Revelation 4:1-11
In Revelation chapters 4 and 5 we are told how to answer the question that everyone wants to know: “What is going to happen next?” According to Biblical prophecy, according to the Book of the Revelation, what is going to happen next?
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could look up and see an open door in Heaven in order to see into the future? And seeing the future, wouldn’t we want the wisdom to know what to do with the revelation we receive? What is the main point? Since Biblical prophecy is true, what should we do?
Simply put: When you see His wonders, worship the Sovereign Lord who is the Creator and Judge of all.
When you look through the future, think first of falling before His throne.
In Revelation 1:9, we read, “Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.” Not everyone agrees, but many have pointed out that this is an interesting outline for the visions in Revelation: The exalted Christ, the churches, and the things that will be hereafter. The vision for the seven churches is found in Revelation 2 and 3.
One interesting note: no church or churches are mentioned again after chapter 3; this has interesting implications, and understanding this helps to explain the term “church age.” Personally, I do not believe that the 7 churches represent 7 periods within the church age. I would find it very difficult to tell our tortured Chinese brethren, meeting in house churches, that they live in the Laodicean period. But the churches, so prominent throughout the New Testament, are not even mentioned after Revelation 3.
The next vision begins in chapter 4, verse 1 and runs through the end of the book.
After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. (Revelation 4:1)
When John wrote the word, “Behold!” he meant for it to capture our attention the way it captured his. And the Apostle John received revelation which was a precise communication in words he clearly understood.
Sometimes critics will dismiss this book as mere imagery that can be interpreted in any way that one wishes to do so. But note that John said the voice spoke to him in words he understood. Liberal critics argue that the infinite God could never be understood by finite man.
But passages such as this show us that God, in His infinity, is able to condescend to speak with absolute clarity. In verse 2, John tells us that this was by the aid of the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity. God’s Word does not need to be decoded in some secret manner. The voice said, “Come up here and I will show you things which must take place after this.” This is John’s vision from heaven, not John’s ascension into heaven.
THE THRONE, vs. 3-11
When you think about the future, what should your mind dwell upon? What should you concentrate on as you consider the things that will be?
Chapter 4 draws out attention to the throne of God. What happens around the throne and what can we learn about the One who sits upon that throne? “Throne” is the single most important word in Revelation chapter 4. The Throne of God is central to this vision, occurring 12 times in 11 verses. (Two other references, in verse 4, refer to the subordinate thrones of the twenty-four elders. Chapter 5 includes 5 more references to the throne.) This vision of the throne is introduced to us in verse 2.
And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, andOne sat on the throne.
This vision of the Sovereign Lord reigning upon His throne ought to be central to all our discussions of Biblical prophecy. In other words, the emphasis, first and foremost, is not on what will happen, but on Who will bring these things about.
When we understand that that main emphasis is on the worship of the Sovereign Lord, we understand how to answer the question of what will happen next. When the throne is revealed, the One who sits on the throne captures John’s attention. It ought to be the same way for us. For the purposes of this message, we will examine the wonders around this throne in order to better understand how to worship the God who sits upon the throne.
Around the Throne in Heaven, vs. 2, 3b, 4-8
The rainbow like an emerald, vs. 3b
“… and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.”
Around the throne, John saw a rainbow, shimmering in emerald green. In school you may have learned the colors of the rainbow by the acrostic “R.o.y. G. B.i.v.” (Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet).
According to Genesis 9:12-17, the rainbow was a sign of a covenant between God and all the creatures of the earth. It was God’s promise that He would never again destroy the earth with a flood. Rainbows are formed by the refraction (bending) and reflection of light. Those who travel in aircraft know that the rainbow is actually circular, but on earth it appears to only be a part of that circle. This rainbow, emanating from the throne of God, could be thought of as an illustration of God’s character, existing in perfect harmony. Is God a God of justice or mercy? In Him, justice, mercy, righteous indignation and grace exist in perfect agreement. So the color bands of the rainbow, distinct, and yet in unity remind us of the perfect harmony of God’s ways. Remember this the next time some pressure group tries to use the rainbow for its own perverse purposes.
The elders upon their thrones, vs. 4, 10
“And round about the throne were four and twenty seats [thrones]: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold … The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship Him…” (Revelation 4:4,10)
In Revelation 5:8-9, we are assured that these elders are human beings who sing to the Lamb, “for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation…”
These are sinful, repentant human beings representing those who have been saved from the nations. There is no clear explanation as to the identity of these twenty-four elders, but we have an enticing clue: Revelation 21:12-14 tells us that the 12 gates of the New Jerusalem are inscribed with the names of the 12 tribes of Israel, and the city has 12 foundations, inscribed with the names of the 12 apostles. Perhaps these tell us something about the identity of the 24 elders. In John’s vision, these elders will sit upon thrones (subordinate to the main throne of God). They wear white garments (illustrating God’s righteousness) and wear crowns of gold (indicating their God-given authority).
Lightning, Thunder and Voices, vs. 5
And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices…”
Psalms such as “the thunderstorm psalms” (Psalms 18, 29, and 77) describe the awe connected to thunder and lightning. When these occur in our atmosphere, they get our attention. They fill us with wonder, and they remind believers to worship the Lord. But just imagine that these are united together with voices!
Lightning and thunder can be terrifying, especially those that are associated with volcanos (as many pictures of the 2010 volcano in Iceland remind us). Pictures that include rainbows and lightning are rare. One storm chaser, Greg McCown, captured both together in a photo taken in Marana, AZ in 2015. Around the throne of God, the rainbow, the elders, the lightning and thunder and voices, all communicate the awe-inspiring majesty of our God. We are looking at the wonder of those persons and things around His throne in order that we might rightly worship the God who sits upon the heavenly throne.
The sevenfold Spirit of God, vs. 5
“… and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.”
Also around the throne will be seven lamps of fire. These are the seven Spirits, or seven-fold Spirit of God – the third Person of the trinity. The letter that we call, “The Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ” was actually sent by the One “who is, and was, and is to come, and from the seven Spirits before His throne” (Revelation 1:4).
The sea of glass, vs. 6
“And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal …”
Surrounding all these other wonders will be a transparent sea of glass which is crystal clear.
Now notice how the vision takes us from the far outer edges of the sea of glass back to the inner circle, closest to the throne.
The four living creatures, vs. 6-9
“… and in the midst of [closest to] the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts [living ones] full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who lives forever and ever …” (Revelation 4:6-9).
These remarkable beings are described by the Greek word [zoa] meaning, “living ones.” (“Beasts” is an unfortunate translation of these beautiful ones.) The prophet Ezekiel described these same living beings in Ezekiel 1:4-25. There they are described as being in constant motion. Ezekiel 10:15 explains that these are cherubim – a type of angel. Micaiah saw a similar vision, 1 Kings 22:19.)
These beings are “full of eyes” indicating their awareness and discernment. They are alert and cognizant of everything within their realm of responsibility. They are not all-knowing, like God, but He made them to be aware of everything necessary for them to serve Him. In Ezekiel 1, the prophet described each of them as having the same characteristics.
From John’s perspective, he saw each characteristic individually: like a lion, a calf, like a flying eagle and like a man. When God created the world, He said that it was “very good.” These angels – created beings – reflect God’s creation: wild animals, domesticated animals, flying creatures and the pinnacle of creation, mankind.
But here is the important emphasis: How and where do these magnificent angels direct our attention? In a ceaseless manner, they proclaim, “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty!” Their worship directs all of our attention to the One who sits upon the throne of heaven. All these wonders combined do not communicate calm serenity. They communicate a terrifying majesty, designed to induce the fear of God in all who read this.
The One Who Sits upon the Throne in Heaven, vs. 2b, 3a, 8-11
The appearance of the One who sits upon the throne
“One sat on the throne …”
Let’s go back to the second part of verses 2 and 3: “One sat on the throne, And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone.” This is God the Father sitting upon His throne; this is not a mere force, fate or chance. This is God the Father.
Over the years, our names for gems have changed a little, so let’s compare Scripture with Scripture to understand this vision. In Revelation 21, the light of the Heavenly Jerusalem is described as “like a jasper stone, clear as crystal” (Revelation 21:11). Among our gems today, this most closely resembles a diamond. Picture this: the transparent, transcendent, illuminating glory of our God! No wonder the angels and elders cry out in adoration! What a tragedy that Lucifer, “the anointed cherub that covered” was lifted up with pride, and cast down!
The adoration of the One who sits upon the throne, vs. 8-11
And the four [living ones] had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those [living ones] give glory and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who lives forever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”
This inner circle of remarkable angels directs our worship and praise to the One who sits upon the throne of heaven. They magnify the holiness of the Lord God Almighty, the Eternal One. They give glory and honor and thanksgiving to Him who lives forever and ever.
Now stop to ask, how should we respond to such glorification of God? How should we as sinful, repentant human beings – saved by the grace of God in the finished work of Jesus Christ – how should we respond to this vision?
We get our cue from the 24 elders. They fall down before Him; they love and adore Him. They kneel before Him and cast the crowns from their heads to his feet – because He alone is worthy to receive all the glory, honor and power. And why is this? He created all things! It was His pleasure that brought them all into existence! He alone is worthy of all praise.
How should we apply this message today? Each of us should ponder the wonders of Revelation chapter 4 and worship the One who deserves all of our glory, all of our honor, and all of our thanksgiving, with all the power we can muster to praise Him. When you look through the future, think first of falling before His throne.
My dear mother-in-law used to say, “Life is daily.” So how would you go about working the applications of this vision into your daily schedule? Find a time to read His revelation and to respond with glory and honor and thanks. Praise Him among others, even as the cherubim praised Him and the elders responded. When we sing in a few moments, let us sing from our hearts with all the power our voices can muster. Our Creator is our Sovereign Judge. Will He be pleased with the way that we sing? Will He be pleased with the way we remember Him each day this week? Let us meditate on these wonders, and magnify the One who deserves our worship.
Holy! Holy! Holy! Lord God Almighty, Was and is and is to come, Our worthy Lord and God
Worthy! Worthy! Worthy! To receive our glory; Honor, power, Worthy Lord, Creator of all things
Pastor Gordon Dickson, Calvary Baptist Church, Findlay, Ohio www.cbcfindlay.org