Revelation 4: The Throne in Heaven
4 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”
⁃ After receiving the letters to the churches, John was “taken” up to heaven, either figuratively or literally we do not know, as was the case for Paul (“in body or out of body, I do not know” 2 Cor 12:2)
⁃ The voice calling John is that of Jesus, again described as a trumpet sounding command for Johns attention
2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.
⁃ John didnt describe God’s physical features (pointy nose, white hair, big eyes, etc…) but rather His glory.
⁃ Jasper comes in numerous colors from purple to crystal. Here it is perhaps like a diamond for God’s purity, Ruby a deep blood red, perhaps for Jesus’ shed blood.
⁃ It is no coincidence that the Diamond is the first and the Ruby is the last gem on the High Priests breastplate in the OT (Exo 39:8-13)
⁃ Genesis 9:16: Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
⁃ Although we don’t always see it, from His throne in the clouds/heavens, God never stops seeing the rainbow. He never stops remembering His covenant to us, it surrounds Him and is in His every thought.
⁃ The rainbow encircling the throne is emerald, traditionally symbolic of New Beginnings
⁃ We see partial arches of the rainbow, God sees the full circle- His rainbow, like Him, unbroken and eternal
4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.
⁃ Gods throne is so magnimonious that 24 other thrones can surround it.
⁃ These seats are likely occupied by the 12 heads of the tribes of Israel and the 12 disciples.
⁃ How gracious of God to share His place of honor with man
⁃ Despite their earthly sins and shortcomings, they now have pure, priestly garments of white
⁃ Crown: In Greek there are two types of crowns: one for royalty, which not even God is wearing here; and one given to a victor in the games, a stephanos. A “stephanos “ s what the 24 elders are wearing - they are Overcomers of death and now victorious in their new life. AS we all are, now wonder we want to lay our crowns down at his feet - if it werent for his shed blood, we would have them.Thank you Jesus!
5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.
⁃ This storm came from the throne- reminiscent of Exo 20:18 at Mt Sinai
⁃ Those who think God is JUST a God of love and reserve His righteousness and judgement for the OT alone haven’t read Revelation!
⁃ Seven lamps again represent the complete church (7 being the number of completion)
⁃ God doesnt have seven spirits. This is a cross reference to Isaiah who listed the seven attributes of the Holy Spirit. It shows Gods one, complete, whole Holy Spirit.
6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
⁃ Before the altar in the OT was a lever of water. The priests had to wash in it prior to approaching God so they didnt die. Here we have not just a basin, but a full sea of the purest, cleanest, waters.
⁃ Crystal waters beckon us to dive right in, to fully plunge into the transparent depth, knowing it is safe, clean and good!
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.
⁃ There were four living creatures, one on each side of YHWH.
⁃ The fact that they were creatures shows they were created by God. They are His design and, like us, have a glorious purpose.
⁃ That they are covered with eyes shows their ability to see, perceive and know, likely both God Himself and His plans.
⁃ From Ezekiels vision in chapters 1 and 10 we deduct that these are properly called, “Cherubmin.”
⁃ Knowing what these creatures are, we realize they have made appearances since Genesis!
⁃ Cherubim guarded the Garden from re-entry after the Fall
⁃ Two Cherubim were on each end of the cover of the Ark (Exo. 25). “Between the two cherubim…I will meet with you” - DIRECT parallel to what exists in heaven!
⁃ Cherubim were woven into the curtain in the Temple
⁃ YHWH is known to sit “between the two cherubim” and often addressed that way in prayers of the OT saints(1 Sam 4:4, 2 Sam 6:2, 2 Kings 19:5, 1 Cir. 13:6, Ps 80:1; Isa 37:16)
⁃ Cherubim were included in Solomons temple, on the Ark and on the walls, etc…
⁃ Satan was once a “guardian chuerubim” (Ezk. 28) the most beautiful of them all. Thus we know that they had free will to leave or stay. These four creatures did supremely well as they chose to remain and live closest to the throne, surrounding God and worshipping Him. May we be like the cherubim.
7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.
⁃ Ezekiels prophecy said that each creature had four heads- this isn’t a contradiction in the Bible. John isn’t moving and thus only sees one side of each cherubim.
⁃ In Numbers 2:3 the 12 tribes of Israel were grouped into four as they traveled in the wilderness. The four creatures could parallel the Lion of Judah, Ox Ephraim, Reuben man, Dan, eagle, per their fathers blessing. Although it’s likely the inverse, that the 12 tribes were a prophetic parallel of the cherubim already created in heaven.
⁃ May symbolize the completeness of YHWH as each of the four creatures, man, lion, ox and eagle are ‘king’ over their domain: Lion- mighty; Ox - Strongest Worker; Eagle- King of the Sky; Man- King of Intelligence
8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
“‘Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,
who was, and is, and is to come.”
⁃ In Jewish literature repeating a word or idea three times is the equivalent of a superlative. It is rarely used and reserved for the most serious of cases. The cherubim are rightly signing it here. God is the holiest.
⁃ As humans, we get bored with repetition quickly. Do not hear monotonous robots chanting this phrase on autopilot, but rather a childlike obsession of wonder and awe, to excited to say anything else.
⁃ The cherubim have had a front row seat to all that God has and is doing throughout time. Of all they could choose to say, they choose “Holy, Holy, Holy…”
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
⁃ The cherubim giving honor and thanks inspires the 24 Elders to give thanks.
⁃ The cherubim never received salvation yet still spend their full energy offering praise, how much more do the Elders and all human saints have to be give honor and thanks for!
⁃ The Elders crowns are victors crowns, stephanos. Our victory comes from the One who sits on the throne, the Judge and the Him who won the victory for us.
11
“You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.”
⁃ Thelema (thel-ay-ma) is the Greek word for will. It means wish, pleasure or desire. God had no obligation to create you or me. He has a desire to create you and me. He didn’t need you. He wanted you.
⁃ “There is a throne in heaven that no one can occupy but you, and there s a crown in heaven that no other head can wear but yours, and there is a part in the eternal song that no voice can ever compass but yours and there is a glory to God that would be wanting if you did not come to render it, and there is a part of the infinite majesty and glory that would need be reflected unless you should be there to reflect it.” Charles Spurgeon
