Objectives in Studying this Chapter:
1) To consider the implication of the vision of God on His throne
2) To note that this vision, along with the vision in Chapter 5, will set the stage for what follows
A Brief Introduction
It’s clear that, as we begin this 4th Chapter of Revelation, we are moving into another aspect, another part, of the book of Revelation. Chapter 1 was, more or less, an Introduction to what was going to happen. Chapters 2 and 3 were the brief letters that were directed to the seven churches of Asia. These letters, of course, concerned things that were going on here on the earth. And now, in Chapter 4, we’re going to move to a more “heavenly” point of view, if you will.
We’re going to see God in heaven. We’re going to see God on His throne, God receiving worship and adoration, which He is due. We’re going to see some of the beautiful poetical reminders of some of the Old Testament adorations. Keep in mind that the purpose of these Revelations at the time that this was written and passed among the congregations in the latter part of the 1st Century and, perhaps, even into the 2nd Century, was to encourage them, to lift them above the daily strife and struggles of this world that they were going through. And I submit to you that, for us today, this same effect is still possible, even though we are not being persecuted, even though we are not living under an evil regime, an evil government, as they were in that day. Nevertheless, we’re faced with other difficulties and problems. To have this perspective, this heavenly view, to be lifted above the fray of the world—the struggles, the discouragements, the strife that we all face—to see God as the Sovereign Ruler on His throne in the universe and in heaven, can be a tremendous encouragement. It was to them in that day, no doubt. It will be to us today.
The Transition from the First Three Chapters of Revelation Into Chapter 4— an Excerpt from Brother W. B. West’s Book, “Revelation Through First Century Glasses”
Brother West: As we leave the study of the letters of the seven churches, we set the stage for Chapter 4 by returning to the first Chapter of John’s commission to write: “Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter…”Revelation 1:19. The events of Chapters 2 and 3 are the things which are, and as we continue in Chapter 4, we shall see the things which are and the things which shall be hereafter.
Brother Phillis: Remember, now, Chapters 2 and 3 were what the Lord had to say to the seven churches of Asia, stating the condition, the circumstance, that they were in. What John was writing in those two Chapters was the “things that are.” Then, beginning with Chapter 4, he is writing not only about the things which are but also about the things which will come to pass in the hereafter.
Brother West: We are still in western Asia in one of these congregations…
Brother Phillis: Brother West is imagining that as we are sitting here reading this, we are in one of those seven congregations in Asia Minor. We’ve experienced difficulties day after day, week after week and month after month. Our fellow laborers, our neighbors, our relatives and our friends who are not Christians, have told us repeatedly of the power of the mighty Roman Empire. They have preached to us that it is an Empire stretching from the Danube to the north, to the Tropic of Cancer in the south and all the way from the Euphrates in the east, to Spain in the west—the mightiest Empire the world has ever known. They have told us that it has conquered every nation under the sun, and its armies have marched over the Roman roads to victory after victory.
Brother West: …but now we Christians see something quite different. The Roman Emperors no longer sit on their thrones. They sleep in the solemn silence of endless dust. The Roman Senate meets no more. The Governors of the large Roman Provinces have gone. Rome is gone, along with all the other mighty nations that have forgotten God. Almighty God sits upon His throne ruling the universe. This is the Message of Revelation 4, that God is on His throne in all His omniscience [all knowing], in all His omnipresence [all present], in all His omnipotence [all powerful]. He rules with all authority, as He has ever since before the beginning of time.
A Reading of Revelation, Chapter 4
1After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”
2Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. 3And He Who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. 4Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. 5And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
6Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 7The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 8The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:
“Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!”
9Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him Who sits on the throne, Who lives forever and ever, 10the twenty-four elders fall down before Him Who sits on the throne and worship Him Who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:
11 “You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your Will they exist and were created.”
THE THRONE SCENE (VERSES 1-8)
John is Taken to Heaven (verse 1)
1After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”
John says, “After these things I looked….” After what things? After what has preceded, obviously. John was told to write what he saw, to write “the things that are.” In the preceding two Chapters, the Lord dictated to him “the things that are,” the circumstances, the conditions, which existed among those seven churches of Asia. Now, John is writing about the things that he will see, “the things that are to come,” and, in a sense, the things that already are; but not on earth, as Chapters 2 and 3 were, but in that heavenly realm, in that heavenly setting.
So, John says, “After this, I looked….” He is going to be doing quite a bit of “looking” as we go through the remainder of Revelation. In fact, there are three other places, Chapter 7 [Revelation 7:1: “And after these things I saw…”; Revelation 7:9: “After this I beheld…”], Chapter 15 [Revelation 15:5: “And after that I looked…”] and Chapter 18 [Revelation 18:1: “And after these things I saw…”], where a similar expression is used.
John then says that he “beheld” (or “saw”—depending on your translation). In each of the remaining Chapters, with the exception of two Chapters, Chapters 11 and 12, this expression “beheld” is given. So, he’s going to be doing a lot of “looking;” he’s going to be doing a lot of “seeing” so that he might report on the things he is seeing, because, once again, that was what the Lord instructed him to do: “Write concerning these things, write of these things that you see.”
What is it that he sees? He sees an open door in heaven. Imagine that! We speak about a window. “We have a window on the world.” We have a window of mental observation where we can look through, we can look out upon something. Imagine! An open door to look into heaven! What a marvelous, what an awesome (and that’s a word that I don’t use very lightly), what an awesome thing to be able to see! Yet, that’s what John saw—he saw an open door—a door opened into heaven.
We’ve seen this idea of an “open door” before, haven’t we? The Lord spoke about setting an “open door” before the church in Philadelphia, Chapter 3 and verse 8 [“I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept My Word, and hast not denied My Name.”]. He also called for an “open door” in the “lukewarm” church in Laodicea, Chapter 3 and verse 20 [“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.”]. We understand, as we’ve discussed before, that this idea of an “open door” suggests an opportunity—an “opportunity.” That’s the way an “open door” is described in a number of other places in the New Testament. Paul spoke on more than one occasion about having an “open door,” having “a door of opportunity” to preach the Gospel [Acts 14:27 [“And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.”]; 1 Corinthians 16:8-9 [“But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost. For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.”]; 2 Corinthians 2:12 [“Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s Gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord…”]; Colossians 4:3 [“Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds…”]. Here, John has an opportunity to look through an “open door” into heaven.
Then, John receives a call. A call comes. This is, apparently, the same voice that addressed him in such trumpet-like tones in Chapter 1 and verse 10 [“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, andheard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet…”]. This is a voice that he has heard before. The only way to express the voice of the Lord, because this is the voice that he hears, is in something that is as clear, as brilliant, as resilient, as resounding as a trumpet. That voice calls him to another place—to heaven.
John Describes the Throne Scene (verses 2-8a)
2Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. 3And He Who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. 4Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. 5And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
6Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 7The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 8The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:
“Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!”
John is immediately in the Spirit’s power, verse 2. He has already expressed that he was “in the spirit,” Chapter 1, verse 10 [“And immediately I was in the spirit…”]. Some people have wondered and said, “Well, is this occasion of being “in the spirit” another level of the Spirit’s power, or is it just the same expression as in Chapter 1?” I don’t know. It’s a little difficult to say. I prefer to think that it’s the same expression. He’s just expressing the fact that he, indeed, is in the Spirit, caught up by the Spirit. He is caught up for a view into heaven.
I was in a class studying Revelation a number of years ago, and it was expressed, as an overall idea of Revelation itself, that “the lid was being taken off a cauldron,” a chance to “peek in,” to “look in” to see what was going on—a view that only certain ones could have. And John was given that opportunity. The door was open, or, the lid was taken off. He could look in. He could see. And now, WE can see. Just think about that. Yes, he had the experience, but he has written things that he saw. Even though we’re not seeing it with our own eyes, we’re seeing it through the eye of faith. We’re seeing, we’re getting a glimpse—we’re peeking behind the curtain of heaven into the heavenly realm.
This is where a good bit of what John will write will take place. He is going to be expressing and presenting what he sees in this heavenly realm through most of this entire book. Some of the scenes that we’re going to see will be from an earthly perspective, but much of it is going to be from this heavenly perspective, what he sees there in heaven as well as the view from that realm about the things that are happening on the earth.
The One on the Throne
So, He’s looking through this open door. What is it that he sees? What’s the first thing that he describes there? Well, there is something that dominates the scene. Have you ever had the experience of a door springing open? Maybe it was a vast area that you were entering. But there was something that was so prominent, something that was so dominant in that room, in that area, that that is what you fixed your eyes on. That’s John’s experience here. This is, no doubt, a vast place that he is seeing, but there is One Who dominates the whole scene [verse 2: “…and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.”].
John describes what he sees. We notice how he does that describing. He doesn’t do any describing in physical attributes or characteristics. Why is that? Well, I would venture to say, because there weren’t any physical attributes or characteristics to describe. It may have been, too, that all he saw, all he could discern, was that brilliance, that glory. What does he compare that to? He has to compare it to something. He has to put it into some kind of human terms that those who would read the letter there at the end of the 1st Century, and those who would read it for generations after, could understand.
So, he describes what he sees and puts it in terms of precious gems. He sees a throne. Yes, that’s discernable—a throne is there. But Who is on the throne, and how does John describe that? He describes that simply in terms of precious gems flashing their brilliance [verse 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.”].
I think I have used this illustration before in thinking about Revelation and other things that we read about in the Scriptures. When we read and think about some of the descriptions in Revelation—heaven’s streets of gold, gates of pearl, and so on—are they literally streets of gold? Are the gates really made of pearl? I don’t believe so, not at all. Those are material things. But how does John describe those things for our benefit?
It’s like someone from the 21st Century being transported back to the 19th Century, or the 18th Century, or somewhere back there, and describing an automobile and its function to group of people crossing the frontier in Conestoga wagons! Try describing what an airplane is, describing what a computer is, to those frontier people: “Well, you know, you see, ah, an automobile is a thing…well, it’s kind of like that wagon you’ve got over there, but it’s not really like that…it’s got rubber tires….What’s rubber? Well, that’s, ahhhh…”. You’re really stuck! So, how do you describe it? Well, it’s LIKE something else, and you try to put it into some frame of reference that those people will understand. And that’s what John is doing here.
What is it that he sees? He sees something so glorious, so awesome!...and he puts it into terms so that we can, at least, gain some sense, some appreciation for what it was that he saw. He sees One seated on the throne. “Seated on the throne” refers to God’s dominion over His kingdom. He is the Sovereign Lord; He is the Sovereign God Who rules over the entire universe. He’s not resting, He’s reigning. In this Chapter, Chapter 4, and again in Chapter 5, we’re going to see again this “Throne Scene.”
I was reading one writer who made the observation: “Imagine that you were living in the latter part of the 1st Century, and you were a subject of Rome, and Caesar was on the throne and all of the Roman Governors sat on thrones and they ruled with an iron fist. And now you hear about, you read about, the God of heaven, Who is sitting on His throne, His majestic throne, and He is ruling and reigning from heaven. And you realize, that while your circumstance is such, that yes, you’re living in the world, and you’re under the Roman dominance, but in reality, it is GOD Who rules! That’s not just a temporary thing. That’s an eternal thing!”
There are three precious gems that are used to describe “He Who sat” on the throne and the rainbow around the throne. I’ve read all kinds of descriptions, all kinds of attempts, on the part of commentators to put these into some kind of perspective: This gem means that, and that gem means another thing, etc. In my opinion, they all fail in their descriptions. I think the thing that we need to understand from the use of the gems is the overall brilliance and glory of God. That is really what John is expressing here. Whether its opals, or diamonds, or crystalline, or whatever!, the point is still the same. Regardless of the color and the kind of light that it refracts, etc., the point is still the same.
There is a rainbow around the throne. I don’t think there is anything that is more beautiful, more captivating than a rainbow. How many times has every one of us seen a rainbow and stopped what we’re doing. I doubt that there are many of us who could say that we never see a rainbow that we don’t stop and take a second look. Why is that? For a couple of reasons, no doubt, but one of those reasons is because of its beauty. Did John see a rainbow? Probably not. But what was the most beautiful thing, the most amazing thing, the most majestic thing that he could picture (with the help of the Holy Spirit, I might add)? A rainbow.
I will share this with you. It is described “in appearance like an emerald.” The emerald is a colorless crystal that is capable of reflecting rainbow hues. It would seem that the One on the throne is surrounded by a rainbow. Is there significance in that? Is it just circumstantial that there’s a rainbow there? I don’t think so. A rainbow, of course, was what? To the Jews, under the Old Covenant, it was a sign of God’s Covenant—His Covenant promise not to destroy the earth again by water. So, we see in this heavenly scene that God is surrounded by a rainbow, a reminder, perhaps, of God being a Covenant God, a God Who makes Covenants with His people. And, as another writer suggested, it may very well have been part of what shielded, part of what concealed God from the full view of John. So, it may have served that purpose, as well. Again, any effort to try to identify the meaning of these gems/colors with the aspect of God’s nature, etc., is just very tentative, I think. John sees a dominant feature as he looks through this open door on this heavenly scene.
The Twenty-Four Elders
Around this central throne, he sees a circle of twenty-four thrones. On these twenty-four thrones, John sees “twenty-four elders sitting” [verse 4: “and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.”]. They are arrayed in white garments. They’re wearing golden crowns on their heads.
There are two Greek words that are used here in Revelation for “crown.” The one that is used here refers to “the wreath of victory,” which the winners in athletic contests received to make their triumph sure. It would seem that the use of this particular word would indicate that these twenty-four elders have received their crown, their reward, signifying a victorious consummation. We will see in verse 10 that they will cast down their crowns before that central throne, and they will worship the One Who sits on the throne [“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.”] We will also see some interaction, as we study further, with different ones of these elders. We won’t go into that now, but they will encourage the weeping prophet in Chapter 5 and verse 5. There will also be various interpretations that they will give in Chapter 7.
Who are, or what do, these twenty-four elders represent? Some scholars believe that they are representations of the twenty-four orders of the priests that existed under the Law of Moses, 1 Chronicles 24:7-18. Those were the ones who stood and offered to God the prayers of the faithful. These twenty-four elders here in verse 4 represented the heavenly worship as the arch-types of the temple worship.
There are others, though, who suggest that these twenty-four elders represent God’s people of every age. Twenty-four? Well, twelve is actually the perfect number in Biblical writing. So, two times twelve is twice perfection, somebody said. It may be that they represent the twelve tribes of Israel from the Old Testament—those sons of Jacob—and from the New Testament, the New Covenant, they represent the twelve apostles. The suggestion would be, then, that there is a representation for God’s people of both the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. They represent ALL of the people who are the Covenant people of God. A variation of that view that is reasonable, I think, is that they are the heavenly representatives of all of the faithful, particularly as a royal priesthood offering worship and service to God. Regardless, they are there in the presence of God. They are there to worship God.
Other Elements Around the Throne
Verse 5speaks about “lightnings, thunderings, and voices” proceeding from the throne of God. What were those about? I think they simply represent the majesty and the power of God.
Also before the throne are “seven lamps of fire burning” steadily, “which are the seven Spirits of God.” This is the same expression that we saw in Chapter 1, verse 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…”], descriptive of the Holy Spirit in His full sanctifying, enlightening and revealing power. The word translated “lamps” would really be better translated “torch,” a torch that can illuminate and can also eliminate. The idea of “the seven Spirits of God” is to be considered in a symbolic way, not in a literal way. Of course, the Holy Spirit Himself is a singular being, like God is singular, like the Son is singular. Concerning the idea of using the number “seven”, seven (7) is the number for perfection. We have seen this number, seven, used before—the seven churches of Asia, the seven Spirits of God in Chapter 1, and we’ll see it again in Chapter 5. The idea here is the perfection, the completeness, the universality of God and His going out through the Spirit to illuminate, to enlighten and, also, even to destroy. That is the picture that is given here.
We might be reminded, as we think about this scene, and we think about the “lightnings, thunderings, and voices,” of when we were studying an overview of the Old Testament, Exodus, Chapter 19, beginning with verse 16. You remember when God was on Mount Sinai, He wasn’t quiet about it. There was lightning, and there was thunder, and there was the cloud. The people knew that He was there. You remember, first of all, the warning that God gave through Moses to the people not to approach the mountain, and there was the colorful description of the lightning and the thunder that was present that showed, or that depicted, God’s presence. The implication is that the “lightnings, thunderings, and voices” represent the power, the majesty, and the glory of Jehovah God.
[Exodus 19:16-25: “Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. 19And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice. 20Then the LORD came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
21And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the LORD, and many of them perish. 22Also let the priests who come near the LORD consecrate themselves, lest the LORD break out against them.’
23But Moses said to the LORD, ‘The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for You warned us, saying, “Set bounds around the mountain and consecrate it.”’
24Then the LORD said to him, ‘Away! Get down and then come up, you and Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the LORD, lest He break out against them.’ 25So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.”]
Then, stretching out before the throne, John describes a great expanse, a pavement, as it were, a sea of glass, clear as crystal, flashing back the light that falls upon it [verse 6: “Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal.”]. Perhaps, we might imagine a calm sea reflecting back the sunlight. The brilliance of the pavement suggests the glory of God, as well as the separation that existed between John and the glorious throne of God. He did not approach. He could not come near. He was viewing the scene from a distance—from afar.
I think about the very cavalier, the very mundane expressions, that I hear people use sometimes when they speak about being in the presence of God, being in the presence of Christ. I don’t mean “literally” in the presence of God or Christ. But I’ve heard people say, “When I get to heaven, I’m going to just run right up, and I’m gonna grab ahold of the Lord and I’m gonna give Him a big high five.” Or, I’m gonna do this, or, I’m gonna do that. We’ll…fall…on…our…face!!We won’t approach Him, because of His glory. Even John could not, would not approach.
The Four Living Creatures
In verse 6, there is an expression that says, “in the midst of the throne, and around the throne (on each side of the throne)….” This can possibly be understood as meaning, “in the middle of each of the four sides, yet between the throne and the larger circle made by the twenty-four thrones.” As I was reading this, I was trying to picture the placement in my mind. I would have liked to have found a portrayal, a graphic that would have shown this, but try to picture this scene in your mind.
Well, in the midst of that, there were four living creatures, John says, covered with eyes. [Verse 6b: “and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.”] Ezekiel, Chapter 1 speaks about there being an existence of these living creatures. The description is quite similar to this, although not exactly. [Ezekiel 1:5-14: “Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man. 6 Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings. 7 Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the soles of calves' feet. They sparkled like the color of burnished bronze. 8 The hands of a man were under their wings on their four sides; and each of the four had faces and wings. 9 Their wings touched one another. The creatures did not turn when they went, but each one went straight forward.
10 As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man; each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle. 11 Thus were their faces. Their wings stretched upward; two wings of each one touched one another, and two covered their bodies. 12 And each one went straight forward; they went wherever the spirit wanted to go, and they did not turn when they went.
13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightning. 14 And the living creatures ran back and forth, in appearance like a flash of lightning.”]
In addition to having eyes in front and in back, there are four faces represented in this picture. One face is of a lion, one is of an eagle, one is of a man and one is of a calf. There are many, many ideas about what these faces represent. Are these actually heavenly creatures of a special sort? It’s a little difficult to say. You might do a little research about that yourself. [Revelation 4:6b-8b: “And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 7The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 8The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within.”]
What I think, in regard to what I’ve read about these faces, is that the faces are a representation of all of creation. In a general, broad sense, all of creation (living creation) is represented by these creatures. The beast of the field, so to speak, the wild animal kingdom represented in the face of the lion; the domesticated animals represented in the face of the calf; mankind represented in the face of man; and the birds of the air represented in the flying eagle. All of God’s living creation is represented here. For what purpose? To what end? Well, what are they doing? God has created all things. All things owe Him glory, honor and praise. They are worshiping God. They are glorifying God. They are bowing themselves low before God in this scene.
GOD PRAISED AS THE CREATOR (VERSES 8b-11)
Revelation 4:8-11
8Thefour living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:
“Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!”
9Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him Who sits on the throne, Who lives forever and ever, 10the twenty-four elders fall down before Him Who sits on the throne and worship Him Who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:
11 “You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your Will they exist and were created.”
Praise Prompted by the Living Creatures (verses 8b- 9)
We can see the worship that the four living creatures are giving to God [verses 8b and 9]. They refer to God as “holy.” The central meaning of holiness is “otherness” or “separateness”—separate from things that are finite, that are “crearturely” (that’s an interesting word, isn’t it?) and, moreover, that are sinful. There’s a secondary meaning when we think about God being holy, and that is, His absolute purity. He is completely pure. Pure comes from a Greek word that means “unmixed.” There is nothing that is mixed in with God. He is absolutely Who He is and what He is with no admixture at all.
Praise Offered By the Twenty-Four Elders (verses 10-11)
The twenty-four elders join in with the living creatures in their worship and thanksgiving to the One Who sits upon the throne, the One Who lives forever [verse 10]. They prostrate themselves before God and cast their crowns before the throne. Here, we see a description of heavenly activity. This is what heaven will be. This is what heaven is even now, praising and worshiping God, Who is sitting on His throne.
The idea of casting their crowns down before Him is an interesting thought, an interesting image. In doing some reading about that, the suggestion is this: God, of course, is upon His throne. We think about an earthly king, an earthly ruler who sits upon a throne, and he wears a crown. That’s not described here, but think about it from this standpoint: there are no other crowns, there are no other subordinate crowns around God. We mentioned in our last lesson that this word “crown” is the “reward” that they have been given. But these twenty-four elders do not wear their crowns as if they were somehow elevated in status above what they are in the presence of Almighty God.
They are singing praises to God. The first hymn is sung by the four living creatures, and the second hymn is sung by the twenty-four elders. They sing a hymn of praise to God that He is worthy to receive the adoration of men because He IS the Creator, and all things have come from Him, all things depend upon Him. God’s glory is shown in His mighty works.
That is what the Psalmist says, Psalm 19, verses 1-6:
1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
2 Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,
5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.
6 Its rising is from one end of heaven,
And its circuit to the other end;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
Paul declares that God’s invisible attributes are clearly seen by the things He created, Romans 1:18-20. He is the Creator worthy of worship: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the Truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse….” The twenty-four elders express their praise of God for He created all things, and by His Will they exist and were created.
We continue to hearken back to the 1st Century Christians who were under Roman rule. They were under the iron fist of the Roman ruler Domician, who required people to call him “lord,” whose very name was a name to be synonymous with, or elevated above, God. These people, so oppressed, so put down, see this picture in heaven. No, it’s not a Roman Governor, it’s not a Roman Emperor on the throne receiving glory and honor and worship. It is the God of heaven, and the heavenly host joins together in praising God for His creative work.