The Heavenly Worship
4 1 Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this."
2 And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it.
3 The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones-like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow.
4 Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads.
5 From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. This is the sevenfold Spirit of God.
6 In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal. In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back.
7 The first of these living beings was like a lion; the second was like an ox; the third had a human face; and the fourth was like an eagle in flight. NLT
(the following is from www.easyenglish.bible)
"Verse 1 Before he saw those future events, John saw the throne of God. He tried to describe this in these two chapters [4 & 5]. And from chapter 6, he writes about future events.
John saw a door that was open. It was the way into heaven. The voice that John heard before spoke to him again. It called him to come up through that door.
The Lord told John about the events on earth. But before that, the Lord showed John something of heaven. There, God is on the throne. The control of all history is in heaven and not on earth. God has the end of history in his plans. His plans cannot fail. What the Lord showed to John will happen.
Verse 2 The first thing that John sees in heaven is a throne. The person on the throne is the king of all. He is the Lord God who has all power. This throne is above all other thrones. God is king above all other kings.
The throne of God is the center of heaven. All in heaven look to the throne. God sits there on the throne. All of them worship and serve him.
Verse 3 John did not write about God as having a physical body. Rather, John gives an impression of God as bright light. This bright light shone as the light shines from precious stones.
The jasper was probably a clear stone like a diamond. The carnelian was red. The throne was like emerald, which reflects green light. There was a rainbow, which glows with all colors. The effect of all these colors is to show the glory of God.
John could not describe all that he had seen. He could only give us an impression of these things. The languages of earth are not able to describe what is in heaven. There are similar descriptions in Ezekiel chapter 1 and Isaiah chapter 6.
Verse 4 John does not tell us who the 24 elders are. But they each sat on a throne. Each time they appear in this book, they are praising God. They bring to God the prayers of his people (Revelation 5:8). In this, they serve the church but they are not the church. We think that they are special angels. Their job is to serve and to praise God.
The white clothes show that the elders are clean from sin. Their crowns show that they are royal people.
Verse 5 The lightning and thunder give an impression of the power of God. John hears these sounds as the voice of God. God speaks from his throne.
We cannot see the Holy Spirit. He appeared as flames of fire on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:3). So here, the 7 lamps show that the Holy Spirit is there.
He is also the 7 Spirits of God. We should not understand this as 7 Spirits. These show seven views of the same Spirit. The number 7 in scripture is the perfect or complete number. Here it shows that the person and work of the Spirit is perfect.
Verse 6 The sea of glass adds to the effect of what John saw in heaven. Its clear surface is spread out in front of the throne. Like a mirror it reflected all the lights that flashed about the throne.
The four creatures were by the throne. They were like an inner circle round about the throne. They had eyes in front and behind. They saw all that happened. Nothing could hide from them.
Verse 7 John tries to describe the creatures. They are special angels. John says that their faces were like those of a lion, an ox, a human person and an eagle. They were strong like the lion. They were full of power as the ox. They were wise as a wise man. They were as fast as the eagle when it flies."
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