Revelation · chapter 4 of 22
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Revelation 4 describes the vision of God's throne in heaven. An open door and a voice invite John to come up; in the Spirit he sees a throne with someone seated on it, surrounded by a rainbow, twenty-four elders on thrones and four living creatures full of eyes. They proclaim God's holiness without rest, and the elders cast their crowns before the throne to worship the Creator of all things.
With chapters 2 and 3 the messages to the churches end and a new section of the book begins. John is taken to heaven to see from there what is happening on earth. Before any vision of judgment, the book shows the center of everything: the throne of God, where he rules and is worshiped. This chapter is the foundation for understanding what follows.
After the letters, John looks and sees an open door in heaven. The voice he heard earlier, like a trumpet, tells him to come up so that he may be shown what must take place after this. At once John is in the Spirit and sees a throne standing in heaven, with someone seated on it (vv. 1-2).
The one seated has the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne is a rainbow that looks like an emerald. Surrounding the throne are twenty-four thrones with twenty-four elders dressed in white and wearing golden crowns. From the throne come flashes of lightning, voices and thunder; before it burn seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, and there is a sea of glass like crystal (vv. 3-6a).
In the midst of the throne and around it are four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. The first is like a lion, the second like an ox, the third has a face like a man's and the fourth is like an eagle in flight. Each has six wings, 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 (vv. 6b-8).
Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to the one seated on the throne, the twenty-four elders fall down, worship the one who lives forever and cast their crowns before the throne. They declare that God is worthy to receive glory, honor and power because he created all things, and by his will they existed and were created (vv. 9-11).
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
An open door in heaven and the voice inviting John to come up mark the start of a new section. The book moves from the churches on earth to the viewpoint of heaven, from which what happens below can be understood.
The living creatures repeat without rest that God is holy, Almighty, the one who was, is and is to come. God's holiness is the first thing heaven proclaims, and it underlies everything later said about his justice.
The elders cast their crowns before the throne and declare that God is worthy of glory, honor and power because he created all things. They acknowledge that all authority and reward come from him and return to him.
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
Answer: An open door in heaven. — Revelation 4:1
Answer: A rainbow that looked like an emerald. — Revelation 4:3
Answer: In white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. — Revelation 4:4
Answer: They were full of eyes; the first was like a lion, the second like an ox, the third had a face like a man and the fourth was like an eagle in flight. — Revelation 4:6-7
Answer: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. — Revelation 4:8
Answer: Because he created all things, and by his will they existed and were created. — Revelation 4:11
Revelation 4 reminds us that above the confusion of history there is an occupied throne. For people facing pressure, illness or uncertainty, knowing that God rules does not instantly solve each problem, but it changes the perspective from which they face it. A group can talk about which present circumstances are hardest to place under that throne.
The scene also trains our worship. The elders cast down their crowns, acknowledging that everything they have comes from God. We can ask what crowns (achievements, recognition, abilities) we need to lay before him, and how the worship of the church can center more on who he is than on how we feel.
Revelation 4 shows the throne of God surrounded by worship of the Creator. In chapter 5 the scene continues: in the hand of the one seated there is a sealed scroll that no one seems worthy to open, until the Lamb appears.
The text does not identify them clearly. Some think they represent God's people of both testaments, with the twelve tribes and the twelve apostles; others, that they are an order of angelic beings or representatives of the church. All agree on their function: to reign with God and worship him.
They resemble beings in the visions of Ezekiel and Isaiah. They are usually understood as heavenly beings who preside over creation and lead worship. Some see in the lion, ox, man and eagle features of the noblest of animal and human creation.
Repeating it three times is a Hebrew way of stressing something to the highest degree. Holy means set apart, distinct from every creature and morally perfect. It is the same song Isaiah heard in the temple, showing heaven and earth joined in one worship.