Revelation 7:11

Rev_7:11-12

All the angels stood round about the throne.

The existence and employment of the holy angels

I. The existence of angels. To what purpose discourse to us concerning the inhabitants of a world future, remote, and of which our ideas are very confused? Let us rather attend to the world in which we live, and to them that dwell therein. It would be perfectly right so to do if the world in which we live were the only one with which we were connected, and death the final period of our existence. But if there be another world which is to receive us for ever, the existence of its inhabitants becomes a speculation both pleasing and important. This state of our being, you say, is future. It is so to-day, but before to-morrow it may be present to some. You say it is remote. That by no means appears. It may not be far from every one of us. The spiritual and eternal world, into which we are, at a destined hour, to be born, may be, like its Divine Maker and King, near us, and round about us, in a manner of which we are not aware, nor shall be, till we enter it. But our ideas of this future world are confused and indeterminate. We have the Divine assurance of Gods Word that such a world exists. But the truth is, that whatever ideas of a future and invisible world may be, at certain times, impressed upon our minds, they are presently effaced by a tide of business or pleasure, and stand, therefore, in need of being continually renewed. Now, what can do this so effectually as frequent meditations on the blessed inhabitants of that world, the holy angels? We love to recollect a place, by the circumstance of those friends we have in it. By thinking of them, we are led to think of the place where they are, and learn to love and desire it the more. An intercourse is by this means opened, a correspondence established, between heaven and earth.

II. Their nature and condition. Angels are spirits. Not formed of the same gross materials, they are free from the inconveniences we feel, the temptations and sufferings to which we are subject. Their appearance is glorious as the light of heaven; and their motion, like that, rapid, and, as it were, instantaneous. The contemplation of so many excellent and happy beings opens our understandings, and enlarges our conceptions of the Creators power and goodness. But if we ourselves are miserable, what benefit, it will be asked, can result to us from contemplating the happiness of others? Will not our misery be rather aggravated than alleviated by it? We do not cease to be wretched upon earth because the angels are otherwise in heaven. Redeemed by the Son of God, leave off, O man, to complain! Wait but for a little while in faith and patience, and their happiness shall be yours.

III. The perfect service, ready and unlimited obedience by them, paid to their almighty creator. Their felicity does not consist in freedom and independence. Like the lightnings, which say, Here we are, they are represented as waiting before the throne, ready, at the Divine command, to fly to the extremities of the world. Nor are the angels more exact in loyalty to their King than in preserving due subordination in their several ranks and under their respective leaders, without which peace could not be in heaven any more than on earth.

IV. The benevolence and charity of the holy angels; the love they have always shown for man, and the services by them rendered to him. And here a scene opens worthy of all admiration, gratitude, and praise, for never do those blessed spirits obey with greater delight the commands of their Maker than when mankind is the subject of those commands; so deeply, from the beginning, have they interested themselves in our welfare. (Bishop Home.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

c. Surrounding circle of ANGELS; with song, Rev_7:11-12.

11. All the angels—Of Rev_5:11.

Stood—Literally, Greek pluperfect, had stood; had been standing all the time while the seer was contemplating the great multitude, so that as he awakes from that reverie this angel throng break on his view as a sort of sublime surprise. The theophanic court is filled with the multitude, and then in larger circle the angel band surrounds the whole. It must have been with a very keen, intuitive eye that our seer could recognise the enfoldings of so many visions.

On their faces—It was no decorous bow, no solemn kneel, but a total prostration, with their foreheads touching the celestial ground.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

7:11-12 The angels, elders, and four living beings all prostrated themselves before God and responded together in a sevenfold (i.e., comprehensive) doxology to recognize God’s eternal nature. The doxology is preceded and followed by Amen—a powerful affirmation of God’s victory.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Rev 7:11. πάντες, all) This word is not yet found in ch. Rev 5:11 [where mention is made of “many angels,” not “all”].—V. g.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Rev_7:11-12. All the angels,[2335] in response, continue the ascription of praise, Rev_7:10.

ΕἹΣΤΉΚΕΙΣΑΝ

ΚΑῚ ἝΠΕΣΑΝ, Κ.Τ.Λ. They stood already (had stationed themselves) during the scene described in Rev_7:9-10; now they fall down.[2336]

ΑΜΉΝ. The angels, first of all, conclude mans song of praise, Rev_7:10,[2337] in order then, in their own way, to carry it farther: Ἡ ΕὐΛΟΓΊΑ, Κ.Τ.Λ. This doxology is formally distinguished from that in Rev_5:12 by the fact that in this passage every particular item appears distinctly marked by the article attached as being in complete independence. Beng. remarks, arbitrarily, that the sevenfold ascription of praise has in view the seven trumpets, and therefore in the trumpet of the first angel, ΕὐΛΟΓΊΑ, and in that of the second angel, ΔΌΞΑ, prevails, etc. With equal arbitrariness, Hengstenb.: the ΕὐΛΟΓΊΑ, which concludes Rev_5:12, here precedes as a sign that the present ascription of praise is connected with the former,but what a distance between Rev_5:12 and Rev_7:12! The particular explanation of Grot. on Rev_7:11 : For both the apostles who were at Jerusalem, and the elders, had gone forth together, in connection with his reference of Rev_7:9 sqq. to the multitude of Christians in Syria, is to be understood only when his observations on Rev_4:4; Rev_4:6 sqq., are recalled.

[2335] Cf. Rev_5:11, where, in a similar way, an innumerable multitude appears.

[2336] Cf. Rev_5:14, Rev_11:16.

[2337] C. a Lap., Beng., Heinr., Ew., Hengstenb.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Rev 7:11-12 . The angels standing around once again adore God, catching up the previous praise with “Amen,” and uttering a sevenfold ascription of praise upon their own behalf, closed with another “Amen”. The article is repeated before each substitute, as in Rev 5:13 . The divine “wisdom” is shown in the means devised by the divine power to redeem (Rev 5:12 ) and deliver (Rev 7:14 ) men, in straits where no human prudence could prevail. See Clem. Rom. 60. and Ps. Sol. 17:25.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The angels, as in Rev 5:11, in their turn take up the anthem of praise. There it was "many angels," here it is "all the angels."

stood--"were standing" [ALFORD].

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 11. All the angels, &c.] As there is joy in the presence of God among these holy spirits when one sinner repents, no wonder that they take such an interest in the gathering together of such innumerable multitudes who are fully saved from their sins.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(11) And all the angels . . .—Translate, And all the angels were standing round the throne, and the elders, and the four living beings . . . saying, Amen. The great concourse of angels—those among whom there has been joy in heaven when a sinner has repented—now add their “Amen” to the cry of the redeemed, and then raise the seven-fold ascription of praise—

“Amen!

The blessing, and the glory, and the wisdom,

And the thanksgiving,

And the honour, and the power, and the strength,

(Is) unto our God Unto the ages of the ages.

Amen!”

The seven-fold form of the doxology, which implies a divine completeness, is appropriate to this vision, which shows us the close of the Church’s agony, and is in itself a slight indication that the view which would limit the seals to some short period of Church history is incorrect, as it is assuredly inadequate.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And all the angels stood round about the throne,.... The holy and elect angels, even all of them, the ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, the innumerable company of them, who are represented in the same position; See Gill on Rev 5:11;

and about the elders, and the four beasts; the churches and ministers; yea, round about the great multitude before mentioned, the camp of the saints, and the beloved city; whose guardians they will be, and to whom they will always be ministering spirits.

And fell before the throne on their faces: in token of submission and reverence:

and worshipped God; by celebrating the perfections of his nature, and ascribing to him the glory of all his works.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,

Ver. 11. And all the angels] {See Trapp on "Rev 5:11"}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And all the angels stood round about the throne - notes on Rev 5:11.

And about the elders - notes on Rev 4:4.

And the four beasts - notes on Rev 4:6. The meaning is, that the angels stood in the outer circle, or outside of the elders and the four living creatures. The redeemed, it is manifest, occupied the inner circle, and were near the throne, though their precise location is not mentioned. The angels sympathize with the church redeemed and triumphant, as they did with the church in its conflicts and trials, and they now appropriately unite with that church in adoring and praising God. They see in that redemption new displays of the character of God, and they rejoice that that church is rescued from its troubles, and is now brought triumphant to heaven.

And fell before the throne on their faces - The usual position of profound adoration, Rev 4:10; Rev 5:8.

And worshipped God - notes on Rev 5:11-12.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

And all the angels stood round about the throne; the good angels, who always in heaven behold the face of their and our heavenly Father.

And about the elders; and about the twenty-four elders, mentioned Rev 4:4.

And the four beasts; and the living creatures, mentioned Rev 4:6.

And fell before the throne on their faces; the angels, elders, and living creatures, all fall down on their faces, in a reverential sense of the infinite distance between them and their Creator.

And worshipped God; thus paying an homage to God fitted to their glorified state, in consideration of his excellency.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts; were standing... the four living beings. (For a consideration of the positions here indicated, see on Rev_5:11) The throne in the centre with the four living beings was surrounded by the elders, having the Lamb in the midst, between the throne and the elders. Forming a circle round the whole were the angels. (On the elders as representing the Church, and the four living creatures as symbolical of creation, see on Rev_4:4, Rev_4:6) And fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God. As in Rev_5:14 and Rev_11:16, Rev_11:17, praise is accompanied by adoration and worship.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And all the angels stood - In waiting. Round about the throne, and the elders and the four living creatures - That is, the living creatures, next the throne; the elders, round these; and the angels, round them both. And they fell on their faces - So do the elders, once only, chap. xi, 16. The heavenly ceremonial has its fixed order and measure.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

angels (See Scofield "Heb 1:4").

beasts living creatures. (See Scofield "Eze 1:5").

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

11, 12. All the angels. In chapter 5 the elders, four living creatures, the angels about the throne, and every creature join in the praises. Here again all are named, and the angels worship and join in praising God for the blessed scene they have just beheld.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

the four living creatures

These are the four creatures mentioned in Revelation 4:6-8.

they fell on their faces

Here "fell on their faces" is an idiom that means hey lay down facing the ground. See how you translated "prostrated themselves" in Revelation 4:10. AT: "they bowed down" (See: Idiom)

Praise, glory ... be to our God

"Our God is worthy of all praise, glory, wisdom, thanks, honor, power and strength"

Praise, glory ... thanksgiving, honor ... be to our God

The verb "give" can be used to show how praise, glory, and honor, are to be "to" God. AT: "We must give praise, glory, thanks, and honor to our God"

forever and ever

These two words mean basically the same thing and emphasize that the praise will never end.

translationWords

angel

throne

elder

creature

worship

God

amen

praise

glory

wise

honor

power

eternity

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

Stood [εστηκεσαν] . Rev., more correctly, were standing. The tense is the pluperfect, used in this verb as an imperfect.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.