seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
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 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:
“‘Holy, holy, holy
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.”
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.”
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Here's a link to the commentary I read. This is deep stuff, so I encourage you to read it for yourself. I didn't repost everything.
In the description of heavenly things, John uses symbols. However, not everything is symbolic. As in the parables of Jesus, many of the details are merely descriptive and they are not necessarily intended to carry a special significance of their own.
And the first voice which I heard: The first voice that spoke to John in Revelation 1:10 spoke to him again here — the voice of Jesus. Jesus called John up to heaven, through a door standing open in heaven.
Like a trumpet: The voice spoke loud and clear to John. It was like the trumpet that gathered the congregation of Israel together, or gathered an army for battle.
Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this: John will be shown things that concern the future (which must take place after this), not John’s present day.
Immediately I was in the Spirit: John already said he was in the Spirit at Revelation 1:10. This was yet a different experience, as John came to heaven and a heavenly perspective.
And behold, a throne: This throne was what first impressed John, and it is the centerpiece of this vision. John was fixated on the occupied throne, and everything else is described in relation to this throne.
And One sat on the throne: The throne is not empty. There is some One who sits on this great heavenly throne. The throne is a powerful declaration of not merely God’s presence, but of His sovereign, rightful reign, and His prerogative to judge.
Like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance: Instead of describing a specific form or figure, John described emanations of glistening light in two colors: white (jasper may mean “diamond”) and red (sardius).
Around the throne were twenty-four thrones: Before the elders caught John’s eye, he noticed the twenty-four thrones they sat on. These twenty-four elders sat on lesser thrones, around the throne. Later John will mention their song of worship (Revelation 4:10-11).
On the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting: Who are these twenty-four elders? Commentators debate whether they are glorified human beings or angelic beings. Taking all things into consideration, the elders certainly seem to represent God’s people.
Elders represent the people of God, especially in the Old Testament. The 24 courses of the priesthood represented all the priests (1 Chronicles 24), and the 12 tribes and the 12 apostles represent all the faithful.
And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices: The lightning, thunder, voices and fire are reminiscent of God’s fearful presence at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:16-19 and 20:18-19). They communicate the awe associated with the throne of God.
A sea of glass: Is this sea really made of glass, or did it just look like it? Commentators are divided on this point. For example, Robertson says, “appearance, not material” and Alford says, “material, not appearance.” Whether it looks like glass or is actually made of glass, it is the finest glass, like crystal.
Four living creatures full of eyes: From comparison with Ezekiel 1:4-14 and 10:20-22, we understand these creatures to be cherubim, the spectacular angelic beings surrounding the throne of God. Satan was once one of these high angelic beings, according to Ezekiel 28:14.
Cherubim were also prominent in design of the tabernacle, particularly in the Most Holy Place (Exodus 25:17-22 and 26:1-31). The Scriptures show us that the tabernacle is a model of the throne of God, in some manner (Exodus 25:8-9).
Full of eyes in front and in back… full of eyes around and within: Their multitude of eyes indicates these living creatures (not “beasts” as in the KJV) are not blind instruments or robots. They know and understand, and have greater insight and perception than any man.
Like a lion… like a calf… a face like a man… like a flying eagle: John described four cherubim, each with a different face. From comparison with Ezekiel 1:6-10, we can see that each of the cherubim have four faces, and at the moment, John saw each one of the four different faces pointed in his direction. The significance of these four faces has been interpreted in many ways.
They do not rest day or night, saying, “Holy, holy, holy”: The cherubim constantly repeat the phrase holy, holy, holy. God’s holy nature and character is declared, and emphasized with a three-time repetition.
Whenever the living creatures give glory… the twenty-four elders fall down before Him: The worship of the twenty-four elders is prompted by the cherubim. Since the cherubim worship God day and night, so do the elders.
The twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him: The twenty-four elders worship (which means to credit worth or worthiness to) God. The elders credited God for their own work and reward, and they did this as they cast their crowns before the throne. They recognized that the worth, the worthiness belonged to God, not to themselves.
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There are so many interpretations about what John saw during his Vision. There are so many versions of the four creatures with six wings and "all seeing" eyes.
There must be plenty of books written about this chapter. John went through a lot to get the description just so. Then a bunch of men got together and "edited" what John said in order to post it in the Book of Revelation.
Personally, I'm more amazed by the bowing elders. Boy they have to have some terrific backs, hips, and knees to be constantly going to their knees and back up again all day and all night.
I've read through the Old Testament a couple times. There were a lot of fake elders over the last few centuries since Jesus was crucified. There were a lot of bums in the Old Testament who would have claimed to be elders.
Perhaps if the elders had really spent time on their knees as humans, there wouldn't be such a need to be on their knees today.
Or, perhaps these elders have actually seen the "Glory of the Lord" and it's their intense desire to show complete respect for God that has them worshipping led by the cherubim.
Perhaps if the elders had really spent time on their knees as humans, or at least doing as they were instructed, Jesus wouldn't have needed to go through the crucifixion at all. But then again... Adam and Eve were a pretty good example of how frail the human's relationship with God really was. These elders, being human, didn't have a prayer anyway... They were all human!
I am having a hard time imagining how the cherubim could have four faces, all facing the same way. I googled "picture of cherubim" and the pictures that came up either have one face per cherubim or they have faces that look in different directions.
How did God get all those faces to look in the same direction at the same time? That in itself seems to prove God can do anything. I mean if AI and Google can't do it... what human can? Only God can.
The "End Times" studies I attended all got into the meaning of each of the four faces. A lion, calf, man, and eagle have been dissected differently by each study. The lion has been equated with England. The calf... Well, that goes back to the cauldron days when the golden calf jumped out of the pot. The man, well, that's been equated to either a politician or humanity itself. And the eagle... that seems to be consistently equated to the United States of America. Wow.... just wow.
I have no idea why God would choose those particular four faces, but it's sure kept writers busy writing suppositions in their fat books. It's the one topic that is always covered in every study I've taken.
One thing for sure... they weren't just double-faced like ignorant humans. They didn't hide their faces! They were only there for one reason and they knew it. They were there to worship the One True Living God.
So sure, all their faces had to be facing their God! God and the cherubim wouldn't have it any other way!
That leaves me with finding a title. The Online Bible I use titled this "The throne in Heaven".
Perhaps "four faces of the cherubim" seems to be the part that is studied the most.
So.... I guess the title should be "The four faces of the cherubim".
