Revelation 4: Introduction To The Seven Seals

🔹Parallels between Revelation Chapter 1 and Chapter 4

When you look at the similarities between both chapters, it is reasonable to conclude that both chapters are introductions.

• Revelation Chapter 1 - Introduction to the vision and prophecy of the seven Churches. 

• Revelation Chapter 4 - Introduction to the vision and prophecy of the seven seals.

Revelation Chapter 4 - Verse 1

1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

🔹A door opened in heaven

John witnesses the opening of a door in heaven. An entrance has been opened in heaven, not the door to heaven itself. In verse 2, the door opens to reveal a throne in heaven. As a result, it makes sense to assume that the entrance was to the chamber where God resides on His throne.

🔹Things which must be hereafter

John was going to be shown what would happen from then on.

Revelation Chapter 4 - Verse 2 to 3

2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

🔹Person on a throne

The text does not identify the person that John sees seated on the throne. But as we go on, the context will make it clear that it is God the Father.

The text gives no indication that the person occupying the throne moved there from another place. The person is just inside the room. 

The glory of God appears like a jasper stone and a sardius stone:

• Jasper stone - reddish stone with black veins

• Sardius stone - reddish but with white veins

John was not beholding the person of God but rather the glory surrounding Him.

Revelation Chapter 4 - Verse 4 to 5

4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

🔹24 Elders

• An elder is one who serves as a leader among God's people (Acts 15:2–6, 1 Timothy 5:17).

• Clothed in white raiment - This represents the righteousness of Christ (Revelation 3:18 and 3:4).

• Crowns of gold - This represents the crown of life or righteousness that the Lord gives to those who have endured temptation and have fought the good fight of faith, finished their course, and have overcome (James 1:12, 2 Timothy 4:7-8).

🔹Lightning

Revelation 4:5 and Ezekiel 1:13–14 depict the angels' movements as lightning emerging from the throne.

The bright light travels among the living creatures at a speed similar to lightning, symbolizing how soon this work will be finished.

🔹Thundering

The voices and thundering are the four living creatures that round God's throne. They are worshiping the Father, seated on the throne, and preparing to welcome the war hero at this historical moment (Ezekiel 1:13, 14, 24; 3:12, 13; Psalm 104:7; Revelation 14:2; John 12:28, 29; Revelation 19:6).

🔹The Holy Place

The throne (Revelation 4:2) was in the holy place for the following reasons:

1. In front of God's throne, seven lamps of fire are glowing. The lamps in the sacred space of the earthly sanctuary are seven-branched candlesticks. The scripture interprets the seven flaming lamps in front of the throne as the seven Spirits of God, with seven representing fullness.

2. The seven spirits, not yet dispatched to all corners of the earth, gathered before the heavenly throne. But in chapter 5, the Holy Spirit was sent throughout the earth by God after Jesus ascended to heaven, and the Father anointed Him as the high priest. The sending of the spirits symbolizes the events of Pentecost (Revelation 5:6). Since each church concludes with the words, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches," the number seven denotes that the Holy Spirit spoke to the seven churches.

Revelation Chapter 4 - Verse 6 to 8

6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

🔹The four living creatures and the sea of glass

The four living beings stand in the midst of the throne, while the 24 elders surround it. Isaiah 6:1–3 indicates that these six-winged living beings are Seraphim.

Isaiah 6:1-3 - “1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.”

Isaiah is the only place where seraphim appear by name. However, both in Isaiah 6:1-3 and in Revelation 4, the living beings have six wings and sing “holy, holy, holy.”

Revelation Chapter 4 - Verse 9 to 11

9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,

10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

🔹God the Father worshiped as the creator

The seraphim and the twenty-four elders praise the One on the throne, saying that everything exists because of His will.

Now, a question arises. Is it not true that Jesus also created everything? Why does Revelation 4 view the Father as the only creator?

Answer: The Father drew up the plans of creation, hence, He was the architect of creation. However, Jesus was the Master Builder because He executed the plans in accordance with the Father's intention.

The following bible verses provide the evidence of this: 

1 Corinthians 8:6 - “But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.”

Colossians 1:15-16 - “15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.”

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