Lesson 4 Revelation 4

                                           Revelation 4

Chapters 4 and 5 are introductory to the things which will be taking place here on earth after the Body of Christ has been caught up. Having finished writing down Jesus’ messages to the seven churches in Asia, the writing down of the things which are, the things of the Church Age were finished.

Then John said, “After this I looked and, behold, a door was opened in heaven; and the first voice that I heard was, as it were, of a trumpet talking with me; which said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you things which must be hereafter.’ And immediately I was in the spirit and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardius stone; and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like an emerald” (Rev.4:1-3).

Chapter 4 of the Revelation begins “after this,” meta tauta, the same Greek words rendered hereafter in verse 19 of chapter 1. John had just finished writing of what he had seen in the vision of Jesus and the writing of the letters to the seven assemblies in Asia Minor.

In the letters, Jesus addressed the condition of His Body, the Church over which He is the Head. He looked at the doing of each assembly as it was in the day of John’s writing. And in the letters also was seen a prophetic foreview of what would be taking place upon earth concerning the Kingdom of Heaven during the Church Age (see also Mt.13). The Church Age ends with the members of the Body of Christ being caught up together by the Lord Jesus to ever be with Him. The last promise to the overcomers is that they be granted to sit enthroned with their Lord Jesus Christ (Rev.3:21).

After John had finished writing the letter to Laodicea, his attention was caught by the door opened into heaven. He heard the same voice which he had heard at the first on the Isle of Patmos; the voice like a trumpet was now calling him to come up (see Rev.1:10).

All of the things of which John was to write and send to the churches were revealed to him in “visions” and “types” and “symbols.” The very way John was called and caught up to heaven is symbolic of Christ Jesus coming for His Body and Bride (1 Thess.4:13-18; 1 Cor.15:51-57).

In Revelation 4, after John had been caught up to heaven, the first thing he saw was a throne and the One who sat upon it. John does not name the One seated on the throne but describes His appearance. Through the opened door, John found himself in an entirely different scene, with a very different subject. All here is in the far future.

As all was being signified to John, the things seen were supernatural and disclosed to John in Old Testament types, which John, being a Jew, would understand (see Heb.8:5; 9:1-10:1). John makes no explanation or interpretation, but simply describes what he beheld as it was signified to him. The key to understanding the symbols is in the Old Testament and in the prophetic history of God’s people, Israel, preserved in their Scriptures.

The Greek word used for “throne” is “a seat raised above other seats.” It came to denote the raised seat being particularly the one upon which the monarch was seated; hence, the word “throne.” The appearance of the One sitting upon the throne was signified to John by two particular precious stones, a jasper and a sardius. Here, in figure, is a description of the One seated on the throne as the True High Priest, the King-Priest of the order of Melchizedek (Ps.110:1-6; Heb.5:5-10; 7:17). The emphasis in verse 3 is on two of the stones on the breastplate worn by the high priest of Israel.

We understand that the priesthood of the nation of Israel on earth was of a different order, the Levitical order, of the tribe of Levi. It is sometimes called the “Aaronic Order,” as Moses’ brother Aaron was the first high priest (Ex.28:1-4; Lev.8:1-10:20). The office of high priest passed from eldest son to eldest son (Num.3:1-4). One was born into the priesthood of the one family of Aaron (see Neh.7:63-64; Ezra 7:1-10). The rest of the Levites cared for the articles of the tabernacle (Num.3:25-4:49).

Moses was instructed as to the making of a breastplate to be worn over the heart of the high priest. It was a breastplate of judgment. The breastplate was made of settings of stones, four rows of three stones each. The description of the work is given in Exodus 28:15-28 and Exodus 39:8-21.

Verse 21 of Exodus 28 reads: “The stones shall be with the names of the sons of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name they shall be according to the twelve tribes.” The order of the names of the tribes is not given in Exodus.

The breastplate of judgment was worn on the ephod of the high priest over the heart (Ex.28:29). On the shoulders of the ephod were two onyx stones, one on each shoulder. On the onyx stones were engraved the names of the sons of Israel. Six of the names on one shoulder and six of the names on the other of the sons according to their birth. The two onyx stones on the two shoulders were for a memorial of the twelve sons of Israel, the fathers of the tribes. In this way, the high priest bore the names of the twelve sons of Israel on his two shoulders before the Lord (Ex.28:9-12; 39:6-7).

Here in figure was pictured the Great High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, the Messiah of Israel, bearing His nation and the government and responsibility for the nation brought forth in His one man Abraham, never to forsake them (Gen.12:1-3; Heb.10:1-16). The names of the sons always on His shoulders for a memorial, with the breastplate a figure of the Messiah as the Great High Priest continually bearing the judgment for the sins and iniquities of the people until the regeneration of the nation in her acceptance of Jesus of Nazareth and His redemptive work of the Cross. Jesus, God’s Anointed Son, the High Priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek, will continue to bear the judgment of His people until He has His regenerate nation. In the day of His power, His people will receive Him (Ps.110).

As Moses was instructed, the stones on the breastplate were to be set in the order of the tribes. The order of the tribes is different than the birth order of the sons. With Jacob-Israel adopting Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, as full tribes, there would be fourteen names (Gen.48:8-22; see also Deut.33:13-17). If Ephraim and Manasseh represent the one tribe of Joseph, then there are thirteen tribes. After the incident of the golden calf when they had left Egypt, we see the tribe of Levi taken for the Lord’s inheritance and we are once again back to twelve names (Ex.32:1-28; Num.1:47-54; 3:12-13).

As the order of the names of the twelve tribes for the stones on the breastplate are not given in Exodus 28 or 39 with the listing of the stones, where do we find the order?

The Lord God is a God of order. The Lord brought the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt according to their armies (Ex.12:51). In Numbers 2, the Lord Himself set the order of the tribes of Israel in their encampment around the four sides of the tabernacle, three tribes on each side. The first compass point on the east side was Judah, the tribe who carried the seed for the coming Messiah, the Anointed Son of God. And then continuing on around the four sides of the tabernacle until the final compass point, the tribe of Dan on the north, ending with the tribe of Naphtali (Num.2:1-34).

Each stone on the breastplate spoke of the Person and work of the coming Messiah. The meanings are revealed in the prophecies of Jacob given to the sons as his death side blessing and with the blessings of Moses on the tribes as they were about to go into the Promised Land (Gen.49; Deut.33).

According to the order of the stones on the breastplate of the high priest given in both Exodus 28 and Exodus 39, the first stone, representing the tribe of Judah, is the blood red sardius. A modern name for the sardius is carnelian. “Judah” has the meaning of “praise.”

On his deathbed Jacob said to Judah, “Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise: your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, you are gone up: he stooped down, he crouched as a lion, and as an old lion. Who shall rouse him up? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine, he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes. His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk” (Gen.49:8-12).

Moses said concerning Judah, “This is the blessing of Judah: and he said, Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah, and bring him unto his people; let his hands be sufficient for him, and You be a help to him from His enemies” (Deut.33:7).

The last stone on the breastplate of judgment is the translucent, glistening jasper, clear as crystal, representing the tribe of Naphtali (see Rev.21:11). “Naphtali” has the meaning “my wrestling.” To Naphtali Jacob said, “Naphtali is a hind let loose. He gives beautiful words” (Gen.49:21). And of Naphtali Moses said, “O, Naphtali, satisfied with favor, and full with the blessing of the Lord, you possess the west and the south” (Deut.33:23).

Having been caught up to heaven, in the description of the One John saw sitting upon the throne in heaven as a jasper stone and a sardius stone, we see that  the stones are given in the reverse order of their placement on the breastplate of the high priest of judgment.

There on the throne, in the clear shining body of His glory, sat Jesus in all of the holy essence of the Son begotten from the dead. There in person was the God-Man. The Word, who is God, became flesh, to bring Life and Light down to man. The Word, God become flesh as the Seed-Grain, to bring many sons to glory (Jn.1:1-18; 12:24). The blood of the mortal body of Jesus shed in death for the redemption of many sons of God, much fruit to the praise of the glory of the Father. In the resurrection, each son will be given a forever living body like unto Jesus’ body of glory (Phil.3:20-21; Rom.8:11, 29; Col.3:3-4).

Round about the throne was a rainbow “like an emerald”; that is, a rainbow predominantly green. The emerald was the first stone in the second row on the breastplate of judgment worn by the high priest of the Levitical order. It was engraved with the name of Jacob’s firstborn son, conceived of his wife Leah, “Reuben,” meaning, “see, a son” (Gen.29:31-32). Reuben’s tribe held the second compass point of the encampment, on the south side (Num.2:10).

The first row of stones on the breastplate signified “the Messiah promised.” The second row signified “Christ come.” “Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His Kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this” (Is.9:6-7).

In this second row of stones is the earthly ministry of Christ in figure. The three stones representing, first, with the emerald, Jesus, the Son of Man, second, the sapphire, representing the tribe of Simeon, with the meaning, “harkening,” Jesus as the Prophet, and third, the diamond, Gad, “a troop,” Jesus, the Captain of salvation.

Before the creation God had His Covenant with Himself. In the coming Christ was given to man the hope of Life everlasting and a holy calling to become a son of God (Tit.1:2; 2 Tim.1:9-10). The body of the first man was created of the dust of the ground, an earthly body, associated with the created earth (Gen.2:7). “Four” is the universal number for the “earth,” i.e., the four corners of the earth, the four winds, the four seasons.

From the fourth day of creation, the sign of the Covenant was in the light-holders in the heavens, which told forth the glory of God (Gen.1:14-19; Ps.19:1-6; 97:6; Rom.10:14-18). These silent preachers preached the gospel of the Anointed Son of God coming to earth to redeem His creation of mankind.

Because Adam brought sin and death into the world, the seed of the earthly body is corruptible. The earthly body produced by the corruptible seed of man is mortal. When the earthly creation of man in Adam had corrupted itself and filled God’s earth with violence, God destroyed the creation with a severe judgment of a flood of waters to cover the whole earth.

God showed Noah how to preserve his household alive in an ark which God designed and Noah built (Gen.6:13-22; Heb.11:7; 1 Pet.3:20). God purposed a new beginning for man. He would need men with seed to multiply and fill His earth. In the new beginning, God gave man a second sign of His Eternal Covenant, the sign of the rainbow.

The rainbow is a sign that, in judgment, God remembers mercy. The rainbow is a sign that God’s Covenant of the hope of Life everlasting is forever in effect (Gen.9:8-17). The storm of judgment does not make God’s Covenant null and void. The “bow” in the sky is like a benediction on God’s creation. It is a promise that God will make good His Covenant.

Appearing after the storm has subsided, the multi-colored rainbow is seen as the rays of the returning light of the sun reflect off the waters in a prism of color. The passing of the storm leaves the sign of God’s Covenant. The rainbow is seen broken by the horizon of earth. Nevertheless, it reaches the earth, a sign of a Covenant of Life to be entered into through faith in the Christ of the Covenant.

In heaven, John was shown an unbroken rainbow round about the throne, a sign of an Eternal Covenant which will not be broken. The key to this rainbow is the symbol, “in sight like unto an emerald.” As we have already noted, this rainbow is predominantly green. “Green” is the color of “life.” This rainbow is a sign of a Covenant of Life everlasting, a forever living body.

Below, upon earth, another storm of judgment is coming. The rainbow round about the throne is a sign that, in judgment, God remembers mercy. God is not willing that any should perish (2 Pet.3:9).

The visions John will be given to see are of the unveiling of Jesus Christ. The time of the judgment of man’s work has come. All enemies of the Lord God Almighty will be destroyed. Justice must be done and will be done on all those who will have refused to unite themselves to the One in whom is the redemption, that they might be made safe from the condemnation to come.

The last row of stones on the breastplate of the high priest represent Jesus as the coming Judge. The jasper represents Jesus as the Prince of princes and as wrestling down His enemies.

“And round about the throne were twenty-four thrones, and upon the thrones I [John] saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white [glistening] garments; and they had on their heads crowns of gold” (Rev.4:4).

Who are these twenty-four elders? We have five clues. The members of the Body of Christ, over which He is the Head, are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Rom.8:37). As “overcomers” through Jesus’ victory over sin and death, to them was given promises in the letters written to them by John and dictated by Jesus (Rev.2 & 3). And among these promises are:

1. I will give you a Crown of Life (Rev.2:10).

2. You shall not be hurt of the Second Death (Rev.2:11).

3. The same shall be clothed in white [glistening] garments (Rev.3:5).

4. I will keep you from the hour of testing, which shall come upon all the world, to test them (Rev.3:10).

5. To him will I grant to sit with Me in My throne (Rev.3:21).

These elders are in heaven, seated on thrones with their Lord when the judgment is being set; that is, before the storm below breaks. They are beyond death, alive forevermore. The inner man having been crowned with the glory of Life everlasting, each one is clothed with a body like unto Jesus’ body of glory. Each one caught up to ever be with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why are only twenty-four elders mentioned, when the members of the Body of Christ are innumerable? “Elder” is a  term used to designate the leaders over the early assemblies of the Body of Christ which had been established on earth, first in Asia Minor. Jesus made for Himself a kingdom of priests. He did so by loosing men from their sins in the blood of His Sacrifice (Rev.1:6; 1 Pet.2:9; Rev.5:10).

John was shown Jesus’ kingdom of priests having been caught up to heaven. John understood that which was being signified was shown in Old Testament figures. Being a part of the new Body himself, and knowing the history of the Levitical priesthood, John would have made the connection and understood that these were representative of the whole Body.

In King David’s day the number of priests to serve in the tabernacle in Jerusalem had increased to thousands. This was a far greater number than would be needed for the daily ministering. In preparation for the first temple, King David subdivided the priesthood into courses or watches for rotating work shifts (see 1 Chron.23:1-24:31). This subdivision was not an arbitrary change, but one received from the Lord (1 Chron.28:11-13). Sixteen family courses were formed from the house of Aaron’s son Eleazar and eight courses from the house of Aaron’s son Ithamar (see 1 Chron.24:1-4). Each order was represented by one chosen leader. Each order would then take their turn ministering the things of God daily in the temple.

As John is writing of the things being symbolized to him, first John describes the throne set and the One who sat upon it, how He was to look upon, and the rainbow round about that throne. Then the description of the twenty-four elders enthroned. And then, “out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderclaps, and voices” (Rev.4:5a).

As lightning and thunder are natural signs of a coming storm, the Lord uses these natural symbols as a type or a figure of the coming judgment under the metaphor of a storm (see Ps.29). We usually reverse the order to thunder and lightning rather than lightning and thunder. Mainly because we often do not see the lightning and are suddenly startled by the thunderclap. Likely, the dwellers on the earth will not be fully aware of the lightning. Busy with their own plans, the dwellers on earth will be startled when the full storm breaks upon the earth.

There were voices proceeding out of the throne with the lightning and thunderclaps. The voices give character to the symbols of lightning and thunderclaps and interpret them. We speak of one speaking in a voice like thunder, or of a person who is speaking in anger to denounce an action as one thundering.

In Psalm 29 where we have the judgment under the figure of a storm, we read, “Give unto the Lord, O you mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” (Ps.29:1-2). Through the gospel of Christ, the Holy Spirit enlightens the understanding to the glory of God, that He might be given His glory and worshiped in the beauty of holiness.

“The voice of the Lord is upon many waters. The God of Glory thunders; the Lord is upon many waters” (Ps.29:3). In Revelation 17, “the waters” is a figure for “peoples and multitudes and nations and languages” (v15). “The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars ... The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire. The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness ... of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord makes the hinds to calve, and strips bare the forests; and in His temple everyone speaks of His glory. The Lord sits upon the flood; yea, the Lord sits King forever. The Lord will give strength unto His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace” (Ps.29:4-11).

God’s judgment is all under the control of His righteous government. In the stormy trial, God will be working out His purposes of Love and Life and Light. To the purpose of a Kingdom of righteousness and justice, the coming judgment is at one and the same time absolutely necessary and yet a strange work, foreign to a God who is Life and Love (Is.28:2, 21-23).

As the Body of Christ has been caught up to be with her Lord, we see the timing of the throne set. We understand this is the same throne which Daniel saw set in his vision of the great beasts recorded in Daniel chapter 7. Daniel saw the throne set for judgment of the beasts that he had watched arise out of the great sea (Dan.7:9-12). In Daniel’s vision, judgment was set to take away the dominion of the little horn of the fourth beast (v26).

In the coming trial, God is calling all earth-dwellers before His court of justice for trial. He is bringing charges against all mankind. Man is charged with having broken God’s Covenant which He had established upon earth with Noah and his three sons and their seed after them (Gen.9:9-17). Through His prophet Isaiah He said, “The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the Everlasting Covenant” (Is.24:5).

The world has spurned the wisdom of God as too restrictive (Ps.2:1-3). Men have cast off the cords of God’s absolutes as too binding. There is no fear of God before their eyes. There is no Godly-directed reverence, no holding in awe the Sovereign of the whole universe. Thus man has no true understanding of God’s purposes.

The counsel of God having been rejected, man has no power to master the sin, the lawlessness of his own heart. As in the days of Noah, every man is doing what is right in his own eyes. And all society is suffering the consequences. The earth is once again corrupt before God and filled with violence, and ripe for judgment.

The trial of all the world will take place upon earth during the last seven years of this age. This will be the final week, the final heptad of seven years spoken by the prophet Daniel. The judgment will bring an end to transgressions and make an end of sins; it will make reconciliation and bring in everlasting righteousness before the setting up of God’s Kingdom upon earth, the Kingdom which will last forever (Dan.9:24).

This throne in Revelation 4 is set for a purpose. It is a throne of judgment, but this throne is not to be confused with the Great White Throne judgment. The Great White Throne judgment will take place at the end of the thousand year reign of the Kingdom of righteousness. At that time Hades will give up the souls that it has held since the beginning of the creation of man. The Great White Throne judgment is the judgment of the dead. Those souls born in Adam, born dead in trespasses and sins and who, in their physical lifetime upon earth, never received the Life offered in the Anointed Son to be justified and glorified, will stand before God to be judged according to their works. Not having believed into Jesus Christ, they were not born of the incorruptible Seed of the Word, Jesus. Not having believed into Jesus, there was no birth to be recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Each one remained dead in trespasses and sins and will face the Second Death (Rev.20:5-6, 11-15; see also 1 Cor.15:25-28).

The throne shown John in heaven in Revelation 4 has been called the Throne of Adjudication. To “adjudicate” is defined as “determining judicially conflicting claims.” Before this throne will be decided judicially: Does man have a claim on himself, with the right to do as he sees fit? Or does God have a claim on man, as man was created by God in the beginning? All will be decided judicially in righteousness and in true justice. Also will be decided judicially: Does Satan have a claim on the kingdom of this world, or does Jesus Christ have the rightful claim as being the One whom God made the Heir to all the  things that He created?

“And there were Seven Lamps of Fire burning before the throne, which are the Seven Spirits [or the Seven-fold Spirit] of God” (Rev.4:5b). There before the throne is the Seven-fold Spirit of God, the third Person of the Godhead in symbol as the lampstand in the holy place in the tabernacle of the wilderness, with the lamps filled with oil and burning; that is, giving light (Ex.25:31-40).

Man has never been left without witness to the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of the Christ, the Anointed Son of God. The heavens have declared the glory of God since the fourth day of creation. The Law and the prophets witness to the righteousness of God through faith in Christ, the Anointed Son of God (Rom.3:21; Jn.5:39). The members of the Body of Christ testify to Jesus being the only Way of righteousness and salvation.

Christ Jesus is the only hope of Life everlasting. Through the gospel of Christ is the calling to become a son of God. Both the Gospel writers and the authors of the epistles bear witness to the light of the knowledge of the glory of God as seen in the face of Jesus Christ, so that man is without excuse.

“And before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal” (Rev.4:6a). Remembering that John is being shown this through Old Testament types and symbols, John’s thoughts would have been directed to the  “sea” of Solomon’s temple, which had replaced the laver of the tabernacle. Scripture does not tell us of the laver or sea in the temple rebuilt by Zerubbabel or in the temple built by Herod, which John attended. However, we do have the description of the laver of the tabernacle in the wilderness and also of the sea of Solomon’s temple (Ex.30:17-21; 1 Ki.7:23-44).

The laver of the tabernacle was made of the bronze mirrors given by women in the offerings made for the building of the tabernacle (Ex.38:1-8). No dimensions are given as to the size of the laver. It was footed and stood upon the bare ground of the earth between the altar of burnt offering and the door of the tent of meeting. With the multitude of priests in Solomon’s day, the laver or sea of the temple, also made of bronze, was ten cubits from one brim to the other, round all about, five cubits high, approximately fifteen feet in diameter, with a circumference of forty-seven feet around and seven and a half feet deep, large enough that twelve priests could wash in the laver at one time. It stood upon twelve life-sized bronze oxen, their rear sections facing inwards. Both the laver of the tabernacle and sea of Solomon’s temple were vessels that carried the same message. Both were vessels for self-judgment and cleansing for purification, that one might be fitted to minister the things of God.

The laver held water for the cleansing of the hands and the feet of the ministering priests. Both “mirror” and “water” are symbols for the Word of God (2 Cor.3:18; Eph.5:26; Heb.10:22). When one looks into the Word of God to see himself as a creation of God and he then obeys the truth of what he is shown, to purify his soul, to become born again of the incorruptible Seed, the Word of God, he is then fitted to minister the things of God. “Bronze” is a symbol of “judgment.” There must be a self-judgment by God’s standard of righteousness (1 Cor.2:13-16).

In John’s description of the sea spread out before the throne in heaven, nothing is said of a laver. The sea had the general appearance of glass, but like crystal. We sometimes speak of a body of water being glassed over, or of the water being as smooth as glass.

The second symbol, “crystal,” strengthens the description. The Greek word for “crystal” is pellucid, which speaks of anything “being congealed or solidified, and transparent, such as ice.” John saw before this throne a sea which resembled glass. It was clear and transparent and it was solidified, in a fixed state.

The sea is in a fixed state, solidified, calm and undisturbed, quiet and peaceful. The water of this sea is not needed for cleansing. In its fixed state it provides a firm pavement for the set thrones. The priests of this Kingdom have no more need of cleansing. They are in a fixed state of holiness. Their sins were put on the body of Jesus, to be consumed in His Sacrifice. Having died with Jesus, they died to the sin, the lawlessness of their being. Freed from the body of sin and death, they are done with sin and death. In their forever living bodies, born of the incorruptible Seed, the Word of God, each overcomer is in a body like unto Jesus’ body of glory, flesh of His flesh and bone of His bone. They are in their fixed stare of holiness forever and ever. Their earthly ministry of reconciliation having been finished, they have entered into rest with the Great High Priest of their calling and they shall go out no more (Rev.3:12).

The sea was a pavement upon which the throne of the King-Priest sat. Before Him on the pavement of the sea were the twenty-four elders representing His Kingdom of priests, whom He had loosed from their sins in His own blood (Rev.1:4-6). No laver is necessary for this sea. Judgment is past. All defilement of the world has been cleansed. This priesthood, like her Lord, are without spot or blemish. Collectively this Body is the Bride of the Lamb. She has been sanctified together with Jesus Christ. He Himself has cleansed her with the water of the Word. Here in this throne scene she has been presented before the throne faultless, a glorious Church, holy and without blemish (Eph.5:24-27; Jude 24-25).

Below the glassy sea the storm is brewing. Above, all is placid, calm and peaceful as heaven is directing the trial of judgment. The government of the Lord God Almighty is prepared for action. John has been caught up to heaven to have that action signified to him.

His description continued, “And in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four living beings full of eyes in front [or before] and behind. And the first living being was like a lion, and the second living being like a calf, and the third living being had a face like a man, and the fourth living being was like a flying eagle. And the four living beings had each of them six wings about him, and they are full of eyes within; and they rest not day and night, saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come’” (Rev.4:6b-8).

On the throne is the Father and His Firstborn Son, begotten from the dead. Before the throne is the Seven-fold Spirit of the Lord, and in the midst and round about the throne a different creation of living beings, an order of created angelic spirit beings.

We do not have much information on the angelic creation. Nothing is said in Scripture of when they were created or how they were created. We do know that they are called “sons of God” [Elohim] that is, sons of the Creator. They are sons by creation only. They do not have material bodies, physical bodies (see Lk.24:36-39). Therefore they do not procreate. They neither marry or are given in marriage (see Mk.12:25; Lk.20:36). They are always referred to in the male gender. The word “angel” has the meaning of “messenger.” When they are sent to earth with a message from God, they come in the form of a man (see Gen.18:1-19:16; Dan.9:20-23).

We learn from the book of Job that not only are they called sons of God, but they are called “morning stars,” and that they sang together when God laid the foundation of the earth (Job 38:4-8). By this, we understand that the angels were created before the creation of the universe recorded for us by Moses in the Book of the Law (Gen.1 & 2).

From the psalmist we learn that the Lord God “makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flaming fire” (Ps.104:4). As spirits, these ministers of God’s government over the earth do not have material bodies, as God is Spirit and does not have a body. God and His angel ministers are spirit beings. God is a Consuming Fire and He makes His ministering spirits a flaming fire. Fire has the power to transmute into its likeness. And His likeness is displayed in them.

The psalmist also tells us that the angels were given charge over Jesus during His earthly ministry as the Son of Man. The angels had charge to keep Him in all of His ways. Many times Jesus escaped out of the hands of those who would have stoned Him to death (see Ps.91:10-13; Mt.4:11; 26:53; Lk.22:43). The writer to the Hebrews tells us that the angels minister to the heirs of salvation (Heb.1:14).

We are not told, nor need we be, of the testing of the angelic creation in their obedience to the One who is the Truth. We do know that these ministering spirits are in the presence of the Holy One and therefore are pure and holy, as flaming fire. We also know that Satan led one-third of these angelic beings into rebellion. We will address that in chapter 12 of Revelation.

The four living beings, as ministers of God’s government, represent the power and authority of the government and also the service of the government to His creation of man. The first thing to impress John concerning these four beings was their eyes. They were full of eyes before and behind. Having eyes in the front, the living beings could see before, but they could also see behind. “Eyes” are symbolic of “seeing.”

In symbol, the living beings can see what is now before the government in the coming trial. They also have intelligence concerning all that was done in the past. These living beings have watched the work of salvation play out since God laid the foundation of the earth. They are very interested in these things that they have been privileged to look into as ministers, not only to God, but to the heirs of salvation (1 Pet.1:12).

Not only do the living beings have eyes before and behind, to watch all down through the ages the things planned by God, but they “have wings about and they were full of eyes within.” The wings symbolize the beings as heavenly creatures, beings created to live and move above the earth in the third heaven, high above the earth, where their Creator sits enthroned (2 Cor.12:2; Ps.103:19). These living beings are content to be His ministers and stay in their habitation with Him.

The Greek word for “about” or “around” more properly belongs to the eyes than the wings. The eyes round about and within speak of “seeing to enable one to know.” As the eyes before and behind speak of foreseeing and of knowledge of past history, the eyes all around and within speak of seeing all around with the understanding of having the eyes enlightened to see with the mind.

The living beings are not omniscient. Omniscience belongs to Deity. Only God sees everywhere and knows everything. Created beings cannot become God, but they can be given to know through the eyes of their understanding having been enlightened by the Holy Spirit.

In God’s government, nothing is covered up. There is no need for cover up in God’s government. There all is conducted in righteousness and in true justice. God’s purpose is to reveal, not conceal. His purpose is to make Himself known. Jesus came down to earth to lead His Father forth, that His ways might be seen with the understanding (Jn.1:18).

Not only are all things known to God, but from the beginning He has continually made Himself and His purposes known to mankind through His prophets, who spoke His words for Him. Beginning with Adam and Eve, the Lord God Almighty has kept giving man a prophetic history, not only of Himself and His doing, but also a prophetic history of man’s doing down through the ages.

In this way, through looking into the salvation of human beings, that is, the souls in their earthly bodies, the living beings were given to see and to know and to understand. The living beings, ministers of God, within and around the throne, continually seeing with the eyes of their understanding, are given to clearly see the ways and purposes of the Lord God Almighty as they are worked out in time.

These living beings being “in the midst and all around the throne” would symbolize “the ministers of God’s government as being not only His attendants but the bearers and upholders of His throne” (see Ps.80:1; 99:1-5). We understand the ministers of a government upholding the rule of the government and bearing the rule of administrating the government. The thought of government is everywhere in this scene. It will be seen in the Revelation that the angels play a very important role in connection with God carrying out His trial of judgment upon the whole world.

All upon which the government of the Lord God Almighty rests is signified in the four living beings. The first description of these living beings with their likeness was seen by the prophet Ezekiel in a vision when the heavens were opened to him (Ezek.1:1-28). In another vision, these were identified to Ezekiel as Cherubim (Ezek.10:1-22). In both the visions of Ezekiel and the vision of John, we see the four faces of God’s government, so to speak.

When Moses led the sons of Israel, delivered from the bondage of Egypt, through the Red Sea to come out alive on the other side, he led them marshaled in ranks as the army of God’s nation, Israel (Ex.12:37; Num.1:1-2:34). In the wilderness, the sons of Israel built a dwelling place for their God, who dwelt among them in the symbolic form of the Shekinah (Ex.25:8-22; 40:34-38).

When the Pillar of Fire and Cloud which led them rested, the sons of Israel encamped round about the symbolic throne of their God (Num.9:15-23). Each tribe had a standard representing the administration of the government of Israel (Num.2:2-34). At the four compass points were the tribes bearing the same face as the four living beings. The symbols were embroidered on banners and held on high upon standards. The banners were flown when the people encamped. The emblem on each banner of every tribe was a symbol of one of the signs of the Zodiac [Mazzaroth].

At the compass point on the east side the tribe of Judah, the tribe through whose line their King would come, raised the standard with the Lion. On the south side the tribe of Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn son, encamped under the banner with the face of a Man. On the west side the tribe of Ephraim, Joseph’s second son, whose name means “doubly fruitful,” encamped under the banner with the face of a Bullock or an Ox. On the north side the tribe of Dan, Jacob’s fifth son, whose name means “judging” or “He is judge,” encamped under the banner with the face of an Eagle.

These four faces, lion, calf, man and eagle, give us a picture of a government unlike any other government. The “calf” is literally a “young bullock” or “ox.”

“Like a lion” gives the thought of the power and authority and majesty of a king who rules supreme over his realm.  

“Like an ox” gives the thought of service. The ox is a beast of burden. As a domesticated animal, the ox serves mankind. The ox is strong and he patiently perseveres and serves his master. The ox knows his master. What other government serves mankind?

“A face like a man” gives the thought of a creation higher than the animal kingdom. We have the thought of intellect and purpose and intent and plans.

“Like a flying eagle” gives thought of life high above the earthly realm, and sight with an eagle eye, and wings for flight. The thought is supreme power and swiftness and superiority. What other government reigns supreme?

Wings can also cover and protect. It was this metaphor, as eagles’ wings, that the Lord had Moses speak to the sons of Israel. “You have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bore you on wings of eagles and brought you to Myself” (Ex.19:4). The Lord was speaking of how swiftly, with Moses as His representative, that the government of the Almighty swooped down and overcame the enemy and delivered the sons of Israel from the cruel bondage under which they had sold themselves.

We have four Gospel records of the time when the Son of God was among His people, Israel, in Person as their King. Each of the Gospel records gives us a face of the government of God come down to take His people under His protective wings. But they would not (Mt.23:37-39; Lk.13:34-35).

In Matthew’s Gospel we see Jesus like a Lion in His role as the Sovereign King of Israel. Matthew speaks of Jesus being “born King of the Jews” (Mt.2:2). He gives the genealogy of Joseph, the supposed father of Jesus. Had Joseph been the birth father of Jesus, Jesus could have been proved the true heir to the throne of David according to man’s thinking that the line would continue through David’s son, Solomon. Luke gives Jesus’ true lineage, through His mother Mary, who was also of the line of David through his son, Nathan (Lk.1:31-33; 3:31).

In Mark’s Gospel we see Jesus as the patient Servant of Jehovah, persevering and enduring the sorrow and grief of the rejection of His service to mankind (see Is.49:1-13; 53:1-12). He knew His Master’s voice and He was strong and obeyed, even to the death of the Cross (Phil.2:5-8).

In Luke we see the perfect Son of Man as God intended man to be. The face of any government is the ruler. In the ruler the government is personified. In Jesus we see God’s second man, born to bring forth a new creation of sons of God (2 Cor.5:14-21). Jesus is the One who has power over sin and death. The operations of the government of God all planned and carried through with intelligence and wisdom and the perfect understanding of all things as they truly are. As a man, the wisdom and understanding came to Jesus from His Father God through the Holy Spirit enlightening the eyes of His understanding (Is.50:4-7; Jn.8:28-29).

In the Gospel of John we have Jesus portrayed as the perfect Son of God. Here, in symbol, is the Eagle come down from heaven as the God-Man, the Word become flesh (Jn.1:1-18). Jesus, as Deity, knew good from evil. In Him was no sin (1 Jn.3:5). Deity cannot be tempted to evil. In His mortal body Jesus did no sin (1 Pet.2:22). He knew no sin (2 Cor.5:21). His purpose was obedience to the will of His Father, even unto death, the death of the Cross, that out of His death would come begotten sons of God, birthed of the incorruptible Seed, the Word of God (Jn.12:23-33; Phil.2:5-11; 1 Pet.1:18-25)

The Lord from heaven first descended down to the earth as the perfectly obedient Son of Man. Obedient unto the death of the Cross, He was raised by the Father from the dead through the power of the Spirit (Rom.8:11). After forty days of teaching His disciples the things concerning the Kingdom of God, they assembled together on the Mount of Olives. While the disciples beheld Him, Jesus swiftly ascended on high, to return to heaven and sit down on the right hand of the Majesty on High. There His Father, the Majesty on High, crowned Him with glory and honor. Angels and authorities and powers were all made subject to the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (see Ac.1:3-11; 1 Pet.3:22; Eph.1).

Jesus was born that He might die. We were born that we might live forever. In Jesus is the redemption. Jesus is our only hope of living forever. Jesus is our only hope of glory. Jesus is our only hope of a body raised out from the dead.

The throne of the Almighty is high above His world below, but the government of the created universe is ever mindful of His creation below and of His purpose for His creation. All is being carried out as foretold and as He promised it would be.

The four living beings “rest not day and night.” “Not rest day or night” is an interesting phrase, seeing as there is no day or night in heaven. God lives outside of time and heaven is far above the atmosphere where the sun and moon and stars and galaxies are placed. God is Light and in Him is no darkness (1 Jn.1:5). God never wearies. He dos not need to rest. Day and night were meant for man in a body of the earth.

So what does it mean that they do not rest day or night? Where is God’s government administered? Below upon earth where the sun rises and sets, and time is divided into day and night, and hours, and weeks, and months and years.

Why had John been called up to heaven? What was he to be shown? The things which shall be happening on earth after the true Church has been called up to heaven to be with her Lord before the trial to come upon the whole inhabited earth begins.

The trial will be taking place upon earth day and night, week after week of days and nights, month after month of days and nights for seven years. The events taking place upon earth will be directed from heaven and ministered through the heavenly beings. The events to take place will be the destroying of God’s enemies. As has been seen in the past, God will allow His enemies to destroy one another. He Himself will direct the timing. The end purpose of the trial being the regeneration of the heavens and the earth for the new beginning of the Kingdom of righteousness and peace and for the regeneration of God’s nation, which will be the head nation in the Kingdom (2 Pet.3:10-14; Deut.28:1, 13; 30:3-6; Zeph.3:8-20). As each event takes place upon earth, whether it is day or night, the living beings will give praise, saying, “Holy, holy, holy,  to the Lord God Almighty, the One who is, and who was, and who is to come” (Rev.4:8b; 1:4).

“Holiness” is absolute separation from anything that is not of God. The holiness of God is His “otherness.” God is other than any created thing, personal being or object. God is uncreated. He is self-existent and He is pre-existent to all creation.

In John’s vision, the living beings address Deity as the Lord God Almighty It was as the Lord God Almighty, Jehovah, Elohim, Shaddai, that God appeared to Abraham when He established His Eternal Covenant with Abraham and his seed after him (Gen.17:1-8). This now signifies that the Almighty is again taking up His work with Israel to finish transgressions and make an end of sins for His nation and bring in everlasting righteousness.

The Almighty began His work of making a nation for Himself through one man, Abraham. The Almighty not only promised Abraham that He would make of him a great nation, but that Abraham would be the father of many nations. God could bring forth Jesus, the Holy One of Israel, through an unregenerate nation because He had a regenerate virgin of this nation as a handmaid (Lk.1:26-38). Begotten out from the dead Jesus could bring forth sons of God, begotten from the dead of all nations. The Lord promised Abraham that between Himself and Abraham He would bring forth all that He had said.

To fulfill His promise to Abraham of a great nation, the nation must become regenerate, and one day it will. The Lord Himself prophesied of that day. Isaiah wrote of the Lord asking, “Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? says the Lord. Shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? says your God” (see Is.66:7-9).

Today Israel is feeling her birth pains. The pains will grow more intense and finally, the contractions of the Great Tribulation will bring forth the regenerate nation, a delivered remnant, those who are able to live through Jacob’s Time of Trouble. Only one-third of the Jews will survive the terrible persecution, such as they have never faced in history. But once delivered they will never face another like it ever again (Zech.13:7-9; Ezek.5:1-6:10; 37:1-28; Jer.30:7; Dan.7:13-27; 12:1-13; Mt.24:15-31; Rom.11:25-26; Rev.12:13-17).

The repentant remnant will be willing to receive Jesus of Nazareth to be their King in the day of His power over all enemies (Ps.110:1-3). John was caught up to heaven to see that future day, from heaven’s perspective. John was shown how heaven would be rejoicing in the victory.

God is absolutely sovereign in omnipotence. He has all power and the authority to do what pleases Him. He is absolutely omniscient. He knows and sees everything everywhere. He is absolutely omnipresent. God is everywhere present at all times. With all of His power and authority, God is absolutely righteous and He is absolutely just. God cannot be faulted; He cannot be charged with selfish motives. In His holiness, God must be just. His justice is retributive. He has given man freedom of choice. He must give each one according to that which he has willed for himself.

In His justice, God remembers mercy. Holiness is merciful and long-suffering and loving and kind. God is not willing that any should perish. As long as man has breath in his earthly body it is not too late to repent. There is the choice - turn from the evil of one’s own way and turn to go God’s Way in Jesus Christ.

“And when those living beings give glory and honor and thanks to Him that is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him that is seated on the throne, and worship Him that lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne” (Rev.4:9-10).

With each event taking place upon earth, whether it is day or night there, in heaven, the living beings give the glory and honor and the thanks to Him that is seated on the throne. When the living beings do so, the twenty-four elders also give worship to their Lord, who sits on the throne. They fall prostrate before Him who lives forever and ever. Through Him they also live forever and ever in a body raised out from the dead. Clothed in their crowning glory, they prostrate themselves in the position of the unworthy before Him who is seated on the throne, saying, “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You have created all things, and for Your pleasure they are and were created” (Rev.4:11).

The elders and the members of Christ’s Body, whom the elders represent, know their Lord to be worthy to receive all the glory and honor and the power of the throne over the created universe below. Those of the Body of Christ have had the eyes of their understanding opened to see and know that, for God’s pleasure, all things came to be.

The Greek word translated “pleasure” is the word normally translated “will.” The first time we see this Greek word in the New Testament is in Matthew 6 verses 9 and 10, where Jesus said, “After this manner, therefore, pray, Our Father, who are in heaven. Hallowed be Your name. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” The last time this Greek word is used is here in Revelation 4. After the trial that comes upon the whole earth, God’s will will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

There is no reason for the existence of the universe, other than it is the will of the Lord God Almighty. The “all things” are not eternal, nor are they self-existent. All are created things, and created by the will of God Almighty. The “all things” were created because it pleased God to do this for mankind.

Man was created to live in a forever living body. Born in a body of sin and death, man must die. But death is not the end. The death of the earthly body is man’s exodus out of a creation proved to be lawless. The death of the earthly body is deliverance from sin [lawlessness] and death, for a birth into Life abundant.

Jesus was born in the likeness of sinful flesh for sin and to condemn sin in the flesh (Rom.8:1-17). Jesus took the likeness of man, that man might unite himself to his Creator-Redeemer. Man is invited to deny himself; that is, disown himself as having his body to do as pleases him, to recognize himself to be a creation of God and take up his cross and follow Jesus into death to be raised up alive forever. Man must believe that Jesus came to be man’s Substitute and to stand in man’s stead. Jesus came to take the execution of the death penalty that has been passed upon all men (Heb.2:9-17; Rom.3:21-26; 4:25-6:10; 2 Cor.5:14-21). Each one of mankind must choose to be justified through faith in Christ Jesus to be united with Him. Then he will be raised up together with Christ Jesus to walk in newness of Life, a Life in which sin and death have no part.

One day we ourselves will be part of the throne scene. After we have been caught up to be with our Lord we will be clothed in glistening white and enthroned with our Lord. And John himself will then be a part of it also, rather than just foreseeing it in vision. The living beings will be leading the worship and all will gladly give glory and honor and praise to our Lord. He is worthy, and no one knows that better than we do.

Not only do we owe our forever living body to Him, but we owe Him our very being. To Him we owe our victory over sin and death and our deliverance from this body of death. He gave us our exodus out from the old creation in Adam. To Him we owe the renewing of the mind to transform us to have peace with God. To Him we owe our white clothing. Conformed to the image of the Son of God’s Love, we will humbly and willingly prostrate ourselves before Him. To Him we owe all the glory and honor and power. To Him be the glory, age without end.

This ends our lesson on Revelation chapter 4. Chapter 5 is a continuation of John’s description of the throne scene, which we will see in our next lesson. Attached is a chart of the breastplate worn by  the high priest.