תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

·

της εἴκοσι τέσσαρας πρεσβυτέρες καθη μένες, περιβεβλη μένως ἐν ἱμαλίοις λει κοῖς· καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς αὑτῶν δε 5 φάνες χρυσές. Καὶ ἐκ τὸ θρόνε ἐκπορεύονται ἀςραπαὶ καὶ βρονταὶ καὶ φωναί· καὶ ἑπτὰ λαμπάδες πυρὸς καιόμεναι ἐνώπιον τὸ θεόνε, απ εἰσι τὰ ἑπλὰ πνεύ

6 μαλα το Θεῖ. Καὶ ἐνώπιον τῷ θρόνε ὡς θάλασσα θαλίνη, ὁμοία κρυςάλλῳ καὶ ἐν μέσω το θρό 18 καὶ κύκλῳ τὸ θρό να τέσσαρα ζώα γέμονία ὀφθαλμῶν ἔμ7 προσθεν και όπισ.

θεν. Καὶ τὸ ζῶον τὸ πρῶτον ὅμοιον λέοντι, καὶ τὸ δεύ τερον ζῶον ὅμοιον μόσχῳ, καὶ τὸ τρίτον ζῶον ἔχον τὸ πρόσω ωπον ὡς ἄνθρωπος, καὶ τὸ τέταριον ζῶον ὅμοιον ἀεὶῷ πελωμέ 8 νω· Καὶ τέσσαρα ζῶα, ἓν καθ' ἐν αὐτ τῶν, ἔχον ἀνὰ πλέ ρυγας ἓξ, κυκλόθεν καὶ ἔσωθεν γέμεσιν ὀφθαλμῶν· καὶ ἀνάπαυσιν ἐκ ἔχεσιν ἡμέρας καὶ νικιός, λέο γοντες Αγιο, α

the Throne were twentyfour thrones, and upon the thrones twenty-four Elders, sitting, clothed in white raiment; and upon their heads 5 crowns of gold. And out of the Throne proceed lightnings, and thunderings,and voices; and seven lamps of fire burning before the Throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. 6 And before the Throne,

7

as it were, a Sea, glassy, like unto crystal; and in the midst of the Throne, and around the Throne, four living creatures, full of eyes,

before and behind.

And the first living creature like a lion; and the second living creature like a steer; and the third living creature having the aspect as a man; and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle. 8 And the four living creatures, having each of them six wings, are full of eyes, around and within; and they cease not day and night, saying, "Holy, holy, holy, the Lord

66

[ocr errors][merged small]

seats

and upon the

seats I saw four and twenty Elders, sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of 5 gold. And out of the Throne proceeded lightnings, and thunderings, and voices: And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the Throne,

which are the seven 6 Spirits of God. And

before the Throne there was a sea of glass, like unto crystal: And in the midst of the Throne, and round about the Throne, were four beasts, full of eyes, be7 fore and behind. And

the first beast was like a lion; and the second beast like a calf; and the third beast had a face as a man; and the fourth beast was

like a flying eagle. 8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him, and they were full of eyes within; and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and 9 is to come. And when

those beasts give glory,

για, ο Κύριος

ὁ Θεὸς ὁ παντοκρά- 19 τωρ, ὁ ἦν, καὶ ὁ ὢν, καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενα. Ο Καὶ ὅταν δώσεσι τὰ ζῶα δόξαν καὶ τιμὴν καὶ εὐχαρισίαν τῷ καθημένῳ ἐπὶ τῇ θρόνες, τῷ ζωνι εἰς τὰς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, 10 Πεσεναι οἱ εἴκοσι · τέσσαρες πρεσβύ τεροι ἐνώπιον τῷ και θημένε ἐπὶ τῇ θρό 18, καὶ προσκυνη σᾶσι τῷ ζῶνι εἰς τὰς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, καὶ βαλέσι τὰς σεφάνες αὑτῶν ἐνώπιον τῷ θρόνα, 11 λέγοντες. Αξιος εί, Κύριε, λαβεῖν τὴν δόξαν, καὶ τὴν τις μὴν, καὶ τὴν δύναμιν· ὅτι σὺ ἔκλισας

τὰ πάλα, καὶ διὰ
τὸ θέλημά σε ἦσαν,
καὶ ἐκτίσθησαν.

"is, and which is to 66 come !” And when the living creatures give glory and honour and thanksgiving to Him who sitteth on the Throne, who liveth for 10 ever and ever, The twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sitteth on the Throne, and worship Him who liveth for ever and ever; and cast their

crowns before the

11Throne, saying, "Wor

66

" thy art thou, Ο Lord, "to receive the glory, "and the honour, and "the power; for thou σε hast created all "things, and by thy “ will they were, and

[ocr errors][merged small]

and honour, and thanks to Him that sat on the Throne, who liveth for 10 ever and ever, The four and twenty Elders fall down before Him that sat on the Throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the 11 Throne, saying, Thou art worthy, Ο Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created.

Ver..1. After these things.] In the 19th verse of the first chapter, the Prophet is ordered to write both the things which were then present, do, and the

events which were to happen afterwards, &

S δει Ο

μελλει

}

γενεσθαι μετα ταυλα. Into these two parts the whole book

of the Apocalypse is divided *. The first, containing

[blocks in formation]

the present state of the seven Churches, as discovered by their all-seeing Lord, is now completed; and we enter upon the second, which contains the disclosure of events which were then to come. Accordingly it is a new vision which is now presented; and the words immediately I was in the spirit," shew it to be such; for they needed not to have been repeated from chap. i. 10, if it had been otherwise.

Ib. In the heaven.] The same kind of opening in the heaven, is described by other Prophets, who were favoured with such visions*. This opening of the heaven was previous to Saint John's ascent thither, and seems to have been seen by him, before he was carried in the Spirit to become a spectator of the sublime scene which he is going to describe.

Ver. 2. I was in the Spirit.] The celerity with which the Apostle, rapt in the Spirit, is presented before the scenery in heaven, is sublime. It is like that alluded to by Saint Paul, who knew

not whether he

was bodily or only spiritually present t. It is not like the fabled ascent of Mahomet, on the beast Alborak.

Ib. A throne.] This representation has a near resemblance to what it pleased the Holy Spirit to display, at other times, of the majesty of Jehovah §. The ineffable presence of God, as Bishop Lowth remarks, can only be represented by sensible and earthly images. Here is displayed the utmost magnificence of eastern

state.

Ib. Upon the throne one sitting.] There is great sublimity in this nameless majesty of God; and ipsum

Ezek. i. 2. x. 1.

↑ 2 Cor. xii. 2. & 3.

↑ Prideaux' Life of Mahomet. || On Isaiah vi.

Isaiah vi. Ezek. i. 26, &c. xliii. i. 9.

verbum sedere, the very word, sitting, says Jerome, shews the power and authority of his rule *.

Ver. 3. Jasper-sardine-stone.] The jasper is represented to be a pellucid, watery gem, its colour va rious t, the sardine also transparent, but of a fiery tinge. So, to express in some measure, by sensible images, the ineffable brightness of Him who sate upon the throne, the clear jasper first presented itself in the Prophet's mind, but a fiery glow was wanting to complete the description; he therefore adds the sardine. There is a resemblance to this in Exod. xxiv. 10, 17.

Ib. Radiance.] In the vision of Ezekiel+, there is a throne, and one sitting, and around him "as it were "the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round

[ocr errors]

about, as the appearance of the bow that is in the "clouds on the day of rain." Such was this circular glory; it was not a rainbow, but like it; and of a green hue and lustre, like an emerald.

Ver. 4. Twenty-four thrones-twenty-four elders.] Comparing this vision, so far as we have proceeded, with those exhibited in the Old Testament to the Prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel, we cannot hesitate to declare, that it represents (to use the words of these Prophets) "the King, the Lord of Hosts, the Glory "of the God of Israel!" But who are these, whom we behold on the twenty-four thrones, seated in state, and dignified with crowns? They are admitted to distinguishing honour in the Divine presence; and yet they are certainly servants, for they officiate as such (v. 10, and ch. xi. 16.) in postures of adoration, as before an eastern monarch, with crowns abased, doing homage to the Supreme King. Yet they are not angels, the

• Hieron. Comm. in Ephes. i. 20. + Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. xxvii.

t Ch. i. 27, 28.

R 2

usual

usual attendants of the Deity; they have no other attribute or character of those heavenly inhabitants, than that of heavenly ministration. These are not, then, "the innumerable company of angels," described by the Apostle to the Hebrews, (cl. xii.) which sacred writer, if Saint Paul, (as is probable,) had been admitted to the heavenly scene*. No; this "innumerable com"" pany of angels" is added to the scenery, in the next chapter; nor can we with greater probability suppose them to represent that, which immediately follows in the same description, "the general assembly and "Church of the first-born which are written in heaven;" because, by comparing this part of the vision with that which follows in ch. xiv. 1, we shall plainly discover, that the twenty-four elders, although they may represent a part of Christ's Church, redeemed from earth, and seated in heaven, do not represent the general assembly," or whole body. For, the Lamb, the Redeemer, when he appears on Mount Sion, is attended by an hundred and forty-four thousand; who are expressly said to be "the redeemed from amongst men ‡." And these are distinct from the Elders: for they "sing "a new song before the throne, and before the living

creatures, and before the Elders." And these are also said to be" a first fruit to God and to the Lamb,” (ver. 4.) and to have "the name of the Lamb and of "his Father written on their foreheads;" (ver. 1.) which description agrees so exactly with that of " the general assembly and Church of the FIRST-BORN (@poTolony) which are WRITTEN in heaven," that we must necessarily account them as such, and therefore look for another body, with whose description the twentyfour Elders may agree. Such another body is disCh. xiv. 4.

2 Cor. xii. 1—5.

† See ver. 11.

closed

« הקודםהמשך »