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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - Revelation 5:11 - 5:14
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The choruses of praise:
v. 11. And I beheld, and I Heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands;
v. 12. saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.
v. 13. And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb forever and ever.
v. 14. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshiped Him that liveth forever and ever.
The hymn of praise is here taken up by a larger circle of blessed spirits and creatures, in a sacred concert with such, magnificent antiphonal singing as pertains to the halls of heaven alone: And I saw, and I heard as the voice of many angels round about the throne and the living beings and the elders, and their number was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands. The very angels go into ecstasies over the work of redemption as performed by the Lamb that was slain. With eyes and ears that mere held open by the inexpressible wonder of it all John took notice of the countless celestial beings as they circled round the throne and the cherubs and the elders, their voices rising in such anthems of glory as pertain to the realms of eternal joy.
Their song is practically a repetition of that of the elders: Saying with a mighty voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise. Although this outer circle of angels does not address its praise directly to Christ, yet the angels laud and magnify the work of redemption by which mankind has been redeemed from everlasting ruin; for the angels themselves have a desire to look into the depths of God's love shown in the salvation of the world. They declare the Lamb that was sacrificed for the sins of the world to be worthy of all the great gifts and blessings which came upon Him, were given to Him, at the time of His exaltation to the right hand of God. "Honor and glory and praise are due to Him whose victorious death has won Him the power of bestowing incalculable riches on His people, and of lifting the veil of the future, where He finds this in the interest of His Church."
And still wider are drawn the circles of adoring praise: And every creature in heaven and on the earth and beneath the earth and on the sea and all that are in them I heard saying, To Him that sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and might forever and ever. Here the fulfillment of St. Paul's words, Php_2:10-11, is recorded and described, that in the name of Christ every knee should bow. of things in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that, all tongues should confess that Jesus is the Lord. See Psa_103:22; Psa_145:10. Whether willingly or unwillingly, every creature is obliged to acknowledge the deity, the divine godhead, of Christ, the exalted Son of Man, to praise, magnify, and bless Him, to yield itself to His dominion, to confess that to Him all the strength and wealth and wisdom of life rightly belong. And thus God is glorified, also in the glorification of His Son. The praise of God the Creator and the praise of Christ the Redeemer are blended in one final song which will continue to be chanted throughout eternity. To this great song of praise the antiphonal Amen of the cherubs answered: And the four living beings said, Amen; and the eiders fell down and worshiped. Verily it shall be so: all the earth shall be full of His glory. All the earth shall fear the Lord, and all the inhabitants of the world shall stand in awe of Him, Psa_33:8.
Summary
The prophet sees the book of the counsels of God, whose seals could be broken only by Christ, the Lamb that was slain, a fact which caused the elders to break forth in a hymn of praise which was afterwards taken up not only by myriads of angels, but by the chorus of all creatures.