And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
About him, х kuklothen (G2943)] - 'round about him.' Alford connects with the following: 'All round and within (their wings) they are [so A B 'Aleph ('), Vulgate, gemousin (G1073) for gemonta (G1073)] full of eyes.' John shows, the six wings in each did not interfere with what he before declared-namely, that they were "full of eyes before and behind." The eyes were round the outside of each wing, and up the inside of each when half expanded, and of the part of body in that inward recess.
Rest not - `have no rest.' How awfully different the reason why the worshippers of the beast 'have no rest day nor night:' 'their torment forever and ever' (Revelation 14:11).
Holy, holy, holy - the three holies ( tris (G5151) hagion (G39)) of the Greek liturgies. Isaiah 6:3; also Psalms 99:3; Psalms 99:5; Psalms 99:9: He is praised as "holy":
(1) for His majesty (Revelation 4:1), about to display itself;
(2) His justice (Revelation 4:4) now displaying itself;
(3) His mercy (Revelation 4:6-8) displayed in time past.
So here, "holy," as He "who was;" "holy," as He "who is;" "holy," as He "who is to come." He showed Himself an object of holy worship in the past creation of all things: more fully He shows Himself so in governing all: He will, in the highest degree, show Himself so in the consummation of all things. 'Of (from) Him, through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen' (Romans 11:36). In Isaiah 6:3 there is added, "the whole EARTH is full of His glory". But in Revelation this is deferred until the glory of THE LORD fills the earth, His enemies having been destroyed (Bengel).
Almighty - corresponding to "Lord of hosts" (Sabaoth, tsaba'owt (H6635)). The cherubim here have six wings, like the seraphim in Isaiah 6:1-13; whereas the cherubim in Ezekiel 1:6 had four each. They have the same name-`living creatures.' Whereas in Ezekiel each living creature has all four faces, here the four are distributed, one to each (note, Ezekiel 1:6). The four living creatures answer by contrast to the four world-powers, represented by four beast. The fathers identify them with the four gospels-Matthew, the lion; Mark, the ox; Luke, the man; John, the eagle. The symbols express not the personal character of the evangelists, but the manifold aspect of Christ, presented by them respectively, in relation to the world (four signifying worldwide extension, e.g., the four quarters of the world): the lion, royalty, as Matthew gives prominence to this; the ox, laborious endurance, Christ's a characteristic in Mark; man, brotherly sympathy with our whole race, Christ's feature in Luke; the eagle, soaring majesty, prominent in John's description of Christ as the Divine Word.
Here the context best accords with the four living creatures representing the redeemed election-Church ministering as king-priests to God; and media of blessing to the redeemed earth, with its nations and animal creation, in which man stands at the head; the lion at the head of wild beasts; the ox, of tame beasts; the eagle, of birds and of creatures of the waters. Compare Revelation 5:8-10; Revelation 20:4, the partakers with Christ of the first resurrection, who with Him reign over the redeemed nations which are in the flesh. Compare as to the happy subjection of the animal world, Isaiah 11:6-8; Isaiah 65:25; Ezekiel 34:25; Hosea 2:18. Jewish tradition says, the 'four standards' under which Israel encamped in the wilderness-to the east Judah, to the north Dan, to the west Ephraim, to the south Reuben--were respectively a lion, eagle, ox, and a man; in the midst was the tabernacle containing the Shechinah symbol of the divine presence: 'the picture of that blessed period when-the earth being fitted for being the kingdom of the Father-the court of heaven will be transferred here, the "tabernacle of God shall be with men" (Revelation 21:3), and the whole world be subject to a never-ending theocracy' (cf. De Burgh, 'Revelation'). Christ is the perfect realization of the ideal of man: Christ is presented in His fourfold aspect in the four gospels. The redeemed election-church, realizing in and through Christ (with whom she shall reign) the ideal of man, shall combine similarly human perfections, having a fourfold aspect:
(1) Kingly righteousness with hatred of evil, answering to the 'lion springing terribly on the victim;'
(2) laborious diligence in duty, the 'ox bound to the soil;'
(3) human sympathy, the 'man;'
(4) contemplation of heavenly truth, the 'eagle.'
As high-soaring intelligence forms the contrasted complement to practical labour, so holy judgment against evil forms the contrasted complement to human sympathy. In Isaiah 6:2 we read, "Each had six wings: with twain he covered his face (in reverence, not presuming to look up, Luke 18:13), with twain his feet (in humility, as not worthy to stand before God), and with twain he did fly (ready to do instantly God's command).