Revelation 4 Devotional
by Pastor Lawrence

Prior to revealing mysterious scrolls and seals, bowls and trumpets, all those things that so easily confuse the average reader, John gives us a glimpse into the very throne room of God in heaven.  For just a few moments, through a divine revelation, John stands on the brink of eternity and sees something astounding and yet similar to what Ezekiel and Isaiah had seen back in the Old Testament.  In Isaiah 6, the prophet has seen the Lord, seated on a throne, high and lifted up with the train of his robe filling the temple and above him stood these six-winged creatures called Seraphim who were continually calling to one another saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”   We see similar strange creatures flying around the throne of God in Ezekiel chapter one.

But now John himself sees this beatific vision of the glory of the Lord seated on his throne with these same strange creatures flying around him.  Here John doesn’t describe the features of God any more than saying that he has the appearance of jasper and carnelian, that is, to say, there was a bright yellow, orange and red color shining from His presence.  And completely encircling his throne was an emerald-looking rainbow.  Notice how he keeps saying that these things had an appearance similar to these earthly gems, for he has nothing else with which to compare the things of heaven but the stuff of earth.

Around the throne, there are twenty-four thrones representing the leadership of Israel and the Church, one throne for each tribal leader and one for each apostle.  Notice how they, along with the Lord, are all seated, signifying that their work is done and has all been accomplished.  They are all clothed in white garments having been purified by the blood of Christ, and they’re all wearing golden crowns on their heads showing how they all share with Christ in His glory since they all shared with Christ in His sufferings.

Then from the throne John sees flashes of lightning and hears peals of thunder, probably intending God’s Word bringing forth His accomplished will on earth in holy judgment.  Before the throne he also sees seven torches of fire representing the perfections of the Holy Spirit in carrying out all God’s Holy Word.  Nevertheless, with all this ongoing movement that the Lord is causing on the earth below including the plagues and battles mentioned in this book, before his holy throne there is a perfectly still body of water described as a sea of glass or crystal, depending on your translation, signifying the peace and order in heaven in comparison with the fear and anxiety of men below.

Then John sees those same strange creatures that Isaiah and Ezekiel had seen, but he describes them as having eyes all over their bodies, as if they can see in every direction wherever the wind blows.  And they are depicted, just as Ezekiel saw them, as either having the visage of a lion, an ox, a man or an eagle, somehow representing the strength and beauty of each of these creatures.

But as unusual as these heavenly creatures are, let us not get bogged down with trying to figure them out.  Rather, let us focus on what they were doing, for they are continually calling to one another to worship the Lord, saying, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”  And whenever these creatures began this call to worship we see the twenty four elders falling down before the one seated on the throne to worship Him, saying, “Worthy are you, O Lord and God to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things and by your will they existed and were created.”

Especially today, when most of us can’t even leave our homes to worship God at Church, due to the Covid virus, it is hard for us to get into the mindset of worship.  I’m sure it doesn’t help if we’re in our pajamas and drinking coffee on the couch watching a sermon on television.  But here, in this text, we see that in heaven it is a continual mindset to worship the Lord in all his glory, and that there is a continual call to worship before the Lord seated on His throne.  This is the highest calling of the Christian in heaven and it is also the highest calling of the Christian on earth.  So let us worship Him earnestly in Spirit and Truth in our homes, knowing that there is a mystical union that we have even now with Christ and His universal Church throughout all ages where that same call to worship is given to us who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and our natural response to that call ought to be to fall down and worship the Lord.