8 The four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around about and within. They have no rest day and night, saying, "Holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy{TR and NU read "holy" 3 times instead of 9.} is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come!"
Above him stood the seraphim. Each one had six wings. With two he covered his face. With two he covered his feet. With two he flew. One called to another, and said, "Holy, holy, holy, is Yahweh of Hosts! The whole earth is full of his glory!" The foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. Then I said, "Woe is me! For I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for my eyes have seen the King, Yahweh of Hosts!" Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar. He touched my mouth with it, and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin forgiven." I heard the Lord's voice, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here I am. Send me!" He said, "Go, and tell this people, 'You hear indeed, But don't understand; And you see indeed, But don't perceive.' Make the heart of this people fat; Make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And turn again, and be healed." Then I said, "Lord, how long?" He answered, "Until cities are waste without inhabitant, And houses without man, And the land becomes utterly waste, And Yahweh has removed men far away, And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. If there are yet a tenth in it, It also shall in turn be eaten up: As a terebinth, and as an oak, whose stock remains, when they are felled; So the holy seed is its stock."
Before the throne was something like a sea of glass, similar to crystal. In the midst of the throne, and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes before and behind.
Every one had four faces, and every one four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings. As for the likeness of their faces, they were the faces which I saw by the river Chebar, their appearances and themselves; they went every one straight forward.
John, to the seven assemblies that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from God, who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before his throne;
"To the angel of the assembly in Philadelphia write: "He who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no one can shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says these things:
I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple.
I heard the altar saying, "Yes, Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are your judgments."
They sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are your ways, you King of the nations.
saying: "We give you thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, the one who is and who was{TR adds "and who is coming"}; because you have taken your great power, and reigned.
Therefore they are before the throne of God, they serve him day and night in his temple. He who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with all patience and teaching.
neither did we eat bread from anyone's hand without paying for it, but in labor and travail worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you; not because we don't have the right, but to make ourselves an example to you, that you should imitate us.
For you remember, brothers, our labor and travail; for working night and day, that we might not burden any of you, we preached to you the Gospel of God.
Alas for the day! For the day of Yahweh is at hand, And it will come as destruction from the Almighty.
I have set watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day nor night: you who call on Yahweh, take no rest, and give him no rest, until he establish, and until he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
Wail; for the day of Yahweh is at hand; as destruction from the Almighty shall it come.
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, Yahweh appeared to Abram, and said to him, "I am God Almighty. Walk before me, and be blameless.
Therefore watch, remembering that for a period of three years I didn't cease to admonish everyone night and day with tears.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Revelation 4
Commentary on Revelation 4 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 4
In this chapter the prophetical scene opens; and, as the epistolary part opened with a vision of Christ (ch. 1), so this part is introduced with a glorious appearance of the great God, whose throne is in heaven, compassed about with the heavenly host. This discovery was made to John, and in this chapter he,
Rev 4:1-8
We have here an account of a second vision with which the apostle John was favoured: After this, that is, not only "after I had seen the vision of Christ walking in the midst of the golden candlesticks,' but "after I had taken his messages from his mouth, and written and sent them to the several churches, according to his command, after this I had another vision.' Those who well improve the discoveries they have had of God already are prepared thereby for more, and may expect them. Observe,
Rev 4:8-11
We have considered the sights that the apostle saw in heaven: now let us observe the songs that he heard, for there is in heaven not only that to be seen which will highly please a sanctified eye, but there is that to be heard which will greatly delight a sanctified ear. This is true concerning the church of Christ here, which is a heaven upon earth, and it will be eminently so in the church made perfect in the heaven of heavens.