The Throne of God
(Rev 4 KJV) After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. {2} And immediately I was in the spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. {3} And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. {4} And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. {5} And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. {6} And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. {7} And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. {8} And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. {9} And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, {10} The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, {11} Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
In this 4th chapter of Revelation, God shows us His Throne, therefore, I title this message The Throne of God. You can see the working of God, the Spirit of God and the attributes of God. A real vision of God will change you. You will never be the same. What does God look like to you? Have you seen the Lord? Do your best to set aside all distractions and focus on what John is telling you today and let the Spirit of God reveal to you the throne of God.
John begins in verse one by telling us that a door was opened in heaven. He is looking right into heaven and tells us what he sees. Now many ideas exist about heaven and the Bible does not tell us much about it. This vision of Johns will help you to understand a little of heaven as you look at the action around God’s throne. As he looked into heaven, he tells us that the first voice he heard (there were more than one voices) was as it were a trumpet. The Bible tells us that the trumpet is used to represent the preaching of what God says.
(Isa 58:1 KJV) Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
(1 Cor 14:8 KJV) For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
(Rev 1:10 KJV) I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
And so the trumpet is used to sound a warning, to give direction and to inform. The preaching of God’s Word sounds warning to the Christian, it gives direction to the Christian and information to the Christian about the status of their lives. It is an awesome responsibility to preach the Gospel for if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, no one will know how to respond. There will be chaos and the people of God become prey to the devil.
The message to John was: come up hither and I will show you things which must be hereafter. In order to get into a clear channel of communication with the Lord, you must rise up above all the activities and cares of this life. Rise up and God will show you some things. Jesus taught us that when we pray, we are to enter into our closet. You can not enter into your prayer closet carrying all the thoughts and cares of this life. John continues by saying that immediately I was in the spirit. Or in other words, the literal world was shut out and John was in the presence of God. Now his eyes are opened and he begins to tell us what he is seeing. He sees the throne. He sees God on the throne. He sees a rainbow round about the throne. He sees 24 elders sitting, clothed with white raiment and wearing crowns of gold.
The 24 elders must be a representation of the twelve tribes of Israel plus the twelve Apostles which are the foundations of both the old testament and the new testament. The fact that John sees them as elders implies that they represent Pastors & Teachers that lead the people in the way of God. They are clothed in white raiment representing righteousness.
(Rev 19:8 KJV) And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
To be clothed in white also implies that you have overcome evil.
(Rev 3:5 KJV) He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
(Rev 3:18 KJV) I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Further John tells us that they had on their heads crowns of gold. Crowns are used to symbolize victorious lives:
(2 Tim 4:7-8 KJV) I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: {8} Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
(Rev 2:10 KJV) Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
(Rev 3:11 KJV) Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Notice that the symbols John is seeing are symbols that any Bible student should know for they are repeats of things that have been used or explained in other parts of the Bible. There is no need to be confused about the messages in the book of Revelation. Just research the symbols in the light of the rest of the Bible, rise up in the Spirit of God and He will give you understanding.
Next John gives us a glimpse of the action around the throne of God. There are lightnings and thunderings and voices and seven lamps of fire burning. We know that lightning and thunder go together. First there is a flash of light traveling at an incredible rate of speed and then there follows the thunder, which travels at a much slower speed. So it is with the operation of God’s Word. First there comes the flash of light or understanding to God’s messenger and then comes the report by thundering out the message to the people. Here are a few passages from the Bible showing this operation:
(Dan 10:1-7 KJV) In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision. {2} In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. {3} I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled. {4} And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel; {5} Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: {6} His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. {7} And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.
(John 12:27-29 KJV) {27} Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. {28} Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. {29} The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.
(Exo 19:16-19 KJV) And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. {17} And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. {18} And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. {19} And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.
(Exo 20:18-22 KJV) And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. {19} And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. {20} And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. {21} And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. {22} And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.
The seven lamps of fire representing the Spirit of God working in every spiritual condition. There were seven lamps made of gold in the tabernacle that Moses built according to the instructions of God. These seven lamps represented the keys to salvation down through the ages of time:
(Rev 1:4 KJV) John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
(Dan 10:6 KJV) His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.
(Exo 25:37 KJV) And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.
(Exo 37:23 KJV) And he made his seven lamps, and his snuffers, and his snuffdishes, of pure gold.
(Isa 62:1 KJV) For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.
Next John tells us of a sea of glass before the throne. It seems that this represents a mirror as James explains to us in:
(James 1:23-25 KJV) For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: {24} For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. {25} But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Also we find that a molten sea was included in the Temple built by Solomon:
(1 Ki 7:23-26 KJV) And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about. {24} And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast. {25} It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward. {26} And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths.
I’m sure that the idea was to get you to look at yourself as you entered the Temple and as you enter into worship. The Word of God will do you no good unless you look at your true condition and take action on it according to what the Lord shows you through the sea of glass.
Then John tells us about four beast which demonstrate the attributes or character of God. The first is like a lion. The lion is the King of Beasts and Jesus is the lion of the tribe of Judah, the King of Kings. This aspect of God represents the courage that He gives to the children of God. Since as Christians, we know that God is on our side, we can be fearless in the face of any danger that the devil may be able to concoct. Jesus told us not to fear him that can destroy the body, but rather to fear Him that has power to destroy both body and soul.
(Rev 5:5 KJV) And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
(Isa 6:1-4 KJV) In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. {2} Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. {3} And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. {4} And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
(Ezek 1:3-14 KJV) The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him. {4} And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire. {5} Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. {6} And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. {7} And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass. {8} And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings. {9} Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward. {10} As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle. {11} Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies. {12} And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went. {13} As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. {14} And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
John said the second beast was like a calf. Ezekiel used the word ox. This represents the concept of sacrifice. Jesus was the supreme sacrifice. Sacrifice is expected of those that follow the Lord.
(Mat 16:24 KJV) Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
(1 Cor 9:9 KJV) For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?
(1 Tim 5:17-18 KJV) Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. {18} For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.
The third beast had the face of a man which represents the method which God has chosen to deal with man. God chooses men & women to be His messengers. As He chose Moses, David, Solomon and thousands of others down through the ages of time, so He continues to choose men and women today to carry His messages to mankind.
(Heb 13:7 KJV) Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.
(Heb 13:17-18 KJV) Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. {18} Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.
And the fourth beast was like a flying eagle representing the ability of God and His children to rise above every situation and problem of earth.
(Isa 40:28-31 KJV) Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. {29} He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. {30} Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: {31} But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
And so as we have looked into heaven and observed the throne of God, we have seen a picture of strength, labor, sacrifice, patience, victory and honor and glory to God. As a Christian you are privileged to share in the character of God. Your life can be fashioned in such a way as to bring glory and honor to the Lord.
Maintained by: Brian S. Rexroth, Sr.
Copyright © 2006