Revelation 4:1-5

Revelation 4:1-5

Introduction

This chapter begins a new phase in the book of Revelation.  The church plays a prominent

role in the first three chapters, mentioned over 18 times. After chapter 3, the church is not

referred to again until chapter 22 verse16.  

This discovery was made to John, and in this chapter he,

I.                    Records the heavenly sight he saw, Revelation 4:1-7. And then,

II.                  The heavenly songs he heard, Revelation 4:8-11.

Revelation 4:1 After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this."

After these things…

John now begins to describe events following his letter to the seven churches.  John was in the process of writing a letter to the seven churches in Asia, Jesus standing in the middle of seven candlesticks is dictating the letter to John.  Following the completion of the letters, chapter 4 takes place. In Revelation 1:19, Jesus establishes the structure of the book of Revelation. 

Revelation 1:19 "Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.

And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet,

Here John hear the same voice what he heard before. It mention in Rev. 1:10. From that we can understand this voice belongs to whom. It is none other than our Lord and savior Jesus Christ

"Come up here,"

John is caught up to a scene taking place in heaven.  Although not mentioned explicitly, John’s call up to heaven by a voice sounding like a trumpet, parallels events in I Thessalonians 4:13-18, John represents a picture of the rapture.  In the rapture, the church is “caught up” to the presence of Christ with a shout from Christ and the call of God’s trumpet. 

Similarities between the John’s call into Heaven and the rapture are striking when we compare the two.

Rapture I Thes. 4:13-18	John’s caught up
At the end of Church age	At the end of the letters to the churches
Shout from Jesus to  believers	Jesus calls John up
Trumpet of God	Voice like a trumpet
Believers on earth	John on earth
Immediate translation	Immediately John was in the Spirit
Believers taken into the Lord’s presence	John taken into the Lord’s presence

Revelation 4:2 At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.

Throne set in heaven.. John is immediately ushered to the center of Heaven, and to the throne of God.  John then describes the scene for his reader.    John, literally taken to the throne of God in Heaven describes what he sees.  Daniel saw the “Ancient of days” on his throne and one like the “Son of man” approach the throne(Daniel 7:9,13),  Ezekiel saw “Glory of the Lord” as a glorified man, seated on His throne (Ezekiel 1:27) and Isaiah also so the Lord seated on his throne (Isaiah 6:1), in descriptions similar to John’s.

One sat.

Some bible translations, translated One Sat , Some translated WITH ONE.  Actually in the

Greek bible, not mentioned about ONE.

There is a debate whether this is Father or the Son sitting on the throne. The dilemma here is the one seated on the throne is described as Creator of all things which is the work ascribed to Christ. (John 1:1-3, Col. 1;16-17, Heb 1;2-3,10-12, 3:3,4, Rev. 4;11).

The one seated on throne is distinguished from the Lamb in chapter 5, who is Christ, because he is the only one able to open the scroll.

However, in Revelation 22:1,3 both the Lamb and God the Father are pictured as being on the throne of God.

Jasper..  The one who sits on the throne is described as having the appearance of Jasper.  In the Old Testament, the High Priest would wear a breastplate with 12 stones.  Each of the 12 stones represented one of the 12 tribes of Israel.  The priest would bear Israel on his chest as he ministered before God in the Temple.  (Exodus 28:15-20)  Jasper was the last stone of the 12, and took on shades of different color.  The Jasper stone referenced here is clear like crystal.( Rev 21;11)  Jasper would represent the tribe of Benjamin.  The crystal clear represent the purity and holiness of God.

Sardius..  Sardius was the first stone on the breastplate and represented the tribe of Reuben.  Sardius was a red stone, like a ruby or carnelian.  This would have represented the redemption of humanity by the blood of Christ.  Here we see the last stone and the first stone of the Jewish Priesthood pictured on the throne of God.

Revelation chapter 1, Christ is also described in terms reminiscent of Israel’s High Priest.  Hebrews (Heb. 9:11,25 10:11,25) describes Christ as our High Priest, who is at the right hand of God the Father.  Here we see Christ in the very role as High Priest seated on the throne.

Rainbow. The fourth stone on the breastplate was an Emerald, the emerald represented the fourth son, Judah.  John describes a rainbow around the throne with the appearance of an Emerald.  Through Judah, the Messiah came and took away the sins of humanity.  In Noah’s day, God established the rainbow as a symbol of his agreement to not destroy the earth with a flood. Here the rainbow with an emerald appearance represents the peace between man and God, the result of the Jesus the Messiah’s death, who came from the tribe of Judah.

 Revelation 4:4 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.

Answer one

Twenty-four thrones   John describes 24 thrones surrounding the throne of God, the Greek word qrovno Thronos means, throne seat, a chair of state having a footstool.  There has been debate about these 24 thrones. Some have argued they represent angelic authority over God’s creation.  While others argue they represent New Testament saints. To understand these twenty-four thrones, we need to ask who is sitting on them.  What is their background? What do they say?

Twenty-four elders. One of the arguments put forward is the 24 elders sitting on the throne are angels.  The problem with this argument is in the description of the 24 elders. Five arguments against the elders being angles are;

  1. The Greek word for elder is presbuvtero Presbuteros means elder, of age.  The reason this cannot apply to angels is all angles are the same age, there is no elder angel. 

2. The term “elder” in the Bible is always used to apply to men, not angels.

3. Elders are always representing people, in both Israel and the church

4. There are no visions of elders in both Ezekiel’s vision of the throne (Ezk.1-10) and Isaiah vision of the throne (Isaiah 6). Christ had not yet paid for the sins of humanity.

5. These same elders sing the song of redemption in Revelation 5:9-10, angels were never redeemed.

Answer 2

Some people argue that, out of these 24 elders, 12 are belongs to 12 tribe of Israel and rest 12 are 12 apostle of Jesus Christ. If it is true apostle John also one of the members of that 24 elders, but John not mentioned anywhere, he was there in midst of the 24 elders.

But Old Testament and New Testament God and Jesus promised to their saints.

Matthew 19;28 So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

The number 24 matches the 24 orders of priests in Israel (I Chronicles 24:7-19).  Since the apostles are promised positions of authority ruling over Israel (Matthew 19:28).  And Old Testament saints, such as David, are also promised positions of authority in the coming kingdom (Ezekiel 34:24). It is reasonable to assume the 24 elders are the12 apostles representing the church and 12 elders from Israel representing Israel, and some people received the contact certificate of God such as Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Enoch, Elijah, Joshua, Daniel, David, Isaiah.. etc.

But one thing we can understand that God made the earth and all thing on earth was similar like heaven.

1.      God created man in His own image.

2.      God gave instruction about tabernacle, how it should be, it same like in heaven outer course, holy place and most holy place. In the same way they construct the tabernacle.

3.      God gave instruction to Aaron to appoint 24 people to serve in temple it is mentioned in  1 chronicles  24:7-19.

4.      King David also appoint 24 people to  serve God, how Aaron appointed it is mentioned in 1 chronicles  24:20-31

In the same way, in the heaven also 24 elders are appointed by God to serve Him. But we can’t tell who they are. This is one of the mysteries of heaven. But thing sure these 24 elders are redeemed by Jesus Christ because these same elders sing the song of redemption in Revelation 5:9-10.

Even King David also mentioned about this elders in Psalm 89:6,7

White robes. In addition to the above arguments, the clothing the elders wear, “white robes”, is the dress of “Overcomers”  (Revelation 3;4,5,18; 6:9, 7;9,13,14; 19:14).  White robes are promised to the victorious saint.

Revelation 4:5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings^[1] and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God,

Lightnings, thunderings.  Israel on the exodus journey also experienced the lightings and thunder from top of Mt. Sinai when the presence of the Lord was on the mountain. (Exodus 19:16)  The nation trembled before God and asked Moses to talk to them rather then God.

The thunder and lightning from the throne also demonstrate the coming judgment about to fall on the earth in the coming chapters.

 Seven lamps.  John also describes seven lamps of fire burning before the throne of God.  These seven lamps are different from the seven lampstands which Jesus Christ stood in the midst in chapter one.  These seven lamps of fire represented the seven spirits of God or the seven-fold ministry of the Holy Spirit. Isaiah 11:2 lists the sevenfold characteristic of the Holy Spirit.

1. The Spirit of the Lord

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

In the tabernacle and the Temple the seven lamps of the golden candlestick before the Holy of Holies was a type of the reality in Heaven.  (Hebrews 9;23)  The whole tabernacle and Temple was a microcosm picture of God’s throne and heaven.