Before The Throne
Notes
Transcript
We’re on a journey through the book of Revelation, a book that raises many challenges in our understanding, and a book that is both revered and feared by many. In the first vision we were introduced to the Son of Man who sent letters to seven churches. Those letters conclude the introduction to the book.
We’ve already discussed that the book of Revelation is in the genre of what we call Apocalyptic literature. Michael Gorman in his book Reading Revelation Responsibility writes:
Scholars debate the origins of apocalyptic theology and literature, but its basic function seems fairly clear: to sustain the people of God, especially in times of crisis, particularly evil and oppression. Apocalyptic literature both expresses and creates hope by offering scathing critique of the oppressors, passionate exhortations to defiance (and sometimes even preparation for confrontation), and unfailing confidence in God’s ultimate defeat of the present evil. Usually articulated in symbolic, even cryptic, language, this hope means that apocalyptic is also the language and literature of resistance. Richard Horsley contends that “[f]ar from looking for the end of the world, they [Jewish apocalyptic writers] were looking for the end of empire. And far from living under the shadow of an anticipated cosmic dissolution, they looked for the renewal of the earth on which a humane societal life could be renewed.”7
This book is a work to be meditated on, reflected upon, and applied. Yes, it gets weird, and it helps to have at least some knowledge of the Hebrew Bible (what we call the Old Testament) as John often borrows from imagery we find there. At times we have to approach it almost as we would a piece of art.
So let’s dive in.
1. See the Sovereign Throne
1. See the Sovereign Throne
As we get to chapter four we have an introduction to the greater part of the book, a
4:1 - 22:5 - “Things that shall take place after this”: Christ’s defense of the Church and Destruction of its enemies
4:1 - 8:1 - The Lamb and the Scroll: Current and coming woes. Precursors to the end.
4:1 - 5:14 - Heaven Opened: The Lamb receives the scroll.
Clearly we’re at the beginning of something big, so we ought to pay attention.
Revelation 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.”
Throughout Scripture we have statements of invitation where God and/or Jesus invites us to come to him. From Genesis and God calling to Adam, or Exodus and God calling Moses to come up onto Mt. Sinai, or Isaiah prophesying God’s invitation to “Come, let us reason together,” Or Jesus inviting His disciples to “Come, follow me.”
Now we get yet another invitation, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”
And so we go with John and we see a throne and the one seated on the throne. Around the throne is a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. And around the throne are 24 thrones - so this throne is central. On those 24 thrones are elders wearing white - a symbol of purity and holiness, and they have crowns.
From this throne flows power as flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne are the seven torches of fire and the seven spirits of God. Seven represents completeness and perfection taken from the Genesis account of the seven days of creation. Throughout Revelation the Holy Spirit is represented as one person, but also as the seven spirits, the seven torches of fire, and seven eyes to represent omnipresnece and omniscience.
and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.
I want to stop here for just a moment again to address imagery. Notice the use of “like” and here, “as it were”. We’re reminded this is a vision.
The sea throughout the scriptures was often seen as a place of chaos. Think of the storms that we often see upon it throughout Scripture. Yet here, it is like glass, and it’s like crystal. One can imagine being able to see everything that takes place beneath the throne - everything is visible from this point of reference.
All of us can take comfort in that God sees all that is going on around us, there is nothing outside of God’s view.
Then as we end verse 6 and we get into verse 7 and things get a little weird, right? These four living creatures, full of eyes on the front and back.
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.
Where do these images come from? Remember it’s apocalyptic literature. Many of the images that we will see within the book of Revelation are seen in the Hebrew Bible, so we go to our Old Testament and we find similar images in Ezekiel.
As for the likeness of their faces, each had a human face. The four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle.
The symbolism may be of the wild (the lion), the domestic (the ox), and the air (the eagle). At this point its not so much about what they look like, but about what they’re doing.
2. Proclaim His Boundless Holiness
2. Proclaim His Boundless Holiness
God’s holiness is boundless, it knows no limits. The four creatures, for whom everything is seen (they have eyes all over them) and day and night they never cease to say, Revelation 4:8
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
In the wild, at home, in the skies we praise God from morning to night. We see everything and we praise God!
There is a comfort in that.
There is comfort in knowing that creatures who are able to see all that is going on - from feast to famine, peace to war, fruitful bounty to devastation, recognize God as holy and worship. They are not brought down by anything they might see as negative.
I’m reminded of Paul’s words to the Philippians, Phil 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
The One who fulfills all of these is God Himself, and to Him they say day and night, Rev 4:8
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
As we’ve been going through Revelation we’ve been invited again and again to examine ourselves. So, how are you doing in worship? Not just here on Sunday mornings, but throughout the day, throughout the week?
God was, God is, God is to come. God was with us in the past, is with us in the present, and will be with us in the future. God is, or as God said to Moses, “I AM”.
I am all you need me to be when you need me to be it.
Then in closing this chapter we have this image of worship as the 24 elders bow down, actually fall down prostrate before the one on the throne, and they cast their crowns.
3. Cast Crowns in Reverence
3. Cast Crowns in Reverence
In first century Asia MInor they understood what a monarchy was. We see throughout the Bible various kings both good and bad, and even within Israel. King David being in their mind the primary example despite his failings. They knew that the Messiah would come and now they have him in Jesus. The early church understood Jesus to have ascended into heaven. They understood Him to now be seated with God on the throne of heaven.
In this vision we have the throne in the midst of a glass sea, everything is within view, from it comes power (lightning and thunder) and gathered around are 24 elders clothed in white and crowned in gold - They’re clean, pure, holy, they’re royal - yet no matter how powerful they might be they all fall prostrate before the One on His throne.
And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 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…
The middle schooler in me asks, so when exactly are these elders seated on their thrones? Day and night the creatures say, “Holy, holy, holy…” and whenever they give glory to God the elders fall down?
To fall down in worship, to lay prostrate was the ultimate act of humility. If you wore a crown, you never gave it up. To give up one’s crown was to relinquish one’s power. These elders submit all their power and authority to the one who is seated on the throne in the middle. They say,
“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.”
In this life we all have choices as to how we will live. We take pride in the things we have, in things we have accomplished, in goals we might have. We live as if we are the ones in control.
As Christians we know we are not the ones ultimately in control. God is. For you and I it is a constant battle.
Even Solomon understood the role of submission, at least early on. In the book of Proverbs he wrote:
Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.
What crowns might you be holding on to? What crowns might you need to lay before our Lord in worship?
This passage serves as a call for believers to engage in authentic worship that transcends routine and ritual. All of us are encouraged to recognize that the depth of our worship comes from an understanding of who God is. This passage invites us to cultivate a lifestyle that not only glorifies God personally but also builds community. That’s worship.
Worship is not simply what happens here on Sunday morning in what we call a worship service. It’s what happens every moment of our lives as we’re cleaning the kitchen, doing homework, driving on the street, shopping, working out, sitting down for a meal, lying down or rising.
Our passage began with an invitation, “Come up here.” John went up and what did he see, but to bow down. God is sovereign - a statement of ultimate kingship. Does the way we live recognize it?
Soren Kierkegaard once said, “At the end of a worship service we should not ask, ‘How was it?’, but ‘How did I do.’” I would extend that to each and every day. AMEN.
