Revelation 4

The Church was summarized in Rev 2 and Rev 3. What happens to it next? This chapter opens the section that describes “what happens next”—meta tauta, after these things.

[The rapture takes place in the “Philadelphian” period. The very term ekklesia means a group called out (of the world.)]

The scene now shifts to heaven itself.

Background

Study the Tabernacle

Read about the Throne of God: Isa 6; Eze 1; Eze 10; Dan 7.

Study the Rapture passages below (Also in the OT: Isa 26:19ff; Zeph 2:3; Psa 27:5)

Exposition

[1] “After this I looked...”: Meta tauta (Rev 1:1). This phrase opens the third of three sections (from Rev 1:19).

Rapture: 1Cr 15:50; 1Th 4:13-17; Isa 26:19-21; Zeph 2:3; Psa 27:5.

“A door was opened” : Mentioned 4X (Rev 3:8) Door of opportunity; (Rev 3:20—twice) fellowship; (Rev 4:1) access to heaven itself.

“Voice ... Trumpet”: Cf. 1Th 4:16-17.

“Come”: A real, material Heaven: Luk 24:39; Heb 9:23. Veil (Luk 23:45; Heb 10:19-20).

[2] “And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne”: “Immediately” —in a twinkling of an eye (10^-33 sec)

Throne: (45X in Rev; 15X elsewhere in NT). The Father’s Throne: (Psa 110:1) The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. Note: “until” (cf. Heb 1:3; Heb 12:2). Also, Letter to Laodicea (Rev 3:21) To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. (Cf. Psa 11:4; Psa 47:8; Psa 97:2; Psa 103:19; Eze 1:26-28)

At right hand: Peter (Acts 2:33); Stephen (Acts 7:55); See also Ephesians.

“In the Spirit”: 4X? [Note: Christ has left the place of intercession and is coming to the place of judgment.]

[3] “Jasper” = Clear (Rev 21:11). Some: purplish? multi-colored; it was the last stone in the breastplate of the high priest (Exd 28:20); it represented Benjamin: “The son of my right hand.” It will also later appear as first in both the wall and foundation of the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:11, 18-19).

“Sardius is the first stone in the breastplate of the high priest, representing Reuben, the firstborn of Jacob. (Jesus was the firstborn of the dead.) It is the sixth stone in the foundation of the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:20). Pliny says it was discovered in Sardis and its color was a fiery red.

“Rainbow” is the Greek word iris, which can also mean “halo.”

“Emerald”: Gen 9:11-17; Exd 24:10.

[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.”

Twenty-Four Elders

Elders (presbuteros ) in NT are highest officials in church; representative of the whole church (Titus 1:5; Acts 15:6; Acts 20:28; 1Pet 2:5, 9).

24 Courses instituted: 1Ch 24:5. [God’s people are numbered! Rom 11:15.] Cf. Dan 7: no 24 elders; Eph 3:3-7.

“...crowns of gold”: Rulers (1Cr 6:2-3); judging the 12 tribes of Israel (Mat 19:28; Luk 22:30); New Jerusalem (Rev 21:12-14). Song (Rev 5:9): “us” in Codes Siniaticus; Basilianus (Vatican); Latin Coptic, Memphitic—vs. “them”: Codex Alexandrinus.

“Buy”: Mat 13:44; 2Pe 2:1. The Lord who bought them... Always praise (identify throng in Rev 7:13-17).

12 references; 7 utterances: Clothed in white (Zech 3; Rev 7:14).

Crowns (stephanos)

1Cr 9:25; 1Th 2:19; 2Ti 4:8; James 1:12; 1Pet 5:4
Never promised to angels; reward is with Him: “Bema” seat

Crown of life (Jam 1:12; Rev 2:10)

for those who have suffered for His sake;

Crown of righteousness (2Ti 4:8)

for those who loved His appearing;

Crown of glory (1Pe 5:4)

for those who fed the lambs, sheep, flock;

Crown incorruptible (1Co 9:25)

for those who press on steadfastly;

Crown of rejoicing (1Th 2:19)

for those who win souls.

[5] “...lightnings and thunderings and voices”: 4X Sinai, Exd 19:16

“Seven lamps”: Previously identified as the church in Rev 1:10, these lamps are now in heaven!

[6] “And before the throne there was a sea of glass...”: Sapphire (Exd 24:10). In the Tabernacle, the sea of glass was the laver—now it is crystal: no washing needed (mingled with fire: Rev 15:2).

[Lamb not referred to in the “seven churches” letters. Cf. Jhn 1:29, 36; Acts 8:32; 1Pe 1:19.]

“...Four beasts...”: Zoa, living creatures (our word for “zoo.”)

vs. therion {thay-ree’-on}: 1) an animal 2) a wild animal, wild beast, beast 3) metaph. a brutal, bestial man, savage, ferocious

[7] “And the first living creature was like a lion, and the second living creature like a calf, and the third living creature had a face as a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.”

Four living creatures = cherubim. Cf. cherubim: Gen 3:24; Eze 1; Eze 10; Eze 28 (“anointed, that covereth”); God = “He that dwelleth between the cherubim.”

Four faces = four Gospels? See chart on following page:

[8] “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come”: Cf Isa 6:3; reference to the Trinity.

[10] “The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying”: [What are you going to do with your crown?]

[11] “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

The Camp of Israel

Note: The Twelve Tribes were organized in four Camps, each to rally around the ensign of a specific Tribe. Each Camp was to camp east, west, north, or south of the central area set aside for the Levites, the priests and the Tabernacle. Applying these instructions strictly, they could not camp other than on the ordinal directions: they could not camp northeast, southeast, northwest, or southwest. Thus, they could only camp as wide as the area set aside for the Levites, with the resulting lengths proportional to their numbers. While the absolute distances are conjectural, the relative perspective from above is provacative, indeed.

The Tabernacle

Source: Numbers 1 & Numbers 2