SEV Biblia, Chapter 4:3
Y el que estaba sentado, era al parecer semejante a una piedra de Jaspe y de Sardnice; y un arco del cielo estaba alrededor del trono, semejante en el aspecto a la esmeralda.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Revelation 4:3
Verse 3. And he that sat] There is here no description of the Divine Being, so as to point out any similitude, shape, or dimensions. The description rather aims to point out the surrounding glory and effulgence than the person of the almighty King. See a similar description Num. xxiv. 10, &c., and the notes there.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 3. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper , etc.] For the brightness, glory, and majesty of his countenance, and for his being light itself, clothed with it, and dwelling in it; (see Revelation 21:11,18,19); and for the various perfections of his nature, as eternity, infinity, immutability, omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, wisdom, power, goodness, truth, love, grace, and mercy; for the jasper, at least one sort of them, is of various colours, and spotted with divers spots; that which is most valued is the green, spotted with red or purple f128 : hence this stone, which is the twelfth in the high priest's breastplate, and on which the name of Benjamin was written, is called, by the Chaldee paraphrase of Onkelos on ( Exodus 28:20), Pantere, and of ben Uzziel, on the same place, Apanturin, and on ( Song of Solomon 5:14), Apantor, because some are variegated and spotted like panthers. And a sardine stone ; the same with the Sardius: and so read here the Alexandrian copy, the Syriac and Arabic versions, as in ( Revelation 21:20), and in ( Exodus 28:17) on which Reuben's name was written; this is of a red, or blood colour as its name da , in Hebrew, shows, and the same that is called a cornelian; and is expressive of the fiery indignation of God whose fury is poured out like fire, and who nakedly and absolutely considered, is a consuming fire to the wicked, his enemies, and the enemies of his church and people. Some jaspers being white and sky coloured and the white colour being most agreeable to deity, as Cicero says f129 , and the sardine being red, and a gem of the ruby kind make up the description of the church's beloved; ( Song of Solomon 5:10); and may denote in general his purity, glory, and excellency, and in particular good will to his people, and wrath to his enemies. And to the comfort of the former it is added, and [there was] a rainbow round about the throne ; which signifies the covenant of grace; (see Genesis 9:12,16 Isaiah 54:9,10 Ezekiel 1:28). The rainbow is a reverberation, or a reflection of the beams of the sun upon a thin watery cloud; and the covenant of grace is owing to Jesus Christ, the sun of righteousness; it is he that has formed it, and filled it with blessings and promises; he is the Mediator, surety, and messenger of it, and who in ( Revelation 10:1) is represented as clothed with a cloud, and a rainbow on his head: the rainbow is of, various colours and fitly expresses the various promises and blessings, in the covenant of grace, and the various providences, both prosperous and adverse, with respect to soul and body; and as the rainbow was an emblem of mercy, peace, and reconciliation in God to man, after he had destroyed the world by a flood, so the covenant is a covenant of grace and mercy; it springs from it, and is full of it, and provides for the peace and reconciliation of the people of God, by the blood of Christ; whence it is called a covenant of peace: and as the rainbow is a security to the world, and the inhabitants of it, from a destruction by a flood any more, so the covenant is a security to those who are interested in it, from eternal destruction, and wrath to come; herein lies all their salvation, and this is the security of it: to which may be added, that God calls it my bow, as he often calls the covenant of grace my covenant, in distinction from man's; (see Genesis 9:12 Psalm 89:28,34 Ezekiel 16:60-62); and this being round about the throne of God, shows that the covenant of grace does, as it were, include and enclose God in his persons, and in his perfections; all the three divine Persons have a concern in it, and all the divine perfections are glorified by it; and it being around it, it is always in his view; he is ever mindful of it, and constantly remembers it for the good of his people, and faithfully keeps it; and it being in this form denotes, that in whatsoever way he comes forth unto his people, it is always in a covenant way, whether it be in things temporal or spiritual, in adversity or prosperity, with regard to the things of time and eternity; nor is there any coming to him with comfort, but as he is encompassed with the rainbow of the covenant; stripped of this, he is like the jasper and sardine stones, full of sparkling majesty, dread and terror, so that there is no coming nigh him; but being encircled with the rainbow, he may be approached as a covenant God, as the God of all grace, seated on a throne of grace, whither believers may come with boldness, freedom, and cheerfulness: and this rainbow was in sight like unto an emerald ; the stone on which Judah's name was written, in the high priest's breastplate; this is of a green colour, which colour is the prevailing one in the rainbow; it is of an exceeding fine green, very delightful to the eye, and gives pleasure to the mind to look upon it: and what a lovely and delightful sight is the covenant of grace to a believer! to see God as a covenant God, Christ as the Mediator of it, the exceeding great and precious promises and blessings, both of grace and glory, which are in it, yields an unspeakable pleasure to such persons; the covenant of grace, like the emerald, is ever green, it is always new; its promises and blessings are always fresh, and, like that, it is durable; it is sure, and cannot be broken, and is more immovable than rocks and mountains: the emerald is very bright, clear, and transparent; it is reported of Nero f130 , that he could see in his emerald the combat of the gladiators in the theatre; in the covenant of grace, as in a glass, may be seen the glory of all the three Persons in the Godhead, for it is ordered in all things for the glory of each Person; as also all the perfections of the divine nature; here God appears abundant in goodness and truth; here mercy and truth meet together; and righteousness and peace kiss each other: to which may be added, that the emerald is said to help and refresh the memory; now though God stands in no need of any thing to bring things to his remembrance, yet such is his condescension to men, that he sets the rainbow in the cloud, to look at, that he might remember his everlasting covenant; and so he allows his people to put him in remembrance, by making mention of the covenant of grace, and pleading the promises of it. The Alexandrian copy and the Ethiopic version, instead of iriv , a rainbow, read iereiv , priests.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - After the Lord Jesus had instructed the apostle to write to the churches "the things that are," there was another vision. The apostl 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 huma 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 emble of that covenant of promise which God has made with Christ, as the Hea of the church, and with all his people in him. The prevailing colou 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 an enjoyment they have of him. They were clothed in white raiment; the imputed righteousness of the saints and their holiness: they had of 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 operation 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 gospe church, the laver for purification is the blood of the Lord Jesu 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, becaus 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.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 ο 3588 καθημενος 2521 5740 ην 2258 5713 ομοιος 3664 ορασει 3706 λιθω 3037 ιασπιδι 2393 και 2532 σαρδινω 4555 και 2532 ιρις 2463 κυκλοθεν 2943 του 3588 θρονου 2362 {1: ομοιος 3664 } {2: ομοια 3664 } ορασει 3706 σμαραγδινω 4664
Vincent's NT Word Studies
3. Jasper stone. The last of the twelve stones in the High Priest's breastplate (Exod. xxviii. 20; xxxix. 13), and the first of the twelve enumerated in the foundation of the New Jerusalem (Apoc. xxi. 19). Also the stone employed in the superstructure of the wall of the Heavenly City (chapter xxi. 18). The stone itself was of different colors, the best being purple. According to chapter xxi. 11, it represents a crystalline brightness. Sardine. Rev., Sardius. The sixth foundation-stone of the Heavenly Jerusalem in chapter xxi. 20. A red stone, supposed to answer to our cornelian. Pliny derives its name from Sardis where it was discovered. Others from the Persian sered, yellowish red. The exact meaning of the symbolism must remain uncertain, owing to our ignorance of the precise meaning of "jasper," a name which seems to have covered a variety of stones now known under other classifications. Some interpreters, assuming the jasper to be sparkling white, find in it a representation of the holiness of God, and in the fiery sardius a representation of His wrath. Rainbow (iriv). Only here and chapter x. 1. The word is identical, and seems to have had some original connection with Iris, the deity known as the messenger-goddess of Olympus. In Homer the word is used in both senses.
"And if thou wishest now to ask of me, No dream I am, but lovely and divine: Whereof let this be unto thee a sign, That when thou wak'st, the many-colored bow Across the world the morning sun shall throw. But me indeed thine eyes shall not behold. Then he, awaking in the morning cold, A sprinkle of fine rain felt on his face, And leaping to his feet, in that wild place, Looked round, and saw the morning sunlight throw Across the world the many-colored bow; And trembling knew that the high gods indeed Had sent the messenger unto their need." William Morris, "Jason," xi., 190-200.
In classical Greek the word is used of any bright halo surrounding another body; of the circle round the eyes of a peacock's tail, and of the iris of the eye.
"And I beheld the flamelets onward go, Leaving behind themselves the air depicted, And they of trailing pennons had the semblance, So that it overhead remained distinct With sevenfold lists, all of them of the colors Whence the sun's bow is made, and Delia's girdle." 80 Dante, "Purgatorio," xxix, 73-78.
"Within the deep and luminous subsistence Of the High Light appeared to me three circles, Of threefold color and of one dimension, And by the second seemed the first reflected As Iris is by Iris, and the third Seemed fire that equally from both is breathed." "Paradiso," xxxiii., 115-120.
On this passage, which belongs to the description of Dante's vision of the Eternal Trinity, Dean Plumptre remarks: "One notes, not without satisfaction, that Dante shrinks from the anthropomorphism of Byzantine and early Western art, in which the Ancient of Days was represented in the form of venerable age. For him, as for the more primitive artists, the rainbow reflecting rainbow is the only adequate symbol of the "God of God, Light of Light" of the Nicene Creed, while the fire of love that breathes from both is that of the Holy Spirit, "proceeding from the Father and the Son."
Round about the throne. Compare Ezek. i. 26, 28.
Emerald (smaragdinw). The stone is first mentioned by Herodotus, who describes a temple of Hercules which he visited at Tyre. He says: "I found it richly adorned with a number of offerings, among which were two pillars, one of pure gold, the other of emerald (smaragdou liqou), shining with great brilliancy at night" (ii., 44). Also in his story of Polycrates of Samos, the signet-ring which Polycrates cast into the sea, was an emerald set in gold (iii., 41). It is claimed, however, that the real emerald was unknown to the ancients. Rawlinson thinks that the pillar in the Tyrian temple was of glass. The bow was not wanting in the other colors, but the emerald was predominant.
