In Revelation 4:1-11, seeing God enthroned in the center of thunderous heavenly worship compels us to center our lives, loves and obedience around him on earth as in heaven.
Wes
Welcome to the Two Journeys Bible Study podcast. This podcast is just one of the many resources available to you for free from Two Journeys Ministry. If you’re interested in learning more, just head over to TwoJourneys.org. Now on to today’s episode. This is Episode 5 in our Revelation Bible Study podcast entitled A Heavenly Throne and Heavenly Worship, where we’ll discuss Revelation 4:1-11.
I’m Wes Treadway and I’m here with Pastor Andy Davis. Andy, what are we going to see in these verses that we’re looking at today?
Andy
Well, Revelation 4 and 5 are two of the greatest chapters in the entire Bible, especially on the topic of worship, heavenly worship. And we’re going to see in Revelation 4, a celebration of God the Creator and Revelation 5, a celebration of Christ the Redeemer. And these are two great themes and the basis of all of our worship. God is worthy because he created all things, and Christ is worthy because he shed his blood. And so, we’re going to celebrate that in these two chapters. This particular chapter gives us a vision of heavenly worship unlike any anywhere else in the Bible. We’re invited with John to come up through a doorway into the heavenly realms and see the throne of Almighty God, the central reality of the universe. And we are convicted as we read it that the throne of God must be the center of our lives as well. So, I’m looking forward to walking through these 11 verses. What a spectacular chapter.
Wes
Let me go ahead and read those 11 verses as we begin here in Revelation 4:
After this, I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments with golden crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, and before the throne there was as it were, a sea of glass like crystal.
And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the 24 elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns 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.”
Andy, what’s the significance of the words “after these things” which appear twice in verse 1? And what’s the significance of the image of a door standing open in heaven?
Andy
Well, what’s happening in the Book of Revelation is a series of revelations given to John in his exile now in Patmos. And he first has a vision of the resurrected and glorified Christ walking through seven golden lampstands. And that vision takes up the first three chapters we’ve seen – Christ’s active, direct, daily involvement in the ministries of local churches all over the world. And those seven churches, the messages to the seven churches, have now been completed. Now we’re onto the next vision.
And whereas that’s Christ effectively on earth, because the churches are on earth, we are invited through the power of the Spirit to go up into the heavenly realms, which makes up the visions that follow. And so, this is the sequential unfolding of the visions as given to John. So, “after this” means after I had finished seeing that first vision, now the Lord Jesus was ready to give me the next vision.
And concerning the door standing open in heaven, it gives us a sense of a barrier, or some kind of a boundary, between the physical realm and the spiritual realm. And we see this also in Jesus’ baptism in Mark’s account where it says that “the heavens were torn open, and the Holy Spirit came out like a dove” (Mark 1:10). And so, there is this sense of a realm, and we’re in the physical realm. And the spiritual realms are a different dimension. And they’re pictured as above a door standing open above him, but that doorway represents access into the throne room of God. And here we must think also the symbolism of the tabernacle, and also the temple and the curtain which separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. And that curtain was torn in two from top to bottom.
And also, the author to Hebrews telling us that because of the death of Jesus, we have a “new and living way” into the throne room of grace. And so that doorway does represent the finished work of Christ on the cross opening for us access into the throne room of God. But beyond that, we have a specific, particular invitation to John the apostle to see things that had not ordinarily been shown to any living man. For example, the apostle Paul was caught up to the third heaven, and he was forbidden to talk about the things that he saw.
But John is not only welcome but actually even commanded to write down the things that he saw so that we could have the benefit of it. So, this represents- this doorway in heaven represents that barrier between the physical realm and the spiritual realm, the open access, won for us by Jesus, and the specific privilege that John had to go through that doorway.
Wes
Yeah, it’s amazing. It’s not just what he sees but also what he hears. So, he beholds this door standing open in heaven, “And the first voice,” it says, “which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, ‘Come up here and I will show you what must take place after this.'”
Who is this speaking to him? Just remind us of who that first voice is.
Andy
So that is Christ, the glorified resurrected Christ, and he’s the one that was speaking. He’s the one that spoke concerning in Revelation 2 and 3, the messages to the seven churches. And now this same one has a powerful voice, and the “voice like a trumpet” meaning somewhat like a clarion call summoning him to action, but it’s a strong clear voice. And he says, “Come up here and I will show you what must take place after this.” Now this is what Revelation is all about. It’s a revelation of things that are unseen, things that we cannot see and know unless they’re revealed to us, and that has to do with invisible spiritual realms and the future.
“This is what Revelation is all about. It’s a revelation of things that are unseen, things that we cannot see and know unless they’re revealed to us, and that has to do with invisible spiritual realms and the future.”
These are the two great categories of the things revealed in the Book of Revelation. First, we get the invisible spiritual realms revealed, but then we’re going to get in the subsequent chapters the future revealed as well.
Wes
In verse 2, what does it mean, “At once I was in the Spirit,” and why is it significant? The first thing John saw was a throne with one sitting on it.
Andy
Well, first of all, the command itself, “Come up here,” is impossible to obey. It’s a supernatural command. We should not imagine as some theologies posit that if God commands us to do something, we are thereby intrinsically, even independently, able to do it. That’s not true. Sometimes the command has with it supernatural power to obey such as, “Lazarus, come forth.” That command gave him the power to do it. And also, the command to Peter to come out of the boat and walk on the water. There was nothing intrinsic to Lazarus to raise himself up from the dead. There’s nothing intrinsic to Peter to be able to supernaturally walk on water.
The command imparted the power. And so, the command, “Come up here,” is impossible for a natural man to obey. But the Spirit comes upon him and enables him to move through the atmosphere, through the air, through the sky, into the heavenly realms through that doorway. And so, it is by the Spirit he does this. This also reminds me of the book of Ezekiel where Ezekiel, the prophet, had spirit visions. He was taken at one point- grabbed by the hair and lifted up from earth- into the heavenly realms and transported in visions of the Spirit to Jerusalem to speak to the condition there.
Here, John is lifted up into the heavenly realms themselves by the Spirit, so it is the activity of the Spirit. And again, Paul says, “Whether in the body or out of the body, I don’t know, God knows” (2 Corinthians 12:3). So, these visions are so real and powerful he’s not sure whether he himself went physically or whether just his mind and his spirit went through that doorway, but it is by the power of the Spirit this vision happens.
The central reality he sees as he goes through the doorway is the throne of God, and I would say the 66 books of the Bible are saying this is the central reality of the universe. It is the throne of God, Almighty God enthroned. This is the central reality of the universe and also the central issue of our salvation. Our problem is we have rejected God’s sovereign rule over the universe and specifically over our lives by our rebellion and our sin.
And for us to be redeemed we have to be brought back into a proper relationship with God enthroned. We have to come back into an understanding that God is King and has the right to tell us what to do. And not only that, but we are delighted to submit to him. We are to take Christ’s kingly yoke upon us and learn from him and submit to his kingly rule. So escorted from earth through the heavenly realms, through the doorway, the first thing John sees is the throne, and someone seated on it and that someone is God the Father.
Wes
In verse 3, he goes on to describe the one sitting on the throne and the throne surroundings. How does John describe the one sitting on the throne and the surroundings of that throne?
Andy
Well, he describes him in color terms and also in the terms of precious stones. So, he looks like jasper and carnelian. And Jasper is a clear stone, somewhat like a diamond, carnelian more of a reddish hue. And then a rainbow resembling an emerald. So that’s a green color. So, we’re going to see the same colors in the foundations of the new Jerusalem as well.
I think just the color represents attributes of God and the perfection of God. God is light and in him there’s no darkness at all. So got a sense of beauty and light and glory coming from the throne. But there’s no real way to describe God. And so, this rainbow, resembling an emerald, that kind of bends your brain. I would think emeralds are all green, but rainbows are multicolor. I think the idea in any case is radiant glory, the radiant glory of God.
Wes
You get the sense with this language that John’s doing everything he can to try to articulate to those who would read this, what he’s seeing in language that’s somewhat understandable. But like you said, to harmonize this is challenging for us.
An emerald rainbow is kind of a combination of things that together don’t make much sense to us, but we get that sense of light and shining.
Andy
Sure. And I think all of that. I love what you just said, and I definitely had that feeling in Ezekiel 1 where it seems that Ezekiel stretched language to a breaking point. But then Paul just is basically commanded to punt because it says he heard, “Inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to talk about” (2 Corinthians 12:4). So, putting that together is, you cannot put this in words, and he at least Paul, was forbidden to try. Now John does put it into words, but the words are not going to do it justice. The words are what Paul calls in 1st Corinthians 13:12, “seeing through a glass darkly.”
It would be much better to see it. It’s like just look. How can you put the beauty of the Grand Canyon in words? You can’t. It’s just a very big hole in the ground. Oh, okay. It’s like that doesn’t do it justice or the radiant colors at sunset. How could you describe it? So, the fact is this is indescribable, but we have enough of a description to go on.
Wes
What’s the significance about the fact that there were other thrones in heaven besides the central one and who’s occupying those thrones?
Andy
Yeah, what’s important is God creates creatures and delegates some of his authority to them. So, you have archangels who rule over regular angels, archangel being a ruler angel, and then you have these elders seated on 24 thrones. These are created beings or creatures, and they’re sitting on thrones, meaning they have authority, they have the right to rule under God’s overarching authority. Jesus is later depicted as the King of kings and Lord of lords. Also, Almighty God is the king over every authority. Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). Given to me by who? By God, the one seated on the ultimate throne. And so, the fact is these are created beings. There’s a lot of debate about who the 24 elders are. Some think that they’re angels, but they wouldn’t be called elders because angels don’t age.
And so, they’re probably humans maybe who had lived radiantly glorious lives and obedient lives, and they’re given the right to rule as it says another place. Paul says, “Do you not know that the saints will judge angels” (1 Corinthians 6:3)? And so, there’s a sense of authority. Jesus says, “You who have followed me will sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28). So, there’s different delegated authorities. Also, angels have authority that it’s given to them, and some of them fell into wickedness called demons. And Satan is the king of those demons, but it’s spoken in this manner, “Rulers, authorities, powers, spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). There’s delegated authority given to these creatures. So, the 24 elders represent that.
Wes
Now verses 5 and 6 give us more of the setting where the throne is, what’s happening around it. We have flashes of lightning, peals of thunder, seven spirits of God represented by seven lamps of fire burning and a sea of glass. There’s a lot here. But help us understand a little more about what’s happening in the context here, the lightning, the thunder, the lamps, the sea?
Andy
Well, it makes me think very much of Sinai when God descended to the mountain in fire and cloud to the top of the mountain in smoke and there’s loud noise, bright flashing, lightning, there’s rumbling. You’re going to get this a lot in the book of Revelation. It’s a sense of glory, a sense of power, and as delivered to our senses, our five senses, we are overwhelmed with fear, with terror. A sense of awe and wonder and even fear at the bright lights, loud noises, flashes of lightning that are coming from the throne, a sense of that power. And we’re going to see that many times in the book of Revelation. Not only do we have the flashes of lightning, rumbles, peals of thunder, which gives a sense of the infinite power of God. It also says, “Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing, and these are the seven spirits of God.”
Now, we’ve already had mention of the Holy Spirit in the dedication of the book back in Revelation in chapter 1 when it says, “Grace and peace to you from him, who is and who was and who is to come” (Revelation 1:4). That’s God the Father. “And from the seven spirits before his throne,” whatever that means, “And from Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness.” So, us as Christians we’re trinitarian so we must believe the seven spirits before the throne represents the Holy Spirit. And we get the same thing here. So, this must be the Holy Spirit, and how is the Holy Spirit pictured as a seven-fold lamp or something like that? And I think again the number seven generally means the number of completion or perfection and the lamp representing light or truth.
And so, this is the Holy Spirit: delivers truth, reveals truth coming from the throne, and he is represented here as a seven-fold lamp that’s blazing the seven-fold spirit of God. And also, it says, “Before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.” And so, this is a very significant thing. In Daniel 7, we have a picture of a dark and turbulent sea. And up out of that sea come four beasts representing four empires. You’re going to get the exact same image in Revelation 13 where the dragon, Satan, stands before the sea and up out of the sea comes the beast from the sea, who is the Antichrist.
So therefore, also in Isaiah 57, the sea, the dark, turbulent churning sea, represents the churning of sinful, wicked, disorderly nations and a sense of disorder and chaos and danger and power of human history.
But there up in heaven, the sea is completely placid like a mill pond, clear as glass and completely flat. So, I think about what happened in the Sea of Galilee during that storm, and then Jesus stretched out his hand and said, “Peace be still.” And instantly the storm was silenced, the wind ceased, and everything was calm. And so, this is a picture of God, the sovereign ruler, who is able to pacify and subdue the turbulence of the nations and bring them under total control.
“Jesus stretched out his hand and said, “Peace be still.” And instantly the storm was silenced, the wind ceased, and everything was calm. And so, this is a picture of God, the sovereign ruler.”
Wes
Such an encouragement as we navigate a world where we are faced daily it seems with this turbulent sense of unsettledness.
Andy
Later in the book of Revelation it’s going to say there’s no longer any sea. And some people are troubled by that because they like the sea. Well, whether there is literally a sea or not a sea, it could just be representational language saying no longer is there any turbulent source of the ethnic nations clamoring against each other and being disunited from each other and contending with each other, producing empires that conquer each other. No, all that’s done. So it could be that there will be a big body of water, it’s just not going to be some turbulent churning dark sea, but instead something very quiet and placid and beautiful here, a sense of total unity among the redeemed of the human race.
Wes
Now the end of verse 6 on into verse 7 gives us the description of four living creatures that are also around the throne. How are they described and what do they represent?
Andy
All right, so first of all, one thing we do need to know is the centrality of the throne, the 24 thrones around that central throne. And then here again around the throne are four living creatures. And then angels are going to be surrounding the throne in chapter 5. And so, it’s this concentric circles, this all of it around, and it’s just like the sun is the center of the solar system. Everything’s revolving around the sun. And so also in heaven, everything revolves around the throne of God. He’s the center of everything. Now, these I think represent creation or creatures. They may be spiritual beings because the cherubs in Ezekiel, Ezekiel 1 and also Ezekiel 10, are described in almost exactly the same language.
And they’re likened to having different aspects of animals or of human, a human. So, the first living creature like a lion, second like an ox. The third had a face like a man, and the fourth was an eagle. Now these are significant creatures or animals. The lion like the king of the jungle and the ox, the most powerful of all domesticated animals. And then the eagle you could really think of as the king of the skies. And then human beings, of course the king over all earthly creation. It was entrusted to us to fill the earth, subdue it, and rule over it.
So, this represents creatures. And it could be that there are angelic beings that have representations of which then the actual animals were created in imitation of that heavenly pattern. We don’t know, but these seem to be cherubs or angels because they are very much like the seraphim in Isaiah 6 with six wings and then with eyes all around, etc.
This seems to represent angelic beings, but they have aspects that relate to the beasts and a human being on the surface of the earth. We’re going to be celebrating. We are celebrating in Revelation 4, God the Creator. And so this kind of represents creation here.
Wes
What can we learn from the worship that these creatures present to God in verse 8?
Andy
Well, first of all, it’s unceasing. Day and night they never stop. And so that’s the whole thing. They’re tireless in this. And that’s the whole thing. I think about as I preach and as I counsel with myself and as I exhort others, we get weary in life. We are weak beings who get mentally bored, get physically weary, need to be renewed. Sometimes we just need a good night’s sleep and then wake up and have a good meal or something like that. And then we’re kind of at it again. And sometimes I ask myself, “Is God any less worthy right now than the last time you ardently praised him?”
And the answer is, of course not. Then why aren’t you ardently praising him right now? And I think the thing is because we’re weak. But these creatures, they have limitless power. They never stop. And that’s because God never stops being worthy of worship. And so, they continue to praise all the time and to worship God all the time, day and night. They never stop saying, what do they say? “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come.” This, of course, reminds us of Isaiah 6 with the seraphim who have, again, like these creatures do six wings and those wings represent fast service and lightning quick movements and ability to move out at God’s command.
So that’s just like Isaiah 6 and, frankly, also Ezekiel 1. And it says, “They never stop saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty.'” And what does that mean? Why the threefold celebration of that one attribute? I made a sheet once of the attributes of God and holiness is just one of 26 attributes. Why is this one so completely dominant in heaven? Well, it’s because holiness means separation, otherness, something like that. It’s separation from evil. We think about be holy because God is holy. That means be separate from evil.
But God is holy up in heaven and there’s no evil in heaven at all. There’s nothing evil in heaven. These living creatures are not evil, but they can’t get over the otherness of God. There are two great categories of being in the entire universe, physical and spiritual, and they are creator and creature. Everything there is in one of those two categories. And the only thing in the creator category is the triune God. Everything else is different than him. Separate from him. He is his own category and that’s what they’re celebrating here is the utter otherness of the creator. They are creatures, he’s the creator. He’s different than them. He’s infinitely above them. And they’re celebrating that with the triple statement: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.”
And then they say, “Who was and is and is to come.” Now that language is really tied to earth and we’re going to see most of this type of focus. The focus is going to be on unfolding events on earth. We’re going to have the three sevens, which is the seven seals and then the seven trumpets and the seven bowls. And when they are activated, let’s say in heaven, things happen on earth. And so therefore there’s this sense because the book of Revelation is for earthbound people that we should understand that history is linear, but God has never changed. God is eternal above and beyond time.
So, the God who was is the same God who is, and he’s the God who will be. He is unchanging. He is what he is now and what he is now he always was. And what he’s now he will be forever. He is the God who was and is and is to come.
Wes
How do the elders respond in verses 9 and 10 to the worship of the living creatures and what should we make of the key worship words we see in verse 9? “Glory, honor and thanks.”
Andy
There’s so much to say here, isn’t there? I’m going to start with the word whenever.
Wes
Okay.
Andy
Whenever struck me when I was writing my book on heaven as representing pulses. It’s not steady state. It’s more a sense that something new hits the elders. Something new hits them. And let’s imagine the elders are humans. It says they’re dressed in white robes implying that atonement and that covering of their sin and they’re wearing golden crowns, which represents the honor given to them and the right they have been given to rule. But at a certain point, whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives forever, they get up from their thrones, fall down on their faces, and they cast their crowns before the one central throne.
All right, so why do I make much of the word whenever? It’s not like one and done. It’s like once it happened and they’re down forever. It’s like you get the feeling of a rhythm. It’s like, ah, wow, that was amazing. And so, then they get up, they pick up their crowns, put them back on their own heads because they are their crowns, and they sit back on their thrones because they are their thrones. And then something hits them again and that’s the whenever. It’s like, ah, and down they go again. And it’s just, I think it’s cool because it’s like something new hits us like we talked about the omniscience of God. Has that ever occurred to you that nothing has ever occurred to God? It’s like God never learns anything but we creatures, things occur to us and they’re occurring to people up in heaven. They have new thoughts and bang down they go, and they worship.
And so, “whenever the living creatures,” it says, “Give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne.” All right, so what does it mean that they give glory to the one who sits on the throne? It seems like God has plenty of glory. I think what they do is they recognize the glory that is his and whatever glory is in them, they give him credit as being the source of it. So that’s what it means to give glory to God. I think it means to recognize that he is glorious and recognize that he is delegated some of his glory to you as a creature. And whatever glory you have is really a subset of God’s glory. So that’s to give glory to God. And then also “to give him honor” means to honor him in your mind and heart. It is to respect him for what he is. That’s foundational to worship. Like as I appraise him in my mind and have a sense of his attributes and his achievements and his nature, his person and what he’s done, I honor that. I worship that. I give it a sense of esteem.
So, they give honor and then they give thanks to him. And that always has to do with past achievements, things that God has done. God made me. God gave me this throne. God gave me this crown, and he deserves to be thanked. So, whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives forever and ever, then the 24 elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. There’s redundancy here, isn’t it? He sits on the throne, lives forever and ever. Sits on the throne, lives forever and ever. That’s who the focus is here. He’s the eternal God.
And so, the living creatures are praising him. And then the 24 elders do. And what is the significance of them getting down? It is them humbling themselves before the throne. They’re not going to challenge the throne. They’re not doing Isaiah 14 like Satan originally did when he said, “I will ascend. I will make myself like the most high. I will topple God from his throne. I will take his throne from him.”
No, they’re not trying to do that. First of all, they know it’s impossible. Second of all, they don’t want to do it. They want to get low before God. They’re humble before him. And whatever authority they have comes from God and their throne is as a small thing compared to God’s throne and their crown is given to them by grace and they give it back to him. They’re saying, “Every good thing about me came from you. For from him and through him and to him are all things.” And so, they worship him, and they honor him and they lay their crowns before the throne and celebrate him.
Wes
It really is beautiful because in the following verse, verse 11, we get this word “worthy” and this will come up again in Revelation 5, but it’s not like this is exaggerated or over the top or beyond what makes sense for them to do. It’s just what God is worthy of. How should the word worthy, especially in light of verse 11, affect our view of God and what’s the theological importance of the fact that all things in heaven and on earth exist and derive their existence from God’s will?
Andy
Right. Yeah, it’s so important. And, Wes, I know that’s something you’ve studied very much because you are focused on worship, and we know that worship means worth ship. It’s connected to the worthiness of God and of Christ. So how do we measure it? What is God worth? It’s infinite. There’s no limit to what he’s worth. What about the things that He’s done both in creation and redemption? What are they worth? They’re worth an eternity of study and of celebration. And so, I think what it is it just has to do with essential value. Like you think about something being appraised, like a diamond appraiser. It’s like, what is this diamond worth? Well, let me look at its attributes. The four C’s. What is it? The color and cut and carat and whatever the other fourth C is.
“Worship means worth ship. It’s connected to the worthiness of God and of Christ. So how do we measure it? What is God worth? It’s infinite.”
Wes
Clarity.
Andy
Clarity. Thanks. If you go to an expert diamond appraiser, he is gifted at looking at a diamond and then telling you what it’s worth. So how can we look at God and appraise what he’s worth? He’s worth more than the universe, and he’s greater than the universe. And so, there’s that worthiness of God, but we got to get detailed. And so big picture here, Revelation 4, he’s worthy because he created all things. And then Revelation 5, he’s worthy, Christ is worthy, because he died and redeemed all that was redeemed.
And so that’s worth worship. That’s that worthiness of it. So, he’s celebrating that. And then you zeroed in on specifically God as creator. There is nothing in the universe that exists other than God as the creator of all the creatures that he did not create. There’s no other source of things in the universe. There’s no other creator. It’s God alone who made all things. And everything that exists that has a being existed and exists now because God created it. And so not only do we celebrate that God originally made it, but it’s continued existence but completely relies on God’s ongoing will to have it continue to exist.
So, in him, we live and move and have our being, or again, in Hebrews 1:3 it ties it directly to the activity of Christ. It says that “the Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being sustaining all things by his powerful word.” Jesus keeps things going by the powerful word that come from him. He is the word of God. Or again, it says in Colossians 1:17, “In him, all things hold together,” so they continue to exist. And that’s mind-boggling because that includes Satan and demons and wicked men. God continues to will their existence. It’s just preposterous to think you could rebel against a God who’s holding your existence together as an act of his will. And imagine Satan being so deluded into forgetting that basic fundamental fact. If God said, “Cease to exist,” he would cease to exist. For in him Satan lives and moves and has his being as well.
And so, God deserves praise because he originally created all things and because he continues to uphold all things. And it’s interesting, Jonathan Edwards has a kind of theory of a continual creation, not in that it was anything like he’s caused the old universe to go out of existence and then a microsecond later creates the next one. It’s not that. It’s that as he continues to will that it exists, it continues to exist. And God continues in every microsecond to will that it exists. It’s a decision he continues to make. It’s pretty remarkable.
And then finally, if we get into chapter 5, God willing next time, it means that Jesus continued to will the existence of the cross and the nails that held him to the cross. And indeed his enemies that nailed him or condemned him to death and all that, he continued to sustain and uphold those things until he was dead. That’s really quite remarkable when we think about it because nothing happens apart from Christ. God the Father willed the continued existence of those things through his Son until he was dead. It’s really quite remarkable and its mind-boggling. So, this is what’s celebrated, “By your will you created all things, and they continue to have their being.” And so, God is worthy to receive glory and honor and power.
One last thing about that triad. Glory. God deserves glory. We covered that. And honor. God is worthy to receive power. Well, what does that mean? Imagine bringing a nine-volt battery to the Grand Coulee Dam or whatever it is, it’s like, or this nuclear power plant. It’s like, I just want to make my contribution or 1.5 a little triple A battery. It’s like, well thanks. Put it over there. It’s like you can’t even imagine the amount of power put out by this nuclear power plant, and God is infinitely greater. What does it mean then? It means to ascribe to him. That God, he is worthy to have his power evaluated and seen to be what it is.
Wes
What an amazing chapter where we see living creatures and elders spending their time in active energetic worship. Andy, what final thoughts do you have for us on this passage that we’ve been looking at today?
Andy
Well, I think the best thing we can do is to make certain that the throne of Almighty God is the center of our reality in our life. And we do that by obeying him. We do that by believing him and obeying him. And the first thing he is commanding us to do in this chapter is worship him. Just have a sense of his infinite majesty and greatness, of speaking words of praise. Isn’t God astonishing and amazing for what he’s done? And also, to look around at the creation including us because we ourselves are fearfully and made and give God the credit and glory and honor that he deserves for making them.
So, it’s just a life of obedience. A life of worship. That’s what I get out of Revelation 4.
Wes
Well, this has been Episode 5 in our Revelation Bible Study podcast. We want to invite you to join us next time for Episode 6, entitled The Lion Lamb Takes the Scroll, where we’ll discuss Revelation 5:1-14. Thank you for listening to the Two Journeys podcast and may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Wes
Welcome to the Two Journeys Bible Study podcast. This podcast is just one of the many resources available to you for free from Two Journeys Ministry. If you’re interested in learning more, just head over to TwoJourneys.org. Now on to today’s episode. This is Episode 5 in our Revelation Bible Study podcast entitled A Heavenly Throne and Heavenly Worship, where we’ll discuss Revelation 4:1-11.
I’m Wes Treadway and I’m here with Pastor Andy Davis. Andy, what are we going to see in these verses that we’re looking at today?
Andy
Well, Revelation 4 and 5 are two of the greatest chapters in the entire Bible, especially on the topic of worship, heavenly worship. And we’re going to see in Revelation 4, a celebration of God the Creator and Revelation 5, a celebration of Christ the Redeemer. And these are two great themes and the basis of all of our worship. God is worthy because he created all things, and Christ is worthy because he shed his blood. And so, we’re going to celebrate that in these two chapters. This particular chapter gives us a vision of heavenly worship unlike any anywhere else in the Bible. We’re invited with John to come up through a doorway into the heavenly realms and see the throne of Almighty God, the central reality of the universe. And we are convicted as we read it that the throne of God must be the center of our lives as well. So, I’m looking forward to walking through these 11 verses. What a spectacular chapter.
Wes
Let me go ahead and read those 11 verses as we begin here in Revelation 4:
After this, I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments with golden crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, and before the throne there was as it were, a sea of glass like crystal.
And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the 24 elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns 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.”
Andy, what’s the significance of the words “after these things” which appear twice in verse 1? And what’s the significance of the image of a door standing open in heaven?
Andy
Well, what’s happening in the Book of Revelation is a series of revelations given to John in his exile now in Patmos. And he first has a vision of the resurrected and glorified Christ walking through seven golden lampstands. And that vision takes up the first three chapters we’ve seen – Christ’s active, direct, daily involvement in the ministries of local churches all over the world. And those seven churches, the messages to the seven churches, have now been completed. Now we’re onto the next vision.
And whereas that’s Christ effectively on earth, because the churches are on earth, we are invited through the power of the Spirit to go up into the heavenly realms, which makes up the visions that follow. And so, this is the sequential unfolding of the visions as given to John. So, “after this” means after I had finished seeing that first vision, now the Lord Jesus was ready to give me the next vision.
And concerning the door standing open in heaven, it gives us a sense of a barrier, or some kind of a boundary, between the physical realm and the spiritual realm. And we see this also in Jesus’ baptism in Mark’s account where it says that “the heavens were torn open, and the Holy Spirit came out like a dove” (Mark 1:10). And so, there is this sense of a realm, and we’re in the physical realm. And the spiritual realms are a different dimension. And they’re pictured as above a door standing open above him, but that doorway represents access into the throne room of God. And here we must think also the symbolism of the tabernacle, and also the temple and the curtain which separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. And that curtain was torn in two from top to bottom.
And also, the author to Hebrews telling us that because of the death of Jesus, we have a “new and living way” into the throne room of grace. And so that doorway does represent the finished work of Christ on the cross opening for us access into the throne room of God. But beyond that, we have a specific, particular invitation to John the apostle to see things that had not ordinarily been shown to any living man. For example, the apostle Paul was caught up to the third heaven, and he was forbidden to talk about the things that he saw.
But John is not only welcome but actually even commanded to write down the things that he saw so that we could have the benefit of it. So, this represents- this doorway in heaven represents that barrier between the physical realm and the spiritual realm, the open access, won for us by Jesus, and the specific privilege that John had to go through that doorway.
Wes
Yeah, it’s amazing. It’s not just what he sees but also what he hears. So, he beholds this door standing open in heaven, “And the first voice,” it says, “which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, ‘Come up here and I will show you what must take place after this.'”
Who is this speaking to him? Just remind us of who that first voice is.
Andy
So that is Christ, the glorified resurrected Christ, and he’s the one that was speaking. He’s the one that spoke concerning in Revelation 2 and 3, the messages to the seven churches. And now this same one has a powerful voice, and the “voice like a trumpet” meaning somewhat like a clarion call summoning him to action, but it’s a strong clear voice. And he says, “Come up here and I will show you what must take place after this.” Now this is what Revelation is all about. It’s a revelation of things that are unseen, things that we cannot see and know unless they’re revealed to us, and that has to do with invisible spiritual realms and the future.
“This is what Revelation is all about. It’s a revelation of things that are unseen, things that we cannot see and know unless they’re revealed to us, and that has to do with invisible spiritual realms and the future.”
These are the two great categories of the things revealed in the Book of Revelation. First, we get the invisible spiritual realms revealed, but then we’re going to get in the subsequent chapters the future revealed as well.
Wes
In verse 2, what does it mean, “At once I was in the Spirit,” and why is it significant? The first thing John saw was a throne with one sitting on it.
Andy
Well, first of all, the command itself, “Come up here,” is impossible to obey. It’s a supernatural command. We should not imagine as some theologies posit that if God commands us to do something, we are thereby intrinsically, even independently, able to do it. That’s not true. Sometimes the command has with it supernatural power to obey such as, “Lazarus, come forth.” That command gave him the power to do it. And also, the command to Peter to come out of the boat and walk on the water. There was nothing intrinsic to Lazarus to raise himself up from the dead. There’s nothing intrinsic to Peter to be able to supernaturally walk on water.
The command imparted the power. And so, the command, “Come up here,” is impossible for a natural man to obey. But the Spirit comes upon him and enables him to move through the atmosphere, through the air, through the sky, into the heavenly realms through that doorway. And so, it is by the Spirit he does this. This also reminds me of the book of Ezekiel where Ezekiel, the prophet, had spirit visions. He was taken at one point- grabbed by the hair and lifted up from earth- into the heavenly realms and transported in visions of the Spirit to Jerusalem to speak to the condition there.
Here, John is lifted up into the heavenly realms themselves by the Spirit, so it is the activity of the Spirit. And again, Paul says, “Whether in the body or out of the body, I don’t know, God knows” (2 Corinthians 12:3). So, these visions are so real and powerful he’s not sure whether he himself went physically or whether just his mind and his spirit went through that doorway, but it is by the power of the Spirit this vision happens.
The central reality he sees as he goes through the doorway is the throne of God, and I would say the 66 books of the Bible are saying this is the central reality of the universe. It is the throne of God, Almighty God enthroned. This is the central reality of the universe and also the central issue of our salvation. Our problem is we have rejected God’s sovereign rule over the universe and specifically over our lives by our rebellion and our sin.
And for us to be redeemed we have to be brought back into a proper relationship with God enthroned. We have to come back into an understanding that God is King and has the right to tell us what to do. And not only that, but we are delighted to submit to him. We are to take Christ’s kingly yoke upon us and learn from him and submit to his kingly rule. So escorted from earth through the heavenly realms, through the doorway, the first thing John sees is the throne, and someone seated on it and that someone is God the Father.
Wes
In verse 3, he goes on to describe the one sitting on the throne and the throne surroundings. How does John describe the one sitting on the throne and the surroundings of that throne?
Andy
Well, he describes him in color terms and also in the terms of precious stones. So, he looks like jasper and carnelian. And Jasper is a clear stone, somewhat like a diamond, carnelian more of a reddish hue. And then a rainbow resembling an emerald. So that’s a green color. So, we’re going to see the same colors in the foundations of the new Jerusalem as well.
I think just the color represents attributes of God and the perfection of God. God is light and in him there’s no darkness at all. So got a sense of beauty and light and glory coming from the throne. But there’s no real way to describe God. And so, this rainbow, resembling an emerald, that kind of bends your brain. I would think emeralds are all green, but rainbows are multicolor. I think the idea in any case is radiant glory, the radiant glory of God.
Wes
You get the sense with this language that John’s doing everything he can to try to articulate to those who would read this, what he’s seeing in language that’s somewhat understandable. But like you said, to harmonize this is challenging for us.
An emerald rainbow is kind of a combination of things that together don’t make much sense to us, but we get that sense of light and shining.
Andy
Sure. And I think all of that. I love what you just said, and I definitely had that feeling in Ezekiel 1 where it seems that Ezekiel stretched language to a breaking point. But then Paul just is basically commanded to punt because it says he heard, “Inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to talk about” (2 Corinthians 12:4). So, putting that together is, you cannot put this in words, and he at least Paul, was forbidden to try. Now John does put it into words, but the words are not going to do it justice. The words are what Paul calls in 1st Corinthians 13:12, “seeing through a glass darkly.”
It would be much better to see it. It’s like just look. How can you put the beauty of the Grand Canyon in words? You can’t. It’s just a very big hole in the ground. Oh, okay. It’s like that doesn’t do it justice or the radiant colors at sunset. How could you describe it? So, the fact is this is indescribable, but we have enough of a description to go on.
Wes
What’s the significance about the fact that there were other thrones in heaven besides the central one and who’s occupying those thrones?
Andy
Yeah, what’s important is God creates creatures and delegates some of his authority to them. So, you have archangels who rule over regular angels, archangel being a ruler angel, and then you have these elders seated on 24 thrones. These are created beings or creatures, and they’re sitting on thrones, meaning they have authority, they have the right to rule under God’s overarching authority. Jesus is later depicted as the King of kings and Lord of lords. Also, Almighty God is the king over every authority. Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). Given to me by who? By God, the one seated on the ultimate throne. And so, the fact is these are created beings. There’s a lot of debate about who the 24 elders are. Some think that they’re angels, but they wouldn’t be called elders because angels don’t age.
And so, they’re probably humans maybe who had lived radiantly glorious lives and obedient lives, and they’re given the right to rule as it says another place. Paul says, “Do you not know that the saints will judge angels” (1 Corinthians 6:3)? And so, there’s a sense of authority. Jesus says, “You who have followed me will sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28). So, there’s different delegated authorities. Also, angels have authority that it’s given to them, and some of them fell into wickedness called demons. And Satan is the king of those demons, but it’s spoken in this manner, “Rulers, authorities, powers, spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). There’s delegated authority given to these creatures. So, the 24 elders represent that.
Wes
Now verses 5 and 6 give us more of the setting where the throne is, what’s happening around it. We have flashes of lightning, peals of thunder, seven spirits of God represented by seven lamps of fire burning and a sea of glass. There’s a lot here. But help us understand a little more about what’s happening in the context here, the lightning, the thunder, the lamps, the sea?
Andy
Well, it makes me think very much of Sinai when God descended to the mountain in fire and cloud to the top of the mountain in smoke and there’s loud noise, bright flashing, lightning, there’s rumbling. You’re going to get this a lot in the book of Revelation. It’s a sense of glory, a sense of power, and as delivered to our senses, our five senses, we are overwhelmed with fear, with terror. A sense of awe and wonder and even fear at the bright lights, loud noises, flashes of lightning that are coming from the throne, a sense of that power. And we’re going to see that many times in the book of Revelation. Not only do we have the flashes of lightning, rumbles, peals of thunder, which gives a sense of the infinite power of God. It also says, “Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing, and these are the seven spirits of God.”
Now, we’ve already had mention of the Holy Spirit in the dedication of the book back in Revelation in chapter 1 when it says, “Grace and peace to you from him, who is and who was and who is to come” (Revelation 1:4). That’s God the Father. “And from the seven spirits before his throne,” whatever that means, “And from Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness.” So, us as Christians we’re trinitarian so we must believe the seven spirits before the throne represents the Holy Spirit. And we get the same thing here. So, this must be the Holy Spirit, and how is the Holy Spirit pictured as a seven-fold lamp or something like that? And I think again the number seven generally means the number of completion or perfection and the lamp representing light or truth.
And so, this is the Holy Spirit: delivers truth, reveals truth coming from the throne, and he is represented here as a seven-fold lamp that’s blazing the seven-fold spirit of God. And also, it says, “Before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.” And so, this is a very significant thing. In Daniel 7, we have a picture of a dark and turbulent sea. And up out of that sea come four beasts representing four empires. You’re going to get the exact same image in Revelation 13 where the dragon, Satan, stands before the sea and up out of the sea comes the beast from the sea, who is the Antichrist.
So therefore, also in Isaiah 57, the sea, the dark, turbulent churning sea, represents the churning of sinful, wicked, disorderly nations and a sense of disorder and chaos and danger and power of human history.
But there up in heaven, the sea is completely placid like a mill pond, clear as glass and completely flat. So, I think about what happened in the Sea of Galilee during that storm, and then Jesus stretched out his hand and said, “Peace be still.” And instantly the storm was silenced, the wind ceased, and everything was calm. And so, this is a picture of God, the sovereign ruler, who is able to pacify and subdue the turbulence of the nations and bring them under total control.
“Jesus stretched out his hand and said, “Peace be still.” And instantly the storm was silenced, the wind ceased, and everything was calm. And so, this is a picture of God, the sovereign ruler.”
Wes
Such an encouragement as we navigate a world where we are faced daily it seems with this turbulent sense of unsettledness.
Andy
Later in the book of Revelation it’s going to say there’s no longer any sea. And some people are troubled by that because they like the sea. Well, whether there is literally a sea or not a sea, it could just be representational language saying no longer is there any turbulent source of the ethnic nations clamoring against each other and being disunited from each other and contending with each other, producing empires that conquer each other. No, all that’s done. So it could be that there will be a big body of water, it’s just not going to be some turbulent churning dark sea, but instead something very quiet and placid and beautiful here, a sense of total unity among the redeemed of the human race.
Wes
Now the end of verse 6 on into verse 7 gives us the description of four living creatures that are also around the throne. How are they described and what do they represent?
Andy
All right, so first of all, one thing we do need to know is the centrality of the throne, the 24 thrones around that central throne. And then here again around the throne are four living creatures. And then angels are going to be surrounding the throne in chapter 5. And so, it’s this concentric circles, this all of it around, and it’s just like the sun is the center of the solar system. Everything’s revolving around the sun. And so also in heaven, everything revolves around the throne of God. He’s the center of everything. Now, these I think represent creation or creatures. They may be spiritual beings because the cherubs in Ezekiel, Ezekiel 1 and also Ezekiel 10, are described in almost exactly the same language.
And they’re likened to having different aspects of animals or of human, a human. So, the first living creature like a lion, second like an ox. The third had a face like a man, and the fourth was an eagle. Now these are significant creatures or animals. The lion like the king of the jungle and the ox, the most powerful of all domesticated animals. And then the eagle you could really think of as the king of the skies. And then human beings, of course the king over all earthly creation. It was entrusted to us to fill the earth, subdue it, and rule over it.
So, this represents creatures. And it could be that there are angelic beings that have representations of which then the actual animals were created in imitation of that heavenly pattern. We don’t know, but these seem to be cherubs or angels because they are very much like the seraphim in Isaiah 6 with six wings and then with eyes all around, etc.
This seems to represent angelic beings, but they have aspects that relate to the beasts and a human being on the surface of the earth. We’re going to be celebrating. We are celebrating in Revelation 4, God the Creator. And so this kind of represents creation here.
Wes
What can we learn from the worship that these creatures present to God in verse 8?
Andy
Well, first of all, it’s unceasing. Day and night they never stop. And so that’s the whole thing. They’re tireless in this. And that’s the whole thing. I think about as I preach and as I counsel with myself and as I exhort others, we get weary in life. We are weak beings who get mentally bored, get physically weary, need to be renewed. Sometimes we just need a good night’s sleep and then wake up and have a good meal or something like that. And then we’re kind of at it again. And sometimes I ask myself, “Is God any less worthy right now than the last time you ardently praised him?”
And the answer is, of course not. Then why aren’t you ardently praising him right now? And I think the thing is because we’re weak. But these creatures, they have limitless power. They never stop. And that’s because God never stops being worthy of worship. And so, they continue to praise all the time and to worship God all the time, day and night. They never stop saying, what do they say? “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come.” This, of course, reminds us of Isaiah 6 with the seraphim who have, again, like these creatures do six wings and those wings represent fast service and lightning quick movements and ability to move out at God’s command.
So that’s just like Isaiah 6 and, frankly, also Ezekiel 1. And it says, “They never stop saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty.'” And what does that mean? Why the threefold celebration of that one attribute? I made a sheet once of the attributes of God and holiness is just one of 26 attributes. Why is this one so completely dominant in heaven? Well, it’s because holiness means separation, otherness, something like that. It’s separation from evil. We think about be holy because God is holy. That means be separate from evil.
But God is holy up in heaven and there’s no evil in heaven at all. There’s nothing evil in heaven. These living creatures are not evil, but they can’t get over the otherness of God. There are two great categories of being in the entire universe, physical and spiritual, and they are creator and creature. Everything there is in one of those two categories. And the only thing in the creator category is the triune God. Everything else is different than him. Separate from him. He is his own category and that’s what they’re celebrating here is the utter otherness of the creator. They are creatures, he’s the creator. He’s different than them. He’s infinitely above them. And they’re celebrating that with the triple statement: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.”
And then they say, “Who was and is and is to come.” Now that language is really tied to earth and we’re going to see most of this type of focus. The focus is going to be on unfolding events on earth. We’re going to have the three sevens, which is the seven seals and then the seven trumpets and the seven bowls. And when they are activated, let’s say in heaven, things happen on earth. And so therefore there’s this sense because the book of Revelation is for earthbound people that we should understand that history is linear, but God has never changed. God is eternal above and beyond time.
So, the God who was is the same God who is, and he’s the God who will be. He is unchanging. He is what he is now and what he is now he always was. And what he’s now he will be forever. He is the God who was and is and is to come.
Wes
How do the elders respond in verses 9 and 10 to the worship of the living creatures and what should we make of the key worship words we see in verse 9? “Glory, honor and thanks.”
Andy
There’s so much to say here, isn’t there? I’m going to start with the word whenever.
Wes
Okay.
Andy
Whenever struck me when I was writing my book on heaven as representing pulses. It’s not steady state. It’s more a sense that something new hits the elders. Something new hits them. And let’s imagine the elders are humans. It says they’re dressed in white robes implying that atonement and that covering of their sin and they’re wearing golden crowns, which represents the honor given to them and the right they have been given to rule. But at a certain point, whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives forever, they get up from their thrones, fall down on their faces, and they cast their crowns before the one central throne.
All right, so why do I make much of the word whenever? It’s not like one and done. It’s like once it happened and they’re down forever. It’s like you get the feeling of a rhythm. It’s like, ah, wow, that was amazing. And so, then they get up, they pick up their crowns, put them back on their own heads because they are their crowns, and they sit back on their thrones because they are their thrones. And then something hits them again and that’s the whenever. It’s like, ah, and down they go again. And it’s just, I think it’s cool because it’s like something new hits us like we talked about the omniscience of God. Has that ever occurred to you that nothing has ever occurred to God? It’s like God never learns anything but we creatures, things occur to us and they’re occurring to people up in heaven. They have new thoughts and bang down they go, and they worship.
And so, “whenever the living creatures,” it says, “Give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne.” All right, so what does it mean that they give glory to the one who sits on the throne? It seems like God has plenty of glory. I think what they do is they recognize the glory that is his and whatever glory is in them, they give him credit as being the source of it. So that’s what it means to give glory to God. I think it means to recognize that he is glorious and recognize that he is delegated some of his glory to you as a creature. And whatever glory you have is really a subset of God’s glory. So that’s to give glory to God. And then also “to give him honor” means to honor him in your mind and heart. It is to respect him for what he is. That’s foundational to worship. Like as I appraise him in my mind and have a sense of his attributes and his achievements and his nature, his person and what he’s done, I honor that. I worship that. I give it a sense of esteem.
So, they give honor and then they give thanks to him. And that always has to do with past achievements, things that God has done. God made me. God gave me this throne. God gave me this crown, and he deserves to be thanked. So, whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives forever and ever, then the 24 elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. There’s redundancy here, isn’t it? He sits on the throne, lives forever and ever. Sits on the throne, lives forever and ever. That’s who the focus is here. He’s the eternal God.
And so, the living creatures are praising him. And then the 24 elders do. And what is the significance of them getting down? It is them humbling themselves before the throne. They’re not going to challenge the throne. They’re not doing Isaiah 14 like Satan originally did when he said, “I will ascend. I will make myself like the most high. I will topple God from his throne. I will take his throne from him.”
No, they’re not trying to do that. First of all, they know it’s impossible. Second of all, they don’t want to do it. They want to get low before God. They’re humble before him. And whatever authority they have comes from God and their throne is as a small thing compared to God’s throne and their crown is given to them by grace and they give it back to him. They’re saying, “Every good thing about me came from you. For from him and through him and to him are all things.” And so, they worship him, and they honor him and they lay their crowns before the throne and celebrate him.
Wes
It really is beautiful because in the following verse, verse 11, we get this word “worthy” and this will come up again in Revelation 5, but it’s not like this is exaggerated or over the top or beyond what makes sense for them to do. It’s just what God is worthy of. How should the word worthy, especially in light of verse 11, affect our view of God and what’s the theological importance of the fact that all things in heaven and on earth exist and derive their existence from God’s will?
Andy
Right. Yeah, it’s so important. And, Wes, I know that’s something you’ve studied very much because you are focused on worship, and we know that worship means worth ship. It’s connected to the worthiness of God and of Christ. So how do we measure it? What is God worth? It’s infinite. There’s no limit to what he’s worth. What about the things that He’s done both in creation and redemption? What are they worth? They’re worth an eternity of study and of celebration. And so, I think what it is it just has to do with essential value. Like you think about something being appraised, like a diamond appraiser. It’s like, what is this diamond worth? Well, let me look at its attributes. The four C’s. What is it? The color and cut and carat and whatever the other fourth C is.
“Worship means worth ship. It’s connected to the worthiness of God and of Christ. So how do we measure it? What is God worth? It’s infinite.”
Wes
Clarity.
Andy
Clarity. Thanks. If you go to an expert diamond appraiser, he is gifted at looking at a diamond and then telling you what it’s worth. So how can we look at God and appraise what he’s worth? He’s worth more than the universe, and he’s greater than the universe. And so, there’s that worthiness of God, but we got to get detailed. And so big picture here, Revelation 4, he’s worthy because he created all things. And then Revelation 5, he’s worthy, Christ is worthy, because he died and redeemed all that was redeemed.
And so that’s worth worship. That’s that worthiness of it. So, he’s celebrating that. And then you zeroed in on specifically God as creator. There is nothing in the universe that exists other than God as the creator of all the creatures that he did not create. There’s no other source of things in the universe. There’s no other creator. It’s God alone who made all things. And everything that exists that has a being existed and exists now because God created it. And so not only do we celebrate that God originally made it, but it’s continued existence but completely relies on God’s ongoing will to have it continue to exist.
So, in him, we live and move and have our being, or again, in Hebrews 1:3 it ties it directly to the activity of Christ. It says that “the Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being sustaining all things by his powerful word.” Jesus keeps things going by the powerful word that come from him. He is the word of God. Or again, it says in Colossians 1:17, “In him, all things hold together,” so they continue to exist. And that’s mind-boggling because that includes Satan and demons and wicked men. God continues to will their existence. It’s just preposterous to think you could rebel against a God who’s holding your existence together as an act of his will. And imagine Satan being so deluded into forgetting that basic fundamental fact. If God said, “Cease to exist,” he would cease to exist. For in him Satan lives and moves and has his being as well.
And so, God deserves praise because he originally created all things and because he continues to uphold all things. And it’s interesting, Jonathan Edwards has a kind of theory of a continual creation, not in that it was anything like he’s caused the old universe to go out of existence and then a microsecond later creates the next one. It’s not that. It’s that as he continues to will that it exists, it continues to exist. And God continues in every microsecond to will that it exists. It’s a decision he continues to make. It’s pretty remarkable.
And then finally, if we get into chapter 5, God willing next time, it means that Jesus continued to will the existence of the cross and the nails that held him to the cross. And indeed his enemies that nailed him or condemned him to death and all that, he continued to sustain and uphold those things until he was dead. That’s really quite remarkable when we think about it because nothing happens apart from Christ. God the Father willed the continued existence of those things through his Son until he was dead. It’s really quite remarkable and its mind-boggling. So, this is what’s celebrated, “By your will you created all things, and they continue to have their being.” And so, God is worthy to receive glory and honor and power.
One last thing about that triad. Glory. God deserves glory. We covered that. And honor. God is worthy to receive power. Well, what does that mean? Imagine bringing a nine-volt battery to the Grand Coulee Dam or whatever it is, it’s like, or this nuclear power plant. It’s like, I just want to make my contribution or 1.5 a little triple A battery. It’s like, well thanks. Put it over there. It’s like you can’t even imagine the amount of power put out by this nuclear power plant, and God is infinitely greater. What does it mean then? It means to ascribe to him. That God, he is worthy to have his power evaluated and seen to be what it is.
Wes
What an amazing chapter where we see living creatures and elders spending their time in active energetic worship. Andy, what final thoughts do you have for us on this passage that we’ve been looking at today?
Andy
Well, I think the best thing we can do is to make certain that the throne of Almighty God is the center of our reality in our life. And we do that by obeying him. We do that by believing him and obeying him. And the first thing he is commanding us to do in this chapter is worship him. Just have a sense of his infinite majesty and greatness, of speaking words of praise. Isn’t God astonishing and amazing for what he’s done? And also, to look around at the creation including us because we ourselves are fearfully and made and give God the credit and glory and honor that he deserves for making them.
So, it’s just a life of obedience. A life of worship. That’s what I get out of Revelation 4.
Wes
Well, this has been Episode 5 in our Revelation Bible Study podcast. We want to invite you to join us next time for Episode 6, entitled The Lion Lamb Takes the Scroll, where we’ll discuss Revelation 5:1-14. Thank you for listening to the Two Journeys podcast and may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
