Revelation 19:4

And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(4) And the four and twenty . . .—The twenty-four elders, the representatives of the Church, and the four living beings, the representatives of nature, fell down and worshipped God who sitteth (not “sat,” as in the English version) on the throne. These, too, join in the chorus of praise.

Benson Commentary

Revelation 19:4-5. The four and twenty elders and the four living creatures — After the preceding chorus had ended their hymn, the representatives of the Jewish and Christian Churches prostrated themselves before Jehovah, saying, Amen — So be it: let God be ever praised for the displays now made of his infinite perfections. And a voice came out of the throne — From the glory, or the oracle; this shows the great authority and solemnity with which this order was published; saying, Praise our God, &c. — The occasion and matter of this song of praise seem to be somewhat different from those of the foregoing hymn: that hymn was to celebrate the praises of God principally on account of his faithfulness and justice manifested in the punishment of a persecuting power, that had long oppressed Christ’s faithful servants. But this, as appears by what follows, is principally to praise God for the happy and glorious state of his church, about to take place in consequence of this punishment of its enemies; even that state of it, as appears, wherein it is said to live and reign with Christ a thousand years, and which is more particularly spoken of in the following chapter: for which wonderful display of the divine goodness all the truly pious are prepared by this hymn for solemnly and devoutly praising God.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

19:1-10 Praising God for what we have, is praying for what is yet further to be done for us. There is harmony between the angels and the saints in this triumphant song. Christ is the Bridegroom of his ransomed church. This second union will be completed in heaven; but the beginning of the glorious millennium (by which is meant a reign of Christ, or a state of happiness, for a thousand years on earth) may be considered as the celebration of his espousals on earth. Then the church of Christ, being purified from errors, divisions, and corruptions, in doctrine, discipline, worship, and practice, will be made ready to be publicly owned by him as his delight and his beloved. The church appeared; not in the gay, gaudy dress of the mother of harlots, but in fine linen, clean and white. In the robes of Christ's righteousness, imputed for justification, and imparted for sanctification. The promises of the gospel, the true sayings of God, opened, applied, and sealed by the Spirit of God, in holy ordinances, are the marriage-feast. This seems to refer to the abundant grace and consolation Christians will receive in the happy days which are to come. The apostle offered honour to the angel. The angel refused it. He directed the apostle to the true and only object of religious worship; to worship God, and him alone. This plainly condemns the practice of those who worship the elements of bread and wine, and saints, and angels; and of those who do not believe that Christ is truly and by nature God, yet pay him a sort of worship. They stand convicted of idolatry by a messenger from heaven. These are the true sayings of God; of Him who is to be worshipped, as one with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts - See the notes on Revelation 4:4, Revelation 4:6-7. As representatives of the church, and as interested in its welfare, they are now introduced as rejoicing in its final triumph, and in the destruction of its last foe.

Fell down - Prostrated themselves - the usual posture of worship.

And worshipped God that sat on the throne - Revelation 4:2-3, Revelation 4:10. That is, they now adored him for what he had done in delivering the church from all its persecutions, and causing it to triumph in the world.

Saying, Amen - See the notes on Matthew 6:13. The word here is expressive of approbation of what God had done; or of their solemn assent to all that had occurred in the destruction of the great enemy of the church.

Alleluia - See the notes on Revelation 19:1. The repetition of this word so many times shows the intenseness of the joy of heaven in view of the final triumph of the church.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

4. beasts—rather, "living creatures."

sat—Greek, "sitteth."

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Revelation 4:1", and following verses to Revelation 4:11. All the heavenly choir praise God upon this account, desiring that the Lord would fulfil what he had begun.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts,.... Mentioned in Revelation 4:4 and who represent the churches of Christ and ministers of the Gospel in the several periods of time, these join in the chorus, and praise the Lord on the account of the destruction of Rome, and ruin of antichrist; so they are often heard of in this book, when any remarkable thing is done, or when there is any breaking forth of the kingdom and glory of Christ; see Revelation 5:8 these

fell down; on their faces before God, as in Revelation 4:10 in great reverence of him, and of his righteous judgments:

and worshipped God that sat on the throne; described in Revelation 4:2 this refers to the public worship of God in the churches, by the ministers and members of them:

saying, Amen; Alleluia; they said "Amen", and signified their assent to what the much people in heaven had said, Revelation 19:1 and joined in the same "hallelujah", or expressions of praise to God, for this great appearance of his in the downfall of Babylon. Both these words are used together in Psalm 106:48, see Revelation 5:14.

Geneva Study Bible

And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Revelation 19:4. The twenty-four elders and the four beings, responding first of all by the ʼΑμήν, confirming the ascription of praise just proclaimed, then also, on their part, expressly continue the same: ἀλληλ.[4032]

[4032] Cf. Revelation 5:8; Revelation 5:14, Revelation 4:11.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Revelation 19:4. After the long interlude of judgments on the earth, the πρεσβύτεροι and ζῷα (incidentally mentioned in Revelation 11:16, Revelation 14:3) re-appear upon the scene, though for the last time, to take part in the chorus of praise over Rome’s ruin. The cradle-song of the future is the dirge of Rome. The drama now centres mainly round the city of God, and the earlier temple-scenery of the Apocalypse (Revelation 19:4-11, Revelation 15:5 to Revelation 16:17) passes almost wholly out of sight.—Ἀμήν: the initial (and primitive) use of ἀμήν, social (e.g., 1 Kings 1:36) as well as liturgical, which gravely assents to the preceding words of another speaker.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

4. And the four and twenty &c.] Cf. Revelation 5:14.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 4. - And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. (On "the twenty-four elders" as representing the Church of God, and "the four living beings" as typical of creation, see on Revelation 4:4, 6.) God that sitteth (present tense, as in ver. 3) on the throne; as he is described in Revelation 4:2 and Revelation 5:13. Amen; Hallelujah (see Psalm 106:48). Revelation 19:4