Did you know that heaven has what we call a throne room? As you might guess, the throne room in heaven is a room full of thrones. But the question is, who is in this throne room? What does it look like? What is going on there? And what purpose does it serve? Well, that is the aim of this blog. We’ll focus our conversation in Revelation 4:1-11.
You may wonder, why do we care about the throne room in heaven? My answer to that question would be this: the throne room in heaven is the gateway, if you will, to the entrance of the kingdom of God. It’s in this room that the dead shall be judged. And it’s in this room where we shall behold the glory of God.
Before we jump into our text, I want to try and summarize this whole passage in one sentence: The Lord God Almighty who sits high and lofty on his glorious throne surrounded by what no eye has seen nor ear has heard, who is pure and holy and sovereign, who created all things and sustains all things, is infinitely worthy of our unceasing praise. If anything, that is what this passage will reveal to you.
We begin with something catching John’s attention.
In verse one we read, “After this I looked.” Now, when I see that I think, after what you looked? When John says this, he is referring to a time after having received Jesus’ words to the seven churches. So, we need to understand all this happening after John dictated Jesus’ words to the seven churches, and that all this is one and the same vision.
Aside from that, what John wants us to understand is that there is something he was looking at. Something that caught his gaze. Something that caught his attention. Something he was beholding. The question is, what is John looking at?
The answer to that question is this: John was looking at a door.
John writes, “and behold, a door standing open in heaven!” Now, one thing we must keep in mind is that all this was happening to John while he was in the Spirit on the sabbath day, according to Revelation 1:10. What does it mean that John “was in the Spirit”? It means that John was on the Island of Patmos where he was exiled for preaching the gospel, probably praying and meditating on the things of God, and while meditating he became under the influence of the Spirit of God, and while under the influence of the Spirit of God, John received prophetic visions.
Now, you may wonder, since this is a vision, are we to take this literal or figurative? Every bit of this we are to believe as true. So, when John says he saw “a door standing open in heaven”, we are to take that literally. John really saw an open door, and this door opens to heaven.
Can you imagine being John in this instant? You just received and dictated the seven messages of Jesus to the seven churches. Then you look, and now you are staring at a door that is open. And this is not just any open door. This is an open door to heaven! Just think of the wonder that John was beholding! We cannot begin to even rationalize what John was seeing. You and I, we have seen plenty of open doors, but we have never beheld an open door in heaven. This had to be a most spectacular and eye-catching sight to behold! A sight so glorious that John probably could not take his eyes off of.
Now, as John was looking at this open door in heaven, while he was in the Spirit, he heard a voice.
John writes, “And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet.” John wants us to understand that the same voice that called out to him in Revelation 1:10, while he was “in the Spirit”, is the same voice that is calling out to him now.
The other detail John wants us to understand is that this voice that he was hearing was not a whisper. This voice that called out to John was “like a trumpet”. Which means this voice was loud, roaring, and thunderous.
You may wonder, why does this voice sound like a trumpet and not a normal voice? The fact that it sounded to John “like a trumpet” is significant. According to Numbers 10:1-10, God ordained trumpets for the following reasons: 1) to gather the nation of Israel; 2) to gather the elders of Israel; 3) to set an alarm for a possible attack; 4) to go to war. So, why did the voice sound to John “like a trumpet”? I believe this voice was calling out to John to beckon or invite or summon him to this open door in heaven.
In fact, I know this to be true because the next detail we see is that John is commanded by this voice to go where this open door is.
John writes that this voice said unto him, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” Notice the purpose for which John was being called – to be shown “what must take place after this”. In other words, John was being summoned to this open door, so that whoever this voice is can reveal to John future events.
What future events would be shown to John? The simple answer to that question is this: from here on out in Revelation, what is revealed to us is revealed while John is in the throne room in heaven, including: the rapture of the church, the tribulation period, the triumphant victory of Jesus Christ, the defeat of Satan, the Day of Judgement, the new heaven and new earth. Another question you might have is, who is this voice that sounds to John like a trumpet? Who is revealing all these future events to John?
I believe this is the voice of Jesus.
Why do I believe this is the voice of Jesus? Let me give you two reasons. First, I believe this because Revelation 1:1 tells us plainly, that the book of Revelation is “the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.” Remember, this is a revelation given by God the Father to the Son, and then the Son of God, gave it to John. Secondly, I believe this because in Revelation 1:12-17, when John first heard this voice, which is the same voice John is hearing now, he turned around to see this voice that was speaking to him, and when he turned around to see this voice he saw “one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.” And when John beheld him, he “fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on (John), saying, ‘Fear not, I am the first and the last.” There is none other than Jesus that matches that description. Jesus is the only “son of man” and Jesus is “the first and the last”, and therefore, Jesus is the voice beckoning John. Now the question is, what happened to John as he arrived at this open door in heaven? What did he witness? What did he observe?
As you might imagine, John witnessed much. When John arrived at this open door in heaven the first object he saw was a throne.
In verse 2 John recorded, “At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven…”. Imagine if you will, you are under the influence of the Spirit, exiled on an Island for preaching the gospel, you just dictacted seven letters to seven churches for Jesus, then you looked and there was a door open in heaven, and you don’t know what is behind the door. But then you are commanded by this voice that sounds to you “like a trumpet” to go to it, and now you are standing at this open door, looking in, and your eyes are now looking upon a throne of which you have never seen anything like before. And that is not all John witnessed.
Not only did John see a throne, but he saw someone sitting on the throne.
Again, in verse 2 we read, “with one seated on the throne.” So, now we are being told that John, as he is appearing through this open door in heaven seeing a throne of which he had probably never seen anything like before, is also beholding one who is worthy enough to sit on that throne.
Then, John gives us a description of what the person sitting on this throne looks like.
In verse 3 we read, “And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.” Again, if you will, use your imagination here. You are under the influence of the Spirit, exiled on an Island for preaching the gospel, you just dictacted seven letters to seven churches for Jesus, then you looked and there was a door open in heaven, and you don’t know what is behind the door. But then you are commanded by this voice that sounds to you “like a trumpet” to go to it, and now you are standing at this open door, looking in, and your eyes are now looking upon a throne of which you have never seen anything like before, and not only are you beholding the throne, but you are looking at the one who is worthy enough to sit on such a throne. And as you behold him who sits on the throne you see he is as radiant and luminous and glorious as precious stones. And around him is the glorious and dazzling glow of the color emerald, radiating and encircling him like a sparkling rainbow.
How do you think John was feeling right about now? What do you think was going through his mind at this point as he was beholding all this magnificence? I imagine John was in complete bewilderment right now. Speechless to what his eyes were seeing. Transfixed on the splendor his eyes were beholding.
Now, you may be asking, whose throne is this and who is sitting on the throne? This is the throne of God, and seated on this throne is the triune God, namely, God the Father, the first Person of the trinity. Why do I believe it is the Father sitting on the throne? I believe that because in Revelation 4:8, we see worship being done unto “the Lord God Almighty.” The phrase “Lord God Almighty” is a title reserved for the first Person of the trinity.
Now, you also may wonder, why does John use precious stones to describe what he was witnessing? There are many thoughts on that, but the most likely answer is this: the scene John was witnessing was so awesome, so beautiful, so majestic, so splendorous, and so rare, he had no other words to use; or, he knew no other language to describe what he was seeing. John was literally limited in his word choice because of the beauty he was beholding as he beheld the throne of the triune God. If you have ever seen something so grand that you were not sure how to describe with words then, you know how John must have felt at this moment as he looked upon the throne room of the living God.
Now in addition to John seeing the throne of God and the Almighty sitting upon it, John also gives us a description of the area surrounding the throne of God, and we discover that there is more than one throne in the throne room in heaven.
In verse 4 John writes, “Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads” Upon reading that, you’re probably wondering, who are the twenty-four elders sitting on the twenty-four thrones that surround the throne of the “Lord God Almighty”? While there are many thoughts on this, let me tell you what I do not believe: I do not believe these 24 elders are angels. Now, let me tell you what I do believe. I believe what is being represented here is the unity between Old and New Testaments. Let me explain.
I believe 12 of the 24 elders are the leaders of the 12 tribes of Israel in the Old Testament and the other 12 remaining elders are the 12 apostles of the New Testament church. Therefore, like I said, I believe these 24 elders sitting around the throne of God represent the unity of God’s people in the Old Testament and New Testament. But in complete honesty, we don’t really know. There is little in the Scriptures that gives us an explanation regarding the identity of these 24 elders.
Why are these 24 elders situated around the throne of God? What’s their purpose? I believe these 24 elders are present to judge. I get this from Revelation 20:4 where John “saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom authority to judge was committed.” What or who will they judge? They will be present when God judges man at the Great White Throne of Judgment. Which means when the great Day of Judgment comes, not only will we be standing before Almighty God, but also these 24 elders who surround the throne of God. So the scene John is giving is not just a room full of thrones, but a courtroom, where men great and small shall be judged, and if anyone’s name is not found written in the Lamb’s Book of Life they shall be thrown into hell.
Not only are there 24 thrones with 24 elders sitting on them, but John also witnesses the might of God.
In verse 5, John writes, “From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder.” Imagine the awesomeness of what John is seeing. He has witnessed the throne of the Almighty, he witnessed the Almighty himself, he has witnessed 24 elders sitting on 24 thrones surrounding the throne God, and now he is witnessing “flashes of lightning” and hearing “rumbles and peals of thunder”, which are a display of the power, majesty, and glory of Almighty God.
I imagine at this point John is probably fearful as much as he is astonished. Why do I say that? I say that because when God appeared to Israel in Exodus 20:1-21 to give them the Ten Commandments, he did so with “flashes of lightning” and the sound of “thunder”. And the people of Israel were so afraid of what they were seeing and hearing they “trembled and stood far off”. In fact, upon witnessing the greatness of God, the Israelites said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” The power, majesty, and glory of God was great that day, they thought they were going to lose their lives. That’s how great the power, majesty, and glory of God is. It’s so great, it’s terrifying. So, like I said, I imagine John at this point was full of mixed emotions – astonished and fearful.
In addition to the 24 elders, surrounding the throne of God, John also describes seeing “the seven spirits of God.”
Again, in verse 5, John wrote, “and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God.” If you recall a few weeks ago, when we looked at Jesus’ letter to the church in Smyrna we discussed who and what “the seven spirits of God” are. Without going into great detail again, know the “seven spirits of God” is another name for the one Holy Spirit. So, John is witnessing the third Person of the trinity, and all the while he is also beholding the majesty and power and glory of the first Person of the trinity – God the Father.
Furthermore, John describes seeing a tremendous amount of glass coming from the throne of God.
John writes, “and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.” What John is describing is the floor of heaven coming from the throne of Almighty God. I don’t know about you, but I believe what John was seeing is absolutely breathtaking. I know it was for John, at least. In those days glass was not something very prominent; glass was rare. Now John is beholding so much glass coming from the throne of God, which appears to him as stunning as crystal, that the only way he can describe it is by comparing it to the enormousness of the ocean. So, you can imagine the awe John was in when he saw the floor of heaven made of glass, protruding from the throne of God, as vast as the sea and as brilliant as crystal.
What does this sea of glass represent? As I read this week in one commentary, a commentator said this, “this sea of glass is the floor of heaven and the ceiling of the created universe, and its transparent tranquility shows heaven’s peace in contrast to earthly turmoil.” Another commentator said, “the sea of glass highlights both the magnificence and holiness of God.”
In addition to John seeing Almighty God sitting on his glorious throne, the 24 elders and their 24 thrones, the flashes of lightning, the peals of thunder, the Spirit of God, and the floor of heaven made of glass as dazzling as crystal, John also witnessed four living creatures.
Verses 6-8 says, “And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within…”
I hope you are getting some kind of image in your mind. Just imagine, you are under the influence of the Spirit, exiled on an Island for preaching the gospel, you just dictacted seven letters to seven churches for Jesus, then you looked and there was a door open in heaven, and you don’t know what is behind the door. But then you are commanded by this voice that sounds to you “like a trumpet” to go to it, and you do. As you stand looking into the open door, you are witnessing the throne of the triune God and the one who sits on that throne – the Lord God Almighty, you see twenty-four elders on twenty-four thrones surrounding the throne of God, you see flashes of lighting and hearing peals of thunder, you see the seven spirits of God – who is the one Holy Spirit, observing a floor as dazzling as crystal made out of glass coming from the throne of God, and now there are these four living creature like you have never seen before. If John was not bewildered by now, he must be at the sight of these strange creatures.
What or who are these creatures? We don’t know exactly. What we do know is that they are not to be considered as real animals. If anything, they should be considered as angelic beings. The reason I say this is because they exhibit features from both cherubim and seraphim – cherubim are angelic beings with four wings and seraphim are angelic beings with six wings.
One commentator proposed that these creatures represent the attributes or characteristics of God. The lion represents the majesty and power of God. The ox represents the faithfulness of God. The man represents the intelligence of God. The eagle represents the sovereignty of God.
Why are these creatures present around the throne of God? What purpose do they serve? They serve four purposes. First, they guard God’s throne. Secondly, they execute judgment. Thirdly, they lead others in worship. And lastly, they proclaim God’s holiness.
In fact, the last detail John gives us is these four living creatures leading worship in the throne room of heaven.
We read beginning in verse 8 – 11, “And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’ And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
What an awesome scene that John is witnessing! Here you have the lightning flashing and the thunder peeling, and the four living creatures singing day and night “holy,holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” Thus proclaiming God’s holiness and purity and sovereignty. You could ask at this point, why? Why sing the same song day and night without ceasing?
The answer to that question is because God is worthy! Which is why, as the the four living creatures are singing their never-ending song, the 24 elders are getting off their thrones, laying their crowns at the foot of the throne of Almighty God and saying, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power…” But why is God worthy of unceasing praise?
The answer to that question is this: he is worthy of never-ending praise because he alone is the Creator and Sustainer of everything that exists. Look back at verse 11, ”Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
Which means everything that exists, exists because God willed it to exist. Which also means, nothing would exist, if God had not desired it to exist. Whatever God was pleased to create, he did; and whatever God was pleased to create, he sustains. From the universe, to this planet, to all that is on this planet – including you and I, and even things unseen down to the smallest atom, exists because God was pleased to create it. And he sustains it all.
Therefore, because there is no one like our awesome and mighty and great and marvelous and glorious God, who is holy and pure and sovereign, who is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, the Lord God Almighty alone is worthy of our continuous, never-ending, unceasing, relentless, nonstop, day-and-night, round-the-clock, everlasting worship! If there is anything this chapter teaches us, it’s this: we fail mightily to give God, who gave his one and only Son to save us from our sins, the praise and worship he so rightly deserves!