Read Revelation 4
The Throne in Heaven
4 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. 6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
“‘Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,’
who was, and is, and is to come.”
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.”
Go Deeper
In this chapter, John gets called up into Heaven to actually see what is taking place before the presence of God. What he experiences is obviously a phenomenal sight to behold. He is immediately in the presence of a throne room, and the person on the throne had the appearance of jasper and ruby (perhaps signaling the blood of Jesus). The throne was surrounded by a rainbow, displaying that the one who sits on this throne rules with faithfulness. Then 24 elders encircle the throne, with each elder wearing a crown.
This likely means that they were people, as Scripture says we will receive a crown in Heaven. Furthermore, there was lightning and thunder emanating from the throne indicating the one on the throne had tremendous power and should be feared. Four creatures surrounded the throne, one with the face of an ox, one with the face of an eagle, one with the face of a human, and one with the face of a lion. Each face represents 4 of the most powerful creatures that God had formed.
Once John gets one describing what he sees, he starts to tell us what takes place in this room. The 4 creatures continually ascribe to the one on the throne that He is holy and is everlasting. In response, the elders all give their crowns to the one on the throne and declare that he is worthy of all glory and power.
John writes this to us not so that we’d have a full picture of Heaven, but that we’d have enough of a picture of Heaven for our need. While we don’t yet have the full ability to grasp what he was able to see, this chapter does give us a vision into the majesty of the presence of God. When we enter into Heaven we’ll be blown away by the grandeur, power, and grace emanating from the throne room. A response to this text, is that we should participate in the worship that is already taking place in Heaven. As the creatures and elders declare the holiness and worthiness of God, we should do the same!
Questions
- What most sticks out to you from this passage?
- What do you think would strike you most if you got to see what John saw?
- Why do you think this is in Scripture?
A Quote
“It is very little that we can know of the future state, but we may be quite sure that we know as much as is good for us. We ought to be as content with that which is not revealed as with that which is. If God wills us not to know, we ought to be satisfied not to know. Depend on it, he has told us all about heaven that is necessary to bring us there; and if he had revealed more, it would have served rather for the gratification of our curiosity than for the increase of our grace.”–Charles Spurgeon
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6 thoughts on “Revelation 4”
I really appreciate the quote shared by Charles Spurgeon. As we read through Revelation, there will be mystery beyond our limited human understanding, yet so much we can grasp of Christ’s glory as evil will once and for all time be defeated. Let our focus be on praise, adoration and honor of the One who is worthy, the Lord God Almighty.
What strikes me most about this chapter and the last part of v8 “who was, and is to come” is that Jesus was in that throne room and left it for 33 years to be with us, so we could have life eternal.
Wow! That is love!!!
Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty!!!
Have you ever stood on the shore of a still lake at dawn.? Because of all His power, all below his feet (dominion) will be at peace — appear like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. (No more tears and death). Lord, come!
Worship.
We can see clearly that God desires worship.
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!”
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”
We can all guess, therorize about what we “think” the scriptures mean/say but one thing for sure that it says is worship.
He is a timeless, inexhaustible God who, because of the slain Lamb, we can call Father. We must come before our Father’s throne and give Him praise and adoration!.
God worthy worthy worthy are You God to recieve honor, glory and thanksgiving. Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come! Thank You that You have given me the privledge to be in Your Family, that I can come before Your throne. Create in me a new heart, teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Renew in me a clean spirt. Thank You for restoring me to the joy of my salvation. Thank You for me singing of Your rightousness ,and with my mouth I will declare Your praise in these minutes of this day to You be HONOR AND GLORY in Jesus name amen
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In this chapter, I am fascinated to read the words directed in worship towards the King, incl.
11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.”
Here is this verse set to music to help with memorization:
https://open.spotify.com/track/0hyM4lp5mNjpeejWMKMsLT?si=zWkSAXz0Q1e07fopr6LKzw&context=spotify%3Aplaylist%3A0zUpAfSuSUPmIPLet2V1Fv
Right before I started to read the beginning of Revelation study to catch up, I listened to the LIVE Becoming Something.
If you read the 7 letters to all the churches, you would be agreeing with every word that JP was trying to spread the wake up the “lukewarm” believers of the church.
We are in crunch-time mode. JP stated something about how churches are in a decline and nonexistent path if we don’t start judging and making our family of believers accountable.(paraphrased) That is so true and so loving.
Those 7 letters were raw and truthful, but terrifying bc of the same sins we fight today—in churches.
What a wake-call to repent and testify
V. 11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,….” In EVERY way—body, soul,, and mind.