Revelation 4

V1. It is important to see that with this chapter a new part of the book starts (Rev 1:19). This new part, which is also the last and longest one of the book, starts with “after these things”, which is after the events covered in the previous two chapters. In it you have seen the development of professing Christianity on earth, in which the true believers have been addressed. From chapter 4 all true believers have been taken up in heaven. That has happened at the coming of the Lord Jesus for the church and all Old Testament believers (1Thes 4:15-18).

Now the way is free for God to start His work with the earth (cf. 2Thes 2:6). He is going to judge the world and cleanse it of everything that rebels against Him. After these judgments, the Lord Jesus will come to earth to reign for thousand years. He will fulfill all promises that have been prophesied by all prophets. No word that God has spoken will remain unfulfilled.

Christ shows John the whole work that God is going to do after the rapture of the church. John sees “a door [standing] open in heaven”. From there the first voice that he “heard, like [the sound] of a trumpet” (Rev 1:10) – which is the Lord Jesus – speaks with him. The voice is saying to him to come up to heaven to see everything that will happen on earth. And you and I may look over John’s shoulder!

V2. Immediately after the command to come up, John is in the Spirit. He doesn’t have to come in his own strength; neither could he. For this he receives the power of the Holy Spirit. You also cannot get insight in the future of the Lord Jesus by your own efforts. You need the Holy Spirit to show you that (Jn 16:13). For that, however, you must give Him room and there must be no hindrances due to unconfessed sins or a carnal walk.

The first thing John sees in heaven is “a throne” and “One sitting on” it. You are in the throne hall from which reigns and judges. This is the place of action for the rest of the book. The word ‘throne’ appears no less than forty-two times as the throne of God and still five more times with another meaning, while it appears only fifteen times in the rest of the New Testament.

The throne “was standing”, which indicates the stability and firmness of Divine authority, in contrast to all earthly unsteady and changeable thrones. It is also standing “in heaven” and therefore beyond all earthly thrones. Once all earthly thrones will also be visibly subdued. That the actual government is in heaven may be an encouragement to all who suffer as believers under ungodly rulers.

There is also Someone on the throne. It seems that John cannot properly discern Him. From the description he gives, shows a great brilliance. The Person Who sits on it is magnificent, full of glory and brilliance. It is no one else than the glorified Son of Man Who has received the whole judgment of the Father in His hands (Jn 5:22,27).

V3. John uses pictures from nature to describe the splendor of Him Whom he perceives on the throne. He first mentions two gemstones. Gemstones reflect the light of the sun in numerous colorful beams. They are used to describe the glory of God in the new Jerusalem (Rev 21:19). Twelve gemstones are on the breastplate of the high priest (Exo 28:17-20). Of these precious stones on the breastplate, the ‘sardius stone’ is mentioned first and the ‘jasper stone’ last.

The “rainbow” is the symbol of the faithful covenant of God with the earth. It reminds us that the flood destroyed the earth and also of the blessing thereafter (Gen 9:8-17). This symbol also indicates that God’s judgments have a limit and that He in the midst of the wrath also remembers mercy (Gen 8:1; Hab 3:2). The rainbow “around the throne”, which is not a half but a whole closed circle, announces that His kindness never ceases, but is everlasting.

The rainbow is “like an emerald in appearance”. An emerald has a beautiful green color, the typical color of creation. This is the color of the rainbow as the glorified saints will always see it. While the judgment on rebellious man and evil is announced, the remembrance of God’s grace and promises toward His creation are vividly before their eyes.

V4. The Lord Jesus does not reign alone. Beside Him there are “twenty-four thrones”, and on them “twenty-four elders”. The number ‘twenty-four’ consists of two times twelve. In these twenty-four elders the believers from the Old Testament and the New Testament are symbolically represented. You can understand that when you remember that God’s people in the Old Testament is originated from the twelve sons of Jacob and that God’s people in the New Testament is built on the foundation of the twelve apostles of the Lord Jesus.

The “white garments” indicate the purity and priestly character of the elders. They sit as kings on thrones, as co-rulers with the Lord Jesus. They have “golden crowns on their heads”. These crowns are no royal diadems, but wreaths given to overcomers. The value is not in the material, but in the public tribute. You may consider that an encouragement for yourself. If on earth you are faithful to following the rejected Lord, you will soon be allowed to reign with Him.

V5. What goes out from the throne announces coming judgments. It reminds us of the appearance of God on Mount Sinai (Exo 19:16; 20:18). The throne here is not the throne of mercy, what it is to you today (Heb 4:16). Also in the millennial kingdom of peace the throne is a throne from which blessing comes in the form of a stream of water (Eze 47:1-12). But before that happens, judgments must come out from the throne, so that the blessing can have ample room.

With the throne of God the Spirit of God is connected. The Spirit is here represented sevenfold in “seven lamps of fire”. The number ‘seven’ indicates perfection and ‘fire’ symbolizes judgment. The judgments of God are different to each situation, but always perfect. They are executed without a chance of mistake under the perfect working of the Spirit of God. It is a good thing to consider that the God Whom you may call Father is at the same time a consuming fire with regard to everything in your life which is not in harmony with Him (Heb 12:29; cf. 1Pet 1:17).

V6. It is remarkable how everything in this chapter is connected with the throne. You have read about
“One” on the throne,
“the elders” around the throne,
“lightning and sounds and peals of thunder” coming out from the throne and
“the seven Spirits of God” who were before the throne.

Now you see something else before the throne and even something else in the center and around the throne. We first look at what is before the throne: something “like a sea of glass, like crystal”. That reminds us of the great laver in the temple of Solomon, called the ‘sea’ (1Kgs 7:23). That laver was filled with water with which the priest had to wash his hands and feet before he entered the sanctuary. The water here is ‘crystal’. In heaven there is no more need for washing. That the sea is before the throne means that the purity in heaven is perfectly in harmony with the holy character of the throne.

To understand somewhat what these four living creatures in the center and around the throne represent, you need to read some verses from the book of Ezekiel (Eze 1:5,10,18; 10:12,14). If you compare what John sees of it with what Ezekiel sees of it, you see that the living creatures are related to the judgments of God on earth characterized by four things. That they are related to judgments is already evident from their position in connection with the throne. They are in the center of it, so they are, as it were, identified with the throne.

That there are four of them emphasizes the generality of the judgment. The number ‘four’ is typical for the earth. You hear it in expressions like: four wind directions, four corners of the earth, four seasons. With respect to the earth, the four living creatures are not only all-encompassing in their judgment, but they also exercise it with full insight in the future, “full of eyes in front”, and in the past, full of eyes “behind”. This insight belongs to God’s nature, which makes Him act with full knowledge of all circumstances, of all causes and of all consequences.

V7. The characteristics of His judgments are compared with four of His creatures:
1. In the first place there is “a lion”. The lion is the king among the beasts which does not retreat before any (Pro 30:30) and against whom no one can resist. In the lion you see the power and majesty of God’s reign and judgments.
2. His judgments also continue steadily, like “a calf” that is plowing continues steadily.
3. His judgments are executed with wisdom and insight, with which He has gifted “man” as a creature above the beasts.
4. Finally you see in the “flying eagle” the fastness in which the judgments from heaven will strike the earth (cf. Deu 28:49).

Now read Revelation 4:1-7 again.

Reflection: Mention the things that are associated with the throne in this section.

V8. After the differences between the living creatures you also see what they have in common. Each of the living creatures has “six wings”. The seraphim that Isaiah saw in his vision also have them (Isa 6:2). In the book of Isaiah you read what they did with the six wings. With two of their wings they covered their face, for they cannot behold the glory of God. With two other wings they covered their feet, which indicates that in the light of that glory they do not find themselves worthy of serving Him, while they continually show their readiness of that service with yet two more moving wings.

It seems that with the living creatures all six wings are moving. They have no rest as long as the earth is still in chaos and rebellion against God, as long as there is no harmony between heaven and earth and heaven is not yet reigning on earth. The holiness of God, so long trampled on earth, is before them. To that end, they want to go about their work for Him as the executors of God's judgment.

They are perfectly equipped for this work. There is perfect insight in all things around them, “full of eyes around”, and inwardly they are perfectly aware of God’s holiness, “full of eyes … within”. Besides that it causes them to carry out their judgmental work, for which they are, as it were, eager with impatience, they also worship God because of His holiness. They are full of that holiness, which you hear in the three times saying “holy”. They know Him as the God of the history, “Who was”, and the present, “and Who is”. He is also the One “Who is to come” to fill the world with His holiness. He is the Almighty, He is able and He will do it.

V9. The four living creatures have characteristics which distinguish them from each other and they have characteristics in which they are the alike. They also collectively give “glory and honor and thanks” to God. He sits on the throne and has all power to reign. His kingdom will never come to an end, for He “lives forever and ever”. With Him and His throne they are closely connected. They cannot but honor Him and to carry out His will. All of their actions in the execution of the judgments have God’s glory as a starting point and purpose.

You can also apply that to the church if sin has been publicly revealed in its midst (1Cor 5:13b). The judgment of sin must also be done from this awareness. Personal motives should not play a role. It is only about the honor of God. In that honor also lies the blessing of man. That honor the Lord Jesus always sought, and what a blessing came to men as a result!

V10. After the worship of the living creatures comes that of the elders. The cause of their worship is certainly also God’s holiness and omnipotence. They also give thanks for the crowns that they have received from Him as a reward for their faithfulness on earth. They have the deep consciousness that their faithfulness was finally the result of what His grace has worked in them. Therefore they will also cast their crowns with much gratitude before the throne and express their admiration for Him.

V11. In their tribute the elders address Him directly, while the angels speak about Him, not to Him. They begin by saying to Him: “Worthy are You.” That involves His Person. He personally is worthy. His personal glory is evidenced here by His works. In the next chapter it is said once again that He is worthy (Rev 5:9). There it happens because of the greatness of His work of redemption. Here you see that the Object of worship is both the triune God Who sits on the throne and the Son Who because of His work on the cross has been given all power.

When the elders speak about what God is worthy of to receive, it does not mean that something is given to God which He does not have yet. Their desire is that what He has will be seen and admired by the whole creation and that this will be spoken out to Him. All things have been created by Him. All things exist because He wanted that and because He has carried out His will and actually created all things.

You may now already tell Him that you see His glory, honor and power in His works and that you admire Him for it. Then you will now already be doing what you see the elders doing here and what you will also be doing soon in heaven. Isn’t it great to say this to God and the Lord Jesus?

Now read Revelation 4:8-11 again.

Reflection: What will you soon be able to offer before the throne of the Lord Jesus?