Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Revelation 4:3
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper, etc.] For the brightness, glory, and majesty of his countenance, and for his being light itself, clothed with it, and dwelling in it; (see <662111>Revelation 21:11,18,19); and for the various perfections of his nature, as eternity, infinity, immutability, omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, wisdom, power, goodness, truth, love, grace, and mercy; for the jasper, at least one sort of them, is of various colours, and spotted with divers spots; that which is most valued is the green, spotted with red or purple f128: hence this stone, which is the twelfth in the high priest's breastplate, and on which the name of “Benjamin” was written, is called, by the Chaldee paraphrase of Onkelos on (<022820>Exodus 28:20), “Pantere”, and of ben Uzziel, on the same place, “Apanturin”, and on (<220514>Song of Solomon 5:14), “Apantor”, because some are variegated and spotted like panthers. And a sardine stone; the same with the “Sardius”: and so read here the Alexandrian copy, the Syriac and Arabic versions, as in (<662120>Revelation 21:20), and in (<022817>Exodus 28:17) on which Reuben's name was written; this is of a red, or blood colour as its name µda, in Hebrew, shows, and the same that is called a cornelian; and is expressive of the fiery indignation of God whose fury is poured out like fire, and who nakedly and absolutely considered, is a consuming fire to the wicked, his enemies, and the enemies of his church and people. Some jaspers being white and sky coloured and the white colour being most agreeable to deity, as Cicero says f129, and the sardine being red, and a gem of the ruby kind make up the description of the church's beloved; (<220510>Song of Solomon 5:10); and may denote in general his purity, glory, and excellency, and in particular good will to his people, and wrath to his enemies. And to the comfort of the former it is added, and [there was] a rainbow round about the throne; which signifies the covenant of grace; (see <010912>Genesis 9:12,16 <235409>Isaiah 54:9,10 <260128>Ezekiel 1:28). The rainbow is a reverberation, or a reflection of the beams of the sun upon a thin watery cloud; and the covenant of grace is owing to Jesus Christ, the sun of righteousness; it is he that has formed it, and filled it with blessings and promises; he is the Mediator, surety, and messenger of it, and who in (<661001>Revelation 10:1) is represented as clothed with a cloud, and a rainbow on his head: the rainbow is of, various colours and fitly expresses the various promises and blessings, in the covenant of grace, and the various providences, both prosperous and adverse, with respect to soul and body; and as the rainbow was an emblem of mercy, peace, and reconciliation in God to man, after he had destroyed the world by a flood, so the covenant is a covenant of grace and mercy; it springs from it, and is full of it, and provides for the peace and reconciliation of the people of God, by the blood of Christ; whence it is called a covenant of peace: and as the rainbow is a security to the world, and the inhabitants of it, from a destruction by a flood any more, so the covenant is a security to those who are interested in it, from eternal destruction, and wrath to come; herein lies all their salvation, and this is the security of it: to which may be added, that God calls it my bow, as he often calls the covenant of grace my covenant, in distinction from man's; (see <010912>Genesis 9:12 <198928>Psalm 89:28,3…
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