CHAPTER 4
Revelation 4:1-3 And after this I saw, and behold, a door was opened in heaven; and the first voice which I heard, like a trumpet speaking with me, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things." Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was set in heaven, And on the throne sat One who appeared like jasper and carnelian stone, and a rainbow encircling the throne appeared like an emerald in appearance . 1
It is not that there is literally a door in heaven that opens and closes at times, but it was shown to the evangelist in this way so that he might see the things above the heavens.
For with every door opened , what lies within must inevitably be seen. And I heard a voice , which sounded like a trumpet , saying these words to me: Come up here so that you may see what is to come.
And rising in the Spirit , since the ascent was neither physical nor perceptible by the senses.
I see , it says, a throne , and God upon it, and a spirit above Him resembling jasper and carnelian 2 . God is not like these things; away with that thought [ἄπαγε]. He is unlike any of the things perceived by the senses, neither having a body at all, invisible, spiritual, and without form. The invisible God is like that of the Seraphim, revealing their unseen nature, cover their faces with their wings (Is. 6:2). And to Moses, God spoke, saying: “No one shall see my face and live.” (Ex. 33:20) But even the evangelist states decisively: “No one has ever seen God.” (Jn. 1:18) Therefore, God was not seen resembling anything; rather, the vision of Him was depicted through the works of God by the Revelation.
For the jasper is a precious stone, this one is emerald-like and green, resembling the venom of an asp 3 [ἰῷ ἀσπίδος], from which it also derived its name. The carnelian is another precious stone , fiery and blood-red. The jasper is said to symbolize for us the nourishment of God, and provision, since all nourishment for humans, four-footed animals, birds, and crawling beasts has its origin, and as it were its cause, beginning from green grass. For the prophet says: "He causes grass to grow for the cattle, and vegetation for the service of mankind, to bring forth bread from the earth. And wine gladdens the heart of man, to make his face cheerful with oil.” (Ps. 103:14-15) And again, in the creation, God says: "Let the earth bring forth grass, herb yielding seed, and fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind." (Gen. 1:11-12) Now, jasper illustrates these things. But indeed, the carnelian is described as the fearfulness of God; for our God is said by the advocator 4 [ἱεροφάντης] Moses to be “a consuming fire”, (Deut. 4:24) and the prophet also cries out to Him: “You are fearful, and who can stand before Your face?” (Ps. 75:8) Accordingly, the wise Apostle writes: “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Heb. 10:31) Since the goodness of God is incompatible with those who love sin and are scornful, and is pure, not leading to repentance but to the freedom to commit wrongdoing, it is reasonable that God, along with goodness, also possesses the generous and the awe-inspiring; therefore Paul, knowing the character of those learning and the need for incentives rather than gentleness, addressed the Corinthians, saying: “What do you want? Should I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?” (1 Cor. 4:21) Yet one of the saints 5 (Basil) said, "Gehenna does not frighten you; the kingdom does not urge you on? We speak to you with a heart of stone.”
Oecumenius commentary on 1 Corinthians 4:21
For you, he says, are masters of these things, either being sluggish toward anger and raising me to punishment, like Ananias the stone, and Elymas to himself, or being zealous and sober, toward love. "In the spirit of gentleness." For there is also a spirit of severity and punishment. "It is heard in you." The fault makes all things common so that they do not act carelessly as strangers to the fault.
Therefore, it was known as a fearful and astonishing necessity for those being disciplined. But the carnelian is not the first for God, rather, the first indeed is the jasper. For His nature is that of good and humane and gentle, and He wishes to be a Father rather than a Master to us. But, if it is lawful to say, we ‘force’ Him, and He leaves behind His natural gentleness, and is led by unnatural sternness.
And it is said that a rainbow encircling the throne appeared like an emerald in appearance . The perceptible rainbow [ἴρις] which the divine Scripture calls the bow 6 [τόξον] of God, consisting of the reflection of the solar light, when it is diverted in the thickness of a cloud, has become multicolored and numerous in color. But that one, the spiritual rainbow , which encompasses the divine throne , was of one kind; for it was emerald in appearance . And it itself also prefigures all the holy and ministering spirits of God, wherefore it has also been called rainbow , although it happens to be of one kind, so that from the various colors of the rainbow we may conceive the many orders and distinctions of the divine angels. Everything indeed is bound to one single color; for all things are equally beneficial and bear the likeness of their own Master, of the emerald color that itself attests to its productive power, just as the jasper does to God. And let no one stumble over those who encounter it; Why indeed are the sacred orders of the spiritual beings concerning God are overshadowed by the more precious stone of the emerald , while God Himself is associated with the less precious jasper and carnelian? For the discussion is not now about the value of what is visible, but about the meanings signified by the colors.
For if someone were to seek honor in a petty way, there would be nothing for which God could be accused, nor would anyone find fault with it; that is, that the Lord is rejected with a stone. For Isaiah says, "Behold, I am placing a cornerstone in Zion concerning the Lord." (Isa. 28:16) And the prophet speaks of the stone that the builders rejected concerning him. The evil spirits are allegorized as mountains; for David himself said that mountains can be moved—"in the hearts of the seas," and "the mountains were shaken in his mighty power," (Ps. 117:22) whose magnitude is so great that it is impossible to find anything greater than it.
Revelation 4:4-6 He says that around the throne there are twenty-four thrones; and upon these twenty-four thrones sit elders clothed in white garments, with golden crowns upon their heads. And from the throne come flashes of lightning, voices, and thunder; and before the throne that burn seven lamps of fire, which are the seven spirits of God. Also before the throne there is a sea of glass, like crystal .
The twenty-four elders seated on the thrones would be known only by God, the knower of hidden things; and to whom He Himself reveals it. As far as my speculation goes, they were Abel, Enoch, and Noah; Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; Melchizedek and Job; Moses and Aaron; Joshua son of Nun and Samuel; David, Elijah, and Elisha; the twelve minor prophets represented as one figure; Isaiah and Jeremiah; Ezekiel and Daniel; Zechariah and John; James son of Joseph, and Stephen, the witnesses of the new covenant. It could be said that Peter, Paul, and James, the brother of John, whom Herod killed by the sword (Acts 12:2), along with the rest of the holy apostles, if they did not have a promise from the Lord, would not now, but rather in the Renewal of All Things 7 [παλιγγενεσίᾳ], sit upon twelve thrones, distinct from those already mentioned. For this is what the Lord said to them in the Gospel according to Matthew: “Truly I tell you, you who have followed me will, at the Renewal of All Things [παλιγγενεσίᾳ], when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Matt. 19:28)
The white garments serve as a symbol of their purity throughout life.
The crowns , in turn, represent victory over passions and spiritual enemies.
The flashes of lightning and the sounds of thunder emanating from the throne once again signify the awe-inspiring presence of God. For divine beauty does not lie in some long-winded pleasure or delight, but in a wondrous and awe-inspiring reverence. And knowing this, the prophet said: “Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling before Him.” (Ps. 2:11)
And he speaks of the throne that burn seven lamps of fire, which are the seven spirits of God ; indeed, the seven are the seven archangels among the angels. Clement states in the sixth Stromata 8 , perhaps guided from this source to say these things, that the seven spirits are like torches of fire. For it has been said somewhere about angels: "He makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire." (Ps. 103:4; Heb. 1:7) This is an allegory drawn from the divine Scripture, concerning what this passage is now speaking about.
Oecumenius commentary on Hebrews 1:7
"Who makes His angels spirits." For they are created beings, therefore he says, "Who makes." Behold the greatest difference: that some are created, while the One is uncreated; for the act of creating denotes the production from non-being into being. It is not only to angels that the exceptional pertains, but also to every functional power. He did not say, "Having created," but "Creating," that is, sustaining by the Word, according to which they came into being.
Also before the throne there is a sea of glass, like crystal . The vision of the sea represents the multitude.
But what about glass and crystal ? The pure ones. And it is shown to be free from every stain by the holy fathers concerning God, who are as numerous as the sea (Isa. 10:22; Rom. 9:27). For Daniel says that “thousands upon thousands stood before Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand served Him.” (Dan. 7:10) And being such in number, all are pure, resembling glass and crystal .
Revelation 4:6-8 And around the throne, and in the midst of the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes, in front and behind. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature was like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each of them having six wings around, were full of eyes within; and they had no rest day or night, saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come .”
One cannot say that those sacred creatures were exactly like the ones that the prophet Ezekiel was deemed worthy to behold in his vision (Ez. 10:13). Each of them had four faces and eight wings, and they were accompanied by certain wheels called "Gelgel 9 ," which were also many-eyed, much like these creatures. Here, however, each had a single face, though different from one another, and six wings . And those were the Cherubim, for that is how they are called in Ezekiel. These others, as I believe, are the Seraphim, shown in Isaiah the prophet (Isa. 6:2), although Isaiah neither mentioned any faces for them nor described them in detail, only that they covered their faces with their wings; not that they had many eyes, but that they had six wings .
But what was meaning of these great things shown to the evangelist? Was there some deception among certain Jews? That God, who governs the holy orders in heaven and dwells within them alone, has withdrawn from and neglected those on earth because of the transgression committed in Adam. Therefore, they said to Isaiah, “Why have we fasted, and you did not notice? We humbled our souls, and you did not pay attention.” (Isa. 58:3) But such a deception came upon them from a certain written passage that says, “Lord, in heaven, your mercy and your truth reach to the clouds.” (Ps. 35:6) As it shows that divine providence proceeds by disregarding the sins committed below on earth, the vision therefore reveals to the evangelist that God's providence extends through all things, both overseeing those in Heaven and those who have come to dwell on earth.
And this is symbolized by the four holy living creatures surrounding the divine throne. For every perceptible and earthly body is composed of the four elements: fire, earth, air, and water. Each of the animals is associated with one of these elements:
the lion with fire, due to the animal’s warmth and spirited nature;
the calf with the earth, because the calf’s work is connected to the soil;
the man with the air, as humans are celestial and transcendent beings due to the artfulness [λεπτότητα] of the mind;
and the eagle with water, since birds originate from water 10 .
Around the throne of God are seen those deemed worthy of care and providence, signified through living beings, that is, those on earth.
Them being full of eyes characteristics demonstrates God's all-encompassing watchfulness over them.
And they had no rest day or night ; this does not mean that they live a life of pain and misery, unable to find relief from work and pressing necessity, but rather that they never cease praising God, delighting continually in their melody to Him.
The term " holy " being repeated seven times 11 is a frequent and unceasing form of allusion. For the number seven is often handed down by divine Scripture; for example, “the barren woman bore seven children, and the many became weak through their offspring,” (1 Sam.2:5) and “the seven eyes of the Lord watch over the entire earth,” (Zech. 4:10) and “the righteous man is delivered seven times from distress.” (Prov. 24:16)
He says, " who was, and is, and is to come ." Through these, the Holy and venerable Trinity is revealed, as was stated earlier. There is nothing wrong with saying now, “for writing the same things is not burdensome to me,” (Phil. 3:1) and the divine apostle has clearly demonstrated this to those who encounter it as certain.
The Father, who is , is named by Moses. For he says to him, "I AM THE ONE WHO IS [ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν]." (Ex. 3:14) And concerning the Son, it is said to the evangelist, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (Jn. 1:1) And he says that the Holy Spirit is the one who is to come , for He always visits the souls worthy of receiving Him.
Revelation 4:9-11 And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the One seated on the throne, to the One who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before the One seated on the throne and worship the One who lives forever and ever. They will cast their crowns before the throne, saying: “Worthy are you, Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
Along with the holy living creatures , the elders give glory to God; the act of casting their crowns before God signifies that the crown is a symbol of victory and kingship. Casting them before the throne of God, the true and genuine kingdom and the victory over all given to God who reigns over all, they say: “To You, Master, all glory is owed; for You brought all things from non-existence into being, and by Your will subjected what did not exist before.”
_____________________
Translator’s notes for chapter 4.
1. The oldest Oecumenius manuscript omits parts of this verse, “jasper and carnelian stone, and a rainbow encircling the throne.” Manuscripts 203 and 240 have it. He also has the entire passage in the comments below.
2. As seen here, Oecumenius has what the oldest Oecumenius manuscript omitted.
3. “venom of an asp” [ἰῷ ἀσπίδος] This doesn’t make a lot of sense, considering that asp venom is usually white or yellowish, and it is strange that Oecumenius would use that as an example of the color jasper. Psalm 140:3 uses this in the plural form [Ἰὸς ἀσπίδων], and it is undoubtedly in the context of asp venom. William Weinrich translated it as “the rust of a shield.” He also adds a footnote implying that perhaps Oecumenius is drawing from Epiphanius of Salamis On the Twelve Gems 6 (PG 43:334-35). The quote is, “ Its appearance is green in color, like the emerald but to a slight extent like that of the bnobi and from within it emits a green color like that of copper rust .”
4. “advocator” [ἱεροφάντης] Literally a teacher of religious rites and ceremonies, a high-priest, hierophant.
5. The text did not have “(Basil)”, I added it in. This reference by Oecumenius is from Basil of Caesarea, Sermon to the Rich 6.
6. “bow” [τόξον] Toxon is an ancient Greek word for a bow. It is also the root of words like "toxic" and "toxin," which are derived from a related Greek word for a poison-tipped arrow.
7. In Matthew 19:28, Jesus uses παλιγγενεσίᾳ to describe a future, global event: The Event: Jesus promises his disciples that "in the Renewal of All Things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne," they will also sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. The Meaning: This refers to the eschatological (end-times) restoration of creation to its perfect, pristine state, removing the effects of decay and the fall. It encapsulates the prophetic hopes of a new heaven and a new earth (Isaiah 65:17, Revelation 21:1).
8. Clement of Alexandria, Stromata 6.16.149.1.
9. "Gelgel" is a Hebrew term that refers to the whirling wheels in Ezekiel's vision (Ezekiel 10:13). It describes the ophanim (wheels) seen beneath the divine chariot of God, moving in unison with the living creatures, representing divine movement, omniscience, and omnipresence.
10. While birds ultimately originated from land-dwelling, four-limbed vertebrates, some of the earliest ancestors of modern birds may have lived in and adapted to aquatic environments before moving back onto land. Fossils of the Early Cretaceous bird Gansus yumenensis , discovered in ancient lakebeds, show it had a near-modern build and was highly adapted for living on water, similar to modern ducks or loons. This suggests that some early bird ancestors used aquatic environments for their evolution before transitioning to life on land.
11. “The term ‘holy’ being repeated seven times” is based upon the best manuscripts. The 15 th century Salonika manuscript (203) reads, “The term ‘holy’ being repeated many times.”