Revelation 4-18

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Revelation 4

In this chapter the prophetical scene opens; and, as the epistolary part opened with a vision of Christ (Rev. 1:1-20), so this part is introduced with a glorious appearance of the great God, whose throne is in heaven, compassed about with the heavenly host. This discovery was made to John, and in this chapter he, I. Records the heavenly sight he saw, Rev. 4:1-7. And then, II. The heavenly songs he heard, Rev. 4:8-11. read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Revelation 4:1-7

We have here an account of a second vision with which the apostle John was favoured: After this, that is, not only ?after I had seen the vision of Christ walking in the midst of the golden candlesticks,? but ?after I had taken his messages from his mouth, and written and sent them to the several churches, according to his command, after this I had another vision.? Those who well improve the discoveries they have had of God already are prepared thereby for more, and may expect them. Observe, I.... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Revelation 4:8-11

We have considered the sights that the apostle saw in heaven: now let us observe the songs that he heard, for there is in heaven not only that to be seen which will highly please a sanctified eye, but there is that to be heard which will greatly delight a sanctified ear. This is true concerning the church of Christ here, which is a heaven upon earth, and it will be eminently so in the church made perfect in the heaven of heavens. I. He heard the song of the four living creatures, of the... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 4:1

4:1 After this I saw, and, behold, a door in heaven was standing open, and there came to me the voice that I had heard before, speaking to me like the sound of a trumpet, and the speaker said: "Come up here, and I will show you the events which must follow these things." In Revelation 2:1-29 ; Revelation 3:1-22 we saw the Risen Christ walking amidst his churches upon earth. Now the scene changes to the court of heaven. A door was opened in heaven for the seer. There are two... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 4:2-3

4:2-3 Immediately, I fell under the influence of the Spirit; and, behold, a throne stood in heaven, and there was One seated on it. And he who was seated on the throne was like a jasper stone and a sardian to look at; and there was a rainbow circling round the throne, like an emerald to look at. When the seer entered the door into heaven, he fell into an ecstasy. In heaven he saw a throne and God on the throne. The throne of God is a common Old Testament picture. The prophet said: "I saw... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 4:4

4:4 And in a circle round the throne I saw twenty-four thrones, and seated upon the thrones twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns upon their heads. We now approach one of the difficult passages for which the Revelation is notorious. In it we meet twenty-four elders and then four living creatures; and we have to try to identify them. We find the twenty-four elders frequently appearing in the Revelation. Let us set down the facts about them. They sit around the... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 4:5-6

4:5-6a And flashes of lightning and voices and peals of thunder were coming forth from the throne. There were seven torches of fire burning before the throne, and these are the seven Spirits of God. And in front of the throne there was what I can only call a sea of glass like crystal. John adds more details to his mysterious and awe-inspiring picture of heaven. The voices are the voices of the thunder; and thunder and lightning are often connected with the manifestation of God. In the... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 4:6

4:6b-8 And, between the throne and the elders, in a circle round the throne, were four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind. The first living creature was like a lion; the second living creature was like an ox; the third living creature had what appeared to be a man's face; the fourth living creature was like an eagle in flight. The four living creatures had each of them six wings; and around and within they were full of eyes. Night and day they never rested from saying: ... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 4:6

What do these four living creatures symbolize? (i) They are clearly part of the imagery of heaven; and they are not figures whom the writer of the Revelation did not create, but whom he inherited from previous pictures. They may originally have come from Babylonian sources, and they may have stood for the four principal signs of the Zodiac and for the four winds coming from the four quarters of heaven. But the John who wrote the Revelation was not aware of that, and he used them simply as... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 4:6

It was not long before the early church found certain symbolisms in the living creatures, in particular of the four Gospels--a representation which is often to be found in stained-glass windows in churches. The earliest and the fullest identification was made by Irenaeus about A.D. 170. He held that the four living creatures represented four aspects of the work of Jesus Christ, which in turn are represented in the four Gospels. The lion symbolizes the powerful and effective working of... read more

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