CHAPTER 3
LITERARY ANALYSIS
Lexical Study of the Pertinent Words
In order to identify the phrase of the“twenty four elders,” (4:4), it is essential to study the following five pertinent words: τέσσαρας πρεσβυτέρους, θρόνους, and ἱματίοις λευκοῖς.τέσσαρας πρεσβυτέρους
In the NT the phrase, “τέσσαρας πρεσβυτέρους” appears 7 times and only in
the book of revelation. The noun πρεσβυτέρους is an adjective normal nominative masculine
singular comparative. It means
an elder,
of age, a term of rank or office. In term of office presbuterous refers to the Jews or Christian. Among the Jews it
means; 1) members of the great council or Sanhedrin (because in early times the
rulers of the people, judges, etc., were selected from elderly men) 2) of those
who in separate cities managed public affairs and administered justice. Meanwhile
among the Christians, presbuterous
refers those who presided over the assemblies (or churches) The NT uses the
term bishop, elders, and presbyters interchangeably and In addition presbuterous refers to the twenty four
members of the heavenly Sanhedrin or court seated on thrones around the throne
of God.[1] These are enthroned ones
are elders, not because they are
officer, but they are officers because they are elders.
In relation to the twenty four elders,
according to Grant the meaning of presbuterous should refers to men. He wrote,
understanding the elders as representing men finds its strongest support in the
observation that is more easily applied to men than to angels (cf. Heb 11:2).[2]
στεφάνους
The noun Greek στεφάνους is an
accusative masculine plural common from στέφανος. It means, a crown.[3] They were used to crown the winner in the
athletic competition as a bestowal of honor to him.[4] The other kind of crown in
the apocalypse is the diadema. However In Greek, it is stephanos, the
victory crown (see Notes on Rev. 2: 10), rather than the royal crown
(Gr. diadema), which represents eternal life and which is the reward to
the faithful who overcome (cf. 2:10; 3:11). In Rev 4: 10, the twenty-four elders fall down before God and cast
their crowns before the throne. Their description fits well into the picture of
the redeemed in
Revelation; white garments, victorious crowns (stephanoi), and the
Sitting upon thrones are all promises given to the people of God.
Their sitting on thrones next to the throne of God (4:4)
brings to mind Jesus' promise to the overcomer in Reve!ation 3:2l. That they
are at the same time continually involved in the heavenly worship suggests their
twofold role as priests and kings (d. 5:8-10). The stephanos crowns are
never worn by angels in the Bible. All of these descriptions are limited to the
people of God, and they rule out any probability that the twenty-four elders
are the heavenly presbyterium consisting either of celestial beings or the
righteous figures of the Old Testament.[5]
ἱματίοις λευκοῖς
According
to the strong’s reference ἱματίοις noun
dative neuter plural from ἱμάτιον. It means bright,
shining, gleaming and λευκοῖς is an adjective dative neuter plural no degree
from λευκός. It means white
garment, clothing in general.[6]
The white raiment
may be understood as the righteousness of Christ (Gal. 3:27; see on Matt.
22:11; Rev. 3:4.[7] A further support
cited for referring presbyterous to human being is that white clothing is
Revelation is generally the cloting of the saints. The fact that the elders
here portrayed are clothed in white garments, which may be symbolic of
righteousness (see on Rev. 3:4), and have on their heads “crowns” (stephanoi,
emblems of victory; _see on ch. 2:10), has led some to suggest that they
represent redeemed men.
The white garments in Revelation relate consistently to the
faithful people of God (3:4-5, 18; 6: 11; 7:9, 13-14). Angels are never
described in Revelation wearing white robes.[8]
The Song of the Twenty Four Elders in Rev 5:9
In
Rev 5:9, the twenty our elders sing a new song. In their song they said:
"You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were
slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue
and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we
shall reign on the earth." Further more Albert Barnes in his commentary
stated:
“this shows, that as the four living
creatures, and four and twenty elders, were not angels, so they were not
representatives of the Jewish church; or the patriarchs and prophets of the Old
Testament; not even the apostles of the New; for they were all Jews, and could
not be said to be redeemed out of every tongue, nation, and people; and also
that not the Jews only were redeemed by Christ, but the Gentiles also, and not
all mankind, or every individual of human nature, but some out of all the
nations of the earth; for God hath chosen some, both of Jews and Gentiles, and
these Christ has redeemed and therefore the Gospel is sent unto all nations,
that these among them may be called and saved. The redemption of them supposes
them to have been in a state of slavery and bondage, as they are by nature, to
sin, Satan, and the law; and signifies a deliverance from such a state, which
Christ has obtained, not barely by power, but by price, as the word here used
signifies, and may be rendered, "and hast bought us" and the price
with which he has bought them in his own "blood," and which is of
full and sufficient value, it being not only the blood of a man, of an innocent
man, but of one that is God as well as man: and this price was paid "to
God," and to his justice, against whom men have sinned, whose law they
have broken, and whose justice they have injured and affronted, that he might
reconcile them to God, bring them near to him, and that they might serve him in
righteousness and true holiness.”[9]
However
the phrase of redeemed us (greek:
ἠγόρασας ἡμᾶς) has been a dispute among scholar for some reason. One of the
dispute is caused by the appearance and disappearance ἡμᾶς in Greek manuscript.
There are various different text of the phrase redeemed us to God by Your blood or Have made us kings and priest to our God.
Variants Text of Rev 5:9
Greek NT:
Manuscript Sinaiticus
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Και αδουσιν ωδην καινην λεγοντες
Αξιος ει λαβιν το βιβλιον και ανοιξαι τας σφραγιδας αυτου οτι εσφαγης και
ηγορασας τω Θ̅Ω̅ ημας εν τω αιματι σου εκ πασης φυλης και γλωσσης και λαου
και εθνους
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Greek NT:
Manuscrip Alexandrianus
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Και αδωσιν
ωδην καινην λεγοντες Αξιος ει λαβειν το βιβλιοˉ και ανοιξαι τας σφραγιδας
αυτου οτι εσφαγης και ηγορασας τω Θ̅Ω̅ εν τω αιματι σου εκ πασης φυλη̣[ς και]
γλωσσης και λαου και εθνους
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Greek NT:
Stephanus Textus Receptus 1550
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καὶ
ᾄδουσιν ᾠδὴν καινὴν λέγοντες Ἄξιος εἶ λαβεῖν τὸ βιβλίον καὶ ἀνοῖξαι τὰς
σφραγῖδας αὐτοῦ ὅτι ἐσφάγης καὶ ἠγόρασας τῷ θεῷ ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷ αἵματί σου ἐκ
πάσης φυλῆς καὶ γλώσσης καὶ λαοῦ καὶ ἔθνους
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Greek NT: Westcott and Hort 1881
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καὶ
ᾄδουσιν ᾠδὴν καινὴν λέγοντες Ἄξιος εἶ λαβεῖν τὸ βιβλίον καὶ ἀνοῖξαι τὰς
σφραγῖδας αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἐσφάγης καὶ ἠγόρασας τῷ θεῷ ἐν τῷ αἵματί σου ἐκ πάσης φυλῆς
καὶ γλώσσης καὶ λαοῦ καὶ ἔθνους,
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Greek NT: Greek Orthodox Church
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καὶ ἄδουσιν ᾠδὴν καινὴν λέγοντες· Ἄξιος εἶ
λαβεῖν τὸ βιβλίον καὶ ἀνοῖξαι τὰς σφραγῖδας αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἐσφάγης καὶ ἠγόρασας
τῷ Θεῷ ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷ αἵματί σου ἐκ πάσης φυλῆς καὶ γλώσσης καὶ λαοῦ καὶ ἔθνους,
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Greek NT: Tischendorf 8th Edition
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καί ᾄδω ᾠδή καινός λέγω ἄξιος εἰμί λαμβάνω
ὁ βιβλίον καί ἀνοίγω ὁ σφραγίς αὐτός ὅτι σφάζω καί ἀγοράζω ὁ θεός ἐν ὁ αἷμα
σύ ἐκ πᾶς φυλή καί γλῶσσα καί λαός καί ἔθνος
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Greek NT: Scrivener's Textus Receptus 1894
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καὶ ᾄδουσιν ᾠδὴν καινὴν, λέγοντες, Ἄξιος εἶ
λαβεῖν τὸ βιβλίον, καὶ ἀνοῖξαι τὰς σφραγῖδας αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἐσφάγης, καὶ ἠγόρασας
τῷ Θεῷ ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷ αἵματί σου ἐκ πάσης φυλῆς καὶ γλώσσης καὶ λαοῦ καὶ ἔθνους,
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| RP Byzantine Majority Text 2005 |
Καὶ ᾄδουσιν ᾠδὴν καινήν, λέγοντες, Ἄξιος εἴ
λαβεῖν τὸ βιβλίον, καὶ ἀνοῖξαι τὰς σφραγῖδας αὐτοῦ· ὅτι ἐσφάγης, καὶ ἠγόρασας
τῷ θεῷ ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷ αἵματί σου ἐκ πάσης φυλῆς καὶ γλώσσης καὶ λαοῦ καὶ ἔθνους,
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Tischendorf 8th Edition |
καί ᾄδω ᾠδή καινός λέγω ἄξιος εἰμί λαμβάνω
ὁ βιβλίον καί ἀνοίγω ὁ σφραγίς αὐτός ὅτι σφάζω καί ἀγοράζω ὁ θεός ἐν ὁ αἷμα
σύ ἐκ πᾶς φυλή καί γλῶσσα καί λαός καί ἔθνος
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Scrivener's Textus Receptus 1894
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καὶ ᾄδουσιν ᾠδὴν καινὴν, λέγοντες, Ἄξιος εἶ
λαβεῖν τὸ βιβλίον, καὶ ἀνοῖξαι τὰς σφραγῖδας αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἐσφάγης, καὶ ἠγόρασας
τῷ Θεῷ ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷ αἵματί σου ἐκ πάσης φυλῆς καὶ γλώσσης καὶ λαοῦ καὶ ἔθνους,
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Variants Translation of Rev 5:9-10
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KJV
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And they
sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the
seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood
out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
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NAS
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And
they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain,
and purchased for God with Your blood [men]
from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
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NIV
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And
they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to
open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for
God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
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EST
|
And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain,
and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language
and people and nation,
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NLT
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And they sang a new song with these
words: “You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it.
For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from
every tribe and language and people and nation.
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ISV |
They
sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals,
because you were slaughtered. With your blood you purchased people for God
from every tribe, language, people, and nation.
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Aramaic
Bible in Plain English
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Singing
a new hymn of praise, and they were saying, “You are worthy to take the
scroll and to loosen its seals, because you were slain and you have redeemed
us by your blood to God from every tribe, nation and people,”
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Vulgata
|
et cantant novum canticum
dicentes dignus es accipere librum et aperire signacula eius quoniam occisus
es et redemisti nos Deo in sanguine tuo ex omni tribu et lingua et populo et
nation
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ERV
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And
they sing a new song, saying, Worthy art thou to take the book, and to open
the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and didst purchase unto God with thy
blood men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation,
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Douay-Rheims Bible
|
And
they sung a new canticle, saying: Thou art worthy, O Lord, to take the book,
and to open the seals thereof; because thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us
to God, in thy blood, out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation.
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Some
Greek manuscripts contains the phrase ἠγόρασας ἡμᾶς (redeemed us) and some doesn’t contain. In
addition modern English Bible translation have variants also. Some criticts and
expositors have rejected this ἡμᾶς (us), for the reason that it is omitted in
the Codex Alexandrianus, and in the Ethiopic version; though the latter is not
much more than a loose paraphrase. The codex Sinaiticus, however, which was
discovered in 1860, and which is of equal antiquity and authority with the
Codex Alexandrianus, contains it. The Codex Basilianus, in the Vatican contain
it. The Latin, Coptic or Memphitic, and Armenian, which are of great value,
contain it. And so do all other MSS, and versions. And to discredit it, simply
and only because it does not appear in that single Coex of Alexandria, is the
most unreasonable and unjust to the weight of authority for its retention. Dr.
Tregelles, on full examination, was firmly convinced of its right to a place in
the text, before the Codex Sinaiticus appeared; and the present of this ἡμᾶς in
that MS., ought to settle the question of its genuineness forever.
The evidences
from the context, also argue powerfully for a construction which necessarily
embraces it, whether express or not. We regard it as indubitably genuine.[10]
Thou-hast redeemed us to God-out of
every-nation] It appears, therefore, that the living creatures and the elders
represent the aggregate of the followers of God; or the Christian Church in all
nations, and among all kinds of people, and perhaps through the whole compass
of time: and all these are said to be redeemed by Christ’s blood, plainly showing
that his life was a sacrificial offering for the sins of mankind.[11]
In
addition the phrase “thou-hast redeemed us” to God-out of every-nation. It appears,
therefore, that the living creatures and the elders represent the aggregate of
the followers of God; or the Christian Church in all nations, and among all
kinds of people, and perhaps through the whole compass of time: and all these
are said to be redeemed by Christ’s blood.[12] Concerning on the word here
used — αγοραζω — means properly to purchase, to buy; and is
thus employed to denote redemption, because redemption was accomplished by the
payment of a price. On the meaning of the word, plainly showing that his life
was a sacrificial offering for the sins of mankind.[13]
[2]Grant. F.W., The Revelation of Jesus Christ (New York:
Loizeaux, n.d.)., p.71
[4]homas L. Robert,
Revelation 1-7; An Exegetical
Commentary (Chicago: Moody, 1992), p.344.
[5]Stevanovic, Ranco, Revelation of Jesus Christ: Commentary on the book of Revelation (Berrien Spring, MI: Andrews University,
2002). P.185 .
[7]Nichol, Francis D., The
Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, (Washington, D.C.: Review and
Herald Publishing Association) 1978.
[8]Stevanovic, Ranco, Revelation of Jesus Christ: Commentary on the book of Revelation (Berrien Spring, MI: Andrews University,
2002). 185. .
[9]Albert Barnes, Notes on the
New Testament; Revelation ( Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1979), p.
127 .
[10]Seiss J.A., The Apocalypse, Lecture
on the Book of Revelation, ( Grand rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1979),
p.103.
[12]Seiss J.A., The Apocalypse, Lecture
on the Book of Revelation, ( Grand rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1979),
p.103.
[13]Albert Barnes, Notes on the
New Testament; Revelation ( Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1979), p. 127.
