Revelation 4

Translation

After this I looked, and behold: a door had been opened in heaven. The first voice that I heard, the one that sounded like a trumpet, was speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after these things.” Immediately I was in the spirit, and a throne was sitting in heaven and someone was seated upon the throne. The Enthroned one's appearance was like jasper and carnelian, and there was a rainbow around the throne which looked like emerald. Around the throne was twenty four thrones, and on those thrones twenty-four elders were sitting dressed in white robes, and on their heads were golden crowns. Lighting, rumbling, and thunder was coming from the throne, and seven fiery lanterns were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. In front of the throne was like a glass sea, like crystal.

Closely circling the throne were four creatures full of eyes in the front and the back. The first creature was like a lion, the second creature was like an ox, the third creature had a face like a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. Each one of the four creatures had six wings, full of eyes all around and on the inside. Non stop, day and night, they were singing:

Holy, Holy, Holy,

Lord God Almighty,

Who was , and who is, and who comes.

And when the creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the one sitting on the throne, to the one who lives for ever and ever, the twenty four elders fall down before the one sitting on the throne and worship the one who lives for ever and ever, and they throw their crowns before the throne, saying:

You are worthy, Our Lord and God,

to receive glory, honor, and power.

Because you created all things,

And through your will they existed and were created.

Visions of Heaven

Visions of heaven have always captivated the imagination

“Heaven is for real”

“Nine Days in Heaven

Not just popular today, but even in ancient times

Enoch

Apocalypse of Moses

Testament of Levi

Even Greeks and Romans have stories about visiting the spiritual worlds

Most of these should be read cautiously

Not bad to read, but also not authoritative scripture

Still, the fact remains that heaven itself captivates our imagination. We wonder what heaven must really be like, and John’s Revelation does not dissapoint

Door in heaven

Heaven/sky not always clearly distinguished

Point is not that heaven is in the sky, but that it’s “up there”, beyond our reach. It is inaccessible to humans, unless God chooses to make it accessible

“Show you what must happen”

What goes on in heaven directly effects what happens on earth

God and the angels of heaven are at work in Heaven to order the things on earth

This is the primary purpose of Apocalyptic literature

God’s throne is in heaven

Heaven is, first and foremost, the place where God is.

Not that God isn’t everywhere else, but that God’s presence is especially here, more so than anywhere else. This is God’s “house”, his royal throneroom

The one sitting on the throne (i.e. God), looks like precious gems

Jasper can be many colors, but typically reddish.

Carnelian is a dark red gem

God’s appearance is red like fire, but as beautiful as precious gems

A beautiful rainbow like an emerald

Even the heavenly rainbow is more beautiful than those we witness here, again like a precious emerald

Rainbow in Noah’s day, from hebrew קֶשֶׁת, lit. “war bow”

Both a reminder of God’s promise of mercy, but also of God’s strength and power: His war bow is made of light

Twenty four elders

Probably representative of the Twelve Tribes of Israel and the Twelve Apostles, i.e. symbol for Jew and Gentile given honor and authority in heaven

The dead who worship God are not angels as we commonly think of, but are nevertheless given honor: white robes, thrones, and crowns

Reminder that Jesus promised those who conquer “a place with me on my throne” (Rev 3:21)

Lightning, rumblings and thunder

Call back to Ex. 19:16; reminder that this is the same God who met with Moses

The New Revised Standard Version The People Consecrated

16 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, as well as a thick cloud on the mountain, and a blast of a trumpet so loud that all the people who were in the camp trembled.

Lightning and thunder also associated with Zeus (and earlier, Ba’al). A visual symbol that God and God alone rules the heavens and the storms.

I.e., a critique of the powerless pagan gods in light of the true God’s might

Seven lanterns

Menorah/temple altar symbolism

These are likely the same seven “spirits” which are the seven angels of the seven churches John wrote to.

The same angels who watch over God’s churches are also before God’s throne, taking direction and connecting us to the goings-on of Heaven

Glassy sea

Creation narrative: God remains in control of chaos

Symbolism for God’s power over the earth, even its mighty oceans

Symbol for the pure beauty of heaven

Four creatures

Likely God’s throne-bearers “Καὶ ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ θρόνου καὶ κύκλῳ τοῦ θρόνου τέσσαρα ζῷα...”

Combining imagery from Ezekiel 1 and Is 6, thus again reminding us that this is the same God who is God over Israel as well as Gentiles through Jesus

Reminder of God’s power. He is יְהוָ֣ה צְבָאֹ֑ות, “YHWH of Armies”.

Distractions from the Throne

Heaven truly is mysterious, and there is much more that could be said about the wonders therein.

John is remarkably short on the details of heaven compared to other contemporary visions of heaven

Why doesn’t John give us more detail, we may wonder?

Notice the way even John’s attention wanders, but then is brought back to focus on the real gem of heaven

He moves from the one on the throne, to details about what’s around the throne, including strange creatures, and then back to the one “sitting on the throne” again

The real treasure of heaven is God himself. Even the lightning, rainbows, and strange creatures are only there to point our eyes back to the Enthroned one.

Distractions from the Enthroned one are a danger not only to John, but to us as well

How often, in contemplating heaven, do we neglect to consider what it means to be in God’s presence?

How often does our religious preference distract us from the one our religion should point to?

Quibbles over which kinds of hymns to sing, what way to decorate the sanctuary, etc.

Even questions about heaven often seem disinterested in the one who rules over heaven

Will there be pearly gates? Streets of Gold?

Who all will be there? Which prophets and theologians? Which family members will I get to see again?

Not that these are unimportant or bad questions, but they often become the only or primary questions we ask

Not just with heaven, but on Earth many things distract us from the Enthroned one as well

troubles at work or school

Troubles with government, disaster, and the world

Pursuit of the good things of this life (wealth, comfort, happiness, etc.)

Like the beautiful things in heaven, all things on earth are really meant to point us back toward the Enthroned One

Financial Blessings

The Beauty of Creation

Even the joy and love we experience with one another are gifts from the Throne

To God be the Glory

Like John, when our eyes wander from God, let us be drawn back to the one on the throne

The songs of the creatures and elders remind us of why God is so very worthy of our attention and adoration

God is holy, pure goodness, truth, and beauty

God is “Lord almighty”, leader of heaven’s armies

God has created all things, and every good thing is a gift from him

And yet, despite God’s high status, he left his throne to become one of us, to invite us back into his presence once again

So let us not be carried away by the distractions. Set your eyes on God, the only one worthy of our adoration and praise.