REVELATION SIMPLIFIED

 

CHAPTER 4.4

Gleanings from the Book of Revelation:

A Weekly Verse-by-Verse Bible Study Series

 

The

REVELATION TO JOHN

(The Apocalypse)

 

Chapter Four

 

The Throne of God (continued)

 

A Revelation of Heaven

The Apostle John was in the Spirit (verse 2) and as he looks, he sees a door already opened, and a panoramic view of the Throne Room set in Heaven. Seated on the Throne is God in His fullness: The Father, the Son, and the seven-fold manifestation of the Holy Spirit – the complete Trinity radiating in a spectacular show of light. Surrounding God's Throne is a circular green emerald-colored rainbow (verse 3): A reminder of God's everlasting covenantal promise never to destroy the earth again by water.

Psalm 103:19 - The LORD hath prepared His Throne in the heavens, and His Kingdom ruleth overall.

 

Psalm 11:4 - The LORD is in His Holy Temple, the LORD'S Throne is in Heaven.

 

Our study continues on the Throne Room of God…

(Verse 4)

 

And round about the Throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

 

 

2. Round about the Throne (Continuing)

 

[There] were four and twenty seats

Twenty-four symbolically represents the priesthood and also the church in its totality.

 

Seats - Thronos is the Greek word for seats, meaning thrones. By implication, it represents the status of power, literally potentates (seat thrones) where regal authority is seated. In this passage, there are twenty-four thrones.

This is a literal translation of what John is seeing.

 

And upon the seats I (John) saw four and twenty elders sitting

Elders – The Hebrew and Greek words respectively are zâqên, and presbuteros, meaning old men, elderly, or seniors, indicating the nature and maturity of one's spiritual experience.

Sitting – Literally residing, sitting down.

 

Question:

Who are these twenty-four elders?

Answer:

These are coronated, translated overcomers, saints in their resurrected glorified bodies representing the entire church (see also Revelation 2:10; 3:4-5; 3:11). God has appointees chosen to serve or pastor (shepherd) the flock (church) forming a new heavenly structured priesthood; with Jesus Christ thus being our High Priest, after the order of Melchizedek, priest of the Most High God (read Hebrews 7).

 

The following verses corroborate this answer: 

1 Peter 2:9 – But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him Who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

 

Revelation 1:6 – (Jesus Christ) hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

 

Revelation 3:21 – To him that overcometh (is victorious) will I grant to sit with Me (Jesus Christ) in My Throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His Throne.

 

Hebrews 6:19-20 - Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

 

The Old Testament foreshadows many things written in the New Testament and of future things to come. ¹

Hebrews 8:5 – These serve as a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was warned when he was about to complete the Tabernacle. For God said, Be careful that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain. (HCSC)

 

Hebrews 9:23-24 – That is why the Tabernacle and everything in it, which were copies of things in Heaven, had to be purified by the blood of animals. But the real things in Heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals.

¹ A personal study of the Tabernacle is recommended.

 

The goal of redemption was and is for God to dwell among His people. Tabernacle means a portable dwelling place where God lives amongst His people - God dwelling among us. It was a moveable Tent of Meeting between God and Israel. Later, a stationary Temple modeled after the Tabernacle was built by King Solomon.

 

When Jesus came to earth, He became the Living Tabernacle or Temple. And, upon accepting Jesus Christ into our hearts, we hence become the Temple housing of the Holy Spirit, i.e., the Holy Spirit lives in us. We thence are being conformed to the image of Christ. One day we will be just like Him (cf. 1 John 3:2). To God be the glory!

 

Old Testament Background

There is an interesting precedent set for the twenty-four elders. The Levites were designated to serve the people as the priestly tribe of Israel. As the tribe grew larger, a priesthood order of twenty-four groups of priests was established to perform distinct priestly duties under the reigns of King David and Solomon [cf. 1 Chronicles 25:16-31(NIV)].

 

For example, not all were commissioned to enter into the Holy of Holies once a year. Some priests were experienced musicians whilst others were appointed to various menial tasks. Later a lot, a type of lottery, was used for office appointments.

 

This practice carried over into the New Testament era. It notably appears in the Christmas narrative. Whilst John the Baptist's father Zechariah was overseeing his priestly duties at the altar of incense in the Temple of the Lord, the angel Gabriel (cf. Luke 1:19) appeared to him.

Luke 1:5-8 – There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia; ² and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth…And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the Temple of the Lord.

 

² Abia or Abijah was the son of Eleazar [one of the two surviving sons of Aaron (cf. 1 Chronicles 24:2)], and the head of the eighth course of priests under King David [1 Chronicles 24:10]).  

 

New Testament Background

Elders represent the church from Pentecost to the Rapture. Paul encouraged his long-time companion Titus:

Titus 1:5 - For this cause (the teaching of sound doctrine) left I thee (Titus) in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee.

 

Twenty-four crowned elders are now seen in Heaven seated around the Throne of God officiating in a priestly capacity as mirrored in the Tabernacle.

 

The following verses align the Levitical priesthood to these elders:

Revelation 4:4 – The four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the Throne, and worship Him that liveth forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the Throne.

 

Revelation 5:8 - And when He had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours (incense), which are the prayers of saints.

 

Revelation 19:4 - And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the Throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.

 

 

Continuing…

I saw four and twenty elders sitting,

clothed in white raiment

 

White – Representing light or purity, here, ascribing to the righteousness of the saints

Raiment – A garment, (in context) a robe

 

From John's observation, they are wearing white robes:

Revelation 3:18a - I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed.

 

Revelation 19:7-8 - Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the Marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her (the bride of Christ – the Church) was granted that she should be arrayed (clothed) in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

 

 

And they had on their heads crowns of gold

Crowns – The two Greek words are (1) stephanos, a symbol of victory (a victory crown) or horror (as in a crown of thorns), c here a honorous victory crown, and (2) diadēma, primarily a kingly crown symbolizing royalty, governmental authority or power.

 

During the Old Covenant, the priestly or kingly crown [nezer, (נזר)] was generally an engraved or gemmed golden band. It was a chaplet worn around the head, also signifying different positions of honor and power.

 

Here, crowns are stephanos, gold wreathed victor's crowns recognizing a place of honor.

Revelation 2:10b - Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee c of life.

 

Gold – (Latin: aurum, 79AU) is a soft malleable bright precious yellow metal, not subject to corrosion, that has been used for covering the Ark of the Covenant and many of the Tabernacle accouterments. It is a symbol of wealth and is used by God as the highest standard of character and principles.

 

Accordingly, there are twenty-four church elders seated on the Throne dressed in white robes, denoting the righteousness of the saints, and wearing golden victory crowns of high honor. Golden crowns and white robes are only promised to believers in the New Covenant, not to angels or Old Testament saints.

 

Their mission is explained in subsequent verses.

 

 

(Verse 5)

 

And out of theThrone proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the Throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

 

3. Out of the Throne

Proceeded – Proceed (present continuous tense), coming forth [out of], is going forth [from], or projecting [from]. Literal Greek translation: Out of the Throne go forth; taking place right now.

 

John synchronously sees and hears three things (in plurality) originating from the Throne:

1.  Lightnings

2.  Thunderings

3.  Voices

 

The combination of all three gives an indication this is not an arbitrary phenomenon, but an intentional occurrence. A good rendering would be: Heralding voices of lightning flashes and peals of thunder, being directed by the One sitting on the Throne, are projecting from the Throne.

 

Thunder and Lightning

Lightning and thunder are associated with God's presence. They are always warning signs that an intense storm is on the horizon. This is an announcement of impending righteous judgment about to take place. All Heaven and saints are in front of what is about to happen on Earth. The following references allow support:

Revelation 6:1 - And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.

 

Revelation 8:5 – And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

 

Revelation 11:19 – And the Temple of God was opened in Heaven, and there was seen in His Temple the Ark of His Testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

 

Revelation 16:18 - And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.

 

This prophecy reminisces and alludes to the voice of God giving the Law at Mount Sanai:

Exodus 19:16 - And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.

 

Contemporaneously it is being prophetically fulfilled:

Psalm 18:13 - The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave His voice; hail stones and coals of fire.

 

Psalm 77:18 - The voice of Thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook.

 

Isaiah 29:6 – Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.

 

 

And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the Throne, which are the seven Spirits of God

A. Seven lamps of fire burning is an idiomatic phrase and the Bible awards its explanation. They are actively the seven ministerial offices or manifestations of the Holy Spirit as found in Isaiah 11:2:

1. The Spirit of the LORD

2. The Spirit of wisdom

3. The Spirit of understanding

4. The Spirit of counsel

5. The Spirit of might

6. The Spirit of Knowledge

7. The Spirit of the fear of the LORD

 

2. Lamps of Fire - Also a description of Christ in Daniel's vision:

Daniel 10:6a - His body also was like the beryl, and His face as the appearance of lightning, and His eyes as lamps of fire.

 

So, various kinds of dazzling light and energy accompany the voice of God and Christ going forth out of His Throne, the Holy Spirit also participating in unity and unitedly to proclaim the seal, trumpet, and vial or bowl judgments that occur in Chapters 6 through 10.  

 

What is before the Throne will be examined as the study of God's heavenly Throne continues.

 

 

QUESTIONS:

1.  Describe the elders round about God's Throne.

2.  Who are they?

3.  Why is the Tabernacle so important?

4.   Precise detailed instructions were given to Israel by God for its construction in Exodus 25-40. Why?

5. Discuss the similarities between the Throne of God and parts of the Tabernacle?

6.  What is God's covenant to believers?

7.  Describe what is transpiring out of the Throne?

 

 

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