Revelations Ch 4
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Revelation
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.”
At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.
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.
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.
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. 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!”
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, 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.”
We just went through the message to the seven churches, ending with the church of Laodicia - now we enter the Throne room of God - What an appropriate time for John to see it.
If your a dispensationalist the church is lukewarm - neither cold not hot and what does it need? It needs a vision of the Throne room. That should automatically get it fired back up.
Not only a picture of the throne but knowing Jesus is also in the middle of it and he is deeply concerned with His church.
After this
- after Jesus dictated the seven letters
Looking Up - He sees a door in heaven. Remember ( Jesus said God an open a door that no one can open or close a door no one can close- Door represents entrance. With the entrance comes an invitation - AMEN
God is inviting John to witness a powerful scene in heaven and that scene is one of worship
Remember John is in the Spirit again- He sees beyond the natural- He sees into the spiritual. He sees spiritually discerned things and he hears spiritual things.
The term COME UP is significant -we will look up and see the throne room also we will look up and see Jesus. as we come up we enter His presence which has a very definite location and a very definite vantage point - AMEN When we are raptures we will go up.
He then hears the sound of a trumpet - Jesus or an angel- many times Gods voice is like the sound or a trumpet
trumpets in a throne room hail the soon arrival.
Gods presence thunders from the throne room just as it did at the top of the mountain Moses ascended.
The Theme of this chapter is the throne room- mentioned 46 times in the book of revelation and in every chapter but chapter 3 - used 17 times just in chapters 4-5
It is elevated with steps leading up to it..
Stephen had a glimpse of it in Acts 7:54-56
But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
What John saw was amazing. He saw the Father in all His glory
Jasper - probably a diamond -translucent and clear like a diamond - The high Priest wore these colored stones - represents holiness
Carnelian- Red like a Ruby - Judgement
Emerald - Rainbow - actually a green bow - represents Mercy.
In the midst of all this beauty The presence of God
Ezekiel 1:22–28 (ESV)
Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring crystal, spread out above their heads.
And under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another. And each creature had two wings covering its body.
And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the sound of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army. When they stood still, they let down their wings.
And there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads. When they stood still, they let down their wings.
And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance.
And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him.
Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
In the midst of all this you have 24 elders on twenty four thrones
Twenty Four Elders
24 is 12 X 2 - representing the early church Patriarchs and the New covenant church fathers( Apostles). The nation of Israel in all its completeness and the church the bride of Christ.
These 24 rulers are in subjection to the supreme ruler
Interesting to note - that John doesn’t recognize who they are - And John himself would be one of the Apostles, so who was in his seat?
White robes and golden crowns - Not just what the elders are wearing but representative of your victory in Christ Jesus - for those of the redeemed - to those who overcome they will sit with him, as victors and to them rulers in the millenium and beyond.
The sea of glass - looks like a shiny clear expanse and the sea represents the cleansing the the bronze bowl meant for cleansing
This also is representative of a clear, clean, beautiful environment.
Like I said earlier it is a picture of Worship - It involves the Trinity- The Father on the Throne - The seven lamps of fire representing the Spirit - and Jesus as the lamb of God -
4 Living Creatures
Lion - King - Mighty and Majesty - Prov 30:30
The lion which is mighty among beasts And does not retreat before any,
Ox - Strength or ability and power Prov 14:4
Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.
Eagle - Swift - powerful- able to access the heavens - Ex 19:4
‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself.
Man - Wisdom or intelligence - the image of God - Genesis 1:27-28
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
They have wings and eyes that seem to see everything and they sing
Are they actual creatures or just representations of something else - I believe they are actual created beings. Why not?
Another vision Ezekiel 1:4-14 ( Cheribum)
As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal.
And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness,
but each had four faces, and each of them had four wings.
Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf’s foot. And they sparkled like burnished bronze.
Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus:
their wings touched one another. Each one of them went straight forward, without turning as they went.
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.
Such were their faces. And their wings were spread out above. Each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while two covered their bodies.
And each went straight forward. Wherever the spirit would go, they went, without turning as they went.
As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches moving to and fro among the living creatures. And the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.
And the living creatures darted to and fro, like the appearance of a flash of lightning.
We also see this a picture of a cherub in Ezekial Ch 41
and Isaiah 6:1 ( He sees Seraphim)
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.
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.
And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.
And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
I saw a representation of this in the Bristish Museum in London - It was the Assyrian Lamasu
These creatures have been represented numerous times in History - Babylon, Egypt, Assyriathey are seen as holding up the throne. Or they look like they are guarding the throne. They represent what sits on the throne.
They are represented in the temple and the tabernacle
At the entrance to the inner sanctuary
With all this going on lets not lose sight of the Theme
In the Throne Room there is Worship
These are all reference to beings of Worship
The heavenly trinitarian chant is Holy, Holy, Holy.
They fall down before Him in reverence , awe and majesty.
They cast their crowns before the throne
and shout Worthy - The Lord is worthy to receive glory and honor and power
It is only this God who created all things and they exist only by Him - WOW
CONCLUSION:
Worship means to “ascribe worth”
All of heaven’s praise came because the Lamb took the scroll from the Father’s hand.
God’s great eternal plan would now be fulfilled and creation would be set free from the bondage of sin and death.
Soon the Lamb will break the seals and put in motion events that will eventually lead to His coming to earth and the establishment of His kingdom.
As you share in these heavenly worship services, do you find your own heart saying “Amen!” to what they have sung?
You may believe in Christ as the Creator, but have you trusted Him as your Redeemer?
Do you see Him as worthy to receive glory honor and praise?
If not, will you do so right now?