Revelation 4:9

And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The ground of praise is God's eternity, power, and glory manifested in creating all things for His pleasure. Creation is the foundation of all God's other acts of power, wisdom, love, and therefore forms the first theme of thanksgivings. The four living creatures take the lead of the 24 elders, both in this anthem and that new song which follows, on the ground of their redemption (Revelation 5:8). WHEN - i:e., whensoever. A simultaneous giving of glory by the living creatures and the elders. GIVE. 'Shall give' in A; but B 'Aleph (') [ doosousin (G1325)], 'shall have given.' Forever and ever...

9-11 All true believers wholly ascribe their redemption and conversion, their present privileges and future hopes, to the eternal and most holy God. Thus rise the for-ever harmonious, thankful songs of the redeemed in heaven. Would we on earth do like them, let our praises be constant, not interrupted; united, not divided; thankful, not cold and formal; humble, not self-confident....

AND WHEN THOSE BEASTS GIVE GLORY ... - As often as those living beings ascribe glory to God. They did this continually Revelation 4:8; and, if the above explanation be correct, then the idea is that the ways and acts of God in his providential government are continually of such a nature as to honor him....

EXPOSITION This is the commencement of the second great division, which embraces Revelation 4-22:5, that in which the revelation, properly so called, takes place. Revelation 4:1. and 5. contain the first of the seven visions, which is itself a prelude to the rest. REVELATION 4:1 AFTER THIS; or, _after these things _(μετὰ ταῦτα). There is no good ground for supposing, as some do, that, after the events narrated in Revelation 3:1., an interval occurred in the visions, during which St. John possibly wrote down the matter contained in the first three chapters. Nor is there any justification for assigning what follows to a time after this world.

AND WHEN THESE BEASTS GIVE GLORY,.... When they give God the glory of all his perfections, covenant, and promises, and of all the gifts and grace bestowed on them, and of the success of their ministry; and in it glorify Father, Son, and Spirit, who bear their respective parts in the business of salvation; and ascribe to each their due glory in election, redemption, and sanctification: AND HONOUR; in the several parts of religious worship performed by them; and not with their lips only, but with their hearts also: AND THANKS; for all blessings, temporal and spiritual, bestowed on them, and on the saints: even TO HIM THAT SAT ON THE THRONE; God the Father, Revelation 4:3; WHO LIVETH FOR EVER AND EVER; he who is the living God, and will always continue so....

BEASTS Living creatures. (_ See Scofield) - (Ezekiel 1:5). _...

III. THE THINGS WHICH ARE AFTER THESE, THE END OF THE AGE, THE CONSUMMATION, AND FINAL MESSAGES (4-22) Chapter S 4-5 _ 1. The open door and the vision of the throne (Revelation 4:1)_ 2. The twenty-four elders and the throne (Revelation 4:4). 3. The four living creatures and the worship (Revelation 4:6) 4. Who is worthy to open the book? (Revelation 5:1) 5. The answer (Revelation 5:4) 6. The vision of the Lamb ...

REVELATION 4. THE VISION OF HEAVEN. In this chapter the real Apocalypse commences. A door is opened in heaven and the seer sees the throne of God, flashing like jewels, and surrounded by a rainbow. Twenty-four elders sit on thrones, and with four living beasts offer continual praise and worship to God. Much of the imagery is traditional, and derived from similar descriptions of heaven and the Divine majesty in OT; _cf._ Isaiah 6:1; Ezekiel 12:4; Daniel 7:9 f. REVELATION 4:1. THE FIRST VOICE: that mentioned in Revelation 1:10....

With the fourth chapter there is. remarkable change in the nature of Revelation. Two parts, the record of the things John _saw_ and the things that _were_ (are) have ended; the third part, the declaration of the things that _shall be hereafter,_ begins with these words: “After this. looked, and behold,. door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which. heard was, as it were, of. trumpet talking to me; which said, come up hither, and. will shew thee things which must be hereafter.” See also chap. 1:19. The prophetic portion, which embraces seventeen Chapter s, is now introduced by imagery of the most striking character. The scene has entirely changed. No longer does John behold Patmos and the sea, or the vision of the Son of Man moving among the golden candlesticks, with the seven stars in his hands, but in the spirit he is permitted to look through the open door of heaven and to beh...

THE OPENING HEAVENS AND THE OPENING DOOR (Revelation 4:1) _ 4:1 After this I saw, and, behold, a door in heaven was standing open, and there came to me the voice that I had heard before, speaking to me like the sound of a trumpet, and the speaker said: "Come up here, and I will show you the events which must follow these things."_ In Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22 we saw the Risen Christ walking amidst his churches upon earth. Now the scene changes to the court of heaven. A door was opened in heaven for the seer. There are two possibilities here: (a) It may be that he is thought of as already being in heaven, and the door is opening into still more holy parts of h