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About the doors seen in heaven and the 24 elders, and other things Rev.4:1. After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven, and the former voice, which I heard like the sound of a trumpet, speaking to me, said: Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this. The opening of the door means the revelation of the hidden secrets of the Spirit; trumpet - the powerful voice of the Opener; with the words “come up here,” the listener is commanded to completely renounce earthly thoughts and turn to heavenly things. Rev.4:2. And immediately I was in spirit; and behold, a throne stood in heaven, and on the throne was one who sat; Rev.4:3. and this Seated One looked like a jasper and sardis stone; and a rainbow around the throne, similar in appearance to emerald. “And abiye bykh in dus.” Hearing a voice filled with the spirit, I saw the throne, which signifies God’s rest in the Saints, for He rests on them as on a throne. In this vision he speaks of the Father and therefore does not give Him, as he previously spoke of the Son, a bodily image, but likens and compares Him to precious stones. Jasper is a green stone and means the Divine nature, ever-blooming, life-giving and nourishing to everyone, for every seed from Him grows grass, which is why it is terrible for opponents. They say about jasper that wild animals and ghosts are afraid of it, but it is useful for those who need spiritual healing. According to Epiphanius the Great, this stone heals tumors and wounds inflicted by the sword. “An arc similar in appearance to emerald” indicates the difference in the angelic virtues. Rev.4:4. And around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and I saw twenty-four elders sitting on the thrones, who were dressed in white robes and had golden crowns on their heads. One of the ancients says that by the name of the twenty-four elders one must mean Abel and twenty other righteous people of the Old Testament and three of the New. Is this correct, or should the designated twenty-four be understood as all those who have adorned themselves with words and deeds - let everyone who reads decide this for himself. But it seems more appropriate to understand it this way: the first twelve mean the saints who shone forth in the Old Testament, and the twelve others mean those who pleased God in the New. The first twelve are patriarchs - the ancestors of the twelve tribes, and the second are the twelve apostles, whom the Lord promised, according to their strength and wisdom, to seat on twelve thrones to judge Israel. “White robes” indicate a pure life, eternal joy and triumph prepared for the saints. “Golden crowns” are a sign of victory won over the evil spirits who struggled. Rev.4:5. And from the throne came lightning and thunder and voices, It is pointed out how terrible and terrible God is for those unworthy of His long-suffering and forbearance; for those worthy of salvation, lightning and thunder do not constitute fear, but proclaim sweetness and enlightenment; lightning enlightens their spiritual eyes, and thunder delights their ears. and seven lamps of fire burned before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God; Rev.4:6. and before the throne was a sea of ​​glass, like crystal. By the seven spirits of God we must understand either the seven Angels who rule over others, as explained by Irenaeus, or the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, about which Isaiah speaks (Isaiah 11:2, 3). Both are plausible. “The glass sea” means, as I think, the multitude of the heavenly armies, their holiness, purity and lightness, as well as the peace of the undisturbed life of the future; “sea” may also mean “the heavens of heavens,” which, according to the Psalmist, are covered with waters inexplicable to our mind (Ps. 149:4; Dan. 3:60). If anyone thinks that the being of the heavens is called crystalline here, then one needs to consider whether this word does not denote the very essence of the space moved by God, endowed with brilliance and radiance. But an accurate study of things incomprehensible to us, reprehensible and deserving of ridicule. and in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind. Points to the throne, meaning the Royal power and peace of God, for in it and around it I saw the Seraphim. “Many eyes” - speaks of their ability to contemplate the Divine radiance; “in front and behind” - that is, they (Seraphim) are enlightened by the knowledge of the past and future. Rev.4:7. And the first living creature was like a lion, and the second living creature was like a calf, and the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. We think that these four animals are the same ones that Ezekiel once saw (Ezekiel 1:5-15). Some think that the four faces signify either the four elements and God’s control and protection of them, or the power of God over the heavenly, earthly, sea and underworld, or, as others think, the four cardinal virtues and the four Gospels. The lion is a symbol of courage, denoting the Gospel of John, for, according to Irenaeus, he, depicting His eternal Kingdom, announced that “in the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1); the calf, content with its labors, signifies the truth and the Gospel of Luke, where the legal and priestly genealogy of Christ is depicted; the eagle indicates moderation (he is said to love it) and the Gospel of Mark as the shortest and begun by the spirit of prophecy; man - wisdom and the Gospel of Matthew, which begins with the story of the birth of Christ by nature, but not by law. These same images probably signify the economy of Christ: the lion as the King, the calf as the High Priest or the Sacrifice, the man as the Incarnate One for our salvation, and the eagle as the Giver of the Spirit of Life who descended from above on the faithful. Rev.4:8. And each of the four animals had six wings around, and inside they were full of eyes; As Dionysius the Great says, they cover their faces with two wings, their legs with two, and fly with the middle two, thereby revealing their deepest reverence for Revelation, which, being illuminated by Divine glory, they bring to the lower Divine ranks. and they have no rest day or night, crying out: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and who is to come. The peace of these holy heavenly powers lies in their unceasing singing of the Divine song; they bring the Trisagion hymn to the Trinitarian Deity. The words “he who is and who is and who is to come” mean the Holy Trinity. Rev.4:9. And when the animals give glory and honor and thanksgiving to Him who sits on the throne, Who lives forever and ever, Rev.4:10. then the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and worship Him who lives forever and ever, “The Fall is twenty and four elders.” These words mean that the mentioned elders are participants in the chants of the heavenly powers, confessing that they received the power to defeat evil spirits from God. and they lay down their crowns before the throne, saying: Rev.4:11. You are worthy, Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for You created everything, and everything exists and was created by Your will. Since You, Master, they say, are the Culprit (the main reason - Ed.) and the Giver of a glorious victory, then all creatures should thank You. You might be interested in: