A Throne in Heaven
Revelation 4:1-11
November 5, 2006


Have you ever tried to describe a breathtaking scene to someone? You find it easier to pop out a digital camera and show a photo! But how about those occasions, when you cant take a photograph or even when a photo wont do justice to the scene?

I snapped several pictures of the Atlantic coastline of Portugal where Karen and I stayed just over a week ago, but pictures cant capture what we saw. Massive waves - some six to eight to even ten feet tall, rolling one after another, curling over with white spray splashing as the deep-blue waves reached their apex, and then crashed onto the shore. I would think, as I gazed upon them, "Surely the next one cannot be as magnificent as the one that I just saw!" But it would be just as staggering to my senses one after another helped along by the wind and stormy weather. Yet how can I describe the shape of the waves to you? They were like giant blue walls rolling in unison toward their crashing end. They curled like the symmetrical ringlets a mother shapes with her daughters hair. The white foam splashing with thunderous sounds was like the turbulence of meringue beaten with a mixer.

I just used a series of similes to help you picture what I saw. I didn't see a wall or ringlets or meringue but what I saw can be understood to some degree by these substitutionary figures. We've all attempted to describe something by the use of similes and metaphors.

Have you ever tried to explain or describe an encounter with the living God? Try explaining the sight of the infinite with finite vocabulary to finite minds. The best one can do is to paint a picture to help us fathom a sight so wondrous, so majestic that no tongue can tell it. It is a sight that must be envisioned until it is seen through new eyes and new senses.

Maybe you've felt as I have while reading descriptions of Gods throne in Ezekiel 1-2, Daniel 7, and Revelation 4-5. Silently, I mutter, "Just go ahead and tell me what you saw!" Well, they did! Each of these biblical writers, as much as their vocabularies and our minds allow, told of unseen things using finite terminology. None of these descriptions are offered to satisfy curiosity or entertain our senses. Each writer composed his vision of Gods throne in troubling, anxious times. Ezekiel and Daniel wrote while Gods people were exiles in Babylon, living in pagan lands under the authority of godless rulers. John wrote to believers living under the sway of Rome's might, idolatrous emperor worship, and the false security of the Pax Romana.

These visions of Gods throne were not just for earlier times. They belong to Gods people in every age; for believers living under the oppressiveness of persecution, the weight of gut-wrenching burdens, and the despair of failing health. Only by seeing that our God reigns can believers in any generation persevere under trials and oppression that come our way. Is your God too small to bear you up through life's demands? Then take a long look, a worshipful and satisfying look, at Johns description of the God who sovereignly reigns.

I. The Throne
John has completed the seven letters to the churches of Asia Minor. Their content prefigures the balance of Revelation. Now he transitions. He has offered a vision of Jesus Christ in the first chapter, exhortations and warnings to the churches in the second and third chapters, and now he transitions to begin looking at life from the perspective of heaven. He assures us that the unfolding scenes do not come out of chaos but out of the sovereign rule of "One sitting on the throne."

How will John be able to see and understand heavenly things? "Immediately I was in the Spirit," he wrote, clueing us in that while still on earth and still in a physical body, the Holy Spirit opened his eyes and mind and senses to comprehend things above. It is similar language to that of Ezekiel: "As He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me" (2:2). Both Ezekiel and John could see and hear by the work of the Holy Spirit what they previously had no capacity to see or hear. There is the sense that anything that we grasp spiritually must come by the Holy Spirit as well. "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God" (1 Cor. 2:12). Johns spiritual perception was taken to a new level into the rarified, enveloping consciousness of the Spirit. He saw inside Heaven.

1. Compelling invitation v. 1
Some have mistakenly interpreted this verse as signifying the secret rapture of the church. But the verse says nothing of the sort. It explains what happened to John for the purpose of John conveying Gods word to the church. "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"." The door stood wide open - that's the indication of the Greek. It seems to hint of Christ having opened the door once and for all into Gods presence for believers (Heb. 10:19ff.). Yet there is an unusual aspect to this command. John would come up, see remarkable things ahead, and return to tell his story.

The "voice… like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me," is either that of his angelic tour guide, or more likely, the voice of Christ. John had earlier said that "His voice was like the sound of many waters" (1:15). Here the unmistakable clarity of a trumpet sounds forth in the compelling voice of Christ inviting John into heaven. Though angels communicate with John in heaven, ultimately, the revelation came by Christ's authority.

2. Mind-stretching description vv.2-3, 5-6
John doesn't use anthropomorphisms in this case, or human attributes to describe God. He doesn't even use the holy name of God. He calls Him, "One sitting on the throne." He is careful not to give us some image to shape by stone or clay, and thus worship as a substitute for God. John is leading us to worship the living God. He shows us that in worship our senses are affected by God. Our eyes envision Him. Our ears hear the sound of His voice. Our minds recognize His majesty. None of this happens in a physical, corporeal way but rather our senses are captured by the glory and holiness of our God. We see this imagination expressed so often in our hymns: "A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing," "Beneath His wings of love abide, God will take care of you," "Our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home."

Johns emphasis in this chapter is the Lord Gods sovereign reign: "behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne." The language points to the throne having always been standing in heaven, so that no worldly power can alter the Lords rule. The "throne" implies governance, and in this case since its location is in heaven, sovereign rule. Think of the believers feeling the weight of Roman rule pressing upon them; this picture changes everything for them. Yes, there are earthly powers, they exist by Gods will and carry out His purposes; but they cannot usurp His throne. With every attempt by mere men or devils to cast off Gods rule, "He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them!" (Psa. 2:4) He sits and continues sitting on the throne (present tense) to exercise His wise and powerful rule over creation.

Reverently, John attempts to describe "He who was sitting" on the throne. "He… was like jasper stone and sardius in appearance." Jasper refers to a translucent stone that may vary in color. Some suggest that it refers to the diamond that refracts light with brilliance. The translucence points to Gods holiness, purity, and majesty. Holiness radiates from His throne. "Sardius" or carnelian stone, a red, fiery looking stone, indicates Gods justice that is rooted in His holiness. The picture is staggering! He looks at God and sees holiness and judgment radiating from His throne. God rules in righteousness; He judges all unrighteousness. Nothing escapes His omniscience and omnipotence.

"And there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance." From the time of Noah, God set the rainbow in heaven as a reminder of His mercy, that He will not destroy the world again by water. As Karen and I neared Lisbon the previous Thursday, we looked to the east and saw a magnificent rainbow arcing from the ground far into the clouds. Another rainbow appeared just past it. Both displayed the promise of Gods mercy that He has shown to sinful men. John saw such a rainbow "around the throne," that is, encircling the throne, reminding us that living in the midst of the wickedness of men, there is a God of mercy that rules in the heavens. The "emerald" appearance or green appearance soothes and comforts, even as, "green pastures" offers a picture of comfort. John makes his point. God is altogether holy and just; yet He is a God of mercy so that we can take comfort and find refuge from the storm of His wrath through Christ.

In verses 5-6, John continues the description of what the scene looks like in heaven. "Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder." This reminds us of Gods revelation to the children of Israel in the giving of the Law, where the Lord descended upon the mountain "in fire" and "smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently" (Ex. 19:18). Ezekiel expressed it similarly. "Then I noticed from the appearance of His loins and upward something like glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something like fire; and there was a radiance around Him" (Eze. 1:27). Daniel said, "His throne was ablaze with flames, its wheels were a burning fire. A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him…" (Dan. 7:9-10). Later, in Revelation 8:5, the angel will fill a censer with "fire of the altar" and throw it to the earth, and there will follow "peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake." All of these symbols intend to heighten our understanding of God as the eternal judge, who will bring justice to His people who are suffering under the weight of persecution and oppression.

"And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God." The piercing, searching work of the Spirit is identified for us as lamps burning before the throne. "For the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God" (1 Cor. 1:10), wrote the Apostle Paul. The Spirit reveals both our hearts in the desperate condition of sin, and the only hope for sinners in the gospel of Christ (John 16:7-11). Wm. Hendriksen commented, "They symbolize the ever-active, superlatively wise, and all-seeing Holy Spirit, full of fire for the wicked; full of sanctifying power for the godly" [More than Conquerors, 86].

One other picture completes Johns present look at the throne. "And before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal." Revelation makes much use of the term "sea." It is pictured as chaotic when referring to the world in opposition to God. The beast comes out of the sea, a scene of evil and treachery (13:1). But when the beast is conquered, John sees "something like a sea of glass mixed with fire" (15:2). I believe that the idea conveyed in the present use of "a sea of glass, like crystal," is something of Gods transcendence. Imagine standing at the edge of the sea early in the morning when it appears to be as smooth as glass, shining with radiance as the sun gives it the appearance of crystal. The "sea of glass… before the throne," pictures "Gods holy separateness and splendor in heaven" [G.K. Beale, NIGTC: Revelation, 327]. Instead of the chaos of the churning sea, there is calmness and serenity in Gods reign; there is the certainty that by the calm sea of glass that our God reigns!

II. Around the Throne
John tells us that he sees twenty-four elders around the throne, and four living creatures around the throne. No one can say with certainty the precise identity of these heavenly beings; plenty of opinions are offered by New Testament scholars. But the picture that John gives offers us a perspective on the believer in heaven and how believers are to conduct themselves on earth by seeing the elders and the living creatures.

1. Twenty-four elders
"And around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads." Who are the twenty-four elders? Greg Beale identifies a number of ideas: (1) stars; (2) angels; (3) OT saints; (4) angelic representatives of all saints; (5) patriarchs and apostles representing all the redeemed; (6) "representatives of the prophetic revelation of the twenty-four books of the Old Testament" as they are accounted in Judaism [322]. It seems that the best ideas are that they represent the twelve tribes in the Old Testament and the twelve apostles in the New Testament, uniting them together as the redeemed. They serve as representatives for all of the redeemed. Others agree with this assessment but explain that they are angelic representatives standing in the place of the redeemed throughout the ages. The angel that shows John the glories of heaven explains, "I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book" (22:9). So whether angelic representatives of the redeemed, or the actual patriarchs and apostles (which would include John), or representative believers through the ages standing for all of the redeemed, John sees something of what the redeemed through Christ will experience in heaven.

These "twenty-four elders sitting," are "clothed in white garments, and golden crowns [are] on their heads." Jesus told the Sardis church, "He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments." It refers to the purity and cleansing by the blood of Christ for all that believe. The great multitude in heaven is "clothed in white robes" (7:9). It symbolizes the effective work of Jesus Christ in purging us from our sin, justifying us before God so that we stand in His righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21). The "golden crowns" refer to the victory or overcoming that Christ spoke of to the churches, so that believers share in the victorious reign of Jesus Christ on His throne (2:26-27).

What do the twenty-four elders do? More than anything, they worship the Lord. As those sitting on thrones exercise rule, they acknowledge that their authority belongs to the Lord, as they fall before His throne in worship. Later, after the seventh angel sounds his voice declaring, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever." We find the twenty-four elders falling on their faces and worshiping God, and offering confession and praise to His triumph over the godlessness of the world (11:15-18). The twenty-four elders exemplify worship in heaven.

2. Four living creatures
We might call the "four living creatures" the seraphim because of their similarity to the scene in heaven described by Isaiah (6:1-13). But they also resemble Ezekiel's cherubim, especially since they had similar forms (1:4-14). The four living creatures are "in the center and around the throne… full of eyes in front and behind." Their proximity to the throne tells us that they are not decorations! They have two clear purposes: to serve the Lord God and to lead heaven in worshiping the Lord God. The "eyes in front and behind," and in verse 8, "full of eyes around and within," indicate something of a reflection of the divine omniscience. We find them later carrying out Gods judgments, summoning the four riders of chapter 6 and giving the seven bowls of divine wrath to the angels in chapter 15 [see Dennis Johnson, Triumph of the Lamb, 101]. Whatever bidding that the One seated on the throne made of them, the four living creatures gladly obeyed. Their description covers the realm of creation. Creation exists to serve the pleasure of God. "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." The boldness, strength, wisdom, and speed of all creation are to do the bidding of the Lord God as Creator. It is a reminder that one day, when all trace of sin is vanquished, the creation will itself glory in the redemptive work of Christ (Rom. 8:18-25).

Primarily, we find the four living creatures serving as the worship leaders in this scene in heaven. "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." The twenty-four elders follow their lead in worship. "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, 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."

Heaven is instructing us in how we are to live as Christians. (1) We are to serve the Lord with willing obedience. Whatever He commands, we are to find that as our pleasure. (2) We are to be characterized as people that worship. We must never piddle at worship! It must become a preoccupation for us, a glorious habit of the heart that meditates upon the glory and majesty of our God, and offers praise, confession, and thanksgiving to Him from humble hearts that glory in Christ Jesus and make no provision for the flesh.

III. Before the Throne
The preposition "before" is used in verse 10 to picture the position and action of the twenty-four elders as they worship Him who sits on the throne. The word can be translated, "before the face of," so that it shows intensity and consciousness of what was taking place. Here was no business as usual for these heavenly beings representing the redeemed. Consciously, they fall before the One sitting on the throne. Consciously, they cast their crowns before Him, indicating that all glory and honor belong to the Lord. We learn something about worship on earth by gazing upon this scene of worship in heaven.

1. Confession in worship
In both of the songs or declarations of praise to the Lord, we find the heavenly worshipers confessing specific truths concerning the Lords nature and being. They are God-focused in their worship. It is very evident that the worshipers realize that God is the audience and aim of their expressions of praise. They do nothing to elicit a certain feeling for themselves. Nor do they even hint at using this act of worship as entertainment. Worship is not about them but about the Lord God who is worthy "to receive glory and honor and power."

In spite of the many "cheesy" ideas of what people think they'll do in heaven, the one thing that we do know will take place is worship. Such worship will be passionately God-centered and Christ-exalting. There will be no worship wars in heaven! There will be no qualms about styles of music. Nothing that even hints at self-centeredness or self-promotion will enter the heavenly gates of worship and praise. As we gather weekly for worship, were really training for our eternal occupation as the redeemed! If you have no interest in worship then don't expect to be in heaven where those purchased by the bloody death of Christ will offer unceasing praise to the One who sits on the throne!

What takes place in worship? First, we notice that the four living creatures confess the divine attributes and names of God. "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty." This three-fold confession of "Holy" is called the Trishagion. It is the same as that found in Isaiah 6. In both cases it refers to the perfection of Gods holiness or superlative holiness. It acknowledges that God is the only truly holy being. His omnipotence is confessed by the title "the Almighty." The last clause confesses the Lords eternality: "who was and who is and who is to come."

Second, worship acknowledges the uniqueness of the Lord in His person and work. "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." There's no one else worthy to bear the title "our Lord and our God." That happened to be the title preferred by the Roman emperors, like Domitian, who accepted worship from their citizens. But heavenly worship reminds us that no one else can bear such a name. The glory, honor, and power that belong to the Lord and God, believers confess belong to no other. In this worship song, we find the heavenly worshipers praising the Lord as Creator and Sustainer of the universe. The continuing existence of the world is due to His pleasure and power.

Third, thanks for divine mercy and grace is expressed in worship. The twenty-four elders confessed, "Worthy are You, our Lord and our God." He is not a generic god but our Lord and our God. We belong to Him, not simply as part of creation, but specifically due to redemption. That will be brought out more in the worship songs of the next chapter.

2. Expressions in worship
The four living creatures, we are told, have "eyes in front and behind… full of eyes around and within." That expresses full comprehension, full consciousness in what they were doing. The point is that in worship the totality of their being was offered to the Lord. We see them withholding nothing nor concerning themselves with their own pleasure since "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." Heavenly worship has no distractions. Gods throne is the focal point of attention as heavenly worshipers give themselves wholeheartedly in worship of the Lord God.
 
I realize that we do face distractions; we do have other occupations so that we can take care of our families or fulfill God-given responsibilities at work, home, community, and school. So that means we must be diligent to make sure, as much as is possible for us, to be wholly devoted to the Lord as we come to worship Him. We must prepare early in mind, body, and spirit so that nothing encumbers our worship.

We also notice that the twenty-four elders followed the lead of the four living creatures as they led the heavenly worship service. "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, 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…" The living creatures led the worship; the twenty-four elders responded by prostrating themselves before the Sovereign Lord and casting their crowns before His throne in recognition of Gods majesty. They offered their own song of praise to the Lord as well.

I must admit that those of us privileged to lead this body in worship each week lack the gifts and comprehension and expression of the four living creatures before Gods throne! But we do share one thing in common. We desire to lead you in worshiping the One sitting on the throne through Jesus Christ the Lord. We desire to prime the pumps of your minds and hearts to think upon the majesty and wonder of our God; to confess the largeness of His grace shown through Jesus Christ in redeeming us; to rejoice in the gift of the Holy Spirit who searches our hearts and reveals Christ to us.

Conclusion
The scene in heaven reminds us of two key issues that give direction to our lives right now. First, God is on the throne. He rules and reigns in majesty and glory. Take comfort in knowing that He rules the details of our lives. Second, like the heavenly worshipers, you have been created and redeemed in order to worship. Make that your occupation even now.

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