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.
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