Called up into heaven
Rev 4:1 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.
Rev 1:19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
Chapter four begins the things which shall be hereafter; prophecy of future events. It is a heavenly view of what happens on earth.
A door was opened in heaven. Jesus in chapter three was knocking on the door of our heart. In chapter three, the beloved church of Philadelphia, was given an open door for ministry. Now, John is invited into heaven, in the spirit, to see and hear great and mighty things. God spoke unto Jeremiah; call upon me.
Jer 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
In chapter four Jesus is calling on John, the sound of a trumpet, distinct, loud and clear, the voice of Jesus, as in Rev 1:10. Come up here, and I will show you things to come.
Rev 4:2 And immediately I was in the spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
Heaven is a spiritual place, no flesh may enter. John was in the spirit entering heaven. He describes what he sees in words and in symbolic words. He saw a throne, and one setting on the throne.
Some see this calling up to heaven with the sound of a trumpet as symbolic of the church being called up in the rapture.
1 Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1 Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
The church is not mentioned in Revelation, after chapter three. The church will not be in the wrath of God, which will be poured out on the earth.
John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Col 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Col 3:6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
Col 3:7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
The churches were shown what they must do; so put away evil and purify yourself in holy living and the blood of the lamb, escape the coming tribulation. Be with the church that is taken up into heaven. This is the pre-tribulation rapture view. Some believe the church will go through the tribulation. The elect of Israel who have not received Christ Jesus, before the tribulation, will go through the wrath to come.
Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Mat 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
I prefer to be with those taken up before the great tribulation.
Father of lights
Rev 4:3 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.
There is a throne in heaven and one who sits upon the throne with absolute power. Atheists and humanists wish to believe that there is no throne, no absolute authority. The one on the throne John describes from his own heart. How can you describe spiritual things in a natural way? To look upon him was to look on beautiful colors of light, as to look at beautiful precious stones.
A jasper--From Re 21:11, where it is called most precious, which the jasper was not, EBRARD infers it was a diamond. Ordinarily, the jasper is a stone of various wavy colors, somewhat transparent: in Re 21:11 it represents watery crystalline brightness. (Jamieson, Fausset, Brown)
A jasper, probably a diamond, was sparkling clear white, representing purity and holiness. White contains all the colors, from him is all things of truth and beauty.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
A sardine stone is red, representing judgment and the blood of Christ. He is absolute judge and all things are purged by faith in the blood of Christ.
Around the throne was a rainbow; John describes it as an emerald, which is green. I see green as representing life, as in the garden of Eden.
Gen 1:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
Gen 1:12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
The rainbow represents God's covenant and mercy. It also is a reminder that God keeps his covenants and promises. We have His many promises to us in the Bible. These we should know and do. They are our treasure from heaven.
Purity, judgment, mercy, abundant life and God's promises are represented at the throne. The greatest promise I see is:
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
No flesh can see God, but John saw in the spirit. We shall see him in our spirit bodies, because of his promises. He is faithful and good; Loving and just. God should be honored and worshipped with all our heart.
Around the throne
Rev 4:4 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.
Around the throne of God, John saw twenty-four seats or thrones.
Elders represented the people of God, especially in the Old Testament. The 24 courses of the priesthood represented all the priests (1 Chronicles 24), and the 12 tribes and the 12 apostles represent all the faithful. (Guzik)
There is also evidence that the twenty four elders specifically represent the church.
Rev 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Mat 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
In Rev 5:8-10, the elders fell down before the Lamb, and worshipped him with harps and song, having with them the prayers of the saints. They were made kings and priests to rule in the Millennium. They represented the glorified, redeemed saints of God who worship continuously before the throne.
They were clothed in white, washed clean by the blood of Jesus and in his righteousness. They were given crowns. They reigned with Christ.
2 Tim 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
Rev 4:5 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.
Lightnings, thundering and voices represent the awesome presence of God. As when Moses met God on Mt. Sinai.
Exo 20:18 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.
Seven lamps representing the seven spirits of God. Seven being the fulness of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been described as a dove, gentle spirit, and as cloven flames of fire in Acts 2.
Rev 1:4 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;
Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
Acts 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
Acts 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
Isa 11:2 And 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;
The Holy Spirit is with the redeemed of God, He also surrounds the throne of God. He brings us the wisdom, presence, power and counsel of God.
Rev 4:6 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.
Before the throne, a sea, representing water, of glass in appearance. A crystal clear sea. Perhaps this represents the washing of the word of God. No sin or filth may enter His presence.
John 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
In the midst of the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
Spiritual creatures, angels with four eyes in front and four behind. These are the cherubim, the angels that surround the throne of God. (Ezekial 1:4-14)
Worship Him
Rev 4:7 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.
The four creatures, were angels or cherubs. The faces may represent the best of God's creations. The lion is king of the beasts, and also could represent Jesus in the gospel of Matthew; The lion of Judah. The calf, may refer to a strong servant animal or Jesus as the servant as in Mark's gospel. A man is God's highest creation on earth and Jesus was called the son of man in Luke's gospel. The eagle is the greatest of birds and represents the heavenlies, Jesus the Son of God from heaven, as in the gospel of John. The angels gave God glory for all he is and has done.
Rev 4:8 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.
Each creature has many eyes, being able to see the glory of God and to speak of Him in all His glory. They each had six wings, to fly with. Apparently they fly around the throne day and night giving God glory, saying holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. Perhaps they mention something different of His glory each time, for His glory has no end. They are the most excellent of the angels. Satan was a glorious angel, until he decided he wanted glory, this caused his fall, taking what belonged only to God. Worship is to God and the Son. The angels give God glory, so shall we.
Rev 4:9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
Rev 4:10 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,
Rev 4:11 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.
They twenty-four elders representing the redeemed of the creation, who cast their crowns before the king and worship him as well. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for you have created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Jesus shares in this glory.
Rev 5:12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
We shall be like Jesus, as spiritual creations, but never shall we receive worship. We shall worship God and the Son, along with Gods angels. We are heirs with Christ yet we shall be like the angels yet as children of God we are one with Christ.
Mat 22:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.
Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Heb 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
Heb 2:10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
We are redeemed children of God to bring glory, honor and praise to the Father.
Revelation Chapters
Revelation 5
Revelation 1 Table of Contents
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