Revelation 4:1–4:11
Sources
Reformation Study BibleGeneva Bible Notes (1599)John Trapp (1647)John Gill (1748)Matthew Henry (1714)Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBarnes (1832)Cross-References (TSK)Reformation Study Bible
Come up here. Moses went up to Mount Sinai (Ex. 19:3, 20) and Paul was caught up to heaven (2 Cor. 12:2) to receive special revelations. what must take place after this. See note 1:19. 4:2 in the Spirit. See note 1:10. a throne stood in heaven. God's kingly rule is a fundamental theme of the book. In the Old Testament, the tabernacle (Ex. 25-40) and temple (1 Kin. 5-7; 2 Chr. 2-4) were shadows of God's throne room in heaven (Ex. 25:40; Heb. 8:5, 6; 9:1-14). John sees the heavenly original rather than an earthly copy. Revelation fittingly contains many allusions to the temple (3:12; 7:15; 11:19; 14:15, 17; 15:5-16:1; 16:17; 21:22) and to elements within it. For example, there are the lamps (1:12; 4:5), the living creatures like cherubim (4:6-9), incense and prayer (5:8), songs of praise like those offered by the Levitical singers in the Old Testament (4:8, 11; 5:9-13; 1 Chr. 16), a sacrifice (5:6, 9), the ark of the covenant (11:19), the altar (11:1), and the outer court (11:2). one seated on the throne. The details of God’s appearance are not described, reminding us that His greatness and glory always exceed human comprehension. See note 1:12-20, | God appears in a beautiful scene of worship as the King of heaven and earth. He is surrounded by angelic courtiers (1 Kin. 22:19; Job 1:6; 2:1; Ps. 89:6, 7; Ezek. 1; Dan. 7:9, 10). His rule. was established in creation (4:11), is exercised in the panorama of history (6:1-22:5), is brought to fulfillment through the Lamb (ch. 5; 22:1) and is celebrated in songs of praise (1:6 note). Revelation is preeminently a book about God and His greatness. The secrets of history and of spiritual conflict center on God Himself. The whole universe is destined to be filled with the glory (21:22, 23) and goodness of God (22:1-5), and with His praise (5:13). Hence the pattern for the outcome of history is revealed in miniature here (Matt. 6:10). ; When God's people are beset by temptation or persecution, a revela- | twenty-four elders. These angelic ministers (7:13) are here called “elders” because of their wisdom. As God's cabinet officers, they must reflect His own wisdom, which is symbolized by age (Dan. 7:9). The term “elder” also suggests an analogy with the church's elders who serve on earth; hence, some have suggested the elders here are simply a repre- sentation of the church. | lightning. God exhibits His power in a manner analogous to His self- revelation at Mount Sinai (Ex. 19:16=19) and other divine appearances (8:5; 11:19; 16:18; Ps, 18:11-15; Ezek. 1:4), He reminds the church of the power of His voice (1:10, 15 and notes) and the final shaking of creation still to come (11:19; 21:1; Heb. 12:25-27). seven torches, See note 1:12; cf. Zech. 4:2, 6. The sevenfold light of the Holy Spirit is the original light of which the seven-branched lampstand of Ex. 25:31-40 was a copy. The similarities with 1:12 suggest that the seven churches, as.a-true temple of God, are to give out light reflecting the very presence of God through His Spirit. seven spirits of God. The Holy Spirit (1:4 note). | sea of glass. See 15:2; Ex. 24:10. This imagery might suggest a num- ber of associations. The parallel verse in 15:2 calls to mind the waters of the Red Sea. The defeat of Pharaoh and the pushing back of the waters foreshadowed God's final victory over evil (Is. 51:9-11). If so, the sea of glass pictures waters subdued under God's power. Moreover, the extent and beauty of the crystal-like sea, when taken together with the precious stones in v. 3 and 21:18-21, suggest the magnificence and preciousness of God's throne. The numerous parallels elsewhere with the temple (4:2 note) might suggest that this sea is the heavenly counterpart of the sea in Solomon's temple (1 Kin. 7:23-25). Finally, the picture of heavenly water might suggest that God faithfully supplies water from heaven (Deut. 11:11). It is consistent with the style of Revelation to weave together a number of Old Testament images. four living creatures, These angelic ministers of God are reminiscent of the living creatures or cherubim of Ezek. 1 and 10 and the seraphim of Is. 6. They are guardians and bearers of the throne of God, as in Gen. 3:24; Ex. 25:17-22; Ps. 18:10; 1 Chr. 28:18. | PSee ch. 1:4 84See ch. 4:10'ch. 14:2; 15:2 S{ch. 15:7] ch. 8:3, 4; Ps. 141:2 94 ch, 14:3; See Ps. 33:3 Ver. 6 “ch. 14:3, 4; See 2 Pet. 2:1 Xch. 7:9; 11:9; 14:6; See Dan. 3:4 10) See ch. 1:6 112Dan. 7:10; (Heb, 12:22] 124ch. 4:11 13)Ps, 145:21; | God's servants bring songs of praise as a fitting response to His glory and deeds (1:6 note; Ex. 15:11; Is. 6:3). you created. The praise and imagery of ch. 4 focus on creation, asserting God's sovereignty over the universe (1:8 note).
Geneva Bible Notes (1599)
After {1} this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. (1) Hereafter follows the second part of this book, altogether prophetical foretelling those things which were to come, as was said in Re 1:19. This is divided into two histories: one common to the whole world, till Chapter 9 and another unique to the Church of God, till Chapter 22. These histories are said to be described in several books Re 5:1,10:2. Now this verse is a passage from the former part to this second: where it is said, that heaven was opened, that is, that heavenly things were unlocked and that a trumpet sounded in heaven, to stir up the apostle, and call him to the understanding of things to come. The first history has two parts: one the causes of things done and of this whole revelation in this next chapter, another of the acts done in the next four chapters. The principal causes according to the economy or dispensation of it, are two: One the beginning, which none can approach, that is, God the Father, of whom is spoken in this chapter. The other, the Son, who is the secondary cause, easy to be approached, in that he is God and man in one person; Re 5:5-9.
John Trapp (1647)
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. 1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. A door was opened in heaven — That is, preparation was made for the manifestation of more heavenly mysteries. Was as it were of a trumpet — To reuse and raise up his attention. For it might fare with him as with a drowsy person, who though awaked, and set to work, is ready to sleep at it. Compare Zechariah 4:1 . Come up hither — Not by local motion, but by mental illumination. I will show thee — That thou mayest show the Church, that they have a most glorious and almighty deliverer.
John Gill (1748)
After this I looked,.... After John had seen the vision of Christ, in the midst of the golden candlesticks, with seven stars in his right hand; after he was bid to write what he had seen, and what were, and should be hereafter; and after he had by order written the seven epistles to the seven churches, he looked about him to see what else he could, having his desires and expectations raised of seeing more, and other things, for the eye is never satisfied with seeing; though this is to be understood, not of looking with the eyes of his body, but with the eyes of his mind; of his beholding things in a visionary way, as the prophets did, whence they are called "seers", and their prophecies "visions": how long this was after the first vision is not certain, it may be but a few minutes; and it is to be observed, that as the first chapter of this book, with the vision in it, is the preface or introduction to the church prophecy delivered out in the seven epistles; so this and the following chapter, with the vision therein, contain the preface or introduction to the book prophecy exhibited in the opening of the seven seals of the sealed book: and behold, a door was opened in heaven: not in a literal sense, as the heavens were opened at Christ's baptism, and at Stephen's martyrdom, but in a figurative sense; and the phrase is to be understood of a discovery of things that were, or were to be in the church of God, which in this book is oftentimes signified by "heaven": and it must be conceived as done in a visionary way, just as Ezekiel, in the visions of God, was brought to Jerusalem, and the temple there, and in at a door was shown all the abominations committed in the court and temple; so John, in a visionary way, through an opened door, had a scene of things in the church presented to him, as follows: and the first voice which I heard was, as it were, of a trumpet talking with me; this voice is not called the first voice with respect to any other voices that were to follow; but it designs the former voice, the voice that John heard behind him, when he saw the first vision; and this, as that, was clear, loud, and sonorous as a trumpet, so that he thoroughly heard, and rightly understood what was said; it was the same Person that made the following representation of things as did then, even he who is the Alpha and the Omega, the Lord Jesus Christ, the author of the whole revelation; the "first" is left out in the Arabic version: the allusion is to the blowing of trumpets at the opening of the door of the temple; "every day there were one and twenty soundings of a trumpet in the temple, three , "at the opening of the doors", and nine at the daily morning sacrifice, and nine at the daily evening sacrifice (f).'' And one of them was called the great door of the temple; and he that slew the daily sacrifice, did not slay till he heard the sound of that door when it was opened (g); so here at the opening of the door in heaven, in the church, of which the temple was a type, the voice of the Son of God is heard as the sound of a trumpet, talking loudly and familiarly to John: which said, come up hither; from the isle of Patmos, where he was, up to heaven; not into the third heaven, where Paul was caught up, but rather up into the Gospel church, the Jerusalem which is above; though this, as before, is to be understood in a visionary way, in like manner as Ezekiel was lifted up by the Spirit between the earth and the heavens; and so John, in a vision, was called up from Patmos into the air, where he had a representation of the church made unto him: and I will show thee things which must be hereafter; in the world, in the Roman empire, and in the church of God, to the end of the world; not but that there were some things shown him, as before, in the church prophecy, which had been, and were, and which was done to give him a complete view of things from first to last: and these things were shown in the following visions of the seals, trumpets, and vials, and by the Lord Jesus Christ, who talked with him, and to whom this revelation was given to show unto his servants; and it was of things that "must" be, because determined and resolved upon in the unalterable purposes and decrees of God. (f) Misn. Succa, c. 5. sect. 5. (g) Misn. Tamid, c. 3. sect. 7.
Matthew Henry (1714)
After the Lord Jesus had instructed the apostle to write to the churches the things that are, there was another vision. The apostle saw a throne set in heaven, an emblem of the universal dominion of Jehovah. He saw a glorious One upon the throne, not described by human features, so as to be represented by a likeness or image, but only by his surpassing brightness. These seem emblems of the excellence of the Divine nature, and of God's awful justice. The rainbow is a fit emblem of that covenant of promise which God has made with Christ, as the Head of the church, and with all his people in him. The prevailing colour was a pleasant green, showing the reviving and refreshing nature of the new covenant. Four-and-twenty seats around the throne, were filled with four-and-twenty elders, representing, probably, the whole church of God. Their sitting denotes honour, rest, and satisfaction; their sitting about the throne signifies nearness to God, the sight and enjoyment they have of him. They were clothed in white raiment; the imputed righteousness of the saints and their holiness: they had on their heads crowns of gold, signifying the glory they have with him. Lightnings and voices came from the throne; the awful declarations God makes to his church, of his sovereign will and pleasure. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne; the gifts, graces, and operations of the Spirit of God in the churches of Christ, dispensed according to the will and pleasure of Him who sits upon the throne. In the gospel church, the laver for purification is the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, which cleanses from all sin. In this all must be washed, to be admitted into the gracious presence of God on earth, and his glorious presence in heaven. The apostle saw four living creatures, between the throne and the circle of the elders, standing between God and the people. These seem to signify the true ministers of the gospel, because of their place between God and the people. This also is shown by the description given, denoting wisdom, courage, diligence, and discretion, and the affections by which they mount up toward heaven.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
CHAPTER 4 Re 4:1-11. Vision of God's Throne in Heaven; the Four and Twenty Elders; the Four Living Creatures. Here begins the Revelation proper; and first, the fourth and fifth chapters set before us the heavenly scenery of the succeeding visions, and God on His throne, as the covenant God of His Church, the Revealer of them to His apostle through Jesus Christ. The first great portion comprises the opening of the seals and the sounding of the trumpets (fourth to eleventh chapters). As the communication respecting the seven churches opened with a suitable vision of the Lord Jesus as Head of the Church, so the second part opens with a vision suitable to the matter to be revealed. The scene is changed from earth to heaven. 1. After this—Greek, "After these things," marking the opening of the next vision in the succession. Here is the transition from "the things which are" (Re 1:19), the existing state of the seven churches, as a type of the Church in general, in John's time, to "the things which shall be hereafter," namely, in relation to the time when John wrote. I looked—rather as Greek, "I saw" in vision; not as English Version means, I directed my look that way. was—Omit, as not being in the Greek. opened—"standing open"; not as though John saw it in the act of being opened. Compare Eze 1:1; Mt 3:16; Ac 7:56; 10:11. But in those visions the heavens opened, disclosing the visions to those below on earth. Whereas here, heaven, the temple of God, remains closed to those on earth, but John is transported in vision through an open door up into heaven, whence he can see things passing on earth or in heaven, according as the scenes of the several visions require. the first voice which I heard—the voice which I heard at first, namely, in Re 1:10; the former voice. was as it were—Omit was, it not being in the Greek. "Behold" governs in sense both "a door," &c., and "the first voice," &c. Come up hither—through the "open door." be—come to pass. hereafter—Greek, "after these things": after the present time (Re 1:19). Revelation 4:1-3 John seeth the throne of God in heaven, Revelation 4:4 ,5 encompassed with four and twenty elders, Revelation 4:6 ,7 and four beasts full of eyes before and behind. Revelation 4:8-11 The continual adoration and worship offered by the beasts and elders before him that sat on the throne. After this; after I had the first vision, mentioned Revelation 1:1-20 , and had written what it was the pleasure of God I should write to the churches, in a book, perceiving the way God designed to reveal himself to me was by vision. I looked; I looked again, hoping and being desirous to see something further as to the mind of God. And, behold, a door was opened; I saw the heavens opened, as Matthew 3:16 Acts 7:56 . In heaven; he, doubtless, meaneth the third heavens. Such a vision, as to this particular, John had at Christâs baptism, Matthew 3:1-17 , and Stephen when he was stoned. He also heard the voice of one speaking aloud to him, like the voice he heard, Revelation 1:10 ; which said, Come up hither, into heaven, the new Jerusalem which is above; as the old Jerusalem stood upon a hill, or rising ground, so as they who went thither are constantly said to go up, Isaiah 2:3 Acts 11:2 Galatians 1:17 ,18 2:1 . And I will show thee things which must be hereafter; not which have been, (for to what purpose had that been)? But which shall happen hereafter both to my church and to her enemies: from which it appears, that God did not here show his prophet the destruction of Jerusalem, for that was already past, in the time of Titus Vespasian the Roman emperor, about the year 69, or 70, after the incarnation; this (as all confess) was in Domitianâs time, about the 11th or 12th year of his reign, about twenty-six or twenty-seven years after that was past, which makes the notion of two late annotators very strange.
Barnes (1832)
After this - Greek, "After these things"; that is, after what he had seen, and after what he had been directed to record in the preceding chapters. How long after these things this occurred, he does not say - whether on the same day, or at some subsequent time; and conjecture would be useless. The scene, however, is changed. Instead of seeing the Saviour standing before him Revelation 1 , the scene is transferred to heaven, and he is permitted to look in upon the throne of God, and upon the worshippers there. I looked - Greek, "I saw" - εἶδον eidon. Our word "look" would rather indicate purpose or intentions, as if he had designedly directed his attention to heaven, to see what could be discovered there. The meaning, however, is simply that he saw a new vision, without intimating whether there was any design on his part, and without saying how his thoughts came to be directed to heaven. A door was opened - That is, there was apparently an opening in the sky like a door, so that he could look into heaven. In heaven - Or, rather, in the expanse above - in the visible heavens as they appear to spread out over the earth. So Ezekiel 1:1 , "The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God." The Hebrews spoke of the sky above as a solid expanse; or as a curtain stretched out; or as an extended arch above the earth - describing it as it appears to the eye. In that expanse, or arch, the stars are set as gems (compare the notes on Isaiah 34:4 ); through apertures or windows in that expanse the rain comes down, Genesis 7:11 ; and that is opened when a heavenly messenger comes down to the earth, Matthew 3:16 . Compare Luke 3:21 ; Acts 7:56 ; Acts 10:11 . Of course, all this is figurative, but it is such language as all people naturally use. The simple meaning here is, that John had a vision of what is in heaven as if there had been such an opening made through the sky, and he had been permitted to look into the world above. And the first voice which I heard - That is, the first sound which he heard was a command to come up and see the glories of that world. He afterward heard other sounds - the sounds of praise; but the first notes that fell on his ear were a direction to come up there and receive a revelation respecting future things. This does not seem to me to mean, as Prof. Stuart, Lord, and others suppose, that he now recognized the voice which had first, or formerly spoken to him Revelation 1:10 , but that this was the first in contradistinction from other voices which he afterward heard. It resembled the former "voice" in this, that it was "like the sound of a trumpet," but besides that there does not seem to have been anything that would suggest to him that it came from the same source. It is certainly possible that the Greek would admit of that interpretation, but it is not the most obvious or probable. Was as it were of a trumpet - It resembled the sound of a trumpet, Revelation 1:10 . Talking with me - As of a trumpet that seemed to speak directly to me. Which said - That is, the voice said. Come up hither - To the place whence the voice seemed to proceed - heaven. And I will show thee things which must be hereafter - Greek, "after these things." The reference is to future events; and the meaning is, that there would be disclosed to him events that were to occur at some future period. There is no intimation here when they would occur, or what would be embraced in the period referred to. All that the words would properly convey would be, that there would be a disclosure of things that were to occur in some future time.
Cross-References (TSK)
Revelation 1:1; Exodus 1:1; Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:21; Acts 7:56; Acts 10:11; Revelation 1:10; Revelation 16:17; Revelation 11:12; Exodus 19:24; Exodus 24:12; Exodus 34:2; Revelation 1:19; Revelation 22:6; John 16:13