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"After these things I saw, and behold, a door opened in heaven, and the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, Come up here, and I will show you the things that must take place after these things."
Based upon the words "the things that must take place after these things" in 4:1, some say that the things in chapters four and five have not yet been fulfilled because they concern those things which will happen at the time that the church is about to be raptured, at the Lord's return. This is a very common interpretation; however, with this explanation there are clearly the following eight problems:
(1) If we say that chapters four and five refer to the things that will take place later, why is such an important matter as the rapture of the church not mentioned at all? Since the rapture is mentioned in chapters seven, twelve, fourteen, and fifteen of this book, why is it not mentioned at all in this portion? Some say that the words "Come up here" in 4:1 refer to the rapture of the church, yet verse 2 says, "Immediately I was in spirit." The church will be raptured physically, but here verse 2 speaks of being in spirit. Therefore, we can say that this does not refer to the rapture of the church. How could it be possible, when chapters two and three mention the events of the church, that there is not one clear word concerning the rapture of the church immediately thereafter?
(2) If Revelation 4:1 speaks of the rapture of the church, then where is the church in chapters four and five? Some say that the twenty-four elders in 4:4, 10, and 5:8 represent the church. Later on we shall prove that the twenty-four elders are not the representatives of the church. For now we need only to ask why it is that not even one of the twenty-four elders is mentioned from Revelation — 22. Is it because the church is limited to the tribulation and to the enjoyment of the kingdom, but is no longer seen or heard in the new heaven and new earth? Can it be that she was there in the beginning but disappears later on?
(3) Chapter five shows how the Lamb receives glory in the heavens. Is it possible to say that the Lord must wait for two thousand years before He will receive glory?
(4) The praises of those "in heaven and on the earth and under the earth" (5:13) correspond with what is said in Philippians 2:10. This is such a glorious scene because the Lord has resurrected, ascended to the heavens, and received from the Father "the name which is above every name" (Phil. 2:9). How can it be said, in contrast to this, that Revelation 5:13 describes something which occurs two thousand years later?
(5) Why should the new song in Revelation 5:9 wait two thousand years to be sung? Can it be that redemption is accomplished, yet the new song still cannot be sung?
(6) "As having just been slain" (5:6) clearly indicates that it describes the scene at the time of the Lord's ascension to the heavens. Although the Lord's death is eternally fresh, the words used here are quite clear — "having just been."
(7) In Revelation 4:8, the four living creatures say, "Lord God the Almighty, who was and who is and who is coming." Compare this with Revelation 11:17: "Lord God the Almighty, He who is and who was." Here the phrase "and who is coming" is left out. From this we can see that the Lord's coming must be after 4:8; it could never be before 4:8.
(8) Revelation 5:6 says that the seven Spirits of God are "sent forth into all the earth." What will the Holy Spirit do in all the earth during the great tribulation? We know that the Holy Spirit descended only after the Lord Jesus' ascension. It is in the age of the church that the Spirit is sent forth by the Lord.
According to these eight points, we realize that chapter four unveils the normal situation before God; it is the original situation in the heavens. Chapter five speaks of the situation at the time of the Lord's ascension (because not until 5:6 do we see the Lamb standing), which is displayed purposely for John. The "door opened in heaven" "after these things" in 4:1 does not happen after the time of the seven churches, but after the seeing of the vision in chapter one.
"Behold, a door opened in heaven." The heavens were opened to Ezekiel (Ezek. 1:1), to the Lord (Matt. 3:16), to Stephen (Acts 7:56), to Peter (Acts 10:11), and to John (Rev. 4:1; 19:11).
"And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me." Here it says "like a trumpet," but not actually a trumpet. The phrase "Come up here" was spoken to John individually; it is not a type of the rapture of the church. (Scofield said that this is a type of the rapture of the church, but it is impossible to assert this here.) "I will show you" speaks of the words that are heard. "I will show you the things that must take place after these things" is an introduction to the following words of prophecy.
"Immediately I was in spirit; and behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and upon the throne there was One sitting."
John's spirit was raptured, not his body. "Behold, there was a throne set in heaven." The throne is the center of this book; it is also the center of everything. Hence, the throne which is seen first is the place out from which all the following events come forth. This throne differs from the throne mentioned in the epistles. Hebrews 4 touches upon the aspect of God's grace — the throne of grace. Revelation 4:2 touches upon the aspect of God's righteousness — the throne of judgment. "And upon the throne there was One sitting." This One is God.
"And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance, and there was a rainbow around the throne like an emerald in appearance."
"Jasper" is best translated as "diamond." Of all physical matter, a diamond resembles the color of light the most. No one can break it. Everyone treasures it. Its structure is the result of the transformation of coal. Its light is like the light of the gospel, which brings people from darkness into the realm of light.
"Sardius" is the most perfect red and signifies God's redemption because blood is red. The significance of these two items is their colors. One signifies the light of the gospel; the other signifies the redemption accomplished by God through the Lord Jesus.
"And there was a rainbow around the throne like an emerald in appearance." The rainbow ordinarily seen on earth is shaped like an arc, but the rainbow here surrounds the throne. The rainbow is the sign of God's covenant with Noah. From this we can see that God is a covenant-making God (Gen. 9:12-16) as well as a covenant-keeping God. God is going to execute His judgment soon; nevertheless, He continues to keep His covenant and remember His promises and grace. "Emerald" green is a grass green; it is the basic color of the earth. This means that during God's judgment, He has grace and remembrance toward the earth. After the earth has passed through judgment, the color green still remains (Gen. 8:11).
"And around the throne there were twenty-four thrones, and upon the thrones twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and upon their heads golden crowns."
The common interpretation of Bible expositors is that the twenty-four elders refer to the entire glorified church, but their assertion does not have sufficient proof. Recently, some quoted Revelation 4:4 and said that these elders have thrones and, therefore, are kings. They also said that in 5:8 the elders have harps and bowls full of incense and, therefore, are also priests. Furthermore, 1 Peter 2:9 says that the believers are a royal priesthood. Since these twenty-four elders are kings and priests, Bible expositors reason that these elders represent the glorified church.
According to this kind of interpretation, however, the whole church would be raptured all at once and would not have to pass through the tribulation. Is not this against the spirit of this book? Then how about Revelation 3:10? There are still another ten major reasons that are sufficient to prove that the twenty-four elders are not the glorified church.
(1) The term elder is not the same as the term church. If the elders here refer to the church, would not that make the whole church elders? According to historical fact, God first selected the angels (Isa. 14:12; Ezek. 28:11-19); second, the Jews (Gen. 12:1-3); and third, the church (the church was established in Acts 2). The church cannot be considered as the elders, and neither can the Jews. (Ephesians 1:4 speaks of selection according to God's eternal purpose. The chosen angels in 1 Timothy 5:21, however, are another matter.)
(2) The number of the elders is not the number of the church. The number of the church is seven, or at least a multiple of seven. If the elders are the church, their number should be either seven or a multiple of seven. The number twenty-four is neither the number seven nor its multiple.
(3) The church cannot receive the throne and the crown before the Lord Jesus does. The One who sits on the throne in Revelation 4:2 is the Father God (the Lamb in 5:6 is standing). First, in 4:4 there is "the throne," and then there is the word "sitting." In the original text, "sitting" is the same word as "the throne"; therefore, it should also be translated "throne." These twenty-four elders who sit on the thrones also wear golden crowns. If we say that they are the church, why is it that the church sits, but the Lamb stands? In 5:6 the church is already crowned; hence, why does the Lord Jesus have to wait until chapter twenty to be King? How can the church receive glory sooner than the Lord? Besides, after Revelation 19:4 we cannot find any trace of the twenty-four elders. If we say that these elders represent the church, where has this glorious church gone?
(4) There is no mention that the white garments worn by the elders are washed in the precious blood; however, in other passages where the white garments are mentioned, Revelation always says that they are cleansed by the blood of the Lamb (in 7:14, for example). The white garments here indicate that the elders do not have sin.
(5) The words that the elders speak are not words of redemption. Revelation 4:11 says that they speak of God's creation. Therefore, they know only God's creation and do not realize God's redemption. Although they sing a new song in 5:9-10, they do it because the Lord has redeemed "men." "Men" does not refer to the elders, but to those out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
(6) All the circumstances in chapter four represent the situation of the universe. Besides the throne and the seven Spirits, there are the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders. Nothing else is mentioned. This shows that those elders are the elders of the universe. Can we say that the church is composed of the most elderly ones in the universe?
(7) To bring prayers before God, as mentioned in 5:8, is not the work of the church. Although the Bible charges the church to pray for people, God has not charged her to bring before Him others' supplication for people. The church does not have such power. Many Bible expositors agree that the angel in Revelation 8:3-4 refers to the Lord. Whether or not it is the Lord, it is the angel who brings prayers before God. Hence, the bringing of prayers before God in 5:8 must be done by the angels.
(8) The twenty-four elders never refer to themselves as the church. "Them" in 5:10 is the elders' reference to the church. If the elders are speaking concerning themselves here, they should say, "us." It is apparent by the elders' word here that they distinguish themselves from the church. From this we can see that the twenty-four elders definitely are not the church. There are three kinds of people in Revelation 7:13-17: the elders, John, and those who wear white robes. If we say that the twenty-four elders refer to only one part of those in the church, it might still make sense for the elders to ask John, "These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they?" But how could it be possible that the whole church would ask this concerning a part of the church?
(9) In Revelation 7:13-17, John addresses one of the elders as "my lord." We can see that the elder must have a higher position than John. Otherwise, how could the elder allow John to address him as "lord"? Comparing this with Revelation 22:8-9 and 5:9-10, we see that the elders never say that they themselves are washed by the blood. Revelation 5:9 reads, "Purchased for God by Your blood men." It is "men" and not "us," as is translated in the King James Version. Furthermore, if the word "men" in 5:9 is changed to "us," how can the word "them" in 5:10 stand grammatically?
(10) The attitude of the twenty-four elders before God is most unusual. Unlike the church, they have never hungered, thirsted, or wept. They do not fear God and do not have the sense of sin or the experience of redemption. From this we know they are not the redeemed church.
Who then are these twenty-four elders? We conclude, first, that they are the kings and priests among the angels. They are the elders of the universe, governing the angels and the world and serving God. The evidence of this is as follows:
(1) They sit on thrones and wear golden crowns. Hence, they must be kings.
(2) They wear white robes which are the priestly garments (see Exo. 28; Lev. 6:10; 16:4). They have harps, songs, and golden bowls full of incense. All these prove that they are priests.
(3) The reason they are priests among the angels is that they are the elders of the universe. In chapters four and five, God is God, the Lord is the Lamb, the Holy Spirit is the seven Spirits of God, and the four living creatures represent the animals in creation. Man is on the earth, and the devil does not count. Hence, the twenty-four elders are the oldest among all the creatures.
(4) Besides the angels, no one is able to sit on thrones and wear golden crowns before the Lord does. Originally, God appointed angels to govern the universe. Later the archangel failed and became Satan; hence, we have the kingdom of Satan. The remaining angels who did not submit to Satan are still appointed by God to govern the universe. For example, there is Michael, who is the angel for the Israelites (Dan. 10:13). As the redeemed people, we also have our angels (Acts 12:15; Matt. 18:10; Heb. 1:14). Here the twenty-four elders are sitting, while in the following chapters the angels who blow seven trumpets are standing (Rev. 8:2). The twenty-four elders are now governing the universe. When they see God saving a group of people, they are not jealous; rather, they praise God for it. When the kingdom comes, they will resign from their position and will hand over the governing authority of the universe to men (Rev. 11:16-18; Heb. 2:5-8). This is why we do not see the elders doing any more work after Revelation 19:4.
(5) The number of the twenty-four elders is the number of the priests. In David's time, the priests were divided into twenty-four courses (1 Chron. 24:7-18). The responsibility of the priests is to bring the prayers of the saints before God. The harps are for singing, and the bowls of incense are for prayers.
"And out of the throne come forth lightnings and voices and thunders. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God."
"And out of the throne come forth lightnings and voices and thunders." We see that God will execute judgment shortly. This throne is God's throne of righteousness, His throne of judgment. "Lamps of fire" in the original text is "torches of fire." A lamp is used in the house, and a torch of fire is used outdoors. (The torch of fire used by the Greeks was in the shape of a trumpet and filled inside with linen or cotton soaked in oil. It was used outdoors where air was abundant.) There is, of course, only one Holy Spirit before God. The seven Spirits here indicate that the emphasis is on the work and effectiveness of the Holy Spirit. This perfectly corresponds with the meaning of the torches of fire (see Rev. 5:6; Isa. 11:2).
"And before the throne there was as it were a glassy sea like crystal; and in the midst of the throne and around the throne, there were four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind."
A glassy sea is before the throne because the rainbow surrounds the throne. In Noah's time, God covenanted that He would never again destroy the earth by water (Gen. 9:15). Here we see that the judgment by water is over; judgment will no longer be by the sea. In Revelation 15:2 the glassy sea is mingled with fire. In the new heaven and new earth, there will be no more sea. Nevertheless, there will be hell—the lake of fire. It is a lake, but a lake of fire. For this reason, Mr. Govett said that this glassy sea later becomes the lake of fire. According to him, the judgment will not be by means of a sea of water; rather, it will be by a lake of fire. This seems quite reasonable.
There is only one throne; therefore, "the midst of the throne" cannot be taken to mean the center of the throne. It can only be explained as the midst beneath the throne, that is, the central area under the throne. "Four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind." "Eyes" represent intelligence. If the eyes are closed, one cannot see the world. The eyes are those which have the most contact with the world. "Full of eyes in front and behind." This shows us that the four living creatures are very intelligent before God.
"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 that of a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings apiece, are full of eyes around and within; and they have no rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God the Almighty, who was and who is and who is coming."
Some have said that since the twenty-four elders signify the church, these four living creatures also signify the church. We have said previously that Revelation is not a book of signs. Anything in this book that is not used as a sign should be interpreted literally. If the twenty-four elders are the church, if they are a sign with so many numbers, how do we interpret the other numbers later on? Such an interpretation not only makes it difficult to understand, but it also makes it easy for us to lose the value of this book. Therefore, the four living creatures are not a sign, but rather are the representatives of the creatures in Revelation 5:13. (The angels are represented in 5:11.) The twenty-four elders are representatives of the angels in heaven, and the four living creatures are representatives of the living creatures on earth.
According to Genesis, the living creatures are of six classifications: (1) aquatics, (2) birds, (3) livestock, (4) insects (creeping things), (5) beasts, and (6) man. But according to Revelation 4:7, there are only four kinds:
(1) The lion is the king of beasts (Prov. 30:30).
(2) The calf is the king of livestock. (Among the livestock the calf is the biggest.)
(3) The man represents the human beings in the world. The man does not represent the church, for in the kingdom age "the earth will be full of the knowledge of Jehovah" (Isa. 11:9). During the age of the kingdom, the church will be divided between those who are merely saved and the overcomers. But in the new heaven and new earth there will be no such distinction. During the age of the kingdom, although the human beings on the earth will also believe in God, there will be no baptism in the Holy Spirit; hence, they will not become members of the Body of Christ. They can only believe as individuals. In the new heaven and new earth they will be restored only to the condition of Adam before he committed sin. They will eat fruit, sleep, marry, and give birth to sons and daughters, but they will no longer die, be sick, or sin, because they will no longer be tempted by the devil. (More will be examined later concerning this.)
(4) The eagle is the king of birds.
No creeping things or fish are mentioned. The largest creeping thing is the serpent; therefore, it has no representative here. The fish were not judged in the age of Noah, but all the other living creatures were. Furthermore, in the new heaven and new earth there will be no more sea. By this we can see that the fish will be judged only in the future; therefore, they also have no representative here.
Because of the influence of man's fall, the whole creation is far from its original condition. Consequently, Romans 8:19 through 22 says that the whole creation expects to enter into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. When the Lord comes we shall be glorified, and the creation will be freed from the slavery of corruption. Only when the Lord comes will all things be restored (Acts 3:21). The effectiveness of the Lord's death on the cross reaches not only man but all things (Col. 1:20). Hebrews 2:9 says "everything." The Lord tasted death on behalf of "everything," that is, for all created things. The preceding portion says "all things" (v. 8); the following portion says "everything" (v. 9). Hence in the future, not only man but all created things will be redeemed. The Lord Jesus is not only a man but also the Firstborn of all creation (Col. 1:15; Rev. 3:14).
The four living creatures represent the redeemed living things before God. Among the four living creatures, the calf and man are clean, whereas the lion and the eagle are unclean. These two types of creatures stand before God with no distinction between clean and unclean because they are all redeemed. The lion and the eagle are ferocious, while the man and the calf are gentle. Yet because they are all redeemed, they can live together.
In the Old Testament there are two kinds of messengers: (1) the cherubim and (2) the seraphim. The cherubim have only four wings (Ezek. 1:6) and the seraphim have six (Isa. 6:2). The four living creatures here in Revelation resemble the four living creatures spoken of by Ezekiel — they have the faces of the cherubim (Ezek. 1:10) and the wings of the seraphim (Isa. 6:2). From this we see that the living creatures here are a combination of the cherubim and the seraphim. Cherubim are for God's glory. Exodus 37:7 says, "And he made two cherubim of gold." This signifies the glory of the cherubim. Seraphim are for God's holiness (see "holy" in Isaiah 6:3). Glory is related to God Himself. Holiness is related to God's nature. Therefore, the four living creatures here manifest God's glory and holiness. "The Almighty, who...is coming" means that He shall come. This indicates the Lord's second coming.
"And when the four living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits upon the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall before Him who sits upon the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever; and they will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, for You have created all things, and because of Your will they were, and were created."
In Revelation 4:9 "thanks" is given. The four living creatures are the representatives of the redeemed creatures. Since they have been redeemed, they give thanks. In 4:11 the twenty-four elders do not give thanks but speak of the Lord being worthy of authority. The elders do not have the experience of salvation; they only know authority. But when the twenty-four elders see the four living creatures praising, they are not jealous but rather join in: "And because of Your will they were, and were created." According to Mr. Govett's investigation, the best manuscript reads, "According to God's will all things were not, and were created," meaning that formerly God's not creating was according to His will, and later His creating was also according to His will.
"And I saw on the right hand of Him who sits upon the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed up with seven seals."
"Him who sits upon the throne" is God the Father. What kind of scroll is this? It is the New Testament. The New Testament speaks of how God will save the church, the Israelites, the world, and the universe. This scroll also records God's view concerning the church, the Israelites, the world, and the universe. "Sealed up with seven seals." This does not mean that with the loosing of each seal one sees a little more of the scroll. Rather, one has to loose all seven seals before he can see what has been established. This scroll is the New Testament established by the blood of the Lamb. It is the whole of God's plan in the New Testament.
"And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?"
Because the voice has to reach heaven, the earth, and under the earth, a strong angel is needed to proclaim loudly, "Who is worthy?" This is not a matter of power, but a matter of qualification. Who is worthy to bring in God's plan? No one.
"And no one in heaven nor on the earth nor under the earth was able to open the scroll or look into it."
Among the angels in heaven, the human beings on earth, and the spirits under the earth, no one is worthy to open the scroll.
"And I wept much because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or look into it."
Because John saw that God's plan could not be accomplished, he wept much. Here is a heart that sympathizes with the heart on the throne.
"And one of the elders said to me, Do not weep; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so that He may open the scroll and its seven seals."
"The Lion of the tribe of Judah." The Lord is from the tribe of Judah. Before God, the Lord is the Lamb, not the Lion. But to the Jews, the Lord is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, not the Lamb. The Lion has power and is the king.
"The Root of David." David was after God's heart and was the first king chosen by God. The Lord Jesus is the sprout of Jesse because He came out of Jesse (Isa. 11:1). But the Lord Jesus is not the sprout of David. Instead, He is "the Root of David" because David is out of Jesus. David became a king after the pattern of the Lord Jesus. God needs a victorious king to open the scroll so that His plan may be accomplished.
"And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders a Lamb standing as having just been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth."
"A Lamb standing." This is the scene at the time of the Lord's ascension to the heavens. "Having seven horns and seven eyes." Horns signify power because the horns of the ox and the ram are powerful. Hence, in the Bible there are such expressions as "our horn shall be exalted" (Psa. 89:17), "the horn of my salvation" (Psa. 18:2), and so forth. Eyes signify intelligence. The seven Spirits of God are not there to shine on God but are there as torches of fire sent forth into the dark places. The seven Spirits upon the Lord Jesus cause Him to have power, intelligence, and so forth (Isa. 11:2). The seven Spirits cause us to draw nearer to the Lord and to praise Him.
"And He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sits upon the throne."
As soon as He took the scroll, there were praises in heaven and on the earth. The New Testament is executed through the hand of the Lamb.
"And when He took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb, each having a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which bowls are the prayers of the saints. And they sing a new song, saying: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain and have purchased for God by Your blood men out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation."
The purpose for the prayers of the saints (v. 8) is the Lord's coming again. Harps are for praising and "bowls full of incense" are for presenting the prayers. "A new song." Because the Lord had died only a short time before, it is a new song. "Every tribe and tongue and people and nation." Four is the number of the earth. "Have purchased...men." These "men" are not the twenty-four elders because the verse does not say "have purchased us."
"And have made them a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign on the earth."
Based upon these words, are not all believers made kings and priests? Indeed, we can say this. Our salvation is based upon the Lord's death, but the procedure of salvation is based upon man's faith. In the same way, our being kings and priests before God is based upon the accomplishments of the Lord's blood, but the procedure through which we obtain this is based upon our behavior.
"And I saw, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and of the living creatures and of the elders, and their number was ten thousands of ten thousands and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who has been slain to receive the power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea and all things in them, I heard saying, To Him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing and the honor and the glory and the might forever and ever."
Verses 11 and 12 are the praises of the angels, the twenty-four elders, and the living creatures. Verse 13 contains the praises of all the creatures in the universe and the praises of the four living creatures.
