The Throne Room

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. Revelation  4:1-6

As John’s vision continued, he saw an open door in heaven, and heard that tremendous voice again, calling him to come in. He was about to be shown what comes next. Whoosh! The Church was no longer on earth, because she had now been transported to the Throne of Christ. John saw that throne, and a person seated on it. He was as brilliant as a diamond (jasper). There was a rainbow around the throne which looked like emerald. The rainbow is God’s symbol of promises kept, which has been hijacked in recent generations by some Satanic cults and organizations. Satan always has and always will try to counterfeit God’s plan, but he can never quite make it, because evil cannot duplicate perfect righteousness, no matter how he tries. Those who know and love Jesus and His perfect Word of Truth are never taken in by the false advertising of Satan.

This scene was also described in Daniel 7:9-10. Daniel called this person The Ancient of Days. It is Jesus Christ, of course, in His glorious position as great High Priest. What Daniel didn’t see in his vision were these 24 surrounding thrones and the elders seated upon them. In Daniel’s day the Church was not yet. In the time of the great tribulation, the Church has been redeemed and is present in the throne room of Christ. They are wearing white garments of purity, provided by the blood of the Lamb. They have golden crowns of victory on their heads, because they have overcome the world through their identification with Jesus Christ. They are the redeemed of God. There has to be significance to the number 24. We know there are 12 tribes of Israel and 12 apostles to the Church. We know there is an angelic general staff overseeing the ministry of God’s elect angels to His people in the world. That’s really all I can squeeze out of these numbers. There is an eternal hierarchy of angelic beings, both elect and fallen, and these could be angels, but in this context it seems more likely they are highly rewarded humans from the Church, since Daniel didn’t see them. Lightening and thunder accompany judgment, and the seven spirits of God represent the ministry of God the Holy Spirit. In the presence of all this wondrous holiness and judgment, the church was calm, stable, resting and sparkling clean—a sea of glass.

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!” Revelation 4:7-8

The four living creatures surrounding the throne in verse 7 were seen before also by Ezekiel in chapter 1. Verse 10 describes their faces: As for the likeness of their faces, each had a human face. The four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle. These living creatures bear the characteristics of God the Son, and each of these faces is represented by one of the four gospels.

In Matthew He appears as the Lion of the tribe of Judah—Royalty—Messiah.
In Mark as the Servant who became the sacrifice for sin—the ox, or bullock (Hebrews 9:12, 19).
Luke gave us Christ as the perfect Man.
John portrays Him in heavenly power and authority like the Eagle.

Their “eyes all around and within” constitute a uniform of wisdom. Their position in the center of the throne demonstrates their characterization of Christ. They continually proclaim His holiness (absolute righteousness + perfect justice = holiness, set-apartness, the One and Only). He is perfect integrity. He was from eternity past, is now present, and will forever be.

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 twenty-four 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.”

The living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the Lord God Almighty while the 24 elders lie prostrate in worship, casting their crowns before Him.

They acknowledge His Sovereignty, His Righteousness, His Omnipotence and His work in creation. There is only one reason for the creation of all things.

They and we exist for His purpose and pleasure.