Revelation Chapter 4 Verse 1

 Now, this is exciting! To read this as the opener of the statements to

John after Jesus’ letters to the churches is significant! Why? Recall,

chapter 1 verse 19. Write the things which you have seen,” (Chapter

1). John was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day and he heard behind him a

loud voice, then he turned to SEE the voice that spoke with him…

“Write the things which are,” (Chapters 2 and 3), as Jesus lays out the

church age from the Apostolic Church, (founded, attended and led by

the apostles there in Ephesus in the first century AD), all the way to

the final church, the lukewarm church which came about in the mid-

1900s and will be in place and prominent and growing, (a church with

Jesus on the outside!), at the time of the coming of the Lord…

 And finally, the coming of the Lord! “Write the things which will take

place after this.” After what? So LOGICAL, after the things we

just read. After the church. The phrase in the Greek in Revelation

1:19, “meta tauta,” after this. And we open chapter 4 with the phrase,

“After these things!” META TAUTA!

 The word “church” appearing 19 times throughout chapters 1,2 and

3…but now, beginning with meta tauta, beginning with Chapter 4, the

church is off the scene, gone, not mentioned, its not there…from

this meta tauta all the way through the Great Tribulation, Chapters 6

to 19.

 So, what has happened? Where is the church from Chapter 4 on? I

looked and behold, a door standing open in heaven and the voice like

a trumpet announced, “Come up here!” Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians

4:16-17, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a

shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.

And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and

remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the

Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord.”

 So, what has happened? Where is the church? I submit to you that this

Chapter indeed opens with the event Paul wrote about in 1

Thessalonians and the church has been removed, taken out of the way,

raptured off of and out of the earth as God’s righteous judgment

begins upon the earth, the Great Tribulation period. John hears this

voice, like a trumpet, sees an open door into heaven and hears this

proclamation…, “Come up here…, and I will show you things thich

must take place META TAUTA!”

Revelation Chapter 4 Verse 2

 Immediately John is in the Spirit! No longer there on the island of

Patmos. No longer on earth. He is gone. He is removed. He is ushered

through the open door…and at the sound of the voice like a trumpet

resounding forth, he is immediately translated and immediately in the

presence of God. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, “Behold, I tell you a

mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed! In a

moment, in the twinkling of an eye (immediately), at the last trumpet!

For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible,

and we shall be changed!”

 And notice, the first thing that he sees…the throne of God Most

High. Two other players in the Biblical text have seen the throne of

God, Ezekiel and Isaiah, and now John joins them in this holy

revelation. And as we read through what John saw, his description will

align wonderfully with both Ezekiel’s and Isaiah’s.

 Critically important to point out here is something obvious but when

contemplated becomes much more meaningful. There is a throne. A

throne over all creation. A throne over all…and there is One who sits

upon it. Think about the implications of that just for one moment.

 This throne declares to you and to I and someday to the entire record

and population of all men and women, that we are all

accountable…and must answer to…the One who is seated upon this

throne. John is taken into reality…you think this is reality? This is

only creation. A sub-portion, a sub-set, a puzzle piece of the much

larger picture…the central focus of reality is the throne of God Most

High. Our Creator and our King. Sovereign and Higher in stature,

understanding, power and purpose than anything we can know. At the

center of everything…everything…sets an occupied throne. And,

maybe one of the most impactful truths of that truth, the One who sits

upon that throne loves you completely and unconditionally!!

 Depending on where you are in your life and in your faith, that can

give you all kinds and type of feels. For me, that SO settles my heart.

As my heart groans for righteousness and for order and for clarity

and for kindness and for joy and for peace…and yet finds so little

of those things atmospherically…I am settled to know and experience

those things spiritually. The throne of God is the center of reality, it is

occupied by the Author and Finisher and Judge and King over it all,

and it is set.

 That little three letter word is so essential. Set. It’s not moving. It’s not

changing. It’s not going to be overthrown or overcome. It is set. The

word means that it is in place, by rule and force of law…It cannot be

unfounded because it is the foundation itself.

 You ever have your god change on you? It’s a hard thing to deal with.

That boy or girl you’ve worshipped and given yourself to only to

come to a day where they treat you like dirt or leave you altogether!

What happened? Your god changed. That job you took and poured

your heart and soul into only to come a day where you no longer even

know your family because you’re married to your work…what

happened? Your god changed. Materialism, atheism, hedonism, even

Christians living after their own hearts…all employ thrones that move,

change and fail. It is a tragedy of life to bow to a frail throne that can

and does change!

 John says ONE sat on the throne. Who is this? God the Father? It is

Jesus? Is it the Holy Spirit? YES! Remember the promise Jesus gave

to anyone who has an ear to hear but specifically to Laodicea?

Revelation 3:21, “To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me

on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His

throne!” Jesus said in John 10:30, “I and My Father are One!”

Revelation Chapter 4 Verse 3

 The throne of God is literally radiant! God Himself, as brilliant as a

jasper stone, a diamond most likely…tinted with the red of the ruby,

the sardius stone! Just these two elements are thick with encouraging

symbolism. You see the One who sat upon the throne…as a

diamond…the brightest light because He is light…He is not in the

dark about your marital problems, your struggle with your

flesh…your concerning situation…

 So why doesn’t He do anything about it. He has! You see the

ruby…the deep rich red…speaks of His blood! He has taken that

burden upon Himself! Take it to Him, trust it in His hands…place Him

first…let it become holy…sanctified!

 And who is this One! Well, another pattern. In Exodus 28 we read

that the High Priest wore a breastplate upon which were 12

stones…one for each tribe. The first was the stone of Reuben and it

was a sardius stone. The ruby, the red stone. Rueben literally

meaning ‘behold’ or ‘behold my son.’

 And the last stone was the jasper for the tribe of Benjamin whose

name means ‘son of my right hand.’ Thus, the One on the throne is

‘behold, the Son of My right hand!’ It’s Jesus!

 And even the breastplate told the story of man’s redemption…the

ruby, the blood…is the way to the jasper…the shekinah glory of God

the Father!

Revelation Chapter 4 Verse 4

 This is different. Ezekiel and Isaiah didn’t see this, these 24 elders.

Why? I would submit to you because Jesus had not yet led captivity

captive. He had not yet ascended on high opening the door for these

elders to even be in the presence of God as of yet. What am I talking

about…?

 Observing the scene, where they are, how they are adorned and what

they do…I would submit to you that these 24 elders represent the 12

patriarchs of Israel in the Old Testament and the 12 apostles of the

New Testament. This however is not without controversy as that

would imply that John sees himself…, so I have another possibility to

offer you as well.

 We read in Revelation 21 that on each of the 12 gates surrounding the

new heaven and the new earth were written the names of the 12 tribes

of the children of Israel and on each of the 12 foundations laid for the

new heaven and new earth were written the names of the twelve

apostles of the Lamb.

 We read that they are clothed in white, or clean robes…which harkens

to what God has done for and to mankind through the redemptive

work of the cross of Christ as is described in Zechariah 3:3-5, “Now

Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the

Angel. Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him,

saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He

said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe

you with rich robes.” And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his

head.” So, they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the

clothes on him. And the Angel of the Lord stood by.”

 Crowns of gold are upon their heads, crowns plural…and throughout

the scriptures we are given that there are crowns reserved for the

faithful. The crown of life, the incorruptible crown, the crown of

righteousness, the crown of glory and the crown of rejoicing.

 Another perspective is that these 24 elders are simply representative of

all peoples, tribes and tongues… 1 Chronicles 24 tells us that the

priests were divided into divisions of 24, and the priests were the

representatives of the all of the nation of Israel. And so, these 24 could

simply be the authentic model that was commanded to be copied on

earth, which is every aspect of the tabernacle, temple, worship, etc.

throughout the customs and commandments given to Israel.

 Ultimately, what we can’t be sure about who they are but what we can

be sure about is what they do. We see them worshipping the One

who sat upon the throne…we see them sitting or resting in the

presence of the Most-High…we see them comforting John when he

weeps that none were found worthy to take the scroll as they point out

that the Lamb has overcome! We see them singing a new song to God

in worship… It is a scene of continual worship in heaven!