Intro:

Revelation 4 & 5 give us a brief but fairly detailed look at the actual throne room of God. For our purposes of study we will divide these chapters into the areas of observation.

 

I. THE DESCRIPTION

The person on the throne is most likely God the Father, since the Spirit is represented by the lamps before the throne (4:5), and the Son comes to the throne in (5:6). John uses precious gems to symbolize the glory of the Father: jasper is a clear stone, speaking of God's purity, sardine is red, speaking of God's wrath and judgment; and emerald is green, a color associated with grace and mercy. All of these stones were found on the beautiful breastplate of the High Priest (Ex. 28:17-21).

Around the throne was an emerald-colored rainbow. This takes us back to (Gen. 9:11-17), when God made His covenant with mankind and nature not to destroy the world with water. The rainbow speaks of God's promise and God's covenant of mercy. Even though the throne of God is about to send forth awful judgment on mankind, in His wrath God will still remember mercy (See Hab. 3:2). In (Rev. 10:1) we see Christ wearing the rainbow over His head, for it is through Christ that grace and mercy have come to the world. There is one difference between this rainbow and the one in Noah's day: Noah saw only a bow in the sky, while John saw the complete rainbow all around the throne. What we see of God's mercy is broken today-we "see through a glass darkly"; but when we get to heaven, we will see the whole pattern.

 

II. THE LOCATION

By comparing Scripture with Scripture we learn that Heaven is northward, above an enormous frozen sea which height is far above the imaginations of mankind. Notice the following passages: (Job 26:5-13; 37:9,10,18,22; 38:30; Ps. 148:1,4,5,6,7,8; Isa. 57:15; 14:12-14; Ps. 48:2; 75:6).

 

Ill. THE PERSONALITIES

A. The 24 Elders

The "crowns" can be connected with the crowns of rewards. The white raiment can be associated with the Judgment Seat of Christ and the marriage of the Lamb, in (Rev. 19), where we are told that "fine linen is the righteousness of saints". If this is so, the 24 elders represent saved people from the church Age, who are saved, "washed in the blood," and have earned rewards. However, these 24 elders are almost impossible to identify. For some help see: (Ps. 1107:32; 1 Pet. 5:11; Ex. 3:18; Heb. 11:2).

B. The seven Spirits

They are identified in (Isa. I 1 :1 -3).

C. The four beasts

These beasts are found as literal beings in (Eze. 1 & 10), where they are called "cherubim". They are found in (Gen. 3:24). Supernatural beasts like them, called "seraphim," are found in (Isa. 6). There is no reason for not believing they are supernatural beasts, when we remember that replicas, or remnants, of these supernatural beasts are found in all the Assyrian, Babylonian, Egyptian, and Hittite monuments. Greek and Chinese mythology all have their centaurs, satyrs, and ogres. Anybody who watches "The Twilight Zone" and 'The Outer Limits" ought to realize that there is always a basis of truth for a lie.

One of the amazing things about a study of (Eze. 1 & 10 and Rev. 4) is, that there are four beasts in each of the passages. But in (Eze. 28:14), it appears there were at one time five of them. In (Rev. 4) they are round about the throne, and in the throne. But, in (Eze. 28) there is one "over the throne". This cherub is declared to be "anointed." This is very important because the word in Hebrew for "anointed" is "messiah", and the word for it in the New Testament is "christ". This cherub is a christ! He's not the Lord Jesus Christ. He's not the holy, anointed One of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, but he is a christ. -This cherub later shows up as the Antichrist.