Revelation 4:1-3
What John Saw
There is a welcome mat that sets on the stoop between Revelation 4:1
and Revelation 4:2. It says, "Welcome to Heaven." In these verses,
John stepped out of the flesh into the spirit, off of the earth and
into heaven, and he left writing things that were only future to him
to writing things that are still future to us.
Also in verses 1 & 2, we not only see WHAT happened to John but also
HOW John got to heaven. God called him, and he was immediately in the
spirit. That is a picture of the rapture. When the rapture happens,
God will call and every Christian will be in the spirit. But I want
to look beyond verses 1-2 to what John saw after he arrived in heaven.
Let me say this upfront: If you are lost, much of what I am going to
speak about in chapters 4 and 5 have nothing to do with you. I don’t
want you to leave or to quit coming, but heaven is not your home—and
you probably will not very interested in it. But hang on. We will
get to some things shortly that will center very much on you and your
future. If you are a Christian, you have probably spent some time
wondering what heaven is like and you will probably be very curious
to know what John saw.
With that in mind, let’s see what John saw:
I. \\#3\\ What John Saw Was God.
A. The One sitting on the throne was God the Father.
1. Sometimes when we speak of God it may seem as though we are
speaking of THREE DIFFERENT GODS, but we only worship one
God for there is only one God.
2. However, God manifests Himself in three unique Persons,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
a. I cannot explain that, but that is what the Bible
teaches.
b. Attempting to understand the nature of God can easily
blow the mind of a human being.
c. Some do not even try. They just create heresy by
saying we worship three gods.
d. We do not!
e. God’s nature gets even more complicated.
B. Notice the Father gets very little mention in this Scripture.
1. Only part of one verse, \\#3\\.
Rev 4:3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a
sardine stone….
a. That is not by accident.
b. God declared in \\#Phi 2:9\\ that He would exalt Jesus
above every name so that at the name of Jesus every
knee should be and every tongue confess that He is
Lord.
2. The Father is God and He is worshipped and honored
throughout the entire Bible as He is here.
Rev 4:9 And when those beasts give glory and
honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne,
who liveth for ever and ever,
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,
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.
II. What John Saw After Seeing God - Notice some of what John saw
after seeing the One on the throne.
A. John saw God’s throne:
1. John mentioned the throne in verse 2, but he described it
in verse 5.
Rev 4:5 And out of the throne proceeded
lightnings and thunderings and voices:
2. We are apparently in God’s Throne Room where God has a
throne.
a. God doesn’t need either one.
b. God is a Spirit, and He is everywhere at all times.
c. The throne is not there because God needs a place to
park.
d. It is there to remind us that He is the Lord of all.
B. John saw power coming out of the throne.
1. The Bible gives three pictures of spontaneous power coming
out of the throne: lightning, thunder, and voices.
2. Thunder and lightning are pictures of great natural power.
3. The sound of voices indicates fearful mysteries.
a. If you wake up in the middle of the night hearing
voices coming out of the darkness, I can almost
guarantee what you will say.
b. You will be curious and say, "What is that?"
c. You will be fearful and say, "I’m getting out of here."
4. The thought I have is that if the chair God sits on has
this kind of power coming out of it, what kind of power
does the One who is sitting on the throne have?
C. What John saw was the rainbow:
Rev 4:3 …and there was a rainbow round about
the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
1. The rainbow is tinted green, the color of an emerald.
2. It circles the throne like a halo.
3. At the flood, God Himself told us that the rainbow was a
symbol of Him keeping His promises.
a. Perhaps at the same time God hung the rainbow in
earth’s sky, He hung one above His throne.
b. Perhaps it has been there since God built heaven.
c. We do not know.
4. That rainbow is a constant reminder—as if God needed one—
that He has made some promises that must be kept.
5. The rainbow has been commandeered by cereal companies,
candy companies, and homosexuals.
a. That is fine, because every time the rainbow is
printed, published, or shown, it is a remainder to
God that He has made some promises.
b. The homosexuals may think they are mocking God when
they use the rainbow, but they are not.
c. They are reminding God that He has some unfulfilled
promises, including a couple about homosexuality.
d. All I can say is that if you are dumb enough to wave
a red flag in God’s face, you pretty well deserve
what you are going to get.
D. John saw four and twenty elders:
Rev 4:4 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.
1. Although we are told a bit about these elders, we are not
really given any information that identifies the them.
a. They are leaders as indicated by their title, elder,
and the fact that they have crowns upon their heads.
b. They are righteous as indicated by their white
garments.
c. There are 24 of them.
d. \\#Rev 4:10-11\\ They will worship and praise God.
e. \\#Rev 5:8-9\\ They sing the song of the redeemed
meaning they are redeemed sinners just like us.
f. Much beyond that, and we are guessing.
2. My guess:
a. I believe the 24 are the 12 sons of Jacob and the 12
Apostles.
b. Jesus told the Apostles that they would sit on thrones
and rule with Him.
Matt 19:27 Then answered Peter and said unto
him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed
thee; what shall we have therefore?
28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto
you, That ye which have followed me, in the
regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the
throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon
twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of
Israel.
c. I do not know of a promise given to the sons of Jacob
that they would rule, but if 12 are apostles then it
makes some sense that the other 12 are the sons of
Jacob.
(1) If they are the 12 apostles and the 12 sons of
Jacob, I am glad for by reading of the 12 sons
of Jacob, I would not have a lot of confidence
that they would be in heaven.
(2) Hopefully they are.
(3) It sure would be a shame if they were not.
d. Together the four and twenty elders picture the unity
of the saved in heaven.
(1) John did not see two groups of 12 but one group of
24.
(2) In heaven, it will not matter how you worshipped
on earth or what dispensation in which you were
saved.
(3) It will only matter that you are part of the
blood bought!
E. John saw the sea of glass:
Rev 4:6 And before the throne there was a sea
of glass like unto crystal…
1. The sea in the Bible seems to be a picture of the masses
of people.
2. That being the case, I believe the sea is also a picture
of us.
a. The Bible tells us that at least in the future, there
will be no sea in heaven.
Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new
earth: for the first heaven and the first earth
were passed away; and there was no more sea.
b. I think this sea of glass is a place holder.
c. It is holding our place, the place where we will be.
d. The four and twenty identifies WHO we are. We are
the saints from the Old and New Testament.
e. The sea of glass identifies HOW we are. We are huge
in number, like a sea, but we are at last calm, like
a sea of glass, perfect still with no anxieties.
f. Once the rapture occurs, we will be standing in that
spot—not a sea of turmoil and confusion, but a sea
of calm and tranquility—as we watch God, the Master
of all, complete His plan and fulfill His promises
of justice and judgment on a corrupt and sinful
human race.
F. John saw four beasts:
Rev 4:6 …and round about the throne, were four
beasts full of eyes before and behind.
7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the
second beast like a calf, and the third beast had
a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a
flying eagle.
8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings
about him; and they were full of eyes within: and
they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy,
holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and
is to come.
1. I believe these beings are very real and very literal.
a. Ezekiel had a heavenly vision too and he also saw
these creatures.
b. He called them cherubims.
c. These are some type of heavenly beings who do service
for God.
(1) Why? I don’t know. God does not need them. He
can do everything Himself.
(2) But then again, He does not need us either.
(3) All I can assume is that God takes delight in
creating, using, and then rewarding those who
will serve Him.
2. These beings are most unusual, having four faces and six
wings.
a. One face is the face of a lion, the king of the
jungle.
b. One face is the face of the eagle, the king of the
sky.
c. One face is the face of a calf or ox, the king of
the agricultural animals.
d. One face is the face of a man, the king of all of
God’s earthly creation.
G. John saw worship. Worship like no earthbound being as ever
seen.
Rev 4:8 …and they rest not day and night,
saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,
which was, and is, and is to come.
9 And when those beasts give glory and honour
and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who
liveth for ever and ever,
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,
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.
1. These beings participate in a halleluiah chorus that no earthly
choir can rival.
2. Don’t lose your halo.
a. I do not think the only thing we will ever do in heaven is
worship, but we will worship.
b. Someone says, "I won’t like that."
c. Don’t worry about. Your probably not going.
d. Anyone who does not want to worship, thank, and praise the
God who saved him probably is not saved.
e. I’m afraid there is another place for those who do not
want to worship God.
Perhaps what you need is to see yourself as a sinner, lost and hell
bound. Perhaps what you need is to see Jesus as the Savior who bleed
and died for your sins.
There is more to be seen. As far as I know, this is only a small
portion of heaven. There is more to see, more to understand, and more
to do; but what a day that will be, what a place that will be, and
what a God that is.
One last thought: Heaven is changing. Heaven is not eternal. God is
eternal. Although the Bible does not tell us when it happened, there
was a time when there was no heaven and no angels. God created both
heaven and angels—just like God created the earth and Adam and Eve.
Since God created heaven, it has changed. It changed when Jesus left
to come to earth. It changed when He returned in a glorified body. It
changed when Jesus brought the Old testament saints up there and it
changes every day as new saints make their entrance into that
celestial city. And it will change more—even as it is describe
through this Book.
I hope the change includes your arrival. If not, you will be missed.
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