Revelation 4

Verse 1

A Door in Heaven

"After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven. And the first voice I heard, like a trumpet, speaking with me, said, 'Come up here, and I will show you what must take place hereafter.'"

Chapter 4 begins a new section in the book. It is the third and final section of Revelation. The three-part division of the book is already given by Jesus Himself in the introduction with His glorious appearance to John. The instruction He gives John there is very simple and clear: "Revelation 1:19 Write down now the things you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place afterward." The "things which are" are the seven churches that existed at that time, but which also represent church history during the current era. This is the period of the Gentile church, which had already begun when John received the prophecy of the Book of Revelation

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After the conclusion of the period of the Gentile church, a new era begins, in which God continues his plans for the people of Israel. Shortly before the first 3.5 years of the coming new era, the church is transferred to heaven. It is therefore a period "after" the period of the church, which is why the first verse of chapter 4 twice mentions the word "hereafter."

In the first verse, we read a symbolic reference to the manner in which the church will be taken out of the world. A door is opened in heaven, and a voice like a trumpet sounds, saying, "Come up..." The rapture of the church also mentions "a trumpet," "a door in heaven", and an "ascension." It is "the trumpet of God", "the cloud of God's glory", which is the door to heaven and the "caught up to meet the Lord in the air."

The opened door in heaven is the result of Jesus' work. He holds all the keys. The keys of death and Hades (Rev.1:18), the key of David (Rev.3:7), the keys of the kingdom of heaven (Math.16:19). He gave the latter to Peter (Math.16;19), who used them several times in the context of the expansion of the church, first toward Samaria with the outpouring of the Spirit in Acts 8 and later toward all the nations of the earth with the outpouring of the Spirit in Acts 10. The keys of death and Hades will be used by Jesus in the resurrection from the dead, first at the rapture of the church, then at his return to earth, and finally after his millennial reign. The key of David and the opened door He gave in Philadelphia are related to a new understanding of the position of the church and the position of Israel, and the important distinction between them, which unfortunately has gone completely lost again in the time of Laodicea. It all will become abundantly clear again after the rapture of the church through God's dealings with Israel.

It is significant that the Bible never mentions the keys of heaven. The keys to the kingdom of heaven, which Peter received from Jesus, are seen in Catholic belief as keys to heaven, as if Peter stands at the gates of heaven, determining who may or may not enter. This is a false doctrine. The kingdom of heaven has nothing to do with heaven as the dwelling place of God on high, but refers to God's rule on earth. It is the kingdom on earth, where "the heavens" rule and everything would be governed based on heavenly principles. This was intended to be shaped by Jesus' followers, of whom Peter was the representative. But what once began well has, under human responsibility, as with everything God entrusts to humanity, degenerated into a largely monstrous structure, in which God's principles are hopelessly mixed with human thoughts and beliefs.

That the kingdom of God would not become heaven on earth was already predicted by Jesus in the well-known parables of Matthew 13, where he compared the "kingdom of heaven" to a field sown with both good seed and weeds, to three measures of flour mixed with leaven (a symbol of evil throughout the Old Testament), and to a mustard seed that grows into a huge tree with branches in which the "birds of the air" (in many places in the Bible, a designation for negative spiritual powers) come to nest. Paul also spoke of a foundation he had laid and upon which others would build , and he warns: "Let each one take heed how he builds on it." (1 Cor.3:10,11) He then mentions various materials, some of which are fireproof, while others are not. Therefore, in the kingdom of God on earth, construction can be done with materials that cannot withstand the fire of God's judgment. In the seven letters of chapters 2 and 3, we have also seen how precisely Jesus foresaw the disappointing course of history for his church.

Back now to the keys. Nowhere in the Bible does the Bible mention keys regarding heaven. Jesus left an open door in heaven. However, we read in the letter to the Hebrews about the entrance to the sanctuary, which is a picture of heaven. We have access "through the veil, which is His flesh." (Heb.10:20) The veil was the curtain that hung in the tabernacle and later in the temple before the Holy of Holies, the dwelling place of God, a shadow of heaven. Cherubim were woven onto that curtain, the angels who were to guard access to the tree of life after the Fall. That curtain was torn from top to bottom at the moment of Jesus' death. Through His broken body, access to heaven is available to everyone who believes in Him. He calls Himself the "door of the sheep." We may enter "the fold" through Him. This initially refers to his care for believers as his sheep, while they are still on earth. But eventually this also refers to heaven, where those believers will ultimately be transported in the rapture. Jesus was the first Man to pass through the heavens and set Himself at the right hand of the Majesty on high. As a high priest after the order of Melchizedek (a different one from Aaron's, not a temporary one but an eternal one), He entered the inner sanctuary in heaven, behind the veil. There lies our hope as the anchor of the soul (Heb.6:19). Our hope is to one day be where He is. This is what the "open door in heaven" refers to, that John enters here.

The context shows that the sound of a trumpet here in Revelation refers to the voice of the angel who relays the Revelation to John. Earlier, we saw the four-step staircase: God – Jesus – His angel – John. In the first chapter, John hears two different voices: a voice like a trumpet, coming from the angel (Revelation 1:11 is probably not authentic – incidentally, the angel speaks here on behalf of Jesus), and a voice like the sound of many waters, coming from Jesus. The first voice, that of the angel, is heard again at the beginning of this third section of the book. It is the angel who shows John everything.

The voices of the angel and Jesus are difficult even for John to distinguish, because at the end of the book, in chapter 22, he wants to fall down in worship before the angel who shows him everything. However, the angel rebukes him and orders him not to do so, because he too is a servant, just like John. A few verses later, we hear Jesus say: “Behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with me. I am the Alpha and the Omega…” And a little further on: “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify these things to you to the churches.” The book thus explicitly distinguishes between Jesus and the angel.

Verse 2

The Throne

“I immediately came in the Spirit; and behold, a throne stood in heaven…”

Verse 2 literally begins with “I came in the Spirit.” That's exactly the same expression as at the beginning of the book, where John first hears the voice of a trumpet, the voice of the angel who conveys the Revelation to him. The difference is that at the beginning of the book, he first comes in the Spirit and then hears the voice. In chapter 1 it was: first seeing, then hearing. He came in the Spirit and then heard the voice of the angel. He saw Jesus and then received instructions for writing for the churches. In this third section of the book, which deals with "what must happen next," John first hears the voice of the trumpet and immediately afterward he comes "in the Spirit." It means: first hearing, then seeing. The rapture will start with sounds in the air - the command of the Lord, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God (1 Thess.4:16). Then seeing will follow until eternity. The emphasis in this third part of Revelation is on everything John sees. The phrase "and I saw" repeatedly resounds.

It says that John "comes in the Spirit." This means that for a time he was "not in the Spirit." After the final sentence from Jesus' mouth, "Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches," John was first given the opportunity to actually write the letters or to organize his writing. For example, the instruction for each of the seven churches was: "Write to the angel of the church in…." Given the "Hereafter," which begins chapter 4, a short time has passed since the end of chapter 3. Then John again hears the voice like the trumpet of the angel, and immediately he is once again in the Spirit.

The expression "in the Spirit" implies that John entered an invisible reality, which is essentially more real than the visible world. There, he was shown what would happen in the very distant future—we now know—a future that many now believe can begin imminently. The Bible itself indicates that the invisible reality is more real than the visible world: "The things seen are temporary, but the things unseen are eternal." (2 Cor.4"18)  The material world, with its dimensions of space and time, is generated from the invisible world of Spirit. For this reason, in his book "The Great Divorce," C.S. Lewis presented heaven as much more substantial, harder, and impenetrable than the "soft" earthly matter.

Central to all that John sees is a throne. This throne is the most central and therefore the most prominent thing in heaven, and that's why the throne is the first thing John notices. The entire book of Revelation, everything that is about to happen in heaven and on earth, emanates from this throne. The throne of God is the beginning and the end of all things. When Pilate said to the already severely scourged Jesus, "Do you not speak to me? Don't you know that I have power to release you and to crucify you?" Jesus' answer was, "You would have no power at all against me unless it had been given to you from above..." (John 19:10,11) Pilate received his power from the throne of God. He stood before the One who gave him that power, the Lamb on the throne. Jesus could have asked the Father for twelve legions of angels, and humanity, about to crucify the Creator of heaven and earth, would have been finished. All power that humans possess is granted to them from the throne. This is something that must be constantly kept in mind throughout all the horrors that follow in the rest of the book: absolutely nothing happens outside of God's throne.

What is striking is that almost everything John writes is in the past tense. That's how it begins here: "A throne stood in heaven, and someone sat on the throne..." and so it continues—until verse 8, where the verb tense shifts to the present tense. This verb tense is very important, but it's easily overlooked. The past tense indicates the complete, 100% certainty of what is yet to come. It's as if it says: there's no getting around this, just accept it. This is how it is and no other way. The future is presented as a past, "solidified" or "frozen," completely fixed.

John is "in the Spirit" and therefore sees things from God's perspective. For God, there is no difference between past, present, and future. He brought creation into being in all its dynamism, along with everything that was yet to come, because He is God, transcendental to time. He is not like us, who progress on a timeline. We are limited and can see what lies in the past—but we cannot change it. And we can influence the future—but we cannot yet see anything of it. We are limited humans, 'trapped' in time. But He is God, who created time, the temporal reality we call the "universe." That universe resides in God. He brings it forth, all the thousands of years of its existence, from His eternal Being—as one incredibly complex work, unfathomable to humans, with all its properties and laws, and with a timeline for the creatures, who in a present are constantly moving from a past toward a future. God Himself, however, is not on such a timeline, not even one in heaven. All time, in heaven and on earth, exists in Him.

He encompasses everything, visible and invisible reality, with all its layers of government, thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers. Therefore, everything in reality is like the past for God, completely known. But because He is Creator, the past is not fixed for Him at all, as it is for us. After all, the temporal universe is constantly being created under His creative hands, in interaction with the trillions of human decisions made daily. How He—despite human free will—can simultaneously predetermine and know everything is an unfathomable mystery to us and extends beyond the limits of what we can know. It might have something to do with the nature of time.

Because everything in Revelation is connected to the throne, it is important to pay close attention to the prepositions used in relation to the throne. "Someone sits on the throne..." It does not say "God," but "Someone." The reason is that no one has ever seen God. God said to Moses: no one will see Me and live. Moses is allowed to see the Lord from behind (Ex.33:20-23. That seems to be the case here as well. John does see "Someone" on the throne, but he cannot see the face.

The expression "on the throne" is used exclusively in reference to God Himself. Furthermore, it is always "before," "around," and "in" the throne, but never "on," except when referring to God. Usually, it is "Him who sits on the throne." Only twice does it say "God, who sits on the throne." The appearance of the throne is never mentioned, except at the resurrection of judgment, when, after the millennial reign of Christ, all the dead who did not participate in the first resurrection are raised to be judged. Then there is mention of a great white throne and Him who sits on it. But it is always the same throne: God's.

Verse 3

"He who sat on it..."

"And he who sat on it was in appearance like a jasper and a sardine stone."

The one who sits on the throne is compared to two different stones. Let's first look at where in the Bible mentions these stones are mentioned.

Both stones, the jasper and the sardine, appear in three different contexts:

The twelve stones in the breastplate of the high priest of Israel: jasper was the twelfth stone and sardine the first. (Ex.28:17-21)
The nine stones of the guardian cherub hiding behind the king of Tyre: jasper was the sixth stone and sardine the first. (Ez.28:13)
The description of the New Jerusalem, descending from God out of heaven: jasper was the material of the first foundation and sardine the sixth. These foundations also bear the names of apostles. (Rev.21:19,20)
In Isaiah, we read that God is so great that He cannot be compared to anything or anyone. “To whom will you compare God, or what comparison will you compare to Him?” (Is.40:18) The text then goes on to speak of idols of gold and silver with which the nations depict their gods. Here, John, in his vision of the One seated on the throne, strangely enough uses stones to represent God: “And he who sat on him was like a jasper and a sardine stone.” How should we interpret this? What does God’s Spirit mean by it?

First of all, it is significant that the stones, which here represent the One on the throne, are used to represent people, both in the Old Testament and later in Revelation. The stones on the high priest’s breastplate were engraved with the names of the tribes of Israel. The high priest wore these names, engraved on these stones, over his heart. The very last stone and the very first stone here become a representation of God.

In the New Jerusalem, we find the names of the twelve tribes on twelve pearly gates. We also find the precious stones with some of the same, some different names as in the high priest's breastplate, but all with the names of the twelve apostles.

The high priest in Israel is a picture of Jesus as the heavenly High Priest after the order of Melchizedek. In the tabernacle, the high priest bore the names of the sons of Israel, engraved on two onyx stones on his shoulders (Ex.28:9,10). "Sons of Israel" refers to Israelites who were part of the nation by birth. He bore the names of the tribes encamped in the desert on twelve different stones on the breastplate over his heart. Thus, Christ bears His own, as born-again children of God, on His shoulders—as a sign of the complete assurance of their salvation. Furthermore, Christ bears His own on His heart in their daily lives to support them through the difficulties and temptations in the "desert" of this world.

But the heavenly High Priest after the order of Melchizedek is also God Himself. In the representation of the stones, we see God in His connection with humanity. God created humanity in His image, but then became Man Himself and thus became inseparably associated with humanity. Because God became Man, He is able to fully understand and support His own, who are in the world. That is the function and task of Jesus as High Priest.

We also see this connection between God and those redeemed from the world in the description of the New Jerusalem, with its radiance and walls of jasper. God is the bearer of his redeemed for eternity, which is visible in the twelve foundations, one of jasper and one of sardine, on which the names of the apostles are written.

We also see the intimate bond between God and humanity in Ezekiel's vision. The prophet penetrates ever deeper into the cloud of God's glory, and then his description concludes with:

"Above the firmament over their heads was what looked like sapphire stone, the appearance of a throne; and above it, on the appearance of the throne, was a figure that looked like a man." (Ez.1:26)

In Jesus Christ, God became Man, and everything that is visible of God for eternity is visible only in the Man Jesus. In heaven, we will not encounter the Father and the Son as two separate beings. We will encounter the Father in the form of the Son. Jesus says to Thomas: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father… Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?” (John 14:9-11) We receive knowledge of the glory of God only in the face of Jesus Christ. For “in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” (Col. 2:9) He is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being. The One who sits on the throne is the Godhead incarnate, who, as a human being, has intimately connected with the people who chose Him and entrusted their lives to Him.

It is significant that the cherub, described as the power behind the king of Tyre, Satan, also has a series of stones, just like the high priest of Israel. However, there are differences. There are not twelve but nine stones, and the order differs. If the Blue Letter Bible's English translation is correct, then the difference in stones primarily concerns the jasper. This jasper is the twelfth stone for the high priest, but the sixth for the cherub. Twelve represents the perfection of God's governmental ways with humanity. This perfection is sought by the cherub within humanity itself. Six is the number of humanity, created on the sixth day of creation. "Get behind me, Satan, for you are not minding the things of God, but the things of men," said Jesus when Peter tried to distract Him from the suffering that awaited Him in Jerusalem (Math.16:23).

This cherub attempted to imitate God and to entice humanity into a plan of commerce and pride. This began in the Garden of Eden and corrupted the human race until the Flood, when God had to take away humanity, except for Noah, who was considered righteous or pure. But after the Flood, it began again with the construction of the Tower of Babel as a new low point. Isn't this tower-building the meaning of "I will ascend to heaven, above God's stars"? These are the words God addresses to "the shining morning star," Satan. This depth of Babel has been absorbed by all cultures through the constant deception of this cherub and has become firmly entrenched in the collective memory of humanity. Two thousand years since the cross, Satan has been working with humanity to establish a system intended to keep God out. In the last hundred years, it has spread like wildfire, resulting in an unbridled faith in science and technology, now reaching the point where billions worldwide are being injected with experimental nanotechnology and genetic manipulation under the guise of a vaccine. This will culminate in the great Babylon of the end times, as we shall see.

An explanation of something as important as a description of the One who sits on the throne cannot be left out of a brief investigation into the meaning of the stones "jasper" and "sardius." There is little disagreement about the sardius. It concerns a blood-red stone (carnelian or chalcedony). This stone represents something that is only elaborated upon in the next chapter: the Lamb on the throne, who is depicted as slain. It is God who redeems humanity at the cost of Himself. He Himself offers the sacrifice, no one else. Paul tells the Ephesian elders that God has purchased His church "with His own blood." (Acts 20:28)

There is considerable disagreement about the jasper. Some argue that it is a red stone, others that it is a green stone, and still others prefer the interpretation as a diamond. The latter interpretation is disputed because the first diamond cutters' guild dates back to the fourteenth century AD. However, there is evidence of the industrial use of diamonds from as early as the fourth century BC. This means that the diamond was known at the beginning of our era, even though there was no guild. Given the description of the jasper in the context of the New Jerusalem in chapter 21, a diamond must therefore be considered. "She had the glory of God, and her radiance was like a most precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal."

Jasper is neither very precious (because it is soft and therefore easy to work) nor transparent like glass. Diamond is both very precious (because it is the hardest material we know) and transparent like glass. That God redeems at the cost of Himself requires enormous hardness from Him. We see this in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus is immersed in deep anguish. But as the perfect Son, He perseveres in the perfect will of the perfect Father. He sets His face "like a flint" and, through the greatest horrors of the cross, carries out God's great plan of redemption. The Son and the Father have persevered in their plan to redeem humanity. God's love is not soft but hard. This also applies to His ways with stubborn and erring people. No matter how much it costs us and Himself, He continues to educate us through suffering, so that we ultimately learn to be the people He wants us to be.

On the throne sits Someone with a diamond will and a blood-red love.

Verse 3

"a rainbow..."

"And around the throne was a rainbow, in appearance like an emerald."

How we should imagine "around" the throne is not clear from the word used. With a rainbow, we quickly think of an upright arc, which in that case would also be above the throne. However, because the throne is the highest conceivable, we should think more of a horizontal arc, which lies like a 360-degree circle around the throne. As is well known, a rainbow is created by the combination of sunlight and water droplets. Where the rainbow is located depends on the position from which the water droplets are viewed. Usually, one looks up, and then the rainbow "stands." But when the grass is watered, one looks down at the water droplets and a lying rainbow can be seen all around the one who waters the grass. If it were about physical water and physical light, how he sees the rainbow here would depend on John's position. But we are dealing here with a spiritual reality, of which the physical world is a shadow. With the throne, as the highest position in heaven, we expect a horizontal rainbow circling the throne.

The word "around" appears only four times in the entire New Testament, all four times in Revelation: the rainbow around the throne, the twenty-four thrones around the throne, the six wings around each of the four living creatures, and the sound of many angels around the throne. In all cases, it refers to a horizontal circle, not a vertical one.

For the meaning of the rainbow, interpreters usually rightly refer back to the first mention of the rainbow in the Bible (Gen.9:13). After the Flood, God gives the rainbow as a sign of His covenant with Noah and with all living things, that He would not strike the earth with another flood. This is important here, at the beginning of Revelation, because the transfer of dominion over the earth from the devil to Jesus Christ is accompanied by great violence. One could say that God is here remembering the covenant He made with all living things, that a total flood would not occur during the years of tribulation. That the water nevertheless causes considerable local damage is evident from Jesus' words: "and on earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, while people faint from fear and expectation of what is coming on the earth; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken." (Luke 21:23) Indeed, nowhere in Revelation do we read about the earth being completely covered by water. We do read about water becoming undrinkable or turning to blood (Rev.8:8, 11, Rev.16:3)

However, there is more to say about the rainbow around the throne. That God no longer allows a flood to occur is only one aspect. It is something that God does not do. But there is so much that God does, and that too is represented by the rainbow. Something else preceded the rainbow: Noah's building of an altar and the burnt offerings he offered on it of all the clean animals and birds that had been with him in the ark. When the LORD smelled the sweet aroma of the burnt offering, He said to Himself, "I will never again curse the ground because of man, nor strike it again as I have done." In these burnt offerings, we see a reference to the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus, which would one day be offered and which alone can satisfy God. Jesus' sacrifice gave Noah's burnt offering its sweet aroma to God.

After God's intention to cease doing something, namely bringing a flood, there is something God will continue to do: "While the earth remains, seed-time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease." Here we see God's faithful care for his creation, the constant maintenance He provides for it. This too is depicted by the rainbow. After all, a rainbow appears through sunshine and rain, and both are necessary for the growth of crops and the survival of all living things. However much humanity may disappoint, abandon, insult, offend, ignore, or explain away God, God remains faithful to this promise that seed-time and harvest, and so on, will not cease. This promise even stands during the years of tribulation and judgment described in the book of Revelation.

Jesus Himself said in the Sermon on the Mount: "...that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.’ Given the context—loving your enemy, praying for persecutors—this is exclusively about good gifts from God. First-century Israel was not a vacation country, where sun was good and rain was bad. It was an agricultural economy, requiring both sun and rain. Sun and rain, which together produce a rainbow. In Israel, it was about the soft early rains of autumn and the downpour of late spring. Throughout the centuries since the Flood, God has given His sun and His rains to humanity, no matter how far humanity had strayed from Him. The rainbow is an unparalleled sign of God's faithfulness. The green color of emerald confirms that it is about God's faithful care for everything that grows and blossoms in nature.

In a sense, His Being of jasper and sardine is reflected by thousands of droplets of the rainbow. His perfect will, which nothing can resist, and his self-sacrificing love together guarantee the centuries of faithfulness that lie ahead and the years of faithfulness that will guide humanity through all the tribulations of the final tribulation-years. That rainbow is also a guarantee of the timely cessation of the horrors that ar yet to be described in later chapters. Jesus said: “If those days were not shortened, no flesh would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be shortened.” “Shortened” here does not mean “shorter than originally planned,” but “limited,” namely to the three and a half years indicated in so many prophecies. It will not last a single day longer, even if God’s enemies wish it to. That is why it also says that Satan, who is cast out of heaven before the start of those three and a half years, “knows that his time is short.”

Verse 4

Twenty-four thrones

“And around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones sat twenty-four elders, clothed in white robes, with crowns of gold on their heads.”

The identity of the twenty-four elders is decisive for the timing of the rapture of the church. If the church is included among the twenty-four elders, then the rapture must occur before the years of tribulation. If the twenty-four elders are in no way identifiable with believers of the present age, then the church evidently remains on earth during the seven years of tribulation.

The twenty-four elders refer to either humans or angels. There is no other explanation. The question, therefore, is whether angels are ever called elders, are seen sitting on thrones, clothed in white robes, and have crowns on their heads? If so, they could be angels. Several prominent passages describe angels. Isaiah sees seraphim standing and flying (Isaiah 6:1-3). He prophesies about Satan that he fell from heaven after he planned to set up his throne above the stars of God and thus make himself equal with the Most High, instead of, as Ezekiel says, being content with his position and walking among the fiery stones (Ez.28:14). And Gabriel says to Zacharias, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God.” (Luke1:19) In the letter to Hebrews, angels are all called “ministering spirits” sent out to minister “for the sake of those who will inherit salvation.” (Heb.1:13,14)  Jesus tells Nathanael that He would see angels ascending and descending upon the Son of Man (John 1:51).

In Revelation, John sees four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, and all the angels are standing around the throne. In Revelation 8, he sees seven angels standing before God, and another angel standing by the golden censer. Then an angel flies with the cry of the threefold “woe,” and four angels are spoken of as bound by the Euphrates River. In Revelation 10, an angel stands on the sea and on the earth. In Revelation 14, John sees angels flying with various messages for humanity. In chapter 18, John sees an angel descend from heaven with great power. In Revelation 19, he sees an angel standing near the sun. In Revelation 20, he sees another angel descending from heaven. In Revelation 21, he sees angels at the twelve gates of the New Jerusalem. Nowhere do we see an angel sitting, let alone sitting on a throne or crowned with a crown or clothed in linen.

Nowhere are angels ever called "elders." Nowhere are angels ever depicted "sitting." Nowhere are angels ever seen on thrones. Nowhere are angels ever seen clothed in white. Nowhere are angels ever seen wearing crowns. The image of the twenty-four elders can only mean that these are people.

The question then arises whether these are the souls of deceased people or fully-fledged people resurrected in their new bodies. Since the error that there would be no visible reign of Christ on earth, but that the church would have to rule on earth in Christ's name as fulfillment of God's promises (see chapter 3, the letters to Pergamum and Thyatira), belief in the rapture of the church and the accompanying resurrection of all who had fallen asleep in Christ was also gone. All of this was also understood spiritually, and in one way or another, the deceased were given a place with Christ in heaven in the afterlife. In this way, the Christian faith was also blended with the Greek belief in the soul, which had to be liberated from the body and could only attain bliss after death.

The question, however, is whether the dead are ever spoken of anywhere in the Bible as elders, sitting on thrones, clothed in white robes, and crowned with crowns. This can be answered briefly. The Bible says very little about the state of the dead. If one wishes to take 2 Corinthians 5 and Philippians 1 as the basis for a conscious state after death, it is impossible to conclude from them whether the above-mentioned characteristics are met. They only speak of "dwelling with the Lord" and "being with Christ." Paul calls the former "being stripped of clothing," the body, this earthly tent, being taken off. There is precisely no mention of any clothing, let alone crowns and thrones.

No, instead of being "unclothed" (dying), Paul much prefers to be "clothed upon with our heavenly house" that mortality is swallowed up by life. That is what happens to believers who experience the rapture of the church in the flesh. It is what Paul mentions elsewhere, that we will not all fall asleep, but all be changed. All, for those who have fallen asleep in Christ will also rise with their new, glorified bodies (1 Cor.15:51,52). That is the eternal house in heaven, a building of God, not made with hands. That building of God in heaven corresponds to the thrones, crowns, and white garments of the twenty-four elders in Revelation 4. These are resurrected saints. This means that the resurrection and rapture of the church have already occurred before Revelation 4. We also saw that the first verse of chapter 4 is a type of that rapture. Rapture Arguments shows more arguments for the 'pretrib rapture'.

While none of the characteristics of the twenty-four elders point to angels, all of them point to people. Three of the rewards Jesus promised the overcomers in his churches are found in the description of the twenty-four elders: crowns were promised to the overcomers of Smyrna and Philadelphia (Rev.2:10, 3:11), white robes to the overcomers of Sardis (Rev.3:5), and thrones to the overcomers of Laodicea (Rev.3:21). Moreover, the term "elders" always refers to people, the representatives of the tribes of Israel or the representatives of Jesus' various churches. The question, of course, is why the letters to the churches repeatedly refer to "angel" and "he who overcomes," while here we are referring to "elders." The reason may be twofold. The first is that the number twenty-four is symbolic, indicating not the entire church but only the representatives or elders in whom the entire church is seen. The second reason relates to the task the church fulfills here, namely, insight into God's ways with his creation. This requires wisdom of life, hence the "elders."

The number twenty-four is significant. This refers to two twelves. Twelve represents the fullness of government, three times four. Three is the number of the deity, four the number of creation. The deity who completely permeates his creation. God has had such government twice, namely in his dealings with the people of Israel, twelve patriarchs and tribes, and in his dealings with the church, twelve apostles. All who have fallen asleep in Christ will be resurrected at the rapture. The Old Testament believers looked forward to Christ—even those before the twelve patriarchs, such as Abraham (John 8:56). The New Testament believers looked back to Christ. And all of them, both Old and New Testament believers, looked forward in faith to the coming of Christ in glory. Almost all will have fallen asleep "in Christ." The two twelves are also found in the New Jerusalem, with the twelve pearly gates, on which the names of the twelve tribes of Israel are written, and the twelve foundations bearing the names of the twelve apostles.

The tabernacle, which Israel built and carried with them through the wilderness, was a model of things in heaven. Almost everything in the tabernacle is described in Revelation, mostly in chapter 4, but some in other chapters. The ark of the covenant is a picture of God's throne from which God extends mercy and dispenses righteousness to all who believe in the blood, the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, both in anticipation and in retrospection of His redemptive work. The expression "means of atonement" is the same word used in Hebrews for "mercy seat," the lid that covered the ark. The ark was a gold-covered wooden chest that stood alone in the Holy of Holies of the tabernacle and later of the temple. Inside the ark were the two stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments. Atop the ark was a lid of pure gold, on which were carved two angelic figures, cherubim, of the same gold, one with the lid. The cherubim looked down at the Ten Commandments of the Law. Once a year, the blood of the sacrifice of the "Day of Atonement" was sprinkled on and in front of the lid by the high priest to atone for the sins of the people. The mercy seat, the high priest, and the sacrifice are all types of Christ in his work of atonement.

The tabernacle containing the ark was constructed of 48 wooden boards, overlaid with gold and placed upright against each other: twenty on the north side, twenty on the east side, six on the west side and two corner boards Ex.28:18-23). These 48 boards, like the 24 thrones, represent the faithful. The double number is noteworthy. It may have something to do with the depiction of heavenly things on earth, where earthly circumstances are taken into account. God created humanity as "man and woman." Hence the double number of boards. On earth, an "elder" is always a dual entity. Elder-couples are often spoken of. Behind every man stands a woman. After the resurrection, the distinction between man and woman is abolished. The new bodies that people receive in the resurrection no longer recognize gender distinctions. Jesus says that those who partake are "like angels." If this interpretation is correct, it means that God had already used the people of Israel to portray his purpose for a future church from among the nations. However, we encounter this more often in the Old Testament.

Verse 5

Voices

"And from the throne proceeded lightnings, voices, and thunders..."

Here we have a unique preposition in connection with the throne: "from the throne." This refers to the speaking of God Himself or of the four living creatures, which are intimately connected to His throne. God's voice is like thunder. This passage of revelation is directly connected to Psalm 29:

"The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders; the Lord is upon the great waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful, the voice of the Lord is glorious…. The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire.…. But in His temple everyone says, 'To Him be the glory!'"

We read the latter here as well; a boisterous song of praise resounds through the heavens in this and the following chapter.

We also know that God speaks in thunder from the Book of Job, where Elihu, Job's friend, instructs him, saying:

"Listen attentively to the thunder of His voice, and to the sound that comes from His mouth! He sends it forth under all heaven, and His light to the ends of the earth. Then He roars with His voice; He thunders with the voice of His majesty. He does not hold back these things when His voice is heard. God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things, and we cannot comprehend them." (Job 37:2-5)

Immediately afterward, God indeed begins to speak to Job:

“Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said…” (Job 38:1)

The very first time thunder from heaven is mentioned is during the seventh plague on Egypt:

“Then Moses stretched out his rod toward heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail. Fire came down upon the earth, and the LORD rained down hail on the land of Egypt.” (Ex.9:23)

In the Book of Revelation, hail is the most severe plague of the seventh bowl, with which God’s judgments end. This final plague is also introduced by “voices, thunders, and lightnings:” 

“And there were voices, thunders, and lightnings. And there was a great earthquake, such as had not occurred since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake! ... And great hailstones, each weighing about a talent, fell from heaven upon the people. But the people blasphemed God because of the plague of hail, for the plague of hail was exceedingly great. (Rev.16:18, 21)

After the people of Israel were delivered from Egypt, we read of thunder again at the beginning of their wilderness journey, at the giving of the Ten Commandments to the people:

"And it came to pass on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mountain, and the sound of a trumpet very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled."

It was a very frightening phenomenon, because the people were terrified, even though they had already experienced quite a lot. The Ten Commandments were delivered to the people of Israel with a thunderous roar. Immediately after the tenth commandment, the description of the thunderous violence follows again:

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house." You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's."

And immediately afterward follows the description of thunder, lightning, and the sound of a trumpet.

"And all the people saw the thunder, the lightning, the sound of a trumpet, and the mountain smoking. When the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance. And they said to Moses, 'Speak with us yourself, and we will listen; but let not God speak with us, or we will die." (Ex.20:17-19)

In the New Testament too, we read that God's voice sounds like thunder. Besides Revelation, we also read this in the Gospel of John. We see Jesus talking with his disciples about his enormous popularity, which would have been completely in vain if He were not to follow the path of rejection and suffering. Then Jesus is moved, and the following happens:

"Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. But for this reason I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven: "And I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." The crowd who were standing there and heard it said it had thundered. Others said, "An angel spoke to him." (John 12:27-29)

The fact that people in the crowd heard the sound of thunder, while the Father spoke to Jesus, does indicate what the Father's voice sounds like.

The four living creatures, which will be discussed later and which are intimately connected to the throne, also have a voice like thunder. What is striking in Revelation is that we hardly ever read of God speaking. In Genesis, we often read of God speaking: "And God said..." This is almost entirely absent in Revelation. Only "thunderings, voices, and lightnings" are mentioned. But it could very well be that it is the four living creatures that produce this, since they are intimately connected to the throne. One of them is said to have spoken with a voice like thunder. They then speak on behalf of God. Furthermore, it is primarily the angels who are in charge. They often cry out with a loud voice, they say, they utter loud cries, and so on. But where the living creatures, the elders, and the angels speak or cry out, they give all honor to "Him who sits on the throne." It seems as if "He who sits on the throne" watches everything in silence.

The Book of Revelation is the book of the "great cleansing," in which everything that has been defiled by man over the past 6,000 years is purified by God's judgment. That God's judgments can be compared to a cleansing operation is also read in the Book of Isaiah:

"...when the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and purged the bloodstains of Jerusalem from her by the Spirit of judgment and of blotting out..." (Isaiah 4:4)

After this cleansing of the earth, it is sufficiently prepared for the transfer of power to Christ, the Lamb on the throne. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him, and in 'the Revelation of Jesus Christ', we read how He ultimately claims that power. But God's judgment is not something He delights in. It is an unusual work for Him, as it is written in Isaiah:

"For the Lord will rise up as on Mount Perazim. He will rage, as in the Valley of Gibeon, to do His work—strange will be His work—and to perform His deed—unusual will be His deed. (Isaiah 28:21-23)

How strange judgment is to God is also evident from the Gospels. On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus and his disciples pass through Samaria. In one of the villages, the people refuse to receive Him. Then the disciples John and James, the "sons of thunder," ask Jesus:

"Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, as Elijah did?"

Luke then records Jesus's response:

"But He turned and rebuked them, saying, 'You do not know what kind of Spirit you are of, for the Son of Man did not come to destroy people's lives, but to save them.' So they went to another village."  (Luke 9:54-56)

We read about thunder and lightning after first reading about a rainbow. In nature, it's usually the other way around. The rainbow appears after a thunderstorm. This, too, reveals God's character. Judging is a strange work for Him. He is much more the God of the rainbow. In Nazareth, Jesus read Isaiah 61, which says:

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the meek. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD..."  (Luke 4:18,19)

And there He stopped. But the text continues: "...and the day of vengeance of our God." Isaiah 61:2) In other words, the acceptable year began when He spoke, approximately 2,000 years ago, but the day of vengeance is still future. This only begins after Revelation 4 and 5, when God's church is taken up into heaven, and it also lasts much shorter—not 2,000 years, but only about 3.5 —it is a work that God accomplishes with great haste.

The expression "thunderings, voices, and lightnings" appears four times in Revelation and is one of the indications for the division. We find the expression “thunderings, voices, and lightnings” in the following places:

(1) Once at the very beginning of all the judgments (here, in chapter 4), that is, before the seven seals, the opening of which we estimate at about 4 years before the second coming (the estimations are based upon signs in the stars)

(2) once at the beginning of the judgments of the seven trumpets, which we expect at about 2 years before the second coming, see: Endtime Climax in Stars

(3) once directly before the pouring out of the 7 vials of God's wrath, shortly before the second coming. The throne is suddenly called the “ark of the covenant” and God's special protection to His earthly people throughout history is seen, the people which brought forth Messiah.

(4) And finally, once, just before the very last judgment of the last, the seventh bowl, the plague of the most severe hail. Together with this seventh vial, Christ returns with the clouds of heaven.

This last time is preceded by a clear pronouncement from the throne: “It is done.” Only twice in Revelation do we read what the “voices” say from the throne: “It is done” (Rev.16:17) and “Praise our God, all His servants, and all who fear Him, small and great!” (Rev.19:5) The “it is done” is the loud voice “from the temple, from the throne,” which indicates that the throne is located in the heavenly temple, that is, the Holy of Holies in heaven. The throne is identical to the ark, which was also the seat of God in the tabernacle and later in the temple.

Only once in Revelation do we hear Him who sits on the throne say something, right at the end, when all judgments are over. Then it comes from the mouth of Him who sits on the throne:

"Behold, I make all things new." (Rev.21:5)

This is the end of all the events in the book, the end of the present creation in which we live. Then comes the writing commission to John, with the reliability of the words. The prophecy that comes from God is so reliable that it can be seen as if it were already past. Therefore, it follows: "It is done." Then, very appropriately at the end of the book and of the present creation, just as at the beginning of the book, Jesus introduces himself as the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.

Verse 5

Torches

"...and seven torches of fire were burning before the throne; These are the seven Spirits of God.

The torch is used in darkness. The torch first appears in the Bible in connection with Abraham, who asked God for a sign that would show him that God would fulfill the promise of his offspring and his inheritance in the land. He was then ordered to offer five sacrificial animals, and a deep sleep and a terrifying darkness fell upon him. While he slept, God told him that his descendants would be forced to labor in a foreign land, but that God would free them and bring them into the promised land. After sunset, Abraham, still fast asleep and in thick darkness, sees a smoking furnace and a fiery torch. The smoking furnace represents the oppression of the people in Egypt. The fiery torch represents the shining of God's Spirit in the darkness.

That we see seven fiery torches here in Revelation means that in Revelation we are dealing with a fullness of enlightenment by God's Spirit in the midst of a fullness of darkness. The darkness of oppression depicted in Revelation is far greater than that of slavery in Egypt. It is global. But so is the light of God's Spirit. It is much stronger and more comprehensive than during slavery in Egypt.

There is a second similarity with the story of Abraham. The fiery torch passed between the pieces of the sacrifice Abraham offered. In ancient times, slaughtering and splitting a sacrifice before walking between them was a sign of covenant-making. In cases of serious covenants, the two parts of the sacrifice showed what would happen to the one who broke the covenant. In Abraham's case, only God passes between the parts of the sacrifice, as a fiery torch. It is a unilateral covenant, a promise from God. With the fiery torch between the sacrifices, God confirmed his covenant with Abraham. In Revelation, God rekindles his covenant with his people, and especially in these dark times, that covenant will radiate greater power for God's people than ever before. That the torch is seen before the throne (not on, in, or from the throne) indicates that it is not about God's own government or the effects of that government in God's speaking (thunder and lightning), but about light and power through God's governmental ways for believers, who are shrouded in a period of complete darkness. That the sevenfold Spirit of God is needed to give light to believers in this darkness speaks to the enormity of the darkness. The world rulers of darkness, the powers of evil in the heavenly realms, will have drawn all influence on earth to themselves, and God's Spirit enables believers to stand firm in their midst.

It is the devil who stands at the top of this pyramid of darkness. He who was once Lucifer, the morning star, the prince of light, has, through his pride, become a wandering star and thus darkness. He uses the qualities he received from God as a chief cherub to pose as God or God and to present reality in a way that suits his evil purposes. He does nothing but deceive by presenting humanity with a lie that appears to be the truth. This course of action culminates in the tribulation period covered by the Book of Revelation, which is therefore the darkest period in world history. It is the time of which the Lord Jesus long ago said, "I must work while it is day; the night comes when no man can work." (John 9:4)

Some equate the seven torches before the throne with the seven lampstands of chapters 2 and 3. This is incorrect. The seven torches before the throne are said to be the seven Spirits of God. In the introduction to the book, the seven Spirits "who are before his throne" are mentioned as the sender of the book. In chapter 1, the seven lampstands are said to be the seven churches of God. But there is a similarity, namely the spreading of light. In the current age of the church, it is the church that spreads light on earth. This image is confirmed in several places in the Bible. "You are the light of the world," Jesus says to his disciples (Math.5:14). At the rapture, the church is taken from the earth, resulting in darkness. From that moment on, the seven Spirits before the throne are depicted as fiery torches, which, in connection with the God's people of old, will dispel the darkness again.

Some equate the seven torches with the lampstand in the tabernacle. Although the seven torches correspond to this attribute in the tabernacle, there is a difference. The lampstand in the tabernacle is a picture of the Lord Jesus in his glory as the Light of the world (John 8:12), Light-bearer, Morning Star. In this image, the Holy Spirit is comparable to the oil in the lamps of the lampstand. When Jesus was on earth, the Spirit of God, the sevenfold Spirit, rested upon Him, whom we find in Isaiah 11:

"The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon Him:
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord."

Now the church is on earth, and the Holy Spirit has come into the believers. The believers are the wicks in the lamps, kept burning by the oil of God's Spirit. The believers are carried by the lampstand, the Lord Jesus. The light falls on the lampstand. It is about Him, His Person, His glory, His work of salvation. As soon as the church is taken up to meet the Lord in the air, the light on earth will shine through the seven fiery torches before the throne, which will spread a flickering light in the catacombs of darkness that falls over the world.

Verse 6

The Sea of Glass

"And before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal."

The preposition "before" is used immediately after the seven torches and the sea of glass. Both represent the effects of the governmental ways initiated from the throne for the earth. The torches spread light where darkness reigns. The sea cleanses where corruption prevails. The sea is salty. Salt is preservative. Jesus says to his disciples: "You are the salt of the earth." The sea represents the cleansing from God's throne. The first time the earth needed to be completely cleansed was through the Flood. The sea was given complete dominion over the earth for 150 days to wipe out all corruption and create a clean, new beginning with Noah and his descendants. About nine hundred years later, the people of Israel were baptized in the Red Sea and thus cleansed from their past in idolatrous Egypt.

The attributes of the tabernacle are largely reflected in the heaven of Revelation 4. In the sea of glass in Revelation 4, we find the bronze laver from the tabernacle, in which the priests were required to wash their hands and feet before serving in the sanctuary or at the altar. A huge laver made for the temple was also literally called "the sea." No dimensions are given for the laver at the tabernacle. Ten bronze lavers, four cubits (two meters) in diameter, were made for the temple and placed on mobile stands. In addition, "the sea" was made, a huge bronze "bath" in the shape of a circle with a diameter of ten cubits (five meters) and a height of five cubits (2.5 meters).

Furthermore, there is a description of God's appearance to the elders of the people in Exodus, which also recalls the "sea" before the throne of Revelation:

"And they saw the God of Israel. Under His feet was something like a paved surface of sapphire, as clear as the heavens themselves." (Ex.24:10) Some translate "azure" instead of "sapphire." In both cases, the meaning is a bright blue color.

The scene of the elders in the presence of the throne is reminiscent of Revelation 4. That is why it says: "And God did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the Israelites." Finally, the description that Ezekiel gives of God's throne closely resembles the "sea" of Revelation 4:

"And above the heads of the living creatures was something like a vault, like the brightness of awesome crystal, stretched out above their heads… And above the vault that was over their heads was something like a throne, the appearance of a sapphire stone. And above it, on the throne, was something like a man." (Ez.1:26)

Here too, there is something extending beneath the throne, resembling crystal and sapphire-colored, a brilliant blue.

The laver of the tabernacle, the washing basins in the temple, and the "sea" in the temple and in Revelation, and water in general, represent God's word, in which people are immersed at their conversion and with which they must continually be cleansed in their lives. We find this meaning several times in the New Testament, the first time in the foot-washing by Jesus Himself in the upper room, just before His suffering:

Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to have his feet washed, for he is already clean.” (John 13:10)

And a little further on He says, “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” (John 15:3)

According to Paul, Christ cleanses His church “with the washing of water through the Word.” (Eph.5:25,26)

In short, the description in Revelation boils down to the fact that both fire and water are present before the throne. The fire illuminates the world in an extremely dark time, and the water cleanses the world in a time when it is full of corruption.

The meanings of water and fire come together in the devastating final judgment at the end of Daniel’s last week of years, which is described by Daniel. When the Son of Man, whom Ezekiel already saw on the throne, receives all rule and authority from the hand of Him who sits on the throne, the throne will be flames of fire, its wheels blazing with fire, and a river of fire will flow and issue forth before the face of Him who sits on the throne. The utterly corrupt world empire of that moment will be given over to that blazing fire. Judgment by fire is God's purification, which is being accomplished in a sinful, God-hostile world. It is the last option God has left for those who refuse to be enlightened by the Spirit and purified by God's word: a fire that consumes everything that is not in harmony with God. It is something God wants to spare every person, but people choose for it themselves when they continue to refuse to entrust themselves to Him.

Verses 6-8

The Four Living Creatures

"And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind. And the first living creature was like a lion, and the second living creature like a calf, and the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures each had six wings; they were full of eyes around and within, and they have no rest day and night, saying, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come.”

To properly understand the heavenly scene, it is crucial to note the prepositions. These significantly influence the meaning of what is written. This is certainly true of the four living creatures. They are not seen “around” the throne, like the rainbow, the elders, and the angels; nor are they “coming from” the throne, like the lightning, thunder, and voices, nor are they “before” the throne, like the seven fiery torches and the sea of glass. No, the four living creatures are simultaneously “in the midst” of the throne and “around” it. The four living creatures share their dwelling "in the midst" of the throne with the Lamb of Revelation five, the Lord Jesus Himself.

Therefore, we should not view the four living creatures as "angels" or ordinary "cherubim," but as attributes closely connected to God Himself. These are qualities of God in His governmental ways with His creation. They are "four" animals or living beings. "Four" is the number of creation: four cardinal directions, four seasons, and so on. These qualities are personified here as four beings or four animals. These characteristics of God are so clear and emphatic that they emerge "from within" and take on definite forms. Moreover, they are the qualities from which creation derives its characteristics.

Creation reveals something of the Creator and His character traits in His world governance. That is why we see "four living creatures" here. These are the beings who are fundamentally prototypes for all beings created by God. One of the beings is related to the fifth day of creation, the flying eagle. Three of the creatures are associated with the sixth day of creation: the lion, the calf, and the one with the face like a human. It's significant that we don't encounter a "fish" here, the animal native to the sea. It's as if fish are further removed from God's essence. Later in Revelation, we read: "the sea was no more." But that refers more to the sea as a need for cleansing as we have seen.

But which characteristics of God's dealings with his creation are depicted here? The first animal is the lion. The lion is a sign of enormous power. God's action is unparalleled. Who can resist God's will? God is omnipotent. His omnipotence guarantees that everything will ultimately bow to Him and to His perfect will. The first time the lion is mentioned in the Bible is in connection with the deathbed description of his twelve sons given by the elderly Jacob. He compares Judah to an invincible lion. This theme of the invincible lion recurs throughout the Bible and finds its denouement in the midst of the throne, not only in the lion as one of the four beasts, but also in "the lion of the tribe of Judah," who has conquered and is worthy "to open the scroll and loose its seven seals," the Lord Jesus Christ, who came from Judah and will carry out God's decree in every detail. He is also the "Lamb of God." The cross, the weakness of God, which is stronger than men. Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God. Nothing could stop Him from accomplishing the work of reconciliation here on earth. From the throne, we see Him in those same essential characteristics of irresistible power.

The second animal is a calf. The calf is reminiscent of the golden calf with which the people of Israel first deviated from God. That calf first made clear the need for forgiveness and reconciliation. The calf is also the most typical animal for the sin offering. The calf represents God's forgiveness and kindness, and his unparalleled perseverance in his path with humanity despite fickle human failures. The calf, like an ox, suited for plowing, represents steady, tireless labor. This, too, is characteristic of God's rule from the throne. Centuries can pass without anything seeming to happen, but God steadily and purposefully carries out his plans despite all human disobedience and stubbornness. He forges a straight furrow through history toward his ultimate goal. This steady march toward the end goal was characteristic of Christ's work on earth. Nothing could deter Him from that work and, despite all the resistance and temptation surrounding Him and all the terrors before Him, He remained in the path of the Father. The ox is therefore the supreme sacrifice an Israelite could offer. Like no other animal, the ox demonstrated the unparalleled willingness to complete the arduous work of redemption, right up to the final triumphant cry on the cross.

The third animal has a human face. This shows that God works with knowledge and deliberation. His way with his creation is one of unfathomable wisdom, in which he also takes into account everything that humanity does. It is not that God simply goes about his business through everything, considering nothing and no one, because of his great power and perseverance. No, these qualities remain constantly balanced with a sensitivity to everything that people think, speak, and do. We see this, for example, when God "regrets" something or "reverses" a previously made decision. Take, for example, his consultation with Abraham about the number of righteous people in Sodom (Gen.18:22-33), where God explicitly makes Himself dependent on the attitude of humanity—ten or more righteous people and the city would not be destroyed. Take, for example, his dispute with Moses, where God allows himself to be "persuaded" by Moses not to destroy the people after their idolatry with the golden calf (Ex.32:9-14). Take, for example, the appointment of Saul as king, which God later says he "repents" because Saul continually disobeys God (1 Sam.15:11). Take for example, in the judgment of Nineveh, which is ultimately averted because the city's inhabitants repent in sackcloth and ashes (Jona 3;10). Take for example, the case of King Hezekiah, who, on his sickbed, receives the news of his death but turns to God in great sorrow, after which God adds fifteen years to his life (Isaiah 38;1-5). For us, these aspects of God are incompatible. That God, on the one hand, knows everything in advance and, with infinite power and boundless energy, carries out His plans as He wills, yet at the same time makes many things dependent on human actions. This latter is depicted in the "face like that of a man," as if God, as a human being, responds to fellow human beings. All of this is balanced within God in a way that is unfathomable to us.

The fourth animal is the eagle, which represents God's care for His people and also the tremendous speed with which God can act. History can seem to stand still for centuries, and then suddenly God enters the scene with a cascade of miracles and unparalleled events that often occur to save His people from a wrong path or from impending doom. The reason God seems to do nothing for centuries and then quickly executes His plans is that He is concerned with faith. He doesn't want people to constantly kneel before Him in trembling at colossal miracles, but rather that they believe in Him of their own free will. This requires God to act very briefly, and then for a long time to help people learn to believe in what He has written about His brief appearance in His Word. This is how all of history unfolds. The eagle's speed combined with the ox's steady but purposeful gait suggests something of the "sudden rapids" with which history unfolds. The "rushing and stopping." First and foremost, creation is, of course, something in which God acted incredibly quickly. In six days, He created heaven, earth, and their fullness. Then, almost nothing happens for 1,600 years, and then suddenly the earth is overwhelmed by a massive flood, submerging everything, leaving only eight people in an ark alive. After that, it's quiet again for a few centuries, and when people get the idea to build a tower reaching to heaven, God divides their languages. Again, little to nothing happens for centuries, and then God breaks the silence again in a whole series of miraculous events that take place during the Exodus of the people of Israel from Egypt. Then, it remains quiet for more than five hundred years, and suddenly Elijah and Elisha appear on the scene with a host of miracles. Then it takes another nine hundred years or so before Jesus appears with more miracles than have ever been performed on earth. Since then, it has been quiet for about 2,000 years. The next swift action is his coming. That coming will be "soon" or "hastefully." The speed of God's action with the rapture of the church is likely only surpassed by his creation of heaven and earth in six days. Millions of the dead will be bodily resurrected in new, eternal bodies and, along with the transformed millions of believers who are then alive, will be caught up in clouds to meet Him in the air.

The four living creatures each have six wings. This number of wings differs from what we learn about these creatures earlier in the Bible. The first time we read about beings "in the midst of the throne" is in connection with the ark, which the people built in the desert based on the model shown to Moses on the mountain and which stood in the Holy of Holies. The ark represented God's throne in the midst of his people Israel. We see this in a remark by Paul in the letter to the Romans, where he calls Christ the "mercy seat" and uses the same word for it as for the "mercy seat," the lid that lay on top of the ark. The term "mercy seat" is derived from the blood that was sprinkled on this lid once a year in connection with the sins of the people. This was done by the high priest on the only day of the year he was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies, the Day of Atonement. Inside the ark were the two stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written. The lid was made entirely of gold, and on it were carved two angelic figures, one piece with the lid, each with two wings. They faced each other and looked downward, seeing the lid and below the law of God being broken by the people. Therefore, the blood of the sacrifice had to be sprinkled on the lid, so that the angelic figures could look upon the blood that had served as atonement for the transgressions. These angelic beings, like the animals in Revelation, were "in the midst" of the throne, just like the blood of the sacrifice, the Lamb, which in Revelation is also "in the midst" of the throne. However, they were only two "cherubim" with two wings, not four animals with six wings each. We are dealing here with a continuing revelation of who God is.

We see the next step in this Revelation in the prophet Ezekiel. In his book, he describes the cloud of God's glory. In the midst of it, he sees the shape of four living creatures, each having the appearance of a human being. Each has four faces and four wings. Their faces are like the faces of humans. From the right, their faces resemble the head of a lion, and from the left, the head of an ox. Their heads also resemble those of an eagle. Two wings are extended upward, and two cover their bodies. Furthermore, we see that the four living creatures Ezekiel saw look identical. In his vision, each creature has all four characteristics: human, lion, ox, and eagle.

Besides four wings, Ezekiel also sees "wheels" next to the living creatures, at the front. The wheels have a turquoise sheen and are two-part, as if there is a wheel within a wheel. The wheels can move in all directions and are full of eyes. Furthermore, Ezekiel sees several elements of Revelation closely related to the creatures, namely that they appear like burning coals in a fire, like torches. The fire moves back and forth between them, and lightning flashes from it. The creatures themselves flash back and forth like lightning bolts. Above the heads of the creatures, Ezekiel sees something resembling a dome of ice crystal. In Revelation, the torches are seen before the throne. The lightning bolts in Revelation emanate from the throne. The dome of ice crystal strongly resembles the sea of glass before the throne.

Because of the similarities in the descriptions, we must assume that Ezekiel glimpsed the same invisible reality as John: the throne of God and his glory. The question is where the differences come from. They undoubtedly relate to the level of Revelation. Throughout history, there is a continuous revelation of God, culminating in the coming of Jesus Christ and the Revelation about his second coming. John saw more than Ezekiel. This is also evident from the description. Ezekiel gives a description from the outside in. Finally, he mentions the One on the throne and the rainbow surrounding the throne. These are elements with which John begins in Revelation. John sees the throne "from the inside out." The differences are largely related to this.

Ezekiel approaches the glory of God's throne from the outside in, and this explains why his description seems somewhat more chaotic than John's clear description, which gains a clearer picture from the inside out. But the question is whether this also explains some notable differences in the descriptions of the creatures:

(1) John mentions four different creatures, each with one characteristic (lion, calf, human, and eagle), while the creatures in Ezekiel each have all four of these characteristics, with the emphasis on the characteristic "human," which Ezekiel mentions first.

(2) John sees six wings, Ezekiel only four.

(3) Ezekiel sees human hands under their four wings; John makes no mention of this.

(4) Of the wings that Ezekiel sees, two are upward, and two are used to cover the body. John sees the six wings "around" each of the living creatures.

(5) John sees no wheels; Ezekiel sees wheels next to the living creatures and sees them full of eyes. Daniel also speaks of "wheels of flaming fire" in connection with God's wrath.

Caution is advised in interpreting these differences because there is no direct evidence elsewhere in the Bible. If we do attempt to interpret the differences, it might be as follows.

(1) Because John perceives the throne from within, he clearly sees four distinct characteristics of God's dealings with his people and with the world throughout history. Ezekiel looks from the outside and sees that the character traits of the four living creatures balance each other out in God's concrete dealings. The irresistible power of God's action (lion) is coupled with the balanced effect of God's counsel (ox), and the tremendous speed with which God suddenly acts (eagle), whether on behalf of his people or to chastise them, is accompanied by wisdom, knowledge, and forethought (human). In the practical implementation of God's action, the creatures, as it were, take on characteristics of one another.

(2) The number of wings of the creatures on the throne first increases from two (cherubim on the mercy seat of the ark) to four (Ezekiel) and in later revelation to six. The wing is a symbol of "protection," "concern," and "care." "You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself," God says to the people of Israel. Psalm 17, Psalm 36, Psalm 57, Psalm 61, Psalm 63, and Psalm 91 also mention God's wings as shelter or protection. The increase in the number of wings of beings on the throne may relate to the expansion of God's ministry. His "care area" is constantly expanding. Initially, this was limited to Israel in the wilderness and later to the land. But since the dawn of the Gentiles, it also encompasses the great world empires, four of which would arise. The Book of Revelation covers God's global ministry. It concerns all of humanity (six wings, six being the number of humanity, created on day six; see also Revelation 13). Furthermore, the number of wings in Revelation corresponds exactly with the number of twenty-four elders. Four living creatures, each with six wings, make a total of twenty-four wings. The elders, too, are drawn from all the nations of the world because of the formation of the church from among the nations.

(3) The human hands that Ezekiel sees coming out from under the wings could relate to the first point above (1) of God's concrete actions on earth (the hands), which Ezekiel witnessed, as prophet dwelling among the people. John is not on earth during the time of the Book of Revelation, and he sees everything only from the perspective of the throne in heaven.

(4) The two wings that, according to Ezekiel, cover the body seem to have something to do with (vicarious) shame over the condition of the people, who are about to be judged by God and delivered into the power of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. We also see this with the seraphim in Isaiah's vision, who sees the Lord on his high and exalted throne. The seraphim each have six wings, and with two they cover their feet, with two their faces, and with two they fly. Isaiah himself also cries out: "Woe is me, for I am undone! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." (Isaiah 6:1-6) This also relates to the fact that the throne in Isaiah and Ezekiel is still in the midst of the people of Israel, while in Revelation the throne is seen in heaven.

(5) The wheels that Ezekiel sees relate to the imminent movement of God's throne from the temple in Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives and ultimately to heaven. John sees the throne in a stable state in heaven. Wheels are not relevant there.

A characteristic that the beings in Ezekiel and John share, although Ezekiel only mentions it in a later description, is that the beings are full of eyes. Eyes, of course, represent the "seeing" by these beings of everything that happens. Nothing is hidden from these beings. But because they represent specific characteristics of God's actions, it is not only about observing what happens, but especially about ensuring that everything that happens corresponds to the qualities the animals represent. The complete covering of eyes represents complete supervision of everything God does. The eyes on the wings could stand for the swiftness of action, based on what is seen - constantly executed and consistently outside of mans vision. It is a "control" that indicates whether everything is in accordance with their respective qualities. Everything God does must be completely in accordance with the greatness of His Being and with all His excellent qualities. It concerns the constant supervision of the beings' care for God's creation, for humanity worldwide. It is protection, but also the lifting thereof and the eruption of judgments in connection with a wandering, deviated, idolatrous, and even hostile humanity, as will be shown in the chapters that follow, which must be attuned to all of God's essential attributes.

That all action from the throne must be in accordance with God's essential attributes is proclaimed by the living creatures in the "Holy, holy, holy" prayer. The holiness of God means that God always acts in accordance with all His attributes. This is precisely what the living creatures stand for. They oversee God's holiness. Their cry is on the one hand simple, but on the other hand, it says it all. Everything must be brought into harmony with God's Essence—His power, wisdom, longsuffering, and lovingkindness. They call Him "the Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come." The "Almighty" signifies that what they stand for, and what they oversee with everything within them, is also possible. He is all-powerful. It is possible for God to act simultaneously with power, with persevering patience, with deliberation, and with great swiftness. The "who was, and who is, and who is to come" is a different order than in the first chapter and later in chapter 11 and chapter 16. There it says: "who is, who was, and who is to come." The living creatures refer to the chronological order, because history moves from the past to the present and from there to the future. Throughout history the essential characteristics of God, represented as animals, are laid down in the fulfillment of God's counsels in Jesus Christ, who is the center of the throne.

Verses 9-12

Worship

"And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, then the twenty-four elders will fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever, and their crowns will be thrown off and they prostrate themselves before the throne, saying, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

To properly understand this final portion of the chapter, the verb tenses must be noted. Until the middle of the eighth verse, the chapter is entirely in the past tense, except for the angel’s promise: “I will show you what must happen hereafter.” The remainder is in the past tense: “After this I ‘saw’—him who ‘sat’ on the throne, what ‘was’ around the throne, what ‘went’ out of the throne, what ‘was’ before the throne, the four living creatures… and inside they ‘were’ full of eyes.” That is all past tense. Then it shifts to the present tense: “And they ‘have no rest day and night,’ saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.’” John then shifts to the future tense: “And when the living creatures ‘will’ give glory and honor and thanksgiving…, then ‘the twenty-four elders will fall down and worship, casting down their crowns, saying….”

The past tense points to the reality of heaven as a fully accomplished fact. This is heaven and nothing else. The present tense points to the “eternal present.” After all, it is always 'the present'. Everything that happens takes place in the present. The “present” of “having no rest,” and saying, “Holy, holy, holy,” implies that the four living creatures are constantly watching over the complete and detailed working out of all of God’s essential characteristics in all events in heaven and on earth. It is the constant vigilance within the throne, as long as heaven and earth exist. This gives us comfort that, whatever happens, everything will forever be found to be in accordance with Who God is. Here we see the heavenly reality behind, for example, Proverbs 16:4, “The LORD has made everything for His own sake, even the wicked for the day of disaster.” Especially in the turbulent times of Daniel's final week, which is outlined in Revelation and of which we are experiencing the first half today (this we think at the moment), this vigilance from the all-determining throne of God's holiness is a great comfort to believers. The belief that nothing exists outside of God and that God works through everything toward the eternal confirmation of His holiness helps them persevere in their earthly struggle.

Here on earth, a global control system will be rolled out by the beast (as we will see in chapter 13—if the rapture does not prevent us). The combination of artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and militaristic coercion is already becoming increasingly visible. The devil, in fact, desires to possess God's attribute of "omniscience." But under the devil's soul-destroying leadership, humanity will only be able to take a tiny step toward omniscience, which exists in and around the throne, symbolized by the four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind, constantly saying, "Holy, holy, holy." Moreover, the devil and his system of control play a role in God's plans, even when a ruthless rebellion against God and his Christ is carried out worldwide in total hostility, which will prove to be the apotheosis of Babylon, with a tower that would reach the heavens. "The LORD has made everything for his own sake, even the wicked for the day of his calamity." As Psalm 2 says: "The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, 'Let us burst their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us!'" He who dwells in heaven will laugh; the Lord will mock them.’ Even when all seemed lost and Christ stood before Pilate, scourged and ready to be crucified, He could calmly say: ‘You would have no power at all against Me, unless it were given from above.’ Even in that immense suffering, Christ, as Son, knew of the throne, of the four living creatures crying out “holy, holy, holy,” and of the Father’s plans in His death on the cross, His resurrection, His glorious entry into heaven, and His (still future) glorious victory over all the beasts of the world.

It is significant that after the mention of the eternal 'present' of “holy, holy, holy,” the future is spoken of. The four living creatures “will” give glory, honor, and thanksgiving, and then the elders “will” fall down in worship and cast their crowns before the throne. The future is something that does not exist now, but will exist in the future. It's something to look forward to. The events that lie ahead bring dynamism to a static state. The use of the future tense shows that heaven isn't a static state, eternally and always the same, but that all sorts of things are happening. That there is continuous change. That something can be looked forward to. What all of heaven is looking forward to is the moment, which will come again and again, when the four living creatures will no longer simply cry out "Holy, holy, holy," but will also give glory, honor, and thanksgiving. That is something different, something extra. It is a heavenly demonstration of God's glory, which naturally calls for heavenly homage and thanksgiving for the display of that glory. And the elders also have their part in this. They do not participate in the "Holy, holy, holy." Only the four living creatures, with their complete covering of eyes and their wings full of eyes, are suitable for that. But the elders do participate in the glory, honor, and thanksgiving, and they supplement this with something that was unknown to heaven until then: worship that is founded on salvation. We never see this performed by angels. Only by humans can worship Him in the state of being saved. Jesus spoke about this to the Samaritan woman: “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to worship Him.” (John 4:23) The four living creatures are the reason for the elders’ worship. They represent the exercise of God’s governmental ways with His creation from the throne. Therefore, the elders’ worship here is directed at God as Creator. A striking difference is that the four living creatures give “glory, honor, and thanksgiving,” while the elders mention “glory, honor, and power” as something that God is “worthy” of receiving. God receives from the four living creatures what the elders say He is worthy to receive, and also “power.” And then the elders state the reason why God is worthy to receive all that: He is the Creator of all that exists. But they say this in a very special, threefold way:

God created everything

By God's will they existed

By God's will they were created

This reveals three aspects of God's creation. First, God's enormous power to create everything. Second, that things already existed in his will as "concepts." And third, that he possessed the wisdom to bring everything into being according to his will. Compare it to an artist who has an idea in mind (point 2) and who possesses the techniques to develop that idea in detail (point 1), and who also possesses the courage, perseverance, and planning to actually bring the idea and techniques together in the work of art (point 3).