Revelation

4.1-11

Looking through a door opening into heaven, John beheld the throne of God and "One sitting on the throne" (v2). Describing the appearance, the jasper stone was crystal clear, like a diamond. The sardius was a fiery, bloodred ruby. These are the first and last stones on the high priest's breastplate representing the firstborn (Rueben) and lastborn (Benjamin) of the sons of Jacob. The rainbow would symbolize God's covenant faithfulness, grace, and mercy (Gen 9:13-17) and had green as the dominant color, as evidenced by the Emerald (v3). Twenty-four elders sitting upon thrones clothed in white (v4) - would be from among the human redeemed taken in the rapture of the church. Seven lamps burning before the throne represent the Holy Spirit in all His fullness - wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, reverence, and deity (Isa 11:2; Zech 4:1-10). The sea of glass, like crystal, would be metaphorical as there is no sea in heaven (21:1). The four living creatures (vv6-8) are the same Cherubim we know Ezekiel also to have had difficulty describing (Ezekiel 1:4-25), an exalted order of angels, associated in Scripture with God's holy power. The chapter ends with two mighty hymns of praise (vv8,11). *In this passage and in chapter 5 are five great hymns of praise, during the singing of which the size of the choir gradually increases. In verse 8, the praise begins with a quartet. In verse 10, the twenty-four elders join. In 5:8, the harps are added to the vocal praise. In 5:11, the rest of the angels add their voices, and finally, in 5:13, all created beings in the universe join in the mighty chorus of praise to God.

CHAPTER 4

The Throne in Heaven

1 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.”
2 Immediately I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne.
3 And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance.
4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and upon those thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads.
5 And out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. 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 something like a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind.
7 And the first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle.
8 And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within, and day and night they do not cease to say,
“HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.”
9 And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever,
10 the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”