MONDAY
This week we come to what New Testament scholar and Revelation commentator Thomas Schreiner describes as “the fulcrum for the book; everything else that takes place in the Apocalypse turns on the visions recorded here.” In chapter 4 John pivots from the letters to the seven churches to his vision of God’s throne room. John is here seeking to give his readers a picture of the spiritual world that overlays the physical world. In doing this he is giving them hope and encouraging them to remain faithful to Jesus amidst the pressures of the empire. This story certainly encouraged the first century Christians. It should encourage us today to do the same today.
*We can get lost in the details and trying to figure out what every piece of this vision represents. That’s all well and good but in doing so we will likely lose the forest through the trees. So I’m going to limit my comments to what matters most for the proper interpretation of these passages.
Revelation 4:1-3 (ESV)
The Throne in Heaven
1 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.” 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 3 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.
The “after this” at the end of verse 1 is likely referring not to the temporal situation of the readers in creation, but the events that are to follow in his visions. So this worship of God is not just a future event that will take place. This is the scene in heaven now.
In this opening scene John describes the throne room of God. These descriptions are similar to Isaiah 6 and Ezekiel 1 and 10. The throne is similar to Daniel 7. This scene in chapters 4 and 5 is meant to elicit praise, awe, wonder, reverent fear of Jesus and Yahweh over and against the awe and wonder elicited by the empire of Rome. This may be a contrast to the Roman ceremony of the imperial cult and the throne room of the emperor.
Notice John doesn’t try to describe the one on the throne in too much detail. He uses the image of a jasper (an opaque precious stone on the breastplate of the high priest), a carnelian (a red precious stone on the ephod prescribed in the Law of Moses) and around the throne a rainbow like an emerald. These images are all meant to convey God’s transcendence, his otherness, his mysteriousness.
Revelation 4:4-6 4 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. 5 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, 6 and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.
The identity and meaning of the twenty-four elders is uncertain. A few ideas have been presented:
1. Heavenly creatures who represent the people of God.
2. The 12 sons of Jacob and the 12 apostles
3. Priestly orders (1 Ch. 24:4; 25:1)
It’s hard to say for certain, but in any case they either symbolically represent the people of God or they are the heavenly beings that literally represent the people of God to God. Their white garments represent the holiness of God’s people. Their crowns represent the authority that God gives his people over creation.
The scene emanating from the throne is truly magnificent: flashes of lightening, rumblings and peals of thunder. This implies that God is still incredibly powerful and frightening. As Dallas Willard said, “God is not mean but he is dangerous.” The Holy Spirit, again, is represented by seven torches, implying his perfection and completion. Before the throne is a sea of glass, like crystal. This likely symbolizes the expanse between God and creation. Yet in 15:2 the glassy sea is mingled with fire emphasizing that those who walk on it will be burned. Yet those who conquer the beast, the believers, the elect, are able to walk on it. Believers will have access to the glorious, powerful, dangerous presence of God. Regarding the sea, in the ancient world the sea was feared for its great power and its uncontrollable nature. This would emphasize God’s great power and sovereignty over all of creation.
We humans tend to be impressed by the magnitude and beauty of buildings. In the ancient world, one of the most magnificent spaces would be the throne room of the kings and the inner circles of the temples. By giving us a picture of God’s throne room, John is beckoning us to be in awe of God’s throne room. He controls the lightening and the thunder. He has conquered the sea. There is no need to fear Caesar. Even though a throne room is magnificent, and the temples of the Roman gods are magnificent, they are nothing compared to the throne room of Yahweh, the one true living God.
Reflection
Take a moment to imagine the scene that John is describing here and respond with awe, wonder and worship of the all-powerful God of all creation.