Revelation 4:6 BSB — MannaFest

Revelation 4:6

And before the throne was something like a sea of glass, as clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, covered with eyes in front and back.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

and before the throne, as it were a sea of glass like unto crystal; and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, four living creatures full of eyes before and behind.

KJV

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 before and behind.

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Commentary

6 voices

Jerome

St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER SEVEN (420)

[Daniel 7:9] "I beheld until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of days took His seat. His garment was as white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was composed of fiery flames and its wheels were set on fire. From before His presence there issued forth a rushing, fiery stream."

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

Irenaeus

Against Heresies Book 3 (202)

It is not possible that the Gospels can be either more or fewer in number than they are. For, since there are four zones of the world in which we live, and four principal winds, while the Church is scattered throughout all the world, and the "pillar and ground" of the Church is the Gospel and the spirit of life; it is fitting that she should have four pillars, breathing out immortality on every side, and vivifying men afresh.

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

John Gill

1697–1771

Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748)

And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal,.... By which is meant, not heaven, nor the souls of the blessed there, nor the multitude of the holy angels, nor the first converts to Christianity at Jerusalem; for those that got the victory over the beast are said to stand upon this sea, Rev 15:2, which these senses, especially the three last, will by no means admit of.

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

As in the temple there was a great vessel of brass filled with water, in which the priests were to wash when they went to minister before the Lord (and this was called a sea ), so in the gospel church the sea or laver for purification is the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, who cleanses from all sin, even from sanctuary-sins.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

Four beasts - Τεσσαρα ζωα· Four living creatures or four animals. The word beast is very improperly used here and elsewhere in this description. Wiclif first used it, and translators in general have followed him in this uncouth rendering. A beast before the throne of God in heaven sounds oddly.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

It stands solid, calm, and clear, God's judgments are called "a great deep" (Ps 36:6). In Re 15:2 it is a "sea of glass mingled with fire." Thus there is symbolized here the purificatory baptism of water and the Spirit of all who are made "kings and priests unto God." In Re 15:2 the baptism with the fire of trial is meant.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

25 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
καὶ	kai	And	G2532 →
ἐνώπιον	enōpion	before	G1799 →
τοῦ	tou	the	G3588 →
θρόνου	thronou	throne	G2362 →
ὡς	hōs	[was something] like	G5613 →
θάλασσα	thalassa	a sea	G2281 →
ὑαλίνη,	hu'alinē	of glass,	G5193 →
ὁμοία	homoia	like	G3664 →
κρυστάλλῳ,	krustallō	as crystal,	G2930 →
καὶ	kai	And	G2532 →
ἐν	en	in	G1722 →
μέσῳ	mesō	[the] midst	G3319 →
τοῦ	tou	of the	G3588 →
θρόνου	thronou	throne	G2362 →
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
κύκλῳ	kuklō	around	G2945 →
τοῦ	tou	the	G3588 →
θρόνου	thronou	throne	G2362 →
τέσσαρα	tessara	[were] four	G5064 →
ζῷα	zōa	living creatures	G2226 →
γέμοντα	gemonta	being full	G1073 →
ὀφθαλμῶν	ophthalmōn	of eyes	G3788 →
ἔμπροσθεν	emprosthen	in front	G1715 →
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
ὄπισθεν.	opisthen	behind.	G3693 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Revelation 5:6
Then I saw a Lamb who appeared to have been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven…
leads to
- Zechariah 4:10
  For who has despised the day of small things? But these seven eyes of the LORD, which scan the whole earth, will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.”
- Zechariah 3:9
  See the stone I have set before Joshua; on that one stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave on it an inscription, declares the LORD of Hosts, and I will remove the iniquity…
- Revelation 5:12
  In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!”
- John 1:29
  The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
- John 1:36
  When he saw Jesus walking by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
Through
Revelation 14:3
And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. And no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the…
leads to
- Revelation 5:9
  And they sang a new song: “Worthy are You to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slain, and by Your blood You purchased for God those from every tribe and…
- Revelation 14:1
  Then I looked and saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000 who had His name and His Father’s name written on their foreheads.
Through
Revelation 15:2
And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, beside which stood those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name. They were holding harps…
leads to
- Revelation 12:11
  They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives so as to shy away from death.