And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and
thunderings,
and voices
Which may be understood either of the doctrines of the Gospel
which come out of Zion, and out of Jerusalem, the church of God,
where he has his throne; and which are comparable to "lightning",
both for the light and knowledge they give, and for the swiftness
with which they were spread over the world, by the apostles of
Christ; and to "thunderings", for the awfulness, authority, and
majesty of them, especially as they were delivered out by the
Boanergeses, or sons of thunder; and as the prophesies of the
prophets are called "the voices" of the prophets, ( Acts 13:27 ) ; so may
the doctrines of the Gospel be called "voices", as they are the
voice of God, and of Christ, and of his ministers; and are voices
of love, grace, mercy, peace, pardon, righteousness, and eternal
life. The allusion is to the giving of the law on Mount Sinai,
when such things were seen and heard, ( Exodus 19:16
) or else the judgments of God, and the punishments inflicted
upon his enemies, and the enemies of his church and people, and
his awful threatenings of them, may be designed; see ( Psalms 18:13
Psalms
18:14 ) ( Joel 3:16 ) ; with which
compare ( Revelation
8:5 ) .
And [there were] seven lamps of burning fire before the
throne,
which are the seven spirits of God;
in allusion to the seven lamps in the tabernacle and temple,
which were trimmed by the priests, and always kept burning, and
are expressive of the Spirit, and his gifts; and these being
signified by the number "seven", denote the fulness and
perfection of them; and being said to be "before the throne",
show that there is always a sufficiency of them for the supply of
the churches in all ages, to fit and qualify proper persons to
minister the word, and administer ordinances; and these being
called "lamps of burning fire", point at the light the Spirit of
God in his gifts communicates to the churches; and that warmth
and heat, comfort and refreshment; conveyed to them, through the
preaching of the Gospel, and the dispensation of the ordinances
of it, under his illuminating and quickening influences.