The Throne of Heaven – Revelation 4:1-11
1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.
8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
The messages to the churches have now ended and in this article we’ll examine a dramatic shift of scene as Heaven comes into view and the events “which must be hereafter” begin. No doubt John, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wants his readers to notice the difference and to understand the break being made at this point in the narrative. Many places in the Bible offer a view of heavenly scenes. The visions of Daniel, Ezekiel, Zechariah, and others allow a glimpse of language used to describe heavenly places.
The language of apocalyptic writing should be considered as we seek to understand this book. Metaphors, similes and other forms of writing are used to describe people, events and creatures. When something is ‘like’ something else it is a simile, so we must be careful to avoid the mistake of confusing reality with a figure of speech. Life is like a game yet we know that life is not a game. The rules and the need to cooperate and participate allow us to make this comparison. So it is with the use of similes and other figures of speech in Revelation. Care must be exercised that we not confuse the description of a creature having features we may see as outlandish with a creature actually existing in creation as we know it. The purpose of the description is to put into words something the finite mind of man can comprehend. The use of numbers and heavenly scenes also fit the same rules of interpretation.
Chapter 4 opens the shift of our attention from the churches on earth to the heavenly throne. Under the Spirit’s direction John has written the message Jesus desired the churches (and us) to receive; now John delivers from Heaven the view of events yet to happen. The glory of a heavenly scene calls upon the reader to expand his understanding of God and His essence. God has sovereign rule over all the cosmic systems, especially this earth, and we should be cautious so as not to impose our finite capacities as a limit upon God. God’s will shall be accomplished. Time and this world shall end by His plan.
God and the fulfillment of His plan will bring honor and praise to His character and nature. Ephesians 1:10-12 says “That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.” The very person of God will be exalted and for this purpose man was and is created, as we’ll soon see in Revelation 4:11. We will examine how God intends for all creation to praise and exalt Him, so we must keep the perspective that the events of Revelation are meant to exalt God, not man. The person at the center is Jesus, and ultimately God will receive all the praise, glory and honor mankind and creation can give.
After These Things (Revelation 4:1)
1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
John’s opening statement “after this” is in reference to the events of the previous 3 chapters. He bases the change on the understanding of the role of the church and how the Spirit of God moved in the lives of its people. He looked and saw a door opened, the implication being that something occurred which caught his attention. The voice heard is “the first voice,” the idea seeming to be one which is first in order and rank. The clear implication must be that this is the voice of the One who ranks over all.
John heard the voice of God, a voice that sounded like a trumpet. As noted in previous articles, the trumpet was used to help Israel to organize. Trumpets were used by armies of old to signal movements, attack, retreat and victory. The ear of the listener must be attuned to the sound of the trumpet. If the trumpet gave an uncertain sound, the army would be confused and susceptible to destruction. John heard the first voice, clear and unmistakable to him. That the sound was like a trumpet means it was certain and precise. It would seem John knew what was next.
Then the voice invited John to “come up hither.” These three words in the King James have stirred quite a controversy through the years. Some equate this as the exact moment of the rapture. Technically speaking, the phrase “come up hither” (Greek anaba) is a second-person singular, so we can understand that the speaker is addressing John alone. The imperative here is singular and applies to one person written about in the second person. Many scholars refer to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 in conjunction with this phrase “come up hither” so let’s consider Paul’s words: “But I would not have you to be ignorant [uninformed], brethren, concerning them which are asleep [those who have died], that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope [because they have refused Christ]. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [precede] them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise [be resurrected] first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
Opinion is generally divided into three camps regarding the timing of the rapture, or the removal of God’s people from the earth when Jesus returns and calls for them. Some believe it will occur prior to the tribulation period about which we will study in future articles; others think it will occur in the middle of the tribulation period, and still a third position is that it will happen at the close of the tribulation. This writer can make points to support at least some aspects of all three positions, and they will be discussed in a subsequent article so that you can decide for yourself. There is even a fourth ‘split’ or ‘progressive’ rapture idea that this writer cannot support. In any case we must remember that the rapture will happen at God’s appointed time – it is therefore our individual responsibility to be prepared for it!
The church does not appear again in Revelation during the time of tribulation, indicating that it is not involved in that time period. Jeremiah 30:7 refers to the tribulation as the time of Jacob’s trouble, not the church’s trouble. In his first letter to the Thessalonians Paul points out in chapter 5 verse 9 “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,” indicating that they will not endure the wrath of the tribulation. A careful reading of 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10 may cause us to note that the anti-Christ is not revealed until after the Holy Spirit is removed from the earth (but that’s a subject for a subsequent article); in any case, the timing of the rapture will likely not be settled until the actual event occurs.
In the passage under consideration here (Revelation 4:1) the speaker desired to display things which were yet in the future, so as John wrote about these events he used his own vocabulary. Since some of the creatures he saw were then described within the bounds of that vocabulary we should not ascribe too literal or too modern a sense of meaning and word definitions to his terms. Under inspiration John made no mistakes, but he did use his own words.
The things which will be shown are left indefinite at this point. John saw a limited future display of events and not all details were given, but enough was revealed to show how God plans to deal with humanity. What John saw and recorded therefore warns us all to be prepared for the coming of Christ.
The Throne of God (Revelation 4:2,3)
2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
Once John became aware of the things he would be shown, the Spirit of God covered him and he saw the first vision. The very concept of being set in Heaven is awesome. John’s vision of the throne of God was that of regal kings and the power and prestige of royalty. Unlike a democracy in which the people rule, a throne room represents the total control and sovereign power of the king. The throne occupies a specific place with a particular personage sitting on it. The throne calls to mind pictures of court being held with advisers and trial, with people waiting for the one in charge to dispense final judgment or to extend grace.
The throne revealed to John is in the heavens. No mention is made of the second or third heaven as described by Paul in 2 Corinthians chapter 11, but only of the place where God dwells. Heaven is not a mystical place with computer-enhanced graphics; it is a literal dwelling place occupied by God and His angels. It is the very presence of God that makes it Heaven. Heaven is also more than an eternal resting place; it is also where redeemed humanity will actively worship the Lamb and honor God in eternity. The One who sat upon the throne is described in verse 3. He is like – similar to or to be compared to – precious stones of varying names and qualities. He was to be looked upon, or to be perceived and understood, with the eyes, the idea being that we fully comprehend who this One on the throne is. The understanding would be noticeable and the stones used for the description would find their origin in what the eyes saw. The precious nature of the stones speaks of the value and uniqueness of the character of the One occupying the throne. There is none other like Him.
The jasper is a stone of purple or blue, or even possibly green color. Some even compare it to a diamond, one of the most precious of stones and one that produces a prism of color. The sardine stone is also one of precious nature and is flesh or reddish in color. The use of these terms to describe the One on the throne must be seen as a figure. The precious nature and value of the One who occupies the throne thus cannot be denied. The colors may be seen as representative of royalty, power and fame or high esteem.
A rainbow surrounded the throne. In transliteration the word is iris. The encircling of the throne by this iris is like when an army has encircled the enemy. The throne is engulfed by the color of the rainbow. Since the rainbow is a symbol of God’s covenant with Noah (and should never be misappropriated for any other reason or as a symbol of anything else), here we have another symbol demonstrating this as being the throne of the faithful God.
The Elders (Revelation 4:4)
4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
Around the throne, or seat of God, sit twenty-four elders, and the nature and character of these elders provides insight into verse 4. These people are the aged ones and are for that reason shown respect. The term is one from which we obtain the word presbyter and the concept is of respect and age so as to provide wisdom. In the culture of John’s era an elder would be one who sat at the gate and offered council, a person who has gained and kept respect, providing a good and needed service to the city and community. Who are the elders mentioned here? Their specific identities are not given in Scripture; neither does speculation provide any real insight, but it is what they do that seems to be much more important than who they are.
Bible numerology lends interesting information into the study of prophecy. In this place (Heaven) there are twenty-four elders. Some would contend this is two times twelve, twelve being the number of government, so we have a throne surrounded in complete government and all its attendant implications. The elders of the New Testament era would have served in a capacity of government at the gates of the city. The number of men would vary, and here the only identity applicable might be as the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles, but this is at best speculation.
The elders are clothed in white raiment and wear crowns of gold. The purpose of this description is to offer clear statements of their acceptance around the throne and reveals that those around the throne of God must meet His specific criteria for being present. The elders offered worship and provided a sense of leadership in this area in the vision seen by John. The later view of the new heaven and earth provides little insight to the identity of these particular elders. Once again the purpose of the elders is to exalt Christ, not to divert any attention toward themselves.
The Throne Scene (Revelation 4:5)
5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
Verse 5 describes the events around the throne as the elders involve themselves in the worship of God. The first phrase, “And out of the throne…” uses a preposition which gives the idea ‘out of the midst.’ “Lightnings” are seen, and “thunderings and voices” are heard from within the throne. No outside force can produce this; neither can the elders or beasts surrounding the throne. This same active verb (ekporeuontai, or issuing from) is used in other places and means ‘to burst forth, to flow out, and to proceed from,’ thus indicating an on-going action. In relation to the casting out of demons in Matthew 7:22 it is translated “to be cast out.” John wanted to cause the reader to understand these events will come from within the throne and can be heard on the outside, the regular sense of the words and the grammar lending to this idea.
Seven Lamps of Fire
Once again numbers play a role in the interpretation of a Scripture passage. The number seven has been established as referring to completion, and with that in mind this passage can more readily be understood. The lamps are before (or in front of), within the sight of, and in the presence of the throne. The use of this adverb has the force of a preposition according to many linguistic scholars; thus this “burning” is in plain view of all those around the throne. It will be in the place toward which one would turn his or her eyes, and will not be overlooked by anyone around the throne scene.
The Seven Spirits of God
As mentioned in a previous article, this seems to be a statement depicting the Holy Spirit in symbol. There are not literally seven separate Spirits of God; rather the idea seems to be one view of the Spirit in His complete or total form. A reminder here must be clear – there are not multiple gods nor should we believe there are; rather, there is one true God, a Trinity, and each part of the Godhead is God, but there is only one God. These burning lampstands represent the Holy Spirit in His complete being and divine nature. John left no doubt as to the vision he beheld in this place and who the seven lampstands were.
The Four Beasts (Revelation 4:6-8)
6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.
8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
We now come to a section filled with similes, so let us not confuse the reality with the comparison. In the presence of the throne was a “sea of glass” likened to “crystal.” Whatever John saw was precise in his mind and he wrote so we could understand. In the midst or middle and around the throne he saw “four beasts.” These beasts had eyes “before and behind.” John used two adverbs of place to describe the eyes of the beasts, eyes designed to perceive and comprehend everything that would transpire around the throne. In the Greek text we also find the word gemonta (replete) used to describe the number of eyes. Whatever these beasts are, they have seen all things.
Verse 7 describes the beasts. These similes are to help us understand the nature of the beasts and their abilities to comprehend all things. The description given here matches those found in Ezekiel 1:10 and 10:14. The vision around the throne of Heaven was the same for Ezekiel and John, and once again the Bible demonstrates itself to be consistent in all its teachings. These beasts comprehended the fullness of the plan of God, as will be demonstrated in the verses to follow.
Verse 8 describes the work of the beasts before the throne of God. Like the vision of Isaiah 6:2, the beasts have wings and eyes and never rest. In the same manner as those in Isaiah, the creatures described here actively praise the One on the throne without ceasing. The visions of the prophets, consistent within the Old and New Testaments, reveal that all creation is awed and amazed at the power and presence of God.
The beasts offered unceasing praise to God by calling Him “holy” three times and then making certain of His person by referring to Him as the “Lord God Almighty.” They used the same trilogy of expression we may recall from our study of Revelation 1:4 and 8 to commend His eternal nature and express to people what He had accomplished for man. This One who was and is and is to come deserves our adoration and honor.
Speculation can run rampant over the identity of these beasts. Some relate them to the themes of the four gospels: Matthew (the king, or lion); Mark (the servant, or calf); Luke (the Son of man, the face of man); and John (the Son of God, or the flying eagle) while others refer to them as angels or messengers sent by God to give the fullness of praise and adoration to God. Whatever they are, their purpose remains clear – to exalt Christ before the throne and bring the ultimate praise to God through Christ. We can only remain amazed at the consistency of God’s Word in the writing and visions of the prophets and their records of events around and in the midst of the throne.
Praise Before the Throne (Revelation 4:9-11)
9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
The beasts performed their purpose before the throne, constantly offering to Him that sat on the throne all glory, honor and thanks. The One on the throne is identified as He who lives “for ever and ever,” or the One who lives from age unto age. The praise given to Him will be in the character and nature of glory, honor and thanks. The concept here is that the beasts provide from the essence or core of their beings a directed glory, honor and thanks for the personage occupying of the throne. “Glory” holds the idea of praise, but also of the presence of God. “Honor” exalts one as precious and whose value is beyond any normal expectation. “Thanks” conveys the thought of good grace. The beasts held the person on the throne to be one with these qualities. These qualities are repeated in verse 11, so we should pay attention here to the differences, which will be discussed when we consider that verse.
The One on the throne will live forever and ever. There was no beginning, nor will there ever be an end to the self-existent One. He has always been and will always be from age to age. The description here is then designed to remind all who read the Revelation of the eternal nature of the One on the throne. His eternal nature makes Him alone worthy of the praise and adoration He is receiving and will receive.
From the beasts John next turned his attention upon and recorded the praise of the twenty-four elders. The elders are prostrate (bowed down) in an acceptable worship posture. Again, the praise is directed toward the One who will live forever. Without doubt this is Jesus of Nazareth because He was raised from the dead by the power of God. The elders cast their crowns before the One on the throne, deeming any reward they may have received as counting for nothing, and lovingly present it to the One whose worth can not be counted. The laying of the crowns acknowledged the elder’s total submission to the power and worth of the One on the throne even as they acknowledge their total unworthiness to be in His presence.
The saying of the elders holds tremendous significance. First, their proclamation is of value and worth beyond degree as they describe the occupant of the throne as “worthy” to be Lord and God, indeed to be Lord and ruler supreme. They also declare Him to be Lord and God in the sense of supreme and sole creator of and provider for man. The One who occupies this high and holy position is worthy to receive everything; what He will receive will be familiar and yet of great significance.
Technical aspects of language have had their place in study, and here is such a place. The elders gave to the One on the throne “glory and honor and power.” However, it is not just any glory, honor or power. Earlier it was mentioned to pay attention to what the beasts offered in verse 9. The beasts gave the character and nature of these things. Here the idea behind the glory, honor and power was not merely the character and nature of these things but rather the consummation of all. In the Greek text they gave to the One on the throne the glory, the honor and the power. In English, the article the makes something definite. Here the article is present and is repeated before each word, and the idea of the language is the consummate of each of these qualities. The One on the throne was worthy of all the glory the elders and creation gave; the same is true of honor and of power. He had it all, and He alone is worthy of it all. No other one existed to whom the elders would offer it, nor would they have desired or even permitted (within the scope of their influence) any other to assume it. So it should be with a believer’s worship today.
The One who receives all this is the Creator. For the good pleasure of God was man created. “Pleasure” and desire has within it the idea of will. Creation was made for the will and pleasure of God. Adam spoiled this purpose, but in the scene around the throne the elders were reminded of the ultimate purpose of it all – that Creation exists to bring glory to God. Amen.
A note might be in order here on worship: The four living creatures worship the One sitting on the throne, ascribing to Him glory, honor, and thanks. The twenty-four elders join in this tribute of worship and praise, ascribing to God all glory, honor and power. The grammar of the text indicates that the two are essentially the same although the one has the term “thanks” and the other has the term “power.” The living creatures and the elders alike ascribe glory and honor to God while giving Him thanks for the power that created them and all other things and beings.
Summary (Revelation 4:1-11)
Around the throne of God beasts and elders gathered to offer to the One on the throne the richness of glory and honor He so richly deserved. As we remain on this earth in anticipation of the return of our Lord we must never forget who is on the throne and who deserves all honor and all glory for all things. This section of Scripture then points us toward the fact that all creation has the singular purpose of praise and adoration of its Creator. Sadly, it seems so many miss the point that all of creation will someday consummate in praise to Christ, and He in turn will take everything and place it at the feet of His Father; so will He be exalted as God.
But we need not wait even while in this flesh, for like the elders we too can even now and in this moment bow down before the throne and acknowledge the God of Creation, the Alpha and Omega, the Worthy One. Until next time let us examine ourselves in humility, let us confess our faults and transgressions to Him, and let us in spirit and truth worship our God.
Be blessed by His grace, be guarded by His power, be sustained by His great loving and providing hand –
Tom