Revelation 5:8

“And when he had taken the book, etc.] The Vulgate Latin version reads, “when he had opened the book”, very wrongly; for the opening of it by unloosing the seals, one after another, is hereafter mentioned, in (<660601>Revelation 6:1,3,5,7,9,12), but when it was observed, that the Lamb took the book, and his commission to open, unseal, and fulfil it, the four beasts, and four [and] twenty elders, fell down before the Lamb; by way of religious worship and adoration of him; which shows that he was not a mere creature, who assumed human nature, suffered, and died, and is the Mediator between God and men, but is truly God, and is the proper object of worship; and so he is regarded by all his…”

“had taken--Greek, "took." fell down before the Lamb--who shares worship and the throne with the Father. harps--Two oldest manuscripts, A, B, Syriac and Coptic read, "a harp": a kind of guitar, played with the hand or a quill. vials--"bowls" [TREGELLES]; censers. odours--Greek, "incense." prayers of saints--as the angel offers their prayers (Rev 8:3) with incense (compare Psa 141:2). This gives not the least sanction to Rome's dogma of our praying to saints. Though they be employed by God in some way unknown to us to present our prayers (nothing is said of their interceding for us), yet we are told to pray only to Him (Rev 19:10; Rev 22:8-9). Their own employment is praise (whence they all…”

“And when he had taken the book, the four beasts ... - The acts of adoration here described as rendered by the four living creatures and the elders are, according to the explanation given in Revelation 4:4-7, emblematic of the honor done to the Redeemer by the church, and by the course of providential events in the government of the world. Fell down before the Lamb - The usual posture of profound worship. Usually in such worship there was entire prostration on the earth. See the Matthew 2:2 note; 1 Corinthians 14:25 note. Having every one of them harps - That is, as the construction, and the propriety of the case would seem to demand, the elders had each of them harps. The whole prostrated…”

“And when he took the book, the four living creatures fell down - Now is homage done to the Lamb by every creature. These, together with the elders, make the beginning; and afterward, Rev 5:14, the conclusion. They are together surrounded with a multitude of angels, Rev 5:11, and together sing the new song, as they had before praised God together, Rev 4:8, &c. Having every one - The elders, not the living creatures. An harp - Which was one of the chief instruments used for thanksgiving in the temple service: a fit emblem of the melody of their hearts. And golden phials - Cups or censers. Full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints - Not of the elders themselves, but of the other…”

“5:8 fell down before the Lamb: The crucified and risen Christ has divine authority to initiate the events of this age; he is fully worthy of worship. • The prayers of God’s people become a significant basis for the judgments and plagues (6:9-11; 8:2-5).”

“the four: Rev 5:14, Rev 4:4, Rev 4:8, Rev 4:10, Rev 7:10-12, Rev 19:4; Joh 5:23; Rom 14:10-12; Phi 2:9-11; Heb 1:6 having: Rev 14:2, Rev 14:3, Rev 15:2; Psa 33:2, Psa 43:4, Psa 81:2, Psa 150:3 golden: Rev 15:7 odours: or incense the prayers: Rev 8:3, Rev 8:4; Psa 141:2 Revelation 5:9”