God's plan is hidden in heaven. When God finds a man on earth after His heart, heaven is opened to him. It was opened to Jacob (Gen. 28:12-17), to Ezekiel (Ezek. 1:1), to Jesus (Matt. 3:16), to Stephen (Acts 7:56), and to Peter (Acts 10:11). Here and in 19:11 it was opened to John, the writer of this book, and it will be opened to all believers in the Lord in eternity (John 1:51).

The voice heard in Rev. 1:10.

See note Rev. 1:10^1a.

In this book the throne of God is the center of God's administration. In the Epistles the throne is the throne of grace, from which we receive mercy and find grace (Heb. 4:16). In this book the throne is the throne of judgment, from which the world receives judgment. Eventually, after all God's judgments have been executed, the throne of God will be the throne of the supply of eternal life, out of which will proceed the living water of life, in which the tree of life grows, as the supply of God's redeemed in eternity.

According to 21:11, the jasper is "a most precious stone...as clear as crystal." Its color must be dark green, which signifies life in its richness. Jasper here, as indicated in Rev. 21:11, signifies God's communicable glory in His rich life (2, John 17:22). God's appearance is like jasper, as also the appearance of the holy city, New Jerusalem, will be (21:11). The city's wall and first foundation are built with jasper (Rev. 21:18-19).

Twenty-four is formed by multiplying twelve by two. Twelve indicates the completion of God's administration (Matt. 19:28). David divided both the priests and the Levites into twenty-four groups to carry out God's administrative service. Therefore, before they are replaced by the church, the twenty-four angelic elders are the ones who carry out God's administration. Twelve multiplied by two signifies strengthening by doubling, indicating that the divine administration carried out by the twenty-four angelic elders is strong.

Twenty-four is formed by multiplying twelve by two. Twelve indicates the completion of God's administration (Matt. 19:28). David divided both the priests and the Levites into twenty-four groups to carry out God's administrative service. Therefore, before they are replaced by the church, the twenty-four angelic elders are the ones who carry out God's administration. Twelve multiplied by two signifies strengthening by doubling, indicating that the divine administration carried out by the twenty-four angelic elders is strong.

The rainbow around God's throne is like an emerald in appearance. An emerald is a precious stone whose grass-green color signifies the lives on earth. This indicates that as God is executing His judgment upon the earth, He will remember His covenant and will spare some of the lives on earth, as indicated in Gen. 9:11.

The rainbow is a sign of God's covenant with man and all living creatures that He will not destroy them again with a flood (Gen. 9:8-17). This book shows that God will judge the earth with all its inhabitants. The rainbow around His throne signifies that God is the covenanting God, the faithful God, who will keep His covenant while executing His judgment upon the earth. He will not judge mankind again with a flood nor destroy all mankind, but will keep a part of mankind to be the nations on the new earth for His glory (Rev. 21:24, 26).

The sardius too is a most precious stone, and its red color signifies redemption. While jasper signifies God as the God of glory in His rich life, sardius signifies God as the God of redemption. On the breastplate of the high priest in the Old Testament, the first stone was a sardius and the last a jasper (Exo. 28:17, 20). This signifies that God's redeemed people have their beginning in God's redemption and their consummation in God's glory of life.

The praises of both the four living creatures in this verse and the twenty-four elders in v. 11 are composed of three items, implying that both the living creatures and the elders are praising the Triune God. The first two items, glory and honor, are the same in both places, but the last item is different: In the praises of the four living creatures the last item is thanks — they are redeemed and are grateful for the redemption of God's grace; whereas in the praises of the twenty-four elders the last item is power — as the rulers of the universe (they are not the redeemed creatures), they appreciate the power of God, by which they rule.

The use of three tenses in speaking of God's existence also implies that God is triune. See note Rev. 1:4^3e.

The mentioning of holy three times, as in Isa. 6:3, implies that God is triune.

In appearance, the four living creatures resemble the cherubim in Ezek. 1:5-10 and Ezek. 10:14-15. In that they each have six wings (v. 8), they are like the seraphim in Isa. 6:2. (The cherubim in Exo. 25:20 and 1 Kings 6:27 have two wings, and the cherubim in Ezek. 1:6 have four wings.) They must be a combination of the cherubim and the seraphim. As the seraphim, they are for God's holiness (Isa. 6:3), referring to God's nature, and as the cherubim, they are for God's glory (Ezek. 10:18-19; Heb. 9:5), referring to God's expression. Hence, they stand for God's nature and expression.

Eyes enable living things to receive light and vision. The four living creatures are full of eyes, not only in front and behind but also around and within (v. 8), indicating that they are absolutely not opaque but are crystal clear in every aspect. In the presence of God we, the redeemed people, should be like this.

The twenty-four elders around the throne of God represent all the angels, whereas the four living creatures represent all other living creatures. The first, which is like a lion, represents the beasts; the second, which is like a calf, represents the cattle; the third, which is like a man, represents mankind; and the fourth, which is like an eagle, represents the fowl (v. 7). Of the six categories of living things created by God (Gen. 1:20-28), two are not represented here — the creeping things on the earth and the living things in the water. The head of the creeping things is the serpent, a symbol of God's enemy, Satan, who will be cast into the lake of fire and will have no place in the new heaven and new earth. The living things in the water are in the water of God's judgment, which will no longer exist in the new heaven and new earth (Rev. 21:1). Hence, for eternity these two categories are not represented before God.

Among the four living creatures, the calf is clean, but the lion and the eagle are unclean (Lev. 11:3, 13-19, 27). After being redeemed, they all became clean (Acts 10:11-16). Among them the calf and the man are meek and gentle, but the lion and eagle are wild and fierce. Through redemption they can all dwell together (Isa. 11:6-9). Christ's redemption is not only for man but for all things (Col. 1:20), for He died on behalf of everything (Heb. 2:9).

This glassy sea is not of water but of fire (Rev. 15:2). Since the deluge, God, in accordance with His promise that He would not judge the earth and all living creatures again with water (Gen. 9:15), always exercises His judgment upon man with fire (Gen. 19:24; Lev. 10:2; Num. 11:1; 16:35; Dan. 7:11; Rev. 14:10; 18:8; 19:20; 20:9-10; 21:8). God's throne of judgment is like the fiery flame out of which a fiery stream issues (Dan. 7:9-10). The flame of God's judging fire sweeps all negative things in the entire universe into this glassy sea, which eventually becomes the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14). The glassy sea, being the aggregate of all God's fiery judgment, is like crystal, signifying that every negative thing under God's judgment is crystal clear. Here we have the rainbow around the throne of God, signifying that God will keep His promise recorded in Gen. 9:8-17. We also have the glassy sea of fire, indicating that God will judge all negative things still with fire.

See note Rev. 1:4^5f.

The seven lamps here are based upon the seven lamps of the lampstand in Exo. 25:37 and Zech. 4:2. The seven lamps of fire, which are the seven Spirits of God, signify the enlightening and searching of the sevenfold intensified Spirit of God. In Exo. 25 and Zech. 4 the seven lamps, signifying the enlightening of the Spirit of God in God's move, are for God's building, either for the building of the tabernacle or for the rebuilding of the temple. Here the seven lamps are for God's judgment, which will issue also in God's building — the building of the New Jerusalem.

The white garments here indicate that these angelic elders are sinless and, unlike the redeemed saints, have no need to be washed by the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 7:14).

The elders here are not the elders of the church but the elders of the angels, because here, before the Lord's second coming, they are sitting on thrones already (cf. Matt. 19:28; Rev. 20:4). Among God's creation the angels are the most ancient ones. Their elders are the elders of the whole creation of God. That they sit on thrones with golden crowns on their heads indicates that they must be the ones who rule the universe until the millennial kingdom, when the authority to rule the earth will be given to the overcoming saints (Heb. 2:5-9; Rev. 2:26-27; 20:4). That they are clothed in white garments and have a harp and golden bowls full of incense (Rev. 5:8) indicates that now they are also priests before God; in the millennial kingdom, however, the reigning overcomers will be the priests of God and of Christ (Rev. 20:6). The elders' golden crowns indicate that they are also ruling ones. Therefore, they are priests serving God and kings reigning over His creation.

According to the preceding verses, this section of the holy Word implies that when the redeemed saints — represented by the man among the four living creatures, who are redeemed — have been perfected and glorified to be the proper priests and kings (Rev. 20:6), the temporary priests and kings, the twenty-four angelic elders, will resign from their offices. This is implied by the fact that they will cast their crowns before the throne.

See note Rev. 4:9^1a.

God is a God of purpose, having a will of His own pleasure. He created all things for His will that He might accomplish and fulfill His purpose. This book, which unveils God's universal administration, shows us the purpose of God. Hence, in the twenty-four elders' praise to God concerning His creation, His creation is related to His will.