The Heavenly Vision (Part Two)

The Lamb on the Throne

Revelation 5

Introduction

The fourth and fifth chapters of Revelation are really a single vision. In the fourth chapter, we see into Heaven with John. At the center of the heavenly court is the Throne of God. It is a vision of power and sovereignty. God is seated on His Throne and is ruling the world. This is not only the theological foundation of the book of Revelation, it is the foundational revelation of the entire Bible! The rest of the visions in Revelation proceed because God is executing His sovereign will and purpose “on earth as in heaven.” However, we will also see as the rest of Revelation unfolds that there are personalities in the universe, including human beings, who do not acknowledge or submit to the authority of the One on the Throne in Heaven.

John now sees a sealed scroll in the hand of the One on the Throne. What is this scroll? Some have said this scroll represents the title deed of the earth. In other words, whoever possesses the scroll rules the world. But others have thought this scroll represents the purpose of God. Both views contain some elements of truth. But even more importantly, all of Heaven wants to know who can open the scroll and reveal its contents. Who is worthy to do such a task? But there is no person who answers this call. John sense the significance of the sealed scroll because he begins to weep when no one is found worthy to open it. But we all know that weeping is out of place in Heaven and John has not seen all there is to see in this vision. There is someone who can open the scroll!

And so, one of the heavenly Elders comforts John and gives an additional revelation: The Lion of the Tribe of Judah has been found worthy and can open the scroll! And what do you think John expected to see at that point in the vision? A lion, of course! But that is not what he sees. Instead of a mighty lion, John sees a lamb. This is literally a little lamb and even more surprising is the fact that this lamb has just been killed, yet is standing alive before the Throne. This lamb then takes the scroll from the hand of the One of the Throne and receives the same kind of worship from the inhabitants of Heaven that had previously been given to the One seated on the Throne. In the next chapter, the lamb will begin to open the scroll and the first cycle of visions will commence.

All the visions in Revelation that follow are coming from the lamb. He is at the center of everything and is the great Mover of all events in heaven and on the earth. The book of Revelation is making a shocking claim about the nature of reality and we must orient ourselves to the meaning of this vision. The lamb is the most important person in heaven and earth. We dare not ignore this person or become his opponents. The entire history of the world and the meaning of everything, as well as the destiny of every person who will ever live, is determined by the identity of this lamb, what he has accomplished, and what he is doing in Heaven right now.

The Identity of the Lamb

Who is this lamb? Obviously, this is an important person. There is a kind of double vision here that helps us understand who this exalted person is. He is both a lion and a lamb. Those characteristics are difficult to find together in a single personality. We all know people who are bold and powerful, like a lion. And then there are those who are meek and humble, like a lamb. But have you ever known anyone who is both a lion and a lamb? How can these things come together in one person? This is a unique person we are talking about here, someone who possesses characteristics found in no one else in heaven or on earth.

The great New England preacher, Jonathan Edwards, preached a sermon on Revelation chapter five on the profound convergence of attributes found in the one who is both a lion and a lamb. The sermon is entitled The Excellency of Jesus Christ and Edward’s stated thesis for his sermon is that “there is an admirable conjunction of diverse excellencies in Jesus Christ. The lion and the lamb, though very diverse kinds of creatures, yet each have their peculiar excellencies. The lion excels in strength and in majesty of appearance and voice. The lamb excels in meekness and patience. But we see that Christ is in the text compared to both, because the diverse excellencies of both wonderfully meet in him.”

Those who know the Scriptures recognize the origins of this lion who is also a lamb. The lion is the messiah promised to the people of Israel. This unique, exalted person came out of the special people God had chosen. Out of the people of Israel would come a ruler, a Messiah (anointed one) who would not only rule over Israel but also the Gentiles. The origins of this ruler were predicted in prophecy. He would come from the tribe of Judah:

“Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion's cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples” (Gen. 49.8-10).

Here in Revelation we see the fulfillment of this ancient prophecy.

Out of Judah’s family came Israel’s greatest king. God promised King David that his line would never fail and his throne would be established forever (See II Sam. 7.12-16). It would eventually seem like David’s line was defunct and would never rule again, but the Lord had promised that “there shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit” (Isa. 11.1). The vision in Revelation shows the fulfillment of that prophecy as well. This heavenly ruler is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah who sprang from David’s kingly line. There is only one person who can be called “the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David” and that person is Jesus. As a lion, He has all power to rule the world.

But in the book of Revelation Jesus is always pictured as the lamb. The most critical vision of Jesus is as the lamb. He is a slain lamb and the wounds still appear upon Him, even in heavenly glory. He is a sacrificial lamb. Our minds should immediately go back to the story of the Exodus and the killing of the Passover lamb. The lamb in Revelation is the cosmic Passover lamb. Images from the Exodus run throughout the visions that follow. Everything that happened in the Exodus of Israel from Egypt will happen again, but this time on a cosmic scale. God judged Egypt with a series of plagues that culminated in the Death Angel passing over the land. The blood of the lamb saved the Israelites from the plague of death and judgement that fell on the Egyptians. In Revelation, God judges the world with a series of plagues. But our cosmic Passover Lamb has been sacrificed and God will bring His covenant people out of the world and into a New Creation. The main theme of history and the whole purpose of God is the redemption of a People. The Lamb has purchased a People for God – a group too large to be numbered – who will one day stand with the Lamb before the Throne of God.

The crucial event of the original Exodus was the night when the lamb was slain and blood was applied to the houses of the people to save them from the plague of death. For the people to live, an innocent lamb had to be slain and blood had to shed. Life was taken so that life could be spared. The Passover Lamb was a substitute that died for the people and protected them from the plague of God’s wrath. God was developing in the minds of the people the concept of atonement. The act of atonement is more than just the forgiveness of sins, though that is the result. Atonement means that the offense of sin is covered, the debt is paid in full, so that even the holy eyes of God see no sin in the ones covered by the atonement. God is not ignoring sin. Atonement means God is canceling or covering the offense and guilt of sin. This is what the blood of Christ has done. The one who is covered by this atonement will not be subjected to the wrath of God. There is no reason for God to condemn a person who is covered by the blood of this Lamb. The offering of this atoning sacrifice for sin is the crucial event in the history of the world and the key to God’s eternal purpose. The purpose of God could not move forward until sin was atoned for and taken away from the presence of God. This great act of redemption has been accomplished by the Lamb “whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood” (Rom. 3.25). All of heaven continues to celebrate the effect of this atoning sacrifice.

The Accomplishments of the Lamb

All of Heaven is celebrating what the Lamb has accomplished. The heavenly Elder said that the Lion of the Tribe of Judah has triumphed. And with His blood the Lamb has redeemed a People for God from out of the world. The Gospel is all about the exploits of this Lamb. If Heaven is caught up in celebrating his accomplishments, we ought to give him more than a passing consideration. What has the Lamb accomplished?

He has triumphed. The word here could also be translated that he has conquered. Where did he win this victory? It was not in heaven. The Lamb entered heaven having already won the victory. The Roman generals who won victories on foreign fields would then be welcomed back into the capital city with great honor and celebrations. This same kind of thing has been done in heaven for the conquering Lamb. The victory was won on earth and then celebrated in heaven. The earth is the realm of men and of Satan and his fallen angels. The Lamb won this victory in enemy territory that is in opposition to the One on the Throne in heaven. The Lion of Judah won the crucial victory in the same realm and over the same adversaries that the people of God must also face while in the world. The enemies have been defeated, although the final mop-up operation is yet to come. The Victor had to enter heaven first before that final victory is fully accomplished.

We should take note of how the Lion of the Tribe of Judah won this victory on earth. We would expect a lion to roar and scare his enemies before pouncing for the kill. But that is not how the Lion of Judah won the victory. The Lion is also the Lamb of God. He conquered our enemies through suffering and death. It is no wonder the Gospel is foolishness to the wisdom of the world! Here is a completely counter-intuitive message: the victory came when the Lion of Judah became a lamb and laid down his life. This aspect of the Gospel is captured so vividly in C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia when Aslan, the great lion of Narnia, gives himself up to the power of the White Witch and her dark powers, is tied to the Stone Table, and then killed by the Witch and her cruel, stone knife. It was at that very moment, when all seemed to be death and despair, that the crucial victory was being won. When Jesus died on the cross, that was the point when the head of the Serpent was crushed even as he himself dealt the fatal blow to Christ. In his excellent sermon on Revelation chapter five, Jonathan Edwards says that

“it was principally by means of those sufferings that he conquered and overthrew his enemies. Christ never so effectively bruised Satan’s head as when Satan bruised his heel. In his last sufferings, Christ sapped the very foundations of Satan’s kingdom, he conquered his enemies in their own territories, and beat them with their own weapons, as David cut off Goliath’s head with his own sword. The devil had, as it were, swallowed up Christ, as the whale did Jonah, but it was deadly poison to him, he gave him a mortal wound in his own bowels. He was soon sick of his morsel, and was forced to do by him as the whale did by Jonah. And thus, the actual Samson does more towards the destruction of his enemies at his death than in his life. In yielding up himself to death, he pulls down the temple of Dagon and destroys many thousands of his enemies, even while they are making themselves sport in his sufferings. And so, he whose type was the Ark, pulls down Dagon and breaks off his head and hands in his own temple, even while he is brought in there as Dagon’s captive.”

Or, as the Apostle Paul says it more succinctly: “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (Col. 2.15).

All the adversaries have already been defeated for us: The Devil and his dark forces, the World and its rebellious opposition to the will of God, and the curse of death itself which was broken by the One the grace could not rightfully hold in its clutches. It is no wonder that believers in Christ are now called “more than conquerors” – we can also overcome Satan, the World, and even death itself, all through Him who has already conquered all these.

The greatness of the Lamb’s victory has been recognized in Heaven, which makes these accomplishments even more significant. There are accomplishments recognized and celebrated on earth among men. But the accomplishment celebrated in Heaven are the truly great works, though these are usually ignored on the earth. The Scriptures record the works of great men like Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and all the Prophets. But here in Revelation, Heaven is not celebrating those men and their works. Heaven celebrates the accomplishments of the Lamb and only he is said to be worthy.

The Lamb is worthy of all this attention in Heaven because of His perfect obedience to the will of God – obedience even to the point of laying down His own life. Jesus said it was “for this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father (John 10.17-18).” Jesus perfectly obeyed that charge from His Father in Heaven. The Lamb of God was the only person in history who perfectly obeyed the will of God. As He prayed in Gethsemane: “Not my will, but yours be done.” Because He humbled Himself in this way, He has been exalted in Heaven (See Phil. 2.5-11). In Heaven, the Lamb is worshiped just like the One seated on the Throne. And it is now critical than everyone on earth do the same because in the future every knee will have to bow to the Lamb, willingly or otherwise.

The Presence of the Lamb in Heaven

In the future, the Lamb will appear and every eye will see him. The wicked world that opposed him will call for the rocks and the mountains to fall on them and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb. But in the meantime, the Lamb is in Heaven before the Throne of God, where He cannot be seen by earthly eyes. The book of Revelation is not primarily about the appearing of the Lamb at the end of time, although that is certainly a part of the cycle of visions. The primary message of Revelation has more to do with the Lamb’s presence in Heaven now. What is the Lamb doing in Heaven and why does this matter?

To understand the significance of this vision, we must go back to the meaning of that sealed scroll we saw previously in the hand of the One on the Throne. This scroll has something to do with the purpose of God., which previously had been hidden, hence the scroll is sealed, but which is now going to be revealed by the Lamb. The Apostle Paul said that he had been given grace to preach the riches of Christ to the Gentiles and bring to light for everyone “what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Eph. 3.8-10). This is also the meaning of the sealed scroll in Revelation. But the book of Revelation adds an important feature to the unlocking of God’s eternal purpose: here we are seeing this purpose in its final stages and how everything will be brought to a fitting conclusion or consummation. How will the purpose of God come to its conclusion? That mystery will be opened by the Lamb.

A commentator named Robert Wall identifies an even more specific purpose for the sealed scroll: “In the ancient world, the sealed scroll carried official edicts or legal documents. John probably recognized God’s scroll as containing the Divine decrees that announced God’s triumph over evil and the official conclusion of God’s rivalry with the Evil One. The scroll simply describes in detail the conclusion of salvation history that has commenced with the faithful work of the Paschal Lamb.”

So, when we see the Lamb take the scroll from the One on the Throne, this signifies God’s endorsement of the Lamb and the fact that the execution of God’s purpose has been given into the hands of the Lamb. The Lamb is managing the purpose of God and is responsible for bringing it to its conclusion. The Lamb is the chosen agent of God to bring in the fullness of God’s Kingdom and defeat all adversaries. For this reason, the Lamb has been given all authority in heaven and earth. Christ has been exalted into heaven to rule the world and implement the final purpose of God. Don’t miss that fact that He is ruling now.

But the Lamb is not just in heaven to rule the world. He is also in heaven as a priest so that He can mediate all the blessings of the New Covenant. Something has changed in Heaven and we have entered a new era of God’s dealing with men. We now have a man in heaven who is our representative before God. Revelation shows us in the form of a vision what the book of Hebrews teaches us doctrinally:

“For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him” (Heb. 9.24-28).

That nicely summarizes the message of the book of Revelation for us!

Jesus is our priest, mediator, and intercessor in heaven. Even modern people understand these roles. Our form of government in Western-style democracies utilizes representation to bring the will and the needs of the people before those in power. And if you are having legal trouble, you hire an attorney to represent you. If you have a good attorney, you will get a good deal in court. Jesus is the very best representation for us in heaven before the Throne of God because He is like us, having taken on our human nature, and He is also the Son of God and has all the favor of God. He can bring us to God. As Jonathon Edwards said: “Christ has brought it to pass, that those whom the Father has given Him should be brought into the household of God, that he and his Father, and his people, should be as one society, one family; that the church should be, as it were, admitted into the society of the blessed Trinity.” We are accepted before that Throne in Heaven because Jesus has gone into Heaven first and has been accepted there for us. He is bringing many other sons to glory. And so, there is only one mediator between God and man because no other man has been accepted in Heaven before the Throne.

Conclusion

The Lamb has now taken the scroll from the hand of the One on the Throne. All things have been placed into the capable hands of the Lord Jesus. Now we will see how the final chapter of the history of the world will unfold, under the authority of the Lamb, culminating in a New Creation. But that road to the New Creation will not be an easy one. All the forces of Evil are amassed to resist the Lamb and His Father. The Saints who are in the world must pass through much tribulation to enter the New Creation. But when we need help, we have our High Priest in Heaven who is bringing our prayers before the Throne. That Throne has become a Throne of Grace for those in Christ. And if the whole future of the cosmos has been placed in the hands of the Lamb by God Himself, we should also be able to entrust our little lives to Jesus. The One who is now reigning in Heaven is the same one who said to his disciples: “do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6.31-33).

Vision of the Ages: The Message of the Book of Revelation

The Heavenly Vision (Part One): 

God on His Throne

Revelation 4

Jesus appeared to John and dictated letters to seven churches in the Roman province of Asia. And so, the first three chapters of Revelation all hang together: Jesus appears in glory to John on the isle of Patmos and commands him to write the letters to the churches. Jesus then dictates the letters and speaks to the churches, assessing and exhorting them as needed. The importance of the first three chapters to the book of Revelation must be emphasized. But from another perspective, this first section of the book is just an introduction. The heart of the book of Revelation is a series of visions. The scene in chapters one through three is on the earth with John on Patmos and then the seven churches of Asia.

                But when we come to the fourth chapter, the scene shifts in dramatic fashion. (We understand that originally there were no chapters, but making a chapter break at this point does seem to fit with the flow of the book.) Chapter four will provide us with the theological foundation for the rest of the book of Revelation and the series of visions that are coming. Chapters four and five are really a single vision, but it is helpful to divide it into two parts by following the chapter divisions.

                In the fourth chapter, John is suddenly taken up into heaven. The veil separating the heavenly realm from the earthly is thrown aside for a moment and John gets to peer into another reality. Heaven is a real place. In fact, it is the main place. There is another realm that is higher than the earthly realm and at the center of that higher realm is a great and glorious throne – the Throne of God. John had been called up into the very center of the universe. At the center of all things is God upon His Throne. It is an awesome revelation that is designed to inspire a certain response in those who read John’s description of it – a response like unto the heavenly personalities that stand before the Throne of God continually.

                So, our focus is now in heaven on the Throne of God and the heavenly beings who constantly worship there. Why should our attention be drawn there?

                We should notice immediately how very different the heavenly realm is from the earthly realm. In heaven, God is at the center and every other heavenly being is worshiping Him. But this is not the case upon the earth! There is a great rift between heaven and earth and these two realms are not in harmony with the other. The earth is not focused on God. Mankind is focused on itself and its own agenda rather than on pleasing God. Modern man has inspired a philosophy of life that is boldly called “Humanism” with Man at the center of all things. This is in direct opposition to the scene in Revelation. Humanity has sought to put itself on the Throne and supplant God.

                At the time that Humanism became the philosophy of the modern world, there also began a desperate search for meaning. Modern people have put themselves at the center of the universe only to discover that the center will not hold. We got rid of God only to find a black hole at the center of life that nothing has been able to fill. What is the center of life? What gives us meaning and hope? The modern world is looking for answers but coming up empty in the process.

                For us this vision of the Throne of God comes as a shocking alternative view of reality that stands in opposition to the world’s man-centered philosophy. This vision is meant for the people of God who are still in the world and are still oppressed by a system that is opposed to God. In what the New Testament called “this present, evil world” the people of God need to have a higher vision of reality and to be encouraged that this world does not ultimately define what is true and real. There is something higher that our souls can aspire to reach and to see if we will. This heavenly vision in Revelation is meant to be the anchor for our souls in the restless seas of life.

The Heavenly Calling

John is invited to come up into the heavenly realm. His physical body was still on the earth, there on the isle of Patmos. But spiritually John is transported to heaven. John occupied two realms at the same time, and this experience is somehow true of every Christian who is still in the body upon the earth. We are in the body and in the world, yet in a spiritual and very real sense, we are also seated with Christ in heavenly places (See Eph. 1). In other words, though we will probably not have the same experience as John, we are also given to see or to be aware of heavenly realities. This heavenly invitation is in some form being extended to us. We are invited to come up into a higher view of reality. This is not the drug-induced trance of people who want to divorce themselves from the world and from reality. This is not a dream, it is a vision. There really is a heavenly realm that can be experienced through faith. Every true child of God feels this upward calling into the heavenly realm. This is not what people mean when they talk about going to heaven when they die. This is something that can be experienced and known now. We have this desire to rise above the mundane, earthly life. One hymn writer expressed it this way:

                “I want to scale the utmost height

                And catch a gleam of glory bright;

                But still I’ll pray will heaven I’ve found,

                Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”

                We know that Christians have been accused of escapism or of ignoring the needs of this world while living in a detached, even uncaring or irresponsible manner while dreaming of heaven and another world. And while there is a legitimate danger there, that is probably not the error of our own Age. The Modern world is working overtime to convince us that this world is the ONLY reality. Modernism’s materialistic spell is perfectly depicted in one of C.S. Lewis’ stories in The Chronicles of Narnia series. In the story of The Silver Chair, a witch attempts to cast a spell and erase all memory of the land of Narnia while seductively chanting “there never was any world but mine.” That is also Satan’s strategy in the modern world. And the only way to break that spell is with the fresh air of Biblical revelation, as we see in John’s vision of the Throne of God.

                The only way to make sense of what is happening in the earthly realm is to be able to see into the heavenly realm and then bring the meaning of that eternal reality down into the vicissitudes of daily life in the world. It is an easy thing to talk about, but it takes a lot of faith to do it.

                Perhaps the most surprising thing about John’s vision is that he was invited into heaven at all. In the past, such access was denied to men on the earth. The entire revelation of God to Israel in the Old Testament was that they were not able to come into the presence of God. The Tabernacle Moses built in the wilderness emphasized this great distance between men on the earth and God in heaven. The Tabernacle was just a copy of Heaven, yet the people were still denied access even to the symbolic presence of God on earth. And God repeatedly told the Israelites that this separation was for their own safety! No one was safe in God’s presence. The alienated between God and men was so intense that even a small exposure would be deadly. The holiness of God would break out in wrath and consume any casual worshiper. No one simply strayed into the presence of God without the proper preparations. Not even the priests could serve God without making a sacrifice for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. Coming into the presence of God is not an easy thing to do. Yet, John is invited to come!

                When certain men in the Old Testament did come into the presence of God it was always a fearful encounter. Moses asked to see the glory of God, yet God only allowed a partial vision. When Isaiah saw the Throne of God, he was certain that he would die. And we would all die if not for God’s mercy. All have sinned and fall short of God’s perfection and glorious holiness. In our natural state, we simply do not belong in the presence of God. Adam’s children are afraid and ashamed in the presence of a holy God. Even pagan peoples knew that the gods must be appeased. There was an impossible gulf between God in heaven and men on the earth. The way to heaven was closed to men. Yet, John was invited to come in!

                John saw a door in Heaven. A door! And it was standing open. Something had happened to make this possible where before it had been impossible. Something has opened that door in heaven. Something has changed. Obviously, God has not changed.  God cannot change. He is still just as holy and righteous as He has always been. But a way into heaven has been opened.

                One thing that was always made clear in the Old Testament was that they only way for men to be acceptable to God was for God Himself to make it so. If the door to heaven was to be opened it would be opened from the inside.

                The fifth chapter of Revelation will explain how this door came to be open in heaven: a member of Adam’s race has entered heaven. Jesus is our forerunner, according to the book of Hebrews, who entered heaven and has left the door standing open for us to follow Him there into the presence of God.

                The heavenly calling is extended now to us. Through Jesus, it is possible to have access to the Throne of God, which also becomes a Throne of Grace. A great and effectual call has been issued for us to come to God through Jesus Christ. And we can come with boldness and with confidence, knowing that in Christ God will receive all who come to Him. We do not come with self-confidence but with confidence in Christ and His effectual work of redemption. We are accepted in heaven because Jesus is there.

                John is invited into heaven and is promised a revelation will come to him while he is there. John will be more than a spectator in heaven. He is being invited to participate in what heaven in doing. There is something for John to see that is not just for John himself but for all the people of God on earth. Those who receive a heavenly vision are nearly always sent out on an earthly mission with a message to proclaim. The called are always sent. It happened to Isaiah. It happened to the disciples, including John. It happened to the Church on Pentecost. Revelations of God are not personal novelties but are meant to be shared. That is what John was called to do in the book of Revelation.

The Heavenly Control Room

What John was seeing is the central control room for the universe. Everything that happens on earth is being controlled from the Throne in heaven. The Throne is not empty! Someone is in the driver’s seat and nothing is every out of control, not matter what it looks like upon the earth. Imagine riding on a bus and discovering that there is suddenly no one at the wheel and the bus is heading for a fiery crash! And yet there are many people on earth who think that the world is without anyone to control it and that human history is meaningless and chaotic. The Bible clearly refutes that idea.

                In ancient times, the rulers of nations literally sat upon thrones and made their official, royal decrees, which became the laws of the land. So, a throne was a symbol of sovereignty, power, and control. When John saw this vision in Revelation there was a single man, the Roman Caesar, who exercised authority over almost the entire civilized world! But above it all, over every earthly Power, there is the Throne of God ruling over heaven and earth.

                John was not the first person to see a vision of God’s Throne in heaven. Isaiah saw God upon His throne. This is when the prophet received his call to preach to Israel. Isaiah’s message was that God’s judgment was coming upon disobedient Israel, but that eventually the Kingdom of God would be established on earth through God’s chosen servant, the Messiah. The book of Revelation also shows us that God’s judgment is coming upon the wicked world, but that the Kingdom of God will also come in all its fullness when Christ comes again. The prophet Ezekiel also saw the Throne. This vision came when God’s people had been displaced from the Promised Land and taken into captivity in Babylon. Ezekiel saw that the Throne of God could move around and that God was still ruling the world even though the people had been displaced from their home. God promised to eventually bring the people back to the Promised Land and restore their fortunes. The book of Revelation also tells God’s people in the world that when our time of exile is over we will enter the New Creation. And then the prophet Daniel also saw the Throne of God. But Daniel saw something new: there was a Son of Man (a human being) who entered the presence of God in heaven and received great power and glory along with a worldwide kingdom that would never pass away. Daniel’s vision most closely resembles the vision of John in Revelation. In fact, what Daniel saw in prophetic form, John saw in its fulfillment. The Son of Man has entered heaven and has received a kingdom! In the next chapter of Revelation, we see Christ ruling alongside His Father in heaven, having been given all authority in heaven and on earth. This is the central revelation of the book of Revelation!

                Whenever we see the Throne of God appearing in Scripture, we are seeing a revelation of the sovereignty of God. God is ruling the world. This is the foundational fact of all Biblical revelation. But Scripture does not just give us facts for the sake of information. The revelation of the Throne is meant to have an impact on the people of God in the world.

                For example, the Throne is often seen during times of intense tribulation for the people of God on earth. That was true during the time when the good king, Uzziah, had died and Isaiah saw the Throne of God. The fate of the Kingdom of Israel was in doubt, yet God was still on His throne. Ezekiel saw the Throne during the captivity when all seemed hopeless for the Jews who were being ruled by a seemingly invincible Power. Yet God was the One who was ruling and He had not forgotten or forsaken His people. It is during times of distress, when things on earth seem chaotic or hopeless, that God’s people most need to have this vision of the Throne of God.

                Again, it is Daniel’s vision that most closely parallels the vision of the Throne in the book of Revelation. The revelation of the Throne to Daniel came against the backdrop of the rise of colossal world empires, the likes of which have not arisen again. The Jewish nation seemed small and a matter of no consequence. Daniel had seen that vision of a great statue that represented the rise of these great, world empires. But it was then that Daniel saw into heaven and the Throne of God. Above the rise and fall of these earthly empires was the eternal Throne of God in heaven. It was an intentional contrast. Here is the Power behind and above every other Power! Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome are not the true Powers. Above all stands God’s Throne! Earthly Powers compete with one another and often displace each other. But the Throne in heaven has no equal. Earthly kingdoms rise and then fall, but the Throne is heaven is eternal and immutable. And so, the Scriptures can comfort the people of God during times of uncertainty on earth with the certainty of statements like these:

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though hits waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling” (Psalm 46.1-3).

“At that time, his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, ‘Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’ This phrase, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12.26-29).

    

            Yet, even with the certainty of the Throne of God, we must be honest about ourselves in this world. We are still vulnerable to weakness, temptation, and discouragement. But the Throne of God is there to remind us that we never should completely give in to fear or to despair. “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair” (2 Cor. 4.8). God is still on His Throne!

            The Throne is not a place of rest or inactivity, though this might come to our modern mind. Too many people today tend to think of God in heaven as a passive observer, which is not a Biblical idea at all. The image of God on His throne is not meant to depict inactivity. The Throne of God is a place of action, decision, and determination. God is actively ruling and steering the world from His Throne and He does not slumber or sleep. He never takes a day off. What happens on earth is being managed from heaven. God is executing His eternal purpose from His Throne in heaven.

                The vision of the Throne is meant to help us focus on something higher so we will not be controlled by what is going on around us. The primary issue of life is the will and purpose of God. We are to pray that His Kingdom would come and that His will would be done on earth. And God’s will getting done on earth starts with us doing His will. This vision is quite practical. We should not complain that the world is not doing God’s will. Why should that surprise us? We should get busy doing God’s will on earth just as it is done in heaven. That is why we are here on the earth.

                At this point, many people will object that it does not appear that God’s will is getting done on earth. How can God be on His Throne when the world always seems to be on the verge of falling apart? Many modern people cannot reconcile this vision of the Throne of God with the mess the world seems to be in and the advance of evil. What is going on? Christians do not need to be intimidated by this apparent contradiction. We understand that God created a World that was a kind of moral arena where it is possible for people to either do God’s will or to rebel against Him. There is always the possibility of evil because God’s creatures may choose to do something other than His perfect will. This rebellion against God’s will is the source of evil and all our misery.

                But the Bible teaches us to take a longer view. Ultimately, the will of God must prevail over all the rebellion and evil of mankind. God’s will is absolute. No created being, not even the Devil and his angels, can successfully oppose the Throne of God and ultimately succeed in that rebellion. Everyone who chooses to rebel and fight against the One seated on that Throne in Heaven will ultimately fail. At the end of it all, this Throne in Heaven will be standing when everything else has fallen to the ground.

The Heavenly Crowd

This vision of the Throne of God is meant to do something in us. This vision is asking us, even demanding, that we reorient our lives and reconcile ourselves to this reality. The main part of this vision is the description of the worship that is going on around the Throne of God in heaven. We are not being called to be spectators only. We are called to join in and participate with the Heavenly Order.

                This heavenly worship is calling us to come to God. It is a call to repentance, which means to turn, to change our direction and focus, and come to God. Repentance is not something we only do at the initial time of our conversion to Christ. We do it then, of course, but then we must continue to turn to God every day. Obviously, repentance involves turning away from sin and idols and everything that is opposed to God. We cannot serve God while serving sin or the myriad of false gods men have created for themselves. But repentance is more than just being moral, which is something even pagans can do. Repentance means becoming a worshiper of the one, true, living God.

                Who is the God seated on that throne in heaven? This is the most critical question facing us in life. We often use the term “God” in a rather generic sort of way, like saying “deity” or even a “higher power.” These terms are vague. And our modern culture with its emphasis on tolerance would like to keep things about God as vague as possible. When things are mysterious there need be no repentance or moral obligation. But the Bible is not at all vague about the One seated on that throne in heaven. In fact, the whole message of Scripture is to reveal who God is so that we might come to Him and worship Him along with all the inhabitants of heaven. When we come to God we are coming to the creator of all things, in heaven and on earth. This is the God of Israel who revealed Himself to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants, with whom He made an everlasting covenant. This God is not an impersonal force but a Divine person who is really three personalities all sharing the same Divine nature: Father, Son, and Spirit. (Revelation chapters four and five both mention all three members of the Godhead.) At the center of reality is a loving, worshiping community of personalities. We are invited to come in and be a part of this loving, worshiping heavenly community.

                When we get to see into heaven we should not be surprised to see other personalities there around the Throne. There are twenty-four “elders” there and four “living creatures.” Who are these beings? Perhaps a better question would be who these beings represent. These heavenly worshipers are really archetypes – examples of certain kinds of beings. The twenty-four elders are archetypes of the people of God. Their number is twelve plus twelve, which corresponds both to the number of the twelve tribes of Israel as well as the number of the Apostles who were the foundation of the Church. Here we have the whole body of the people of God represented who have gone on before us and are now in heaven worshiping before the Throne of God. Here we see a representation of the great cloud of witnesses (Heb. 12.1), the Assembly of the Firstborn enrolled in heaven (Heb. 12.23), the spirits of the righteous made perfect (Heb. 12.23). This encourages all of us who are still in the body and in the world to keep running our race and fighting the good fight of faith so that we might one day join this great crowd of Saints before the Throne of God.

                The four living creatures before the Throne are probably not angels but are archetypes of all creation that God has made. The Creation was made to glorify God and it still does that, even though it has been subjected to frustration and corruption because of mankind’s sinful rebellion against God. Eventually, the Creation will be liberated from this bondage to death and brought into its full glory, along with all of God’s children. Until then, the Creation groans and is anxious to be redeemed (Rom. 8.19-22). The book of Revelation will culminate in the New Creation which includes both redeemed humans and a redeemed earth. So, we should not be surprised to find these archetypes of both human beings and the Creation worshiping before the Throne of God.

                The book of Revelation shows us that this crowd before the Throne of God is being greatly expanded into a group that cannot be numbered. Jesus said that God is seeking people who will be true worshipers (John 4.23).

How should God be worshiped? Certainly, these heavenly personalities ought to know how to worship God. What can we learn from them? Their worship involves speaking words of insight and praise concerning the nature of God. They bow down and they bring gifts, giving their most valuable assets to God. Worship means recognizing who God is and praising Him for His attributes. Those who would worship God must humble themselves. And those who worship bring gifts and offerings, giving back to God what came from Him and belongs to Him in the first place. If we are not doing these things, then we are not worshiping God, no matter how religious we might be! Worship can never be offered in a mechanical fashion but must be a lively response to God Himself.

These heavenly beings recognize the supremacy of God. God comes first and is more important than anything or anyone else in heaven or on the earth. Finally, these heavenly worshipers recognize the worthiness of God. That is, God deserves to be honored simply for who He is and for no other reason. We do not worship God only because of what He does for us, but for who He is in Himself. God does not have to earn our worship. God deserves our worship. We truly worship God when we adore Him simply for who He is and not just to get something from Him, though He does graciously give us all things.

We should not leave this point with again noticing how this heavenly worship contrasts with what is going on in the world. The wicked do not worship God but are in rebellion against Him and this will eventually result in the judgment of God being poured out upon the world in the successive visions that are coming in Revelation. Refusing to give glory to God and choosing to worship idols will bring down the wrath of God upon this world. We are living in a time of grace when men are being called through the Gospel to turn from their worthless idols and serve the living God!

Conclusion

The vision of the Throne of God in Revelation is meant to have a two-pronged effect: first, it serves as a warning to the wicked world order. Second, the vision is a source of hope and joy for the people of God who are still in the world and are therefore still subject to its opposition and evil. The Throne is a reminder to the wicked world that its rebellion must ultimately fail. Eventually, there will be judgment coming from the Throne upon the world. The world has been given space to repent, but the book of Revelation will make it clear that the world will be unable to give up its idols and will go to destruction still shaking its fist in the face of the One seated on the Throne. But the major message of this vision is intended to increase the hope and joy of God’s people. If God is on His Throne, there is hope. There is hope that evil will not have the last word. There is no infinite struggle between good and evil. Evil is just a parasite in the universe that God will eventually purge when His purpose is complete. There is hope that this world will not always be as it is now. The One seated on the Throne will make everything new and the entire cosmos will be reborn. In the meantime, the Throne of God is the anchor for our souls in the stormy gales of this world. This throne and the glory of the One seated there is the reason for everything we do while we are still in the body and in the world. The center of all things has been revealed. And so, what is the chief end of man? Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.