Chapter 4

Chapter four opens like many of the old prophecies open.  The prophet is given a glimpse of the structure and components of the throne of God.  The images that John sees are similar to the ones described in Ezekiel, Isaiah, Daniel, and Enoch.  

I found an interesting correlation of the throne room of God to the tabernacle in the wilderness explained in the book by Joseph Mede:  A Key to the Apocalypse, written in the early 1600s.  I use his comparison because it shows how God wants to set his kingdom up with mankind, and he is making every effort to manifest himself among us.  God’s glory will burn all iniquity making it so man can see the face of God.  Instead he speaks in parables, and uses symbolism to show how he wants to be made known to mankind.  If any of these verses make you curious about God, ask him what he means by it.

1 And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 

We see how the introduction to the prophecy is similar to Enoch and Ezekiel.

Enoch 14:8. And the vision was shown to me thus: Behold, in the vision clouds invited me and a mist summoned me, and the course of the stars and the lightnings sped and hastened me, and the winds in the vision caused me to fly and lifted me upward, and bore me into heaven. 9. And I went in till I drew nigh to a wall which is built of crystals and surrounded by tongues of fire: and it began to affright me. And I went into the tongues of fire and drew nigh to a large house which was built of crystals: and the walls of the house were like a tesselated floor (made) of crystals, and its groundwork was of crystal. 11. Its ceiling was like the path of the stars and the lightnings, and between them were fiery cherubim, and their heaven was (clear as) water. 12. A flaming fire surrounded the walls, and its portals blazed with fire. 13. And I entered into that house, and it was hot as fire and cold as ice: there were no delights of life therein: fear covered me, and trembling got hold upon me. 14. And as I quaked and trembled, I fell upon my face. 15. And I beheld a vision, And lo! there was a second house, greater than the former, and the entire portal stood open before me, and it was built of flames of fire. 16. And in every respect it so excelled in splendour and magnificence and extent that I cannot describe to you its splendour and its extent. 17. And its floor was of fire, and above it were lightnings and the path of the stars, and its ceiling also was flaming fire. 18. And I looked and saw ⌈⌈therein⌉⌉ a lofty throne: its appearance was as crystal, and the wheels thereof as the shining sun, and there was the vision of cherubim. 19. And from underneath the throne came streams of flaming fire so that I could not look thereon. 20. And the Great Glory sat thereon, and His raiment shone more brightly than the sun and was whiter than any snow. 21. None of the angels could enter and could behold His face by reason of the magnificence and glory and no flesh could behold Him. 22. The flaming fire was round about Him, and a great fire stood before Him, and none around could draw nigh Him: ten thousand times ten thousand (stood) before Him, yet He needed no counselor. 23. And the most holy ones who were nigh to Him did not leave by night nor depart from Him. 24. And until then I had been prostrate on my face, trembling: and the Lord called me with His own mouth, and said to me: 'Come hither, Enoch, and hear my word.'

Ezekiel 1:22 Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring crystal, spread out above their heads. 23 And under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another. And each creature had two wings covering its body. 24 And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the sound of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army. When they stood still, they let down their wings. 25 And there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads. When they stood still, they let down their wings. 26 And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance. 27 And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him. 28 Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.   

3 And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. 

In the Old Testament, the ephod of the priest had precious stones that corresponded to a tribe of Israel.  The Carnelian stone, Ruby, was the first stone.  The Jasper was the last stone, it was as clear as crystal, and in Revelation 21:11 it’s the walls of the city of the New Jerusalem.   

4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads.  

The Levites who served in the temple wore white linen garments to show their purity.  Our garments while in sin are like filthy rags (Isa 64:6), but cleansed white as snow by our great high priest, Jesus.

Hebrews 10:19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. 

This verse shows how God refines his people as gold:

Zechariah 13:9 And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”  

God had 24,000 Levites serve in the temple (1 Chr 23:4), and this corresponds to the 24 elders around the throne.  Jesus said this about his disciples judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  The throne is a seat of authority, and the one who sits on it can rule:

Luke 22:28 “You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, 29 and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, 30 that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 

Matt 19:27 “Look,” Peter replied, “we have left everything to follow You. What then will there be for us?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

The use of 24 is the sum 12 tribes of Israel, and the 12 apostles.  We need both the Word spoken to the Jews, and the teachings of grace given to the disciples to fully understand the nature of God and the purpose of Jesus in the fulfillment of scriptures.

5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, 

In Isaiah 11:2 the Spirit of God is manifested (or complete) in 7 ways... 1) The Spirit of the LORD (voice and judgement of God) 2) The Spirit of wisdom 3) The Spirit of understanding 4) The Spirit of counsel 5) The Spirit of power 6) The Spirit of knowledge 7) The Spirit of the fear of the Lord.  They are shown here as torches, which were used in battle.  Flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder precede a storm, and they are the prophecies and warnings of the coming judgement from God.  See this psalm of David on how God comes in the storm and causes David to be victorious in one of his many battles.

Psalm 18:6 In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his  temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. 7 Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry.  Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. 9 He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. 10 He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him, thick clouds dark with water. 12 Out of the brightness before him hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds. 13 The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire. 14 And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and routed them. 15 Then the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.  

6 and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 7 the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. 8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” 9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

The visions of the living creatures here are like the ones described in Ezekiel.  Joseph Mede described them as being represented in the tabernacle.  On the East was the tribe of Judah – represented as a lion.  On the West was Ephriam, under the sign of an ox.  On the South there was Reuben, under the sign of a man, and on the North was Dan, under the sign of an eagle.  The lion is king of wild animals, the ox is the strongest of the domesticated animals, man is the subduer of the earth, and the eagle s the most majestic and powerful of the birds of the air.  The meaning of the eyes all around and within are described in Zechariah 4:10 as eyes of the LORD which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.  All wild and domestic animals give glory to God, mankind is made to worship God, and even the birds of the air fulfill his will.