January 8, 2017
Revelation – Week 16 – Rev 4 The Throne Room
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.”
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.”
Meta Tauta – Rev 1:19 “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.
A door standing open in Heaven – Door is representative of God’s provision, Rev 3:7-8
Trumpet – Attention, something that cannot be ignored – Rev 1:10
Come up here – Rapture
2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.
eutheous – important term we will discuss in the Gospel of Mark.
I was in the Spirit – translated from earth to heaven
Throne of Heaven – This is important to realize there are more than one throne.
3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.
Jasper – Clear Crystal – Last stone in the breastplate of Aaron Represented Ben-Jamin – son of my right Hand
Ruby – Red – First Stone in the breastplate – Represented Ru-ben – Behold the Son
“And thou shalt set in it [the high-priest’s breastplate] 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. And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their enclosings” — Exodus 28:17-20
“In Exodus 28, we read of these stones in the breastplate of the high priest. The Sardius (the blood-red) stone having to do with Reuben is mentioned first, and the Jasper stone last. Revelation 4 speaks first of the Jasper stone–the clear white stone of Benjamin. This is not to be taken lightly. There is a definite reason for reversing of the stones, putting the first last, and the last first.
“The Sardius was blood-red, speaking of the sacrifice of blood, pointing to the cross and the first coming of Jesus to shed His blood for the remission of sin. The name is derived from two Hebrew words meaning ‘behold the Son.’ It pointed to the person of whom John the Baptist said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world’ (John 1:29). It also tells us that He (the Lord Jesus) was the first born of every creature, and the first begotten–the ONLY begotten–son of God (John 3:16).
“The Jasper, the last stone in the Old Testament breastplate, represented Benjamin. This was a clear stone, speaking of total victory. On the Jasper stone was Benjamin’s name, which is a combination of two Hebrew words (BEN and JAMIN), so scholars tell us, meaning ‘the son of my right hand’…or, as one authority puts it, ‘the son of my power.’ The first and last stones pointed forward to the first and second coming of the great High Priest–none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.
“However, here in Revelation 4, the order of the stones is reversed. John the Beloved sees Him (Jesus) first as the Jasper, and second as the Sardius. The reason is clear: In the Old Testament the saints looked forward to the day when the Lamb would come, they looked forward to the cross, and therefore saw the Sardius…the blood-red stone…first. They looked beyond that and saw the Jasper, the clear white stone representing His power and His rule at His second coming to set up the kingdom. However, when John had the experience we are now studying, he was on this side of Calvary and the Rapture, and was looking back. John saw, first of all, the Jasper stone, the clear one–and then the red stone, the cross and sacrifice.”
(The Revelation Verse by Verse Study, Dr. Oliver B. Greene)
Grace – clear multicolored
1 Peter 4:10
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various (multicolor) forms.
Mercy – Blood
Lev 16:14-15
And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat on the east side, and in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.
15 “Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat.
Hebrews 9:11-15
11 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves;but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God
Hebrew 4:15-16
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
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Rainbow – Covenant Promise Gen 8-9 Noah
Emerald Green – Life
Circle – never ending
Covenant of Eternal Life
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.
24 thrones – Authority – Rev 2:26 – overcomer Thyatira
24 = 12 + 12 = Tribes + Disciples – Old and new – Galatians 3:28-29 – Isreal and Church
Elders Dressed in white Rev 3:5; Rev 19:8 – overcomer Sardis
Gold Crown – Rev 3:11 – overcomer Philadelphia
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.
Lightning – Powerful Judgement – Luke 10:18 – Quick Judgement
He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
7 Lamps blazing – Holy Spirit – 1 Cor 2:12 – Rev 3:1
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God
6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal…
Exodus 30:17 -21; 40:30-32 – Laver
1 Kings 7:23-26 – Sea of Solomons temple
Purification of the saints – Psalm 24:3-4
Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?
4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.
Sea will be still – Matthew 8:23-27
Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
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.”
There are a lot of explanations for what these 4 animals represent. The one thing I can say with most certainty is these are angelic beings. CHERUBIM
Isaiah 6;
2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty, the whole earth is full of his glory.”
Ezekiel 10;
12 Their entire bodies, including their backs, their hands and their wings, were completely full of eyes,as were their four wheels. 13 I heard the wheels being called “the whirling wheels.” 14 Each of the cherubim had four faces: One face was that of a cherub, the second the face of a human being, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.
There are many interpretations to the meaning of these faces. My personal favorite is that they represent the four gospels.
Lion = Jesus Christ as King – Matthew.
Bull = Jesus Christ as servant – Mark
Man = Jesus Christ as humanity – Luke
Eagle = Jesus Christ as God – John.
eyes represent insight and knowledge of God
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.”
This is our only response to the presence of God
Sing Holy Holy Holy