4:1Chapters 4 and 5 record glimpses into Christ's glory. Here we see into the throne room of heaven. God is on the throne and orchestrating all the events that John will record. The world is not spinning out of control; the God of creation will carry out his plans as Christ initiates the final battle with the forces of evil. John shows us heaven before showing us earth so that we will not be frightened by future events.
Life Application Study BibleRevelationChapter 4
Revelation 4
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original page: 2177
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
4Revelation 4
1Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.” 2And instantly I was in the Spirit,* and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. 3The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow. ‘Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads. 5From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. This is the sevenfold Spirit* of God. 6In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal. Inthe center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back. 7The first of these living beings was like a lion; the second was like an ox; the third had a human face; and the fourth was like an eagle in flight. 8Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD God, the Almighty— the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.” 9Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever),
10the twenty-four elders fall down and worshipthe one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever). And they lay their crownsbefore the throne and say,13 “You are worthy, O LORD our God,to receive glory and honor and power.For you created all things,and they exist because you created what you pleased.”
Textual footnotes
- 4:2 Or in spirit.
- 4:5 Greek They are the seven spirits.
Life Application Notes 13 notes
4:1The voice John had first heard that sounded like a trumpet blast was the voice of Christ (see 1:10, 11).
4:2Four times in the book of Revelation John says he was “in the Spirit” (1:10; 4:2; 17:3; 21:10). This expression means that the Holy Spirit was giving him a vision—showing him situations and events he could not have seen with mere human eyesight. All true prophecy comes from God through the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20, 21).
4:3The typical news reports—filled with violence, scandal, and political haggling—are depressing, and we may wonder where the world is heading. God’s plan for the future, however, provides inspiration and encouragement because we know he will intervene in history to conquer evil. John encourages churches to read this book aloud so everyone can hear it, apply it (“obey” it), and be assured of the fact that God will triumph.
4:4The “sevenfold Spirit” is another name for the Holy Spirit. The number seven is used throughout Revelation to symbolize completeness and perfection. For more about the Holy Spirit, see the notes on John 3:6 and Acts 1:5.
4:4Who are these 24 elders? Because there were 12 tribes of Israel in the Old Testament and 12 apostles in the New Testament, the 24 elders in this vision probably represent all the redeemed of God for ail time (both before and after Christ's death and resurrection). They symbolize all those—both Jews and Gentiles—who are now part of God’s family. The 24 elders show us that a//the redeemed of the LORD are worshiping him.
4:5Others had risen from the dead—people whom the prophets, Jesus, and the apostles brought back to life during their ministries—but later those people died again. Jesus was the first who rose from the dead in an imperishable body (1 Corinthians 15:20), never to die again. He is the “first to rise from the dead.”
4:5In Revelation, lightning and thunder are connected with significant events in heaven. They remind us of the lightning and thunder at Mount Sinai when God gave the people his laws (Exodus 19:16). The Old Testament often uses such imagery to reflect God’s power and majesty (Psalm 77:18).
4:5The “sevenfold Spirit of God” is another name for the Holy Spirit. See also Zechariah 4:2-6, where seven lamps {like the seven torches here) are equated with the one Spirit.
4:6Glass was very rare in New Testament times, and crystal-clear glass was virtually impossible to find (see 1 Corinthians 13:12). The “sea of glass” highlights both the magnificence and holiness of God.
4:6,7Just as the Holy Spirit is seen symbolically in the seven lighted lamps, so the “four living beings” represent the attributes (the qualities and character) of God. These creatures were not real animals. Like the cherubim (the highest order of the angels), they guard God’s throne, lead others in worship, and proclaim God's holiness, God’s attributes symbolized in the animal-like appearance of these four creatures are majesty and power (the lion), faithfulness (the ox), intelligence (the human), and sovereignty (the eagle). The Old Testament prophet Ezekiel saw four similar creatures in one of his visions (Ezekiel 1:5-10).
4:9John describes these scenes in such detail because Christians in the first century came from many backgrounds. Not all of them understood Jewish history or knew the glory of the Temple. Revelation instructs us in worship. It shows us where, why, and haw to praise God. Worship takes our minds off our problems and focuses them on God. Worship leads us from individual meditation to corporate worship. Worship causes us to consider and appreciate God’s character. Worship lifts our perspective from the earthly to the heavenly.
4:11The point of this chapter is summed up in this verse: All creatures in heaven and earth will praise and honor God because he is the creator and sustainer of everything.