The main vision of John begins here. After initial messages from Jesus to seven churches, a door opens in Heaven....
Revelation 4: 1, A door in heaven
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.”
John hear a voice, loud, powerful and resonating, that invites him "up" where he can see what must take place later. The vision will reveal things that are inevitable ("must take place") and part of future history.
What does "after this" mean? Does it mean immediately after John's time? Or at the end of the church age? It is my opinion that these things begin after John's time and continue, through our past and present, into our future.
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.
John's vision is carried by the Holy Spirit, and John gets to see a throne with Someone sitting on it. The One on the throne is described in dramatic terms, jewelry that is colorful, green and red, and a rainbow (again, very colorful) around the One.
Revelation 4: 4-6, Attendants to the throne
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.
John hear a voice, loud, powerful and resonating, that invites him "up" where he can see what must take place later. The vision will reveal things that are inevitable ("must take place") and part of future history.
What does "after this" mean? Does it mean immediately after John's time? Or at the end of the church age? It is my opinion that these things begin after John's time and continue, through our past and present, into our future.
Revelation 4: 2-3, The throne in heaven
3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.
John's vision is carried by the Holy Spirit, and John gets to see a throne with Someone sitting on it. The One on the throne is described in dramatic terms, jewelry that is colorful, green and red, and a rainbow (again, very colorful) around the One.
Revelation 4: 4-6, Attendants to the throne
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.
The throne has attendants, twenty-four (twice twelve), all on their thrones. These attendants are also described in dramatic ways, as dressed in white with gold crowns.
The throne appears like a thunderstorm, with lightning and rumbles of thunder. The sevenfold spirit of God is before the throne (whatever that means) and in front of the throne is a crystal plane.
And also around the throne are four creatures, to be described in the rest of this chapter. (We will look at that tomorrow.)
The numbers here are interesting. Seven, for the Jews, often stood for perfection, a perfect "week". There were twelve tribes of Israel and twelve special disciples of Jesus; twenty-four is twice twelve.
The throne appears like a thunderstorm, with lightning and rumbles of thunder. The sevenfold spirit of God is before the throne (whatever that means) and in front of the throne is a crystal plane.
And also around the throne are four creatures, to be described in the rest of this chapter. (We will look at that tomorrow.)
The numbers here are interesting. Seven, for the Jews, often stood for perfection, a perfect "week". There were twelve tribes of Israel and twelve special disciples of Jesus; twenty-four is twice twelve.
Every time the twenty four elders appear in this book, they seem connected with worship. Their "te deum" comes from Psalm 66:2.
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