WE have already, in a former work, given our reasons
for believing that the voice spoken of in the first
verse of this chapter is not that of an angel, but of the
Lord himself. To the Seer of Patmos, who is henceforth
in the Spirit in a still higher degree than that referred
to (i. 10), the Lord is about to vouchsafe wonderful and
mysterious visions of Deity, such as Ezekiel in his days,
heaven being in like manner opened to him, had been permitted
to behold ; and we shall find that the symbolism
of these later visions both repeats and completes that
manifested to Ezekiel and to Daniel also. This fourth
chapter may be considered as, strictly speaking, the beginning
of the Apocalypse or Revelation, after the introductory
epistles to the seven churches have been dictated by the
Lord in person. "We are now entering upon a spiritual
domain where the profoundest and humblest caution is requisite,
and where most commentators have erred by too
positive explanations of mysterious images. Our part
being only to expound the voices and words of angels, we
do not purpose to write any commentary upon the Apoca-
lypse as a whole ; we aim only at expounding so much of
the context as may be absolutely necessary to a right understanding
of the passages that lie within our especial province.
The throne shown to John, and the one that sat in glory
on that throne, are essentially the same that Ezekiel saw,
and described in the first and tenth chapters ; but yet
we have here how should we not? a New Testament
element introduced, we discern more distinctly the new
creation in redeemed humanity. If that which Ezekiel
saw (i. 28), and which we also find alluded to in Isaiab.
Iv. 9, 10, and Ps. Ixxxix. 37, was the rainbow, the sign of
the covenant of grace, round about the throne of glory, we
can still less doubt that we have the same image presented
to us here, although the lovely emerald-green now predominates
over all other colours, or even absorbs them. And
it is in strict accordance with this original symbol of grace,
that here, in the New Testament, the throne should appear
surrounded by men sitting upon seats or thrones with
crowns on their heads, whom Ezekiel did not see, but who
are now introduced before the living creatures (comp. xix.
4). These elders, or ancients, in the council of heaven, once
named by Isaiah in a moment of prophetic inspiration
(xxiv. 23), represent by a symbolic number the Church,
or ransomed humanity, and their white garments evidently
refer to iii. 4, 5, 18. The lightnings, thunderings, and
voices that proceed out of the throne, are the revelations
and the judgments of the power of God. The Holy Spirit
is represented in his manifold offices by the seven lamps
(compare i. 4, 5, 6, and Zech. iv. 10). The sea of glass
like unto crystal is a very comprehensive symbol, about
the various meanings of which there has been a great deal
of needless controversy. In Ezekiel i. 22, it appeared as
an arch of crystal overhead ; here it is significantly represented
as a solid, steadfast, transparent ocean : as it were
the glorified (red) sea of tribulation, on whose happy
shores the ransomed may sing Moses' song of deliverance
as a new song, the song of the Lamb also (xv. 2, 3) ; and
it also recalls the sea of brass in the temple, that replaced
the lavers of brass in the tabernacle, in which the priests
of G od were to wash ; while in its crystal clearness heaven
is now mirrored, the sea of tribulation overpast, the cleansing
waters, needed no longer, being changed into beauty
and brightness. The image is a more complex one than
that in Ezekiel, though it has much in common with it.
Amidst the many added or further developed symbols,
towards the expounding of which we would in all humility
offer some suggestions, we may specially instance the living
creatures, whom we met with in Ezekiel, and now find again
here, in close connexion with the elders, or representatives
of humanity. These living creatures are one with the cherubim.
They have the same human form, though not human
faces ; they have human gestures ; they fall down (v. 8) ;
they use their hands (xv. 7, compared with Ezek. i. 5, 6,
8) ; they are, in the same way, full of eyes (Ezek. x. 12);
they are intimately and inextricably united with the forces
of nature, and, at the same time, they have a conscious personality,
and are invariably subordinated to the angels.
In chap. xv. 7 we find them ministering to the angels
having the seven plagues. It may, indeed, be in a measure
true that they represent the elementary forces and
forms of spiritual and material nature, so to speak, the
creative energies of God (in verse 11 of the chapter we
aic now considering, we have an especial reference to all
created things) ; but, on the other hand, these leasts, or
living ones, speak just as the cherubim do in Ezekiel,
and must, under this symbolic appearance, be understood
as personal beings, having an actual existence.
What they say, and speak, and cry is not described by
the seer, as being merely said once, or even repeated over
and over again ; but in his state of rapture he was miraculously
enabled, in some manner of which we can have
no conception, to be made aware of eternal duration,
eternal continuance in the heaven opened to his gaze, and
in the song around the throne of God. "They rest not day
and night" This is equivalent to saying, in our human
language, There is no night there ; no need of the alternation
of a season of rest. "We poor children of men, whose
mortal bodies are doomed to the fatigue of waking hours
and the inaction of sleep, may well sigh and yearn to enter
into that rest, that blessed unrest of ceaseless adoration.
How that wondrous song sounds in the language of angels
and redeemed spirits, no human being in our present state
can properly express. Even the Spirit of the Lord could
only convey some approximation to John by means of the
time-consecrated phrase man owes to the condescending
revelation of God. It is the same "Holy, holy, holy,"
which the prophet Isaiah had heard from the seraphim,
which is now employed by the cherubim : "holy, holy,
holy, is the Lord God the Almighty, he who was, and
he who is, and he who is to come." Here, as in Isaiah
vi. and Psalm xcix. 3, 5, 9, we have the doctrine of
the Trinity very clearly referred to. The Lord is evidently
the translation of"Jehovah," and the added expression,
God the Almighty, is generally used in the Septuagint for
" the Lord (the God) of Sabaoth"or " of
hosts." But in order to shed a fuller, a New Testament
light upon the name, we have in addition the etymological
restitution of the Hebrew Jehovah, in the three tenses of
the eternal self-existence. And although, in chap. i. 8,
the same words are with perfect fitness used in speaking
of the eternal Son he who cometh to judgment yet in
the passage we are now considering, we must consider
this adoration of the Trinity as more immediately addressed
to the Father, since, in the fifth chapter, the
Lamb is first introduced as appearing before him who
sitteth on the throne ; as in Dan. vii. the Son of man
had been brought before the Ancient of Days (comp. Kev.
vii. 10). Indeed, the fourth and fifth chapters of the
Apocalypse, as first and second parts, form together a
special introduction to the visions that follow, of God
and the Lamb. We may further remark, that the added
clause in Isaiah," The whole earth is full of thy glory,"
which the seraphim proclaimed, is not given here by the
cherubim, because it is to be kept back till the further
fulfilment John is to witness (xi. 15-18 ; xii. 10).
That which follows in the narrative of John (ver. 9),
the "glory, honour, and thanks" of the living creatures,
refers to no new ascription of praise by them, but manifestly
only points to the one before given in ver. 8. And
we read that when they thus give thanks, the elders fall
down. In this harmony of praise rendered by the angelworld
and by humanity before the eternal throne, there
is, nevertheless, one very significant difference, which
Von Gerlach educes from the simple, and, alas ! easily
overlooked letter of the sacred text " The four living
creatures (or beasts) turn from God, the elders turn to
God, and say, Lord, thou art worthy." The primitive
creation still manifests God's glory and speaks to man,
but man is God's restored image ; and while he gazes
upon the divine glory in creation, he reflects the radiance
that beams upon him, and speaks to God in his
praise,"Yea, verily, cherubim and seraphim hide their
faces, redeemed sinners behold with open face the glory
of the Lord" (see 2 Cor. iii. 18). We shall find the
same instanced in chap. xi. 17, as well as chap. v. 9.
This latter chapter (ver. 9, 10) describes the praise given
in the new song to the Lamb for the redemption wrought
by him, and we must be careful to observe, what has
been often overlooked, that there the living creatures
do not sing and give praise with the elders. No ; the
words thou hast redeemed us belong exclusively to those
redeemed out of mankind, though the four beasts also fall
down before the Lamb. This is the reason why here, and
here only, the usual order is reversed, and the beasts are
mentioned first. The angels give praise together with us
for our redemption, yea, even the cherubim of nature sing
the Holy, holy, holy of the kingdom of grace; but men lead
that strain, while in chap. iv. 11, we have man joining with
the angels to sing the praise of the Creator, for the everlasting
gospel itself is intended to re-proclaim the glory of
him who created all things (xiv. 6, 7). Praise for our redemption
leads us back to praise for creation, and includes
praise for our preservation as well, as we have before said
elsewhere ; and here we have an instance of this, since we
find the new creature, together with all God's praise-giving
creatures (v. 13), praising with one accord at once the
Creator and the Redeemer.
