The Throne in Heaven

Worship the Sovereign God.

Rev.4:1 “After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.””

Verse one combines two apocalyptic images:

The door standing open which indicates access has been granted between heaven and earth. Remember that after the fall, access to God’s presence had been shut off, and temple worship only provided a way for God’s presence to be near to His people. Finally, through the death and resurrection of Christ, God’s people became the dwelling place for His Spirit. Now, the door is opened.

There is a voice…like a trumpet. This remembers 1:10, and the sound of a trumpet is typically associated with being a harbinger of the Day of the Lord. The trumpet was also used to gather God’s people, calling them to battle or to gather as an assembly. What is certain is that when the trumpet sounds, something significant is about to happen.

John is called up here, into God’s heavens presence and abode, a place that is devoid of time where God simply dwells in eternity. This fact alone may complicate our attempts to follow a timeline or chronology of events, because everything that happens is given from an eternal perspective.

John is seeing what must take place after this. The OT framework comes from Daniel 2:28, and a similar idea was introduced in chapter 1 (vs.1; 19). A few quick highlights that we went over in chapter 1:

God is the One who reveals history’s mysteries.

History has a certain end pre-determined by God.

No matter how strong an earthly kingdom may seem, this world will be swept away by the forever kingdom of God.

The heavily summons simply draws on similar prophetic summons in the OT (Ezekiel, Isaiah, 1 Kings 22:19).

Rev.4:2 “At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.”

Throne figures prominently throughout the book of Revelation. It points to God’s rule and just judgment, and contrasts with the pretend rule of Satan on the earth. Here, we get a picture…a glimpse into that throne room.

Rev.4:3 “And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.”

God’s throne surrounded by a rainbow combines the image of God’s radiant light in Ezk.1:28 with the rainbow promise of Genesis 9:13-17. This section of Scripture will ultimately lead to God’s judgment, and the rainbow of Genesis 9 comes after God’s judgment of the earth. The rainbow, however, is a reminder of God’s mercy, even in the midst of His judgment. All of the gems and lights are meant to point to God’s glory surrounding His throne. It all seems to hit home on Paul’s point in 1 Tim.6:16 “who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.”

Rev.4:4 “Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads.”

There is much debate around who the twenty-four elders are. Are they human or heavenly beings? Later mentions (Rev.21:12-14) include the patriarchs and the apostles, and the appearance of the clothing suggests human. The white garments point to purity, and the golden crowns do indicate royalty. But, the elders in Revelation seem to function as intermediaries/interpreters (see Rev.5:5; 7:13-17), which suggests heavenly beings. It could be that these are angelic representatives of the whole of God’s people.

Rev.4:5-6a “From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

Much of this imagery draws from OT scenes, often theophanies — appearances of God. The flashes of lightening recalls Mt. Sinai imagery from Ex.19:16. The peals of thunder is a common theme from theophanies — see Judges 5:4-5; Ps.18:7-15; Isa.64:2-4, etc. The seven torches of fire picks up on the imagery from Zech.4:1-14 and the seven lamps of the tabernacle in Ex.25:31-40; 40:4. Finally, the sea of glass before the throne reinforces the glory and purity of heaven. It points also to God’s transcendent holiness and His total sovereignty that becomes a source for worship and the basis of judgment when God destroys evil.

We are given a rare glimpse into the throne room of heaven. And who do we find there? God, in all His glory, dwelling in unapproachable light. And where is He seated? On His throne. Through all of the crazy imagery, when we simply step back and say, “What do we have here?” It’s the Sovereign God ruling on His throne. No matter what the churches in Revelation face, God sovereignly rules over it all. And the same is true for us!

Worship the Holy God.

Rev.4:6b-8 “And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!””

It seems these creatures surround the throne with their presence. The imagery certainly draws from Ezekiel 1, but it is not identical. They form the inner-most circle around God’s throne. Imagery from Isaiah 6 is also at play, and it seems the creatures may be a bit of a mixture of the two visions.

The creatures were full of eyes, showing total vigilance. Nothing escapes their gaze, and it points to the fact that omniscience surrounds the omniscient One. This level knowledge could encourage readers that God is very aware of their struggles.

The descriptions of the creatures, lion…ox…man, and…eagle, invite a multitude of opinions, and they represent the noblest, strongest, wisest, and swiftest off God’s creation — His good and varied and noble creation. But, what can be known for certain is limited. They are near to the throne, leading in worship, so it is safe to say they’re leaders of the heavenly court, the highest order of celestial beings who lead in worship and judgment.

All four creatures are certainly majestic in their individual settings, the lion in the wild, the ox in domestication, man as the pinnacle of creation, and the eagle in the air.

The creatures are full of eyes, and in Ezk.1:12, the go wherever the Spirit of God leads them, without turning. Their unique physiques (eyes front and back, a multitude of wings, etc.) allow them to perfectly follow God’s will.

The four living creatures sing songs of praise, borrowing from Isa.6:3.

The three-fold repetition drives home God’s couple uniqueness. Almighty shows God’s complete dominion over all. A similar refrain and reference is used in 1:9 and is attached to the Alpha and Omega.

Again, see God as the eternally existent one, the “I Am” of Exod.3:14.

To come not only closes the circle on God’s eternal nature, but it shows Him as the One able to bring history to its intended end.

Majestic, heavenly creatures that would likely terrify us surround the throne of God, perfectly carrying out His will and declaring His praises. If the most majestic of beasts busy themselves with declaring the utter uniqueness of our God, the One who is wholly Holy, utter different, and eternally existing as such, should we not also make it the purpose of our life to do the same? Remember, the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

Worship the Creator God.

Rev.4:9 “And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever,”

God’s worthiness to be worshiped is again shown as the four living creatures are shown continuing their worship. Combining glory and honor gives God the esteem and prestige He deserves. Giving God honor gives Him the highest respect and reverence because of His surpassing value and worth. Remember the man who found a treasure of surpassing worth buried in a field…how he went and sold all that he had in order to buy the field so that he could have this treasure? That’s the call of the believer — total abandon to obtain Christ.

To their worship they add thanksgiving. Their praise and worship celebrates who God is, but their thanksgiving will provide a bridge to honoring God for what He has done and will do.

And, John adds that they worship the one who lives forever. It should call to mind Dan.4:34; 6:26; 12:7. In these passages, God is the One who reigns forever and over all, reinforcing God’s sovereignty over history.

Finally, the twenty-four elders join the song: Rev.4:10-11 “the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.””

The elders bow, which usually means they lay themselves prostrate on the ground as a sign of humble brokenness or declaring another’s surpassing worth. The culmination and depth of the elders’ contrition is shown when they cast their crowns before the throne. For the elders, God’s worthiness is grounded in creation. They confess God is worthy to receive (take or have possession of) glory…honor and power. As the Creator, God rightfully rules over His creation. Notice the magnitude of God’s power: it is by His will that creation came to be. He willed it and so it was.

So, we worship the Creator God. But, His act of creation tells us more than simply how it all came to be. Celebrating God as the Creator points to God’s sovereignty and power, sustaining the universe. It should remind the believer that all that we endure has a purpose, and God is not retired from His throne.

Further, God’s forever reign is meant to be contrasted with the temporary rule of Babylon and her kings — Daniel’s vision carried out coupled with Babylon in the book of Revelation. This makes the throne scene here so important in light of Revelation as a whole. In Daniel, pagan kings are brought low because of their opposition to God and His will, the same thing happening in Revelation.

Brothers and sisters, we are called to worship God because He sovereignly rules over all, He is completely and eternally holy, and because He has done great things. May the lives we live and words we speak and the thoughts we have and the desires of our hearts…may they bring honor to the only One who is worthy.