Revelation 4:2

2. Immediately On ascending and entering the door.

In the Spirit If this means his own spirit, then the thought is, that his consciousness, withdrawing from all perceptions of the things of sense, concentrated itself into the higher realm of the spirit, and, entering into full sympathy with the divine Spirit, became fully perceptive of things in the supersensible world, and especially of a series of symbols presented by the divine Spirit to the eye of his spirit.

A throne was set Literally, was tying; again the thing is there in the position before seen by the seer. Bengel says, the term lying is applied to the throne, from its breadth; to which Dusterdieck replies, that the same term is used in the Septuagint, Jeremiah 24:1, in John 2:6; John 19:29, and in the classics; and so is the ordinary term to express a throne’s position. Nevertheless, it may be, and probably is, we think, from the breadth of the ancient thrones, (upon which more than one could sit, Revelation 3:21,) that the term became ordinary.

One sat Unnamed: not merely (as Alford and others) because the writer strictly narrates “only what he saw,” though that was measurably true. The one was doubtless both unseen and unnamed for the same reason, namely, as says Herder, finely, “the mind has no figure and the tongue no word by which to express him.” The seer beholds and describes only the colours of the dense glory that indicates his presence. It is true, as Dusterdieck objects, that the same withholding of name appears with regard to Christ in Revelation 1:13-20, and following two chapters, also, perhaps, in the angelophany of chapter 10, where see note. And that, we reply, is from a similar reverent mystery suited to Christ, who is designated with a whole cluster of glorious paraphrases, but never by his proper name. Here the symbolic mystery of reverence as suited to God is sublimely expressed by Herder’s words. Nor is its reality at all affected, as Dusterdieck supposes, by the fact that elsewhere the occupant of the throne is explicitly named; see Revelation 7:10; Revelation 7:15; Revelation 12:5; Revelation 19:4; Revelation 22:1. The symbolic purpose is none the less intended here because it is not preserved elsewhere. The purpose is here the same as it was in the Holy of Holies namely, to symbolize the truth of divine Personality and specialty of Presence, yet to refuse all specific form, which would authenticate idolatry.