As we continue to explore the throne room scene in Revelation chapter 4, things start getting weirder. But only if you don't know the Old Testament prophets very well. The images that John sees would be very familiar to people who were familiar with Isaiah and Ezekiel and any time one of the Hebrew prophets sees God on His Throne, really. If you're already familiar, you may be able to skip this post, and just read the text and feel the scene. But if you don't know what I'm talking about, let's explore this scene a little bit more.
Revelation 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.
A sea of glass like unto crystal is before the Throne. This might seem odd, but, again, it's calling to mind other experiences people have had with God on His Throne. We just read that there are 24 elders around the throne. Well, when Israel was becoming a nation, after the covenant had been made, and the blood of the covenant had been sprinkled on the people, God invited seventy of the elders of the children of Israel partway up the mountain, and we see something powerful.
Exodus 24:9 Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:
Exodus 24:10 And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.
Exodus 24:11 And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.
You might say, well that is not the same description! Maybe not, but it is interesting that before the throne of God the elders of Israel saw a paved work like sapphire, so we get this idea of a blueish stone, but the word for "paved work" is interesting. This is the only time in the Hebrew Bible the word is used, and this is how Strong's defines it...
H3840 לִבְנָה libnâh lib-naw'
From H3835; properly whiteness, that is, (by implication) transparency: - paved.
Total KJV occurrences: 1
So even though it's described as a paved work, it has the idea of transparency associated with it...as does glass and crystal in John's description in Revelation. And Exodus goes on to make a direct parallel with this and the sky in its "clearness" (a word, which in other places is translated in a way that has to do with purity and glory). Where is God's throne? Heaven is God's throne, right? It is fitting that His throne is on something that represents the sky. And I can't help but feel that Solomon's Bronze Sea and the laver that was before the Tabernacle had some kind of reminiscence of what was seen here. Clear, but blueish...what does that make you think of? Like glass or crystal... The sky? Water? God's Throne sits on this Pavement. There is also a platform that God's Throne sits on in Ezekiel's vision, which is referred to as a "firmament", and described in Ezekiel 1:22 as the color of a "terrible crystal."
Ezekiel 1:22 And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.
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.
And if you're wondering about the bit about the firmament being on the heads of living creatures, we are just coming to that now. In addition to the 24 elders, we also see in Revelation four beasts full of eyes that are apparently in the midst of and around the throne. Well, Ezekiel also describes some creatures associated with God's throne that are full of eyes, but he also identifies them.
Ezekiel 10:12 And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had.
So we see a "full of eyes" reference in Ezekiel and in Revelation. But Revelation has more description. Let's look at that and then jump back into the book of Ezekiel to find more parallels.
Revelation 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.
So these creatures are compared to four specific things...a lion, a calf, a man, and a flying eagle. Well, when we turn back to the book of Ezekiel, we see something quite similar. And this is where we come back to this "firmament" that is over the heads of the living creatures. To set the stage, Ezekiel is one of the captives that has been carried away from Jerusalem into Babylon. The people of God are going through a crisis. God said He would set His name in Jerusalem forever and this is where His Temple was located, where His presence would dwell. He also made promises to the descendants of David and declared that one of David's descendants would always sit on the throne in Judah and that the kingdom of David would be everlasting. But when Babylon comes in, the people are taken away from God's Presence at the Temple, and the descendant of David is carried off. What are God's people supposed to make of this? Later on, the Temple will be destroyed! What about God's promised Presence? Well, when the book of Ezekiel opens, we see him in Babylon by the river Chebar, and he sees some strange things. He sees an amber-colored whirlwind with lightning and fire associated with it. Coming out of the whirlwind he sees four living creatures. Look at his description:
Ezekiel 1:5 Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.
Ezekiel 1:6 And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.
Ezekiel 1:7 And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.
Ezekiel 1:8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.
Ezekiel 1:9 Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.
Ezekiel 1:10 As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.
Ezekiel 1:11 Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
Ezekiel 1:12 And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.
Ezekiel 1:13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.
Ezekiel 1:14 And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
If you thought the description in Revelation 4 was odd, get a load of this! What a strange experience Ezekiel is having! Though not as strange to him as you might suppose at first glance. He goes on to describe how each creature also has a wheel associated with it, full of eyes, with a wheel within the wheel. Then we get to the part I mentioned earlier. These four creatures aren't simply coming alone. SomeOne Else is with them.
Ezekiel 1:22 And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.
Ezekiel 1:23 And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies.
Ezekiel 1:24 And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.
Ezekiel 1:25 And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings.
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.
In some strange way, these creatures are carriers of the glory of God. They appear to be carrying the platform that the Throne of God is on. What's amazing for the people Ezekiel is with is that the Throne of God is coming to THEM in Babylon. They don't have to go to the Temple to interact with Him. He is mobile, not stationary. Ezekiel sees these same creatures in chapter 10, and describes them again, but there, in that chapter, he identifies what they are.
Ezekiel 10:14 And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.
Ezekiel 10:15 And the cherubims were lifted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar.
Now that these things are associated with cherubim, some other Biblical passages may pop into your mind. You may remember, for example, that there are cherubim on top of the ark of the covenant, which by no coincidence, is a symbol for the mobile throne of God, the carrier of God's glory. But they aren't just on the Tabernacle. They are also on the vail or curtain you have to go through to get to the Holy of Holies where the ark of the covenant was usually kept. But they are also on the curtains of the Holy Place and the door that leads in there. And if that wasn't enough, they're even depicted on the door that gains you access to the outer court where the sacrifices are made. They're all over Solomon's Temple. In other words, when you went to the Temple or the Tabernacle, the closest you got to God's glory, to His Presence, the more cherubim you would encounter. Even the first place they are mentioned, as guardians at the entrance to the Garden of Eden, guarding the way to the Tree of Life, gives you a similar impression. These are magnificent, intimidating, powerful beings that are associated with God's Presence in a powerful way. In Ezekiel they are used to show God's Presence as mobile (riding the chariot of the cherubim, as it's called in 1 Chronicles 28), leaving the Temple in Jerusalem and reaching the captives in Babylon. But in Revelation, the platform and the Throne are at rest, and the living creatures are flying around the throne. What do they do when they are not transporting God's Presence?
Revelation 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.
Now, this is a little different from the description in Ezekiel. In Ezekiel, the cherubim are described as having four wings. Here, these creatures have six. Could they be different creatures in heaven that the cherubim of Ezekiel are represented as? Possibly. This verse, however, should call to mind another scene from a prophet who is ushered into the throne room of God.
Isaiah 6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
Isaiah 6:2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
Isaiah 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
Isaiah 6:4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
The seraphim and cherubim are generally classified as different kinds of angelic or spiritual beings, but it is so interesting that the descriptions seem to be combined in Revelation chapter 4. I think one of the significant things about these creatures is that they are completely devoted and focused on their service to God. What they cry out is fascinating as well. In Hebrew, if you want to emphasize something you say it twice. So in the KJV, if you see that the altar is "most holy" or that the room is the "most holy place" it is usually just the word "holy" repeated twice. The altar is holy, holy. And that's the way that it is usually emphasized. There are holy things, and there are holy, holy things. But two is the highest it goes...except for these passages. Because the Lord God Almighty is not just holy, or even holy, holy, but He is HOLY, HOLY, HOLY! This is the highest degree of holiness imaginable, and the entire description of the Throne Room should give us that understanding even before we reach this phrase. This is praising God as He is, the I AM THAT I AM, the One Who Is, and Was, and Is To Come! Eternal and Holy--God in His fulness.
As we reflect on these verses consider how amazing it is that God invites us to come boldly before the throne of grace. Consider how amazing it is that He has the option of His glory being conveyed by these creatures which are compared with what are probably the creatures we think of as most majestic, powerful, and mighty (man, ox, eagle, lion), who never cease from praising Him, and who go only where the Spirit directs them to go, and yet, He chooses to have His glory carried by us. That's a sobering and beautiful thought and one that we should think about and dwell on very carefully.
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