Revelation 4:8 Commentary and Bible Study

‘The four living creatures [these angels, or cherubim of justice] had each of them six wings’ – that comes straight out of Isaiah 6 as does what follows. The six wings identify these creatures with the seraphim of Isaiah 6. They are like all spirit beings, metaphorically said to be creatures of the air with wings. By these wings they fly with incredible speed to carry out the commandments of God (Ezekiel 1:14).‘They were full of eyes within.’ Of their eyes, Ezekiel says, ‘And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about’ (Ezekiel 10:12). How can they fail to see or to be aware of anything that takes place beneath their gaze? Nothing can deceive them, or escape their notice. They are full of knowledge and understanding.‘And they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty.’ Their worship is summed up in simple words. They are very similar to the words which Isaiah heard from the Seraphim. There is the three times repeated ascribing of holiness to God. We may well understand this of the Trinity as the Seraphim praise Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We may also understand it as a necessary repetition – God is pre-eminently holy above all others. This attribute of the Lord is singled out here as a summary of his being. The ceaseless activity of these creatures is to praise God. What more noble task could any be employed in? They worship night and day. Does this imply there is night and day in heaven? Not necessarily. The language is accommodated to us and merely indicates that there is ceaseless worship from these timeless creatures. They do not need to rest. The holiness and the infinite power of God is the subject of their worship. So also is his eternal nature: ‘which was, and is, and is to come.’ To this is added the title for God taken from chapter 1:8, ‘who is and who was and who is to come’. He is the Lord who inhabits eternity, who does not change with time as all his creatures do. What he was in the past, he is now and will be forever. He is the Lord God Almighty. On such a God we can depend. His holiness does not change. He will never compromise his holiness not even to save his people, not even to deliver his only begotten Son from the cross.