Expositor's Dictionary of Texts - Revelation 5:1-14
Three Views of Man's Destiny 1. Pessimism Revelation 5:4 This is a mysterious passage in a mysterious book, but the fact that interpretation may easily become ridiculous should not debar us from the beauty and the power of one of the greatest and most picturesque of Scriptural poetic images. God is on His throne, but He is left undescribed, and we see only His hand holding a sealed book. What concerns us especially is the group of three figures which represent three of the main attitudes of... read more
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Revelation 5:14
(14) And the four beasts . . .—Better, And the four living beings said, Amen (or, the Amen). And the elders (omit “four and twenty”) fell down and worshipped. The remaining words of this verse are wanting in some of the best MSS., and they spoil thegraphic force of the description. The “Amen” rises from universal nature; the Church of Christ falls down in silent adoration. Thought and feeling assert themselves above all language. There are times when silence is the most eloquent applause; there... read more