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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 had the appearance of jasper and carnelian.
A rainbow, resembling 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. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are
the seven spirits of God.
6 Also before 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.
Revelation 4:1-6
Explanation:
Chapters 4 and 5 record glimpses into Christ's glory. Here we see
into the throne room of heaven. God is on the throne and orchestrating
all the events that John will record. The world is not spinning
out of control: the God of creation will carry out his plans as
Christ initiates the final battle with the forces of evil. John
shows us heaven before showing us earth so that we will not be frightened
by future events. The voice John had first heard that sounded like
a trumpet blast was the voice of Christ. Four times in the book
of Revelation John says he was in the Spirit. This expression means
that the Holy Spirit was giving him a vision--showing him situations
and events he could not have seen with mere human eyesight. All
true prophecy comes from God through the Holy Spirit.
Who are these 24 elders? Because there were 12 tribes
of Israel in the Old Testament and 12 apostles in the New Testament,
the 24 elders in this vision probably represent all the redeemed
of God for all time. They symbolize all those--both Jews and Gentiles--who
are now part of God's family. The 24 elders show us that all the
redeemed of the Lord are worshiping him. In Revelation, lightning
and thunder are connected with significant events in heaven. They
remind us of the lightning and thunder at Mount Sinai when God gave
the people his laws.
The Old Testament often uses such imagery to reflect
God's power and majesty. The seven spirits of God is another name
for the Holy Spirit. where the seven lamps are equated with the
one Spirit. Glass was very rare in New Testament times, and crystal
clear glass was virtually impossible to find. The sea of glass highlights
both the magnificence and holiness of God. Just as the Holy Spirit
is seen symbolically in the seven lighted lamps, so the four living
creatures represent the attributes of God. These creatures were
not real animals.
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 his 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."
Revelation 4:7-11
Explanation:
Like the cherubim, these creatures guard God's throne, lead others
in worship, and proclaim God's holiness. God's attributes symbolized
in the animal-like appearance of these four creatures are majesty
and power (the lion), faithfulness (the ox), intelligence (the man),
and sovereignty (the eagle). The Old Testament prophet Ezekiel saw
four similar creatures in one of his visions. The point of this
chapter can be summed up in verse 11. All creatures in heaven and
earth will praise and honor God because he is the Creator and Sustainer
of everything.
