Revelation 4 – The Throne Room

Revelation 4:1

(1) After these things I looked, and behold, (2) a door standing open in heaven, and (3) the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, (4) “Come up here, and (5) I will show you what must take place after these things.”

  1. After, that is, after the letters to the churches.
  2. Having recorded the letters, John is now brought into the further revelatory things of God, being brought up into heaven, such as Paul was in 2 Corinthians 12:2. The door is a heavenly door, into a place of God’s domain, and was part of receiving the vision, and not part of what must be fulfilled.
  3. The first voice, referring to Jesus in Chapter 1.
  4. Jesus beckons John to “Come up here”, indicating, where He Himself is at.
  5. It is there that John will receive further revelation.

Revelation 4:2

(1) Immediately I was in the Spirit; and (2) behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne.

  1. “in the Spirit” is a spiritual term.  While perhaps mystical to some, Paul said that the things of God are spiritually discerned, and that those who do not know Christ cannot understand them.  Unless we get past our fear of what may seem mystical or ethereal to our carnal mind, we have not progressed beyond baby-hood.  In the words of someone else’s revelation, You cannot teach babies spiritual things, or you’ll only get carnal imitations.
  2. John sees the throne.  John is in the Spirit, and in the heavenly realm, and is now seeing in the realm of the Spirit.  This is a heavenly throne, the throne of God, the throne of the Lord, and, hence, the throne of David (1 Chronicles 29:23).

Revelation 4:3

And (1) He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and (2)there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance.

  1. John sees the Lord.  Jasper and Sardius are redish, comparable to a ruby.  Words could not express seeing the Lord.  John is trying, in human language, to express seeing God Himself.  When the creatures look, they cry, “Holy!  Holy!  Holy!” continually.  Here, John sees a form of the Father.
  2. The emerald rainbow around the throne.  It is said that some pentecostal churches used to paint their sanctuaries a light pastel green to reflect the color of the rainbow around the throne.  This is more than parabolic language–this is the heavenly reality of God.  This is who God is.  This is who the 70 elders of Israel saw in Exodus 24.  The same scene Ezekiel saw, and, presumably Daniel in Daniel 7.

Revelation 4:4

(1) Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw (2) twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads.

  1. This is both real and a demonstration of the real authority of the Lord.  He is surrounded by glory in the rainbow.  He is the preeminent, the glorious one, the perfect, uncreated one.  He is surrounded by glory, ministers, and power and glory.
  2. These twenty four are presumably men and women who are no longer alive, as they have robes and crowns.

Revelation 4:5

(1) Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. (2) And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, (3) which are the seven Spirits of God;

  1. Out of the throne, or out of the throne area, it is uncertain.  But, out from these are lightnings and thunders.  These are real, and yet are revelatory, even as when God spoke at the baptism of Jesus, many said it only thundered.  All the things of God are alive, and so are these.  These are judgments, messengers, messages, power, authority.  These are but a part of the immeasurable glory of the Father.  His dominion is all-inclusive.  His lightnings and thunders continually proceed from the throne.  Not imaginary, not ethereal, but true, perfect, eternal, and immeasurable.
  2.  The seven spirits, or the seven fold spirit, is depicted as burning lamps of fire.  John was also considered a “burning lamp” for a while, probably because of the activity of the Spirit of the Lord.
  3. The Seven Spirits of God, or the Seven-Fold Spirit, is often viewed either as seven angels, or the seven manifestations of the Holy Spirit.  I prefer the latter, and tend to agree with the correlation between these and the seven aspects listed in Isaiah 11.    The Spirit of the LORD, wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, fear of the Lord.

Revelation 4:6

and (1)before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and (2) in the center and around the throne, four living creatures (3) full of eyes in front and behind.

  1. This is the same sea of glass that Ezekiel and the elders of Israel saw.  Here, however, John seems to see the throne from above the sea, while the others looked up through the sea to the throne.  Could this be because of the work of the cross making John holy and clean to stand in that place?
  2. These are the same that announce the first four seals, and are mentioned elsewhere.
  3. Eyes are for seeing.  These behold the Lord continually.

Revelation 4:7-8

(1) 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. (2) And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are  full of eyes around and within; and (3) 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.“

  1. The four creatures are described, similar to Ezekiel’s vision, but in this one, each one is distinct.  Most make these out to be different creatures altogether, but I wonder if perhaps Ezekiel didn’t just have better eyes, and John only saw one face at a time, because of his perspective.  Hence, each was as described, but was the others as well, on the other sides.  Regardless, this is his account.
  2. John further describes the creatures.
  3. Their song is continual, constantly proclaiming praise of the Lord.  Great and mighty is He!  Blessed are those who dwell in your house, they are ever praising thee!  Psalm 84:4

Revelation 4:9-11

(1) 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, (2) 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, (3) saying, “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.”

  1. Praise begets praise.  When any one of us lift up the Lord, He is enthroned.  It inspires praise in those around us, as He is lifted up, higher and higher.
  2. The elders in turn are gripped by the reality of who God is.  In the wake of the creature’s praise, the elders too are moved to prostrate themselves and lift up a praise to the One who sits on the throne.
  3. They echo His praise, in their own words.  They extol Him who is above.  Higher and higher.  Who can exalt the Lord enough?  Let us only give Him our all.  That is enough.