Revelation Chapter 4 : John's Vision of the Throne in Heaven

 Revelation 4:1-11:

“¹ After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first 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 there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. ³ And the one who sat there appeared to be jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. ⁴ Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. ⁵ From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. ⁶ Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. ⁷ The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. ⁸ Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.’ ⁹ Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: ¹¹ ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God,  to receive glory and honor and power for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being’”

Wooden icon, "St. John Writing the Book of Revelation,

by Theodoros Poulakis, 1622–1692; courtesy of the

Byzantine and ChristianMuseum, Athens.

Introduction

Looking back to Revelation chapter 1 for a moment, remember that Revelation 1:19 gives us an outline for the book: “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.”

“…what you have seen…”

In his vision, John describes what he sees: Jesus the Messiah in heaven (1:14-18): “¹⁴The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. ¹⁵His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. ¹⁶In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. ¹⁷When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.’”

“…what is now…”

 “…What is now…” is described in chapters two and three, comprising the letters to the churches that existed at that time, in which Jesus describes the then-current successes and failures of the growing church, including their deeds, doctrinal purity in the face of false teachers and false doctrines, and their response to cultural norms and persecution. The seven letters include both praise and rebuke for conditions in those churches.

“…what will take place later…”

In chapter four through chapter 22, John describes his vision of “…what will take place later…” He observes the opening of the seals, the saints in heaven looking down on the tribulation, the final judgment, and the new earth and begins describing what he sees: “¹ After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’” (v. 1). Then John taken to heaven in his spirit: “² At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it” (v. 2).

In vv. 3-11, John tells us what he sees and hears in heaven, starting with the bright, multi-colored scene surrounding the throne of God. He observes that God, who is sitting on the throne, resembled “…the appearance of jasper and ruby” (v. 3). Jaspers are red, yellow, brown or green, and rarely blue. In the Old Testament, the high priest’s breastplate included the gem. Moses described the ornate high priest’s breastplate in Exodus 39:10-13: “¹⁰ Then they mounted four rows of precious stones on it. The first row was carnelian, chrysolite and beryl; ¹¹ the second row was turquoise, lapis lazuli and emerald; ¹² the third row was jacinth, agate and amethyst; ¹³ the fourth row was topaz, onyx and jasper.” The bright gemstones on the high priest’s breastplate were placed there to reflect something of the colors and brilliance surrounding God’s throne in heaven

What John sees is a very appropriate image—the multi-colored rainbow was a symbol of God’s faithfulness to His word and His promises from the time of Noah found in Genesis 9:16-17: “‘¹⁶ Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.’ ¹⁷ So God said to Noah, ‘This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.’”

The 24 elders John saw (v. 4) represent the redeemed in heaven, all the people who were  saved. They have received their crowns and now live in the place prepared for them in heaven (see John 14:1-4). Some commentators hold that the 24 elders John saw in his vision in chapter 4 represent the 12 tribes of

Israel plus the 12 apostles of Jesus. Still another interpretation held forth is that the 24 elders comprise a group of exalted, ruling angels, though that view has little support. The crowns of gold John sees are interpreted as symbols of the church’s role in ruling with Christ in the coming millennial kingdom. John notes that the 24 elders are dressed in white, which represents righteousness and purity. The Father declares the redeemed as righteous because the Son had saved them and made them slaves to righteousness rather than slaves to sin.

The “…flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder…” (v. 5) are symbolic of the Father’s power and majesty. (In the book of Revelation, lightning and thunder always mark an important event. John also saw seven lamps, which he identifies as “…the seven spirits of God.” Spirits of God are mentioned four times in the book of Revelation (here in v. 5, and in 3:1, 4:5, and 5:6). Commentators generally relate the seven spirits in v. 5 to the sevenfold ministry of the Spirit prophesied to rest on the Messiah described in Isaiah 11:1-3: “¹ A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. ² The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—³ and He will delight in the fear of the Lord.”

John describes the crystal-like floor or pavement that stretches out before God’s throne with a glistening, glossy surface as “…what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal” (v. 6). He wants to give his readers an appreciation for the magnificence he observes as he sees heaven in the vision. John’s description reminds us of the prophet Ezekiel’s vision of heaven, which he describes in Ezekiel 1:22: “Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked something like a vault, sparkling like crystal, and awesome.” The large basin that was at the entrance to the Temple in Jerusalem, used by the priests for ceremonial cleansing, was intended as a reflection of the glassy surface John sees in his vision of heaven. The basin in the Temple was more than eight feet tall and more than nine feet in diameter.

Also in v. 6, John also describes “…four living creatures…covered with eyes, in front and in back,” which are the cherubim that angels refer to the Old Testament in connection with God the Father’s presence. Their function is to guard the throne and lead in the worship of the Father. The “…eyes, in front and in back…” illustrate that nothing escapes their perception and attention. The Old Testament psalmists describe God “…enthroned between the cherubim…” (Psalm 80:1 and 99:1).

In the last part of v. 6, John tells us he sees “In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures…” He gives us a description of them in vv. 7-8: “⁷ The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. ⁸ Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.’”

In the first-century middle east culture, the lion symbolized strength and power, the ox (the better translation is “calf”) symbolized the rendering humble service to God, the creature with “…a face like a man…” conveyed the idea of rational beings, and the “…flying eagle …” meant serving God with swiftness like eagles’ wings. Each of the creatures had “…six wings and was covered with eyes all around…,” which was symbolic of great knowledge, with nothing escaping their perception. The living creatures’ constant worship (v. 8) testified to the Father’s holiness and eternal existence, and the living creatures’ acknowledgement that God “…was, and is, and is to come…” is reminiscent of His testimony that He is the “I AM”, the claim of God the Father and God the Son, which in Hebrew reflects three states of being for God: “I am, I was, or I will be,” placing emphasis on God’s eternal existence, His present work, and His future promises to us. I imagine the living creatures’ testimony as being a quiet chant throughout heaven, their never-ending expressions of worship and praise of God the Father, who sits on the throne.

In vv. 9-11, John tells us of the 24 elders laying their crowns before the throne to acknowledge that God alone is the source of rewards they have received and symbolically divesting themselves of all personal honor and glory.

John’s report of his vision in these verses gives us a vibrant picture of God’s throne and the constant worship of all the saints in heaven and every being surrounding the throne. In chapter four, we find John nearly overwhelmed at what he is seeing. His description conveys to us something of the magnificent presence of the Father and the Son in heaven.