All Christians know that Christ has ascended into heaven and that He is in heaven today. However, not many are familiar with the scene in heaven after Christ’s ascension. This scene is quite particular, and we need to see it very clearly.
Revelation 4:1 says, “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 what must take place after these things.” God’s plan is hidden in heaven. When God finds a man on earth after His heart, heaven is opened to him. It was opened to Jacob (Gen. 28:12-17), to Ezekiel (Ezek. 1:1), to Jesus (Matt. 3:16), to Stephen (Acts 7:56), and to Peter (Acts 10:11). Here, and in Rev. 19:11, it is opened to John, the writer of this book, and it will be opened to all believers in the Lord in eternity (John 1:51).
Verse 2 says, “Immediately I was in spirit; and behold, there was a throne set in heaven.” In heaven, there is firstly a throne, and the book of Revelation is focused upon it. Beginning with chapter four, this book unveils God’s universal administration. The throne of God in Revelation is the center of God’s administration. While the throne in the Epistles is the throne of grace from which we receive mercy and find grace (Heb. 4:16), the throne here is the throne of judgment from which the world receives judgment. This is God’s throne in heaven. The whole universe, especially the earth, is under this throne. Whatever Satan does in the air and whatever man does on earth is under God’s throne in heaven. Today, man may do anything he likes, but the throne of God in heaven is still the authority over all men and all things. No one can do anything and nothing can happen outside of the rule of God’s throne. Apparently, this throne is invisible and is not realized by man, but actually it is behind the scene ruling over everyone and everything. In God’s time and for the fulfillment of God’s purpose, the appropriate judgment always comes out of this throne to mankind and upon the things transpiring on earth. In the book of Revelation, the consummate issue comes from the completion of the execution of God’s judgment. This judgment proceeds from the throne and clears up the confusion both in heaven and on earth caused by Satan’s rebellion and man’s fall.
In verse 3 we see that there is “a rainbow around the throne like an emerald in appearance.” The rainbow is a sign of God’s covenant with man and living creatures that He will not destroy them again with the flood (Gen. 9:8-17). In this book, God will judge the earth with all its inhabitants. The rainbow around His throne signifies that God is the covenanting God, the faithful God, who will keep His covenant while executing His judgment upon the earth in that He will not judge mankind again with a flood nor destroy all mankind, but will keep some to be the nations of the earth for His glory (21:24, 26). This rainbow indicates that God is faithful in His administration toward mankind. In this chapter, God is about to judge mankind, but in exercising His judgment, He will remember His covenant with Noah. He is the judging God and He is also the covenant-keeping God.
This rainbow is “like an emerald in appearance.” An emerald is a precious stone having a grass green color, which signifies the lives on earth. This indicates that while God executes His judgment upon the earth, He will still remember His covenant and spare some of the lives on earth as indicated in Genesis 9:11. An emerald, being a precious stone, is solid. God’s reminder to keep His covenant is solid. There is this solid reminder around the throne.
In verse 5 we are told that “out of the throne come lightnings and voices and thunders.” All these signify God’s wrath in His judgment. In the Epistles, out of the throne of grace come the mercy and grace of God for anyone who approaches Him through the redeeming blood of Christ. But here, out of the throne of judgment come forth lightnings, voices, and thunders as warnings to the sinful world. In the book of Revelation, after all God’s judgments have been executed, the throne of God will be the throne of eternal life supply, out of which will proceed the river of water of life with the tree of life growing in it. All the believers who are participating in God’s mercy and grace today by approaching God’s throne of grace will enjoy the river of life and the tree of life out of God’s throne as their life supply for eternity, while the unbelievers, who will be judged by God’s throne of judgment, will have no share in the eternal enjoyment issuing out of God’s eternal throne.
Verse 5 also tells us that “seven lamps of fire are burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.” This indicates that God will touch the earth by the seven lamps, by His seven Spirits which are burning, shining, observing, searching, and judging. The seven lamps here refer to the seven lamps of the lampstand in Exodus 25:37 and the seven lamps of the lampstand in Zech. 4:2. The seven lamps of fire which are the seven Spirits of God signify the enlightening and searching of the sevenfold intensified Spirit of God. In Exo. 25 and Zech. 4, the seven lamps, signifying the enlightening of the Spirit of God in God’s move, are for God’s building, either for the tabernacle or the building of the temple. Here the seven lamps are for God’s judgment, which will issue also in God’s building — the building of the New Jerusalem. While God executes His judgment, His sevenfold intensified Spirit will carry out God’s eternal building by searching, enlightening, judging, and infusing. This is fully developed in the following chapters. The issue is the consummation of the holy city, New Jerusalem.
Verse 6 says, “And before the throne there was as it were a glassy sea like crystal.” The glassy sea is a collector and container of everything judged by God. This sea is not of water, but of fire (Rev. 15:2). Since the deluge, God, in accordance with His promise not to judge the earth and living creatures again with water (Gen. 9:15), always exercises His judgment upon man with fire (Gen. 19:24; Lev. 10:2; Num. 11:1; 16:35; Dan. 7:11; Rev. 14:11; 18:8; 19:20; 20:9-10; 21:8). God’s throne of judgment is like the fiery flame out of which a fiery stream issues (Dan. 7:9-10). The flame of God’s judging fire sweeps all negative things in the entire universe into this glassy sea, which eventually becomes the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14). The glassy sea, being the aggregate of all God’s fiery judgment, is “like crystal,” signifying that every negative thing under God’s judgment is crystal clear. Whatever is judged and kept in the glassy sea is fully exposed; nothing is hidden. In this chapter we have the rainbow around the throne of God, signifying that God will keep His promise in Gen. 9:8-17, and we also have the glassy sea of fire, indicating that God will still judge all negative things with fire.
When John saw the throne set in heaven, he saw “One sitting upon the throne, and He who was sitting was like in appearance to a jasper stone and a sardius, and there was a rainbow around the throne like an emerald in appearance.” God on the throne has the appearance of a jasper stone. According to Rev. 21:11, jasper is “a most precious stone...clear as crystal.” Its color must be dark green, which signifies life in its richness. Jasper here, as 21:11 indicates, signifies God’s communicable glory in His rich life (John 17:22, John 17:2). It is the appearance of God, which will also be the appearance of the holy city, New Jerusalem (21:11). The city’s wall and first foundation are built with it (Rev. 21:18-19). In the Bible green signifies life. Thus, the color of jasper indicates that the God who is sitting on the throne is the very God of life. God’s color firstly is green, testifying that He is the source of life.
God on the throne is also in the appearance of a sardius stone. Sardius is a most precious stone, red in color, which signifies redemption. Today, God is not only the God of life, but also the God of redemption. While jasper indicates God as the God of glory in His rich life, sardius signifies God as the God of redemption. Because we, His created ones, fell, He came in to redeem through the blood of Christ. Therefore, He has two colors — the color of life and the color of redemption. He is the life-giving God and also the redeeming God. On the breastplate of the high priest in the Old Testament, the first stone was sardius and the last jasper (Exo. 28:17, 20). This signifies that God’s redeemed people have their beginning in God’s redemption and their consummation in God’s glory of life.
According to 5:1, in the hand of Him who sits upon the throne there was a scroll. This life-giving and redeeming God has a mystery which is held in His hand. This mystery concerns the destiny of the universe and is sealed with seven seals. The mystery, the secret, of the universe is held by the God of life and redemption.
Verse 4 says, “And around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads.” The elders in this verse are not the elders of the church, but the elders of the angels, because here, before the Lord’s second coming, they are sitting on thrones already (cf. Matt. 19:28; Rev. 20:4). In God’s creation, angels are the most ancient ones. In the Bible there are different types of elders: the elders of the Israelites, the elders of the churches, and, as here, the elders of the angels. The elders of the angels are the elders of the whole creation of God. That they sit on thrones with golden crowns on their heads indicates that they must be the rulers of the universe until the millennial kingdom, when the authority to rule the earth will be given to the overcoming saints (Heb. 2:5-9; Rev. 2:26-27; 20:4). The white garments with which they are clothed reveal that these angelic elders are sinless, having no need of the washing by the blood of the Lamb as do the redeemed saints (Rev. 7:14).
These twenty-four elders are clothed in white garments and have golden crowns on their heads. That they are clothed in white garments and have “a harp and golden bowls full of incense” (5:8) indicates that now they are also priests before God, whereas, in the millennial kingdom, the reigning overcomers will be the priests of God and of Christ (20:6). These twenty-four angels must be the universal priests. Their golden crowns indicate that they are also ruling ones. They are priests serving God and kings reigning over His creation. Before the creation of man, God had the leading angels as His priests and ruling instruments. According to Ezekiel 28, before Satan fell, he was such a one. He was God’s priest and also a king. Even when the Devil, Satan, tempted the Lord Jesus, showing Him “all the kingdoms of the inhabited earth in a moment of time,” he said, “To You I will give all this authority and their glory, because to me it has been delivered, and to whomsoever I want I give it” (Luke 4:5-6). The world was given him before the Adamic age. Thus, there was an age during which God gave authority to Satan, making him a king to reign over that universe. Likewise, these twenty-four elders were God’s priests and kings.
The number of the angelic elders, twenty-four, is composed of two times twelve. Twelve is the number of the completion of God’s administration (Matt. 19:28). David divided both the priests and the Levites into twenty-four groups (1 Chron. 24 and 1 Chron. 25) to carry out God’s administrative service. The number twenty-four indicates that, before the church is installed to replace them, the angelic elders are the ones who carry out God’s administration. Twelve times two signifies strengthening by doubling, indicating that the divine administration carried out by the angelic elders is strong.
In the Bible, the number of the living creatures, four, always stands for the four ends that cover the whole universe or the whole earth. In Gen. 2:10 the one river became four heads to reach the entire earth. In Jer. 49:36 are the four quarters of heaven, and in Isa. 11:12; Rev. 7:1 and Rev. 20:8 are the four corners of the earth. Hence, the number of the living creatures reveals that they represent all the creatures on earth and in heaven except the angels, who are represented by the twenty-four elders.
Verse 6 says that “in the midst of the throne and around the throne” there were “four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind.” According to verse 8, they are also “full of eyes around and within.” The most striking feature of the four living creatures is their eyes. They are full of eyes in front, behind, and within, and they can see in any direction without turning. Eyes are for living things to receive light and vision. That the four living creatures are full of eyes indicates that they are absolutely not opaque, but are crystal clear on every side and in every aspect. Christians should be like that, full of eyes. When we are full of eyes, we are transparent. If a person has no eyes, he is completely opaque. Our eyes make us transparent. If we had hundreds of eyes over our body, both within and without, our whole being would be transparent. In the presence of God, we, the redeemed people, should be like this.
Verse 8 says, “And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings.” In appearance, the four living creatures resemble the cherubim in Ezek. 1:5-10 and Ezek. 10:14-15. According to their six wings, they are like the seraphim in Isa. 6:2. (The cherubim in Exo. 25:20 and 1 Kings 6:27 have two wings, and the cherubim in Ezekiel 1:6 have four wings.) They must be a combination of the cherubim and the seraphim. As the seraphim, they are for God’s holiness (Isa. 6:3), referring to God’s nature, and as the cherubim, they are for God’s glory (Ezek. 10:18-19; Heb. 9:5), referring to God’s expression. Hence, they stand for God’s nature and expression.
Verse 7 says, “And the first living creature was like a lion, and the second living creature like a calf, and the third living creature having the face like that of man, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle.” Around the throne of God, the twenty-four elders represent all the angels, whereas the four living creatures represent all other living creatures. The first living creature, like a lion, represents the beasts; the second, like a calf, represents the cattle; the third, like a man, represents mankind; and the fourth, like an eagle, represents the fowl. Of the six categories of living things created by God (Gen. 1:20-28), two are not represented here — the creeping things on earth and the living things in the water. The head of the creeping things is the serpent, a symbol of God’s enemy, Satan, who, having been cast into the lake of fire, will have no place in the new heaven and the new earth; and the living things in the water are in the water of God’s judgment which will no longer be in the new heaven and the new earth (21:1). Hence, these two categories are not represented before God for eternity.
Among the four living creatures, the calf is clean, but the lion and the eagle are unclean (Lev. 11:3-8, 13-19). Having been redeemed, they have all become clean (Acts 10:11-16). Among them, the calf and the man are meek and gentle, but the lion and the eagle are wild and fierce. Through redemption, they can dwell together (Isa. 11:6-9). Christ’s redemption is not only for man but for “all things” (Col. 1:20), because He died on behalf of “everything” (Heb. 2:9).
In Rev. 4:8-11 we see the worship of God. Here we do not yet have the worship of the Lamb, for the Lamb does not appear until the next chapter. This chapter only presents the scene into which Christ ascended. The worship of God here is by the four living creatures representing all the creatures (vv. 8-9) and by the twenty-four elders representing all the angels (vv. 10-11). In this scene, all the creatures are worshipping God. In verse 8 the living creatures say, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God the Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is coming.” The mention of “holy” three times as in Isaiah 6:3 implies the thought of God being triune. Also, the mention of God’s existence with three tenses implies the thought of His being triune. The praises of both the four living creatures (v. 9) and the twenty-four elders (v. 11) are composed of three things, implying that they are praising the Triune God. The first two things, “glory and honor,” are the same in both places, but the last one is different. In the praises of the four living creatures, the last one is “thanks,” because they are redeemed and are grateful for the redemption of God’s grace, whereas, in the praises of the twenty-four elders, the last one is “power,” because, as the rulers of the universe and not the redeemed creatures, they appreciate the power of God by which they rule.
In verse 11 the twenty-four elders say, “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 have been created.” God is a God of purpose, having a will of His own pleasure. He created all things for His will that He might accomplish and fulfill His purpose. This book, unveiling God’s universal administration, shows us the purpose of God. Hence, in the praise of the twenty-four elders concerning His creation, His creation is related to His will.
As the ones who carry out God’s administration in the universe, the twenty-four angelic elders speak out in their praises the will of God’s creation. People can easily realize the creation of God, but they scarcely know the will, the purpose, of God’s creation. The praise of the angelic elders is an introduction to the contents of this book, which unveil the will, the purpose, of God’s creation — to have an eternal habitation for God’s satisfaction and expression. This is the holy city, New Jerusalem. In the New Jerusalem, God’s will in creation will be completely revealed and fulfilled. God will be fully satisfied and wholly expressed in and through the New Jerusalem. This is God’s will in His creation and it is the goal of the book of Revelation. The praise of the angelic elders points us to this, and Revelation proceeds on toward this and eventually brings us to this, the ultimate consummation of God’s will in His creation.
