INTRODUCTION. XCV 



over their heads was a firmament like crystal 

 or ice ; that above this firmament was a sap- 

 phire throne; that one sat on this throne, 

 round about whom was the appearance of a 

 rainbow. 1 So likewise in the vision of the 

 apostolic prophet, St. John A throne was set 

 in heaven, and one sat upon it, and there was 

 a rainbow round about the throne, and before 

 the throne was a sea of glass like unto crystal ; 

 and in the midst of the throne and round about 

 the throne were four cherubic animals, which 

 proclaim the Trisagium.* When Moses, 

 Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel 

 went up into Mount Sinai, and saw the God 

 of Israel, He stood upon what was like a 

 pavement of sapphire and as it were the body 

 of heaven in its clearness. 3 In all these pas- 

 sages, the same idea seems to prevail with 

 respect to the firmament it is like ice or the 

 terrible crystal in one a sea of glass like 

 crystal, or crystallizing, emitting the splendour 

 of crystal in the other like the body of 

 heaven in its clearness in the third. 



The footstool of the Deity, the pavement 

 on which his throne is placed, is over or above 



i Ezek. i. 22, 26, 28. 2 Revel, iv. 2, 3, 6, 7, 8. 



3 Exod, xxiv. 10. 



