A Study of Revelation 4-5

Revelation 4
1AFTER THIS I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice which I had heard addressing me like [the calling of] a [a]war trumpet said, Come up here, and I will show you what must take place in the future.

Jesus always wants us to know what is going on. He wants us to know our Father, He wants us to know the Truth that will set us free. He wants us to know His will for our lives. Jesus knew what was going on and our Fathers will for Him when He was here as a man. He knew when He was going to die, how He was going to die, and who was going to do it. He knew our Fathers will and was empowered with the Holy Spirit to accomplish all that He came do. He knew the Truth that would set us free and He shared it. So if Jesus was allowed to know and empowered to carry out our Fathers will, why wouldn’t we be allowed? Through Jesus, God showed us plainly how man is supposed to be, fully one with Him and fully empowered by Him. John 17 clearly shows us this Truth. Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. He came so that we might have a life as He has life. And as He knows, so do we. We have become one with our Lord and Saviors mind, His Spirit, and His Body.

Revelation 4:1 has been used a great deal in my upbringing to say that there is a pre-tribulation rapture for the church. But as we will study in Revelation’s later chapters, the church has a great role to play during the Great Tribulation. And while I used to be a big believer in a pre-tribulation rapture for the church, the more the Holy Spirit has shared with me the Truths of the Revelation of our Lord, I no longer do. I really believe that Jesus has far too great of role for us, as His body, to play during the Great Tribulation, for Him not to have us here. Also, Paul was caught up to the 3rd Heaven, 2 Corinthians 12:2, as John is here and was that a show us of a pre-tribulation rapture? It just seems to me that God had things to show both John and Paul and He just brought them home to do it. To say that it proves that there is a pre-tribulation rapture is a reach.

2At once I came under the [Holy] Spirit's power, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with One seated on the throne!(A)

Notice here that only One is seated on the Throne. This verse really shows us our unity with our Father. Jesus is seated with God in Heaven and yet when John sees the Throne, there is only One. We have been raised up and made to sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus. And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One). Ephesians 2:6 There is absolutely no separation between God and Jesus and when John sees the Throne, the place of ultimate authority He only sees One. And Jesus teaches us in John 17:21-24, we are now one with our Father as He is One with our Father. If you have seen Jesus, you have seen the Father, John 14:7, and we are one with Jesus. So if you have seen us, you have seen the Father!

3And He Who sat there appeared like [the crystalline brightness of] jasper and [the fiery] sardius, and encircling the throne there was a halo that looked like [a rainbow of] emerald.(B)
4Twenty-four other thrones surrounded the throne, and seated on these thrones were twenty-four elders ([b]the members of the heavenly Sanhedrin), arrayed in white clothing, with crowns of gold upon their heads.

There are 24 elders in Heaven. I have always heard that they represent 12 Old Testament Elders and 12 New Testament Elders. But the scriptures never tell us this, it is only assumed. So I believe that they are just elders, they may represent the two Testaments, but we just aren’t told. Here is what is important about the elders, it is that God has elders in Heaven, He has order, and it means that He doesn’t act alone; He is accountable. Because when our Father acts, the elders all agree, as we will study in later verses. Out of the mouth of two or three let everything be confirmed, Matthew 18:16, and God has 24 elders agreeing.

You might be thinking they have to be just yes men. But think of when God told Abraham that He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham kept on reasoning with Him, what if there is 50 righteous people, 30 righteous people, or 10 righteous people? (Genesis 18:25-27) God didn’t just kill Abraham off for questioning Him. And think of when God told Moses that He was going to kill off all of the children of Israel. Moses came right back at Him and the Bible teaches us that God repented, Exodus 32:14. God didn’t just kill Moses off or punish him for his challenge. So these elders are there and no one can ever say that God acts alone and is unaccountable. In the Book of Revelation we see that God’s wrath is poured out on the children of disobedience and we see that our Father has accountability and agreement with the elders of Heaven.

5Out from the throne came flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder, and in front of the throne seven blazing torches burned, which are the seven Spirits of God [[c]the sevenfold Holy Spirit];

Power! Jesus is powerful because God is powerful and they are One. And through Christ we are one with our Father! God’s power is not just for Him, it is for those whom He has chosen as well! We are one with our Fathers power, just as Jesus is one with it! We have been given the Holy Spirit to teach us all things and strengthen us until the day that Jesus returns. Our power is right from God Himself.

6And in front of the throne there was also what looked like a transparent glassy sea, as if of crystal. And around the throne, in the center at each side of the throne, were four living creatures (beings) who were full of eyes in front and behind [with intelligence as to what is before and at the rear of them].(C)

God sees everything, past, present, and future. In prophesy the sea represents the people of the earth. And here we see that the sea is transparent, it’s all crystal clear to our Father. There is nothing that we do or think that is hid from God.

7The first living creature (being) was like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature had the face of a man, and the fourth living creature [was] like a flying eagle.(D)
8And the four living creatures, individually having six wings, were full of eyes all over and within [underneath their wings]; and day and night they never stop saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty (Omnipotent), Who was and Who is and Who is to come.(E)

These 4 creatures live to serve God; which means they live to serve the Kingdom of our Father, which we are part of! They see everything and all day long they acknowledge that God is right. They may be symbolic representing man, domesticated animals, wild animals, and the birds or real and that is just how God made them. Look at the world and the animals that God has created down here. But they important thing is that they see everything that is going on. God knows completely where we are, what is going on, and He is in total control. He will never allow anything to happen to us that He cannot handle, 2 Corinthians 12:9. God sees it coming before it ever was created. We have our Fathers complete attention and complete power, even in our weaknesses. There is nothing that surprises our Father. This is why I always get a kick out of those who teach that we can loose our salvation. Salvation is us being chosen by God and grafted into Him through Jesus. Salvation is becoming one with God. So if we could walk away, than it means that we would have had to fool God to start with. Which means He doesn’t see everything and all of this is wrong? No, if someone is truly saved, they are that way forever, we cannot fool God, and God isn’t allowing the unsaved to become one with Jesus!

9And whenever the living creatures offer glory and honor and thanksgiving to Him Who sits on the throne, Who lives forever and ever (through the eternities of the eternities),(F)
10The twenty-four elders ([d]the members of the heavenly Sanhedrin) fall prostrate before Him Who is sitting on the throne, and they worship Him Who lives forever and ever; and they throw down their crowns before the throne, crying out,

Whenever the 4 beasts see what God is doing they give Him the credit, they give Him the glory, and the 24 elders agree and all in Heaven pay homage to our Father for His goodness. They see His love, they see the results of His actions, they see how God takes care of His children, and they praise Him for it. The elders throw their crowns at our Fathers feet and show that God is the ultimate authority and that they agree with His actions. And our Father must keep given them back their crowns, because they keep on doing it.

11Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive the glory and the honor and dominion, for You created all things; by Your will they were [brought into being] and were created.

God sees all, past present and future. Our Father is in total control. He is accountable, the 24 elders are in total agreement with His actions. And our Father is good, He is love, He is gentle, kind, and He is a great provider! Our Fathers actions bring praise and thanksgiving. He isn’t selfish. Everything that He has, He has given to us through Jesus. Everything He is, He has given to us through the power of the Holy Spirit. We are one with Him, even while we are on this earth! The 4 creatures see it, the 24 elders agree with it, and Jesus was willing to die for it. That is how special we are to our Father. That is how much He loves us. And our Father is more than willing to show it!

When I see in the Word how Jesus personally dealt with other people. I know that these actions that John has seen of the creatures and elders have to be symbolic. Jesus told the disciples that if they had seen Him, than they had seen the Father, John 14:9. When Jesus was raised up from the dead and glorified and He came back to the disciples, how did He act? Did He command them to bow down before Him or did He prepare a meal for them after miraculously given them a bounty? John 21:7-9. So I don’t see our eternity as being an eternity of us bowing down before our Father, but one where we do worship Him, but as a loved child, not as a slave who cowers at the feet of their master. So I don’t believe that God created these beings just so they would bow to Him constantly. I don’t think God is that insecure, because we can plainly see our Father in Jesus? I think these visions show that God has a hierarchy in Heaven that loves Him, trust Him, honors Him, and agrees with Him. And no one and no angel and no created being can ever say that God did not act in complete love and Truth and fairness.

Revelation 5

1AND I saw lying on the [a]open hand of Him Who was seated on the throne a scroll (book) written within and on the back, closed and sealed with seven seals;(A)

The number 7, God’s perfect number, what is written in the scroll is perfect.

2And I saw a strong angel announcing in a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the scroll? And [who is entitled and deserves and is morally fit] to break its seals?

Who is worthy to let that which has been sealed up to be made known?

3And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth [in the realm of the dead, Hades] was able to open the scroll or to take a [single] look at its contents.
4And I wept audibly and bitterly because no one was found fit to open the scroll or to inspect it.
5Then one of the elders [[b]of the heavenly Sanhedrin] said to me, Stop weeping! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root (Source) of David, has won (has overcome and conquered)! He can open the scroll and break its seven seals!(B)

Notice that Jesus has won, not that He will win, but that He has! [God] disarmed the principalities and powers that were ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Him and in it [the cross]. Colossians 2:15
And the Ever-living One [I am living in the eternity of the eternities]. I died, but see, I am alive forevermore; and I possess the keys of death and Hades (the realm of the dead). Revelation 1:18.

Jesus is strong enough to make the secrets of God known to us. That is why He came, not just so that we could spend eternity with our Father, but that everything that He is and everything that He has could be made known to us. The front and the back of the scroll was filled with God’s Truth, and Jesus makes it all known to us.

6And there between the throne and the four living creatures (beings) and among the elders [[c]of the heavenly Sanhedrin] I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God [[d]the sevenfold Holy Spirit] Who have been sent [on duty far and wide] into all the earth.(C)

The seven Spirits of God can be found in Isaiah 11:2. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him--the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the reverential and obedient fear of the Lord-- So God’s perfect Spirit, the number 7, is 1) Wisdom, 2) Understanding, 3) Counsel, 4) Might, 5) Knowledge, 6) Reverence, and &) obedience. These 7 attributes identify who and what the Holy Spirit is. This is who has been given to us to strengthen us, John 14:16. The Holy Spirit’s purpose is to cause us to be wise and understand our Father completely. He counsels us in the will of our Father. He causes us to be strong and know that it is our Father within us. He causes us to truly love our Father and He causes us to be obedient to our Father. Our true strength to worship is directly from the Holy Spirit; it is not us with human abilities deciding that this is our part to play. It is God within us causing us too.

And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall heed My ordinances and do them. Ezekiel 36:27

7He then went and took the scroll from the right hand of Him Who sat on the throne.
8And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders [[e]of the heavenly Sanhedrin] prostrated themselves before the Lamb. Each was holding a harp (lute or guitar), and they had golden bowls full of incense (fragrant spices and gums for burning), which are the prayers of God's people (the saints).

The leadership of Heaven acknowledges and agrees that Jesus and God are One. They sing about it. This is a happy thing. God’s will is fulfilled and there is victory and glory in it! And all of Heaven acknowledges and knows it.

9And [now] they sing a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the scroll and to break the seals that are on it, for You were slain (sacrificed), and with Your blood You purchased men unto God from every tribe and language and people and nation.(D)

The elders testify as to why Jesus is worthy. Once again order and accountability. The elders acknowledge that Jesus is for the whole earth. Notice that Jesus purchased men from every nation, every tongue, and every tribe. God has chosen ones from everywhere in the earth. And also notice the term, Jesus purchased us. We are God’s possession. He is responsible for us. He created us. He is our Father, He is the Gardener, Jesus is our Shepherd, Jesus is our Head and we are His body. Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches that have been grafted into Him. Everywhere we look in the Bible we see that we are the possessions of God. We see that He is in total control and that His will is always accomplished. So many think that it is all man, we choose, we decide what we are going to do. So many believe that God can only act on our behalf if we allow Him to or if we have the faith. Let me tell you the Truth that will set you free, God is the One Who is leading and guiding us. And if anything needs done, He is the One doing it through us. Just as the Head tells the hand what to do and empowers it to do it. That is how we are, not robots, but part of the Body of the Living God! So if you are studying any 5 step programs or studies on what you need to do to be a better christian, look and see what the first thing that is taught is. If it is not that it is God within you doing it, than throw the study away, it is a complete waste of your time!

10And You have made them a kingdom (royal race) and priests to our God, and they shall reign [as kings] over the earth!(E)

The elders testify that those who will be chosen by God become one with Him. They proclaim that as Jesus is, so are we on the earth. In Revelation 1:6 Jesus tells John to tell us that through Him we are now Kings and Priests to God. And here John is hearing the 24 elders, and He knows them specifically as elders, proclaiming that we are Kings and Priests. John is hearing that we reign on the earth. How cool is this? Think of John being up there in the presence of all of these things and hearing Jesus, the elders, and the angels all saying you are a King and a Priest just like Jesus! Wow!

11Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels on every side of the throne and of the living creatures and the elders [[f]of the heavenly Sanhedrin], and they numbered ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands,(F)
12Saying in a loud voice, Deserving is the Lamb, Who was sacrificed, to receive all the power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and majesty (glory, splendor) and blessing!

Jesus is worthy, all of Heaven is in agreement. And here is the really powerful thing for us. Jesus gave all of His power and glory to us as well! And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are One; I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in One; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me. John 17:22-23. It is Jesus’ glory to be a King and a Priest and He gave all of it to us as well. And He did it as only God can, He did it by making us one with Him. We do not share these things as partners, we share them as one body. We share them just as a Head shares everything with its body: the arms, legs, hands, eyes, ears, whatever part.

The author of that bumper sticker that says that “Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven,” has no revelation of the Truth of our salvation!

13And I heard every created thing in heaven and on earth and under the earth [in Hades, the place of departed spirits] and on the sea and all that is in it, crying out together, To Him Who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb be ascribed the blessing and the honor and the majesty (glory, splendor) and the power (might and dominion) forever and ever (through the eternities of the eternities)!(G)

No one and nothing can deny the Truth that Jesus was and is victorious! Even those in Hell who denied Him.

14Then the four living creatures (beings) said, Amen (so be it)! And the elders [[g]of the heavenly Sanhedrin] prostrated themselves and worshiped Him Who lives forever and ever.