to us? Something there is, more nearly and more truly our own, which we are to give. That more costly offering, that in which God has delight, is ourselves. We make an offering of our mind, when we withdraw our thoughts from the business of the world, from those things which engross our thoughts and make any lengthened devotion wearisome and distasteful; when we calmly and resolutely set ourselves to mediate on God and things of God; when we try to shut out the distractions of things, and to fix our thoughts upon God, and upon God only, for the time. Again, we make an offering of our heart, which is the seat of the affections, in earnestness of devotion, calling up before us His goodness, His love, His bounties towards us, as well in respect of His gifts in this life as still more for all His gracious and abundant promises for the life to come. Again, as God made the mind, He requires an offering of that; and as He made the heart, He demands an offering of that also; so, too, as He made the body, He requires that the body shall bear part in worshipping Him. This we do by outward acts of worship, bowing, kneeling, singing, and joining in the services of His house. Thus the whole man, body and soul, may take part in worship; after this manner here below preparing for the perfect worship of heaven. And He who invites us thus to worship here will be with us, and make that worship approach little by little towards the perfect worship of heaven. (R. F. Wilson.)
Celestial worship
I. The worship of heaven will engage the activities of all celestial creatureship.
1. Universal.
2. Ceaseless.
3. Perfect.
II. The worship of heaven will be inspired by clear views of the divine character.
1. Holy.
2. Omnipotent.
3. Eternal.
III. The worship of heaven is rendered with the greatest humility of soul.
1. This humility is inspired by a true sense of the Divine majesty.
2. This humility is awakened by a due estimate of the unworthiness of self.
3. This humility is manifested by the external attitudes of worship. The crown of an adoring soul gains its worth and brightness by being cast before the throne of God.
IV. The worship of heaven is celebrative of the creative pleasure of God.
1. Celestial worship ascribes the plan of creation to the creative power of God.
2. Celestial worship recognises the creative power of God as calling for the highest worship of intelligent creatures.
They ascribe to God–
1. Glory.
2. Honour.
3. Power.
Lessons:
1. It is the privilege and duty of all intelligent creatures to worship God.
2. In praise we should seek to have clear views of the Divine character.
3. We should endeavour to approach God with a becoming sense of unworthiness. (J. S. Exell, M. A.)
Earnest devotion
In the apostles vision of heaven, he is struck with the glowing devotion of the spirits before the throne. It is pure, fervent, and exalted; it is subject to no changes of rising and falling emotions; it is always as great as the perfections of the Infinite require, and as the nature of the hearts from which it proceeds permits it to be. Do you ask, How can it be sustained at such a height, when all human devotion is so easily brought down–how can their minds be kept fixed on the object of their adoration when human thoughts so readily wander away? The explanation is found in the words, They rest not day and night; their hearts are always engaged in the service; the night suspends it not, for there is no night there. It is because they are thus devoted–in a word, it is because they rest not–that their devotion maintains itself so fervent, and towers so high. This, then, illustrates the great truth which ought to be impressed on every heart; religious improvement, the chief object of existence, requires the steady devotion of all our powers to secure it. In proportion as man rests from that labour does he surrender the hope and power of ever securing that prize. Consider the effect of inaction upon the physical nature. The frame which is regularly exercised, if not urged beyond its strength, grows in firmness and energy, and expands in full and fair proportion. But let the frame be given over to rest, let the man have no steady employment that requires interest and exertion, and it is not long before disease begins to spread through the system. Consider the effect of inaction upon the mind of man. There is a strong analogy between the wants of the body and the mind; exertion is indispensable to the health of each; and though one who lives without exercising either may not yet perceive the injury he is doing to himself, it is not less certain that the day of recompense and sorrow must come. Disease is as sure to follow the inactive mind as the inactive body. Its effects are not open to the eye, or rather they are not noticed by careless observers, though they may be seen in the incapacity for serious reflection, in the depraved intellectual taste which can relish only miscellaneous novelty or intoxicating fiction. When the body dies, its pains and sorrows are over; not so, not so with the mind, which dieth not; when coldness wraps the suffering clay, the mind still lives and must live for ever. Consider the effect of inaction on the spiritual nature of man. It is common to meet with those who neither look forward to eternity nor up to God; and the consequence is, not only that their devotion, if they ever had any, dies, but also that they lose the power of devotion. They lose all power of spiritual discernment, so that the great realities of another world have no presence nor life to the soul. This is the darkest and most fearful thought that can be presented to the human mind–the death and ruin of the soul. There is a time when ye cannot do the things that ye would. The same is true of love to men, that other great duty which God so intimately associated with devotion. This feeling can be strengthened into a principle by the common sympathy of life–that sympathy which is never so strong and sure as when sanctified by religious feeling. But if our benevolent impulses are not followed, we lose not only the opportunity of the moment, but we lose the power of exertion. They are like the wayfarer in the polar regions; after suffering awhile with the cold, he feels a sleep stealing over him; it comes without pain, it gives no warning of danger; unable to resist the persuasive influence, he sinks into slumber, from which he never wakes in this world again. It is in the same way that hearts are frozen; they feel no danger, they suspect not that the sleep which is stealing over them is the sleep of death. Having thus endeavoured to show what law we are under, let us take a more practical view of the subject. Love to God and love to man are the great elements of that character which we are sent into this world to form, and it is practising on these principles which gives them power and increases their power within us. It is because the seraphs rest not day and night that their hearts become living flames in the service of their God. We are to remember, then, that God has so arranged the present life that all things favour the growth of love to man in those who really determine to possess it, while all things seem to hinder it in those who hold it in slight regard. Whenever an opportunity of benevolence is offered–whenever Gods providence makes an appeal, as it often does, to our kind feeling–we should feel that to resist it or reject it is wrong. It is so much done to injure and destroy the principles and affections which form the only treasures of heaven; they are all the wealth we can carry from this world into another, and without them we shall be poor indeed. So, if we have the least desire to possess the spirit of devotion, we shall take advantage of every time and every service that can awaken the spirit of devotion. (W. B. O. Peabody, D. D.)
The celebration of the Trinity
In the understanding of this place, what, or who these four creatures are, there is difficulty. And so we shall well do if we interpret these four creatures to be first and principally the four evangelists, and then enlarge it to all the ministers of the gospel. So, then, the action being an open and a continual profession of the whole Christian religion, in the celebration of the Trinity, which is the distinctive character of the Christian, the persons that do this are all they that constitute the hierarchy and order of the Church. And before we come to their qualification in the text, first, as they are said to have six wings, and then as they are said to be full of eyes, we look upon them as they are formed and designed to us in the verse immediately before the text, where the first of these four creatures hath the face of a lion, the second of a calf, or an ex, the third of a man, the fourth of an eagle. Now, says St. Ambrose, these four creatures are the preachers of the gospel; that we had established afore, but then we add with St. Ambrose, all these four creatures make up but one creature; all their qualities concur to the qualification of a minister; every minister of God is to have all that all four had–the courage of a lion, the laboriousness of an ox, the perspicuity and clear sight of the eagle, and the humanity, the discourse, the reason, the affability, the appliableness of a man. All must have all, or else all is disordered–zeal, labour, knowledge, gentleness. Now besides these general qualifications, laid down as the foundation of the text, in the verse before it, in the text itself these four creatures have also wings added unto them; wings, first for their own behoof and benefit, and then, wings for the benefit and behoof of others. They have wings to raise themselves from the earth, that they do not entangle themselves in the business of this world; but still to keep themselves upon the wing in a heavenly conversation, ever remembering that they have another element than sea or land, as men whom Christ Jesus hath set apart, and in some measure made mediators between Him and other men as His instruments of their salvation. And then as for themselves, so have they wings for others too, that they may be always ready to succour all in all their spiritual necessities. And then, their wings are numbered in our text: they have six wings. For by the consent of most expositors, those whom St. John presents in the figure of these four creatures here, and those whom the prophet Isaiah calls seraphim, are the same persons. The Holy Ghost sometimes presents the ministers of the gospel as seraphim in glory, that they might be known to be the ministers and dispensers of the mysteries and secrets of God, and to come from His council, His cabinet. And then on the other side, theft you might know that the dispensation of these mysteries of your salvation is by the hand and means of men, taken from amongst yourselves, and that therefore you are not to look for revelations, nor ecstasies, nor visions, nor transportations, but to rest in Gods ordinary means, He brings those persons down again from that glorious representation as the seraphim to creatures of an inferior, of an earthly nature. These winged persons, then have eyes as well as wings; they fly, but they know whither they fly. God gives them wings, that is, means to do their office; but eyes too, that is, discretion and religious wisdom how to do it. And this is that which they seem to need most, for their wings are limited, but their eyes are not; six wings, but full of eyes, says our text. But then, especially, says our text, they were full of eyes within. All my wings shall do me no good, all mine eyes before and behind shall do me no good, if I have no prospect inward, no eyes within, no care of my particular and personal safety. If the Lord open thy lips, let it be to show forth His praise. That they speak, declare the glory of God. For this is that ingenuity, that alacrity, which constitutes our first branch. And then the second is the assiduity, the constancy, the incessantness, They rest not day nor night. But have the saints of God no vacation? Do they never cease? Nay, as the word imports, they have no rest. God Himself rested not till the seventh day; be thou content to stay for thy sabbath till thou mayst have an eternal one. If we understand this of rest merely, of bodily rest, the saints of God are least likely to have it in this life; for this life is a business, a warfare, a voyage, and a tempestuous voyage. If we understand this rest to be cessation, intermission, the saints of heaven have none of that in this service. It is a labour that never wearies, to serve God there. To conclude all, this eternally of our God is expressed here in a phrase which designs and presents the last judgment, that is, Which was, and is, and is to come. And, therefore, let us reverently embrace such provisions, and such assistances as the Church of God hath ordained, for retaining and celebrating the Trinity, in this particular contemplation, as they are to come to judgment. And let us at least provide so far, to stand upright in that judgment, as not to deny, nor to dispute the power, or the persons of those judges. (John Donne, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 6. Four beasts] Four living creatures or four animals. The word beast is very improperly used here and elsewhere in this description. Wiclif first used it, and translators in general have followed him in this uncouth rendering. A beast before the throne of God in heaven sounds oddly.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And before the throne; the throne mentioned before, Rev 4:2,3, upon which one sat, & c.
A sea of glass like unto crystal; another allusion to the tabernacle or temple, in which was a sea, that is, a large vessel full of water; it was for Aaron and his sons to wash their hands, and feet, and sacrifices in, Exo 30:19; 1Ki 7:23; it was ten cubits broad, five cubits high, and thirty cubits about. Here it is said to have been of glass; this, probably, signified the blood of Christ, in which all those souls and services must be washed which are accepted of and acceptable unto God. Its being represented here as of glass, may signify the purity and spotlessness of him whose blood it was. Other guesses there are many at the significancy of this sea of glass, but this seems to me most probable, because the use of the sea in the temple is made good in Christ. John in this vision also saw
four beasts, which beasts are said:
1. To be in the midst of, and round about the throne.
2. To be full of eyes before and behind.
3. They are, Rev 4:7, said to have resembled a lion, a calf, a man in the face, and a flying eagle; Rev 4:8, each of them had six wings, and they were full of eyes within, and incessantly glorified God.
Question. Whom did these beasts signify?
Solution. There are various notions about them. Some judge them the four evangelists; but John himself was one of these, and yet alive. Some will have them four apostles that were mostly at Jerusalem; but I see no ground for that. Some will have them angels; others, glorified saints; but we shall afterwards find them distinguished from both these. Others will have them the whole church. But the most probable sense is, that they represented the ministers of the church, who are living creatures, whose place is between God and his church, as those beasts are placed between the throne and the elders; and who are but four to the twenty-four elders, being but few in comparison with the multitude of believers; and yet have eyes on all sides, being enough to see to the affairs of the whole church of Christ on the earth. In this sense I rest; only here remains a question, how these are said to be in the midst of the throne, and yet round about the throne? To which various answers are given; that which pleaseth me best is, , in the middle, is not to be strained to signify a place at equal distance from two extremes, but more largely and proverbially for near the throne, or near him who sat upon the throne. See the several notions about this phrase in Mr. Pools Latin Synopsis.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
6. Two oldest manuscripts, A, B,Vulgate, Coptic, and Syriac read, “As it werea sea of glass.”
like . . . crystalnotimperfectly transparent as the ancient common glass, but like rockcrystal. Contrast the turbid “many waters” on which theharlot “sitteth” (Rev 17:1;Rev 17:15). Compare Job37:18, “the sky . . . as a molten looking-glass.” Thus,primarily, the pure ether which separates God’s throne from John, andfrom 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 thesanctuary (see on Re 4:4,above). There is in this sea depth and transparency, but not thefluidity and instability of the natural sea (compare Re21:1). It stands solid, calm, and clear, God’s judgmentsare called “a great deep” (Ps36:6). In Re 15:2 it is a”sea of glass mingled with fire.” Thus there issymbolized here the purificatory baptism of water and the Spirit ofall who are made “kings and priests unto God.” In Re15:2 the baptism with the fire of trial is meant. Through bothall the king-priests have to pass in coming to God: His judgments,which overwhelm the ungodly, they stand firmly upon, as on a solidsea of glass; able like Christ to walk on the sea, as though it weresolid.
round about the throneonein the midst of each side of the throne.
four beastsThe Greekfor “beasts,” Rev 13:1;Rev 13:11, is different, therion,the symbol for the carnal man by opposition to God losing his trueglory, as lord, under Him, of the lower creatures, and degraded tothe level of the beast. Here it is zoon, “livingcreatures”; not beast.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And before the throne [there was] a sea of glass like unto crystal,…. By which is meant, not heaven, nor the souls of the blessed there, nor the multitude of the holy angels, nor the first converts to Christianity at Jerusalem; for those that got the victory over the beast are said to stand upon this sea, Re 15:2, which these senses, especially the three last, will by no means admit of. Some by it understand the world, which may be compared to a “sea”, for the multitude of people in it, as many waters in this book signify people and nations, Re 17:15; and to a sea of glass, which is brittle, for the frailty and transitoriness of the world, of the fashion of it, and of men and things in it; and to the clear “crystal”, because all things in it are open and manifest to the omniscient eye of God; but the world, and men of it, used not to be compared to a still and quiet sea, as this is, but to one disturbed and troubled by winds and tempests, whose waters cast up mire and dirt, Isa 57:20. Others think the ordinance of baptism is designed, of which the Red sea, through which the Israelites passed under the cloud, was an emblem; and which may be compared to a “sea of glass”, for its transparency, it clearly expressing the sufferings, burial, and resurrection of Christ; and to crystal, for its purity; and to all this for its cleansing nature, as it leads unto the blood of Christ; and its being before the throne may denote its being the way of entrance into the Gospel church. Others think the blood of Christ is meant, in allusion to the brazen sea in the tabernacle, which was made of the looking glasses the women brought, and for the priests to wash in, before they entered on business, Ex 30:18, and to the molten sea in the temple, which was for the same purpose, 1Ki 7:23. Christ’s blood is the fountain opened to wash in for sin, and may be compared to a sea for its abundant efficacy in cleansing from all sin; and it is this which makes way to the throne, and to him that sits on it; and is a special privilege enjoyed by those who come to Mount Zion, or into a Gospel church state; there is always this laver to wash their garments in, and make them white: though this sea, being of glass, seems not so much designed to wash in; and therefore rather I think by it is meant the Gospel, compared to a “sea” for the deep things of God and mysteries of grace which are in it; to a sea of “glass”, because in it is beheld, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, of his person, office, and righteousness, as well as many other wondrous things; and to one like “crystal”, for the clearness, perspicuity, and evidence of the truths contained in it; and to a, fixed, still; and quiet sea, because it is the Gospel of peace, love, grace, and mercy, and brings peace, joy, and tranquillity to troubled minds, when the law works wrath: but here are no tossing, foaming, raging waves of wrath, and fury, but all smooth, stable, solid, tranquil, and quiet. And this is said to be before the throne, where the rainbow of the covenant is, of which the Gospel is a transcript; and where the four and twenty elders, or members of churches be, for their delight and comfort; and where the seven spirits of God are, to furnish men with gifts to preach it; and where the four living creatures, or ministers of the word, have their place, who officiate in it. Agreeably to this figurative way of speaking, the Jews call p the law, , “the sea of the law”, and the “sea of wisdom”; and frequently give the characters of such and such a doctor, as being very expert and conversant
, “in the sea of the Talmud”, or “doctrine” q. The Alexandrian copy, the Complutensian edition, the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions, read, “there was as a sea of glass”, somewhat that looked like one. The word “glass” is left out in the Ethiopic version, but very aptly is it so described, the colour of the sea being sometimes green like that of glass.
And in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, [were] four beasts; or “living creatures”, as the word may be better rendered, agreeably to Eze 1:5, to which reference is here had; and by whom are meant not the angels, though there are many things which agree with them; they are said to be the “four spirits” of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth, Zec 6:5. They may be rightly called living creatures, since they live a most happy life in heaven; their situation is before the throne, and in the presence of God; and their being so sedulous, diligent, and watchful in doing the will of God, may be signified by their being “full of eyes behind, and before, and within”; their strength may be fitly expressed by “the lion”; their indefatigableness in the service of God, by “the ox”: their wisdom, prudence, and knowledge, by “the face of a man”; and their swiftness in obeying the divine commands by “the flying eagle”; their number of wings agrees with that of the seraphim in Isa 6:2; to which the allusion seems to be; and their work, in continually ascribing glory to God, suits with them: to which may be added, that the Jews often speak of four angels, , “round about his throne”, that is, the throne of God; whose names are Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael; the three first they place in this manner, Michael at his right hand, Uriel at his left, and Gabriel before him r. Sometimes thus, Michael on his right hand, Gabriel on his left, Uriel before him, and Raphael behind him, and the holy blessed God in the middle; and they are expressly called s by them the four living creatures, meaning in Ezekiel’s vision; and they make mention of the intellectual living creatures which are , “round about the throne” t. Notwithstanding all this, the angels cannot be intended, because these four living creatures are said to be redeemed by the blood of Christ, and are distinguished from angels in Re 5:8; nor are the four Gospels, with the four evangelists, here meant; for whatever agreement may be fancied there is between these, and the likeness of the living creatures; as that Matthew may be signified by the creature that has the face of a man, because he begins his Gospel with the genealogy of Christ, as man; and Mark by the lion, because he begins his Gospel with the voice of one crying in the wilderness; and Luke by the ox, because he begins his Gospel with an account of Zacharias the priest, offering in the temple; and John by the eagle, because he begins his Gospel, the first face or leaf of it, in a very high style, and with the divinity of Christ: and with what truth soever it may be said of these that they are full of divine light and knowledge, and swiftly spread it in the world, and are continually giving glory to God; yet it cannot be said of them, with any propriety, as is said of these four living creatures, that they fall down before God, and worship him, and are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb: besides, these four are represented as calling to John at the opening of the first four seals, to come and see what was to be seen; and one of them is said to give to the seven angels the vials of wrath to pour out, Re 5:8, to which may be added, that this sense is attended with this inconvenience, that it makes John to be one of the four creatures which he saw: nor are four particular apostles, as Peter and John, Paul and Barnabas, pointed at, as others think; nor the pure apostolical church, for the church is represented by the four and twenty elders, and these four living creatures are distinguished from the hundred and forty four thousand on Mount Zion, in Re 14:1. Dr. Goodwin has a very ingenious thought upon these words, could it be supported; he thinks that these four living creatures design the four officers in the Christian church, the ruling elder, the pastor, the deacon, and the teacher; the ruling elder by the “lion”, who needs courage to deal with men in case of sins; the pastor by the “ox”, for his laboriousness in treading out the corn; the deacon by that which has the “face of a man”, it being necessary that he should be merciful and pitiful to the poor, as is the heart of a man; and the teacher by the “flying eagle”, who is quick to espy errors, and soars aloft into high mysteries: but then it should be observed, that there is no such officer ass ruling elder in the church, distinct from the pastor; and that the pastor and teacher are one; so that there are but two sorts of officers in the church, pastor, and deacon; see Php 1:1; to which may be added, that the four living creatures are all in the same situation, and are alike full of eyes, and have the same number of wings, and are employed in the same work; all which cannot be said equally of church officers. By these four living creatures, I apprehend, we are to understand the ministers of the Gospel in general, in the successive ages of the church, to whom all the characters do well agree. And though they may not be all found in everyone, at least not in all alike, yet thou are in one or another of them, and in them as together considered. They are said to be “four”, being fewer in number than the members of the church, which are signified by the twenty four elders, and yet a sufficient number; and in allusion to the four standards of the camp of Israel in the wilderness, to which there seems to be some reference in the whole of this account; as the tabernacle there was placed in the midst, so the throne of God here; as the priests and Levites were round about that, so the four and twenty elders here; as there were seven lamps, over against the candlestick in the tabernacle, continually burning, so there are seven spirits here before the throne; and as there were four princes, who were standard bearers, placed at the four corners of the camp, so here four living creatures, or ministers of the word, who are standard bearers: the standard of Judah, with Issachar and Zabulon under him, was at the east of the tabernacle; and Ephraim, with Manasseh and Benjamin, at the west; Reuben, with Simeon and Gad, at the south; and Dan, with Asher and Naphtali, at the north; and the Jewish writers say u, that on Judah’s standard was the figure of a lion, on Ephraim’s the figure of an ox, on Reuben’s the figure of a man, and on Dan’s the figure of an eagle; and to which the four living creatures are likened here. And this number “four” may be the rather mentioned, with respect to the four parts of the world, and corners of the earth, whither the ministers of the Gospel are sent to preach, and whither their commission reaches; there being of the elect of God in all parts to be gathered in by their ministry: and very properly may they be called “living creatures”, because they are alive in themselves, being quickened by the Spirit of God; or otherwise they would not be fit for their work; and because their work requires liveliness in the exercise of grace, and fervency in the performance of duty: and because they are a means in the hand of God of quickening dead sinners, and of reviving drooping saints by the word of life, which they hold forth: the situation of these four living creatures agrees with them, who are said to be both in the midst of, and round about the throne, and so were nearer to it than the four and twenty elders, and were between that and them; as the ministers of the Gospel are set in the first place in the church; have nearness to God, and much of his presence, which is particularly promised them; and stand between God and the people, and receive from the one, and communicate to the other, and lead on the worship of God, as these four do; see Re 4:9. And these are said to be
full of eyes; of spiritual light, and evangelical knowledge; and they have need of all the eyes they have to look into the Scriptures of truth, to search and pry into them, and find out the sense and meaning of them; to overlook the flock committed to them, they have taken the oversight of; to look to themselves, their doctrine, and their conversation; to espy enemies and dangers, and give notice of them to the churches; to look to God upon the throne, and to the Lamb in the midst of it, for fresh supplies of gifts and grace; and to see to it, that all their ministrations tend to the glory of God, the honour of a Redeemer, and the good of souls. And they had eyes
before and behind; “before” them, to look to the word of God, and the deep things in it, which continually lies before them, and to the things that are yet to come relating to the kingdom and church of Christ; and “behind” them, to observe how all sacrifices and types, predictions and promises, have had their accomplishment in Christ; they have eyes before them to watch over the church they are in the midst of, and which is the flock that is before them; and eyes behind, to guard against Satan and his emissaries, false teachers, who sometimes slyly and secretly come upon the back of them; they have eyes before them, to look to him that sits upon the throne, on whom their dependence, and from whom their expectations are; and they have eyes behind them, to look on the four and twenty elders, the members of the churches, to whom they minister.
p Zohar in Numb. fol. 90. 3. & 92. 1. & in Lev. fol. 24. 3. & in Deut. fol. 118. 4. Tikkune Zohar apud Rittangel. not. in Jetzira, p. 133, 134. q Ganz. Tzemach David, par. 1. fol. 46. 2. & 47. 1, 2. r Bemidbar Rabba, sect 2. fol. 179. 1. Vid. Pirke Eliezer, c. 4. s Zohar in Numb. fol. 91. 3. t Raya Mehimna in Zohar in ib. fol. 95. 4. u Aben Ezra in Numb. ii. 2.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
As it were a glassy sea ( ). Old adjective (from , glass, Rev 21:18; Rev 21:21), in N.T. only here and 15:2. Possibly from (it rains), like a raindrop. At any rate here it is the appearance, not the material. Glass was made in Egypt 4,000 years ago. In Ex 24:10 the elders see under the feet of God in the theophany a paved work of sapphire stone (cf. Eze 1:26). The likeness of the appearance of sky to sea suggests the metaphor here (Beckwith).
Like crystal ( ). Associative-instrumental case after . Old word, from (ice and sometimes used for ice), in N.T. only here and 22:1, not semi-opaque, but clear like rock-crystal.
In the midst of the throne ( ). As one looks from the front, really before.
Round about the throne ( ). Merely an adverb in the locative case (Ro 15:19), as a preposition in N.T. only here, Rev 5:11; Rev 7:11. This seems to mean that on each of the four sides of the throne was one of the four living creatures either stationary or moving rapidly round (Eze 1:12f.).
Four living creatures ( ). Not (beasts), but living creatures. Certainly kin to the of Rev 4:1; Rev 4:2 which are cherubim (Ezek 10:2; Ezek 10:20), though here the details vary as to faces and wings with a significance of John’s own, probably representing creation in contrast with the redeemed (the elders).
Full of eyes ( ). Present active participle of , to be full of, with the genitive, signifying here unlimited intelligence (Beckwith), the ceaseless vigilance of nature (Swete).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Of glass [] . Rev., glassy, which describes the appearance not the material. The adjective, and the kindred noun ualov glass occur only in Revelation. The etymology is uncertain; some maintaining an Egyptian origin, and others referring it to the Greek uw to rain, with the original signification of rain – drop. Originally, some kind of clear, transparent stone. Herodotus says that the Ethiopians place their dead bodies “in a crystal pillar which has been hollowed out to receive them, crystal being dug up in great abundance in their country, and of a kind very easy to work. You may see the corpse through the pillar within which it lies; and it neither gives out any unpleasant odor, nor is it in any respect unseemly : yet there is no part that is not as plainly visible as if the body were bare” (iii. 24). Glass is known to have been made in Egypt at least 3, 800 years ago. The monuments show that the same glass bottles were used then as in later times; and glass blowing is represented in the paintings in the tombs. The Egyptians possessed the art of coloring it, and of introducing gold between two layers of glass. The ruins of glass – furnaces are still to be seen at the Natron Lakes. The glass of Egypt was long famous. It was much used at Rome for ornamental purposes, and a glass window has been discovered at Pompeii : Pliny speaks of glass being malleable.
Crystal. Compare Eze 1:22; Job 37:18; Exo 24:10. The word is used in classical Greek for ice. Thucydides, describing the attempt of the Plataeans to break out from their city when besieged by the Peloponnesians and Boeotians, relates their climbing over the wall and crossing the ditch, but only after a hard struggle; “for the ice [] in it was not frozen hard enough to bear” (iii., 23). Crystal, regarded as a mineral, was originally held to be only pure water congealed, by great length of time, into ice harder than common. Hence it was believed that it could be produced only in regions of perpetual ice. In the midst of – round about. Commonly explained as one in the midst of each of the four sides of the throne. “At the extremities of two diameters passing through the center of the round throne” (Milligan). Beasts [] . Rev., living creatures. Alford aptly remarks that beasts is the most unfortunate word that could be imagined. Beast is qhrion. Zwon emphasizes the vital element, qhrion the bestial.
Full of eyes before and behind. The four living beings are mainly identical with the cherubim of Eze 1:5 – 10; Eze 10:5 – 20; Isa 6:2, 3; though with some differences of detail. For instance, Ezekiel’s cherubim have four wings, while the six described here belong to the seraphim of Isaiah. So also the Trisagion (thrice holy) is from Isaiah. In Ezekiel’s vision each living being has all four faces, whereas here, each of the four has one.
“There came close after them four animals, Incoronate each one with verdant leaf, Plumed with six wings was every one of them, The plumage full of eyes; the eyes of Argus If they were living would be such as these. Reader I to trace their forms no more I waste My rhymes; for other spendings press me so, That I in this cannot be prodigal. But read Ezekiel who depicteth them As he beheld them from the region cold Coming with cloud, with whirlwind, and with fire; And such as thou shalt find them in his pages, Such were they here; saving that in their plumage John is with me, and differeth from him.” Dante, “Purgatorio,” 29, 92 – 105.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
FOUR LIVING CREATURES (Who They Represent)v. 6-8
1) “And before the throne,” (kai enopion tou thronou) “And before (in view of) the throne,” central throne on which God the Father sat in heaven, Col 3:1; Heb 3:1.
2) “There was a sea of glass like unto crystal,” (hos thalassa hualine krustailo) “There was a sea of glass similar in appearance of crystal; typified by the brazen sea” before Solomon’s Temple, 1Ki 7:23; 2Ch 4:2; John was looking upon, the front entrance to the heavenly temple, Rev 11:19; Rev 15:2; Rev 15:5.
3) “And in the midst of the throne,” (kai en meso tou thronou) “And in (the) midst of the (central) throne area; These four living creatures were moving about and in the midst of the redeemed encircling the Throne of God, worshipping and praising Him; See also Rev 7:11.
4) “And round about the throne,” (kai kuklo tou thronou) “And or even encircling (round about) the throne,” in the midst of the four and twenty elders were four living creatures, representing the redeemed from among the Gentiles who were never in or identified with Israel or the church in worship and service to God, 1Co 10:32.
5) “Were four beast,” (tessera zoa) “(There were) four living creatures (beasts in appearance);” as Israel and the church are represented by twenty-four elders upon (24) thrones it appears that the four living creatures represent the redeemed from among the Gentiles of the four one-world Empires, Eze 1:5; Dan 7:1-28, offering praise to God and Jesus Christ, Dan 7:8-9; Dan 5:8-10; Dan 7:11-17. They await the return of Christ to the earth on the Mount of Olives.
6) “Full of eyes before and behind,” (gemonta ophthalmon emprosthen kai opisthen) “Full (filling) of eyes (both) before and behind, seeing, beholding, in every direction activity around the central throne which was surrounded by the twenty-four (24) thrones on which (24) elders sat.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(6) And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal.There is a sea before the throne of God. The woman apparelled in purple splendour sits upon many waters (Rev. 17:1). The waters are explained (Rev. 17:15) to be peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. Her throne rests on the fickle and stormy sea of world- opinion, fashion, and passion. The waters represent the unguided, unreasoning, and unprincipled thoughts of men. By analogy, the calm glass-like sea, which is never in storm, but only interfused with flame (Rev. 15:2), represents the counsels of God, those purposes of righteousness and love, often fathomless, but never obscure; always the same, though sometimes glowing with holy anger (Rev. 15:1). (Comp. the Psalmists words, Thy judgments are like the great deep, Psa. 36:6, Prayer Book version. See also Psa. 77:19, and Rom. 11:33-36.) The position of the crystal sea is analogous to that of the molten sea in front of Solomons Temple (2Ch. 4:9-10).
And in the midst of the thronei.e., between the seer and the throne. The Apostle saw the crystal sea, and beyond it the living creatures encircling the thronefour living creatures (or, living beings) full of (or, teeming with) eyes before and behind.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
6. There was ( as it were) a sea of glass The Old Testament passage to which this seems to be analogous is Exo 24:10: “And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire-stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.” The idea, then, is, that this apparent sea of glass like unto crystal, is the transparent basis of the throne. God’s throne should not stand on base earth, but upon a condensed ethereality. So the Rabbies say: “The place on which his throne stands is seven clouds of glory.” The Orientals are proud to this day of the splendour of their tessellated pavements. The Koran (Sur. 27:44) tells us that the queen of Sheba mistook Solomon’s pavement, in his audience hall, for a sea. (See Stuart.) To the idea that this sea is a basal pavement of the throne, Dusterdieck objects that it is described as before the throne. But the seer being in the far front describes the part he more distinctly sees, the part which more specially isolates the occupant from the attendants surrounding him. This clear, tranquil sea symbolizes the divine purity and serenity; and, indeed, derives its character from his divine, everlasting nature. Hence, it may be held as the primal fountain of the crystal stream of life in Rev 22:1. And its sympathy with the divine Mind is symbolized by the wrathful “fire,” infused into the glass, in Rev 15:2. So small a crystal surface might hardly be called a sea, but our thought from this small revealed spot necessarily extends its existence beyond all limits.
In the midst round the throne Hengstenberg and Stuart represent the throne as upborne by the four beneath it. This is in clear contradiction to the words, ‘ , which mean in midst, namely, of the circular area, whose circumference was formed by the thrones of the twenty-four, and which belonged as basis to, and was held by the seer as part of, the throne itself. Within this area, at each of the four corners of the structure of the throne, stood one of the cherubim. But Dusterdieck understands by in the midst, that the cherubim stood one at each of the four sides, (at the mid-point between the two ends of the side,) so as to be round about the throne.
Four beasts The word beasts presents one of the most unfortunate translations to be found in our English Bible. It is altogether a different word from the “beast,” , of chap. 13; being , from which comes our word zoology, and comprehends every thing finite possessed of intelligent life. It is thence by some rendered living creatures; but better, by Alford, living beings. The creational number four immediately suggests that these beings must represent all the living beings of our creation. This is confirmed by the fact that the most eminent species of the animal world are selected to afford the four. Of wild beasts the lion is king; of tame, the ox; of birds, the eagle; and of all earthly creatures, man. Hence, their anthem of thanks sung with the elders, is thanks for our creation. And of the three series of seven symbols the seals, the trumpets, and the vials, to be hereafter presented it will be found that each first four (in which the four living beings are specially interested) will be mainly connected with points on earth, and of a creational character; while each last three rises into a more elevated and fuller strain, for good or evil more spiritual, and suited to the elders, as the previous song was to the beasts.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And before the throne as it were a glassy sea, like crystal.’
Compare the ‘firmament’ carried by the cherubim which bore the throne of God in Eze 1:22 which also was of crystal. This sea is based on the molten sea in the Temple of Solomon (1Ki 7:23-39; 2Ch 4:2-10). There it was a large bronze sea of over 16,000 gallons capacity (nearly 73,000 litres) mounted on twelve bronze oxen, and was for the priests to wash in (2Ch 4:6). While the water would be as clean as they could get it, it would be fairly murky (we tend to forget they had no pure water supply on hand), and was for the removal of ‘earthiness’.
Here it is replaced by crystal-like glass, which is a symbol of unearthiness, holiness and purity. The washing for priests, like all Old Testament washings, removed the earthiness that was preparatory to waiting on God for cleansing. (Every mention of washing with water in the Pentateuch is followed by the phrase ‘and shall not be clean until the evening’, thus it was preparatory not finally effective). Now in Heaven there is no more earthiness, all is pure, and therefore no sea for washing is required. Instead the crystal sea reflects the holiness and purity of God and of the redeemed. That is why the sea is now crystallised, a reminder of what is and what was.
The glassy sea is mentioned again in Rev 15:2 where it is mingled with fire and those who have gained victory over the Beast gather there, holding harps of God, made pure through tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (Rev 7:14). At this point they sing ‘the song of Moses (Deu 31:30; Deu 32:44), the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb’ which is based on a number of Old Testament scriptures including Deu 32:3-4, and stresses that He is true, righteous and uniquely holy. This is also what the sea symbolises.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
‘And in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes before and behind. And the first creature was like a lion, the second creature like a calf, the third creature had a face as of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each of them having six wings, are full of eyes round about and within. And they never rest day or night saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, which was and which is and which is to come.’
This is clearly a combination of the living creatures (cherubim) in Ezekiel 1, 10 with the seraphim in Isaiah 6.
Full of eyes before and behind, without and within, reflects Eze 1:18; Eze 10:12. The likenesses of lion, calf, man and eagle parallel man, lion, ox and eagle, although in Ezekiel each living creature had all four faces whereas here each has only one of the faces (the difference confirms that they are symbolic only). The six wings parallel Isa 6:2 (in Ezekiel they have four wings) and the cry of ‘holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty’ parallels the cry in Isa 6:3. They are thus cherubim and seraphim.
That these in some way represent creation is suggested by a number of factors.
1). There are four of them. Four is the number of the whole earth. It was the number of rivers that flowed round the known world in Eden (Gen 2:10-14). It is therefore representative of north, south, east and west. It was the number of empires that led up to the end time in Daniel 2. It is the number of ‘world’ empires that summed up world history in Daniel 7. It is the number of chariots that represent the four spirits of Heaven and roam the whole earth (Zec 6:1-8). It is the number of horsemen who ride out to devastate the earth in Rev 6:1-4. There are four ‘corners’ of the earth (again probably north, south, east and west) (Rev 7:1; Rev 20:8), and four winds from the four quarters of Heaven (Jer 49:36; Eze 37:9; Dan 7:2).
2). They represent all creation – man, wild beast, domestic animal and birds as represented in their likenesses and faces.
3). Their ‘song’ is only of God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come, and they say the ‘Amen’ to the universal song of all created beings (Rev 5:13-14).
Their history is significant. They first appear to guard the way to the tree of life after the fall of man (Gen 3:24). This demonstrates their responsibility for protecting creation from permanent control by fallen man, and for the preservation of God’s holy purposes. Man can no longer enter the place where God reveals Himself.
They are then represented on the ark of the covenant where a golden cherub is at each end of the mercy seat which is upon the ark, and their wings cover the mercy seat, which is the throne of God. The cherubim are also represented on the curtains in the Tabernacle, and especially on the veil that guards the way from the holy place into the Holy of Holies (Exo 26:1; Exo 26:31-35). Again they are seen as preservers of God’s holiness, and the means of preventing men from unholy folly.
God speaks to Moses from above the mercy seat from between the cherubim (Num 7:89) and is in fact seen as ‘dwelling between the cherubim’ (1Sa 4:4; 2Ki 19:15; 1Ch 13:6). Solomon in his Temple also places two large cherubim in the Holy of Holies under which the ark will rest (2Ch 3:10; 2Ch 5:7).
The psalmists transfer the idea from the Tabernacle and speak of God Himself as in reality dwelling between the cherubim as the Shepherd of Israel and as the reigning Lord (Psa 80:1; Psa 99:1). In Psalms 99 this is directly connected with the holiness of God (v. 3). In Isa 37:16 Hezekiah also prays to the God who dwells between the cherubim.
In Ezekiel 1, 10 God is seen as travelling in a chariot which was made up of a throne placed on a firmament (flattened out surface) borne by four living creatures, or cherubim. Thus the cherubim are seen as the close attendants of God. But here we learn of their resemblances to the four living things in creation, the beasts, domestic animals, birds and man, suggesting their responsibilities for these.
In Isaiah 6 we read rather of the seraphim (burning ones) whose cry is holy, holy, holy, and who are purgers of sin through God’s method of provision. Revelation 4 links these with the cherubim. Thus once again we see the cherubim as concerned with the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man. We note especially that both cherubim and seraphim use a pair of wings to cover themselves before a holy God (Isa 6:2; Eze 1:11).
So the cherubim are constant companions of God in His service, preservers of God’s holiness, preventers of the approach of sin towards God, and purgers of sin (but only through sacrifice – they use the coals of the altar) in one who is allowed to see God. This is partially apparent here in Revelation 4. Here they cry ‘holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty’, and their whole concern is for ‘the one who was, and is and is to come’.
Here ‘the One Who was ’ is the most prominent as coming first (compare Rev 1:4; Rev 1:8 where the concentration was on ‘the One Who is’). They watch over creation, as represented by four living creatures, lion, calf, eagle and man. Thus the heavenly living creatures are concerned with all earthly living creatures. They worship the Lamb (Rev 5:8) and say ‘Amen’ when the whole of creation praises Him (Rev 5:14) for they recognise He is their God, and the God of creation. The fact that they are covered with eyes may suggest that nothing is hidden from them in their service for God (compare Zec 4:10).
It need hardly be said that we are not to take the representations of the living creatures literally (any more than we are to take anything in this chapter literally for it is representing spiritual ideas by ‘earthly’ pictures). This is demonstrated both by the differing descriptions of the faces, and the differing number of wings, as compared with Old Testament representations. They represent ideas, not facts, the idea of God’s concern for the holiness of creation.
The living creatures ‘stand in the midst of the throne and around the throne’. Apart from the Lamb Who is in the midst of the throne they are the nearest to the One Who sits on the throne. They do not share the throne as the Lamb does, for their position is qualified by ‘around the throne’. The idea would appear to be that they are stationed, as it were, at each corner of the throne platform.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The sea of glass, the beasts, and the hymn of praise:
v. 6. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal; and in the midst of the throne and round about the throne were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
v. 7. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.
v. 8. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within; and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
v. 9. And when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to Him that sat on the throne, who liveth forever and ever,
v. 10. the four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
v. 11. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created. This description further enhances the majesty of the picture: And before the throne there is like a glassy sea resembling crystal; and in the middle of the throne and round about the throne four living beings full of eyes, before and behind. There was not really a sea in the throne-room of God, but the appearance of the air was so clear and calm, so shimmering and motionless, as to remind the seer of purest crystal. The reflection of this crystal-like surface served all the more to bring out the beauty of the Lord’s glory. To complete the picture, John now describes
The four living beings, the four cherubs of Eze 1:5-18, who stood in the middle of either side of the throne, as it is said of the Lord that He dwells between the cherubim, 1Sa 4:4; 2Sa 6:2; Psa 80:2; Isa 37:16. Full of eyes they were toward the outside and toward the inside; they were able to look out in all directions, and yet some of their eyes were also fixed upon the Lord, lest any of His words and actions escape them. The four living beings, or cherubs, are now described: And the first living being was like a lion, and the second living being like an ox, and the third living being had his face like that of a man, and the fourth living being was like a flying eagle; and the four living beings, each of them having six wings, are full of eyes round their bodies and on the inside. The form of the four living beings, or cherubs, is the same as that in the vision of Ezekiel, chap. 1:4-11. In their appearance is symbolized, first of all, the power and the regal majesty of the Lion of the tribe of Judah, whose Word and Spirit and power makes the believers kings before Him. They typify, furthermore, the power of the sacrifice of the New Testament, Heb 9:13-19, which cleanses the consciences from dead works. In the human face the kindness and benevolence of the Son of Man is revealed, as He assumed a true human nature in order to gain a complete salvation for us. And the flying eagle, ascending to the very heavens in wonderful power, signifies the new strength which comes to the believers through the message of the Gospel, Isa 40:31. From olden times the Church has seen in these cherubs the types of the four evangelists: Matthew, who emphasizes the human descent of Christ, being the man-cherub; Mark, who stresses the victorious power of Christ, being the lion-cherub; Luke, who pictures the sacrificial act of Christ in giving His own body for the sins of the world, being the ox-cherub; and John, who emphasizes the divine origin of Christ and His return to God, being the eagle-cherub. Every one of these cherubs had six wings covering his entire body, like the seraphim which Isaiah saw, Isa 6:2. They were full of eyes, not only all around their bodies, but even underneath their wings; they could see the Lord continually and yet watch all that transpired in all parts of the heaven and on the earth.
The work of the living beings: And they have no rest by day and by night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is coming. That is the constant occupation of these cherubs before the throne of God; without ceasing, by day and by night, their chant sounds forth in praise of the Triune God. They strike up a great Tersanctus, they sing a threefold Holy in praise of the Trinity, in honor of Him who alone is holy, whose name may be hallowed only by such as have learned to know the holiness and perfection of Him who is separate from sinners and higher than the heavens. He is God, the one God; He is Jehovah the Lord, He is the Almighty; He it is that is today, the unchanging, the everlasting Lord; He it is that was from eternity, the same faithful and true God; He it is that is coming, whose return for the last great Judgment is imminent. His glory has filled heaven and earth, and His praise should rise in an endless hymn of glorification.
The hymn of the Church: And whenever the living beings give glory and honor and praise to Him that sits upon the throne, to Him that lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him that sits upon the throne, and they worship Him that lives forever and ever, and they cast their golden crowns before the throne, saying: Worthy art Thou, Lord, our God, to receive glory and honor and power, because Thou hast created all things, and through Thy will they existed and were created. The hymn of the cherubs was an unending anthem of praise; they gave praise to God by extolling His holy majesty, honor by worshiping Him in holy fear, and thanksgiving through the proclamation of His grace and mercy. All their praise is offered to the almighty Ruler of the universe, to the eternal King of Glory. As this overpowering testimony goes forth from the mouths of the cherubs, it is impossible for the Church, through the twenty-four elders that represent her, to hold her peace. With a spontaneous impulse of worship they fall down before the great King of the universe, before the everlasting Lord, and their prayer rings out in an endless hymn of praise. At the same time they cast down their golden crowns at the feet of the Lord, in token of their total dependence upon Him and upon the mercy which was shown them in Christ. All that the believers have they hold by His mercy and power; this they openly confess by their act. But no less is this confession contained in their words, in this preliminary anthem of praise. By virtue of the creation, as a proof of God’s power and of His providence in upholding all things by the Word of His power, He is worthy of this hymn, in which glory and honor and power is given to Him alone. Neither Satan, who presumed to strive after the glory of God, nor any mere human being can aspire to the praise which is God’s alone, Isa 42:8. All things exist because He created them, because He brought them into being by His almighty power; and they have their being to the present day and hour because of the benevolent mill which He had toward them. He sent forth His Spirit, they were created; and He renewed the face of the earth. If He hides His face, all creatures are troubled; if He takes away their breath, they die, and return to their dust, Psa 104:29-30. All Christians, therefore, will join in this hymn of ceaseless praise in honor of the almighty Creator and King of the universe, thereby acknowledging their unending indebtedness to His benevolent power. To God all praise and glory!
Summary
The prophet, at the beginning of His second vision, describes the throne of the Lord, the elders and the seats of the elders, the cherubs and their proclamation of God’s glory, to which the elders respond with a wonderful hymn of praise.
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Rev 4:6-7. Before the thronea sea of glass, &c. Several interpreters understand this crystal sea to be an emblem of the known rite of receiving converts into the Christian church bybaptism; of the purity which that sacrament signifies, and of the blood of Christ, by which theyare washed and cleansed from their sins. Doubtless it has an allusion to that purity, which is required in all persons who have the honour and happiness of a near approach to the presence and throne of God. The four living creatures are said to be in the middle of the throne, and round about the throne; that is, (according to Daubuz,) their bodies being under the throne to support it, seemed to be in the midst of the throne, and their heads without, seemed to be round about the throne. Some suppose, that the four living creatures represent all the Christian ministers. In the Note on the first verse, we have given Bishop Newton’s and Mr. Mede’s idea of these living creatures; and in the former Notes, where the cherubim are mentioned, have expressed our own sentiments respecting them. Lowman observes, that “these living creatures seem taken from the cherubim in the visions of Isaiah and Ezekiel, and in the most holy place, which are plainly designed for a representation of the angels, who ever are described in scripture as attendants on the glory of God, Psa 68:17. The great use of angels in this vision, and their great number, ch. Rev 5:11 make it probable, that as the four and twenty elders are placed about the throne, as representatives of the Jewish and Christian churches, now united into one; so the four living creatures or cherubim are alike representatives of the angels who are round the throne of God, and minister to him; and so (according to a great author) the form of the cherubim expresses the great understanding and power of the angels.” Spencer, de Leg. Heb. lib. 3: cap. 5. This will also serve to shew how proper this representation was of the cherubim in the holy place, to signify that they are to be considered only as the servants and ministers of the one true God. Dr. Doddridge observes, that these four animals, of a veryextraordinary form, seem to have been intended as hieroglyphical representations of the angelic nature; for it is well known, that the ancients dealt much in hieroglyphics, bywhich natural and moral truths were expressed. There can, I think, be no doubt (continues the Dr.) that the living creatures of St. John are the cherubim described by Ezekiel 1 which therefore should be carefully compared with this representation. To consider this appearance as an emblem of Deity, which is the scheme of Mr. Hutchison and his followers, appears to me a very great absurdity. But upon this head we refer to Dr. Sharpe’s learned Dissertation on the cherubim.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Rev 4:6 . , . The which [1759] belongs to the entire idea, and not chiefly to the [1760] stands here just as in Rev 8:8 . What John further beheld before the throne of God appeared as a sea of glass like crystal. This is regarded as signifying baptism, [1761] the Holy Scriptures, [1762] repentance, [1763] the present transitory world, [1764] etc., all purely arbitrary. Without ground, further, is the allusion to the “brazen sea” in the temple, [1765] or to the bright inlaid floor, having, therefore, the appearance of a sea. [1766] It is in general a conception not justified by the text, to regard the “sea of glass “the basis of the throne, as C. a Lap., Vitr., Eichh., Heinr., Herder, De Wette, etc., presuppose, who from this same idea reach interpretations that are very different. With an appeal to Exo 24:10 , Eze 1:26 , De Wette [1767] regards “the sea of glass” in our passage, as well as also in Rev 15:2 , as a designation of “the atmosphere,” an explanation to which, in its pure naturalness, Exodus and Ezekiel do not apply, where, however, in reality the pure ether is the natural substratum for the idea of the standing or enthronement of God in heavenly glory, while in this passage the sea of glass is not beneath , but before , the throne of God, and the entire presentation is altogether foreign to “the atmosphere.” On the other hand, Vitr., Herder, etc., with a reference to Psa 89:15 , and similar passages, interpret the sea of glass as the basis of righteousness and grace, whereon the throne of God is founded. [1768] Following Beng., Hengstenb. has understood the sea of glass, since it appears in Rev 15:2 mingled with fire, as the “ product of the seven lamps of fire,” since and because of the expression “sea” referring to Psa 36:7 , as a designation of “the great and wonderful works of God, of his just and holy ways, of his acts of righteousness that have become manifest.” But already the parallelism of Rev 5:6 , where these seven lamps appear as seven eyes, in itself renders this artificial interpretation impossible.
Aret., Grot., and Ebrard proceed upon the fact that the sea, viz., as stormy and irregularly heaving (Rev 13:1 ), represents the mass of the nations in their ungodly state; and then, that the sea of glass, clear as crystal, and therefore firm as well as pure, designates “the creature in its pure relation to the Creator.” [1769] But this interpretation is wrecked on Rev 15:2 . According to that passage, [1770] the sea, whose complete, heavenly purity is marked by the double designation, . and . ., [1771] is to be regarded identical with the stream of the water of life, which [1772] proceeds from the throne of God. [1773] The point thus designated belongs in fact essentially to the perfection of the view of the enthroned God; and according to the living relation in which the vision, ch. 4 [and 5], stands to all that follows, it is to be expected, that, as the succeeding judgments appear as the work of the holy and just omnipotence of the heavenly King here described, so also a definite point of the present fundamental description corresponds to the final glorious and blessed completion of the kingdom of God. Since in the presence of God there is fulness of joy, [1774] since God is the Blessed One, [1775] since before him and from him issues the river of eternal life, he himself, and communion with him, is the blessed goal for the development of his kingdom, and he himself is the leader thereto. [See Note XLIII., p. 203.] , . . . The four beings [1776] appear not as supporting the throne, for . . is by no means “ under the throne;” [1777] also not as stated by Eichh., Ew. 1., and Hengstenb., that the four are stationed with the back under the throne, but with the upper part projecting therefrom so raised above the same that they could appear as being “round about” the throne an idea which because of its absolute deformity ought not to have been forced upon John. In like manner impossible is Ebrard’s opinion, that [1778] the four are in the midst of the (transparent!) throne, but that at the same time they had moved themselves with the rapidity of lightning from the same, so that they appeared also around about the throne. Incorrect also is Vitr., who makes of . and . a strange hendiadys: “In the midst of the semicircular area which was before the throne.” According to the wording of the text, the position of the four beings is not to be regarded else than as is most natural in connection with their fourfold number, viz., one on each side of the throne, and besides each in the midst of its respective side. [1779] They stand so free as to be able to move; [1780] and because they have manifestly turned with their faces towards the throne, John can see that they are “full of eyes before and behind.” [1781] There is no occasion whatever for the conjecture that the words might have belonged in the text. [1782]
[1759] Cf. also Rev 15:2 .
[1760] Beng.
[1761] Victorin., Tichon., Primas, Beda, N. de Lyra, Ho, Calov.
[1762] Joachim.
[1763] Alcas.
[1764] Par., Bull., Rib.
[1765] Alcas., Alsted.
[1766] Ew., with a comparison of the Koran, Sur . 27, 44.
[1767] Cf. Eichh., etc.
[1768] Vitr.: “A will of God, sure and perpetual, whereby he determined to have, among men, a kingdom of grace; a right sure and clear to erect such a kingdom of grace, in the righteousness and obedience of the mediator; this very right founded in the righteousness of Christ is the basis of the throne.”
[1769] Ebrard; Aretius: “The assembly of the triumphing Church.” Grot., in his way: “The people of Jerusalem.” The and . .: “Because God perceives the actions and thoughts of the people;” but also “because of the purity of the people of Jerusalem.” Klief.: “The multitude of the blessed conquerors from all times and nations on earth, preserved in heaven with God unto the end, who are represented by the twenty-four elders.” And this with an appeal to Rev 15:2 .
[1770] Cf. also Rev 22:1 .
[1771] Id.
[1772] Id.
[1773] Cf. Rinck.
[1774] Cf. Psa 16:11 .
[1775] Cf. 1Ti 1:11 .
[1776] Cf., concerning their meaning, Rev 4:8 .
[1777] Hengstenb.
[1778] Cf. Eze 1:4-5 ; Eze 1:14 .
[1779] Zll. Cf. De Wette.
[1780] Rev 15:7 .
[1781] See on Rev 4:8 .
[1782] Ew. ii.: “Between the chief seat and the elders.”
NOTES BY THE AMERICAN EDITOR
XLIII. Rev 4:6 .
Alford objects to our author’s identification of the “sea of glass” with the “river of water of life;” for “the whole vision there [Rev 22:1 ] is quite distinct from this, and each one has its own propriety in detail. To identify the two is to confound them, nor does ch. Rev 15:2 at all justify this interpretation. There, as here, it is the purity, calmness, and majesty of God’s rule which are signified by the figure.” Luthardt, on the other hand, in substantial agreement with Dst.: “The fulness of the divine life (cf. Rev 22:1 ), which is nothing but peace and calm, in contrast with the stormy disquietude of the life of the world (Rev 13:1 ; Dan 7:2 ).”
NOTES BY THE AMERICAN EDITOR
XLIV. Rev 4:6-8 .
Cf. Cremer ( Lexicon ): “Properly, a living creature , which also occurs elsewhere also in profane Greek, where , a post-Homeric word, generally signifies living creature , and only in special instances a beast; = animal, as embracing all living beings, must be retained in the Revelation, where four are represented as being between God’s throne and those of the elders which surround it, the description given of which (Rev 4:6-8 ) resembles that of the in Eze 1:5 sqq.; the cherubim in Eze 10 (cf. Psa 18:1 ; Psa 99:1 ; Psa 80:2 ; 1Sa 4:4 ; 2Sa 6:2 ; 2Ki 19:15 ). They are named living creatures here and in Eze 1 , on account of the life which is their main feature. They are usually the signs and tokens of majesty, of the sublime majesty of God, both in his covenant relation, and in his relation to the world (for the latter, see Psa 99:1 ); and therefore it is that they are assigned so prominent a place, though no active part in the final scenes of sacred history (Rev 6:1-7 ). The appearance of four represents the concentration of all created life in this world, the original abode of which, Paradise, when life had fallen to sin and death, was given over to the cherubim. They do not, like the angels, fulfil the purposes of God in relation to men; they are distinct from the angels (Rev 5:11 ). We are thus led to conclude that they materially represent the ideal pattern of the true relation of creation to its God.” Oehler (O. T. Theology, p. 260): “It is the cherubim, as Schultz well expresses it, ‘which at one and the same time proclaim and veil his presence.’ The lion and the bull are, as is well known, symbols of power and strength; man and the eagle are symbols of wisdom and omniscience; the latter attribute is expressed also in the later form of the symbol by the multitude of eyes. The continual mobility of the (Rev 4:8 ) signifies the never-resting quickness of the Divine operations; this is probably symbolized also by the wheels in Eze 1 . The number four is the signature of all-sidedness (towards the four quarters of heaven). Thus Jehovah is acknowledged as the God who rules the world on all sides in power, wisdom, and omniscience. Instead of natural powers working unconsciously, is placed the all-embracing, conscious activity of the living God.”
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
Ver. 6. A sea of glass ] The word, say some; the world, others. The word is to us a crystal glass, giving us a clear sight of God and of ourselves, 2Co 3:18 ; Jas 1:23 . The world is to God a sea of glass, corpus diaphanum, a clear transparent body, he sees through it.
Four beasts ] , or living wights; a not angels, but ministers, those earthly angels, who are set forth, 1. Full of eyes for their perspicacity and vigilancy. 2. Furnished with six wings apiece for their pernicity and promptitude to scour about for the people’s benefit. 3. Qualified with all necessary endowments, for the discharge of their duties, being bold as lions, painful as oxen, prudent as men, delighted in high flying, as eagles.
a A living being in general; a creature. Obs. OED
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Rev 4:6 . For a sea in heaven, cf. above (on Rev 4:4 ). In Test. Patr. Lev 2Lev 2 the sea lies within the second (first) heaven , and in the Egyptian paradise the triumphant soul goes to “the great lake in the Fields of Peace,” where the gods dwell. The description, “a sea of glass, like crystal” ( i.e. , transparent, ancient glass being coarse and often semi-opaque, and being primarily = transparent, not vitreous) borrowed partly from archaic tradition (coloured by Egyptian and Assyrian ideas), is intended to portray the ether, clear and calm, shimmering and motionless. Rabbinic fancy compared the shining floor of the temple to crystal, and the hot eastern sky is likened (in Job 37:18 ) to a molten mirror, dry and burnished. Heaven is a sort of glorified temple (1Ki 7:23 , the sea in the Solomonic temple being copied from the oblong or round tank which represented the ocean at every Babylonian temple, while the earth was symbolised by the adjoining zikkurat), and the crystal firmament is a sort of sea. In Slav. En. iii. 1 3 the seer observes, in the first heaven, the ether, and then “a very great sea, greater than the earthly sea”. , . . .: “and in the middle (of each side) of the throne and (consequently) round about the throne,” the four of Eze 1:5 ; Eze 1:18 ( cf. Apoc. Bar. Lev 11 ). . . ., a bizarre but archaic symbol for completeness of life and intelligence rather than for Argus-like vigilance. The four angels of the presence in En. xl. 2 move out, like Milton’s seven ( Par. Lost , 3:647 f.), on various errands (lxxi. 9, cf. lxxxviii. 2, 3). The of John are stationary, except in Rev 15:7 , where the context ( cf. Rev 6:6 ) might suggest that the seer took them to represent creation or the forces of the natural world ( cf. the rabbinic dictum: quattuor sunt qui principatum in hoc mundo tenent, inter creaturas homo, inter aues aquilo, inter pecora bos, inter bestias leo). Note also that when they worship (Rev 4:9 ), the acknowledge God’s creative glory (Rev 4:11 ), and that the O.T. cherubim are associated with the phenomena of the storm-cloud. The seer does not define them, however, and they may be, like the , a traditional and poetical trait of the heavenly court. , cf. Slav. En. xxx. 13, 14. The posture of the may be visualised from a comparison of the Alhambra Court of the Lions.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
there was . glass. The texts read “as it were a glassy sea”.
unto = to.
round about. Greek. kuklo. In Rev. only here and Rev 7:11. Occurs: Mar 3:34.
were. Omit.
beasts = living ones, or living creatures (as Heb 13:11, first occurance). Greek. zoon. Occurs twenty times (App-10). Not the word in Rev. 13 and Rev. 17. These zoa are the cherubim of Gen 3:24. Eze 1:5-14. Compare Eze 10:20. They are distinguished from angels (Rev 5:8; Rev 5:11). These zoa speak of creation and of redemption also.
eyes. See Eze 1:8; Eze 10:12.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Rev 4:6. , as a sea of glass) The force of the particle , as, falls more upon the word, of glass, than upon the word, sea; and the word, sea, is here used with somewhat greater literalness than the words, of glass. For a certain depth is denoted, and that both fluid and transparent, although not flowing, but standing calmly. Comp. ch. Rev 15:2, where both the expression, as a sea of glass, is used, and also a sea of glass, being the same as to substance, as I think. So Joh 6:19, , where properly relates to the number. Vitringa departs further from the meaning of a sea, when he explains it to be a street or pavement.-) There is a wide difference between and . : Wis 7:20. These four beasts are living emblems and ornaments of the throne, denoting a nearer admission than the 24 Elders. [In German you may call them Lebbilder, as Mannsbild, Weibsbild.-V. g.] Let their confession be looked to, ch. Rev 5:9; whence they are accustomed to be spoken of, as being most closely connected with the throne, as though they were parts inserted into it.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
beasts
living creatures. (See Scofield “Eze 1:5”).
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
a sea: Rev 15:2, Exo 38:8, 1Ki 7:23
crystal: Rev 21:11, Rev 22:1, Job 28:17, Eze 1:22
the midst: Rev 5:6, Rev 7:17, Eze 1:4, Eze 1:5
four beasts: Rev 4:8, Rev 4:9, Rev 5:6, Rev 5:14, Rev 6:1, Rev 7:11, Rev 14:3, Rev 15:7, Rev 19:4, Eze 1:5-28, Eze 10:14
full: Rev 4:8, Eze 1:18, Eze 10:12
Reciprocal: 1Ki 7:25 – General 1Ki 7:29 – lions Isa 62:6 – which Heb 13:21 – to whom Rev 4:7 – the first beast Rev 5:11 – the throne Rev 6:5 – he had Rev 7:10 – unto
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Rev 4:6. A sea. is deep and crystal glass is clear and pure, symbolizing the beauty of the scene around the throne. Four beasts is an unfortunate translation, for we always think of a “beast” as an animal of the lower world, and hence not a fitting symbol of something enjoying the dignity of these in this verse; the proper rendering of the original word is, “living creatures.” Full of eyes before and behind symbolizes the ability to look in a universal direction.
Rev 4:7. In comparing one living creature with another it is intended only to consider one or two points of similarity, because there might be some characteristics common to all of them. A lion is bold and strong; a calf represents meekness; a man signifies more intelligence than other creatures; an eagle denotes exaltation and fleetness. The identity of these creatures and the reason why there were just four of them will be shown in the next chapter.
Comments by Foy E. Wallace
Verses 6-7.
The four living beasts (beings)–Rev 4:6-11.
1. The sea of glass–Rev 4:6.
This denotes the great broad space. A throne chamber with crystal pavement as a figure of magnitude and grandeur was added to the scene.
2. The beings full of eyes–Rev 4:6.
The eyes were before, behind, and all around, symbolizing superhuman intelligence. It was imagery of the divine providential rule and protection of an all-seeing God.
3. The four beasts–Rev 4:6-7.
“In the midst of the throne and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.” The meaning of the word beasts here is beings, or creatures resembling the animals. It is necessary to distinguish these “beasts” or beings from the beasts that symbolized the persecutors. These beings were “in the midst . . . round about the throne”; hence, not beasts as in the persecutor symbol.
The first beast was like a lion, symbolizing strength; the second beast was like a calf (ox), meaning endurance under yoke; the third beast was the face of a man, signifying intelligence, reason, and wisdom; the fourth beast was like an eagle, representing penetrating vision and swiftness in the execution of judgment. The four beasts (beings) had six wings each (Verse 8), and the wings were full of eyes, indicating the universal survey of an all-seeing Omniscience.
And they rest not day and night–praising the One on the throne without surcease. There was no suspension of God’s providence; no cessation in the honor ascribed; no interruption of the praise; no intermission in the various dispensations and acts of his providence and in the praise, glory, homage derived and received, and in the worship rendered to him who was declared to be eternal.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Rev 4:6. And before the throne as it were a glassy sea like unto crystal. The most various opinions have been entertained regarding the glassy sea here spoken of, some of which may at once be set aside. It can hardly be intended to signify the will and law of God in constituting the kingdom of grace, or the mysterious judgments of God, or the purity, calmness, and majesty of Gods rule, for no passages of the Old Testament can be referred to in which these principles of the Divine government are represented by a sea similar to that now mentioned. Other interpretations, again, such as those that understand by it Baptism or the volume of the Scriptures, may also be rejected as having no foundation in the imagery of this book. The idea that the sea is identical with the river of the water of life clear as crystal in chap. Rev 22:1, may likewise be regarded as untenable A sea and a river are entirely different from one another, and it is impossible to connect the sea of chap. Rev 15:2, which must be the same as this one, and upon which those who had overcome took their stand, with the river of chap. 22. More naturally might we be led to associate the great brazen sea of Solomons temple (1Ki 7:23-26) with the sea here spoken of, were it not that, as a general rule, the imagery of the Apocalypse appears to be taken not from the temple, but from the tabernacle, and the laver of the latter is never called a sea.
In endeavouring to determine the meaning of the figure, we must have recourse to that rule of interpretation so often needed in the Apocalypse, which calls us to supplement the description given of any object in one place by what is said of it in another. Doing so in the present instance, the glassy sea of chap. Rev 15:2 supplies various hints which may be helpful to us here. That sea is not only glassy, but mingled with fire, an expression which at once suggests the thought of the Divine judgments, while the same thought comes prominently forward in the song sung by those who, standing upon the sea, celebrate the righteous acts of the Lord which have been made manifest. Again, it is to be observed that the song sung by these conquerors is called the song of Moses, the servant of God, as well as the song of the Lamb; and the most natural reference of these words is to the song of triumph sung after the crossing of the Red Sea, of which it is said, Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea (Exo 15:1). The propriety of this reference is confirmed by the fact that it is not said of these conquerors that they had gotten the victory over the beast (Authorised Version), or even that they had come victorious from the beast (Revised Version), but that they had come victorious out of the beast, the preposition used distinctly indicating that they had been delivered by escape from their enemies rather than by victory over them in the field. To these considerations let us add that the deliverance of Israel from Egypt had been always appealed to, both by Psalmists and Prophets, as the peculiar token of that providential care and guidance which the Almighty extended to His people (Psa 66:12; Isa 43:2-3), and we shall be led to the conclusion that in the glassy sea of this verse we have an emblem of that course of Providence by which God conducts those who place themselves in His hands to then-final rest in His immediate presence. The different manner in which the sea is viewed in the words before us, and in chap. Rev 15:2, seems to favour this conclusion. In the one it is simply before the throne, and under the eye of Him by whom the throne is occupied. It is seen from the Divine point of view, and is therefore only clear as crystal. Its darker are to Him as bright as its more transparent elements. The fire that is mingled with it is not less a part of His counsel than its most pellucid waters: the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to Thee (Psa 139:12). In the other it is occupied by man, and is seen from the human point of view. Hence the fire, always there, but not mentioned in the first instance, is now seen. They who stand upon it cannot forget those righteous acts of God which they have witnessed, or the troubled paths by which they have escaped the great enemies of their salvation. Judgment upon their foes, as well as mercy to themselves, marks the whole of that way by which they have been led. It may be only further remarked in conclusion, that to behold in the glassy sea the Almightys providential guidance of His people harmonizes with the whole spirit of a chapter dealing mainly with creation and providence before we pass in chap. 5 to the more special subject of redeeming grace.
The description is continued, and we are next introduced to four living creatures full of eyes before and behind, which were in the midst of the throne and round about the throne. The living creatures do not support or bear up the throne; nor are they to be thought of as stationed together at the same spot. They are rather at the extremities of two diameters passing through the centre of the round throne, thus preserving perfect symmetry. In other respects the relation of these beings to the throne presents some difficulty, because it is natural to think that the Seer, having begun his description with Him that sitteth on the throne, is now proceeding from the centre outwards. The four living creatures would thus appear to be outside both the Sitter on the throne and the twenty-four elders and the glassy sea. But this is not probable(1) Because the words describing their position indicate a greater degree of nearness to the throne. (2) Because of the position of the cherubim in the tabernacle. (3) Because in chap. Rev 5:6 the absence of the words in the midst of before the four living creatures seems to show that the latter are so closely connected with the throne as to be almost a part of it. The real explanation is to be found in this, that the position of the cherubim in the Holy of Holies of the tabernacle was above the mercy-seat. In like manner the living creatures here spoken of are not on the same level as the throne. Although, therefore, St. John really describes from within outwards what he beheld, and although, before we reach the present point of his description, he has already spoken of the outermost circle, that which bounded the glassy sea, it does not follow that the living creatures were beyond that circle. They were really above it, yet within it; and it is by now lifting his eyes upwards that the Seer beholds them. What has been said finds support in the language of Isa 6:2, where the prophet, after speaking of the Lords sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, adds, above it stood the seraphim. It is remarkable to see how St. John manages to combine the visions of both Isaiah and Ezekiel,the one the prophet of the coming Saviour, the other the prophet of the restored Church. By the view now taken the harmony of the description is preserved, and the four living creatures are a part of the accompaniments of the throne, and not beyond it.
They are full of eyes, we are further told, before and behind: they share the attribute of God, seeing in all directions with a penetrating glance (comp. chap. Rev 1:14), that they may the better execute the Divine purposes.
A fuller description of them is now given.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
By this sea of glass there seems to be an allusion to that large vessel of water in the temple called the brazen sea, in which Aaron and his sons did wash themselves before they administered in holy things: signifying that purity which is required in all the worshippers, but especially in all the ministers of God: and because the use of this sea, in the temple, is made good in Christ, the laver of his blood might by signified by the sea of glass here represented, which is compared to crystal; denoting the spotless innocency of his person and sufferings, and the purity and clearness of his justified members.
Others, by this sea of glass, will have the world represented to St. John’s visionary view; the world (say they) is compared to a sea for its instability, tempestuousness, and uncertain motion; to a sea of glass, for its slipperiness, and for its brittleness: glass yields no good footing to any that stand upon it, nor does the world to any that stay themselves upon it; and to a sea of glass like crystal, because of the clearness and transparency of it to God; he sees quite through it, all the counsels and actions of men being naked and open before God and the throne.
By the four beasts here understand the four evangelists in special, and all gospel ministers in general, who went forth to preach the word in all the quarters of the world: and here we have a most stately emblem of true gospel ministers; they have the courage of the lion, the strength of the ox, the loftiness of the eagle, the face, that is, the prudence and discretion of a man.
Farther, they are described as full of eyes; they have eyes looking before them to God for direction, looking behind them to the flocks they lead, and within them to their own hearts.
They have also six wings; with two they cover their faces, manifesting their deep reverence of God, with two they cover their feet, manifesting the humble sense of their infirmities, and with two they fly with cheerful expedition to the service of God.
Observe next, what was represented to St. John, as the perpetual employment and work of heaven; namely, incessantly to admire, love and praise, the holiness of God, which is the excellency of all his other excellences. They rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty.
Learn hence, That the celebrating of the praises of the most high and holy God, is the incessant work of glorified saints and angels in heaven, and a very great part of the work and duty of the faithful ministers of God here on earth.
Again learn, 2. From this example, how much it is the duty of the ministers of Christ to study and endeavour to make God known in all his glorious attributes, particularly in his holiness and his power; as also in his eternity and simplicity, as he is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever, without variation and shadow of changing.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Verses 6-7 All of the beauty described above would be reflected in a crystal sea. The four “living creatures,” which is a better translation than beasts, are reminiscent of those in Eze 1:1-14 ; Eze 10:20 . Thus, we may assume these are also cherubim. Such were placed on guards over the Garden of Eden and at both ends of the mercy seat. ( Gen 3:24 ; Exo 25:18-20 ) In heaven, they serve the Lord. The faces may represent wild animals or strength (lion), domesticated animals or service (calf or ox), flying creatures or swiftness (eagle), and mankind or intelligence (man). In either case, God is served by all categories of beings.
Fuente: Gary Hampton Commentary on Selected Books
Rev 4:6-7. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal Wide and deep, pure and clear, transparent and still. Both the seven lamps of fire and this sea are before the throne, and both may mean the seven Spirits of God, the Holy Ghost; whose powers and operations are frequently represented both under the emblem of fire and water. We read again, Rev 15:2, of a sea as of glass, where there is no mention of the seven lamps of fire; but, on the contrary, the sea itself is mingled with fire. We read also, Rev 22:1, of a stream of water of life, clear as crystal. Now, the sea which is before the throne, and the stream which goes out of the throne, may both mean the same, namely, the Spirit of God. And in the midst of the throne With respect to its height; and round about the throne That is, toward the four quarters, east, west, north, and south; were four beasts Or rather living creatures, as means, (not beasts, certainly, any more than birds.) It was a most unhappy mistake, says Doddridge, in our translators to render the word beasts, as it certainly signifies any other kind of animals; that is, of creatures which have animal life, as well as beasts. The word beasts not only degrades the signification, but the animals here mentioned have parts and appearances which beasts have not, and are represented in the highest sense rational. It has been observed on Rev 4:4, that the four and twenty elders may represent the Jewish Church. If so, these living creatures may represent the Christian Church. Their number, also, is symbolical of universality, and agrees with the dispensation of the gospel, which extends to all nations under heaven. And the new song, which they all sing, saying, Thou hast redeemed us out of every kindred: and tongue, and people, and nation, (Rev 5:9,) could not possibly suit the Jewish without the Christian Church; nor is it, in any respect, applicable to angels. The first living creature was like a lion To signify undaunted courage; the second like a calf Or ox, (Eze 1:10,) to signify unwearied patience: the third with the face of a man To signify prudence and compassion; the fourth like a flying eagle To signify activity and vigour; full of eyes To betoken wisdom and knowledge; before To see the face of him that sitteth on the throne; and behind To see what is done among the creatures. Two things may be observed here; 1st, That the four qualities, thus emblematically set forth in these four living creatures, namely, undaunted courage, unwearied patience under sufferings, prudence, and compassion, and vigorous activity, are found, more or less, in the true members of Christs church in every age and nation. 2d, That it may possibly be here intimated, that these qualities would especially prevail in succeeding ages of the church, in the order in which they are here placed; that is, that in the first age, true Christians would be eminent for the courage, fortitude, and success wherewith they should spread the gospel; that in the next age they would manifest remarkable patience in bearing persecution, when they should be killed all the day, like calves or sheep appointed for the slaughter: that in the subsequent age or ages, when the storms of persecution were blown over, and Christianity generally spread through the whole Roman empire, knowledge and wisdom, piety and virtue should increase, the church should wear the face of a man; and excel in prudence, humanity, love, and good works: and that in ages still later, being reformed from various corruptions in doctrine and practice, and full of vigour and activity, it should carry the gospel as upon the wings of a flying eagle, to the remotest nations under heaven; to every kindred, and tongue, and people.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Verse 6
A sea of glass; corresponding to the great brazen laver in the temple of Solomon. (1 Kings 7:23.)–Beasts; living beings.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
4:6 {7} And before the throne [there was] a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, [were] four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
(7) By instruments used, in that he has both a most ready treasury and a workhouse excellently furnished with all things, to the executing of his will, which things flow from his commandment, as repeated in Rev 15:2 and has also the angels ready administers of his counsel and pleasure to all parts of the world, continually watching,
(in this verse) working by reason otherwise than the instruments without life last mentioned, courageous as lions, mighty as bulls, wise as men, swift as eagles Rev 4:7 most apt to all purposes as furnished with wings on every part, most piercing of sight, and finally, pure and holy spirits always in continual motion Rev 4:8 .
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The clear glass-like sea before the throne may represent the need for cleansing before approaching God. The laver (called a "sea" in the Old Testament, e.g., 1Ki 7:23, et al.) served the need for cleansing in the Israelite tabernacle and temple. Perhaps the fact that this sea is solid indicates that those who can approach God’s throne have attained a fixed state of holiness by God’s grace. [Note: Strauss, p. 134.] Perhaps the sea represents the forces opposed to God’s will and His people. This is what the sea symbolized in the ancient Near East. John now saw these forces under God’s sovereign control (cf. Exo 24:10; Eze 1:22; Eze 1:26). [Note: Johnson, p. 463] The best explanation seems to be that this sea pictures some type of firmament that separates God in his holiness and purity from all of His sinful creation (cf. Gen 1:7; Exo 24:10-11; 1Ki 7:23; Psa 104:3; Eze 1:22; Eze 1:26). [Note: Thomas, Revelation 1-7, p. 353.]
The four living "creatures" seem to be angelic beings that reflect the attributes of God. They form an inner circle and surround the throne and God (cf. Eze 1:12), so they must constitute an exalted order of angelic beings. They appear similar to the seraphim (Isa 6:2) and even more like the cherubim (Eze 1:4-14; Eze 9:3; Ezekiel 10), though because of their differences they seem to be in a class by themselves. They appear to have a judicial function (cf. Rev 6:1; Rev 6:3; Rev 6:5; Rev 6:7) and to have some connection with animate creation (cf. Rev 4:9-11; Rev 15:7). Their many eyes evidently symbolize their penetrating intelligence that makes them immediately aware of whatever is happening that affects their judicial responsibility (cf. Eze 1:18; Eze 10:12). [Note: Ibid., pp. 358-59.]