SECTION III
The History of Christian Rome
Chapter Four
Before the Throne
of God
4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the
first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which
said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
After receiving the letters to the Seven Churches, John looked about
and saw a door open up in Heaven. The opening
of the door in Heaven symbolizes the opening of Heaven to John so that he can
see certain things that otherwise would remain hidden to man. It is the future of the Church that is to be
revealed to John. Without intervention
from above man could never know anything two minutes before it happened, let
alone two-thousand years ahead of time. But
this is exactly what we are about to see.
We will be shown the highlights of the entire Christian era many
centuries before most of the events ever transpired.
After seeing this door open up before him, John heard a voice that
sounded like a trumpet. We have
previously seen John describe the voice of Christ to be like a
trumpet, and that is the case once again.
Just as when a trumpet sounds, this voice was clear and distinctive. The voice, which was coming from inside the
open door, invited John to move through the doorway. He was to come inside so he could see certain
things that would occur in the future.
4:2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in
heaven, and one sat on the throne.
As soon as the Angel asked John to come through
the doorway and join him, John found himself in spiritual form in Heaven. In other
words, John’s spirit had left His body down on the
What John saw in Heaven was a throne
with someone sitting upon it. This
person is not identified here, but we will soon find that it is none other than
God Himself.
4:3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and
there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
John now proceeds to give a description of the
person he sees sitting on the throne before him. He first used two precious stones to describe
the occupant of the throne. Some sources
say that the stone spoken of as jasper, might actually be diamond. It is no doubt appealing to say God would be
represented by, what is to us today, a more precious stone such as a diamond. This idea, however, has a serious flaw. According to Funk and Wagnall’s Encyclopedia “The
first distinct and undoubted reference to diamonds occurs in Roman literature
of the 1st century A.D.”[1] Even if John knew what a diamond was, and that
is very doubtful, it would not have been very highly esteemed during that time. So it appears we will have to be content with
jasper as we know it, as the gem in this passage.
Jasper is “a variety of quartz, of a red, brown, yellow, green, or gray color,
and opaque. Among the ancients the term
was of broader meaning. It included,
according to Pliny, a transparent or translucent green variety, and hence
denoted a kind of chalcedony or agate.”[2] Sardine (a.k.a. sardius) is “a variety of chalcedony, which
the Greeks called sardios and sardion. Two
sorts, distinguished by their color, were known by the name of sardius: the
transparent red being our carnelian and the brownish red being the variety of
carnelian to which we restrict the name sardius.”[3]
It is very interesting to note that these two stones were the first and last of
the twelve used on the High Priest’s breastplate (Exodus 28:17-20). Here, in reference to God, these stones
represent the beauty and worth of the Almighty.
The rainbow again illustrates the beauty and magnificence of God. A rainbow contains a continuous spectrum of
all colors. What is better to represent
beauty than this? The emerald, which we
are very familiar with today, is just another depiction of God’s beauty and importance.
The prophet Ezekiel gave a similar description of God. “As the appearance of the bow that is in
the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round
about. This was the appearance of the
likeness of the glory of the Lord. And
when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake” (Ezekiel
The true glory of God cannot be fully related by a description using material
things. In truth the full glory of God
cannot even be described with words. But
in these descriptions John has done his
best to show us that the beauty and glory of God far surpasses anything we
could ever imagine here on the earth.
4:4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the
seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they
had on their heads crowns of gold.
Seated about the throne of God were twenty-four elders wearing crowns of Gold. The number which has the most significance in
the Bible, next to seven, is twelve. There
were twelve tribes of
Christ speaking to His
apostles said, “Verily I say unto you, ‘That ye which have followed me, in
the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye
also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of
The twenty-four elders were clothed in white, just as Christ had promised
those who were saved would be. He made
this promise to both the Church in
The crowns of gold they were wearing shows that they were victorious and
triumphant over sin, and indeed over Satan and all of his evil forces. These weren’t just some ordinary crowns, but
were crowns made of gold. This shows
their value and the corresponding importance of the ones wearing them. In Revelation 1:6 those who have been washed
in the blood of Christ are referred to
as kings and priests unto God. There it
was mentioned that Christians are kings in the sense of their victory and
triumph over sin. And while Christians
may never wear crowns in this life, they certainly will in the next.
The crowns here can also be said to be synonymous with the “crown of
righteousness” which the Apostle Paul spoke of: “Henceforth
there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also
that love his appearing” (II Timothy 4:8). And the “crown of life” which James spoke of: “Blessed
is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the
crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him” (James
4:5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices:
and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the
seven Spirits of God.
John now heard a
voice from the throne on which God was sitting.
It was a voice even more powerful and impressive than the voice of Jesus, which John likened to a trumpet (Revelation
The seven lamps of fire, which are explained to be the seven Spirits of God,
were first mentioned in chapter one. There
they were explained to be just a representation of the Spirit of God. The number seven representing completeness,
it simply shows the omnipresent nature of God’s Spirit.
The seven parts of God’s Spirit are depicted as lamps of fire. This is significant for a couple of reasons. The lamp has long been a symbol of wisdom,
which would certainly fit the Spirit of God.
And secondly, fire is the element which is able to try and test the
worthiness of things. “Every man’s
work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be
revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is”
(I Corinthians
This would be an
appropriate time to pause and consider the identity and role of each member of
the Trinity. Christianity claims to be a
monotheistic religion, that is, it believes in only one God, but at the same
time speaks of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. No one can
logically dispute Jesus claiming to be
God. “And God said unto Moses, I am that I
am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of
God the Father, however, is
not the only “I AM.” Notice what Jesus says in this passage and the
reaction of His audience. “Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is
nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your
God: Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him
not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old,
and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto
you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took
they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going
through the midst of them, and so passed by” (John
The Holy Spirit is also put on
a par with the Father and Son. “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your
calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in
you all” (Ephesians 4:4-6). “Go ye
therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew
28:19). “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word,
and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one” (I John 5:7).
The question naturally
arises, is there one God or three? Most
ancient cultures had gods for just about everything. The Greeks and Romans had gods for war,
fertility, the sea, wine, love and just about anything else you can think of. Zeus was the father
of the gods and Hera, his wife, was their mother. Zeus had many children, a few with Hera, and
scores with other goddesses and mortal women.
One major thing has always caused Judaism, Christianity and Islam to
stand apart from other religions is the belief in one supreme being, not a
pantheon of gods. However, a cursory
glance at the Bible shows that there is a Father and a Son who are both
Gods. How can this logically be
possible?
John answered this
question for us when he said “the Father,
the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these
three are one” (I John 5:7b). The three “persons” of the Trinity are all
just different manifestations of the same and only God. This is further evidenced by a conversation
between Jesus and
Phillip. “Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with
you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip?
He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father,
and the Father in me? The words that I
speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he
doeth the works” (John 14:9-10). God the Father is in Heaven and has never
appeared on earth. “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in
the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” (John
If God the Father rules in
eternity and the Son is the Lord of Time, then who or what is the Holy Spirit and what is His
purpose? Man is not a simple creature
that lives and dies never to live or know anything again. Man has a soul that will live forever in
either Heaven or Hell. In fact, Paul speaks of man
having three parts. “And the very God of peace sanctify you
wholly; and I pray God your
whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ” (I Thessalonians
While
we live the Holy Spirit is working with
us and for us. His role is best summed
up by Paul in the book of
Romans. “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what
we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for
us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for
the saints according to the will of
God” (Romans
4:6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in
the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of
eyes before and behind.
In front of God’s throne was a “sea” of glass. The word sea here does not mean a large body
of water such as the
John now introduces
us to four beasts which are surrounding the throne of God. The word beast here is an unfortunate translation. Not that the translation is incorrect, but it
does have a tendency to give us the wrong impression about these creatures. When we hear the word beast we often
associate it with some awful looking monster, some evil being whose only
purpose is to kill and destroy, or some animal that is wild and untamed. But this is not the case at all with these
creatures. Strong’s definition includes “a
live thing, i.e. an animal.”[4] So these
creatures are not necessarily bad or evil just because they are referred to as
beasts. From hence forth I will usually
refer to them as “creatures” to help give us a more accurate picture of them. We will soon see (verses 8 & 9) that
these beasts are good creatures, for they serve God. These four beasts had eyes in front and back,
hence they could see in all directions, showing the power God had given unto
them.
4:7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf,
and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying
eagle.
Now John begins to give
a description of the four creatures. The
first is like a lion, which gives us a picture of power, strength and ferocity. The second, like a calf, gives the image of
gentleness and meekness. The third had
the face of man, showing intelligence and reason. And the fourth resembled a flying eagle,
which shows swiftness and grace. The
characteristics of these four creatures, when combined, give a very accurate
description of God himself. We know that
He is powerful and strong, but at the same time gentle and meek. He is certainly intelligent, and His
omnipresence is symbolized by the swift-flying and graceful eagle. These beings were not God, but were
nonetheless very powerful and important.
4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were
full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
The four creatures just described in the previous verse, are now said to each
have six wings. This symbolizes the
ability to fly very fast and gracefully, and to be able to fly in all
directions at once going about doing the Lord’s bidding. There are three dimensions or planes of
motion. You could say they correspond to
length, width, and height. These
creatures have a pair of wings for each dimension, thus they are capable of
flying in all directions at once.
The eyes of the creatures are mentioned again.
In verse six they were said to be “full of eyes before and behind.” Again this represents their ability to see in
all directions at once. I believe these
creatures are meant to embody all the characteristics of God. The wings and eyes represent His omnipresence
and omniscience respectively, He
can be all places at one time, and can see all things at one time. The character of these creatures is now
revealed to us. These creatures, being
spirits, have no need of rest, so they can serve God continuously.
We are told quite a bit about these creatures, but are not really told what
they are. To my knowledge there are only
three types of intelligent creatures in all of creation. There is God,
man, and the angels. Obviously these
creatures are not God or man, so that leaves only angels. But they do not seem to really fit with how
we normally imagine angels. I believe
they are angels, but very special angels.
They are often referred to in the Old Testament as cherubim and seraphim. These beings are angels, but not ordinary angels.
The prophet Isaiah’s description of seraphim certainly bears some striking
similarities to the description we have seen here in Revelation. “Above it stood the seraphims: each one
had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his
feet, and with twain he did fly. And one
cried unto another, and said, ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the
whole earth is full of his glory’” (Isaiah 6:2-3). These seraphim had six wings just like our
creatures. They also referred to God as,
“holy, holy, holy,” as did our creatures. Three is another number, like seven and
twelve, that was considered by the ancients to represent completeness. So the fact that these creatures repeat the
term holy three times shows that God is completely holy.
We have seen that the creatures in Revelation sit around the throne of God. Correspondingly you could say God sits among
these creatures, and this is exactly what we see in the writings of Isaiah. “O Lord of hosts, God of
But possibly the most interesting comparison is found in the writings of the
prophet Ezekiel. “Now it came to pass
in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I
was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened,
and I saw visions of God. Also out of
the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the
likeness of a man. And every one had
four faces, and every one had four wings.
And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like
the sole of a calf’s foot: and they sparkled like the color of burnished brass. And they had the hands of a man under their
wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings. Their wings were joined one to another; they
turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward. As for the likeness of their faces, they four
had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four
had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle. Thus were their faces: and their wings were
stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two
covered their bodies. And they went
every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they
turned not when they went. As for the
likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of
fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living
creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. And the living creatures ran and returned as
the appearance of a flash of lightning” (Ezekiel 1:1, 5-14).
The faces described here by Ezekiel are those of a man, a lion, an ox, and an
eagle. Our creatures had the
characteristics of a lion, a calf, a man, and an eagle. In a later chapter Ezekiel describes the
faces of the same creatures in a slightly different way. “And every one had four faces: the first
face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and
the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle” (Ezekiel
So the description given by Ezekiel in chapter one exactly matches what we have
in Revelation, and his description in chapter ten is only slightly different. In all three cases the faces of a lion, man,
and eagle are mentioned. The only
difference is that one had the face of a cherub in Ezekiel’s second description
where elsewhere it had the appearance of a calf. In reality these are spiritual beings and do
not naturally possess the appearance of any of these earthly creatures. They seem to be able to take any form at will. So the difference here is that one of them
was in his natural form when Ezekiel saw him the second time.
Taken all together I think this shows that our four creatures here in
Revelation are cherubim or seraphim. They
share too many similarities for there not to be a connection. Incidentally, there seems to be no difference
in the usage of the terms cherubim and seraphim in the Bible and therefore
refer to the same creatures.
Now that we have identified these creatures, let us move on to what they do. They testify to God’s holiness, and the fact
that He is the Almighty. Then He is
described as He “which was, and is, and is to come.” This relates His eternal nature. God has always existed, He was never created,
nor was He born. He never came into
existence in any manner, He simply always has been. This is a very deep concept, but when you
consider the alternatives, it is no more difficult than any other. If God had come into existence at some point
in the past, where did He come from? He
certainly did not appear from nothing. Someone
or something must have created Him. But
then where did that creator come from? And
you could keep going back to infinity with this idea. So either God always has been, or at least
something from which God came always has been, or else He came from nothing. So the idea that God always has been,
although it is counterintuitive to man who lives in such a finite world, should
not trouble us at all.
There are many things we are not really capable of comprehending at this point
due to the limitations placed on us because of our humanity. One day when this mortal puts on immortality
(I Corinthians
4:9 And when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to him that sat on
the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
4:10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him
that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast
their crowns before the throne, saying,
Now we see the entire picture around the throne, the four creatures and the twenty-four
elders praising and glorifying God. The
four creatures are giving glory, honor, and thanks to God and once again
testifying of His eternal nature, by saying He lives “for ever and ever.” Now we see the twenty-four elders joining in
with the four creatures in worshipping God, by falling down before him and
casting their crowns before Him. These
crowns were found, earlier in this chapter, to represent the victory of those
who are saved over Satan, and over sin and death.
These twenty-four elders, representing those who lived under the Old and New
Testaments, now take these crowns from their heads and toss them in front of
God. This is not an act of ingratitude,
or a refusal to wear the crowns, but rather an act of humility and subjection
before God. The elders were humbly
giving whatever glory, honor, and power they received with the crowns to God,
who was certainly much more deserving of it than they. This idea is borne out in verse eleven where
the elders say to God “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor
and power.” They are giving up all
that they have received to God because He is indeed much more worthy than they
are.
“For thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were
created.” God deserves reverence and
respect from these twenty-four elders, despite their triumph and success,
because He created them in the first place.
They owe everything to Him, even their very existence. A very important principle is set forth here. The reason God created the universe was for
His pleasure. I think that often times
we hold a view of God that is somewhat cold and sterile. We do not tend to see God as one who can be
happy and sad, but He can be. He has
emotions just like you and I do. And He
derives pleasure from the things He has created. So here in the fourth chapter of Revelation
we find the answer to one of the most ancient questions of mankind, “why are we
here.” We are here because it pleased
God to create us. Why do most couples
choose to have children? Ultimately,
it’s for their pleasure. Certainly
children can bring their parents much heartache and grief just as we can do to
God. But just as children are expected
to be in subjection to their parents, likewise we are expected to be in
subjection to our Heavenly Father.
Whether we like it or not, we were created for the purpose of pleasing
God.