Translation
Out of the central throne came flashes of lightning and the sound of thunder,
Go to footnote numberand before
Go to footnote numberthe throne
were sevens lamps of fire
burning
Go to footnote numberthese are
the seven Spirits of GOD.
Paraphrase
The power and authority of the One in the center controls all the powers of nature.
Ready to fully execute every command of the one with complete authority were all the agents of purity and punishment; these were already involved in executing God’s will for purity or punishment.
These are the full expressions and workings of the Spirit of THE CREATOR AND OWNER OF ALL THINGS.
Footnotes
1
“Came flashes of lightning and the sound of thunder.” This is not saying that God’s power is compared to that of lightning and thunder, rather He controls those things—demonstrated by the fact that these things originate from His throne; He is their source. While there are many ways that nature shows its power, lighting and thunder are well known by all, and are registered by the senses of sight and hearing. This would have reminded the readers of the lightning and thunder that came to the top of Mount Sinai at the giving of the Law in order to remind the people of God’s power. We should pay attention to what God says because He has the power to follow through with the consequences He has established, either good or bad.
2
The meaning of “Before the throne, or in front of the throne:” There were three reasons for someone to come before an authority figure like a king: to offer one’s self in submissive obedience, to express praise and gratitude, and to seek his counsel or his judicial ruling in a sticky legal matter. The fact that these seven lamps were in front of the throne indicates they were giving the king their full attention, offering complete obedience to His will. It also shows a direct line between the king and the ones carrying out His commands; they were not commands passed down a long line of individuals to a low-ranking officer. Such a direct command carried with it the full authority of the king, and a complete understanding of His will.
3: “Burning”
In Greek this is a layering of three images that point to the same thing—lamps, fire, and burning. They are not just called lamps, but “lamps of fire.” It would have been enough to just call them lamps, for we all know what a lamp is for—it burns a fuel and produces light. “Lamps of fire” makes it clear that this symbol is not about providing light but about burning, which has to do either with purity or punishment, both of which destroy impurities. Then this “lamp of fire” is described as “burning.” That tells me that the action of purifying or punishing is already happening. God is already at work in each human heart to demonstrate the foolishness of sin and to purify those who desire to be pure.