Revelation 4:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In this vision he speaks of the Father. Therefore he does not give Him a bodily form, as he did earlier when speaking of the Son, but likens and compares Him to precious stones. Jasper is a green stone and signifies the divine nature, ever-flourishing, life-giving, and nourishing all. For every seed brings forth grass from Him, and therefore He is terrible to His adversaries. They say of jasper that wild beasts and apparitions fear it, but that it benefits those who need spiritual healing. According to Epiphanius the Great, this stone heals swellings and wounds inflicted by the sword. The rainbow, like an emerald in appearance, indicates the diversity of angelic virtues.

The visible rainbow, which divine Scripture calls the bow of God, is formed by the refraction of sunlight.

When the light is caught in the thickness of clouds, it is held back and produces varied and diverse colors.

Of course, the spiritually visible rainbow surrounding God's throne is of one color, since it was like an emerald in appearance.

Certainly it manifests all the holy ministering spirits who dwell near God.

For this reason it is called a rainbow, even though it turns out to be of one color.

This is so that, through the many colors of the rainbow, we may understand the multitude of ranks and kinds of God's angels.

Truly, all are joined in one color. For they are all alike beneficent, imitating their Lord.

Therefore the emerald color testifies to their providential labors, just as the jasper testifies to God's providence.

Since the rainbow after the flood preceded the promise of safety, it beautifully reveals the image of the Church in God's propitiation. For as rain-bearing clouds, illumined by the radiance of the sun, give forth the image of the rainbow, so the souls of the saints, illumined by the Sun of righteousness, that is, Christ, are deemed worthy of God's mercy after their departure.

After the Lord Jesus desired that we open the doors of our heart, He at the same time opens the doors of heaven.

By this He shows that He will always open heaven to the one who opens his heart to Him.

He also shows that a time will later come when the human heart will be opened, and all will hear the voice of God calling to judgment.

The throne of God seen by the holy Apostle John is God's repose in His saints. For He rests in His saints as upon a throne.

He compares the appearance of the One sitting with precious stones, jasper and sardius, most beautiful in color and worth.

By their earthly perfections he wishes to express the heavenly perfections of the Lord: His immutability, eternity, might, and glory.

The rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance, recalls God's covenant with man and depicts His reconciliation with him.

"Like jasper and sardius." To signify the majestic radiance proceeding from the light of God's glory, the Apostle takes the colors and brilliance of precious stones. He compares the radiance of the One seated on the throne with the color of jasper, or jasper-stone, an opaque stone distinguished by variegated colors. He also compares it with sardius or carnelian, a translucent red stone. The rainbow surrounding the throne is called like an emerald because green colors predominate in it. The emerald is a very costly and transparent stone.

The description of the outward form in which God the Father appeared to the seer exposes the self-confidence with which the Shtundists deny every possibility of depicting and representing the Godhead in visible form. It is true that we must not think that the Godhead in itself, according to His essence, is like gold, silver, or stone (Acts 17:29). Yet when the invisible God was pleased to appear to John, He assumed a visible form. He appeared like a man seated upon a throne, and His appearance was like jasper and sardius, precious stones; compare Ezek. ch. 1 and Dan. ch. 7.