The One Sitting upon the Throne Revelation 4:1-11 The One Sitting upon the Throne

Letters to the Seven Churches Christ Commendation Rebuke Exhortation Promise Ephesus Holds the 7 stars and walks among the 7 lampstands Deeds, hard work, perseverance; hates practice of Nicolaitans Has forsaken first love Remember; repent; do deeds you did at first Will eat from tree of life Smyrna The First and Last; died and came to life Endures persecution and poverty --- Don’t fear; be faithful unto death Crown of life; unhurt by 2nd death Pergamum Has sharp, two-edged sword Remains faithful despite persecution Some hold to teaching of Balaam & Nicolaitans Repent Hidden manna and stone with new name Thyatira Eyes like blazing fire, feet like burnished bronze Deeds, love, faith, service, greater deeds than at first Tolerates Jezebel, her immorality & idolatry Repent; hold fast to what you have Authority over the nations and the morning star Sardis Holds the 7 Spirits of God and the 7 stars Dead Strengthen what remains. repent White clothing, acknowledged before God Philadelphia Holy and true, holds key of David Deeds, keeps Christ’s word & does not deny Him, endures Hold fast what you have Pillars in temple; new names of God’s ownership Laodicea The Amen, faithful and true witness, source of creation Lukewarm, wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, naked Be zealous and repent Will eat and rule with Christ

Outline of Revelation Preparation of the Prophet: His Past Vision (1:1 – 20) Preparation of the People: Their Present Condition (2:1 – 3:22) Publication of the Prophecy: Its Future Expectation (4:1 – 22:5) Opening of the Seven-Sealed Scroll (4:1 – 8:1) The One sitting on the throne (4:1-11) The seven-sealed scroll of the Lamb (5:1-14) After writing about his vision of the glorified Christ in chap 1, and the present conditions of the churches in chap 2 and 3, John now turns to the things that are to come in the future. The next major section of the book is going to be the opening of the seven sealed scroll. Before we get to the actual breaking of the seals in chap. 6, we have two visions that prepare us for the breaking of the seals by showing us from where and from whom these events will come.

John’s Invitation to Heaven (4:1) A significant change of scene: John sees a door into the heavens where God dwells and is invited to come up. Who is the one who issues the invitation? John is transported in a visional state into heaven for this portion of Christ’s revelation to him. “What must take place” makes clear that these things are part of the fixed will of God. He is completely in control of the future and is working out the plan which He has established from the foundation of the world.

The Heavenly Throne (4:2-4) John proceeds to describe what he sees: a room of indescribable beauty with God Himself as the central figure. God is sitting on a throne, symbolizing His sovereign rule over the universe and His right to exercise judgment upon it. The one sitting upon the throne is described as being similar in appearance to: Jasper - Modern jasper is opaque, but the key to identifying this type of stone is in Rev 21:11. What aspect of God’s character would a crystal clear color represent? Sardius – This stone is fiery, deep red in color. What would it represent? The overall picture is one of God’s holy character reacting with wrath to man’s ongoing rebellion and sinfulness, and that produces the wrath that will come later.

The Heavenly Throne (4:2-4) We also have a description of a rainbow around the throne that was like an emerald. What would it symbolize? Besides the rainbow, there are also 24 thrones positioned around the throne, with 24 elders sitting on those thrones. There are two major interpretations as to who these elders are: Humans – Either the church or Israel or both. White clothing and crowns are cited as evidence that these are humans. There is no evidence anywhere in the context that these elders represent some larger group. Angels – A special class of beings who are particularly close to God's throne. in their functions, they do the same things as angels do elsewhere in Revelation. For example, the elders in 5:8 offer bowls of incense like the angel in 8:3. In 7:14, one of the elders acts as an agent of revelation, something that has been reserved for angels throughout the book. Rainbow symbolizes mercy in the midst of judgment.

Activities around the Throne (4:5-11) “From the throne proceed flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder” (Rev 4:5). What OT scene does this hearken back to, and what is the significance of this? These are not calm and soft lights, but torches that emit a blazing and fierce light. These represent the Holy Spirit, who is portrayed in His role as a consumer of the ungodly. The central theme of this throne is one of great judgment.

trumpets (11:19), and bowls (16:18). The storm theophany at the end of each series of judgments (seals, trumpets, and bowls) ties the different manifestations of God’s wrath back to His throne. This storm theophany shows up at the end of each series of judgments: seals (8:5), trumpets (11:19), and bowls (16:18).

Activities around the Throne (4:5-11) “From the throne proceed flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder” (Rev 4:5). What OT scene does this hearken back to, and what is the significance of this? Another picture of the wrath of God comes in the “seven lamps of fire burning before the throne,” not calm and soft lights, but blazing torches that emit a fierce light. What do these represent? The sea of glass like crystal pictures the splendor and majesty of God, emphasizing His purity and separateness from all that He has created. This whole picture of the throne is one in which the Creator is about to launch a massive program to purify His creation. These are not calm and soft lights, but torches that emit a blazing and fierce light. These represent the Holy Spirit, who is portrayed in His role as a consumer of the ungodly. The central theme of this throne is one of great judgment.

Activities around the Throne (4:5-11) “…in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind” (4:6). What do these creatures represent? Here’s what we can say about them based on the context: They are an exalted order of angelic beings, as indicated by their closeness to the throne of God, and similar to the Seraphim and Cherubim of the OT (Isa 6:1-3; Ezek 10:2, 14, 20). They must have something to do with the judicial authority of the throne. They represent different aspects of animate creation. Lion - king of the jungle; nobility Ox - strength Human - intelligence and reason Flying Eagle - swiftness Together then, the four living beings represent all animal life from the perspective of greatest nobility, strength, wisdom, and speed. Eyes all over their body symbolize their alertness and comprehensive knowledge. Some have identified them as representing the 4 gospels, others as representing the attributes of God - lion for courage and boldness, ox for patience, etc. John is drawing off of the language of the OT in Ezek.

Activities around the Throne (4:5-11) Both day and night the four living creatures around the throne offer recurring praise to God. They particularly acknowledge His holiness, His power, and His eternal nature. Each time they offer this praise, the twenty-four elders join in, bowing down in worship and casting their crowns before the throne. The elders’ praise is different from the four living creatures and centers on the wonder of God’s creation; God’s power as displayed in creation provides the basis for His praise. The casting of crowns by the elders shows that their own beauty and excellencies mean nothing to them.

Next Week: The Seven-Sealed Scroll of the Lamb (Rev 5:1-14) Read Rev 4 - 5