Revelation 4:1-5: "The One on the Throne"

 In Revelation chapter 4, we transition to a different dimension.

Revelation 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 shew thee things which must be hereafter. 

First of all, a door was opened in heaven.  Well, what does that mean?  A door means access.  John is going to be able to enter into a heavenly perspective, which is what we will see for the rest of the book.  This is key for our interpretation.  If we try to look at all the prophecies with simply an earthly point of view, we are going to get way off track and become hopelessly lost.  John entered into heaven to see things from a heavenly point of view.

Now, who calls him to come up?  He says it is the first voice which he heard.  I used to read that as if it was the first voice he happened to hear after the door was opened.  But, when I thought about it more, I realized that it's a callback to chapter 1!  Whose voice calls to him?  The first voice he heard, which sounded like a trumpet!  Remember?

Revelation 1:10  I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, 

We know who that voice belongs to, right?  We discussed at length in chapter 1.  This is a Revelation of Jesus Christ!  We're seeing Him as He is!  When the voice calls out of heaven in chapter 4, it is not a brand new voice, but rather a continuation of the voice that has been speaking from chapter 1 all the way through chapter 3!  But now it is inviting John to a higher vision.  A higher revelation.  Just as when God called to Moses up on Mount Sinai, inviting him up into the clouds, up into the heavens to see the throne of God, and heavenly visions, and to get a heavenly perspective, John is also being called up into heaven to see the things which shall be hereafter.  He was already told he was going to write about this, remember?

Revelation 1:19  Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; 

He is now going to see those things which shall be hereafter so that he can write about them.

Revelation 4:2  And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

Now the question is, wasn't John already in the spirit?  He said he was, back in Revelation 1:10!  But there is some kind of transition here.  It's like when Ezekiel is in the spirit in chapters 3 and 8 of his book.  Ezekiel is transferred to a real place (Jerusalem), but he says he's caught up between heaven and earth.  I take that to mean that he is seeing things that are real on earth, but he's seeing what's really going on in the spirit.  I think something similar is happening to John here.  He is now in the heavenly throne room and the perspective has changed.  The first thing to make note of is that there is a throne.  And I have to point out...how many thrones are there?  One.  There are other seats that we'll see in a few verses, but there is clearly A THRONE that is set apart and distinct.  And ONE sits on the throne.  If you think you'll see anything other than One on the Throne, I think you're mistaken.  I firmly believe The One on the Throne is the Source of the voice which called John up to see.  The One on the Throne is the most significant thing about what John is going to see.  But there's more.

Revelation 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. 

A preacher I heard in Texas pointed out something really cool about this verse.  First off, let's get a picture of these stones in our minds.  I pulled this one which someone conveniently created off the Internet.

It's interesting that Ezekiel, when he describes the figure he sees on the throne usually uses the image of amber.

I can see the similarities between jasper, sardius, and amber.  So why wouldn't John describe it using the same stone as Ezekiel so as to take our minds back to that prophet?  I think John uses two stones to bring another passage of Scripture to our minds.  The high priest's breastplate is said to have 12 stones, representing the 12 tribes of Israel.  Notice in what position on the breastplate the jasper and sardius stones are.

Exodus 28:17  And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row. 

Exodus 28:18  And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. 

Exodus 28:19  And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. 

Exodus 28:20  And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings. 

Did you catch it?  John describes the One who sits on the throne as looking like the last and the first stones in the high priest's ephod.  I think that's pretty cool.

But what about the rainbow encircling the throne?  We had a long talk in Bible study about what exactly this would look like, and I have to confess, I am completely at a loss for what it means when it describes the rainbow being in sight as an emerald.  However, the rainbow imagery isn't unique to John.

Ezekiel 1:26  And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. 

Ezekiel 1:27  And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. 

Ezekiel 1:28  As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake. 

And, of course, what should we be thinking of, when we hear of the brightness having an appearance as the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain?

Genesis 9:14  And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: 

Genesis 9:15  And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 

Genesis 9:16  And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. 

I think it is a powerful truth that the throne of God is encircled by the token of the everlasting covenant God made with all flesh.  His throne is surrounded by this covenant of mercy.  His throne is surrounded by His promise.  He has to look through the token of His covenant to see us, and we have to look through the token of His covenant to see Him.  It surrounds His throne.  That is such a powerful image to me.

Revelation 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. 

Now we see one of the most intriguing and mysterious elements of the throne room scene.  Who are these 24 elders?  Why 24?  We know that the term elder is significant all throughout Scripture as an overseer or ruler or pastor or someone who sits in the city gates to make decisions or leads a congregation in the New Testament church.  We see 70 elders come up the mountain to see God on the Throne on Sinai in Exodus 24 who eat and drink before Him, in one beautiful moment before things crash with the Golden Calf story.  We know that God wants to partner with His creation to rule.  We see in Daniel 7's throne room scene that God desires to give dominion and authority and the kingdom to the saints of the Most High.  But what is the deal with 24?  It can't be an accident that 24 is two groups of 12.  We can immediately think of groups of 12.  After all, there were 12 tribes of Israel, and Jesus chose The Twelve Apostles.  But who then are these elders?  Is John seeing himself as one of the twelve apostles on one of the 24 thrones?  Is it really the 12 sons of Jacob ruling here?  We do know that Jesus told The Twelve, that in the regeneration they would sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel.  Does that play into anything here?  

We can think of lots of significance to 12, but is there anywhere in the Bible that a group of 24 people is significant?  I'm not the first to point out that 24 becomes a significant number in a part of the Bible we generally like to skim over, 1st Chronicles 24-27.  There, we see that David is preparing the ministry of the temple that Solomon is going to build.  The various families of the Levites had certain jobs passed on to them from the time of Moses relating to the Tabernacle.  But now a Temple is being built, and everything is changing for them.  They do not lose their calling, however.  David just groups them by lots to serve in the Temple, whether the Levites who are serving in the Temple as priests or the singers and musicians who are serving in worship.  Any guesses as to how many divisions there are?  Ding, ding, ding!  Twenty-four.  Isn't it interesting that we see 24 seats represented in the heavenly throne room where worship is happening day and night in Revelation chapter 4?

What other clues do we have about the identities of these elders?  Well, they're clothed in white raiment.  I seem to recall a group being promised white raiment very recently in Revelation...

Revelation 3:5  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. 

They also wear crowns.  I seem to also recall a group being promised crowns fairly recently in the text...

Revelation 2:10  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. 

When I think of white raiment, I think of priests.  And when I think of crowns, I think of kings.  The combination of those things makes me think of Revelation 1:6.

Revelation 1:6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 

If we see the 24-fold division of priests seated around the Throne of God, wearing crowns, we seem to have a royal priesthood, ruling and reigning with the One on the Throne, wouldn't you say?  I don't think we can be dogmatic about who these 24 elders are, but it is very interesting to consider all these different elements.

One last element to consider, which I love, is that they are around the throne, just as the rainbow is around the throne.  I used to picture this throne room as we have our churches set up, with a stage or dais with The Throne on it, and the elders seated in front.  But that's not what it says.  It's much more like the old synagogues were, which had the person reading the text of Scripture in the center of the room, and everyone gathered on seats round about them.  The point of that synagogue set-up was that the Scripture was central and they were all gathered around it.  And I love that The Throne is central in this scene, and everything is gathered around Him.  Jesus is the center of it all.

Revelation 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. 

Again, this description mirrors the description given of Mount Sinai in Exodus 19.

Exodus 19:16  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. 

This is where the presence of God is located!  I won't rehash what we've already talked about with the seven lamps of fire before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God, except to say that it is interesting that when Moses ascended Mount Sinai, he got the instructions for how to build the Tabernacle, and was told very explicitly to make everything after the pattern that was shown to him on the mountain.  (Hebrews chapter 8 riffs on that concept quite a bit.)  And one of the first things Moses is told to make is a candlestick with seven flames of fire.  Something to think about.

This was as far as we were able to get in one Bible study.  But there is such a power to these images.  I encourage everyone, as they think about the things going on in the world and the instability and fear that is propounded all the time, to remember this scene.  There is still a Throne in Heaven, and there is still One who sits on the Throne.  The token of the covenant surrounds His Throne, and He is central to all the figures who rule and reign with Him.  He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.  Let's always remember as we grow uncomfortable with our earthly perspective of how things are going to take a step back and remember the perspective we got when the door was opened in heaven and we saw The One who Sits on the Throne.