God on His Throne

OT Scripture

Isaiah 6:1–4 ESV

1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.

Introduction

The last few months have been pretty hectic, have they not? Whatever you want to say about this pandemic, the one truth that remains is that it has affected all of us in numerous ways. Many of your jobs have changed, or at this point you might consider yourself fortunate, or better blessed, to even have a job. Churches have members who are terrified to come back, but on the other hand there are those who think things should simply resume the way that they once were. I know many of you want to know where I, as your pastor, stand on issues like that, and to be completely transparent with you, I have to tell you that I don’t really know. I’ve experienced many different emotions throughout the past few months. At first, I was scared, then the fear turned into concern, then the concern turned to anger, and lastly the anger turned back to a concerned fear when my wife and children went back to school. After all, I am a husband as well a father and I love them. It might even surprise some of you to know that I have, at several points, asked the question of God, why have you placed me in this position at this time? The more I’ve thought about it, I guess I’ve asked that question because of my inability to do certain things or bring about certain improvements in areas where I think we as a church need them. Frankly, I have felt virtually helpless at times, but it has been at those very moments when I honestly think I probably felt the closest to God because when they past and I looked back on them I realized that it was his grace that got me through it. An older pastor I know once told me, “Sometimes all God really wants you to do is preach Christ, and the need people have for him.” That said, it’s often interesting when you prepare sermons and preach week in and week out how God uses certain texts of Scripture to speak to your heart. This week as I’ve prepared for this message, he’s used the fourth chapter of Revelation because it’s here that you see God in all his splendor and sovereignty. It’s also here, in Revelation 4 that you find out where God has always been and where he will always be, through thick and thin, good times and bad. In Revelation four John takes us into the throne room of heaven where we see that God, in his sovereignty is always on his throne as ruler over all things.

Revelation 4:1–11 ESV

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.” 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 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. 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. 5 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, 6 and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 7 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. 8 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!” 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, 10 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, 11 “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.”

Prayer

Preview

Before we get too deep into this text, I think it would be wise for me to tell you something of how I think this section of Revelation is structured. You’ll notice that, depending on the English translation you’re using, the first words of chapter four will read one of two possible ways, either After this I looked …” or “After these things I saw …” The second option is actually the more correct of the two because the Greek text here literally reads Μετὰ ταῦτα εἶδον, which when translated reads, “After these things I saw …” Now, in my view this phrase sets apart major sections or blocks of visions in the book of Revelation, and here it begins a section of visions that runs from 4:1 to 6:17. Then, inside these larger sections, the phrase Καὶ εἶδον “And/Then I saw” marks off smaller sections or vision blocks. In other words, everything from 4:1 to 6:17 constitutes one large vision that John saw, which is, itself, made up of smaller visions. I would describe what I think John is seeing like this, imagine you’re standing in the middle of a traffic accident and you’re seeing and hearing everything that’s going on around you. Over here you see a paramedic working with an accident victim. Over there you see a cop getting information from a bystander who saw actually witnessed the accident happen. Behind you there’s the sound of a fire engine pulling up to the scene. Remember, you’re standing in the middle of all of this watching and listening as everything is happening at the same time! Now, imagine being asked to write up a report about your experience, all you saw and heard, in a manner that’s actually understandable when someone reads it. That, I think, is what John is doing throughout the rest of the book of Revelation. So, with that said, let’s dive into chapter four, which I see as being one vision divided into two parts. 1) in verses 1-6a John gives us a description of God on his throne by focusing on the throne itself and then moving back away from it. 2) in verses 6b-11 John gives us a description of the worship in heaven by again starting at the throne and then moving outward.

The Sovereign God on His Throne

Revelation 4:1–6 ESV

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.” 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 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. 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. 5 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, 6 and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind:

Chapter 4 begins with John being called up into heaven. The voice that summoned John was the same voice he had heard earlier in Rev. 1:10-18, and there we learned that it was the voice of the risen Christ. In v.1 Jesus told John that he was going to show him “what must take place/happen after these things”. What does that mean? Some take it that from this point on in Revelation, everything John saw concerns a future period of time, a period of time even future to us, that brings human history to its end. Most believers who hold this position would say that John being called up into heaven is a picture of the rapture of the church, however, all of the pronouns used in v.1 are first person singular and therefore, they are referring only to John, but what did John see? First, he sees a throne, and someone seated on it, vv. 2 and 3. In v.3 John describes the one seated on the throne as being like “jasper and carnelian [carnelian is a better translation although sardius is acceptable (def. not “sardine”]. The throne is representative of God’s majesty and power while the precious stones or minerals are meant to point to supernatural splendor. John also says in v.3 that there was also a “rainbow” encircling the throne and it had the appearance an “emerald”. John is presenting us here with what we might term as God’s encircling brilliance as it is highly likely that he saw the same thing as described by Ezekiel in Ezek. 1:27-28. Do you know what Ezekiel’s reaction was? He was in such awe that he threw himself to the ground. I think the “rainbow” here should also serve to remind of us God’s common grace that he gives to all mankind. Remember, when God placed that rainbow in the sky he made a promise to Noah that he would never destroy the earth by water again, and entailed in that promise is the common grace of God’s patience, but remember also that a day is coming when his patience will run out. *All the more reason for you to give your life to Christ today! Next, in v.4 John tells us that “around the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads”. Now, the obvious question is, who are the twenty-four elders? Some say that they are representative of the church. This interpretation is based on the fact that it says they have white garments and crowns as well as on a certain reading of Rev. 5:9-10 concerning what the twenty-four elders say about who was redeemed in the death of Christ. That reading is as follows, “9 And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth” (Rev. 5:9–10, NKJV). Did you notice that in this reading the words “us and we” give the idea that the twenty-four elders are referring to themselves as being redeemed by Christ? If this reading is correct, then it’s easy to see why some take the twenty-four elders as representatives of redeemed mankind. However, the better reading seems to come from older manuscripts which say the following, “9 And they were sang a new song saying: “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe, tribe and language and people and nation. 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth” (Rev. 5:9-10, ESV). The better manuscript evidence points to the fact that the twenty-four elders aren’t referring to themselves but instead to humankind. This interpretation seems to point to the fact that the twenty-four elders are not the redeemed themselves or representatives of the redeemed, but instead a high order of angelic/divine beings surrounding the throne of God that in some manner have something to do with events that occur on earth. Next, as John backed farther away from the throne he saw “flashes of lightning” as well as “seven torches of fire”, not to mention the fact that he heard “rumblings/sounds and peals of thunder”. The lightning and thunder are both meant to be symbols of God’s awesome presence. Recall, if you will, how God displayed himself to Israel at the foot of Mount Sinai in Exodus 19:16. As to what the “seven torches of fire” are, the text tells us that they are the “seven spirits of God”. Lastly, John saw, “before the throne … as it were like a sea of glass, like crystal”. Now, to really understand what John is describing here, you’ve got to understand that in the ancient world glass and crystal didn’t look the way we commonly think about them today. For one, glass in the ancient world wasn’t as clear as the glass we have today, not even close, and two, ancient jewelers weren’t capable of cutting gemstones the way we do today. So, when you read what John says here you should probably imagine something like a lightly moving sea with the sunlight dancing and bursting off the tops of the ripples. The point being that every tiny water droplet, every point on that crystal gives you a reflection. So, what are we to make of all this? I think the best thing that could be said here is that John is trying his best to give us a description of something that is really indescribable, and he’s using the best vocabulary available to him in an attempt to give us a picture. And in that picture John is letting us know that God, through thick and thin, good times and bad, and any situation that could possibly befall his people, his children, he is completely sovereign. He is ruling on the throne!

(Appeal) Friend, if you’re here today and you’re placing your hope in the things of this world, some political candidate or some ideology, then I’m sorry, but I must tell you that you have a misplaced hope because those people and those ideologies will fail you. The only real hope you have is to place your faith in Christ. Why not do so today!

Worship in Heaven

In verses 1-6a John saw an amazing scene that featured at its center the majesty and splendor of God on his throne, and he gave a description of what he saw as if he was first standing at the throne, then gradually backing away from it. Now, in verses 6b-11 he describes worship in heaven in a similar fashion, by starting at the throne and backing away. Concerning worship in heaven, the first thing John saw, near God’s throne was “four living creatures”. The way John described what he saw is pretty radical because he said that the creatures “were full of eyes in front and behind: the first …[was] like a lion, the second … like an ox, the third living creature [had] the face of a man, and the fourth [was] like an eagle”. The blatantly obvious question is, “What, or who are these creatures?” There have been a number of interpretations offered over the years, and the language here is full of symbolism so we probably shouldn’t be dogmatic. Some older interpreters took them to symbolize the heads of the Jewish tribes as they were camped in the wilderness, others have said they represent Jesus in the Gospels. One of the most common interpretations that you’ll hear is that they are representative of each of the Gospel accounts themselves, the lion represents Matthew; the ox is Mark; Luke’s Gospel is represented by the man; and the eagle is the Gospel of John. While I understand why people might want to say that, it sounds a lot like eisegesis (reading something into the text from outside that’s not really there). In Revelation when John wants us to know what something is explicitly; he uses phrases like “this is” or “these are”. He does not say, “These are emblematic of the four Gospels.” That said, throughout the book of Revelation John constantly illudes to the OT without necessarily quoting verses. That means he expects you to know your OT, and it should tell us that these four living creatures need be linked in some manner to the OT. It is probably most accurate to say that John is referring to Isaiah 6:3; Ezek. 1:5-25; 10:1-22. These passages speak of divine/heavenly beings around the throne of God who are expressly taken to be guarding God’s throne and involved in worshipping him. Considering their connection to the twenty-four elders, they also may have some role in the governance of what happens on earth. Yes, God is most certainly sovereign, but he often chooses to administer that sovereignty through both heavenly beings as well as humankind (For an excellent example of this see 1 Kings 22:19-22.) In verses 8-11 John expressly tells us about the worship he saw in heaven. In v.8 he says that he heard the four living creatures saying, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come.” *Note that last statement there, “who is to come” because it seems to act as a possible time marker, and it’s going to change later on in the book. Here we’re told that God isn’t just “Holy”, he is trice holy. This is what’s called a trisagion. A trisagion is a liturgical expression that was used in ancient Judaism and well as Christianity to express, one might say, wholeness. After hearing this John then saw the twenty-four elders “cast their crowns before the throne”, and when they did it they said, “You are worthy, 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.” *Pay close attention to that phrase, “you created all things” because it’s important too. So, what we have in this scene is John giving us a brief and to the point description of worship in the heavenly throne room of God, but the big question is, when does this all take place? Is it in the past, or is it going to take place at some future time, future even to us?

When?

In order to answer the question of when this scene in chapter 4 takes place, let me first say that I have many brothers and sister who would interpret this scene as something that will take place at some point in the future, on the other hand I has just as many who say this has already taken place. They would say this took place at the ascension of Christ as describe in Acts 1. My view is that John is seeing what happen right after at the ascension of Jesus, and I think this for a number of reasons. Now, I don’t have time to develop my reasoning completely, that would take quite some time, but I would like to share just a couple my reasons with you. (1) First, in Daniel 7:13-14 Daniel describes “one like a son of man” (that’s Jesus, he uses that title for himself) who comes to the “Ancient of Days” and receives a kingdom in which people from all nations and languages will worship him. Daniel tells us that his kingdom will never end. Then, fast forward to right before the crucifixion and you’ve got Jesus standing before the Jewish council in Mark’s Gospel. There, the high priest point blank asked Jesus is he was the Messiah. Jesus’ answer to him is astonishing. Jesus answers by saying, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” That “you” is a second person plural and has to refer to the people Jesus was speaking to then. Luke (in Lk. 21:27), uses language that’s very similar to this in his version of the Olivet discourse, but Luke seems to be referring more to the second coming of Christ, although that’s debated. How do you reconcile these texts? I would say this, Mark seems to be describing what happened at Jesus ascension, and Luke is describing what will happen at Jesus’ return. In other words, you have here two progressive phases of the kingdom as it’s inaugurated in the events surrounding Jesus resurrection and ascension to heaven and then the kingdom is consummated at his return. (2) My second reason for believing that Revelation 4 is describing the events right after Jesus’ ascension revolves around the statement in Rev. 4:8, “who was and is and is to come”. Remember, I told you that last phrase was important. John writes here, that Jesus is “to come” and that seems to indicate, at least in my mind, that what John saw must have described an event that took place sometime in the past because as far as I can tell, Jesus hasn’t returned yet.

Conclusion

Now, in conclusion, I know that some of you are probably on “information overload”, but I want to very briefly by pointing you to what this passage tells us about Jesus, after all this is the Ἀποκάλυψις Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, the Apocalypse/revealing of Jesus Christ. Look, if you will at Rev. 4:11. Did you notice that John says of the one receiving all of this worship in heaven, “you created all things”? Who is this, who is the “agent of creation”? Listen to what Paul wrote in Colossians 1:15-20,

“15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”

Church, in Revelation 4:1-11, John saw God, in his sovereignty and he saw the fact that He is always on his throne as ruler over all things. But at the same time in seeing God on his throne John is continuously pointing us to the second person of the Trinity who is the physical manifestation of God, the one whom we can touch and feel, the one through whom all things were created, Jesus Christ. When you begin to feel worried, scared, or unsure about what’s going on in the world around you, one of the texts you can turn to and read for the assurance that nothing happens that’s not held under his sovereignty is the one we’ve looked at today, Revelation 4:1-11. Friend, if you’re here today and you’re not a believer in this Jesus, then this text should make you want to become one. Why? Because it should give you comfort in the darkest hour to know that he is where he’s always been, on throne. Won’t you come today?

Invitation

Prayer