Revelation-Part 13
| By: Dr. Robert Thomas; ©2000 |
| Continuing now with the fourth chapter of Revelation, Dr. Thomas begins to look at the heavenly throne-room, and the identity of those who are described as being around the throne. |
THE HEAVENLY THRONE-ROOM, PART 1
For our series of studies in the last book of the Bible, we have made our way through Revelation 1, where the writer—John the Apostle—described his impressions resulting from his vision of the glorified Christ. We then had seven lessons on Revelation 2–3, studying each of the seven church situations that were contemporary to John, situations for which Jesus provided His assessments and recommendations pertaining to those churches. This month we arrive at Revelation 4 to begin considerations of the visional portions of the book. This chapter begins the principal prophetic section of Revelation.
This is the part of the book promised in Revelation 1:1—that is, “the things that must happen soon”—and in Revelation 1:19—that is, “the things that are about to happen after these things.”
The fourth chapter of Revelation 4 describes the heavenly throne-room where the seven-sealed scroll of Revelation 5:1 will eventually appear. That scroll, as its seals are broken, will predict the outpouring of God’s wrath upon a world in rebellion against God. Part 1 of John’s description of the throne-room appears in Revelation 4 and sets the stage for his first glimpse of the scroll with its future revelations. This Part-1 description of the throne-room depicts such a place as would be appropriate for the origin of the judgmental contents of the scroll.
The first verse of the chapter tells of John’s transition to a state in which he could view the heavenly scene. He received an invitation to ascend into heaven to see “things that must happen after these things.” Prior to seeing these future events dramatized in heaven, John needed to gain an impression of heaven as the source of these future revelations. To gain this impression he came to be “in the spirit” (4:2) as he did to see the vision of Christ in chapter 1 (Rev. 1:10). In that state he saw in heaven a throne with a Person seated on it. That Person had the appearance of several precious stones, and around His throne was a rainbow that looked like an emerald (4:3).
John saw twenty-four more thrones (4:4). On them were seated twenty-four elders whom we will identify below. He also saw four living beings, the first like a lion, the second like an ox, the third having a face like a man, and the fourth like a flying eagle (4:6-7). The remainder of Revelation 4 furnishes additional details about the four living beings and two songs sung by the living beings and the elders (4:8-11).
Identities of One on the Throne, the Elders, and Living Beings
The fourth chapter of Revelation furnishes a unique opportunity for a glimpse into heaven to see what it is like. The center of attention is, of course, the Person seated on the throne whom John describes in verses 2-3. This person is none other than the Father, the first person of the Holy Trinity. What an overwhelming sight for a human being to behold! John had the privilege of seeing God the Father in all of His transcendent glory. The Father plays a prominent part in the remainder of the book, with His throne being mentioned in all but six of the remaining nineteen chapters. That’s why grasping a picture of the throne and its surroundings in this fourth chapter is so foundational.
The identity of the twenty-four elders is not so easy to discover. Those interpretations that see the elders as representing redeemed men fall into three categories: one saying they represent Israel, one saying they represent the church, and one saying they represent both Israel and the church. Neither of these three possibilities seems likely, however, because throughout Revelation the elders are distinguished from the saints. In 7:13-14 one of the elders is different from John himself. In 14:3 the 144,000 redeemed Israelites are distinct from the elders, and in 19:4-8 the elders are a different group from the great crowd in heaven. Another class of interpretations views the elders as angelic beings. Some take the angelic beings to represent the faithful of all ages. Others find them to be representative of Old Testament priestly orders, but a third identity appears to be the most likely one. They are a special class of angels with high authority, who belong to the court of God in heaven (7:9-11; 19:1-4). In Revelation they are always grouped with other angelic subgroups rather than with men. An instance that strengthens this choice of interpretations is the performance by one of the elders of a task that is later specifically performed by an angel. That task is the offering of bowls of incense, carried out by an elder in 5:8 and by an angel in 8:3.
Who are the four living beings? John saw them in the immediate vicinity of the Father’s throne, probably encircling it. One was on either side, one behind, and one in front of the throne. Suggestions about their identity have varied widely throughout church history. This observer suggests that their proximity to the throne shows them to be an exalted order of angelic beings. Their participation in loosing the judgments yet to come (Rev. 6:1, 3, 5, 7) connects them with the implementation of judicial authority from the throne. Their connection with animate creation is obvious because of their likenesses to a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle. The living beings are angelic representations of the divine immanence in nature. They bear certain similarities to the seraphim of Isaiah 6:1-3 and the cherubim of Ezekiel 10:2, 14, 20. Their likeness to the angelic creatures described in these OT books marks them as the highest order of angelic beings. In summary, the living beings belong to an exalted angelic order engaged in worship, who bear a special relationship to the angelic beings of Ezekiel and Isaiah, and whose special function in Revelation is the administration of divine justice in the realm of animate creation.
The Expectancy of Revelation 4
Several features in Revelation 4 establish a certain type of expectancy in preparation for the chapters to follow. That mood of expectation is one that highlights the sovereignty of God the Father and His consequent authority to judge a planet that does not recognize His sovereignty. He is in control of this world, and the world’s failure to submit to His control must bring dire consequences to earth’s inhabitants.
His position on the throne in heaven (4:1) speaks of his regal supremacy. The elders sing of His act of creating all things and His will that prompted the creation of all things (4:11). That creative act grants to Him the prerogative of doing what He desires with His creation. The living beings in their song speak of Him as “the Lord God Almighty” (4:8), explicitly attesting His role as the controlling Being in all the universe. He possesses all might. They testify about the eternality of His existence as “the one who lives forever and ever” (4:9). He exists before and after this creation. For the Father to receive worship of the living beings and elders—the highest orders of angelic beings—as He does in 4:8-11, is further confirmation that He is the supreme Person above all others in authority. He answers to no one but Himself.
Descriptions of the throne and the One seated on it hint about coming judgments originating from that Sovereign Lord. The jasper stone and the sardius (4:3) are probably references to a diamond and a carnelian. The former stands for white light, and the latter with its redness pictures fire. In visions of the Old Testament the mixture of white light with fire signify God’s anger because of His holy nature reacting in response to prevailing sin among men (see Ezek. 1:4; 8:2; Dan 7:9). These stones also point forward to the judgment He is about to send in conjunction with Christ’s second coming.
The rainbow around the throne (Rev. 4:3) recalls the covenant God made with Noah (Gen. 9:8-17) after the judgment of Noah’s generation. After the flood the rainbow was a sign from God that He would not again destroy the earth by water. A sign such as this injects a note of God’s mercy into a context that focuses upon His judgment. It recalls that God’s mercy is as great as His majesty. In other words, His sovereignty will not triumph at the expense of His mercy.
This reminder of mercy is helpful as a contrast to the note of terror struck in Revelation 4:5a, with its description of “the flashes of lightning and voices and peals of thunder” that proceeded from God’s throne. These remind a reader of the circumstances at the giving of the law on Mount Sinai (Exod. 19:16). Referred to often as the “storm theophany,” the frightening phenomena occur three more times in Revelation, once at 8:5 in conjunction with the seventh-seal judgment, once in 11:19 in conjunction with the seventh-trumpet judgment, and once in 16:18 in conjunction with the seventh-bowl judgment. In each case they mark the end of specific manifestations of God’s wrath against the earth. So the storm theophany here in this initial scene from the throne-room is another pointer to judgments yet to be described.
As we ponder the awesomeness of what John saw in the throne-room of Revelation 4, we think of words from the writer to the Hebrews: “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31). That terrifying prospect strengthens our resolve day by day to cultivate a personal relationship with Jesus Christ so as to assure that we will not share in what lies ahead for a world in rebellion against Him.
Note: For more details about the throne-room, the elders, and the living beings, see my discussion in Revelation 1–7 (Moody Press, 1992), pages 331-371. To order this volume, you may contact Grace Books International at (800) GRACE15 or www.gbibooks.com>.
