The Throne in Heaven
After this I looked,
and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the
voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said,
“Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after
this.” (Rev.
4:1)
Having reviewed
the things that have been (Rev.
1) and the things that are (Rev.
2-3), we have now arrived at part three of the
book, the things that will be after this. John looked up and saw
an open door, the one he had first heard about when he wrote
down the letter to the Church in Philadelphia. And just like
Paul said would happen to us (1
Thes. 4:16) he heard a loud command, “Come up
here!”
At once I was in the
Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone
sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of
jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald,
encircled the throne. (Rev.
4:2-3)
In the twinkling of an eye, John was
catapulted forward in time to the day we all dream of, the
Rapture of the Church. Since he was traveling through time, he
had to have what we call an out of body experience, because he
wasn’t given a resurrection body, like we will be, and would
soon be going back. He called it being in the spirit.
The same thing had happened to Paul about
40 years earlier, when he also was taken to the Throne of God (2
Cor. 12:1-4). Paul wasn’t allowed to tell about
it, but its memory provided more than enough motivation for him
to withstand the severest forms of persecution and suffering.
Unlike Paul, John was told to record every thing he saw. The
Jasper and Carnelian he saw are the first and last stones on the
High Priest’s breastplate and may summarize them all, and the
rainbow is a symbol of God’s mercy.
Surrounding the
throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were
twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of
gold on their heads. (Rev.
4:4)
These 24 elders confuse some people, but
they shouldn’t. Their appearance gives them away. They have
thrones, so they’re rulers. They surround the Throne of God, so
they’re assisting Him. They’re seated, a sign of royalty.
They’re dressed in white, so they’re righteous. They’re wearing
the Greek “stephanos” crown, so they’re victors, over comers.
They’re called Elders, a title long associated with
Christianity. So far we have a pretty strong case for them
representing the Church. But there’s more.
Some try to explain the 24 thrones by
saying that they belong to a group of ruling angels. But four
Prophets saw the throne of God and recorded their experience.
They were Isaiah (Isaiah
6), Ezekiel (Ezek.
1 & 10), Daniel (Dan.
7), and John (Rev.
4). In their descriptions, neither Isaiah nor
Ezekiel made any mention of the 24 elders indicating that they
weren’t present in Old Testament times. Daniel’s vision
concerned the End Times and in
Dan. 7:9
he mentioned multiple thrones but didn’t add any details as to
the number or type of occupants. This is consistent with the
fact that the Church was hidden to Old Testament prophets even
in visions of the future. Only John made mention of the 24
Elders. And note that these elders are wearing the crowns
of over comers. The Church won’t receive crowns until the Bema
Seat judgment that takes place after the Rapture.
The New Testament contains additional
support for the 24 elders representing the Church. In
John 1:12
we’re told that because we believe in Jesus we’ve been given the
authority to become children of God.
Romans 8:29
says that when God foreknew we would believe, He predestined us
to be conformed to the likeness of His Son so He could be the
first of many brothers In
Galatians 4:4-7
we read that since we’re sons of God we’re also heirs, joint
heirs with Jesus.
Romans 8:16-17
confirms this.
Hebrews 2:7
makes the point that Jesus was temporarily made lower than the
angels, becoming a man to save mankind. Having done so, He
was crowned with glory and honor and everything was put under
His feet.
Ephes 1:20-22
agrees, saying that when He was resurrected Jesus ascended into
heaven to sit at the right hand of majesty, far above every
other rule and authority, power and dominion and every title
that can be given. And finally
Ephes 2:6-7
says we’ve been seated there too, right beside Him. Since
the 24 elders are missing from every Old Testament view of the
Throne of God, they must represent the Church, seated with
the Lord at the right hand of Majesty.
And there’s still more. Through out
the Bible there are a number of “peak-to-peak” prophecies, as
Clarence Larkin began calling them over 100 years ago. They take
in the first and second comings in a single passage, sometimes
in a single sentence. He likened them to mountain peaks seen
from a distance, between which is a valley. The observer
sees the two peaks, but the valley between them is hidden from
view. So it is with distant prophecies. The prophet
records God’s messages but can’t always determine the span of
time that separates them. One of the best known is
Isaiah 9:6-7.
For to us a child is
born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his
shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty
God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his
government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on
David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding
it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.
Of this entire prophecy, only the first
half of the first sentence has actually been fulfilled. The
Child was born and the Son was given. The rest awaits the 2nd
Coming, leaving a span of time between the giving of the Son and
His assumption of world government.
Daniel’s 70 weeks prophecy contains a
similar gap between verse 26, where the people of the ruler who
will come destroy the city and the sanctuary, and verse 27 where
the ruler himself confirms a covenant with Israel.
And the same is true of
Isaiah 61:1-3.
The Spirit of the
Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to
preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the
brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release
from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the
LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort
all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to
bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of
gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of
a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.
Jesus quoted from this passage at the
beginning of His ministry in Nazareth, but stopped at the comma
following “the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke
4:18-19) The rest of the prophecy describes the
Great Tribulation and Kingdom age yet to come.
Each of these prophecies contains a
hidden span of time that lasts from the 1st Coming to the 2nd
like an otherwise complete puzzle with one piece missing. The
Church Age is always the missing piece. These three are but a
sample of Larkin’s “peak to peak” prophecies. Some claim
to have found a total of 24 of prophecies like this, each with a
gap where the Church fits, the same number as the elders
surrounding God’s Throne.
From the throne came
flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the
throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of
God. Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of
glass, clear as crystal. (Rev.
4:5)
Literally, this is the seven-fold Spirit
of God, an Old Testament idiom for the Holy Spirit. The sea of
glass was characterized on Earth by the bronze laver or wash-
basin that stood outside the Holy Place. It symbolizes God’s
Word. On Earth we wash in His Word (Ephesians
5:26). In Heaven we “stand on it.” (Remember the
old hymn “Standing on the Promises”?)
In the center, around
the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered
with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was
like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face
like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four
living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all
around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop
saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and
is, and is to come.” (Rev.
4:6-8)
These are the four cherubim who guard the
throne of God. In the beginning there were five, but their
leader betrayed both them and his trust, rebelling against God
and causing the introduction of a second will in the universe.
We call him by his primary activity, Satan, (it means accuser in
Hebrew) but in
Ezekiel 28:14
he’s called “the anointed cherub.” The Hebrew from
Isaiah 14:12
gives us his name, “Heleyl ben Shachar” the shining one, son of
the dawn. When the Bible was translated into Latin in the 4th
Century this phrase was rendered as Lucifer, which means light
bearer, and early English translations kept the name. He is not
the Morning Star, as some modern versions incorrectly state.
That’s a title the Lord Jesus uses only of Himself (Rev.
22:16).
Ezekiel’s vision of God’s Throne showed
each cherub with four faces, Isaiah doesn’t describe their faces
at all and John gives them each only one, but whether on one or
all four, the faces are the same. A lion, an ox, a man, and an
eagle. They can be likened to the ensigns of the four camps of
Israel.
The Four Camps
When the Jews camped in the wilderness
after leaving Egypt, they were instructed to set up in 4
sub-camps, one for each point of the compass with the tabernacle
in the center. The first was called the Camp of Judah and
included Issachar and Zebulon. Members of those 3 tribes would
look for the ensign of Judah, a flag with a large lion
embroidered on it, to locate their campground. It was
always due east of the tabernacle. The second camp was called
Ephraim and included Manasseh and Benjamin and was positioned
opposite to the west. Ephraim’s flag depicted the figure of an
ox. The third camp was headed by Reuben and included
Simeon and Gad. Reuben’s flag showed the face of a man.
They were located south of the tabernacle. The fourth camp
was that of Dan with Asher and Napthali included and was located
on the North. Dan’s flag pictured a large eagle.
Looking down from above God would see the
camp of Israel with the tabernacle in the Center and the 4
sub-camps around it. The large flag waving in the East pictured
the Lion, and opposite it was the Ox. To the south was the face
of a Man and opposite it was the Eagle. Was God modeling His
throne in the Camp of Israel with the four flags representing
the four faces of the cherubim?
The Four Gospels
Some also see the four gospels symbolized
in the four faces, the Lion for Matthew, the Ox, being a beast
of service, for Mark, the Man for Luke and the Eagle, a symbol
of royalty, for John.
Matthew was written to the Jews. His
purpose was to demonstrate who Jesus was; presenting
overwhelming evidence that Jesus was Israel’s long awaited
Messiah: The Lion of Judah. The genealogy in Matthew begins with
Abraham and runs through King David (Matt
1:1-17). The most frequently used phrase in
Matthew’s Gospel is “it was fulfilled.” There are more
references to events foretold in Old Testament prophecy and
fulfilled in the Life of Jesus in Matthew than in any other
gospel account. Partial copies discovered in the caves at Qumran
suggest that Matthew may have originally been written in Hebrew.
The first miracle, the cleansing of a leper, was highly symbolic
for Israel. Leprosy was viewed as a punishment for sin, and
cleansing a leper signified taking away the sin of the nation.
Matthew’s gospel ends with the resurrection signifying God’s
promise that David’s Kingdom would last forever.
Mark’s gospel is actually Peter’s account
and was written to the Romans. His purpose was to portray Jesus
as the obedient servant of God. Since no one cares about the
heritage of a servant there is no genealogy in Mark. The most
frequently used phrase in Mark’s Gospel is “straight away”
sometimes translated immediately, so Mark is called the snapshot
gospel, giving us picture after picture of Jesus in action. The
first miracle is the casting out of a demon, demonstrating that
the God whom Jesus served was superior to all other gods, a
matter of great importance in Rome’s polytheistic society.
Mark’s gospel ends with the ascension, signifying that the
servant’s job was finished and He was returning home.
Luke’s account portrays Jesus as the Son
of Man, a title Jesus often used of Himself, and was written to
the Greeks. It presents the human side of Jesus and emphasizes
his teaching. Greeks were famous for their story telling form of
oratory, so the most frequent phrase in Luke is “and it came to
pass.” Most movies of the life of Jesus rely primarily on Luke’s
gospel because of its flowing narrative form. Luke’s genealogy
traces Jesus all the way back to Adam, the first man (Luke
3:21-38). Since the Greeks, like the Romans,
were a polytheistic society, Luke used the casting out of a
demon as his first miracle, and ended his gospel with the
promise of the Holy Spirit, uniting man with God.
John wrote to the church describing how
Jesus felt about peoples’ reaction to His ministry. His gospel
is the most unique, based upon 7 miracles, 7 “I Am” statements
and 7 discourses. John pays little attention to chronology,
sometimes placing events out of order (like the Temple cleansing
in Chapter 2) for their effect in presenting Jesus as the Son of
God. John’s gospel covers only about 21 days out of the
Lord’s 3 ½ year ministry. 10 chapters are devoted to one week
and 1/3 of all the verses in John describe one day. His
genealogy begins before time and identifies Jesus as the Eternal
One Who was with God and Who was God (John
1:1-2). The most frequently used phrase in John
is “Verily, verily”, or truly, truly. His first miracle
was changing water into wine, an act of enormous symbolism by
which He “revealed His Glory and His disciples put their faith
in Him” (John
2:11). John’s Gospel ends with the promise of
the 2nd Coming.
Whenever the living
creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the
throne and who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders
fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who
lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne
and say:
“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory
and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your
will they were created and have their being.”(Rev.
4:9-11)
Another hint as to the identity of the 24
elders. Reading it always calls to mind the words of the old
hymn I sang as a boy, “Holy, Holy, Holy,” particularly the verse
that goes “casting down their golden crowns upon the glassy
sea.” It’s author, Reginald Heber, was an Anglican clergyman. He
was writing about the Church.
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