Revelation Revealed – Chapters 4 & 5

Heaven’s Throne Room

The church being caught up to heaven by now, the 4th and 5th chapters of Revelation display the throne room scenario of heaven. As we learnt earlier that the book of Revelation consists of three parts in 1:19
i) Things that John has seen – Chapter 1 – Vision of Jesus Christ
ii) Things which are – Chapters 2 and 3 – His message to the seven churches in Asia
iii) Things which will take place after these – Chapters 4 to 22 – Events that take place after the church age until the end of the world and formation of God’s government.
Now we have come to the third part, gladly going to learn about things that are going to take place in heaven and in earth in the near future. But remember that the throne room scene appears before all the tribulations that are going to trouble the earth from chapters 6 to 19.
4:1 – “After these things” John saw an open door in heaven and the same trumpet like voice of Jesus (1:10) said to him, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” This voice of trumpet may be the last trumpet that sounds before the secret coming of Jesus Christ at the clouds (1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16).
4:2 – As soon as John heard the sound the Spirit took control of him and he saw a throne set in heaven and One seated on the throne. (Revelation is also called ‘the book of thrones because this book mentions ‘throne’ 37 times).
4:3 – “..He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance.” His appearance does not surely represent Jesus Christ. It must surely be the Father God because no one has ever seen Him except the Son (John 1:18; 6:46). Moses and a few elders saw the God of Israel, under whose feet was like a pavement of sapphire, very clear as heaven (Exodus 24:10). God told Moses in Exodus 33:20, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”

• “there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance.” The rainbow reminds us of the covenant of God with the earth and it attests that He is always a promise keeping god (Genesis 9:13-16).
  4:4 – “Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads.” The Bible calls the representatives of the tribes in the OT and the leaders of the church in the NT as elders. Sometimes old aged men are called elders. Never can it mean an angel because they never grow old, and their number is never ever predicted in the Scriptures, and they are never promised thrones. But the overcoming saints of God are promised thrones in heaven with the Father and the Son (3:21). The church is often promised reign with Christ (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30; Revelation 2:26-27; 5:10; 20:4). – White robes are promised to the victorious church (3:5, 18; 19:8).
• Golden crowns are promised to the overcoming church (2 Timothy 4:8; James 1:12; Revelation 2:10).
• The twenty four elders should therefore represent the raptured church that sings the songs of redemption (5:8-10).
• The number twenty four may denote the twenty four courses of priests, twenty four courses of singers and twenty four courses of watchmen mentioned in 1 Chronicles 24-26. We are made kings and priests by Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6; 5:10; 20:6). We are called to sing hymns unto God at all times (Acts 16:25), sing songs from the Spirit with gratitude of heart (Colossians 3:16), sing with Spirit and understanding (1 Corinthians 14:15) and even speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, making music from our hearts (Ephesians 5:19).
• This might denote the representatives of the Old Testament and the New Testament, indicating the twelve tribes and twelve apostles because we find their names written in the Holy City (21:13-14). This could be the Old Testament saints who resurrected during the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the New Testament saints who are raised from the dead and the living church that is caught up at the rapture (Matthew 27:52-53; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-16; Ephesians 4:8-10; 1 Peter 3:19-20; Psalm 68:18). Jesus says in Matthew 8:11, “.. when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God…. They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God”, which also supports our notion that the twenty four elders are from the Old and the New Testament. The parable of the beggar at Abraham’s bosom, dogs eating from the crumbs of the master’s table can all add to its strength (Luke 16:22; Matthew 15:26).

4:5 – Lightning, thundering and voices proceed from the throne. This shows that the presence of the Father God brings awe and trepidation (Exodus 19:16; 20:18; Ezekiel 1:13). It is through His Son Jesus alone we are able to approach His throne of grace (Hebrews 4:14-16), which will no more be a throne of grace but of judgment thereafter.

Work of the twenty four elders in the book of Revelation

i) Fall down and worship God (4:10)
ii) Reveal to John about the Lion of Judah (5:5)
iii) Play harp and sing (5:8-10)
iv) Fall prostrate and worship God (4:10; 7:11; 11:16; 19:4)
v) Carry the prayers of saints to God (5:8)

• “… Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.” Revelation keeps repeating ‘the seven Spirits of God’ in 1:4 as ‘the seven spirits who are before His throne’, in 3:1 as ‘who has the seven spirits of God’ in 4:5 as mentioned here and in 5:6 as ‘the seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth’. This must denote the Holy Spirit with His seven fold ministry mentioned in Isaiah 11:2, “The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.” In Zechariah 3:8-9 and 4:10 we see the seven eyes of the Lord (HOLY SPIRIT) placed on the ‘Branch, Stone’ (JESUS CHRIST) and also runs to and fro on the whole earth (Isaiah 11:1; 28:16; Matthew 21:42; Ephesians 2:20). The Holy Spirit is diverse in His operations, manifestations and distributions (1 Corinthians 12:4, 6, 7, and 11).
  4:6 – “Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal…” This sea of glass represents i) the ‘Laver of Brass’ made of glass placed at the gate of the tabernacle of Moses and ii) the ‘Molten sea’ at the Solomon’s Temple that were used by the priests to cleanse their hands and feet before doing any service at the tabernacle or the temple (Exodus 38:8; 1 Kings 7:23). Crossing the sea of glass into the throne room is said to cleanse us off any earthly thoughts before standing before the throne of God.
  4:6-8 – There were four living creatures full of eyes in their front and back, in the midst of the throne and around the throne, the first one like a lion, the second as a calf, the third having the face of a man and the fourth like a flying eagle. Each had six wings and without any rest they kept saying, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” These four living beings are clearly differentiated from the angels and men in 5:11. They must be guardians of the throne of God, seated in front and around it, as the Cherubim guarded the Garden of Eden and later became the guardians of the ‘Mercy Seat’ in the tabernacle of Moses and in the Temple of Solomon (Genesis 3:24; Exodus 25:20; 1 Kings 8:7; Ezekiel 1:26).

Work of the four living creatures in the book of Revelation

i) Proclaim the holiness of God without rest (4:8)
ii) Fall prostrate in worship of God (5:8-10; 19:4)
iii) Play harp and sing
iv) Carry prayers of saints to God (5:8)
v) When all creatures praise God, they say ‘Amen’ (5:14)
vi) Invite John to envision the seals being broken (6:1)
vii) Interpret the meaning of the seal (6:6)
viii) Hand over the seven golden vials to the seven angels (15:7)
4:9-11 – Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” These verses impart the Father God on the throne being worshipped by the four creatures and twenty four elders.

The Sealed Scroll

5:1-7 –

• A scroll that is written inside and on the back, and is sealed with seven seals is in the right hand of the Father God sitting on the throne
• A strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?”
• None in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open or even look at the scroll
• John wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.
• One of the elders said to John, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”
• John looked, and saw a Lamb that is slain in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
• Then the Lamb came and took the scroll from the right hand of the Father
• As the two stone tablets of Moses was written on both sides, so is the scroll written (Exodus 32:15). Even the scroll that was handed over to Ezekiel was written inside and outside with lamentations, mourning and woe (Ezekiel 2:9-10).
• John is so curious to know the content of the scroll, so very curious that he began to weep for none was worthy to open or even look at it.
• John heard that the Lion of Judah was worthy to open but when he looked he saw a Lamb that was slain. What drastic extremities of disposition we see of Jesus! Actually a Lion but took the form of Lamb (a slain One) to save us.
• Lion of Judah and Root of Jesse no doubt refer to Jesus Christ (Hebrews 7:14; Matthew 1:1)
• Worthiness, though is naturally ascribed to Jesus Christ as the Father’s only begotten Son, it is also something that He earned through His submission and obedience to the Father during His incarnation.
• The seven horns and seven eyes of the Lamb symbolizes His perfect strength and perfect, all-knowing wisdom (1 Samuel 2:10; Micah 4:13; 2 Chronicles 16:9).
• This incident coincides with the prophecy of Daniel where he says that the court was seated and the books were opened (Daniel 7:10). Hereafter God’s verdict of judgment on earth begins one by one from chapter 6 to 19.
  5:8-10
  5:8- When the Lamb took the scroll from the Father, the four living creatures and the twenty four elders each holding their harps and golden bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the saints and fell down before the Lamb.
  – The incense hears refers to the prayers of all the saints that are collected in golden incense bowls in heaven (Revelation 5:8; Psalm 141:2). What I personally comprehend from this is that all prayers of saints that are unanswered day will be countered through the wrath of God in the days of tribulation. It is better to generously forgive and intercede for those who have harmed us, for the wrath of God on them or their generation will be far beyond description on these days.
• Worship here is ascribed to the Son of God, Jesus Christ
• Twenty eight harps are being played here in the throne room of heaven. 144,000 harps are seen to be played in 14:2 and innumerable harps in 15:2. Harp was always the much preferred instrument of David and it was used to play harmony during worship. It was always used while carrying the Ark of the Covenant and in the dedication of the temple of Solomon and in the dedication of the rebuilt wall of Jerusalem (1 Samuel 16:16; 2 Samuel 6:5; 1 Chronicles 15:28; Nehemiah 12:27; Psalm 92:2)
  5:9-10 –
  The elders and the living creatures are seen singing a new song unto the Lamb saying that He is worthy to take the scroll and open its seals because He was slain and purchased them to God by His blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and made them kings and priests unto God, and they will reign on the earth.
• The incarnation, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His commission to make disciples of all nations and every creature has broken down the middle wall of partition between the Jews and the gentiles through the blood of Jesus Christ and now people from all the ends of the earth can inherit the throne with God (Ephesians 2:11-21; Matthew 8:11).
• The Israelites are also called as the kingdom of priests and a holy nation and all gentiles are given a royal priesthood (Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:9).
• Daniel in his vision states that the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdoms under the whole heaven, and possess the kingdom forever (Daniel 7:18, 27).
  5:11-14
• Everyone in heaven including the elders, living creatures, thousands and thousands of angels acclaim worthiness to the Lamb that was slain to receive power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory and blessing!” (Daniel 7:10)
• Every creature in heaven, earth, under the earth and in the sea acclaim blessing, honor, glory and power to the Father and the Son, Jesus Christ forever. Everything in heaven and earth belong to God the Father and the Son was slain to take away the sin of the whole world (1 Chronicles 29:11; John 1:29).
• The living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshipped.