Chapter 4 Footnotes
[1] 1 Corinthians 15:50
[2] 2 Corinthians 12:2-5
[3] Verse 2
[4] Revelation 22:1-2
[5] Revelation 2:7
[6] 4:1, 17:1, 21:9
[7] Revelation 1:4, 11
[8] 1 Thessalonians 4:17
[9] 1 Corinthians 15:52
[10] ibid., 1 Thessalonians 4:16
[11] Arguments (such as: See “The Rapture” for this.) which maintain more of John’s visions deal with the earth rather than heaven are quite weak. It is true that most of the seals, trumpets, and plagues have to do with the earth, but their focus is less important than John’s position when he sees the visions and the heavenly events surrounding them. John gives so many descriptions of events in heaven that his silence on the presence of the Church there cancels any significance which might be attached to his silence on its presence on earth.
[12] 3 John 1:6, 1:9, 1:10
[13] All in Revelation: 1:4,11,20, 2:1,7,8,11,12,17,18,23,29, 3:1,6,7,13,14,22, 22:16
[14] 1 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 18
[15] Isaiah 6
[16] Ezekiel 1 and Ezekiel 8
[17] Daniel 7
[18] 2 Corinthians 12:2
[19] Since no one has or can see God, it is most likely what they saw was either an angel representing God (as was the burning bush), or the preincarnate Christ. This latter is called a “Theophany.”
[20] Exodus 24:1
[21] Revelation 4:3
[22] Revelation 17:4, 18:16
[23] Revelation 18:12
[24] Revelation 21:11, 18-20
[25] Revelation 4:3, 21:11,18,19
[26] Revelation 20:11
[27] There is a manuscript problem with Revelation 4:3. Some have "sardinos" (otherwise unknown) instead of the more regular "sardion.” The latter, which occurs in Rev 21:20, is translated carnelian or sardius, and so should be the former, most likely. The unusual word does, however, make understanding what stone John meant even more difficult.
[28] John 6:46, 1 Timothy 6:16. The latter says God “lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.”
[29] Those familiar with Homer will recall that his “wine-dark sea” had nothing to do with the color of the sea, but with the depth of that color. Anyone who has seen the deep ocean in sunlight knows what he meant.
[30] Genesis 9:13-16. “Quesheth,” the word used in Genesis and Ezekiel, means bow and is often used of the weapon.
[31] It is possible that God had two purposes in placing the rainbow in the sky. The first was to seal his promise not to again destroy the earth by flood, but the second may have been to remind men of his power of judgment and the consequences of sin.
[32] Revelation 21:12
[33] Revelation 21:14
[34] Joshua 7:6
[35] Isaiah 24:23
[36] Matthew 19:27-28
[37] It is unlikely the judgment thrones of 20:4 are occupied by the elders.
[38] Revelation 20:4-5
[39] Revelation 5:8
[40] Revelation 8:3
[41] Tobit 13:15
[42] Revelation 8:3
[43] Revelation 8:2
[44] Revelation 15:7
[45] Colossians 1:16
[46] 1 Corinthians 6:3
[47] Revelation 20:4
[48] Acts 1:10
[49] Revelation 3:5
[50] Revelation 14:14
[51] James 1:12
[52] stephanos
[53] diadeyma
[54] Revelation 19:12
[55] Revelation 12:3
[56] Revelation 13:1
[57] Job 8:9, Colossians 2:17, Hebrews 8:5, 10:1
[58] Revelation 8:5
[59] Revelation 11:19
[60] Revelation 16:18
[61] Ezekiel 1:4, 13-14
[62] Ezekiel 3:12-13
[63] Revelation 1:20
[64] In a similar encounter, Zechariah saw “a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lights on it, with seven channels to the lights (Zechariah 4:10),” and it seems likely John and Zechariah saw the same thing.
[65] Revelation 4:5
[66] Revelation 5:6
[67] Zechariah 3:9 and 4:10
[68] 2 Chronicles 16:9
[69] Exodus 24:9-10
[70] Ezekiel 1:22, 10:1
[71] Revelation 4:8-9, 5:8-14, 19:4
[72] Revelation 6:1-8
[73] Revelation 15:7
[74] When Ezekiel encountered similar beings around the throne of God (Ezekiel 1:1), he too called them “living ones”
[75] The seven spirits (e.g. Revelation 4:5) and the Lamb (e.g. Revelation 5:6).
[76] The twenty-four elders (e.g. Revelation 4:4), the multitude of angels (Revelation 6:11), and every other living creature (e.g. Revelation 6:13).
[77] Ezekiel 1:4
[78] Isaiah 6:1
[79] Revelation 4:1-2
[80] Revelation 7:15
[81] The throne in Revelation is not “high and exalted,” for example. If the four creatures surround the throne and the throne is high and exalted, then they are for all practical purposes beneath it.
[82] Both “Kerub,” the root of cherub, and “Saraph,” the root of seraph appear as names in Scripture. In Ezra 2:59 and Nehemiah 7:61 Kerub is a town in Babylon. In 1 Chronicles 4:22, Saraph is the name of a man from Judah.
[83] Ezekiel 1:5
[84] The origin of the Hebrew word is uncertain.
[85] Ezekiel 10:1
[86] The seraphs have other purposes as well, for one of them takes a hot coal to Isaiah to take away his sin (Isaiah 6:6).
[87] see end note i.
[88] Ezekiel 1:9
[89] 1 Chronicles 28:18
[90] Ezekiel 10:6
[91] Ezekiel 10:2
[92] Ezekiel 1:18, 10:12
[93] Ezekiel 10:12
[94] Revelation 4:6
[95] Revelation 4:8
[96] Revelation 5:8
[97] Revelation 7:11
[98] Revelation 11:16
[99] Revelation 19:4
[2] 2 Corinthians 12:2-5
[3] Verse 2
[4] Revelation 22:1-2
[5] Revelation 2:7
[6] 4:1, 17:1, 21:9
[7] Revelation 1:4, 11
[8] 1 Thessalonians 4:17
[9] 1 Corinthians 15:52
[10] ibid., 1 Thessalonians 4:16
[11] Arguments (such as: See “The Rapture” for this.) which maintain more of John’s visions deal with the earth rather than heaven are quite weak. It is true that most of the seals, trumpets, and plagues have to do with the earth, but their focus is less important than John’s position when he sees the visions and the heavenly events surrounding them. John gives so many descriptions of events in heaven that his silence on the presence of the Church there cancels any significance which might be attached to his silence on its presence on earth.
[12] 3 John 1:6, 1:9, 1:10
[13] All in Revelation: 1:4,11,20, 2:1,7,8,11,12,17,18,23,29, 3:1,6,7,13,14,22, 22:16
[14] 1 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 18
[15] Isaiah 6
[16] Ezekiel 1 and Ezekiel 8
[17] Daniel 7
[18] 2 Corinthians 12:2
[19] Since no one has or can see God, it is most likely what they saw was either an angel representing God (as was the burning bush), or the preincarnate Christ. This latter is called a “Theophany.”
[20] Exodus 24:1
[21] Revelation 4:3
[22] Revelation 17:4, 18:16
[23] Revelation 18:12
[24] Revelation 21:11, 18-20
[25] Revelation 4:3, 21:11,18,19
[26] Revelation 20:11
[27] There is a manuscript problem with Revelation 4:3. Some have "sardinos" (otherwise unknown) instead of the more regular "sardion.” The latter, which occurs in Rev 21:20, is translated carnelian or sardius, and so should be the former, most likely. The unusual word does, however, make understanding what stone John meant even more difficult.
[28] John 6:46, 1 Timothy 6:16. The latter says God “lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.”
[29] Those familiar with Homer will recall that his “wine-dark sea” had nothing to do with the color of the sea, but with the depth of that color. Anyone who has seen the deep ocean in sunlight knows what he meant.
[30] Genesis 9:13-16. “Quesheth,” the word used in Genesis and Ezekiel, means bow and is often used of the weapon.
[31] It is possible that God had two purposes in placing the rainbow in the sky. The first was to seal his promise not to again destroy the earth by flood, but the second may have been to remind men of his power of judgment and the consequences of sin.
[32] Revelation 21:12
[33] Revelation 21:14
[34] Joshua 7:6
[35] Isaiah 24:23
[36] Matthew 19:27-28
[37] It is unlikely the judgment thrones of 20:4 are occupied by the elders.
[38] Revelation 20:4-5
[39] Revelation 5:8
[40] Revelation 8:3
[41] Tobit 13:15
[42] Revelation 8:3
[43] Revelation 8:2
[44] Revelation 15:7
[45] Colossians 1:16
[46] 1 Corinthians 6:3
[47] Revelation 20:4
[48] Acts 1:10
[49] Revelation 3:5
[50] Revelation 14:14
[51] James 1:12
[52] stephanos
[53] diadeyma
[54] Revelation 19:12
[55] Revelation 12:3
[56] Revelation 13:1
[57] Job 8:9, Colossians 2:17, Hebrews 8:5, 10:1
[58] Revelation 8:5
[59] Revelation 11:19
[60] Revelation 16:18
[61] Ezekiel 1:4, 13-14
[62] Ezekiel 3:12-13
[63] Revelation 1:20
[64] In a similar encounter, Zechariah saw “a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lights on it, with seven channels to the lights (Zechariah 4:10),” and it seems likely John and Zechariah saw the same thing.
[65] Revelation 4:5
[66] Revelation 5:6
[67] Zechariah 3:9 and 4:10
[68] 2 Chronicles 16:9
[69] Exodus 24:9-10
[70] Ezekiel 1:22, 10:1
[71] Revelation 4:8-9, 5:8-14, 19:4
[72] Revelation 6:1-8
[73] Revelation 15:7
[74] When Ezekiel encountered similar beings around the throne of God (Ezekiel 1:1), he too called them “living ones”
[75] The seven spirits (e.g. Revelation 4:5) and the Lamb (e.g. Revelation 5:6).
[76] The twenty-four elders (e.g. Revelation 4:4), the multitude of angels (Revelation 6:11), and every other living creature (e.g. Revelation 6:13).
[77] Ezekiel 1:4
[78] Isaiah 6:1
[79] Revelation 4:1-2
[80] Revelation 7:15
[81] The throne in Revelation is not “high and exalted,” for example. If the four creatures surround the throne and the throne is high and exalted, then they are for all practical purposes beneath it.
[82] Both “Kerub,” the root of cherub, and “Saraph,” the root of seraph appear as names in Scripture. In Ezra 2:59 and Nehemiah 7:61 Kerub is a town in Babylon. In 1 Chronicles 4:22, Saraph is the name of a man from Judah.
[83] Ezekiel 1:5
[84] The origin of the Hebrew word is uncertain.
[85] Ezekiel 10:1
[86] The seraphs have other purposes as well, for one of them takes a hot coal to Isaiah to take away his sin (Isaiah 6:6).
[87] see end note i.
[88] Ezekiel 1:9
[89] 1 Chronicles 28:18
[90] Ezekiel 10:6
[91] Ezekiel 10:2
[92] Ezekiel 1:18, 10:12
[93] Ezekiel 10:12
[94] Revelation 4:6
[95] Revelation 4:8
[96] Revelation 5:8
[97] Revelation 7:11
[98] Revelation 11:16
[99] Revelation 19:4
