hotcoffee
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Revelation 4:1 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. 4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits[a] of God. 6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.”
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
“‘Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,’
who was, and is, and is to come.”
is the Lord God Almighty,’
who was, and is, and is to come.”
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.”
Revelation 4:5 That is, the sevenfold Spirit
Revelation 4:8 Isaiah 6:3
Well now we're getting into the cool stuff. I am not a teacher. I can only write my interpretation of what I see here in these verses. I'll rely heavily on the commentaries that seem to clarify it for me. There are a few people who comment on these threads who could explain all this much better than I. So I'll post the links to the commentaries I'm using here so that you can see where I'm getting my interpretation. I'm using RevelationCommentary.org and BibleStudyTools.com . I do go to ChristNotes.org some but I don't find that link as helpful and clear as the other two, generally.
John says he heard a voice like a trumpet. It's interesting that trumpets were used to help the hard of hearing and in the 19th century, trumpets were used by firefighters like a megaphone. The phrase John is using here seems to mean that he heard a voice loud and clear.
A door opens in Heaven and he hears “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” The phrase "must take place" seems to stand out to me. It says that the work Jesus accomplished here on earth was only one part of the whole plan. It says becoming human, being hung on a cross until dead, and then rising from death and raising up to Heaven was only one phase. There's more work to be done to offer everyone, everywhere salvation.
The throne appears to be made of Jasper and Ruby. Until reading this, I thought God's throne would be made of pure gold. Don't you think Jasper and Ruby are more the color of blood?
A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. The rainbow was used back in the story of Noah in the Old Testament. It was used to signify a covenant. Also, here the predominant color of the rainbow is green, like spring, and new beginnings.
So we have a throne the color of blood and a rainbow all around it predominantly the color of emerald. Does this remind anyone else of Christmas Colors?
"From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder."
Bible Study Tools defines the 4 creatures like this...
The first creature was like a lion. It looked like a lion, but was not a lion. It had other characteristics. Like a calf. Had a body similar to that of the ox. Had the face of a man. Otherwise its structure differed from that of men. Like a flying eagle. It will be seen that four departments of animated nature are represented. That of the wild beasts of prey; that of domestic animals, the human species, and the fowls of the air. Each is represented by what, in the eyes of a Hebrew, would be regarded as its highest type. The four living creatures. Their common characteristics are now pointed out. All have six wings; they are full of eyes, and they all unite in a ceaseless cry of praise to God. Full of eyes within. They were full of eyes before and behind, and when the wings were lifted John saw that they were full of eyes within also. The eyes, sleepless, possibly symbolize never resting, wakeful activity. They have no rest. They never rest from praising the Lord.
To me, it appears God is having a meeting with 24 elders. They're seated around Him.
And now the Sea of Glass "Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal." My dad and I believe that there are rainbow trout in this sea of glass. In Heaven we get to fish for the trout. We don't use hooks, only lines. The trout will grab on the line, tug and run, and when you finally get them to shore.... they return to their hiding spots so you can do it over and over again. Heavenly catch and release!
