The Throne Room: A study of Revelation 4:1-11

The Throne Room (Revelation 4:1-11)

By Pastor John Bornschein:  Senior Pastor of Calvary Fellowship Fountain Valley, in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Revelation Series – part 13

I have titled today’s message: “Holy, Holy Holy” and you will see why in a minute.

We have been studying the book of Revelation, and today we will look at chapter 4.

Before we do that we need to remember where this chapter fits into the whole book. Rev 1:19 provides us with a simple outline of Revelation: “Therefore, write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.” “The things you have seen” refers to the vision of the glorified Jesus in 1:12-18. “The things that are” refers to the seven letters of Rev 2-3. “The things which shall take place after these things” refers to the visions of the rest of the book. In other words, Rev 4-22 is a prophecy of future events (except Revelation 12, which is a parenthetical interjection – because we are given of summary of how Satan fell once more so we understand our enemy more).

Specifically, chapters 4 and 5 prepared John, and they prepare the reader, for the outpouring of judgments on the earth that follow in Rev 6-18. They present the place from which these judgments originate and the Person from whom they come. Before revealing these tribulation judgments, God gave John a glimpse into glory. He did this to enable the readers to view coming earthly events from a heavenly perspective.

“After 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.” Revelation 4:1

1. Envision your future in the present (4:1-4). In 4:1, John writes “After these things I looked (something John will say 70 times), and behold (John says this 7 times), a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard (John says this 23 times), like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.’” The phrase “after these things” signals the beginning of a new section of Revelation which reveals the terrifying events that will take place in the future.

This is the Greek word, “meta tauta.” “After” is the preposition meta which shows sequence and refers to that which follows. Tauta, “these things,” refers to the things of chapters 2 and 3. Specifically, according to chapter 1:19, they occur after “the things which are,” the present time, the church age. All that follows, then, is chronological in that these events follow the church age, “meta tauta,” “after these things,” (4:1), after the things of chapters 2 and 3.

This is the main section of the book and runs through 22:5. John was given a vision of heaven like the Prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:1). In this supernatural vision he saw “a door standing open in heaven” and he heard a voice “like the sound of a trumpet.” We must pay close attention throughout the remainder of the book to note when John uses the word “like” (nine times in this chapter). John is not saying that the voice is a trumpet. Rather, he is saying that it is an authoritative voice “like” a shrill trumpet blast—powerful, dominating, overpowering, compelling, victorious. John refers to this voice as “the first voice” which he heard. This refers back to 1:10 and identifies the voice speaking as that of Jesus Christ.

It is Jesus who bids John to enter through the door into heaven.

The word “door” is used four times in Revelation. In 3:8 it is used in connection with the door of opportunity for ministry given to the church at Philadelphia. Then in 3:20 it is used twice of the Savior standing at the door of the heart desiring fellowship. Here, the door is opened to give John and us heaven’s insights to the earthly scene that will follow. This is an essential prerequisite if one is to comprehend the nature of the events and the purpose of God behind them.

Jesus says, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” From this new vantage point John would receive new revelations that would be compiled to make up the book of Revelation. The word “must” indicates that the events God was about to reveal will indeed happen. The must is emphatic. The future is determined. This certainly would comfort the struggling believers of the seven churches. This should also comfort us today.

“Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.” Revelation 4:2

As soon as John heard this invitation he experienced a spiritual transference (Rev 1:10). His body remained on the earth, but he caught a glimpse of glory. He saw a throne “standing in heaven.”

It is not the only throne he will see.

The throne symbolizes the sovereign authority to rule. The word “throne” is mentioned 14 times in this one chapter (45 in total in the book of Revelation). Yet, it is only used a total of 14-15 times in the other 26 books of the New Testament. That is why this chapter has been called, “the throne chapter of the Bible.”

Looking into heaven, John records that he saw “One sitting on the throne” – a term we heard from Ezekiel in Ezekiel 11:1, 5. Now get a grip on this: John actually saw the King of the Universe sitting upon His throne! Can you imagine anything more glorious?

IMAGE OF THRONE ROOM

The word “sitting” describes the position of a king who is actively reigning. For example, if a politician is “seated,” he is said to be in office. If an unelected official is put out of office, he is said to be “unseated.” John sees God “seated,” meaning He is actively exercising the duties of His executive office, administering over the affairs of His creation.

Have you ever asked the question: where is God in all this? It’s easy to want to ask this question every time you watch the evening news or read the newspaper. This world is sinking deeper and deeper into a quagmire of sin, while the Christian community seems to be on the short end of the stick. The church appears to be making less of an impact upon our culture, not more. High profile teachers have fallen into sin. Other churches have stopped preaching the Gospel altogether. Like salt that has lost its savor, the church seems to need the fire of the Holy Spirit to impassion people to become zealous for Christ once again.

It’s easy to ask, “God, are you still in control?” As we see our world falling apart all around us we must all be reminded that God is doing something. He has not resigned. He has not been impeached, nor put out of office. He’s not even up for reelection. There are no term limits to His being God.

Have you looked up lately to see God still upon His throne? Have you come to understand that His sovereign throne controls the events of your life? No matter what may seem out of control in your life, know that God is still in control. Though evil reigns for a time on earth, God will ultimately prevail. There is no attribute more comforting to God’s children than His sovereignty. Whatever your trial, whatever your test, whatever your tragedy, God is still on His throne. There are times when that is the only thing that will keep you and me going.

 “And 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.” Revelation 4:3

The sovereign Lord is described in terms of two precious stones, the jasper and the sardius. We should remember Scripture teaches, “God dwells in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen, or can see” (1 Tim 6:16). So these stones are used to portray something of God’s eternal glory, awesome holiness, and majesty. “Jasper” was a clear, crystal-like gem, a translucent rock – very similar to a diamond (21:11), not necessarily what we identify as a jasper today. It portrays the purity and brilliance of God’s holiness.

Since such a stone picks up and reflects light, it calls our attention to the fact that God is light, a holy God who reveals and unmasks the darkness.

A “sardius” stone was blood red, undoubtedly portraying God’s wrath and justice, but it would also look at His redemptive work of love and grace in the person of the Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world through His death on the cross.

In the Old Testament these stones had a special relationship to the tribes of Israel. Each tribe had a representative stone which the High Priest wore on his priestly garment. As the High Priest, he was representing each tribe before God at the altar.

The Jasper was the stone representing the first tribe, the tribe of Reuben.

The last tribe, Benjamin, was represented by the Sardius.

So these two stones represent the whole nation, the first and the last and all in between. Jesus is called the Alpha and the Omega – the First and the Last (a term mentioned 3x in the first chapter of Revelation).

It is also interesting that the stones mentioned here, when positioned on the Ephod, would create a sash across the chest. The first stone would be on the left of the chest (since Hebrew is positioned right to left) and the last stone would be on the right side. A judicial sash would go from the left shoulder to the right hip and be scarlet in color.

Reuben means “Behold a Son” and Benjamin means “Son of my right hand.” Surely, then, these two stones also pointed to God the Son whom the Father would give through the nation Israel to save mankind in the person of His beloved Son.

Both colors symbolized “the Son” – Jesus Christ our Lord.

Jasper stands for God’s perfect righteousness (Hab. 1:13). As a holy and righteous God, He cannot fellowship with man in his condition of sin. Sardius stands for God’s perfect justice (Rom. 3:19) which means God must judge man in his sin. Being red like blood, it pictures redemption and God’s love and grace to reach out in Christ to provide a substitute, God’s Son (Rom. 5:8).

Amid the white light of His holiness and the red flames of His judgment, John also sees a “rainbow” as did Ezekiel in Ezekiel 1:28. In Old Testament times, the rainbow represented God’s faithfulness (a covenant promise) to never destroy the world again as He did with the flood (Gen 9:13-15). It represented God’s gracious covenant with His people. It was also a sign of God’s mercy, grace, and long-suffering.

IMAGE: JESUS’ THRONE

Here, this “rainbow” is apparently the shape of a rainbow rather than the color of one since this one was “emerald” (green), portraying God’s fruitfulness. This gem was the first in the second row on the breastplate of the high priest (Exodus 28:18 ; 39:11), which may be the symbol of the tribe of Judah (thus implying this is the throne of Jesus we are seeing since he is called the Lion of Judah in the very next chapter - Revelation 5:5).

It was used as a seal or signet, Eccl.. 32:6, as an ornament of clothing and bedding, (Ezekiel 28:13 ; Judges 10:21) and is spoken of as one of the foundations of Jerusalem (Revelation 21:19).

This rainbow is also said to be “around the throne.” Unlike the partial rainbows we generally see on earth, this one completely encircled the throne, perhaps resembling a halo. This unending rainbow means that God’s grace will endure forever. In the midst of wrath, God remembers mercy (Lam 3:22-23). His grace triumphs over His judgment (James 2:13). It is His grace that prevents us from being consumed in the flames of His judgment.

We have to remember that Jesus has a throne, as does God the Father. It is possible that the throne room we see in Ezekiel 1 is a vision of God the Father’s throne since the rainbow that emanates from the throne of God is the full-colored rainbow (symbolic of His covenant with Noah).

No man has seen the Father (only the Son) as John stated in John 1:18, but it was a vision of God as Ezekiel stated in Ezekiel 1:1. So, this Throne we see here (Revelation 4) has the colors of the red and green (symbolizing the sacrifice made from the Lion of Judah). But both thrones are next to each other. Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father (Mark 16:19; Luke 22:69; Hebrews 8:1, 10:13-19, 12:2) and He will let us sit on His throne with Him (Revelation 3:21)

It could also be a glimpse of the Judgment Seat (throne) as we see in Psalm 9:7, “He has established His throne for judgment” and Dan. 7:9, “I kept looking until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took His seat …” See also Dan. 7:13-14.

This Judgment Seat is key because the judicial living creatures we will see around it.

God loves color and each have special meaning. As I mentioned before, each tribe had a color attributed to them with a stone that represented those tribes.

These stones were placed on the Priestly Ephod and those same stones are represented in the foundations of the New Jerusalem. Today, we see rainbows used in political statements and I find it interesting that the rainbow of God’s covenant had 7 colors – but the rainbow of a political agenda has 6 colors. The #7 always symbolizes God and His righteousness and the #6 always symbolizes man – and the 3 eras of man’s reign over the earth led by the unholy trinity of the Dragon, the Beast and the Antichrist – the 666 – is about to come to an end.

“Around 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.” Revelation 4:4

So after John tells us of one of the thrones he sees, he goes on to describe the 24 thrones surrounding the main throne in what is obviously a subordinate relationship. Evidently, these elders will have positions of authority under God – specifically under Jesus. The 24 elders don’t appear anywhere else in the Scriptures. The identity of the 24 elders (presbuteros) is difficult to determine. Yet I believe these elders are men.

IMAGE: JESUS’ THRONE

1) Jesus told the church at Laodicea, in chapters 2 and 3, that whoever will overcome will sit down with Me in glory. Here are some people sitting.

2) He told the church in Thyatira, whoever was faithful would rule with Him, with a rod of iron. Here are some people with crowns who are sitting on thrones.

3) He told the church at Sardis that if they would be faithful he would clothe them in white. Here are some people clothed in white.

4) He told the church at Smyrna, he who overcomes, I will grant to him a crown (stephanos), and here are some people wearing crowns.

In 1 Chronicles 23, King David had divided the priesthood into 24 orders. We can then read of the 24 orders in 1 Chronicles 24. There were hundreds of priests, and obviously all could not serve at once, so each order was represented by one. By Scripture’s own use, the number 24 has a representative character to it (1 Chron. 24; 25; Luke 1:5-9). Josephus, the Jewish historian, tells us his family was “of the first course of the four and twenty.” So there was one high priest, 24 orders of priests with 24 who served as representatives of the whole.

This verse is interesting to me because in Mark 10:35-45, John and his brother James had their eyes on a throne. Now there are 24. These thrones are in a circle, around the throne. I don’t see a “first or second chair” as James and John were hoping. Although we can’t know with certainty, I’m inclined to interpret the 24 thrones as 24 seats of authority given to the faithful.

On 12 of these thrones, it is possible that the 12 disciples (minus one, replaced by Paul, we suspect) are seated. In Matthew 19:28, Jesus promised His disciples 12 thrones and said they would eventually judge the twelve tribes of Israel. On the other 12 thrones are seated “elders” representing Gentile believers.

We saw Moses and Elijah at the mount of transfiguration (Matthew 17) so it is possible that the other 12 thrones may be for individuals such as these. We know that we will sit on thrones and judge angels (1 Corinthians 6:3) so the identity of the elders is not the priority for us to know.

The point (especially for John) is not who these “elders” are by name, but what they are doing—falling on their faces before God in worship (4:10-11).

There are just some things we are not told – or given revealed detail of (Daniel 8:26 and Daniel 12:4), but we do know that what we are told is told to us that we believe (John 11:42).

2. Live your future in the present (4:5-11). When I was in Middle School, Laser Light shows in Atlanta, Georgia were popular. I went to one of these at Stone Mountain with some friends and experienced the loud music and the special lighting effects. It was quite an experience. Yet, even the most spectacular Laser Light Show that clever technicians can devise pales in comparison with what takes place in 4:5.

“And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.” Revelation 4:5

Out from the throne, we see and hear “flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder.” The lightning and thunder reflect the awesome majesty of God and recall the divine authority to judge. The wrath of God proceeds from this throne. Obviously, this is an unpopular view of God today (Nahum 1:2-3, 6). Nevertheless, the fear of God is the beginning of true worship (Proverbs 1:7).

The “seven lamps of fire” are said to be the “seven spirits of God.” These spirits are a reference to the sevenfold ministry of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2). The “lamps” signify the unique role of the Holy Spirit in executing judgment. The Spirit will carry out this judgment. The picture is of these torches ready to go, from God’s presence, to the earth where they will consume wickedness during the tribulation.

But we must also note that in Revelation 1:20 there are 7 stars, which are the 7 angels who deliver messages to 7 churches and the 7 churches illustrated by 7 golden lampstands. This is the first time the Holy Spirit is called a lamp. We know the menorah represented the Holy Spirit. So, here in Revelation 4:5, the 7 individual lamps seem to be united as 1 menorah before God’s throne – and perhaps this is a reference to the churches (Jesus’ bride) being represented in the branches of the Holy Spirit that were separated on earth, but are now united before the throne. That would mean that the church was now with the Lord. This becomes more obvious in Revelation 5 and 7.

But – we will talk more about that next week…

“Before 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.” Revelation 4:6

John gives no interpretation as to the meaning of this “sea of glass.” The most likely allusion here is the “expanse” or firmament that separated the waters in Genesis 1:7. This sea then pictures an expanse that separates God in his holiness and purity from all of His sinful creation. The emphasis is upon God’s awesome vastness—His transcendence and His holiness that separates Him from His creation.

Already we have read about a Menorah in the throne room. There is a Throne (multiple thrones in fact) and an Altar. So, to better understand these beings we have to understand the design of the Tabernacle and the Temple of God.

Here is a schematic of the Tabernacle.

Image of Tabernacle

You would first come to the Altar, then the wash basin.

Image of Holy Sanctuary

Then you enter the Holy Sanctuary where you would find 3 objects – a table for the Showbread (communion), the Menorah (Holy Spirit) and the Altar of Incense (the prayers of the saints). Then you would enter the Holy of Holies – which is where the Ark was kept and no man was allowed to go except the High Priest, one day a year on the Day of Atonement. Blood would be sprinkled on the Mercy Seat in the presence of God.

Here is an image of the Temple of Solomon

Image of Temple

You can see the similarities. The dimensions, however, changed slightly (90’ long x 30’ wide by 45’ tall – by comparison the Tabernacle Tent of Meeting was only 45’ long and only 15’ wide – exactly the space between the columns and the stage and the back wall – the whole courtyard of the Tabernacle was 150’ x 75’) and there are 10 golden lampstands in the temple.  

At the Tabernacle there were 2 seats – a seat of judgment and a seat of mercy (the Mercy Seat). The Mercy Seat was located in the Holy of Holies for Jesus Christ to make atonement to the Father for those who belong to Him. The Judgment Seat was where Moses would hear the issues of the people before God. Jesus now takes His rightful place on both seats of authority as Atonement and Judge. At the Judgment Seat is where He will judge the nations and reward or remove crowns based on the works of His servants:

"Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.” Revelation 22:12

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” 2 Corinthians 5:10

This is not a judgment unto eternal life or hell fire. No that is reserved for the Great White Throne of Judgment with God the Father (Revelation 20:11-15).

Rather the Judgment Seat of Christ is from where the judgments of the earth begin (did you catch that – Jesus – the Lion of Judah - is the one who opens the seals to judge the earth) and where we will stand at the beginning of the Millennial Reign because we will all have responsibilities in the new kingdom to be His Kings and Priests (Revelation 1:6).

In fact, like the elders, we will be charged with judging the affairs of the nations on the earth for our Lord. This is an assignment we are given in Revelation 20:4. This is just like the Judgment Seat of Moses in Exodus 18:13-27 when Moses is judging the people from morning until evening so Jethro encourages Moses to select capable leaders to judge the affairs of the people. Here is what we read:

“Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. ²² And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge.” Exodus 18:21-22

Many Theologians believe that the Scriptures reveal three different judgments to come after the coming Tribulation period.

The first is the judgment of the sheep and the goats or a judgment of the nations (Matthew 25:31-36). This takes place after the tribulation period but prior to the millennium.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” Matthew 25:31-32

The second is a judgment of believers’ works, often referred to as the “judgment seat [bema] of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:10). At this judgment, Christians will receive degrees of reward for their works or service to God.

The third judgment is the Great White Throne judgment at the end of the millennium (Revelation 20:11-15). This is the judgment of unbelievers in which they are judged according to their works and sentenced to everlasting punishment in the lake of fire.

So clearly we see various roles for the Throne Room and the Temple. There will be judgments and there will be worship. One thing I can tell you for sure is that it will be absolutely HOLY and the living creatures God has created as caretakers understand their roles and serve with total devotion. 

So, let’s look at these caretakers and their roles:

IMAGE OF THRONE ROOM

John mentions “four living creatures” in 4:6. These seem to be angelic beings that reflect the attributes of God. They are called LIVING creatures because they are fully self-aware and know their place. They are not creatures but LIVING creatures. These “living creatures” or creatures like them are mentioned in the book of Ezekiel, 12 times in the first ten chapters. Ezekiel 10:20 then identifies other similar creatures but these are called cherubim. They form an inner circle and surround the throne and God (Ezekiel 1:12), so they must constitute an exalted order of angelic beings. They appear similar to the seraphim (Isaiah 6:2) and even more like the cherubim (Ezekiel 1:4-14; 9:3; 10), though, because of their differences, they appear to be in a class by themselves because they have a mix of both Seraphim and Cherubim.

They appear to have a judicial function (Revelation 6:1, 3, 5, 7) – especially since they are introduced when Christ is taking his rightful place on the Judgment Seat - and to have some connection with animate creation (4:9-11; 15:7). Their many eyes evidently symbolize their penetrating intelligence that makes them immediately aware of whatever is happening that affects their judicial responsibility (Ezek 1:18; 10:12). Full of eyes means they see everything.

So, let’s try to summarize the spiritual beings we are made aware of:

ANGELS:

There are angels according to Scriptures. The word “Angel” comes from the Greek word “aggelos” or “angelos,” which means messenger. The Hebrew word is “mal’ak.” Angels are mentioned at least 108x in the Old Testament and 165x in the New Testament.

LIKE MEN: They appear in the Bible in the likeness of men (Genesis 18) – sometimes very brightly (Matthew 28:3).

NO FEMALE: There are no references to there being female angels (Matthew 22:23-28). This is something reserved for the human race since Eve was taken out of Adam. So, ladies, you are special – but you already knew that.

WINGS?: Angels may or may not have wings. We are not told this in Scripture, but we do see in Isaiah 40:31 that we “will soar with wings like eagles”, which could be a similar visual for angels. It is also feasible that they may have 2 wings since there are other angelic beings that have 4 and even 6 wings.

CAN BLEND IN WITH US: We are told that we won’t know if we are entertaining angels (Hebrews 13:2) when we show hospitality to strangers.

THEY HAVE A JOB: They are ministering spirits sent to help those who inherit salvation, even when they are still children (Hebrews 1:14; Matthew 18:10)

WARRIORS: They are warriors for God, fighting even alongside God’s people and protecting them (Psalm 91:11; Psalm 34:7; 2 Kings 6:17-20; 2 Kings 19:35; Daniel 10:13).

THOUSANDS – MILLIONS OF THEM: They number in the tens of thousands (Revelation 5:11; Psalm 68:17).

FREE WILL: Angels are personal spiritual beings who have intelligence, emotions, and will. This is true of both the good and evil angels (demons). Angels possess intelligence (Matthew 8:29; 2 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Peter 1:12), show emotion (Luke 2:13; James 2:19; Revelation 12:17), and exercise will (Genesis 6; Luke 8:28-31; 2 Timothy 2:26; Jude 6). Angels are spiritual beings (Hebrews 1:14) that can, to a certain degree, take on physical form.

LIMITED BUT VAST KNOWLEDGE: Because they are created beings, their knowledge is limited. This means they do not know all things as God does (Matthew 24:36). They do seem to have greater knowledge than humans, however, which may be due to three things. First, angels were created as an order of creatures higher than humans (at least while we are still in flesh and blood form as we will judge angels in our spiritual form). Therefore, they innately possess greater knowledge. Second, angels study the Bible and the world more thoroughly than humans do and gain knowledge from it (James 2:19; Revelation 12:12). Third, angels gain knowledge through long observation of human activities (1 Corinthians 4:9; 11:10; Ephesians 3:10; 1 Peter 1:12). Unlike humans, angels do not have to study the past; they have experienced it. Therefore, they know how others have acted and reacted in situations and can predict with a greater degree of accuracy how we may act in similar circumstances.

Though they have wills, angels, like all creatures, are subject to the will of God. Good angels are sent by God to help believers (Hebrews 1:14). Here are some activities the Bible ascribes to angels:

They praise God (Psalm 148:1-2; Isaiah 6:3).

They worship God (Hebrews 1:6; Revelation 5:8-13).

They rejoice in what God does (Job 38:6-7).

They serve God (Psalm 103:20; Revelation 22:9).

They appear before God (Job 1:6; 2:1).

They are instruments of God's judgments (Revelation 7:1; 8:2).

They bring answers to prayer (Acts 12:5-10).

They aid in winning people to Christ (Acts 8:26; 10:3).

They observe Christian order, work, and suffering (1 Corinthians 4:9; 11:10; Ephesians 3:10; 1 Peter 1:12).

They encourage in times of danger (Acts 27:23-24).

They care for the righteous at the time of death (Luke 16:22).

They even play baseball in Anaheim.

Angels are an entirely different order of being than humans. Human beings do not become angels after they die. Angels will never become, and never were, human beings. God created the angels, just as He created humanity. The Bible nowhere states that angels are created in the image and likeness of God, as humans are (Genesis 1:26). The greatest thing we can learn from the holy angels is their instant, unquestioning obedience to God’s commands.

FALLEN ANGELS: In stark contrast to the company of holy angels, the fallen angels are also innumerable, though considerably less than the holy angels, and are described as fallen from their first estate. Led by Satan, who was originally a Cherub, the fallen angels defected, rebelled against God, and became sinful in their nature and work.

Fallen angels have been divided into two classes: those who are free and those who are bound. Of the fallen angels, Satan alone is given particular mention in the Bible. When Satan fell (John 8:44; Luke 10:18), he drew after him one third of the angels (Revelation 12:4). Of those, some are reserved in chains awaiting judgment (1 Corinthians 6:3; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 1:6) – possibly because they mated with human women and birthed the giants described in Genesis 6:1-4 (the Nephilim: Numbers 13:33; Joshua 11:21–22; Deuteronomy 3:11; 1 Samuel 17). The remainder are free- for a season- and are the demons, or devils, to whom reference is made throughout the New Testament (Mark 5:9, 15; Luke 8:30; 1 Timothy 4:1). They are Satan's servants in all his undertakings and share his doom (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10).

ARCHANGELS

Holy angels or Archangels fall into special classes, and certain individuals are named and mentioned. Michael the archangel is likely the head of all the holy angels, and his name means "who is like unto God?" (Daniel 10:21; 12:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Jude 1:9; Revelation 12:7-10).

Gabriel is one of the principal messengers of God, his name meaning "hero of God," and was entrusted with important messages such as those delivered to Daniel (Daniel 8:16; 9:21), to Zechariah (Luke 1:18-19), and to Mary (Luke 1:26-38).

Most holy angels are not named in the Bible but are described only as "elect angels" (1 Timothy 5:21). The expressions "principalities" and "powers" seem to be used of all angels whether fallen or holy (Luke 21:26; Romans 8:38; Ephesians 1:21; 3:10; Colossians 1:16; 2:10, 15; 1 Peter 3:22).

The word “archangel” occurs in only two verses of the Bible. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 exclaims, "For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first."

Jude verse 9 declares, "But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, 'The Lord rebuke you!'"

The word “archangel” comes from a Greek word meaning "chief angel." It refers to an angel who seems to be the leader of other angels.

Jude verse 9 uses the definite article "the archangel Michael," which could possibly indicate that Michael is the only archangel. However, Daniel 10:13 describes Michael as "one of the chief princes." This possibly indicates that there is more than one archangel, because it places Michael on the same level as the other "chief princes." So, while it is possible that there are multiple archangels, it is best not to presume upon the Word of God by declaring other angels as archangels. Daniel 10:21 describes Michael the archangel as "your prince," and Daniel 12:1 identifies Michael as "the great prince who protects." Even if there are multiple archangels, it seems that Michael is the chief among them.

I think of that movie Michael staring John Travolta a few years back. That movie was an insult to the Archangel Michael – probably because Michael had to confront Satan – maybe even the very one that evicted him so he is on Satan’s revenge list.

In chapter 20 of the Book of Enoch (a text found in the Dead Sea Scrolls but not in the canonized text of the Bible – but cited by Jude) mentions seven holy angels who watch, that often are considered the seven archangels: Michael (most likely the leader who confronted Satan), Raphael, Gabriel, Uriel, Saraqael, Raguel, and Remiel.

Uriel - Flame of God

Raphael - God who heals

Raguel - Friend of God

Michael - Who is like God

Saraguel - Captain of the Lord God

Gabriel - Hero of God

Phanuel – The Presence of God

There are no other texts that support these names and only fragments of the Book of Enoch exist today so we cannot substantiate this information elsewhere. If accurate, these may in fact be the 7 angels who are before the throne of God in Revelation 1:20 and the ones assigned to blow the trumpets in Revelation 8-11.

SERAPHIM

IMAGE OF SERAPHIM

The seraphim (fiery, burning ones) are angelic beings associated with the prophet Isaiah's vision of God in the Temple when God called him to his prophetic ministry (Isaiah 6:1-7).

Isaiah 6:2-4 records, “Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.’ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.” Seraphs are angels who worship God continually. The name Seraph means “burn with fire.”

Isaiah chapter 6 is the only place in the Bible that specifically mentions the seraphim. Each seraph had six wings. They used two to fly, two to cover their feet, and two to cover their faces (Isaiah 6:2). The seraphim flew about the throne on which God was seated, singing His praises as they called special attention to God’s glory and majesty. These beings apparently also served as agents of purification for Isaiah as he began his prophetic ministry. One placed a hot coal against Isaiah's lips with the words, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for” (Isaiah 6:7). Similar to the other types of holy angels, the seraphim are perfectly obedient to God. Similar to the cherubim, the seraphim are particularly focused on worshipping God – but in the primary role of being caretakers of the altar. Remember the fire of the altar on earth could never go out and so a priest was assigned just to the altar:

“And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not be put out. And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order on it; and he shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. ¹³ A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out.” Leviticus 6:12-13

We are told that the tabernacle and the ordinances are a shadow of what was in heaven (Hebrews 10:1; Colossians 2:17). So it would be safe to say that these Seraphs were caretakers of the altar.

CHERUBIM

IMAGE OF CHERUBIM

Cherubim/Cherubs are angelic beings involved in the worship and praise of God but they serve God in various ways. The Cherubim are first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 3:24, “After He drove the man out, He placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.”

The tabernacle and temple along with their articles contained many representations of Cherubim – in fact Cherubs were on top of the ark (Exodus 25:17-22; 26:1, 31; 36:8; 1 Kings 6:23-35; 7:29-36; 8:6-7; 1 Chronicles 28:18; 2 Chronicles 3:7-14; 2 Chronicles 3:10-13; 5:7-8; Hebrews 9:5).

In fact, Cherubs have 4 wings (per Ezekiel 10) and God told Moses to put 2 Cherubs on top of the ark with their wings outstretched above the Mercy Seat in Exodus 25:18-21.

So if you have seen these images of the Ark of the Covenant, they are most likely incorrect.

Image of Ark

Those are 2 winged figures that appear nowhere in the Bible.

Indiana Jones Ark

Sorry, Indiana Jones, you had the wrong Ark. Cherubs have 4 wings. That means this image may be more correct.

2^nd Image of Ark

So, should someone come forward claiming to have the Ark of the Covenant and it only has 2 wings on each Cherub, then be alert that it may be a forgery. These details matter since the Antichrist will deceive all and even possibly the elect (Matthew 24:24).

IMAGE OF HOLY OF HOLIES (TEMPLE)

This image of the Holy of Holies in the Temple is from the Temple Institute – the very group that is trying to build the 3^rd Temple. You will notice that the Cherubs have more than 2 wings – in fact these have 6 wings. On the Ark of the Covenant, there are 2 wings extended and 2 wings covering the bodies. This is far more accurate to Biblical descriptions. 

In the Temple the Holy of Holies, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept had 2 huge Golden Cherub statues. They were 15’ tall and their wings were 15’(2 Chronicles 5, 2 Kings 8). The wings that spread out over the Ark are mentioned specifically. We have to remember that Cherubs used 2 wings to cover their bodies but 2 wings would be spread out for flight and for praise. That is why we often see only 2 wings, we forget that 2 other wings are present but for body covering purposes – in reverence.

IMAGE OF CHERUB

Cherubs are mentioned 20x in Ezekiel 10:1-22 and look very similar to the 4 living creatures we see in Ezekiel 1 and Revelation 4, but there seems to be more than 4 of them and their primary role is being the caretakers of the Temple in Heaven (Revelation 11:19).

The are awesome in appearance so the fat little Cherub in your yard is actually a bit of an insult to these magnificent creatures.

The cherubim serve the purpose of magnifying the holiness and power of God. This is one of their main responsibilities throughout the Bible. In addition to singing God's praises, they also serve as a visible reminder of the majesty and glory of God and His abiding presence with His people.

SATAN WAS A CHERUB

Prior to his rebellion, Satan was a Cherub (Ezekiel 28:12-15).

That means that Satan (the Day Star) was part of the

Inner circle of God (Isaiah 14:12-21; Ezekiel 28:11-19)

Betrayed God and was thrown out of heaven like a bolt of lightning (Revelation 12:7-12; Luke 10:18).

He now masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14) but

He is an abomination (the dragon, the serpent – Revelation 20:2) with nothing more than murder and deceit in his heart (John 8:44).

So, if Satan had the appearance of a Cherub (4 faces, 4 wings, arms like a man, feet like an ox) – isn’t interesting the type of statues that we find in Egypt?

IMAGE OF EGYPTIAN CARVINGS

Anubis, Ra, Isis to name a few – often a mix of animal with man. Ra was called the “sun god” and it is interesting that Satan was once called the “Day Star”.

Another great general will arise from the middle east, Assyria specifically, around 700 BC and his name was Sennacherib. He planned to destroy Jerusalem and the people of Israel, just like the Pharaohs and he came up against King Hezekiah who prayed and the angels of the Lord destroyed 185,000 of Sennacherib’s men (2 Chronicles 32). The army of Hezekiah just had to go clean up the bodies. It is interesting that Sennacherib’s name means “increaser of sin” or “sin god” – even “fallen god” or “fallen cherub.”

We are so oblivious the obvious sometimes. We constantly deny the spiritual forces at work in the physical world (Ephesians 6).

IMAGE OF CLOUDS

LOOK AT THE CLOUDS: We are so focused on our lives we fail to recognize awesome, unexplainable things around us all the time. I mean, have you ever really thought about clouds? They are cotton balls you and walk right through and yet scientists estimate that one inch of rain falling over an area of one square mile is equal to 17.4 million gallons of water. That much water would weigh 143 million pounds!

We just ignore that awesome reality. Go home and take a cotton ball – stretch it out and then spray water on it. Then throw it in the air and see if you can recreate what God gives us every day. Someone here is going to say, well if you create steam and then release it at the right altitude and the right speed…stop – just stop it. Clouds are awesome and God is awesomer, okay!

Now – at first glance it may appear that the Cherubs described in Ezekiel 10 are the same as Ezekiel 1 and Revelation 4. But they are not.

Ezekiel describes the “four living creatures” (Ezekiel 1:5). Each had four faces—that of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle (Ezekiel 1:10; also 10:14)—and each had four wings.  This is a key point. Twice, Ezekiel mentions that the 4 living creatures and the Cherubs have 4 wings (Ezekiel 1:6; and Ezekiel 10:21) In their appearance, the creatures “had the likeness of a man” (Ezekiel 1:5). They used two of their wings for flying and the other two for covering their bodies (Ezekiel 1:6, 11, 23). Under their wings the 4 living Creatures and the Cherubim appeared to have the form, or likeness, of a man's hand (Ezekiel 1:8; 10:7-8, 21).

The imagery of Revelation 4:6-9 also seems to be describing almost a mix of the 4 Living Creatures of Ezekiel 1, the Cherubs of Ezekiel 10 and the Seraphs of Isaiah 6.

See for yourself:

Let’s look at these in Chronological Order

Isaiah 6:2-7 (700 BC): Seraphs

• 2 Creatures (only 2)
• 6 Wings (2 to cover face, 2 cover feet, 2 to fly with)
• They cry to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!”
• Use tongs to move coals on the altar

Ezekiel 1:4-28 (550 BC): 4 Living Creatures

• 4 Living Creatures with 4 faces each: Man, Eagle, Lion (on the right), Ox (on the left)
• 4 Wings
• Legs of a Man
• Feet of an Ox (Bronze)
• Hands of a Man
• Look like they are made of fire (torches)
• Wheel full of eyes with each creature (look like Beryl stones)
• The One on the throne: Like a Man but the color of Amber (waist up) color of Fire (waist down) – full rainbow around Him

Ezekiel 10:1-22 (540 BC): Cherubs

• An unknown number fill the Temple and sing unto the Lord
• They are called Cherubs 20x in one chapter
• 4 faces each: Man, Cherub, Eagle, and Lion (one face is not an Ox like the ones in Ezekiel 1 and Revelation 4)
• 4 Wings
• Their whole body is covered with eyes
• Hands of a Man
• Wheel full of eyes with each creature (look like Beryl stones)

Revelation 4:3-8: (95 AD) 4 Living Creatures

• 4 Living Creatures
• 1 face each (not 4 like the Ezekiel 1 or Ezekiel 10 creatures)
• First creature: face of a Lion
• Second creature: face of a Calf (or Ox)
• Third creature: face of a Man
• Fourth creature: face of an Eagle
• 6 Wings
• Their whole body is covered with eyes
• Day and Night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”
• The One on the throne: Jasper and Sardis (in appearance) – rainbow around him like Emerald – there are 24 Elders around Him.

GIVES US CONFIDENCE: What do we do with this information? Does it make us better servants? I think it should. Why? Because we are reminded of the power and majesty of the one we serve and the armies He commands.

I love those commercials for the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard because they show our power and might as a nation.

First, the US has the world’s largest Navy, by a lot. With ships displacing 3,415,893 tons, the mass of the US Navy is larger than the next eight largest navies combined.

Second, America’s air power is the strongest in the world. Currently, it has about 14,000 planes and helicopters spread across the five services. That’s more aircraft than the next seven countries combined.

The Army and Marine Corps’ almost 9,000 tanks team up with thousands of Stryker Anti-Tank Guided Missile vehicles, Apache, Osprey and Cobra helicopters, and antitank missile teams carrying Javelins and TOW missiles to annihilate enemy armor.

Then you have the guts of the whole operation – more than 1.4 million active duty soldiers across all branches.

What does this information do for me? It makes me proud to be an American! It makes me feel safe and superior to any foe who would dare try to go up against us.

So if the US Military makes you feel safe in the flesh then in the spirit – knowledge about the Army of God and His power and might should remind us that “if God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31

That means God – by Himself can wipe out any foe without even speaking a word – and then you couple that with the reality that He has an army of 15’ tall Cherubs and tens of thousands – millions – of angels that combine for an army twice the size of Satan. Then come on – bring it! There is going to be some butt kicking and name taking coming in the days ahead. So when you feel beaten and broken – just remember that those demons that are antagonizing you – they are picking on a child of the living God who is going to whop their tails and it isn’t going to be pretty! (Matthew 8:29; James 2:19; Revelation 20:7-10)

“You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.” James 2:19

Let’s get back to our text…

 “The 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.” Revelation 4:7

In 4:7, John describes these four living creatures: The first creature was like…this is a phrase John will use 58x in the book of Revelation. These four characterizations are the same as those in Ezekiel 1:10 but it is difficult to decipher their meaning. Again, the word “like” expresses similarity.

Their number is four.

IMAGE NUMBER 4

Number 4 is the number of stability, order and completion of justice

UNITY IN GOD: Three is the number of the Godhead but like the Shin (the future Shin that has 4 prongs) there is a 4^th, which includes the Bride of Christ.

4 DIVISIONS OF RACE: Scripture often points to four divisions of the race (Revelation 7:9: nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues).

4 ELEMENTS: Further, there are four elements: fire, water, earth and air;

4 WIND DIRECTIONS: four wind directions,

4 SEASONS: four seasons,

4 EMPIRES: four universal empires (Daniel 7),

4 REPRESENTATIONS OF CHRIST: and four representations of Christ, the Savior of man in the gospels as we will show below. Thus, together they represent God’s judicial government and activities over man. They express the character of God’s throne in relation to the earth and man.

(a) The Lion stresses kingly majesty (Matthew 1:1, 16:16, 20:28). The lion is known as the king of beasts and highlights the attributes of majesty, strength or sovereignty. It stresses that God is King. The gospel of Matthew presents Christ as King, as the lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5).

(b) A calf or ox stresses lowly service and patience (Mark 1:8, 8:27, 10:45, 15:34).

(c) Man emphasizes that Jesus took the form of man as the second Adam, the Son of Man (Luke 19:10)

(d) The eagle because he soars in the heavens OVER ALL THE EARTH as the Son of God (John 20:31).

4 GOSPELS These 4 faces have also been attributed to the 4 gospels that correlate to the 4 pillars in the tabernacle.

• Matthew = Lion
• Mark = Ox
• Luke = Man
• John = Eagle

IMAGE OF THE BOOK OF KELLS

These images were also depicted on the cover of the Book of Kells, the first Bible completed in Ireland in 800 A.D.

Scripture informs us that the earthly patterns given by God are often a shadow of a greater heavenly reality (Col. 2:17; Heb. 8:5; 9:8, 23; 10:1; Rev. 15:5+). So it is not a great surprise when we find similarities between Israel’s encampment in the wilderness around the tabernacle of meeting and the heavenly realm surrounding God’s throne. Given the level of detail which attends God’s instructions concerning the encampment (Num. 2), it would be unusual if there were no symbolism to be found in it.

4 DIRECTIONS OF THE CAMP OF ISRAEL

The Israel camp was to be set up as follows:

• The tabernacle of meeting was in the center.
• The camp of Judah, consisting of the tribes of Judah (74,800), Issachar (84,400), and Zebulun (57,400), a total of 186,400 men, camped to the east (Num. 2:3-7). – Represented by the Lion
• The camp of Reuben, consisting of the tribes of Reuben (46,500), Simeon (59,300), and Gad (45,650), a total of 151,450 men, camped to the south (Num. 2:10-16). – Represented by the Man
• The camp of Ephraim, consisting of the tribes of Ephraim (40,500), Manasseh (32,200), and Benjamin (35,400), a total of 108,100 men, camped to the west (Num. 2:18-24). – Represented by the Calf (Ox)
• The camp of Dan, consisting of the tribes of Dan (62,700), Asher (41,500), and Naphtali (53,400), a total of 157,600 men, camped to the north (Num. 2:25-31). – Represented by the Eagle
• Each group was to “camp by his own standard, beside the emblems of his father’s house” (Num. 2:2).

IMAGE OF ISRAEL CAMP

It would have looked like this. DOES THAT LOOK LIKE A FAMILIAR SHAPE TO YOU? Now notice this – the camp of Man is actually to the south and the camp of the Lion is to the east – that means that man would have to enter into the Tabernacle from the east. Do you get the picture?

If I take you to Ezekiel 43 and 44, this is the gate where Christ Jesus went through from the Mount of Olives in Matthew 21 in fulfillment of prophecy, but afterward, the gate was sealed up for Christ to come back through triumphantly after He comes back to the Mount of Olives in Zechariah 14:4. It was the eastern gate where Adam and Eve were evicted.

IMAGE OF EASTERN GATE

So follow me. The camp of Man (or the Son of Man) – will enter the Tabernacle or Temple – by way of the Tribe of Judah (the Lion) in through the eastern gate, to open it up once and for all to come to His mercy seat.

What is really crazy is that the 4 Living Creatures in Ezekiel 1 have their faces in the same order as the camps of Israel. Coincidence? I think not.

“The 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!” Revelation 4:8

Again – just to recap, these creatures seem similar to the seraphim (burning ones) of Isaiah 6:2-3, in that they each have six wings but are nicely mixed with Cherubim. So these angelic creatures may be the highest level of angelic beings serving the tasks of both Seraphs and Cherubs.  Their many eyes suggest alertness, comprehensive knowledge, and constant vigilance (Ezek 10:12). “Around and within” probably means that they had eyes even on the undersides of their wings so they could move their wings without interrupting their vision.

They are “full of eyes in front and behind” (4:6) and “around and within” (4:8). This signifies their constant observance and knowledge of the affairs of the earth on behalf of God, plus their spiritual perception of God’s governmental purposes and acts. “Before” and “behind” could indicate the perception of God’s dealings in the past and the future.

Their movements did not detract from their constant vigilance. They ascribe holiness to God day and night, namely constantly, though not necessarily without stopping (1 Thess 2:9; 5:17; 2 Thess 3:8). There will be no need for rest in heaven! There is no weakness or imperfection in their worship or service. No wonder Isaiah saw his sinfulness (Isa. 6:5) when compared to creatures like these.

This verse reveals several aspects of God’s character that are adored. First, He is worshipped as the Holy One (15:3-4; 16:5). God is holy in two ways: He is separated from all that He created and is not to be identified with the physical and material universe; He is also separate from sin. The holiness of God emphasizes both His transcendence as well as His moral purity. Holiness, in this verse, refers to God’s attribute of absolute moral purity, but it also seems to mean more. The phrase (“Holy, Holy, Holy”) in 4:8, is reminiscent of the words of the seraphim in Isaiah 6:3, thereby suggesting the same God whom Isaiah envisioned as the holy One (40:25; 57:15; Jeremiah 22:29; Ezek 21:27) – and his triune nature. AGAIN – I BELIEVE We may actually be seeing two thrones in this section (as I mentioned earlier):

The Throne of Jesus – and His Judgment Seat (Revelation 5:6) and

The Throne of God the Father (Ezekiel 1; Revelation 5:7) since Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father.

That means – we are seeing a glimpse of the 2 Thrones of the God-Head along with the Holy Spirit before the Father and the Son – which is why the 4 Living Creatures say “Holy, Holy, Holy.”

Every year on the first Saturday in December, 2,500 of the most brilliant college students in North America take what may be the hardest math test in the world—the Putnam Competition. How tough is it? Although there are only twelve questions, the test lasts six hours. And although these are the best and brainiest young minds our country has to offer, the median score on last year’s test was one point, out of a possible 120. There’s an even tougher and higher standard: God’s holiness.

Second, the four living creatures acknowledge God’s sovereignty, for they refer to Him as “the Lord God, the Almighty” (Rev. 4:8). This title underscores God’s power and rulership. In Revelation, this title is applied to God the Father as the divine judgments against a rebellious world move toward their climax. Third, the four living creatures worship God as the eternal One. They herald Him as the One “who was and who is and who is to come” (Rev. 4:8). This phrase speaks of the eternal nature of God who governs past, present, and future history. We should also note that, in the next two verses (4:9, 10), John also mentions the eternality of God. (God is called the One who “lives forever and ever”). All three of these verses speak of the past, present, and future. Time is often represented by a straight line drawn on a page. We call this a time line. To get a grasp of what the eternality of God means, when you have drawn your time line you must picture God as the whole page on which the line is drawn. What a comfort these descriptions are. How can we face life challenges? Well, the best way to face life’s changes is to look to the unchanging God.

“Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰ the 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.” Revelation 4:9-11

John now brings his vision to a climax in 4:9-11. The four living creatures give praise to eternal God. The focus of their worship is on God’s purity, His power, and His preeminence. Giving “glory and honor” calls attention to the perfections of God, while giving “thanks” calls attention to the manifold gifts of God in creation and redemption. Knowing angels should worship God should prompt our worship also. Do we have any less to praise Him or thank Him for? Like these four living creatures, we pay God honor and reverence, not for His sake (because He is of Himself full of glory to which no creature can add anything), but for our own sake.

In 4:10, the elders follow suit. “When” or “whenever” the four living creatures give worship to God, the 24 elders fall down before Him out of reverence. The sequence: prostration, adoration, and humiliation. When the crowned elders prostrate themselves before God and cast their crowns at His feet, these rulers humbly acknowledge His sovereignty and His right to receive worship. This verse reveals that the major purpose of crowns is as tokens of worship. This process is not a one-time event, but goes on “when (whenever) the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne.” Each time the rewarded believer approaches the throne, he will remove his crown and lay it before the feet of Jesus, the Christ, and worship. A central motivation for obtaining these crowns is to be found in the desire to have these expressions of worship.

The elders’ song is similar to that of the four living beings, but it focuses more on the wonders of God’s creation as the evidence of His glory and power. It is also directed to God directly. Their words speak of what He deserves, “glory and honor and power”—as well as why He deserves it—“for You created all things, and because of Your will they exist, and were created.” “Because of Your will” directs praise to God for the ultimate cause of creation.

Probably “they exist, and were created” simply credits God for the existence of all things and then stresses the fact that He brought them into existence (Romans 11:33-35).

1) GALAXIES: Astronomers estimate that there are 100 billion stars in our own galaxy—and that there may be 100 billion galaxies in the universe.

2) HUMAN BRAIN: God created the human brain that weighs less than three pounds, is the size of a grapefruit, and is thousands of times more powerful than the world’s most powerful computer.

3) SEQUOIA TREES: God made a giant sequoia tree in California that is the biggest living thing in the world. It is almost 3,000 years old, 275 feet high, and its trunk is 79 feet wide! Picture it this way: that’s as tall as a second Statue of Liberty standing on the shoulders of the real Statue of Liberty and is almost as wide as three city buses parked bumper to bumper.

4) FINGERPRINTS: Your fingerprints are unlike anyone else’s fingerprints. The FBI has collected more than 170 million fingerprints and has never found two that are alike.

A young boy was waiting after church for his family. The pastor saw him standing around and struck up a conversation. Since the boy had just come from Sunday school, the pastor decided to ask him some questions to determine just how much the children were learning there. He said, “Young man, if you can tell me something that God can do, I’ll give you a big shiny apple.” Thoughtfully the boy replied, “Sir, if you can tell me something God can’t do, I’ll give you a whole box of apples.”

God the Father is worthy of praise and worship because of two basic things we should always remember: It was His power that created all things; and it is His purpose (will) that brought everything into existence and gives meaning to it all. If we refuse to acknowledge the power and purpose of God in creation, then as Paul so graphically portrays, we deserve His judgment (Romans 1:18-23).

Worship is seeing what God is worth and giving Him what He’s worth. It is preparing for your glorious future. It has been well said, “Those who praise God on earth will feel at home in heaven.” Therefore, this passage exhorts us to begin preparing for our eternal home by worshipping the Lord. This is done in multiple ways: evangelism, discipleship, work, fellowship, etc.

Do you worship the right God in the right way? You can do this as you can begin to envision the future in the present and then live for the future in the present.

Source Material: Professor K. Krell – Moody Bible Institute, Dr. Chuck W. Missler – Koinonia House, Angels: Elect & Evil by C. Fred Dickason, Charles C. Ryrie, Revelation, Moody Press, Chicago, 1968, p. 33., G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, T. & T. Clark, Edinburgh, 1937, p. 243., Ryrie, Revelation, p. 34., Donald Grey Barnhouse, Revelation, An Expository Commentary, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 1971, p. 98., Erwin W. Lutzer, One Minute After You Die (Chicago: Moody, 1997), 86., Dr. Thomas L. Constable, Notes on Revelation (2003), 56, Steven J. Lawson, Heaven Help Us! (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1995), 18., John P. Burke, “The Identity of the Twenty-Four Elders: A Critical Monograph on Revelation 4:4,” Grace Journal 2:3 (Fall 1961), 19-28., Kendell H. Easley, Revelation: Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville: Holman, 1998), 76., Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1-7 (Chicago: Moody, 1992), 363., Michael P. Green, Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1989)., Joseph C. Dillow, The Reign of the Servant Kings (Hayesville, NC: Schoettle, 1992), 583., David Hocking, The Coming World Leader (Portland: Multnomah, 1988), 112.