SEV Biblia, Chapter 4:8
¶ Y los cuatro animales tenían cada uno por sí seis alas alrededor; y de dentro estaban llenos de ojos; y no cesaban día ni noche, diciendo: Santo, Santo, Santo el Seor Dios Todopoderoso, el que era, y que es, y que ha de venir.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Revelation 4:8
Verse 8. The four beasts had each of them six wings] I have already observed, in the preface to this book, that the phraseology is rabbinical; I might have added, and the imagery also. We have almost a counterpart of this description in Pirkey Elieser. chap. 4. I shall give the substance of this from Schoettgen. "Four troops of ministering angels praise the holy blessed God: the first is Michael, at the right hand; the next is Gabriel, at the left; the third is Uriel, before; and the fourth is Raphael, behind him. The shechinah of the holy, blessed God is in the midst, and he himself sits upon a throne high and elevated, hanging in the air; and his magnificence is as amber lmj , (chashmal,) in the midst of the fire, Ezek. i. 4, On his head is placed a crown and a diadem, with the incommunicable name ( hwhy Yehovah) inscribed on the front of it. His eyes go throughout the whole earth; a part of them is fire, and a part of them hail. At his right hand stands Life, and at his left hand Death; and he has a fiery scepter in his hand. Before him is the veil spread, that veil which is between the temple and the holy of holies; and seven angels minister before him within that veil: the veil and his footstool are like fire and lightning; and under the throne of glory there is a shining like fire and sapphire, and about his throne are justice and judgment.
"The place of the throne are the seven clouds of glory; and the chariot wheels, and the cherub, and the living creatures which give glory before his face. The throne is in similitude like sapphire; and at the four feet of it are four living creatures, each of which has four faces and four wings. When God speaks from the east, then it is from between the two cherubim with the face of a MAN; when he speaks from the south, then it is from between the two cherubim with the face of a LION; when from the west, then it is from between the two cherubim with the face of an OX; and when from the north, then it is from between the two cherubim with the face of an EAGLE.
"And the living creatures stand before the throne of glory; and they stand in fear, in trembling, in horror, and in great agitation; and from this agitation a stream of fire flows before them. Of the two seraphim one stands at the right hand of the holy blessed God, and one stands at the left; and each has six wings: with two they cover their face lest they should see the face of the shechina; with two they cover their feet lest they should find out the footstool of the shechinah; and with two they fly, and sanctify his great name. And they answer each other, saying Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory. And the living creatures stand near his glory, yet they do not know the place of his glory; but wheresoever his glory is, they cry out and say, Blessed be the glory of the Lord in his place." In Shemoth Rabba, sec. 23, fol. 122, 4, Rabbi Abin says: "There are four which have principality in this world: among intellectual creatures, MAN; among birds, the EAGLE; among cattle, the OX; and among wild beasts, the LION: each of these has a kingdom and a certain magnificence, and they are placed under the throne of glory, Ezek. i. 10, to show that no creature is to exalt itself in this world, and that the kingdom of God is over all." These creatures may be considered the representatives of the whole creation.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 8. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about [him] , etc.] As the seraphim in ( Isaiah 6:2) with two of which they might cover their faces as they did, testifying thereby their reverence of God, when in his presence; and with the other two cover their feet, signifying their sense of their sinfulness, weakness, and imperfection, in their conversation, even in their best works, and in the ministry of the word; and with the other two fly about, as denoting their readiness to minister the word and ordinances, to visit the members of the church, and do all good offices of love and service to them that lie in their power: [and they were] full of eyes within ; to look into the sin and corruption of their own hearts, which is a means of keeping them humble amidst all their attainments, gifts, and graces, and of qualifying them to speak aptly of the cases of others; and they have eyes within, to look into and consult their own experience; for besides the word of God, which lies before them, they have a testimony in themselves of the truth of the doctrines of the Gospel, which they do well to attend unto; and they have these inward eyes to look into that treasure which God has put into their earthen vessels, in order to bring out of it things new and old. And they rest not day and night ; they give up themselves to the ministry of the word, and prayer; are wholly in these things, meditate on the word continually, and preach the Gospel in season, and out of season: saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come ; living under a continual sense of the holiness of God, Father, Son, and Spirit; and how necessary holiness is in themselves, who bear the vessels of the Lord, and in the churches and house of God; taking care that all their doctrines are according to godliness, and serve to promote holiness of life and conversation; and also under a sense of the power of God, and of their need of it, to carry them through their work, and make their ministry successful; and of the eternity and immutability of God, which is a wonderful support unto them amidst all the difficulties and troubles that attend them. The word holy is three times used here, as by the seraphim in ( Isaiah 6:3); and in some copies it is repeated six times, and in others nine times, as in the Complutensian edition.
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 τεσσαρα 5064 ζωα 2226 εν 1520 καθ 2596 εαυτο 1438 ειχον 2192 5707 ανα 303 πτερυγας 4420 εξ 1803 κυκλοθεν 2943 και 2532 εσωθεν 2081 γεμοντα 1073 5723 οφθαλμων 3788 και 2532 αναπαυσιν 372 ουκ 3756 εχουσιν 2192 5719 ημερας 2250 και 2532 νυκτος 3571 λεγοντα 3004 5723 αγιος 40 αγιος 40 αγιος 40 κυριος 2962 ο 3588 θεος 2316 ο 3588 παντοκρατωρ 3841 ο 3588 ην 2258 5713 και 2532 ο 3588 ων 5607 5752 και 2532 ο 3588 ερχομενος 2064 5740
Vincent's NT Word Studies
8. Had (eicon). The best texts read ecwn having, the participle in the singular number agreeing with each one.
Each of them (en kaq eauto). Lit., one by himself. The best texts read en kaq en one by one or every one. Compare Mark xiv. 19.
Six wings. Compare Isa. vi. 2. Dante pictures his Lucifer, who is the incarnation of demoniac animalism, with three heads and six wings. "Underneath each came forth two mighty wrings, Such as befitting were so great a bird; Sails of the sea I never saw so large.
No feathers had they, but as of a bat Their fashion was; and he was waving them, so that three winds proceeded forth therefrom.
Thereby Cocytus wholly was congealed." "Inferno," xxxiv., 46-52.
Dean Plumptre remarks that the six wings seem the only survival of the higher than angelic state from which Lucifer had fallen.
About him (kukloqen). The best texts place the comma after ex six instead of after kukloqen around, and connect kukloqen with the succeeding clause, rendering, are full of eyes round about and within. So Rev.
They were full (gemonta). Read gemousin are full.
Round about and within. Around and inside each wing, and on the part of the body beneath it.
They rest not (ajnapausin oujk ecousin). Lit., they have no rest. So Rev. See on give rest, Matt. xi. 28; and resteth, 1 Pet. iv. 14. Holy, etc. Compare Isa. vi. 3, which is the original of the formula known as the Trisagion (thrice holy), used in the ancient liturgies. In the Apostolic Constitutions it runs: "Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Hosts! Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory, who art blessed forever, Amen." Afterwards it was sung in the form "Holy God, holy Mighty, holy Immortal, have mercy upon us." So in the Alexandrian liturgy, or liturgy of St. Mark. Priest. "To Thee we send up glory and giving of thanks, and the hymn of the Trisagion, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, now and ever and to ages of ages. People. Amen! Holy God, holy Mighty, Holy and Immortal, have mercy upon us." In the liturgy of Chrysostom the choir sing the Trisagion five times, and in the meantime the priest says secretly the prayer of the Trisagion. "God which art holy and restest in the holies, who art hymned with the voice of the Trisagion by the Seraphim, and glorified by the Cherubim, and adored by all the heavenly powers! Thou who didst from nothing call all things into being; who didst make man after Thine image and likeness, and didst adorn him with all Thy graces; who givest to him that seeketh wisdom and understanding, and passest not by the sinner, but dost give repentance unto salvation; who has vouchsafed that we, Thy humble and unworthy servants, should stand, even at this time, before the glory of Thy holy altar, and should pay to Thee the worship and praise that is meet; - receive, Lord, out of the mouth of sinners, the hymn of the Trisagion, and visit us in Thy goodness. Forgive us every offense, voluntary and involuntary. Sanctify our souls and bodies, and grant that we may serve Thee in holiness all the days of our life; through the intercession of the holy Mother of God, and all the saints who have pleased Thee since the beginning of the world. (Aloud.) For holy art Thou, one God and to Thee."
According to an unreliable tradition this formula was received during an earthquake at Constantinople, in the reign of Theodosius II., through a boy who was caught up into the sky and heard it from the angels. The earliest testimonies to the existence of, the Trisagion date from the fifth century or the latter part of the fourth. Later, the words were added, "that was crucified for us," in order to oppose the heresy of the Theopaschites (Qeov God, pascw to suffer) who held that God had suffered and been crucified. To this was added later the words "Christ our king:" the whole reading, "Holy God, holy Mighty, holy Immortal, Christ our king that was crucified for us, have mercy on us." The formula thus entered into the controversy with the Monophysites, who claimed that Christ had but one composite nature. Dante introduces it into his "Paradiso."
"The One and Two and Three who ever liveth And reigneth ever in Three and Two and One, Not circumscribed and all things circumscribing, Three several times was chanted by each one Among those spirits, with such melody That for all merit it were just reward." "Paradiso," xiv., 28-33.
"When I was silent, sweetest song did flow Through all the heaven, and my lady too With them cried holy, holy, holy! " "Paradiso," xxvi., 67-69.
The interpretations of the symbols of the four living creatures are, of course, numerous and varied. Some of them are: the four Evangelists or Gospels; the four elements; the four cardinal virtues; the four faculties or powers of the human soul; the Lord in the fourfold great events of redemption; the four patriarchal churches; the four great apostles, the doctors of the Church; the four principal angels, etc. The best modern interpreters explain the four forms as representing animated nature - "man with his train of dependent beings brought near to God, and made partakers of redemption, thus fulfilling the language of St. Paul, that 'the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God'" (Rom. viii. 21; Milligan). Dsterdieck says: "The essential idea which is symbolized in the figures of the four living creatures may be expressed in such words as those of Ps. ciii. 22." Full of eyes, they are ever on the alert to perceive the manifestations of divine glory. Covering their faces and feet with their wings (Isa. vi. 2), they manifest their reverence and humility. Flying, they are prompt for ministry. "We thus have the throne of God surrounded by His Church and His animated world; the former represented by the twenty-four elders, the latter by the four living beings" (Alford). Which is to come (o ercomenov). Lit., which cometh or is coming.
