REVELATION CHAPTER FOUR

I) EXCERPT FROM REVELATION CHAPTER THREE
OR GO TO REV CHAPTER FOUR

C) [(Rev 3:14-22) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 3:14-22]:

(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

(Rev 3:17 NASB) 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

(Rev 3:18 NASB) I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.
(Rev 3:19 NASB) 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

(Rev 3:20 NASB) 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

(Rev 3:21 NASB) 'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

(Rev 3:22 NASB) 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' "

[Biblestudymanuals: Re: Rev 3:14 NASB: "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:"

The Risen Christ indicated to John to write to the angel / pastor of the church in Laodicea to write: "The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:" The words rendered "The Amen" refers to the Hebrew adverb that is rendered by the Greek rendered "amen" in English which means the acknowledgment of that which is sure and valid. It is a word of human response to what God has said or done. So Jesus is "the Amen" with the definite article which gives the sense that He is the epitime of "Amen;" He is THE Perfect Human representing His Perfectly Obedient response to the commands of God His Father relative to the Father's divine promises to mankind relative to Christ's Perfect obedience in that respect:

The next phrase which connects / resonates with the first phrase rendered, "the faithful and true Witness" is in the sense that He, the Christ, is to the world "The Amen" of God in absolute faithfulness and in true witness of God to the world. So Jesus' response to God's will was the perfect response of obedience and suffering: His payment for the sins of the whole world (cf. Isa 53:5-6; Isa 65:16 ; 1 Jn 2:2 ).

Whereupon the third phrase which follows, "The Amen, the faithful and true Witness," especially from the beginning of creation because He is Creator - both God and Man Who created all things which testifies that He is absolutely "the Amen" of God especially relative to His absolute faithfulness and His absolutely true witness to God because He is God and Man, the only One Who has absolute power over the world because He is the source and origin of all creation being Creator of all things, (1:17; 2:8; 22:13; Jn 1:1-3; Col 1:15-17).

1) [Compare Col 1:15-17]:

(Col 1:15 NASB) "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation [in the sense of having absolute preminence, not in the sense of being physically born created first]

(Col 1:16 NASB) For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers , or authorities - all things have been created through Him, and for Him.

(Col 1:17 NASB) He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."

2) [Compare Jn 1:1-3]:

(Jn 1:1 NASB) "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and [Greek order: God in the sense of everything that is God] was the Word.

(Jn 1:2 NASB) He was in the beginning with God.

(Jn 1:3 NASB) All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being."

3) [(Rev 3:14) Expositor's Bible Commentary: Introduction On Laodicea]:

(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:"

"Laodicea was about forty-five miles southeast of Philadelphia and about one hundred miles due east of Ephesus. Along with Colosse and Hierapolis, it was one of the cities in the fertile Lyous valley. The great Roman road stretching to the inland of Asia from the coast at Ephesus ran straight through its center, making Laodicea an important center of trade and communication. In addition, its wealth came from the production of a fine quality of famous glossy black wool—whether dyed or natural in color is not known. That the city's banking assets were noteworthy is evidenced by the fact that Cicero cashed huge bank drafts in Laodicea. So wealthy was Laodicea that after the great earthquake of A.D. 17, which destroyed it, the people refused imperial help in rebuilding the city, choosing rather to do it entirely by themselves.

Laodicea had a famous school of medicine; and a special ointment known as "Phrygian powder," famous for its cure of eye defects, was either manufactured or distributed there, as were ear ointments also. Near the temple of the special god associated with healing, Men Karou (who later became identified with Asclepius), there was a market for trading all sorts of goods (Ramsay, Seven Churches, p. 417). Zeus, the supreme god, was also worshiped in the city.

Ramsay notes that Laodicea is difficult to describe because no one thing stands out. There were no excesses or notable achievements to distinguish it. It was a city with a people who had learned to compromise and accommodate themselves to the needs and wishes of others (ibid., p. 423). They did not zealously stand for anything. A six-mile-long aqueduct brought Laodicea its supply of water from the south. The water came either from hot springs and was cooled to lukewarm or came from a cooler source and warmed up in the aqueduct on the way. For all its wealth, the city had poor water. A large and influential Jewish population resided there. As for the church in Laodicea, it may have been founded by Epaphras (Col 4:12-13).

4) [(Rev 3:14) Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 3:14]:

(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:"

"14 The speaker identifies himself by a threefold affirmation: "The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation." The normal Hebrew adverb that is rendered by the Greek amen means the acknowledgment of that which is sure and valid. It is a word of human response to the divine verity or action. Jesus is the "Amen" in the sense that he is the perfect human, obedient response to the divine promises (cf. Isa 65:16; TDNT, 1:337). Jesus' response to God's will was the perfect response of obedience and suffering: he is the "faithful and true witness" (cf. comments  on 1:5, on 9; and on 2:13). The same thought is expressed by Paul in 2 Corinthians 1:20: "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through Him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God."...

The "ruler" (arche, "source," "origin") further amplifies the Amen statement. Paul used arche in Colossians 1:18 to describe Christ as the source or origin of all creation (not the first created; cf. Prov 8:22; John 1:3), no doubt to correct a heresy. Since Colosse was a neighboring city of Laodicea, it is not improbable that the same heresy was also affecting the sister church at Laodicea. But this is not explicit. What is plain is this: When Christ addresses a church that is failing in loyalty and obedience, he is to them the "Amen" of God in faithfulness and in true witness, the only one who has absolute power over the world because he is the source and origin of all creation (1:15, 17, 18; 2:8; 22:13)."

5) [(Rev 3:14) Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 3:14]:

(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:"

"3:14. The wealthy city of Laodicea was located on the road to Colosse about 40 miles southeast of Philadelphia. About 35 years before this letter was written, Laodicea was destroyed by an earthquake, but it had the wealth and ability to rebuild. Its main industry was wool cloth. There is no record that Paul ever visited this city, but he was concerned about it (Col. 2:1-2; 4:16).

In addressing the church, Christ introduced Himself as the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Ruler of God's creation. The word "Amen," meaning "so be it," refers to the sovereignty of God which is behind human events (cf. 2 Cor. 1:20; Rev. 1:6). In speaking of Himself as "the faithful and true Witness" Christ was repeating what He had said earlier (1:5; 3:7). As "the Ruler of God's creation" Christ existed before God's Creation and is sovereign over it (cf. Col 1:15-18; Rev. 21:6); for there was nothing created that was created by the Word having created it, (cf. Jn 1:1-3). This description was in preparation for the stern word of rebuke which Christ would give the church in Laodicea."

C cont.) [(Rev 3:14-22) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 3:14-22 cont.]:
(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth."

So the Risen Christ commanded John to write to the angel / pastor i.e., messenger of the church in Laodicea and write referring to Himself, "The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth."

Since the city of Hierapolis, seven miles north of Laodicea, had famous "hot springs," it may also be that similar springs were located south of Laodicea and affected the temperature of the water supply as well - going from hot to lukewarm. For by the time the water reached Laodicea, it was lukewarm! Furthermore, the word rendered "Cold" could refer to the cool water located at Colosse, less than ten miles away which resulted in an insipid / lukewarm water supply in Laodicea that the city was known to have, despite its wealth. So "hot" would remind the Laodiceans of the beneficial "hot springs" to the north of Hierapolis which would cool off to lukewarm as it arrived in Laodicea; and "cold" could refer to the water supply in Colosse 10 miles away which deteriorated into luke warm by the time it flowed into Laodicea, which city for all its wealth, had an insipid, luke warm water supply - one that induced vomiting! In their feasts as well as in their religious sacrifices people in the ancient world customarily drank what was either hot or cold - never lukewarm. Hence the Risen Lord was most likely referring to the insipid lukewarm water of Laodicea as opposed to the more useful hot or cold to make His point about the believers being neither cold nor hot which indicates being of value as opposed to lukewarm which indicates not being useful just as lukewarm water was not useful to the people in Laodicea to drink. For many became nauseous and vomited. So because some of the believers in Laodicea were lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, the Risen Lord declared, "I will spit you out of My mouth" in the sense of disciplining thems. They would not lose their salvation though because that was sealed and guaranteed at the moment of faith alone in Christ alone through the indwelling Holy Spirit, ().

5) [(Rev 3:15-16) Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 3:15-16]:
(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit [vomit, spew] you out of My mouth."

"15-16 Sadly, the speaker's knowledge reveals an unqualified condemnation of the Laodicean church. The verdict is the exact opposite of the church's own evaluation and expectations. Their deeds were "neither cold nor hot." The expression "cold nor hot" may refer to their lack of zeal (v. 19) or their uselessness, for Christ says, "I wish you were either one or the other" (lit., "either cold or hot"). There is good reason why we should not try to take both of these words as if Christ meant I wish you were either spiritually cold (i.e., unsaved or hostile) or spiritually hot (i.e., alive and fervent). In the first place, it is inconceivable that Christ would wish that people were spiritually cold, or unsaved and hostile. Furthermore, the application of "hot" and "cold" to spiritual temperature, though familiar to us, would have been completely foreign to first-century Christians. The two adjectives in "neither hot nor cold" should be understood together as equivalent to "lukewarmness" (v. 16). That is to say, they were useless to Christ because they were complacent, self satisfied, and indifferent to the real issues of faith in him and of discipleship.

Since the city of Hierapolis, seven miles north of Laodicea, had famous "hot springs," it may be that similar springs were located south of Laodicea and affected the temperature of the water supply. "I am about to spit [emesai, 'vomit'] you out of my mouth" seems to allude to the lukewarm water. "Cold" could refer to the useful cool water located at Colosse, less than ten miles away. "Hot" would remind the Laodiceans of the beneficial "hot springs" to the north of Hierapolis. Yet Laodicea, for all its wealth, had an insipid water supply—one that induced vomiting! Christ detests a Laodicean attitude of compromise, one that seeks easy accommodation and peace at any cost. With such a condition, He must deal harshly. To be a Christian means to be useful to Christ."

[Biblestudymanuals: The sentence above which reads as follows, "To be a Christian means to be useful to Christ" is not always true. As a matter of fact most Christians are hardly useful at all. Many Christians throughout the age have not been that useful, albeit they will be subject to discipline in this life and loss of rewards in the next; nevertheless all those who have expressed at least a moment of faith alone in Christ alone are Christians . Those that are faithful to those who are hardly faithful are all saved by grace through faith and that salvation is not of themselves, it [their salvation] is the gift of God and not of works, that no one may boast. [Thereafter] For we [all Christians] are [His] workmanship, [having been] created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we should walk in them; [we should but most will not] (cf. Eph 2:8-9). So the phrase "spew" [or spit] does not literally mean that unfaithful / lukewarm Christians are going to be spit out of the Risen Christ's mouth literally????? And it does not mean that any Christian will lose his salvation. But discipline / often severe discipline, even premature physical death is in view. So we should not judge others to that end but think of others even act as if others are better than ourselves]

6) [(Rev 3:15-16) Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 3:15-16]:

(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth."

"3:15-16. No word of commendation was extended to the Laodicean church. They were pictured as utterly abhorrent to Christ because they were lukewarm. This was addressed to the church and also to the messenger or the pastor whom some believe was Archippus (Col. 4:17). It is improbable, however, that Archippus, if he had been the pastor of the church, was still living. In referring to the church as "lukewarm" Christ had in mind that this was its permanent situation. In their feasts as well as in their religious sacrifices people in the ancient world customarily drank what was either hot or cold - never lukewarm. This rebuke would have been especially meaningful to this church, for water was piped to the city from Hierapolis, a few miles north. By the time the water reached Laodicea, it was lukewarm!" - a description was in preparation for the stern word of rebuke which Christ would give the church in Laodicea." And this description the Lord gave to all believers as applicable to their lack of perseverance in the faith especially to those who are not enthusiastically engaged in spreading the gospel and other doctrines of the faith: "So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth!"

C cont.) [(Rev 3:14-22) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 3:14-22 cont.]:
(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

(Rev 3:17 NASB) 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,"

[After the risen Lord told John to write, "I will spit you out of My mouth,' and then to write, "Because you say, 'I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,' and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,' " It is evident that they viewed themselves as being rich - having need of nothing - material or otherwise and could actually boast about their condition as having need of nothing. But the risen Lord stated, "you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked." For material possessions count little in this life and zero in eternity according to the Lord. The deeper problem in the Laodicean church was not simply their indifference. It was their ignorance of their real condition. The general condition of the populace at large - rich in material possessions and self-sufficient. The spirit of the surrounding culture had crept into the congregation and had paralyzed their spiritual life.

[Biblestudymanuals: the lack of a spiritual connection with God ...] had crept into the congregation and had paralyzed their spiritual life. But did they actually claim to be materially rich or spiritually rich? Since it is difficult to see how a Christian community would boast of material wealth, many prefer the latter interpretation. Yet the Laodiceans may have interpreted their material wealth as a blessing from God and thus have been self-deceived as to their true spiritual state. In any case, they had misread their true condition.

7) [(Rev 3:17) Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 3:17]:

(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

(Rev 3:17 NASB) 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,"

"17 The deeper problem in the Laodicean church was not simply their indifference. It was their ignorance of their real condition: "You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.'" Observe the way this indictment is related to the general condition of the populace at large - rich in material possessions and self-sufficient. The spirit of the surrounding culture had crept into the congregation and had paralyzed their spiritual life. But did they actually claim to be materially rich or spiritually rich? Since it is difficult to see how a Christian community would boast of material wealth, many prefer the latter interpretation. Yet the Laodiceans may have interpreted their material wealth as a blessing from God and thus have been self-deceived as to their true spiritual state. In any case, they had misread their true condition.

Christ's revelation of the Laodiceans' actual situation shatters their illusions and calls them to repentance: "But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked." Probably the first two characteristics - "wretched" and "pitiful"- are to be linked together, while the latter three explain this twofold condition in more detail (cf. v. 18). They are not, as they thought, rich and without need; they are pitifully wretched and in great need, being "poor, blind and naked." Conversely, Jesus said to the church at Smyrna, "I know... your poverty - yet you are rich!" (2:9).

To be "wretched" physically describes life when everything one owns has been destroyed or plundered by war (Ps 137:8 LXX). Here it refers to the Laodiceans' spiritual destitution and pitiableness before God. "Poor, blind and naked" refer to the three sources of their miserable condition. "Lukewarmness," then, does not refer to the laxity of Christians but the condition of not really knowing Christ as Savior and Lord and thus being useless to him. Origen likewise understood the passage to refer not to lapsed Christians but to the unregenerate (Principiis 3.4.3)."

[Biblestudymanuals: On the contrary, believers are in view. For the Risen Lord Jesus Christ to tell John to write to the church in Laodicea, not to non-Christians, not to all those who may have attended a church service but to members of the church, i.e., to those who trusted in Christ supports the idea that Revelation was written to believers not to unbelievers.]

8) [(Rev 3:17) Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 3:17]:

(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

(Rev 3:17 NASB) 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,"

"3:17. Their being lukewarm spiritually was evidenced by their being content with their material wealth and their being unaware of their spiritual poverty. Christ used strong words to describe them: wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked."

C cont.) [(Rev 3:14-22) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 3:14-22 cont.]:

(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

(Rev 3:17 NASB) 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

(Rev 3:18 NASB) I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see."

[In Rev 3:18 the Risen Lord advises believers to buy from Him in the sense of being faithful to Him: picture eternal Gold refined by Him as temporal gold is refined in the material world by fire so that the believer as he chooses to be faithful he may become eternally rich in the sense that just as material / temporal gold may be a source of the wealth such as in the city of Laodicea, the heavenly refined Gold of the Risen Lord, one may 'buy' from Him perfectly refined heavenly Gold which will become in the spiritually poverty-stricken Christian's life: eternal wealth. Their shameful nakedness was thereby to be clothed, not by purchasing the sleek, black wool of Laodicea, but by buying by faith from Christ the eternal white clothing that alone can cover their shameful nakedness (16:15). And further to "buy" eye salve in the figurative sense through the proper study of the Word of God in order to anoint / equip the believer's eyes so that they may better see spiritual things and enjoy greater blessings and rewards now and in eternity. Note that Laodicea had a famous school of medicine; and a special ointment known as "Phrygian powder," famous for its cure of eye defects, was either manufactured or distributed there, as were ear ointments also. But the Risen Christ had John write the Risen Christ's eye salve for believers through the Word of God to be rewarded with special spiritual things.

9) [(Rev 3:18) Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 3:18]:

(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

(Rev 3:17 NASB) 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

(Rev 3:18 NASB) I advise you to buy from Me Gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see."

"18 The commands of Christ correspond exactly to the self-deceptions of the Laodiceans. Gold, a source of the wealth of the city, was to be bought from Christ and to become the spiritually poverty-stricken's true wealth. Their shameful nakedness was to be clothed, not by purchasing the sleek, black wool of Laodicea, but by buying from Christ the white clothing that alone can cover shameful nakedness (16:15). For those who were blind to their true condition, the "Phrygian powder" was useless (cf. comments on v. 14). They needed to buy salve from Christ so that they could truly see. The reference to buying would recall the famous market near the temple of Men Karou, where the commodities manufactured at Laodicea could be bought, along with imports from other areas. But to what do gold, white clothes, and salve symbolically refer? Minear suggests the following:

The only cure for poverty-stricken disciples was to purchase from Christ gold which is refined in the agonies of the shared passion. For their nakedness (did Hans Christian Andersen find here the theme of "The Emperor's New Clothes"?) the only recourse was to buy such clothes as the naked Christ had worn on the cross. The blindness of self-deception could be cured only by understanding the correlation between Christ's love and his discipline. These three purchases constitute a substantial definition of the kind of zeal and repentance which was the burden of all John's prophecies. The thrust of these commands moves in the direction of rigorous warning They are tantamount to saying "Open your eyes" and "Carry your cross." This letter argues against the widespread assertion of many interpreters to the effect that John's chief concern was to provide consolation to a persecuted church. Nearer the mark would be the opposite assertion; that John, like Jesus, was concerned to bring not peace but a sword (I Saw a New Earth, p. 57).

The three figures all point to the Laodiceans' need of authentic salvation through Christ."

10) [(Rev 3:18) Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 3:18]:

(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

(Rev 3:17 NASB) 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

(Rev 3:18 NASB) I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see."

"3. Exhortation (3:18-19)

3:18-19. They were urged to buy not ordinary gold, but refined gold, referring to that which would glorify God and make them truly rich. Through its banking industry the city had material wealth. But the church lacked spiritual richness. Though they had beautiful clothes, they were urged to wear white clothes (cf. v. 4), symbolic of righteousness which would cover their spiritual nakedness. As wool was a major product of the area, Laodicea was especially famous for a black garment made out of black wool. What they needed instead was pure white clothing.

Then Christ exhorted them to put salve... on their eyes. A medical school was located in Laodicea at the temple of Asclepius, which offered a special salve to heal common eye troubles of the Middle East. What they needed was not this medicine but spiritual sight. The church at Laodicea is typical of a modern church quite unconscious of its spiritual needs and content with beautiful buildings and all the material things money can buy. This is a searching and penetrating message. To all such the exhortation is be earnest, and repent. Christ rebuked them because He loved them, which love would also bring chastisement on this church."

C cont.) [(Rev 3:14-22) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 3:14-22 cont.]:

(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

(Rev 3:17 NASB) 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

(Rev 3:18 NASB) I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see,

(Rev 3:19 NASB) 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

[In Rev 3:19, the Risen Christ says to John, "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent," speaking to believers first and foremost in Laodicea, thereafter to all believers, exhorting them to be zealous and repent."

11) [(Rev 3:19) Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 3:19]:

(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

(Rev 3:17 NASB) 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

(Rev 3:18 NASB) I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see,

(Rev 3:19 NASB) 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent."

"19 Even though the state of a church, such as that in Laodicea verges on disaster, all is not lost if there are those in it who will receive Christ's loving rebuke and come back to him. "I love" is the Greek phileo ("to have affection for"). This verb does not necessarily connote a lower level of love than agapao. Sometimes it has the force of agapao (e.g., John 5:20; 16:27; 20:22; cf. BAG, s.v.). Christ's statement "I rebuke and discipline" speaks of his love (Prov 3:12; 1Cor 11:32; Heb 12:6). He spits out those he does not love and "rebukes" (elencho, "reproves," "convicts") and disciplines those who hear his voice. The difference between the expelled and the disciplined lies in their response: "So be earnest ['zeleuo, 'zealous,'' 'enthusiastic'] and repent." The Laodiceans' repentance would come from a rekindling of their loyalty to Christ."

[Biblestudymanuals: Note that the phrase rendered "I will spit [expell] you out of My mouth" in Rev 3:16 which reads as follows, "So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit [expell] you out of My mouth" does not mean being expelled from heaven, i.e., loss of salvation as that cannot be lost for many reasons . Nevertheless believers who are lukewarm are to be rather severely disciplined for not being actively faithful]

12) [(Rev 3:19) Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 3:19]:

(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

(Rev 3:17 NASB) 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

(Rev 3:18 NASB) I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see,

(Rev 3:19 NASB) 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.' " 

"3. Exhortation (3:18-19)

3:18-19. They were urged to buy not ordinary gold, but refined gold, referring to that which would glorify God and make them truly rich. Through its banking industry the city had material wealth. But the church lacked spiritual richness. Though they had beautiful clothes, they were urged to wear white clothes (cf. v. 4), symbolic of righteousness which would cover their spiritual nakedness. As wool was a major product of the area, Laodicea was especially famous for a black garment made out of black wool. What they needed instead was pure white clothing.

Then Christ exhorted them to put salve... on their eyes. A medical school was located in Laodicea at the temple of Asclepius, which offered a special salve to heal common eye troubles of the Middle East. What they needed was not this medicine but spiritual sight. The church at Laodicea is typical of a modern church quite unconscious of its spiritual needs and content with beautiful buildings and all the material things money can buy. This is a searching and penetrating message. To all such the exhortation is be earnest, and repent. Christ rebuked them because He loved them, which love would also bring chastisement on this church."

C cont.) [(Rev 3:14-22) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 3:14-22 cont.]:

(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

(Rev 3:17 NASB) 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

(Rev 3:18 NASB) I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see,

(Rev 3:19 NASB) 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

(Rev 3:20 NASB) 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

[Biblestudymanuals: So the Risen Lord speaks to John to write to the seven churches and to all believers, 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door [in the sense of believers hearing and obeying His commands to be faithful] I will come in to him [in the sense of coming into a believer's presence], and will dine with him, and he with Me [in the sense of having fellowhip with him; such as eating a meal with the believer but NOT in the sense of Jesus providing salvation unto eternal life for him, as so many contend. So the message has in view rewards for the believer for being faithful which is symbolized as a believer sharing a meal with the Risen Christ]

13) [(Rev 3:20) Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 3:20]:

(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

(Rev 3:17 NASB) 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

(Rev 3:18 NASB) I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see,

(Rev 3:19 NASB) 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent..

(Rev 3:20 NASB) 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me."

"20 To those who hear the words of rebuke, Christ extends an invitation to dine with him. Some older commentators find the reference to the "door" as parallel to the new age that will dawn at the advent of Christ (Swete, Beckwith; cf. Matt 24:33; James 5:9). So the challenge is to be ready to enter the banquet of Christ at His return. This view, however, does not seem to fit the immediate context, nor does it agree with other NT teaching on the Lord's return.

Others hold that the figure represents Christ standing at the door to the hearts of the members of the congregation at Laodicea. Christ will come and have fellowship with anyone who hears his voice of rebuke and thus proves himself Christ's friend by zeal and repentance. The "eating" (deipneo) refers to the main meal of the day, which in Oriental fashion was a significant occasion for having intimate fellowship with the closest of friends. It is through the Holy Spirit that Christ and the Father come to have fellowship with us (John 14:23).

While most commentators have taken this invitation as addressed to lapsed, halfhearted Christians, the terminology and context (v. 18) suggest that these Laodiceans were for the most part mere professing Christians who lacked authentic conversion to Christ, which is the essential prerequisite for true discipleship. Verse 20 is, therefore, more evangelistic than admonitory. Those who find in it an allusion to the Lord's Supper may be right. Cullman sees v. 20 as a response to the old eucharistic prayer: Maranatha (marana tha, "Our Lord, come!") (Oscar Cullmann, Early Christian Worship [London: SCM, 1953], in loc.)."

[Biblestudymanuals: the words rendered "mere professing Christians who lacked authentic conversion to Christ" completely misses the point of what it takes to have eternal life: It is a matter of a moment of faith alone in Christ alone - faith alone in His provision, His sacrifice for ones sins alone - in order to receive an immediate and forever possession of eternal life:

(Eph 2:8 YLT) "For by grace you [are] having been saved, through faith, and this [salvation is] not of yourselves - [it is] the gift of God,

(Eph 2:9 YLT) not of works, that no one may boast."]

14) [(Rev 3:13-20) Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 3:13-20]:

(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

(Rev 3:17 NASB) 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

(Rev 3:18 NASB) I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see,

(Rev 3:19 NASB) 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

(Rev 3:20 NASB) 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me."

"20 To those who hear the words of rebuke, Christ extends an invitation to dine with him. Some older commentators find the reference to the "door" as parallel to the new age that will dawn at the advent of Christ (Swete, Beckwith; cf. Matt 24:33; James 5:9). So the challenge is to be ready to enter the banquet of Christ at His return. This view, however, does not seem to fit the immediate context, nor does it agree with other NT teaching on the Lord's return.

Others hold that the figure represents Christ standing at the door to the hearts of the members of the congregation at Laodicea. Christ will come and have fellowship with anyone who hears his voice of rebuke and thus proves himself Christ's friend by zeal and repentance. The "eating" (deipneo) refers to the main meal of the day, which in Oriental fashion was a significant occasion for having intimate fellowship with the closest of friends. It is through the Holy Spirit that Christ and the Father come to have fellowship with us (John 14:23).

While most commentators have taken this invitation as addressed to lapsed, halfhearted Christians, the terminology and context (v. 18) suggest that these Laodiceans were for the most part mere professing Christians who lacked authentic conversion to Christ, which is the essential prerequisite for true discipleship. Verse 20 is, therefore, more evangelistic than admonitory. Those who find in it an allusion to the Lord's Supper may be right. Cullman sees v. 20 as a response to the old eucharistic prayer: Maranatha (marana tha, "Our Lord, come!") (Oscar Cullmann, Early Christian Worship [London: SCM, 1953], in loc.).

[Biblestudymanuals: There is no convincing evidence that this is an allusion to the Lord's Supper. Celebrating the Lord's Supper is not a matter of the Lord's knocking on ones door in order to be invited in to share a meal. It is a matter of believers preparing a ceremonial meal and consuming it to honor the Lord's provision of salvation unto eternal life through His sacrifice for the sins of the whole world through a moment of faith alone in Him alone for eternal life forever .

C cont.) [(Rev 3:14-22) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 3:14-22 cont.]:

(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

(Rev 3:17 NASB) 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

(Rev 3:18 NASB) I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see,

(Rev 3:19 NASB) 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

(Rev 3:20 NASB) 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

(Rev 3:21 NASB) 'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne."

[Now in Rev 3:21 it addresses the believer who overcomes in the sense of being diligent and extra faithful to Christ by which he will be granted to sit down with Christ on His throne and corule with Him. So just as Christ also overcame and sat down with His Father on His throne, so the diligent believer will be richly rewarded as he is permitted to corule with Christ in eternity from the throne of the Son of God.]

15) [(Rev 3:21) Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 3:21]:

(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

(Rev 3:17 NASB) 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

(Rev 3:18 NASB) I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see,

(Rev 3:19 NASB) 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

(Rev 3:20 NASB) 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

(Rev 3:21 NASB) 'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne."

"21 The promise to the overcomers concerns the sharing in Christ's future reign in the eschatological kingdom: "I will give the right to sit with me on my throne." Such a joint reign with Christ has already been referred to earlier in the book (1:6, 9; 2:26-27) and appears later on (5:10; 20:4-6). The kingdom reign is also a theme in other NT writings (Luke 22:28-30; Rom 8:17; 2Tim 2:12). As Christ overcame through his suffering and death (John 16:33) and entered into the highest honor God could bestow, that of being seated at his "right hand" of sovereignty (Mark 16:19; Acts 2:22ff.; Rev 22:1), so believers who suffer with Christ even to the point of death will share in the honor of Christ's exalted position. The distinction between the Father's throne and Christ's throne is no mere rhetoric. On the contrary, it differentiates aspects of God's program in history (1Cor 15:24-28). Christ is reigning now, for there is a sense in which the eschatological or messianic kingdom of God was inaugurated in Christ's earthly ministry, death, and resurrection. But the promise here, as elsewhere in the NT, foresees a final earthly consummation of the kingdom that awaits the return of Christ."

16) [(Rev 3:21 ) Bible Knowedge Commentary On Rev 3:21]:

(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

(Rev 3:17 NASB) 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

(Rev 3:18 NASB) I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see,

(Rev 3:19 NASB) 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

(Rev 3:20 NASB) 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

(Rev 3:21 NASB) 'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne."

"21 The promise to the overcomers concerns the sharing in Christ's future reign in the eschatological kingdom: "I will give the right to sit with me on my throne." Such a joint reign with Christ has already been referred to earlier in the book (1:6, 9; 2:26-27) and appears later on (5:10; 20:4-6). The kingdom reign is also a theme in other NT writings (Luke 22:28-30; Rom 8:17; 2Tim 2:12). As Christ overcame through his suffering and death (John 16:33) and entered into the highest honor God could bestow, that of being seated at his "right hand" of sovereignty (Mark 16:19; Acts 2:22ff.; Rev 22:1), so believers who suffer with Christ even to the point of death will share in the honor of Christ's exalted position. The distinction between the Father's throne and Christ's throne is no mere rhetoric. On the contrary, it differentiates aspects of God's program in history (1Cor 15:24-28). Christ is reigning now, for there is a sense in which the eschatological or messianic kingdom of God was inaugurated in Christ's earthly ministry, death, and resurrection. But the promise here, as elsewhere in the NT, foresees a final earthly consummation of the kingdom that awaits the return of Christ."

C cont.) [(Rev 3:14-22) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 3:14-22 cont.]:

(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

(Rev 3:17 NASB) 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

(Rev 3:18 NASB) I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see,

(Rev 3:19 NASB) 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

(Rev 3:20 NASB) 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

(Rev 3:21 NASB) 'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.]

(Rev 3:22 NASB) 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' "

[The Risen Christ gave John the last verse His last instruction to the churches which included words to the effect when carefully considered that they should study and to study to show themselves approved for rewards in heaven]

17) [(Rev 3:22) Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 3:22]:

(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

(Rev 3:17 NASB) 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and hafve need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

(Rev 3:18 NASB) I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see,

(Rev 3:19 NASB) 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

(Rev 3:20 NASB) 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

(Rev 3:21 NASB) 'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne

(Rev 3:22 NASB) 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' "
"The general exhortation closes the seventh letter."

18) [(Rev 3:22) Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 3:22]:

(Rev 3:14 NASB) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

(Rev 3:15 NASB) 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

(Rev 3:16 NASB) 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

(Rev 3:17 NASB) 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

(Rev 3:18 NASB) I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see,

(Rev 3:19 NASB) 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

(Rev 3:20 NASB) 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

(Rev 3:21 NASB) 'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

(Rev 3:22 NASB) 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' "
[This closing out of Rev 3 wisely states for readers to pay close attention to what author John wrote so that they may learn invaluable truths to live by and be rewarded]



Christ

Commendation

Rebuke

Exhortation

Promise

Ephesus

(2:1-7)

Holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands.

Deeds, hard work, perseverance. Does not tolerate wicked men. Endures hardships. Hates the practices of the Nicolaitans.

Has forsaken her first love.

Remember; repent; do the things you did at first.

Will eat from the tree of life.

Smyrna

(2:8-11)

The First and the Last, who died and came to life again.

Suffers persecution and poverty.

—

Do not be afraid. Be faithful, even to the point of death.

Will receive a crown of life; will not be hurt by the second death.

Pergamum

(2:12-17)

Has the sharp, double-edged sword.

Remains true to Christ; does not renounce her faith.

People there hold the teachings of Balaam and of the Nicolaitans.

Repent.

Will receive hidden manna and a white stone with a new name on it.

Thyatira

(2:18-29)

The Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished brass.

Deeds, love, faith, service, perseverance, doing more than at first.

Tolerates Jezebel with her immorality and idolatry.

Repent; hold on to what you have.

Will have authority over the nations; the morning star.

Sardis

(3:1-6)

Holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

Deeds; reputation of being alive.

Dead.

Wake up! Strengthen what remains. Remember what you received, obey it, repent.

Will be dressed in white; will be acknowledged before My Father and His angels.

Philadelphia

(3:7-13)

Holy and true, holds the key of David.

Deeds, keeps Christ's word and does not deny His name, endures patiently.

—

Hold on to what you have.

Those who overcome will be pillars in the temple; the name of God, of the New Jerusalem, and of Christ's new name, will be written on them.

Laodicea

(3:14-22)

The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Ruler of God's creation.

—

Lukewarm, neither cold nor hot. Wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.

Buy from Christ refined gold, white clothes, and eye salve. Be earnest, and repent.

Overcomers will eat with Christ; will rule with Christ


[This closing out of Rev 3 wisely states for readers to pay close attention to what author John wrote so that they may learn invaluable truths to live by and be rewarded]

[BIBLESTUDYMANUALS]:
"Again it is evident that if special, out of the ordinary theological, symbolical, geographical, numerical insights are required to understand the Bible; and since most people do not possess these insights then the Bible is not meant for all men to read and understand; but must depend upon some elite, superior individual(s) to lead / teach / instruct them. But the language in the Bible does include all individuals of accountable age evidently only needing to study it utilizing normal reading / linguistic skills and nothing else . Therefore special insights are NOT required to understand the Bible. Given this point of view which is biblical, it is feasible that what God has inspired the bible writers to write in His Word for the moment is incomprehensible until such time that He has determined / decreed it to be comprehensible and fulfilled in that time."

II) [(Rev 4:1) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 4:1]:

(Rev 4:1 NASB) "After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things"

Revelation chapters 4 & 5 are a vision showing that God does have a plan that was not to be revealed until Jesus faithfully finished His ransom sacrifice. Hence the book was sealed. (Revelation 5:1-5)  Chapter 4 opens with a vision from God to John which is a figurative representation of God on His throne. John could not have literally seen God because Exodus 33:20 teaches, “…there shall no man see me, and live.”

The phrase rendered, "After these things," refers to the previous context which began at the beginning of the Book of the Revelation which is from the time when the Risen Christ appeared to John and began to provide a vision for John to write about and relay - first and foremost to the seven churches. Thereafter, the letters to the seven churches are applicable to all believers each in his own way as this book was made available to believers of the church age and thereafter. After the vision of these letters was received by John, John looked and beheld a door standing open in heaven - evidently a further vision from the Risen Christ, the Lord now giving John a supernatural look into heaven after Christ conveyed to John the message of admonition / praise / instructions, etc. to the seven churches and to all believers throughout the future ages. Whereupon John goes on to write "and the first voice which I had heard, [from the Risen Christ which sounded] like the sound of a trumpet speaking to me, said, '''Come up here," evidently a vision through the door into heaven: "and I will show you what must take place after these things," i.e., after the church age had passed in time as represented by the letters to the seven churches  - leaving no believer of the church age behind, i.e., through the Rapture , commencing the 7 year tribulation period  in which period the church will be absent - a period leading to Christ's Second Coming at the end of that 7 year period.

So the revelation of the future relative to the phrase rendered, "What will take place later re: chapters 4-22: is in keeping with the divine outline given in 1:19 when God unfolded to John the details of the future beginning with the phrase rendered: "what will take place later." This includes the stirring events leading up to the Second Coming of Christ (chaps. 4-18); then the Second Coming itself (chap. 19); then the aftermath, the millennial kingdom (chap. 20); and finally the New Jerusalem and the new heaven and new earth (chaps. 21-22). It is obvious that the central truth is the Second Coming of Christ in chapter 19, just as the central feature of the four Gospels was the first coming of Christ.

1) [Compare Rev 1:19]:

(Rev 1:19 NASB) "Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things."

So following John's revelation of Jesus Christ in His eternal glory, Jesus spoke to John saying, "Therefore write the things which you have seen - in the sense of in the past and the things which are - in the sense of in John's present, i.e., his message to the seven churches; and the things which will take place in the future, i.e., the main purpose of the book which is prophetic.

This is just what the timing of the Book of the Revelation follows: past, present and then future. The prophetic part of the Book is the main purpose of the Book and has the greatest volume. It introduces the events preceding, culminating in, and following the Second Coming of Christ comprising chapters 4-22. By carefully and properly reading the Book of the Revelation in accordance with the normative rules of language, context and logic as we all were taught in school, we can come to the conclusion that this book follows a chronological order. Some have attempted to seize upon certain phrases here and there from different books and other contexts to fit their particular scheme of interpretation and ignore anything that might contradict their conclusions within Revelation. Notice that Rev 1:19 has already established that there is a chronological order to this Book which cannot be contradicted by someone who has his own agenda such as amillennialism. They do not follow the chronological wording which when taken in accordance with those rules of reading, makes the most sense, follows the authors' writing of those words and cannot be contradicted or ignored because that would be violating the normative rules of language, context and logic, i.e., of reading that we learned in school . For it is evident that it is the human author's - and God's intent - that when reading God's Word and even other written materials that we use to guide us through all kinds of things in life we are to follow the author's words the way they are written, with the author's point of view in mind as defined in the context. If we do not follow the rules of reading, but follow our own rules, we are taking the Bible out of the hands of millions and millions of people that don't follow some other means. One must  simply take God's Word the way one learned to read in school and those words were penned by the author.

II cont.) [(Rev 4:1) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 4:1, cont]:

A) [(Rev 4:1) Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 4:1]:

(Rev 4:1 NASB) "After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things"

"1. Seeing a "door standing open in heaven," John is told to "come up here" (cf. Ezek 1:1, where the prophet says he saw the heavens opened). A new view of God's majesty and power (throne) is disclosed to John so that he can understand the events on earth that relate to the seven-seal vision (cf. 1 Kings 22:19). For the first time in Revelation, the reader is introduced to the frequent interchange between heaven and earth found in the remainder of the book. What happens on earth has its inseparable heavenly counterpart.

Chapter 4 focuses on the throne vision that provides the setting for the dramatic action of the slain Lamb in chapter 5. There is a connection between this throne vision and the vision of the glorified Christ in 1:10-16. Here we are told that John heard the same voice speaking to him that he "had first heard speaking... like a trumpet" (cf. 1:10). The words of the messenger relate to what has just transpired: "I will show you what must take place after this" (meta tauta, "after this," "next", i.e., after the time of the historical churches in Asia [cf. 1:19]).

"There is no good reason for seeing the invitation for John to come up into the opened heaven as a symbol of the rapture of the church. Some have so interpreted it and have inferred that the absence of the word "church" (ekklesia) from Revelation till 22:16 and the continued references to the "saints" indicate that at this point the church departs from the earth. But the word "church" or "churches" always stands in Revelation for the historic seven churches in Asia and not just for the universal body of Christ. Since 4:1-22:15 concerns the believing community as a whole, it would be inappropriate at least for John's usage to find the narrower term "church" in this section (cf. 3 John 6, 9-10)."

[Biblestudymanuals: On the contrary, the historical context of the time of the opened heaven vision given to John in Rev 4 is declared to occur as the verse says: "After these things" meaning after the seven letters were conveyed to the seven churches of the first century with the understanding that these letters were obviously applicable to those specific seven churches and all the churches of that time and all the churches throughout the age of the church as applicable. It would not make sense for the message to be solely applicable to only those specific seven churches and not be applicable to believers of other congregations later throughout the church age in so many ways - which would negate the phrase rendered "After these things." Hence the view of heaven there must be when the next period begins after the church age ends the applicability of the phrase rendered "After these things." And that period is described as the seven year tribulation period which is actually the final seven years of the Age of God's chosen people, Israel which culminates with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ at which time all of that generation of Israel still alive will all choose to believe in Jesus and be transformed into perfect, sinless human beings, with a perfect knowledge of God's Word with a capacity to live a thousand years equipping them to corule with their Savior over the planet earth .]

A cont.) [(Rev 4:1) Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 4:1, cont.]:

(Rev 4:1 NASB) "After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things"

Finally, it is significant that in the visions that continue to the end of the book, there are references to the throne, the book, the crowns, the four living creatures, the twenty-four elders, and the victory of the Lamb. In all this, the center of focus appears to be the five hymns of praise that begin in 4:8 and continue through chapter 5."

B) [(Rev 4:1) Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 4:1]:

(Rev 4:1 NASB) "After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things"

"III. THE REVELATION OF THE FUTURE: "WHAT WILL TAKE PLACE LATER" (CHAPS. 4-22)
In keeping with the divine outline given in 1:19, God unfolded to John the details of the future, "what will take place later." This includes the stirring events leading up to the Second Coming of Christ (chaps. 4-18); then the Second Coming itself (chap. 19); then the aftermath, the Millennial Kingdom (chap. 20); and finally the New Jerusalem and the New Heaven and New Earth (chaps. 21-22). It is obvious that the central truth is the Second Coming of Christ in chapter 19, just as the central feature of the four Gospels was the First Coming of Christ.

While many interpretations of the Book of Revelation have been suggested, the only views which provide a cogent understanding are those which consider the book, beginning with chapter 4, as referring to future events. Any other system of interpretation gets lost in a maze of conflicting opinions.

[Biblestudymanuals]:

"Again it is evident that if special, out of the ordinary theological, symbolical, geographical, numerical insights are required to understand the Bible; and since most people do not possess these insights then the Bible is not meant for all men to read and understand; but must depend upon some elite, superior individual(s) to lead / teach / instruct them. But the language in the Bible does include all individuals of accountable age evidently only needing to study it utilizing normal reading / linguistic skills and nothing else . Therefore special insights are NOT required to understand the Bible. Given this point of view which is biblical, it is feasible that what God has inspired the bible writers to write in His Word for the moment is incomprehensible until such time that He has determined / decreed it to be comprehensible and fulfilled in that time. While the events portrayed in this futuristic section are not necessarily all in strict chronological order, they are all yet future as the section indicates with the phrase, "what will take place later."

As such, they present a more graphic picture of the future, given in more detail, than is found in any other part of the Bible. Such a revelation is a fitting climax to all the biblical prophecies relating to human history, which are properly centered in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

The revelation of the future opens with a vision of heaven (chaps. 4-5). Beginning in chapter 6 the seven seals, as they are broken, constitute the main chronological movement of the Great Tribulation, leading up to the Second Coming of Christ. The seven trumpets give the details of events which will follow the breaking of the seventh seal. Likewise in chapter 16 the seven bowls of the wrath of God unfold the content of the seventh trumpet.

The order is climactic, and as the period approaches the Second Coming of Christ, events occur with increasing rapidity and greater devastation. Once Christ's Second Coming is revealed, the concluding chapters briefly summarize the wide expanse of future events - chapter 20 relating to the millennial kingdom, and chapters 21-22 describing the new heaven and the new earth.

It is obvious that the main purpose of the Book of Revelation is to present the Second Coming of Christ and accompanying events and to alert the people of God as well as the world as a whole to the importance of being prepared for God's coming judgment.

A. The vision of the heavenly throne (chap. 4)

1. THE INVITATION (4:1)

4:1. John saw the vision of the heavenly throne after he heard the revelation of the messages to the churches. The time sequence is indicated by the expression after this (meta tauta, in the NASB, "after these things").
John saw a door... open in heaven and heard a voice inviting him, 'Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this. The words "what must take place after this" are similar to those in 1:19, "what
John saw was a door... open in heaven and heard a voice inviting him, Come up here, and I will show you what will take place later which read, "Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things" indicates that the events will take place later, in 4:1b the Greek word "dei" is used, which means that the events must occur. This points not only to the future but also to the sovereign purpose of God. The similarity of the two expressions confirms the threefold chronological outline given in 1:19 previously quoted. Both the revelation and its fulfillment are chronologically subsequent to chapters 1-3.

1) [Compare Rev 1:19]:

(Rev 1:19 NASB) "Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things."

So following John's revelation of Jesus Christ in His eternal glory, Jesus spoke to John saying, "Therefore write the things which you have seen - in the sense of in the past and the things which are - in the sense of in John's present, i.e., his message to the seven churches; and the things which will take place in the future the main purpose of the book which is prophetic.

This is just what the timing of the Book of the Revelation follows: past, present and then future. The prophetic part of the Book is the main purpose of the Book and has the greatest volume. It introduces the events preceding, culminating in, and following the Second Coming of Christ comprising chapters 4-22. By carefully and properly reading the Book of the Revelation in accordance with the normative rules of language, context and logic as we all were taught in school , we can come to the conclusion that this book follows a chronological order. Some have attempted to seize upon certain phrases here and there from different books and other contexts to fit their particular scheme of interpretation and ignore anything that might contradict their conclusions within Revelation. Notice that Rev 1:19 has already established that there is a chronological order to this Book which cannot be contradicted by someone who has his own agenda such as amillennialism. They do not follow the chronological wording which when taken in accordance with those rules of reading, makes the most sense, follows the authors' writing of those words and cannot be contradicted or ignored because that would be violating the normative rules of reading that we learned in school. For it is evident that it is the human author's - and God's intent - that when reading God's Word and even other written materials that we use to guide us through all kinds of things in life we are to follow the author's words the way they were written. If we do not follow the rules of reading, but follow our own rules, we are taking the Bible out of the hands of millions and millions of people that don't follow these special rules, but simply take God's Word the way they learned to read in school.

II) [(Rev 4:1-3) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 4:1-3]:
(Rev 4:1 NASB) "After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.

(Rev 4:2 NASB) Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne.

(Rev 4:3 NASB) And He Who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance."

[So the Risen Christ speaks to the apostle John - His voice like the sound of a trumpt saying - "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things" - referring to the dissemination of the seven letters to the churches in the first century through the efforts of the Apostle John as he wrote what is called the Book of the Revelation from the visions that the Risen Christ gave him. Thereafter that Book would edify the believers throughout the age of the church and thereafter. So thereafter the part of that Book that contained those seven letters, Christ began telling John "what must take place after these things;" i.e., things which will begin to occur after the end of the church age - the present age that John was living in. So in Rev 4:2, John writes that immediately he was in the Spirit - "in [my] spirit"; cf. 1:10; 17:3) meaning that experientially he was taken up to heaven though his body was actually still on the island of Patmos; albeit he remained physically present on the Island of Patmos - and did not change into some other age or time zone or physical presence. Hence John beheld a throne which was standing in heaven, and beheld One sitting on the throne without ever being in heaven in his physical body. The vision in heaven that John experienced portrayed One sitting on the throne in heaven, namely God - the throne portraying His Omnipotent Power and Inestimable, Indescribable, Unfathomable Grandeur which Throne was not accompanied with descriptions that would not ever be adequate - not even some terms that referred to time because God is beyond time: "And behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne." For anything to do with time - past, present or future would be inadequate to describe the eternal existence and actions of God. For God is Eternal, i.e., beyond time.]

Furthermore, in the Book of Revelation, in Rev 4:3, John describes the vision that he received from the Risen Lord as follows:

(Rev 4:3 NASB) "And He Who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance."

The Jasper and Sardis stones in Rev 4:3 represent God because they were the first and last stones in Aaron’s breastplate (Genesis 28:17-20), and God says of Himself that He is the first and last many times, (Isaiah 48:12) There are also 24 elders sitting on thrones which represent those that God has authorized to represent him. These are Moses, Joshua, Job, Samuel, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, Nehemiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, which are those who wrote the Old Testament. These faithful elders of old give us a firm foundation on which to build our faith. As is stated in 2 Peter 1:19 & 21, “We have also a more sure word of prophecy… (Old Testament) For the prophecy came as holy men of God spoke being moved by the Holy Spirit.”

The minerals "jasper" [quartz stone red, brown, green, blue, black etc] and "sardius" a translucent reddish-brown variety of the mineral chalcedony that was used as a gemstone] are referred to in order to portray the supernatural splendor of God, while the "rainbow, resembling an emerald" conveys the impression of God's encircling brilliance (cf. Ezek 1:27-28). But we need not find symbolism in each element of the vision; it is enough to allow the archetypical imagery to create the impression of the transcendant glory of God. Whether John intends God's judgment to be part of the symbolism of the throne vision (cf. Ps 9:4, 7) is not clear. What is unmistakably clear is that all - whether elders, angels, lamps, sea of glass, or living creatures - centers on the throne and the One Who sits on it, "Who lives for ever and ever" (v. 9).

A) [(Rev 4:1-3) Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 4:1-3]:

(Rev 4:1 NASB) "After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.

(Rev 4:2 NASB) Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne.

(Rev 4:3 NASB) And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance."

"2-3 Chapter 4 is above all a vision of the royal throne of God. The prophet ascends "in the Spirit" to see the source of all that will happen on earth (cf. 1:10). It will all be an expression of the throne's purpose; nothing happens, nothing exists in the past, present, or future apart from God's intention. Whatever authority is given to an angel or to a horseman is given by God. The throne symbolizes God's majesty and power. Yet His majestic transcendence is fully safeguarded - John does not attempt to describe the "someone sitting on" the throne (cf. 1 Kings 22:19; 2 Chronicles 18:18; Ps 47:8; Isa 6:1ff.; Ezek 1:26-28; Ecclesiasticus 1:8).

The minerals "jasper" and "carnelian" portray the supernatural splendor of God, while the "rainbow, resembling an emerald" conveys the impression of God's encircling brilliance (cf. Ezek 1:27-28). But we need not find symbolism in each element of the vision; it is enough to allow the archetypical imagery to create the impression of transcendant glory. Whether John intends God's judgment to be part of the symbolism of the throne vision (cf. Ps 9:4, 7) is not clear. What is unmistakably clear is that all - whether elders, angels, lamps, sea of glass, or living creatures - centers on the throne and the One Who sits on it, "Who lives for ever and ever" (v. 9).

It is significant that the earliest Jewish mysticism is throne mysticism (Merkabah Mysticism). Its essence is not absorbed contemplation of God's true nature but perception of His appearance on the throne, as described by Ezekiel, and cognition of the mysteries of the celestial throne world (Gershorn G. Scholem, Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism [New York: Schocken Books, 1961], esp. ch. 2)."

B) [(Rev 4:1-3) Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 4:1-3]:

(Rev 4:1 NASB) "After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.

(Rev 4:2 NASB) Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne.

(Rev 4:3 NASB) And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance."

"2. THE HEAVENLY THRONE (4:2-3)
4:2-3. John stated that immediately he was in the Spirit (or "in [my] spirit"; cf. 1:10; 17:3) meaning that experientially he was taken up to heaven though his body was actually still on the island of Patmos. In heaven he saw a great throne with One sitting on it who had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. This jasper (cf. 21:18) is a clear stone in contrast to the opaque jasper stones known today; it may have resembled a diamond. The carnelian, also known as ruby (the NIV trans. it "ruby" in the OT), and sardius, were a ruby-red color. The jasper and the carnelian were the first and last of the 12 gemstones worn on the high priest's breast (cf. Ex. 28:17-21). Jasper and sardius were used in relation to the king of Tyre (Ezek. 28:13) and will be in the foundation of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:19-20). The throne's overall appearance was one of great beauty and color, enhanced by a rainbow, resembling an "emerald, which encircled the throne. The green color of the emerald added further beauty to the scene."

III) [(Rev 4:4) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 4:4]:

(Rev 4:4 NASB) "Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads."

John also sees "twenty-four elders." in his vision which is addressed in Rev 4:4. Part of the discussion hinges on the correct interpretation of who the elders are, see Rev 5:10 below. The following passages are pertinent to the elders' identification: 4:9-11; 5:5-14; 7:11-17; 11:16-18; 12:10-12; 14:3; 19:4.

The elders are always associated with the "four living creatures" (4:6ff.) and engage in acts of worship of God and the Lamb. From this viewpoint, the "angels," the "twenty-four elders," and "the four living creatures" all designate actual beings involved with the purpose of God on earth and His worship in heaven.

A) [EXPOSITOR'S COMMENTARY ON REV 4:4]:

(Rev 4:4 NASB) "Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads."

"4 John also sees "twenty-four elders." It would be helpful if we could ask an interpreting angel, "Who are the elders?" There are at least thirteen different views of their identity, ranging from the twenty-four ruling stars (or judges) in the heavens to the simple figure of wholeness and fullness (cf. I Saw a New Earth, p. 83). Part of the discussion hinges on the correct text in 5:10 (cf. Notes). The following passages are pertinent to the elders' identification: 4:9-11; 5:5-14; 7:11-17; 11:16-18; 12:10-12; 14:3; 19:4.

The elders are always associated with the "four living creatures" (4:6ff.) and engage in acts of worship of God and the Lamb. While not entirely ruling out the elders' possible representative or symbolic significance (a view held by many good expositors), the arguments of Stonehouse, Mounce (Revelation, p. 135), and others who have argued that the elders are a class of heavenly spirit-beings belonging to the general class of angels and living creatures seem more compelling (Ned B. Stonehouse, Paul Before the Areopagus [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1957], pp. 88-108). From this viewpoint, the "angels," the "twenty-four elders," and "the four living creatures" all designate actual supernatural beings involved with the purpose of God on earth and his worship in heaven. They are always distinguished from the "saints" (5:8; 11:17-18; 19:1-4), and the text of 5:10 is uncertain.

"In the Bible twelve appears to be the number of divine government—twelve months in a lunar year, twelve tribes of Israel, twelve apostles, twelve gates in the New Jerusalem, twelve angels at each gate, twelve foundations, twelve thousand sealed from each tribe, twelve thousand stadia (the length of the New Jerusalem), etc. Multiples of twelve - such as twenty-four, etc. - probably have a similar significance. Thrones are related to the heavenly powers in Colossians 1:16. In Revelation "white" clothing generally belongs to the saints but relates to angelic beings elsewhere in the NT (e.g., John 20:12). While the "crowns of gold" are likewise usually related to the redeemed, here they refer to the royal dignity of those so closely associated with the throne of God (cf. 1 Kings 22:19; Ps 89:7). Golden crowns are referred to 4:4 in 4:4, 10; 9:7; 14:14."

B) [BIBLE KNOWLEDGE COMMENTARY ON REV 4:4]:

(Rev 4:4 NASB) "Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads."

"4:4. Around the principal throne were 24 lesser thrones on which were seated... 24 elders. They were dressed in white and were wearing crowns of gold on their heads. The crowns were similar to those given victors in Greek games (stephanos), in contrast with the crown of a sovereign ruler (diadēma, "diadem"). The crowns seem to indicate that the elders had been judged and rewarded.

There has been much speculation on the identity of the elders. The two major views are (1) that they represent the church raptured prior to this time and rewarded in heaven, or (2) that they are angels who have been given large responsibilities. The number 24 is the number of representation, illustrated in the fact that in the Law of Moses there were 24 "orders of the priesthood. (For further discussion of the identity of the 24 elders see the comments on 5:8-10.)."

Who Do The Twenty-Four Elders Represent?

(Rev 4:4 NASB) "Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads."

'''Rev 4:4 declares, 'Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.' The book of Revelation nowhere specifically identifies who the twenty-four elders are. However, they are most likely representative of the Church. It is unlikely that they are angelic beings, as some suggest. The fact that they sit on thrones indicates that they reign with Christ. The Church is repeatedly said to rule and reign with Christ (Revelation 2:26-27, 5:10, 20:4; Mt 19:28; Lk 22:30).

In addition, the Greek word translated here as "elders" is never used to refer to angels, only to men, particularly to men of a certain age who are mature and able to rule the Church. The word elder would be inappropriate to refer to angels, who do not age. Their mode of dress would also indicate these are men. While angels do appear in white, white garments are more commonly found on believers, symbolizing Christ's righteousness imputed to us at salvation (Rev 3:5, 18, 19:8).

The golden crowns worn by the elders also indicate these are men not angels. Crowns are never promised to angels, nor are angels ever seen wearing them. The word translated "crown" here refers to the victor's crown, worn by those who have successfully competed and won the victory, as Christ promised (Rev 2:10; 2 Tim 4:8; Jas 1:12).

Another reason to view the twenty-four elders who fell down before the Lamb with each one having a harp and holding golden bowls full of incense representing the prayers of God's people is that they sang a new song, saying: "you are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth' (Rev 5:8-10).

Note that the elders hold symbols of 'the prayers of God's people' (verse 8). This further substantiates the idea that the twenty-four elders may be representative of the Church.

On the other hand, some people believe these twenty-four elders represent Israel, but at the time of this vision, Israel as a whole nation had not yet been redeemed. The elders cannot represent tribulation saints for the same reason - not all had yet been converted at the time of John's vision. The most likely option is that the elders represent the raptured Church which sings songs of redemption (Rev 5:8-10). They wear the crowns of victory and have gone to the place prepared for them by their Redeemer (John 14:1-4).

In the Bible twelve appears to be the number of divine government - twelve months in a lunar year, twelve tribes of Israel, twelve apostles, twelve gates in the New Jerusalem, twelve angels at each gate, twelve foundations, twelve thousand sealed from each tribe, twelve thousand stadia (the length of the New Jerusalem), etc. Multiples of twelve - such as twenty-four, etc probably have a similar significance. Thrones are related to the heavenly powers in Colossians 1:16. In Revelation "white" clothing generally belongs to the saints but relates to angelic beings elsewhere in the NT (e.g., John 20:12). While the "crowns of gold" are likewise usually related to the redeemed, here they refer to the royal dignity of those so closely associated with the throne of God (cf. 1 Kings 22:19; Ps 89:7). Golden crowns are referred to in 4:4, 10; 9:7; 14:14.

On the other hand, John describes the vision that he received from the Risen Lord as follows:

(Rev 4:3 NASB) "And He Who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance."

The Jasper and Sardis stones in Rev 4:3 represent God because they were the first and last stones in Aaron’s breastplate (Genesis 28:17-20), and God says of Himself that He is the first and last many times, (Isaiah 48:12). There are also 24 elders sitting on thrones which represent those that God has authorized to represent him. These are Moses, Joshua, Job, Samuel, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, Nehemiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, which are those who wrote the Old Testament / Hebrew Bible. These faithful elders of old give us a firm foundation on which to build our faith. As is stated in 2 Peter 1:19 & 21, “We have also a more sure word of prophecy… (Old Testament). For the prophecy came as holy men of God spoke being moved by the Holy Spirit.” Given the precise number 24 Elders it seems most plausible that the Old Testament prophets are in view as the 24 elders in Rev 4:4.

[BIBLESTUDYMANUALS]:

"Again it is evident that if special, out of the ordinary theological, symbolical, geographical, numerical insights are required to understand the Bible; and since most people do not possess these insights then the Bible is not meant for all men to read and understand; but must depend upon some elite, superior individual(s) to lead / teach / instruct them. But the language in the Bible does include all individuals of accountable age evidently only needing to study it utilizing normal reading / linguistic skills and nothing else . Therefore special insights are NOT required to understand the Bible. Given this point of view which is biblical, it is feasible that what God has inspired the bible writers to write in His Word for the moment is incomprehensible until such time that He has determined / decreed it to be comprehensible and fulfilled in that time."

The following passages are pertinent to the elders' identification mentioned in Rev 4:4:
4:9-11; 5:5-14; 7:11-17; 11:16-18; 12:10-12; 14:3; 19:4:

1) [Compare Rev 4:9-11]:

(Rev 4:9 NASB) "And when the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to Him Who sits on the throne, to Him Who lives forever and ever,

(Rev 4:10 NASB) the twenty-four elders fall down before Him Who sits on the throne and worship Him Who lives forever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say,

(Rev 4:11 NASB)  Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created."

a) [EXPOSITOR'S ON REV 4:9-11]:

(Rev 4:9 NASB) "And when the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to Him Who sits on the throne, to Him Who lives forever and ever,

(Rev 4:10 NASB) the twenty-four elders fall down before Him Who sits on the throne and worship Him Who lives forever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say,

(Rev 4:11 NASB)  Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created."

"9-11 The second hymn is sung by the twenty-four elders. When the living creatures confess the truth of God's holy deeds, the response of the highest order of God's heavenly creatures is to relinquish their crowns of honor before the feet of him Who alone is "worthy" of "glory and honor and power" because He alone (no man, not even the emperor) is the source and stay of every created thing (Ps 33:6-9; 102:25; 136:5ff.). The expression "by your will they were created and have their being" (v. 11) presents a translation difficulty because the Greek text has two different tenses (esan,"they were" [NIV, "have their being"], imperfect; ektisthesan, "they were created," aorist). Although a number of possible explanations have been advanced, Alford's remains the best: the imperfect tense describes the fact of their existence while the aorist captures the sense of the beginning of their existence (Alf, 4:602-3). Consequently, the phrase might be translated thus: "Because of [not 'by'] your will they continually exist and have come into being."

b) [BIBLE KNOWLEDGE COMMENTARY ON REV 4:9-11]:

(Rev 4:9 NASB) "And when the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to Him Who sits on the throne, to Him Who lives forever and ever,

(Rev 4:10 NASB) the twenty-four elders fall down before Him Who sits on the throne and worship Him Who lives forever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say,

(Rev 4:11 NASB)  Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created."

"6. WORSHIP IN HEAVEN (4:9-11)
4:9-11. The worship by the four living creatures is attended by the 24 elders also worshiping the One on the throne and attributing to God glory and honor and power (cf. 5:12-13) and acknowledging that He is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe (cf. John 1:3; Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:2-3; Rev. 10:6; 14:7). They lay their crowns before the throne in ascribing all glory to Him as the Sovereign."

2) [Compare Rev 5:5-14]:

(Rev 5:5 NASB) and one of the elders *said to me, "Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals."

(Rev 5:6 NASB) And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.

(Rev 5:7 NASB)  And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.

(Rev 5:8 NASB)  When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

(Rev 5:9 NASB)  And they *sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.

(Rev 5:10 NASB)  "You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."

[This appears to refer to a kingdom and priests to our God who will reign upon the earth. Men of every tribe and tongue and people and nation. Evidently all of those who were "Worthy to take the book and break its seals; for you were slain purchased for God with Your blood."]
 
(Rev 5:11 NASB) Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands,

(Rev 5:12 NASB) saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."

(Rev 5:13 NASB)  And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever."

(Rev 5:14 NASB) And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen." And the elders fell down and worshiped [God].

a) [EXPOSITOR’S ON REV 5:5-14]:

 (Rev 5:5 NASB) and one of the elders *said to me, "Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals."

'''5 John's sorrow is assuaged. One of the elders announces that there is one who has "triumphed" (nikao, "overcome," "conquer," "win a victory" - same word as 2:7; 3:21; et al.). He has triumphed because of His death (v. 9). Two figurative titles are used of the One Who is worthy - "the Lion of the tribe of Judah" and "the Root of David." Both are familiar OT messianic titles (Gen 49:9-10; cf. Isa 11:1, 10; Jer 23:5; 33:5; Rev 22:16). But they are linked together only here and in the Qumran literature (cf. 4Q Patriarchal Blessings; L. Paul Trudinger, "Some Observations Concerning the Text of the Old Testament in the Book of Revelation," JTS, 17 [1966], 88). In Jewish apocalyptic literature contemporary with John, the figure of a lion was used to designate the conquering Messiah who would destroy Rome (4 Ezra 11:58). Close attention should be paid to John's understanding of the role and function of the Messiah, observing where it is similar to the Jewish understanding of the Messiah and where it differs from it.

(Rev 5:6 NASB) "And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth."

"6 As John looked to see the mighty Lion (the conquering warrior-Messiah from the Root of David), he saw instead the striking figure of a "Lamb" (arnion, "a young sheep") as if it had been slaughtered, standing in the center of the throne court. This new figure portrays sacrificial death and links the Messiah to the OT passover lamb (Exod 12:5f.; Isa 53:7; John 1:29, 36; Acts 8:32; 1 Peter 1:19). Here John joins the OT royal Davidic Messiah with the Suffering Servant of Isaiah (Isa 42-53). Both prophetic themes come together in Jesus of Nazareth, the true Messiah. "As if it had been slain" (esphagmenon, "with its throat cut") could refer to the "marks of death" the living Lamb still bore or to his appearance "as if being led to the slaughter," i.e., "marked out for death" (Minear, I Saw a New Earth, in loc. ). The "lamb" metaphor dominates John's thought in the rest of the book (e.g., 6:1ff.; 7:9ff.; 12:11; 13:8; 21:9).

John notices that the Lamb who bears the marks of death is also the ruler who bears the signs of the fullness of divine omnipotence, dominion, and omniscience ("seven horns and seven eyes"). Following Charles, Mounce (Revelation, p. 145) suggests that the figure of a lamb with seven horns is undoubtedly drawn from the apocalyptic tradition, citing 1 Enoch 90:9 (the Maccabees are symbolized by "horned lambs") and the Testament of Joseph (T Jos 19:8-9 - a lamb destroys the enemies of Israel). However, the Enoch passage bears little relationship to the messianic Lamb as portrayed in Revelation, and the Testament of Joseph is notorious for Christian interpolations. Since the lamb image is used by the fourth Gospel to depict the Suffering Messiah in passages where apocalyptic connections would be quite remote, it may still be better to connect the lamb vocabulary to the OT Passover motif and Isaiah's Suffering Servant (Isa 53:7), especially in light of the author's interest in the Passover theme elsewhere in the book (e.g., 19:1ff.).

The "eyes" are more explicitly identified as the "seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth," probably a symbolic reference to the divine Holy Spirit who is sent forth by Christ into the world (1:4; 4:5). The teaching of the fourth Gospel is similar, where the Spirit is sent forth to exalt Christ and convict the world of sin (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:7-15)."

(Rev 5:7 NASB) "And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne."

"7 Next the Lamb acts: "He came and took the scroll." The Greek conveys a dramatic action in the tense of the verb "took" (perhaps a dramatic perfect?): "He went up and took it, and now he has it." Symbolically, the one on the throne thus authorizes the slain messianic King to execute his plan for the redemption of the world because in and through the Lamb, God is at work in history for the salvation of humanity. Observe that this dramatic act of seizing the scroll is not itself the act of victory referred to in v. 6 and later in v. 9. Christ's victorious death on the cross is the basis of His authority to redeem the world by taking and opening the seven-sealed scroll.

(Rev 5:8 NASB) "When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints."

'''8 The Lamb's act calls forth three hymns of praise (vv. 9, 12, 13) from the living creatures and elders. John sees them fall down in worship before the Lamb as they had earlier done before the one on the throne (4:10), thus acknowledging the deity of the Lamb. They have "harps," which are the "lyres" used for the older psalmody (cf., e.g., Pss 33:2, 98:5) but will now be used for the "new song" of praise to the Lamb (v. 9; 15:2-3).

The "bowls full of incense" represent the "prayers of the saints" (8:3-4). Prayer (proseuche) in this scene is not praise but petition. Why would John mention the saints on earth as petitioning God? In 6:10 the martyrs are seen as calling to God for his judgment on those who killed them, and in 8:3-4 the prayers of the saints are immediately connected with the trumpets of God's judgment. These prayers, then, are evidently for God's vindication of the martyred saints. And since v. 10 refers to the coming kingdom, it may be that the prayers are petitions for God to judge the world and to extend his kingdom throughout the earth (Luke 18:7-8). "Saints" here, as elsewhere in the NT and the rest of Revelation, is simply the normal term for the rank and file of Christians, i.e., those set apart for God's purposes (2Cor 1:1; Philippians 1:1; Rev 11:18; 13:7, 13:10; 19:8; 22:21).'''

(Rev 5:9 NASB) "And they *sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation."

'''9 The three hymns interpret the symbolism of the scroll and the Lamb. The number of singers increases from twenty-eight in v. 8 to every creature in all creation in v. 13. The first two hymns are songs of praise to the Lamb, whereas the last is praise to both the one on the throne and the Lamb (v. 13). The first hymn (vv. 9-10) is called a "new" song because there was never any like it before in heaven (cf. comments on 14:3).

"You are worthy" (axios, "comparable," "equal to," "deserving") refers to the qualifications of this person who alone has won the right to take the scroll and open its seals. His worthiness for this task was won by His loving sacrifice on the cross—"because you were slain." This must be understood as a direct reference to the earthly death of the human Jesus of Nazareth (the Gr. aorist tense supports this). It is no mythological death or salvation. Like other NT writers, John views the death of Jesus as a redeeming death—"and with your blood [or 'by the price of your blood'] you purchased [or 'redeemed,' agorazo] men for God."

The death of Jesus broke the stranglehold of the "powers and authorities" over the creation and produced a great victory of liberation for mankind (Col 2:15). It is this victory, obtained through suffering and death, that entitles Christ to execute the unfolding of the mystery of God's consummation of history. The centrality of the Cross and its meaning as a redemptive act comes repeatedly to the fore and should dominate our understanding throughout Revelation. (1:5; 5:12; 7:14; 12:11; 13:8; 14:4; 15:3; 19:7; 21:9, 23; 22:3, et al.). Jesus' death secured a salvation universally applied to all classes and peoples of the earth—"every tribe and language and people and nation" (cf. 7:9).'''

(Rev 5:10 NASB)  "You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."

'''10 The Lamb's right to open the scroll rests also on the fact that he has made the ransomed into a "kingdom" and made them "priests" (to serve God in praise; cf. Heb 13:15-16). Christians "will reign on the earth" with Christ because they have been given "kingly authority" through his death (1:6; 20:4-6). While not excluding the present reign of believers, the reference to "the earth" is best taken to refer to the future eschatological kingdom reign of Christ (see Notes for various problems in this verse).'''

(Rev 5:11 NASB) "Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands,

(Rev 5:12 NASB) saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."

'''11-12 Now John sees a new feature in the vision: "thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand" angels surrounding the throne. The vision is similar to Daniel's vision of the countless multitude before the Ancient of Days (Dan 7:10). The imagery suggests the infinite honor and power of the One Who is at the center of it all. The angels shout out their song of praise to the Lamb who was slain (cf. Heb 1:6). Their sevenfold shout rings out like the sound from a huge bell—"power... wealth... wisdom... strength... honor... glory... praise." All these are intrinsic qualities of Christ except the last, which is the expression of the creatures' worship: "praise" (lit., "blessing"). Elsewhere the same qualities are ascribed to God Himself (5:13; 7:12). The sevenfold multiplication of these attributes by angel choirs is a Qumran liturgical method for creating the feeling of God's majesty and glory (7:12; 4QSL).'''

(Rev 5:13 NASB) '''And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever."

(Rev 5:14 NASB) And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen." And the elders fell down and worshiped.'''

'''13-14 Finally, far beyond the precincts of the throne, there arises an expression of praise and worth from the whole created universe to the one on the throne and to the Lamb. John beautifully blends the worship of the Father (ch. 4) and the worship of the Son (5:8-12) together. In appropriate response, the living beings utter their "Amen" (cf. comments on 3:14), and the elders fall down in worship.'''

b) [Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev Chapter 5]:

'''2. THE QUESTION, "WHO IS WORTHY?" (5:2-5)
5:2-5. John saw a mighty angel (cf. 10:1; 18:21) and heard him ask in a loud voice, Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll? This is the first of 20 times "loud voice" occurs in Revelation. The last is in 21:3. The Greek word rendered "scroll" is biblion, from which is derived the word "Bible." When no one was found to be worthy, John wept and wept (lit., "kept on shedding many tears"). One of the 24 elders, however, told him not to weep, and introduced him to the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David (cf. Isa. 11:1; Rev. 22:16). The elder informed John that He had triumphed, that is, had already achieved victory, and that He alone was able to break the seals and open the scroll.'''

'''3. THE LAMB (5:6-7)

(Rev 5:6 NASB) '''And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.

(Rev 5:7 NASB)  And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.'''

'''5:6-7. Though introduced as a "Lion" (v. 5), what John saw was a Lamb that appeared to have been slain or sacrificed. Yet the Lamb was standing in the center of the throne. About Him were the 24 elders and the four living creatures. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes.

The Lion and the Lamb surely refer to Christ, with the Lamb referring to His first coming and His death and the Lion referring to His Second Coming and His sovereign judgment of the world. This is the only place in Revelation where Christ is called a Lion, whereas the word "Lamb" (arnion, "a small or young lamb") is found 27 times in Revelation and nowhere else in the New Testament. But two similar words for a sacrificial lamb are used in the New Testament: arēn, found only in Luke 10:3, and amnos, which occurs four times (John 1:29, 36; Acts 8:32; 1 Peter 1:19).

Since horns symbolize strength (1 Kings 22:11), the "seven horns" represent the authority and strength of a ruler (Dan. 7:24; Rev. 13:1). The "seven eyes" defined as the seven spirits of God (cf. Zech. 3:9; 4:10) symbolically represent the Holy Spirit (cf. Rev. 1:4, 4:5). Because He alone is worthy, the Lamb took the scroll from the right hand of Him Who sat on the throne (cf. Dan. 7:9, 13-14).'''

4. THE WORSHIP OF THE LAMB (5:8-14)

(Rev 5:8 NASB) "When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints."

"5:8. When the scroll was taken by the Lamb, the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb in worship. Each elder had a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which was interpreted as the prayers of the saints (cf. Ps. 141:2). While the angels presented the prayers, they were not priests or mediators. Only the harp (lyre) and the trumpet are mentioned as musical instruments in heavenly worship in the Book of Revelation.

(Rev 5:9 NASB)  '''And they *sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.

(Rev 5:10 NASB)  "You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth." '''

"5:9-10. In a new song the 4 creatures and 24 elders ascribed worthiness to the Lamb to take the scroll and break the seals, stating that the Lamb had been slain and had purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. Those He purchased with His blood were made a kingdom and priests to serve our God (cf. 1:6), and to reign on the earth. "Purchased" is from the verb agorazō, "to redeem." (See the chart, "New Testament Words for Redemption," at Mark 10:45.)

A textual problem exists in these verses. The Greek text used by the KJV indicates that the new song is sung by those who themselves have been redeemed: "Thou... has redeemed us to God... and hast made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth."

The NIV, however, reads, "You purchased men for God.... You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." If the KJV is correct, the 24 elders must represent the church or saints in general. If their song is impersonal as in the NIV and they simply are singing that Christ is the Redeemer of all men, it opens the possibility that the 24 elders could be angels, though it does not expressly affirm it.

While scholars differ on this point, it would seem that since the elders are on thrones and are crowned as victors, they represent the church rather than angels. Angels have not been judged and rewarded at this point in the program of God. But angels soon join the creatures and the elders in praising the Lamb (5:11-12). The two different interpretations here should not mar the beauty of the picture and the wonder of this song of praise.

(Rev 5:11 NASB) "Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands,

(Rev 5:12 NASB) saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."

'''5:11-12. The elders were joined by the hosts of angels in heaven who added their words of praise in a loud voice. The words they sang are literally "they said" (legontes). This is in contrast to verse 9 where the 24 elders "sang" (adousin). In the angels' praise they ascribed power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise to God.'''

(Rev 5:13 NASB) "And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him Who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever."

(Rev 5:14 NASB) And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen." And the elders fell down and worshiped."

'''5:13-14. Every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea and all that is in them joined the heavenly throng in words of praise to God. In this final act of praise the four... creatures said Amen, and the 24 elders fell prostrate in worship.''''

'''With the heavenly vision of chapters 4-5, the stage was set for the dramatic events to follow, the opening of the seven seals. It is clear from this revelation that heaven is real, not imagined. These two chapters reveal the indescribable glory and infinite majesty of the Godhead in heaven. The following chapters reveal this sovereign power of God expressed in judgment on a wicked world sunk in unprecedented depths of sin and blasphemy. Though believers today do not have the privilege of sharing John's vision or a similar one granted to Paul (2 Cor. 12:1-3), every believer can take the word pictures of Scripture here and anticipate the glory and the wonder of the heavenly scene that he will someday see with his own eyes.

The book written within and on the back, closed sealed with seven seals, represents God's plans for mankind. These sealed truths are the deep things of God. But currently, only God’s spirit-begotten children can understand these truths. As is explained in 1 Corinthians 2:9-10, “But as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God.”

Until Jesus faithfully finished His work by dying on the cross, the deep things of God were kept hidden. They continued to be hidden until the seventh seal was broken by the sounding of the seventh messenger. Revelation 10:7, “…in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.”

Jesus is likened to a Lamb having 7 horns and 7 eyes representing the power (horns) and wisdom (eyes) with which Jesus has directed and will direct events from His resurrection through the full establishment of God’s kingdom on earth.

When Jesus takes the book, He is able to harmonize (harp) all of the Old Testament books i.e. the 24 bowls (vials) written by the 24 elders as directed by God. And as a result the Old Testament is now seen to sing the praises of Jesus, Who came to redeem His Church. These saints are a kingdom of priests who will eventually reign (Revelation 20:4) upon the earth. When we pray in harmony with Old Testament, it is like a sweet incense unto God.

Finally, when the kingdom of priests finishes their reign with Christ, then “every created thing which is in the heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and on the sea, and all things are in them, (will be) heard saying, Unto him that sits on the throne, and unto the Lamb, be the blessing, and the honor, and the glory, and the dominion, for ever and ever.” (Revelation 5:13)'''

 3) [Compare Rev 7:11-17]:

(Rev 7:11 NASB) "And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,

(Rev 7:12 NASB)  saying, "Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen."

(Rev 7:13 NASB) Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?"

(Rev 7:14 NASB)  I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

(Rev 7:15 NASB)  "For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.

(Rev 7:16 NASB)  "They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat;

(Rev 7:17 NASB)  for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes."

a) [EXPOSITOR’S COMMENTARY ON REV 7:11-17

'''11-12 Finally, the angelic hosts respond to the cry of the redeemed (v. 10) with "Amen" and voice their praise and worship of God for the salvation given to men (cf. Luke 15:10). Compare this doxology with 5:12-13.

13-14 After the manner of the OT apocalyptic passages, the interpreting angel asks concerning the white-robed throng, "Who are they, and where did they come from?" (cf. Dan 7:15-16; Zech 1:9, 19; 4:1-6). Here and in 5:5 are the only references in Revelation to an elder speaking individually, a fact that supports the view that the elders in Revelation are angels and not a symbolic group representing the church.

The reference to the washed robes should be viewed in relation to 3:4, where soiled clothes represent defection from Christ through unbelief and worship of false gods (cf. 21:8). On the "great tribulation," see the introduction to this section.

15 This and the following verses describe the activity and condition of the true servants of God in their future and eternal relation to the Lamb. The scene is one of the most beautiful in the Bible. In it those who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb are described as being before the throne of God without fear or tremor, fully accepted by the divine Majesty. What are they doing? Theirs is no state of passivity but of continual service of God in praise and worship.

The reference to the "temple" of God raises the question whether the scene describes the final state of the saints or an intermediate state, as 21:22 tells us that the New Jerusalem has no temple. However, the language used in vv. 15-17 (esp. v. 17) seems to depict the same condition as that of the saints in chapters 21 and 22 (cf. 21:3-4, 6; 22:1). Since 7:15 relates to worship, it would be appropriate to refer to the presence of God and the Lamb as "in" the temple. In 21:22, however, the future existence of the people of God is described as a city; and in that glorious city, unlike the pagan cities of the present world, there will be no special temple in which to worship God because God himself and the Lamb will be present everywhere.

To "spread his tent [skenoo] over them," or to "reside permanently" (TDNT, 7:385), calls to mind the shekinah presence in the OT tabernacle or temple (Exod 40:34-38; 1 Kings 8:10-11; cf. Ezek 10:4, 18-19) and later in Jesus (John 1:14) and also the idea of a permanent residence (Rev 21:3). Never again will these people endure torment. They have the supreme protection of the living God himself.

16 The condition described here contrasts to the earthly experience of those who suffered much for their faith (cf. Heb 11:37-38). For them, starvation, thirst, and the burning desert are forever past. There may be allusion here to Isaiah 49:10, which places the time of relief from such distresses in the days of Messiah's kingdom. There may also be an allusion to what the four horsemen bring (6:1-8; cf. Matt 24:7).

17 We now have a beautiful pastoral figure—that of the Lamb shepherding his people (cf. John 10:1-8; Heb 13:20; 1 Peter 2:25). It is not through some perfect environment but through the presence and continual ministry of the Lamb that their sufferings are forever assuaged. Whereas on earth their enemies may have tormented them, now the Lamb guides them: "He will lead [hodegesei, the same verb is used of the Holy Spirit in John 16:13] them to springs of living water." In contrast to the burning thirst experienced in their tribulation, now they will enjoy the refreshing waters of life. Thus in the future life the saints will not know stagnation, boredom, or satiation (Ps 23:1f.; Jer 2:13; Ezek 47:1-12, Zech 14:8).

Finally, even the sorrowful memory of the pain and suffering of the former days will be mercifully removed by the Father: "God will wipe awav every tear from their eyes" (cf. 21:4). Tribulation produces tears. Like a tenderhearted, devoted mother, God will wipe each tear from their eyes with the eternal consolations of glory itself. Never again will they cry out because of pain or suffering. Onlv through the Resurrection can all this become real (Isa 25:8; 1Cor 15:54).

b) [BIBLE KNOWLEDGE COMMENTARY ON REV 7:11-17]:

(Rev 7:11 NASB) And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,

(Rev 7:12 NASB) saying, “Amen, blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen.

(Rev 7:13 NASB) "Then one of the elders responded, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?”

(Rev 7:14 NASB) I [a]said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

(Rev 7:15 NASB) For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve Him day and night in His [b]temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.

(Rev 7:16 NASB) They will no longer hunger nor thirst, nor will the sun [c]beat down on them, nor any scorching heat;

(Rev 7:17 NASB) for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the [d]water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

'''2. THE MULTITUDE OF MARTYRS (7:9-17)

66667777 "7:9-12. Then John saw a multitude of people from every nation, tribe, people, and language, who were standing before the throne (i.e., before God the Father) and in front of the Lamb (i.e., God the Son). This is the same group mentioned in 6:9, but here they were wearing white robes and holding palm branches, apparently signifying righteous triumph. As this multitude ascribed salvation to God and to the Lamb, all the angels, the 24 elders, and the 4 living creatures joined them in worship as they did in 5:9-10.

 (Rev 7:13 NASB) "Then one of the elders responded, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?”

(Rev 7:14 NASB) I [a]said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

(Rev 7:15 NASB) For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve Him day and night in His [b]temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.

(Rev 7:16 NASB) They will no longer hunger nor thirst, nor will the sun [c]beat down on them, nor any scorching heat;

(Rev 7:17 NASB) for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the [d]water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

"7:13-17. One of the 24 elders asked about the origin of those who stood in white robes. Is it not significant that if the 24 elders represent the church these described here are a different group of the saved? When John indicated that he did not know the answer (v. 14a) the elder himself answered the question as to who this multitude was and where they came from: These are they who have come out of the Great Tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

It seems evident that these "who have come out of the Great Tribulation" have been martyred and were then safe in heaven. They were given the special privilege of being before God's throne and serving Him day and night in His temple. They were protected by God Himself and never again would they experience hunger... thirst, or scorching heat, with the implication that this was their experience of suffering on earth. They were under the special shepherd-care of the Lamb and were drinking from springs of living water. The narration concludes with the comforting truth that all their tears would be wiped away.

The two groups seen by John were the 144,000 Israelites and a great multitude from every nation, including some Israelites who were not thus protected and who were martyred in the Great Tribulation. A natural explanation of these two groups is that neither represents the church, the body of Christ in the present Age, because both groups are distinguished from the 24 elders and neither group is clearly identified with the church in this present dispensation.

The events of this chapter, like those in other chapters to follow, do not advance the narrative but are a pause in the description of the events to spotlight a concentrated revelation on a special feature, in this case the answer to the question of 6:17, "Who can stand?"

Though the chapters of Revelation are not all in chronological sequence, chapter 7 depicts a scene in heaven which precedes the Second Coming of Christ to the earth. Those seen in heaven were said to "come out of the Great Tribulation" (v. 14). The chapter accordingly indicates how they will be marvelously blessed in heaven after their trials on earth. The 144,000 will appear again (14:1-5), and the multitude of martyrs who were killed for refusing to worship the beast appear again at the time of the resurrection in 20:4. That they are not millennial saints should be evident from the fact that they will be in heaven before God's throne, and will have been resurrected.'''

[BIBLESTUDYMANUALS]:

"Again it is evident that if special, out of the ordinary theological, symbolical, geographical, numerical insights are required to understand the Bible; and since most people do not possess these insights then the Bible is not meant for all men to read and understand; but must depend upon some elite, superior individual(s) to lead / teach / instruct them. But the language in the Bible does include all individuals of accountable age evidently only needing to study it utilizing normal reading / linguistic skills and nothing else . Therefore special insights are NOT required to understand the Bible. Given this point of view which is biblical, it is feasible that what God has inspired the bible writers to write in His Word for the moment is incomprehensible until such time that He has determined / decreed it to be comprehensible and fulfilled in that time."

4) [Rev 11:16-18]:

(Rev 11:16 NASB) And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God,

(Rev 11:17 NASB) saying, "We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.

(Rev 11:18 NASB) "And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth."

a) [EXPOSITOR'S on Rev 11:16-18]:

(Rev 11:16 NASB) "And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God,

(Rev 11:17 NASB) saying, "We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.

(Rev 11:18 NASB) "And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth."

'''16-17 As the other features in these verses are anticipatory, so the expression "have begun to reign" looks forward to the millennial reign depicted in chapter 20. Significantly, the title of God found earlier in the book, `who is, and who was, and who is to come" (1:8; 4:8), now is "who is and who was." He has now come! God has taken over the power of the world from Satan (Luke 4:6).

18 This passage contains a synopsis of the remaining chapters of Revelation. The nations opposed to God and incited by the fury of the dragon (12:12) have brought wrath on God's people (Ps 2:1-3). For this, God has brought his wrath upon the nations (14:7; 16:1ff.; 18:20; 19:19b; 20:11-15). The time (kairos, "season") has now come for three further events: the judgment of the dead (20:11-15); the final rewarding of the righteous (21:1-4; 22:3-5); and the final destruction of the destroyers of the earth (Babylon, the beast, the false prophet, and the dragon) (19:2, 11; 20:10).

In Revelation there are three groups of persons who receive rewards: (1) God's "servants the prophets" (cf. 18:20; 22:9); (2) the "saints" (perhaps the martyrs; cf. 5:8; 8:3-4; 13:7, 10; 16:6; 18:20, 24; or simply believers in every age, cf. 19:8; 20:9); and (3) "those who reverence [God's] name" (cf. 14:7; 15:4). In whatever way these groups are denoted, it is important to note that in Revelation the prophets are specially singled out (16:6; 18:20, 24; 22:6, 9).'''

b) [BKC on Rev 11:16-18]:

 (Rev 11:16 NASB) "And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God,

(Rev 11:17 NASB) saying, "We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.

(Rev 11:18 NASB) "And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth."

"After this announcement, the 24 elders, who appear frequently (4:4, 10; 5:5-6, 8, 11, 14; 7:11, 13; 11:16; 14:3; 19:4) and who were seated on their thrones before God, were seen by John as falling on their faces to worship God. Their song of praise indicates that the time had come for God to judge the nations, to judge the dead, and to reward God's servants.

God was described as the Almighty (pantokratōr; also used in 1:8; 4:8; 15:3; 16:7, 14; 19:6, 15; 21:22), eternal (who is and who was; cf. 1:8; 4:8), and possessing power (dynamin) (11:17). In general their hymn of praise anticipates the Second Coming of Christ and the establishment of His rule on earth.'''

5) [Rev 12:10-12]:

 (Rev 12:10 NASB)  Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.

(Rev 12:11 NASB)  "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

(Rev 12:12 NASB) "For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time."

a) [EXPOSITOR'S on Rev 12:10-12]:

 (Rev 12:10 NASB)  Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.

(Rev 12:11 NASB)  "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

(Rev 12:12 NASB) "For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time."

(Rev 12:10 NASB)  Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.
 
"10 This anonymous hymn, which interprets the great battle of the preceding verses, has three stanzas: the first (v. 10) focuses on the victorious inauguration of God's kingdom and Christ's kingly authority; the second (v. 11) calls attention to the earthly victory of the saints as they confirm the victory of Christ by their own identification with Jesus in His witness and death; the third (v. 12) announces the martyrs' victory and the final woe to the earth because of the devil's ejection and impending demise.

In the first stanza (v. 10), the triumph of Christ is described as the arrival of three divine realities in history: God's "salvation" or victory (7:10; 19:1), God's "power," and God's "kingdom." This latter reality is further identified as Christ's assumption of His "authority." The historic event of Christ's life, death, and resurrection has challenged the dominion of Satan and provoked the crisis of history. At the time of Christ's death on earth, Satan was being defeated in heaven by Michael. As Caird has said, "Michael... is not the field officer who does the actual fighting, but the staff officer in the heavenly room, who is able to remove Satan's flag from the heavenly map because the real victory has been won on Calvary" (p. 154).

In times past, Satan's chief role as adversary was directed toward accusing God's people of disobedience to God. The justice of these accusations was recognized by God, and therefore Satan's presence in heaven was tolerated. But now the presence of the crucified Savior in God's presence provides the required satisfaction of God's justice with reference to our sins (1 John 2:1-2; 4:10). Therefore, Satan's accusations are no longer valid and he is cast out. What strong consolation this provides for God's faltering people!

 (Rev 12:11 NASB)  "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

"11 This stanza is both a statement and an appeal. It announces that the followers of the Lamb also become victors over the dragon because they participate in the "blood of the
Lamb," the weapon that defeated Satan, and because they have confirmed their loyalty to the Lamb by their witness even to death. The blood of the martyrs, rather than signaling the triumph of Satan, shows instead that they have gained the victory over the dragon by their acceptance of Jesus' Cross and their obedient suffering with him. This is one of John's chief themes (1:9; 6:9; 14:12; 20:4)."

 (Rev 12:12 NASB) "For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time."

"Verses 12 and 17 lead to the conclusion that only a portion of the martyrs are in view (cf. 6:11). Thus this hymn of victory also becomes an appeal to the rest of the saints to do likewise and confirm their testimony to Christ even if doing so means death. This seems to suggest that in some mysterious sense the sufferings of the people of God are linked to the sufferings of Jesus in his triumph over Satan and evil (John 12:31; Rom 16:20; Col 1:24). Since the martyrs have gotten the victory over the dragon because of the Cross of Jesus (i.e., they can no longer be accused of damning sin, since Jesus has paid sin's penalty [1:5b]), they are now free even to give up their lives in loyalty to their Redeemer (John 12:25; Rev 15:2)."

 (Rev 12:12 NASB) "For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time."

"12 Satan has failed. Therefore, the heavens and all who are in them should be glad. But Satan does not accept defeat without a bitter struggle. His final death throes are directed exclusively toward "the earth and the sea." Therefore their inhabitants will mourn, for the devil will now redouble his wrathful effort in one last futile attempt to make the most of an opportunity he knows will be brief (three and one-half years; cf. vv. 6, 14)."

b) [Bibleknowledge Commentary on Rev 12:10-12]:

(Rev 12:10 NASB) '''Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.

(Rev 12:11 NASB)  "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

(Rev 12:12 NASB) "For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time."

'''12:10-12. John then heard a hymn of praise uttered by a loud voice in heaven. Announcement was made of the coming demonstration of divine salvation and power with the advent of the millennial kingdom. Satan was characterized as the one who accuses believers before our God day and night. The principle by which he was overcome and cast out of heaven was the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. Not only did Christ provide the victory, but also those who were martyred took part in that victory. Those in the heavens were called on to rejoice because of Satan's defeat, but the earth was warned that the devil was filled with fury, because he knew that his time was short. The devil knew that his time was limited to 1,260 days, the period of the Great Tribulation. By no stretch of the imagination can these prophecies be spread to cover the whole Interadvent Age as some attempt to do.'''

6) [Rev 14:3]:

(Rev 14:3 NASB) "And they *sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth.'''

a) [EXPOSITOR'S on Rev 14:3]:

(Rev 14:3 NASB) "And they *sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth.'''

'''14:3-5. John wrote, And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. These singers were apparently a heavenly group. They could be the multitude in white robes mentioned in 7:9-17. But there is no justification here for symbolizing Mount Zion as heaven. It is better to take the chorus as the 144,000 (cf. 14:1) who had not yet died and would still be on earth at the literal Mount Zion.

Reference to the purity of the 144,000 could be recognition that during the difficult times of the Tribulation they could not have led normal married lives. Or it may refer to spiritual purity, often symbolized by virginity (cf. 2 Kings 19:21; Isa. 37:22; Jer. 18:13; 31:4, 21; Lam. 2:13; Amos 5:2). In 2 Corinthians 11:2 the concept of virginity is extended to the entire church, including both sexes.

Some people believe that the 144,000 will be evangelists in the Great Tribulation. But there is no indication that the 144,000 were preachers or prophets; their testimony was largely from their moral purity and the fact that they were not martyred like many others. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. John further stated, They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. The word "firstfruits" suggests that these converted Israelites precede many others who at the Lord's Second Coming will turn to Him (Zech. 12:10; Rom. 11:15, 26-27). They were also described as blameless (amōmoi, a word used of sacrificial animals without defect) and as those who, living in a period of great satanic deception, were free from lying. The passage as a whole is a prophetic foreview of the triumph of the 144,000 when Christ returns.

The elders are always associated with the "four living creatures" (4:6ff.) and engage in acts of worship of God and the Lamb. While not entirely ruling out the elders' possible representative or symbolic significance (a view held by many good expositors), the arguments of Stonehouse, Mounce (Revelation, p. 135), and others who have argued that the elders are a class of heavenly spirit-beings belonging to the general class of angels and living creatures seem more compelling (Ned B. Stonehouse, Paul Before the Areopagus [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1957], pp. 88-108). From this viewpoint, the "angels," the "twenty-four elders," and "the four living creatures" all designate actual supernatural beings involved with the purpose of God on earth and his worship in heaven. They are always distinguished from the "saints" and the text of 5:10 is uncertain.

[Biblestudymanuals]:

Again it is evident that if special, out of the ordinary theological, symbolical, geographical, numerical insights are required to understand the Bible; and since most people do not possess these insights then the Bible is not meant for all men to read and understand; but must depend upon some elite, superior individual(s) to lead / teach / instruct them. But the language in the Bible does include all individuals of accountable age evidently only needing to study it utilizing normal reading / linguistic skills and nothing else . Therefore special insights are NOT required to understand the Bible. Given this point of view which is biblical, it is feasible that what God has inspired the bible writers to write in His Word for the moment is incomprehensible until such time that He has determined / decreed it to be comprehensible and fulfilled in that time."

a cont) [EXPOSITOR'S on Rev 14:3 cont.]:
66667777
"In the Bible twelve appears to be the number of divine government—twelve months in a lunar year, twelve tribes of Israel, twelve apostles, twelve gates in the New Jerusalem, twelve angels at each gate, twelve foundations, twelve thousand sealed from each tribe, twelve thousand stadia (the length of the New Jerusalem), etc. Multiples of twelve—such as twenty-four, etc.-probably have a similar significance. Thrones are related to the heavenly powers in Colossians 1:16. In Revelation "white" clothing generally belongs to the saints but relates to angelic beings elsewhere in the NT (e.g., John 20:12). While the "crowns of gold" are likewise usually related to the redeemed, here they refer to the royal dignity of those so closely associated with the throne of God (cf. 1 Kings 22:19; Ps 89:7). Golden crowns are referred to in 4:4, 10; 9:7; 14:14.'''

b) [Bible Knowledge Commentary on Rev 14:3]:

 (Rev 14:3 NASB) "And they *sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth.'''

'''14:3-5. John wrote, And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. These singers were apparently a heavenly group. They could be the multitude in white robes mentioned in 7:9-17. But there is no justification here for symbolizing Mount Zion as heaven. It is better to take the chorus as the 144,000 (cf. 14:1) who had not yet died and would still be on earth at the literal Mount Zion.
Reference to the purity of the 144,000 could be recognition that during the difficult times of the Tribulation they could not have led normal married lives. Or it may refer to spiritual purity, often symbolized by virginity (cf. 2 Kings 19:21; Isa. 37:22; Jer. 18:13; 31:4, 21; Lam. 2:13; Amos 5:2'''

[Biblestudymanuals]:
"Again it is evident that if special, out of the ordinary theological, symbolical, geographical, numerical insights are required to understand the Bible; and since most people do not possess these insights then the Bible is not meant for all men to read and understand; but must depend upon some elite, superior individual(s) to lead / teach / instruct them. But the language in the Bible does include all individuals of accountable age evidently only needing to study it utilizing normal reading / linguistic skills and nothing else . Therefore special insights are NOT required to understand the Bible. Given this point of view which is biblical, it is feasible that what God has inspired the bible writers to write in His Word for the moment is incomprehensible until such time that He has determined / decreed it to be comprehensible and fulfilled in that time."

7) [Rev 19:4]:

(Rev 19:4 NASB) '''And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God Who sits on the throne saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!" '''

a) [EXPOSITOR'S on Rev 19:4]:
 (Rev 19:4 NASB) '''And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God Who sits on the throne saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!" '''
 
"In response to the heavenly Hallels, the twenty-four elders cry out, 'Amen, Hallelujah' ..."

b) [Bible Knowledge BKC on Rev 19:4]:

 (Rev 19:4 NASB) '''And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God Who sits on the throne saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!" '''

"19:4-5. The 24 elders and the 4 living creatures also sing a hallelujah chorus. This is another reminder that the 24 elders, representing the church of the present Age, are distinguished from the Tribulation saints, described in verse 1 as "a great multitude." The 4 living creatures, previously introduced in 4:6-8, seem to refer to angels who praise God. Still another voice of praise, apparently coming from an angel, also praised God and exhorted all you His servants 19:4-5. The 24 elders and the 4 living creatures also sing a hallelujah chorus. This is another reminder that the 24 elders, representing the church of the present Age, are distinguished from the Tribulation saints, described in verse 1 as "a great multitude." The 4 living creatures, previously introduced in 4:6-8, seem to refer to angels who praise God. Still another voice of praise, apparently coming from an angel, also praised God and exhorted all you His servants (19:5) to join in this praise."

IV) [(Rev 4:5) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 4:5]:

(Rev 4:5 NASB) "Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God;"

'''Lightnings, voices, and thunders (chapter 4, verse 5) remind us of Psalm 77:18, “The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook.” When is the whole world enlightened?  In our very day as foretold in Daniel 12:4, “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.”

A) [EXPOSITOR'S on Rev 4:5]:

(Rev 4:5 NASB) "Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God;"

'''5 "Flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder" coming from the throne are symbolic of God's awesome presence and the vindication of the saints and occur with slight variation four times in Revelation (4:5; 8:5; 11:19; 16:18, cf. Exod 19:16, Ezek 1:13; Ps 18:13-15). On the expression "seven blazing lamps," see comments on 1:4 (below, cf. Ezek 1:13).'''

B) [Bible Knowledge Commentary on Rev 4:5]:

(Rev 4:5 NASB) "Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God;"

'''The Seven Spirits Of God (4:5)
4:5. The impressive scene of heaven was enhanced by flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. Thunder is mentioned eight times in Revelation (4:5; 6:1; 8:5; 11:19; 14:2; 16:18; 19:6). John also saw seven lamps which were blazing. These seven lamps were said to be the seven spirits of God. These should be understood to represent the Holy Spirit rather than seven individual spirits or angels, with the concept of the sevenfold character of the Spirit (Isa. 11:2-3; cf. Rev. 1:4; 5:6). With God the Father seated on the throne and the Holy Spirit represented by the seven lamps, the stage was then set for the revelation (chap. 5) of Christ Himself as the slain Lamb.'''

1) [Compare Rev 1:4]:

(Rev 1:4 NASB) '''John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him Who is and Who was to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,'''

[Biblestudymanuals]:
John now lets his readers find out to whom his letter was written first hand: to the seven churches in the sense of people - not buildings - who have expressed a moment of faith alone in Christ alone unto eternal life, (cf Jn 3:16 ). There might be people who come to the numerous church buildings / homes who have not yet believed, but John is only addressing believers as the context will show throughout his letter. And those individual believers are located in various places in Asia Minor, (cf. Rev. 1:11; chaps. 2 and 3).
So John addresses them as follows, " '''Grace to you and peace, from Him Who is and Who was and Who is to come, and from the seven Spirits Who are before His throne." Grace speaks of God's unmerited favor toward man from His salvation which is by grace through a moment of faith unto eternal life to what God blesses him with relative to in this mortal life to the next life in eternity. Peace speaks of God's forever standing with those who are His eternal born again children who by virture of that second birth are no longer at enmity with Him.

Furthermore the letter is applicable in many ways to believers of all ages. So a careful reading is very important - the most important considerations being context, context and context - the who, what, why, where, when, to whom and how of it.

On the matter of the following: " ''Grace to you and peace, from Him Who is and Who was and Who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,'' there is only One Who is, was and is to come: God, more specifically God the Father as John refers to in verse 8:

1) [Compare Rev 1:8]:

(Rev 1:8 NASB) "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty."
Furthermore, the phrase "and from the seven Spirits Who are before His throne" refers to God the Holy Spirit - as is referenced elsewhere in Scripture in an unusual way, i.e, relative to seven ways in which God the Holy Spirit manifested / functioned in the world: (cf. Isa 11:2-3; Rev 3:1; 4:5; 5:6):
66667777
V) [(Rev 4:6-9) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 4:6-9]:

(Rev 4:6 NASB) "and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind.

(Rev 4:7 NASB) The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle.

(Rev 4:8 NASB) And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME."

(Rev 4:9 NASB) And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever," '''

A) [Expositor's on Rev 4:6-9]:

(Rev 4:6 NASB) "and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind."

(Rev 4:7 NASB) The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle.

(Rev 4:8 NASB) And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.

(Rev 4:9 NASB) And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever," '''

'''Rev 4:6-8 "A sea of glass, clear as crystal" simply adds to the magnificence of the scene (15:2). Caird considers the "sea of glass" identical to the "sea" in Revelation 13:1 and 21:1 and identifies it as "a reservoir of evil" (p. 65). But a sea of "glass" may be an intentional reversal of this sea imagery (cf. Exod 24:10; Ezek 1:22, 26). The mirrorlike reflecting quality could symbolize the fact that before the sight of God all is revealed; i.e., "Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eves of him to whom we must give account" (Heb 4:13).

[Biblestudymanuals: Actually the 24 elders are best considered believers in the church age. For Rev 4:4 declares, 'Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.' The book of Revelation nowhere specifically identifies who the twenty-four elders are. However, they are most likely representative of the Church. It is unlikely that they are angelic beings, as some suggest. The fact that they sit on thrones indicates that they reign with Christ. The Church is repeatedly said to rule and reign with Christ (Revelation 2:26-27, 5:10, 20:4; Mt 19:28; Lk 22:30).

[Biblestudymanuals]:
Again it is evident that if special, out of the ordinary theological, symbolical, geographical, numerical insights are required to understand the Bible; and since most people do not possess these insights then the Bible is not meant for all men to read and understand; but must depend upon some elite, superior individual(s) to lead / teach / instruct them. But the language in the Bible does include all individuals of accountable age evidently only needing to study it utilizing normal reading / linguistic skills and nothing else .
Therefore special insights are NOT required to understand the Bible. Given this point of view which is biblical, it is feasible that what God has inspired the bible writers to write in His Word for the moment is incomprehensible until such time that He has determined / decreed it to be comprehensible and fulfilled in that time]

A cont.) [Expositor's on Rev 4:6-9, (cont.)]:

The "four living creatures" should be linked with Isaiah's seraphim and Ezekiel's cherubim (cf. Isa 6:3; Ezek 1:5-25; 10:1-22):

They are four in number, full of eyes, have faces like the beings in Ezekiel 1:10, have six wings (Isaiah 6:2), and offer worship as the beings in Isaiah 6:3, saying, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord.' They may not be the exact the same beings, but they definitely are comparable and probably of the same order. [i.e., angelic beings]

In summary, these beings are an exalted order of angels whose purpose is primarily that of worship (Revelation 19:4). They are very similar to the beings in Ezekiel 1 and 10 and Isaiah 6:1-3, and they are in some ways involved in God's divine justice.

1) [Compare Ezekiel 1:1-25 and 10:1-22]:66667777

The Vision of the Four Figures

(Ezekiel 1:1 NASB) "Now it came about in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was by the river Chebar among the exiles, the heavens were opened and I saw [a]visions of God.

(Ezekiel 1:2 NASB) (On the fifth of the month [b]in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile,

(Ezekiel 1:3 NASB) the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and there the hand of the Lord came upon him.)

EXPOSITOR'S BIBLE COMMENTARY ON EZEK 1:1-3

1-3 The setting of the Mesopotamian dream-visions—which occurred in both the Assyrian period and the Babylonian period (cf. Oppenheim, Interpretation of Dreams, pp. 186-87)—consisted of four elements: (1) the date, (2) the place of reception, (3) the recipient, and (4) the circumstances. Ezekiel included all four aspects in his vision.
The date of this vision is stated in two different ways: (1) "in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day" (v.1), and (2) "on the fifth of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin" (v.2). The "thirtieth year" has been explained several ways. (For a survey of the explanations, see Anthony D. York, "Ezekiel I: Inaugural and Restoration Visions?" VetTest 27 [1977]: 82-98.) Some refer it to the thirtieth year following Josiah's reform. There is no evidence for such a connection between Josiah and Ezekiel nor for dating in the OT from an event unless explicit reference to that event is given. Others see the date related to Nabopolassar's reign, though without data. Some assume that the reference is to the thirtieth year of Jehoiachin and is the date of the compilation of the book (so Howie), though this would be out of harmony with v.2 and would require that verse to be an explanatory gloss (so Taylor).
Still others understand this date to relate to the age of Ezekiel. This is the most probable view for two reasons. It was not uncommon that dates were given according to a man's age when personal reminiscences were being reported (cf. Gen 8:13). Additionally, Ezekiel was a priest; and a man entered his priestly ministry at the age of thirty (Num 4:3, 23, 30, 39, 43; 1 Chronicles 23:3). Therefore, Ezekiel apparently received this vision and his commission in the very year he would have begun his priestly service. This date highlights the priestly atmosphere of Ezekiel's message.
The "thirtieth year" of Ezekiel was related to the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's exile by the same day of the month and probably the same month. The month is understood in v.2 from the explicit statement in v.1. Jehoiachin was deported to Babylonia in 597 B.C. Therefore Ezekiel's commission was received in 593 B.C. Jehoiachin's year of deportation became the focal point of all dating within the book.
Ezekiel saw this vision "by the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians" (v.3). The river Kebar, a navigable canal, flowed southeast from the city of Babylon (see Introduction: Place of Origin and Destination).
Ezekiel was the stated recipient of the vision (v.3). He was a priest and the son of Buzi. Nothing is known about Buzi, though as Ezekiel's father he would also have been a priest. The notation of Ezekiel's priesthood is significant. He would have been well acquainted with the Mosaic covenant and the priestly functions of the temple, both of which pervade the entire message of this book. Ezekiel was able to describe clearly the glory of God in the temple and the temple functions. He also was prepared to evaluate accurately the rebellion of his people against the explicit commands of the law, which was the basis for the Lord's judgments that Ezekiel announced. Moreover, this priestly background enabled Ezekiel to understand the millennial temple vision concluding the entire prophecy.
The only circumstances set forth in this introduction to the subsequent vision were that "the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel" and "the hand of the LORD was upon him" (v.3). These phrases were used whenever Ezekiel was about to receive or proclaim a revelation from God (esp. a vision, 3:22; 8:1; 33:22; 37:1; 40:1; cf. 2 Kings 3:15). "The hand of the Lord was upon him" connotes the idea of God's strength on behalf of the person involved (3:14; cf. Isa 25:10; 41:10, 20), a concept inherent in the name "Ezekiel" (yehezqel), which means "God strengthens." God Was preparing Ezekiel to receive a vision that would provide the necessary framework for understanding the rest of the prophecy. It is important to the interpretation of this book to note the phrase "I saw visions of God" (v.1), for this immediately declared the nature of the following vision.
Notes
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1 The plural form of the noun ‏מַרְאָה‎ (marah, "vision") may imply a series of visions or a vision in process (8:3; 40:2; 43:3; cf. Gen 46:2), the latter being dominant in Ezekiel. The plural may be a plural of generalization (so Greenberg, Ezekiel 1-20), indicating an indetermination. Others (e.g., Zimmerli) see the plural as representing a fixed usage.
2 In order to understand a 593 B.C. date for the fifth year of Jehoiachin's exile (597 B.C.), one must use the Nisan (March/April) to Nisan calendar of the Babylonians. Jehoiachin's "first" year would be March 597 B.C. to Larch 596 B.C. Therefore, the fourth month of the fifth year of Jehoiachin would be June/July 593 B.C. (so Freedy and Redford).
The first person of v.1 and the third person of vv.2-3 have led some to assume a dual authorship. However, all three verses are integral to the setting of the vision, and vv.2-3 parenthetically explain the indefinite date of v.1.
3 ‏דְבַר ִהוה אֶל‎ (debar-YHWH el-, "the word of the LORD came to... ") becomes a regular technical formula to introduce divine reception of God's word by the prophet No other prophetic book surpasses Ezekiel's fifty occurrences of this formula, which often introduces a new unit of the book. For fuller discussion, see Zimmerli, Ezekiel 1, pp. 144-45; TDOT, 3:111-14; TWOT, 1:180.
The term ‏כַּשְׂדִּים‎ (kasdim) may be used for either "Babylonians" or for a special group of wise men in Babylonia (cf. Dan 2:2, 4).
66667777
(Ezekiel 1:4 NASB) As I looked, behold, a high wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing intermittently and a bright light around it, and in its midst something like gleaming [c]metal in the midst of the fire.

(Ezekiel 1:5 NASB) And within it there were figures resembling four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human form.

(Ezekiel 1:6 NASB) Each of them had four faces and four wings.

(Ezekiel 1:7 NASB) Their legs were straight and their feet were like a calf’s hoof, and they sparkled like polished bronze.

(Ezekiel 1:8 NASB) Under their wings on their four sides were human hands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them,

(Ezekiel 1:9 NASB) their wings touched one another; their faces did not turn when they moved, each went straight forward.

(Ezekiel 1:10 NASB) As for the form of their faces, each had a human face; [f]all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and [g]all four had the face of an eagle.

(Ezekiel 1:11 NASB) Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each had two touching another being, and two covering their bodies.

(Ezekiel 1:12 NASB) And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went.

(Ezekiel 1:13 NASB) In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, [i]like torches moving among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was [j]flashing from the fire.

(Ezekiel 1:14 NASB) And the living beings ran back and forth like bolts of lightning.

[EXPOSITOR'S BIBLE COMMENTARY ON REV 19:4-14]:

"2. The Description of the vision (1:4-28)

a. The living beings (1:4-14)

N. Habel ("The Form and Significance of the Call Narrative," ZAW 77 [1965]: 297-323) has pointed out that there is a general pattern to the commission narratives of the prophets. First, there is the divine confrontation — an introductory word that forms the basis and background for the succeeding commission. Then the commission itself enumerates the task the prophet is called to and its importance. Third, the objections the prophet may offer are stated, after which the "call" narrative closes with reassurances from the Lord that answer these objections and assure the prophet that the Lord is with him. All four elements are found in Ezekiel's commission and are noted below.
The vision of vv.4-28 comprises the divine confrontation of Ezekiel's commission. This vision has bewildered many and has discouraged them from continuing their study of this prophecy. This need not be if normal grammatical-historical hermeneutics are used. Four principles of this hermeneutical system are especially important when interpreting visionary literature.

1. Seek to understand the major idea presented through the vision and do not dwell on minutiae. This guideline is underscored in the second principle.

2. Follow the divine interpretations normally accompanying the visions. These divine interpretations concentrate on the overall concept rather than on details.

3. Be keenly aware of parallel passages and the harmony of Scripture, since the prophets normally sought to apply past revelations of God to their contemporary situations. The general prophetic message among the prophets is essentially the same.

4. Use the same approach with the symbols and imagery of visionary literature as used with figurative language. Thus symbols and imagery are properly understood as figures and are not to be taken literally.

In this first vision the divine interpretation declares that God and His glory are portrayed (vv.1, 28). This portrayal required the use of a vision and its abundant imagery, for the unfathomable God cannot be adequately described in human terms. Since God can be visualized only in terms of "likeness," the vision abounds in terms like "as" (ke); "resembling"; "looked like" (demut); "like" (kemareh); and "appearance" (mareh).

The Lord confronted Ezekiel with this glorious vision to impress on him the majesty, holiness, and wonder of the God Who was about to execute judgment on the people of Israel. Ezekiel was awestricken by God's holiness. The indelible impression of this theophany would be a constant encouragement to Ezekiel in his difficult ministry of announcing God's judgments on his own contemporaries. The awesome holiness of God visualized in Ezekiel's commission would be a backdrop against which he could see the wickedness of Israel and thereby understand why God had to judge his sinful people. When the nations profaned the Lord by claiming that Judah was in captivity because her God was weak, Ezekiel would know that his God was greater than Babylonia's gods. Though the Lord had chosen to discipline his people then, he would be victorious over all the nations when he would restore Israel to her Promised Land.

This was the same glorious, covenant-keeping God who first revealed himself to Israel in a similar vision of splendor on Mount Sinai (Exod 19). He reappeared as the glory inhabiting the Most Holy Place in the dedication of the tabernacle (Exod 24:15-18; 29:42-46; 40:34-38). This theophany led the children of Israel through the wilderness (Num 9:15-23; 14:10; 16:19; 20:6), filled Solomon's temple (1 Kings 8:10-11; 2 Chronicles 5:14), and appeared at Isaiah's commission (Isa 6:3). Though some may be disturbed that the manifestation of God's glory is not always identical throughout Scripture, the variation in details is to be expected when one considers the limitlessness of God. However, the consistency of the manifestation of God's glory was such that Ezekiel, a priest and a student of the Scriptures, immediately recognized that this was a vision of the glory of the Lord (v.28).

4-14 This vision began with a common introductory formula to visions: "I looked and I saw" (v. 4; cf. v.15; 2:9; 8:2, 7; 10:1, 9; 37:8; 40:4-5; 44:4). Ezekiel suddenly saw what appeared to be a raging electrical storm — dark clouds, lightning, and thunder coming from the north (v.4). Within this storm he saw four figures resembling living beings (v.5; cf. Rev 4), which he described. Though the beings looked like men, each one had four faces and four wings (vv.6, 9, 11; 10:5, 12, 14, 21-22; Rev 4:8 describes living beings with six wings). The man's face was dominant, being on the front of each creature (v.10), while the lion's face was on the right, the ox's (or cherub's, cf. 10:14, 22) face on the left, and the eagle's face on the back.
The wings were joined together (vv.9, 23), with two covering each side of each being and the other two spread for movement, touching the wings of the other living beings (vv.11, 23). When the wings fluttered they sounded like a great thunder of rushing water, a violent rainstorm, or a noisy military encampment — like the voice of the "Almighty" God (sadday; v.24; cf. 3:13; 10:5). Each side of the living being had hands like a man's under its wing (v.8; cf. 10:7-8, 12, 21), straight legs, and feet like a calf (v.7).
The rapid movement of these living beings was like flashes of lightning (v.14). Their forward movement was in the direction the man's face looked. When they moved, they did not turn around (vv.9, 12-13). These creatures moved only under the control of the "spirit," which, in this context of God's glory (v.12), is most likely the Holy Spirit of God.

In addition to the general appearance of brightness, these creatures contained in their midst that which looked like coals of fire (v.13), from which lightning issued. These living beings are identified in chapter 10 as cherubim (10:15, 20). Some have found some relation to religious and mythical creations of the ancient Near East, like the genii that guarded temples. Others see the cherubim forming a throne-chariot on which the Lord rode (cf. 1:22-28). Support for this idea is found in 2 Samuel 22:11; 1 Chronicles 28:18; and Psalm 18:11. This may well be the imagery conveyed in this vision. Certainly Ezekiel was acquainted with cherubim from his training in the temple, with its many representations of these creatures (Exod 25-26; 36-37; 1 Kings 6; 2 Chron 3), as well as his knowledge of the "cherubim" imagery from Mesopotamian culture with its guardian genii before temples (cf. comments at 10:8-22; and at 28:11-19; cf. Greenberg, Ezekiel 1-20, p. 55). Cherubim often accompanied references to God's glory in the OT; yet the specific functions of cherubim are nowhere clearly delineated.
Notes
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4 The evidence for the meaning of the word ‏חַשְׁמַל‎ (hasmal, "glowing metal") is extremely sparse. The meaning is not "amber" (KJV, RV) but more the sense of something that shines, perhaps a shining metal.
5 The term ‏חָיָה‎ (hayah, "living creature") is feminine; yet the pronominal suffixes in these verses that refer back to this word are found both in the masculine plural—e.g., ‏לָהֶם‎ (lahem, "of them") in v.6 and ‏לְאַרְבַּעְתָם‎ (learbatam, "each of the four") in v.10 and in the feminine plural-‏לְאַרְבַּעְתָן‎ (learbatan, "each of the four"; NIV, "each"), also in v.10. The feminine forms show agreement with the predominant character of the living beings, viz., the concept of ‏אָדאם‎ (adam, "man"), which is masculine (cf. v.5). Some had thought that the masculine term ‏כְּרוּב‎ (kerub, "cherub") from ch. 10 was in Ezekiel's mind here, but that seems unlikely. The masculine gender is considered by grammarians as the "prior gender" because it sometimes designates the feminine (cf. Gen 1:27; 32:1 et al.). Likewise, confusion of gender is not unusual in Hebrew grammar. It is usual that the nearest qualifier is feminine with a feminine substantive (cf. GKC, par. 145t).
6 ‏פָּנִים‎ (panim, "faces") is understood as a numerical plural here and elsewhere in the chapter (e.g., vv.8-10) rather than as a plural of extension.
The dual form ‏כְּנָפַיִם‎ (kenapayim, "wings") is used in this verse instead of the plural form, since the wings are considered in pairs (cf. v.11; 10:21; Isa 6:2). The meaning is two pairs of wings.


(Ezekiel 1:15 NASB) Now as I looked at the living beings, behold, there was one wheel on the ground beside the living beings, for [k]each of the four of them.

(Ezekiel 1:16 NASB) The appearance of the wheels and their workmanship was like [l]sparkling topaz, and all four of them had the same form, their appearance and workmanship being as if [m]one wheel were within another.

(Ezekiel 1:17 NASB) Whenever they [n]moved, they [o]moved in any of their four [p]directions without turning as they [q]moved.

(Ezekiel 1:18 NASB) As for their rims, they were high and awesome, and the rims of all four of them were [r]covered with eyes all around.

(Ezekiel 1:19 NASB) Whenever the living beings [s]moved, the wheels [t]moved with them. And whenever the living beings rose from the earth, the wheels rose also.

(Ezekiel 1:20 NASB) Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction[u]. And the wheels rose just as they did; for the spirit of the living [v]beings was in the wheels.

(Ezekiel 1:21 NASB) Whenever those went, they went; and whenever those stopped, they stopped. And whenever those rose from the earth, the wheels rose just as they did; for the spirit of the living [w]beings was in the wheels.

Vision of Divine Glory

(Ezekiel 1:22 NASB) Now over the heads of the living [x]beings there was something like an expanse, like the awesome gleam of crystal, spread out over their heads.

(Ezekiel 1:23 NASB) Under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward the other; each one also had two wings covering its body on the one side and on the other.

(Ezekiel 1:24 NASB) And I also heard the sound of their wings, like the sound of abundant waters as they went, like the voice of the Almighty, a sound of a crowd like the sound of an army camp; whenever they stopped, they let down their wings.

(Ezekiel 1:25 NASB) And a voice came from above the expanse that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they let down their wings.

[Ezekiel 1:5-25 NASB and 10:1-22 cont.]:

(Ezek 10:1 NASB) Then I looked, and behold, in the expanse that was over the heads of the cherubim something like a sapphire stone, in appearance resembling a throne, appeared above them.

(Ezek 10:2 NASB) And He spoke to the man clothed in linen and said, "Enter between the whirling wheels under the cherubim and fill your hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim and scatter them over the city." And he entered in my sight.

(Ezek 10:3 NASB) Now the cherubim were standing on the right side of the temple when the man entered, and the cloud filled the inner court.

(Ezek 10:4 NASB) Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub to the threshold of the temple, and the temple was filled with the cloud and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the LORD.

(Ezek 10:5 NASB) Moreover, the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when He speaks.

(Ezek 10:6 NASB) It came about when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, "Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim," he entered and stood beside a wheel.

(Ezek 10:7 NASB) Then the cherub stretched out his hand from between the cherubim to the fire which was between the cherubim, took some and put it into the hands of the one clothed in linen, who took it and went out.

(Ezek 10:8 NASB) The cherubim appeared to have the form of a man's hand under their wings.

(Ezek 10:9 NASB) Then I looked, and behold, four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside each cherub; and the appearance of the wheels was like the gleam of a Tarshish stone.

(Ezek 10:10 NASB) As for their appearance, all four of them had the same likeness, as if one wheel were within another wheel.

(Ezek 10:11 NASB) When they moved, they went in any of their four directions without turning as they went; but they followed in the direction which they faced, without turning as they went.

(Ezek 10:12 NASB) Their whole body, their backs, their hands, their wings and the wheels were full of eyes all around, the wheels belonging to all four of them.

(Ezek 10:13 NASB) The wheels were called in my hearing, the whirling wheels.

(Ezek 10:14 NASB) (Ezek 10:1 NASB) And each one had four faces. The first face was the face of a cherub, the second face was the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.

(Ezek 10:15 NASB) Then the cherubim rose up. They are the living beings that I saw by the river Chebar.

(Ezek 10:16 NASB) Now when the cherubim moved, the wheels would go beside them; also when the cherubim lifted up their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels would not turn from beside them.

(Ezek 10:17 NASB) When the cherubim stood still, the wheels would stand still; and when they rose up, the wheels would rise with them, for the spirit of the living beings was in them.

(Ezek 10:18 NASB) Then the glory of the LORD departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim.

(Ezek 10:19 NASB) When the cherubim departed, they lifted their wings and rose up from the earth in my sight with the wheels beside them; and they stood still at the entrance of the east gate of the LORD'S house, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered over them.

(Ezek 10:20 NASB) These are the living beings that I saw beneath the God of Israel by the river Chebar; so I knew that they were cherubim.

(Ezek 10:21 NASB) Each one had four faces and each one four wings, and beneath their wings was the form of human hands.

(Ezek 10:22 NASB) As for the likeness of their faces, they were the same faces whose appearance I had seen by the river Chebar. Each one went straight ahead."

[Expositor's Bible Commentary On Ezek 10:66667777

b) [Compare Isa 6:1-3]:

(Isa 6:1 NASB) "In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.

(Isa 6:2 NASB) Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.

(Isa 6:3 NASB) And one called out to another and said, 'Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory."

They, like the angels, are heavenly creatures of the highest order involved with the worship and government of God.

"Covered with eyes" may give the impression of their exceeding knowledge of God, while the faces of a "lion," "ox," "man," and a "flying eagle" suggest qualities that belong to God, such as royal power, strength, spirituality, and swiftness of action. Each of the creatures mentioned is the chief of its species. Together they embody the reflection of God's nature as the fullness of life and power. Their six wings (cf. Isa 6:2) give the impression of unlimited mobility in fulfilling God's commands. Their position "in the center, around the throne" suggests that one might be before and one behind the throne with one on either side (Beckwith). The four living creatures appear throughout Revelation (cf. 5:6, 8, 14; 6:1ff.; 7:11; 14:3; 15:7; 19:4).

The four living creatures ceaselessly proclaim the holiness of God: "Holy, holy, holy" (Rev 4:8; Isa 6:3). In Hebrew, the double repetition of a word adds emphasis, while the rare threefold repetition designates the superlative and calls attention to the infinite holiness of God - the quality of God felt by creatures in his presence as awesomeness or fearfulness (Ps 111:9: "Holy and awesome is His name"). The living creatures celebrate God's holiness and power as manifested in his past, present, and future activity. Such holiness cannot tolerate the presence of evil (21:27)... The trisagion ("Holy, holy, holy") is a liturgical expression used in both ancient Jewish and Christian worship. Its use does not, however, reach back to the first century.

This hymn is the first not only of the five sung by the heavenly choirs in chapters 4-5 but also of a number of others in Revelation: (4:8, 11; 5:9-10, 12, 13; 7:12, 15-17; 11:15, 17-18; 12:10-12; 15:3-4; 16:5-7; 18:2-8; 19:2-6).

c) [Rev 4:8, 11]:

(Rev 4:8 NASB) "And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME."

(Rev 4:11 NASB) "Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created."

[Rev 5:9-10, 12-13]:

(Rev 5:9 NASB) "And they *sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation."

(Rev 5:10 NASB) "You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."

(Rev 5:12 NASB) (saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."

(Rev 5:13 NASB) And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever."

[Rev 7:15-17]:

(Rev 7:15 NASB) "For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.

(Rev 7:16 NASB)  "They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat;

(Rev 7:17 NASB) for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes."

[Rev 11:15, 17-18]:

(Rev 11:15 NASB) '''Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever."

(Rev 11:17 NASB) '''saying, "We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.

(Rev 11:18 NASB) "And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth."

[Rev 12:10-12]:

(Rev 12:10 NASB) "Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.

(Rev 12:11 NASB) "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

(Rev 12:12 NASB) "For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time."

[Rev 15:3-4]:

(Rev 15:3 NASB) "And they *sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations!

(Rev 15:4 NASB) "Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU, FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED."

[Rev 16:5-7]:

(Rev 16:5 NASB) '''And I heard the angel of the waters saying, "Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things;

(Rev 16:6 NASB)  for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it."

(Rev 16:7 NASB) And I heard the altar saying, "Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments."

[Rev 18:2-8 NASB]:

(Rev 18:2 NASB) '''And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird.

(Rev 18:3 NASB) "For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality."

(Rev 18:4 NASB) I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues;

(Rev 18:5 NASB) for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

(Rev 18:6 NASB) "Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her.

(Rev 18:7 NASB) "To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, 'I SIT as A QUEEN AND I AM NOT A WIDOW, and will never see mourning.'

(Rev 18:8 NASB) "For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong.

[Rev 19:2-6]:

(Rev 19:2 NASB) '''BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER."

(Rev 19:3 NASB) And a second time they said, "Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER."

(Rev 19:4 NASB) And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!"

(Rev 19:5 NASB)  And a voice came from the throne, saying, "Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great."

(Rev 19:6 NASB) Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns."

These hymns relate to the interpretation of the visions and provide a clue to the literary structure of Revelation. In these two chapters, the sequence of hymns shows that the first two are addressed to God, the next two to the Lamb, and the last one to both. There is also a gradual enlargement in the size of the choirs. The internal movement also builds as the last hymn is sung by "every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth" to "Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb" (5:13).

[Bible Knowledge Commentary on Rev 4:6-9]:

4:6-8. A sea of glass, clear as crystal, was before the throne and reflected all the brilliant colors of the entire heavenly scene (cf. 15:2). In the center of the picture four living creatures were compared to a lion... an ox... a man and a flying eagle. Each of the... creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around. They were said to be continually praising God as the holy... Almighty (pantokratōr; cf. 1:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7, 14; 19:6, 15; 21:22), and eternal One (who was, and is, and is to come; cf. 1:8; 11:17). This is the first of 14 doxologies in the Book of Revelation (see the chart).

Many interpretations have been given of the four living creatures. As the Holy Spirit was seen symbolically in the seven lamps, probably the four living creatures symbolically represent the attributes of God including His omniscience and omnipresence (indicated by the creatures being full of eyes)—with the four animals bringing out other attributes of God: the lion indicating majesty and omnipotence; the ox, typical of faithful labor and patience; man, indicating intelligence; and the eagle, the greatest bird, representing supreme sovereignty. Another possible view is that they represent Christ as revealed in the four Gospels: in Matthew, the lion of the tribe of Judah; in Mark, the ox as the servant of Yahweh; in Luke, the incarnate human Jesus; and in John, the eagle as the divine Son of God. Another alternative is that the four living creatures are angels (cf. Isa. 6:2-3), who extol the attributes of God.

V cont.) [(Rev 4:6-9) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 4:6-9, (cont.)]:

(Rev 4:6 NASB) "and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind.

(Rev 4:7 NASB) The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle.

(Rev 4:8 NASB) And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME."

(Rev 4:9 NASB) And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever," '''

VI) [(Rev 4:9-11) Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 4:9-11]:

(Rev 4:9 NASB) "And when the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to Him Who sits on the throne, to Him Who lives forever and ever,

(Rev 4:10 NASB) the twenty-four elders fall down before Him Who sits on the throne and worship Him Who lives forever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say,

(Rev 4:11 NASB)  Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created." '''

The Creatures represent the four attributes of God i.e. face of a: Man=Love, Eagle=Wisdom, Lion=Power, and Ox=Justice.  ‘Full of eyes’ means God is all seeing and all knowing.  Having wings may be interpreted  as the ability to go anywhere quickly. When the 24 elders fall down, casting their crowns, worshiping God, it signals that God has brought to pass one of the events God told them to write about in the Old Testament.

[EXPOSITOR'S on Rev 4:9-11]:

(Rev 4:9 NASB) "And when the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to Him Who sits on the throne, to Him Who lives forever and ever,

(Rev 4:10 NASB) the twenty-four elders fall down before Him Who sits on the throne and worship Him Who lives forever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say.

"9-11 The second hymn is sung by the twenty-four elders. When the living creatures confess the truth of God's holy deeds, the response of the highest order of God's heavenly creatures is to relinquish their crowns of honor before the feet of him who alone is "worthy" of "glory and honor and power" because he alone (no man, not even the emperor) is the source and stay of every created thing (Ps 33:6-9; 102:25; 136:5ff.). The expression "by your will they were created and have their being" (v. 11) presents a translation difficulty because the Greek text has two different tenses (esan,"they were" [NIV, "have their being"], imperfect; ektisthesan, "they were created," aorist).

Although a number of possible explanations have been advanced, Alford's remains the best: the imperfect tense describes the fact of their existence while the aorist captures
the sense of the beginning of their existence (Alf, 4:602-3). Consequently, the phrase might be translated thus: "Because of [not 'by'] your will they continually exist and have come into being."

4:9-11. The worship by the four living creatures is attended by the 24 elders also worshiping the One on the throne and attributing to God glory and honor and power (cf. 5:12-13) and acknowledging that He is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe (cf. John 1:3; Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:2-3; Rev. 10:6; 14:7). They lay their crowns before the throne in ascribing all glory to Him as the Sovereign.

[Bible Knowledge Commentary on Rev 4:9-11]:
(Rev 4:9 NASB) "And when the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to Him Who sits on the throne, to Him Who lives forever and ever,

(Rev 4:10 NASB) the twenty-four elders fall down before Him Who sits on the throne and worship Him Who lives forever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say.

 (Rev 4:11 NASB)  Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created."

'''6. Worship In Heaven (4:9-11)
4:9-11. The worship by the four living creatures is attended by the 24 elders also worshiping the One on the throne and attributing to God glory and honor and power (cf. 5:12-13) and acknowledging that He is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe (cf. John 1:3; Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:2-3; Rev. 10:6; 14:7). They lay their crowns before the throne in ascribing all glory to Him as the Sovereign."