Revelation Chapter 4 – Outline
I. Approaching Rev. 4 with the Right Perspective/Attitude
a. This chapter is one of the most mysterious pieces of literature ever written in the history of mankind. I cannot think of anything more awesome than a true description of the place where God dwells and governs the earth from. This entire chapter is a picture of the Beautiful God of mercy exercising His sovereignty in fierce judgment. These are two realities that we often separate in out thinking. However, we are shown here that God reconciles these realities in perfect harmony as He governs the earth in the last days scenario.
b. Because of the awesomeness of this book we want to approach it in the right way. When our motivations for learning are wrong God will oppose us and not reveal His hidden secrets to us. God rewards the humble and lowly in heart, and He also resists the proud of heart. It is one thing to have an understanding of what is going on in the Scripture, but it something totally different to have that understanding ‘causing our hearts to burn’. This burning heart comes from the revelation of the Holy Spirit.
c. God is the only one who can transform our understanding into a deep burning ‘knowing’. We may understand something to be true, but God alone has the transformational power to show us that it’s true.
d. As we approach this chapter over the next season we want to come to it with an attitude of reverence so that God will cause it to come alive within us. When the Scripture is alive in our hearts we can then labor out of a place of rest (Heb. 4.11).
II. Why was this Book Written?
a. Rev. 1.1 – The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants–things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John
b. This book was written to equip the saints with the true knowledge of God and the things concerning God. It is also meant to produce inspiring and overwhelming fear (respect) and profound reverence in our God image.
c. It is meant to give us understanding of these future events while simultaneously producing deep worship. We must tap into both of these elements: the understanding and the worship.
d. We want to pursue the understanding of these mysterious records so that we may anticipate what is lying ahead of us, while at the same time remembering that the result of understanding should be believing and worshiping.
i. If our understanding fails to produce belief and worship then it remains in our head alone and never makes it to our heart/spirit. If our learning doesn’t lead to worshipping God in that truth then it only produces a chaotic thought life.
ii. We don’t want a bunch of thoughts, we want to worship God in the truth that He has revealed.
III. Chapter 4 – In 3 Sections
a. This chapter of Revelation can be divided into three separate categories or sections. In each section John addresses different issues and aspects of what is taking place around him.
i. Section 1 – John’s Invitation to Heaven (verse 1)
ii. Section 2 – The Throne of God (verses 2-4)
iii. Section 3 – The Activities Around the Throne (verses 5-11)
b. Thought these sections are each describing unique issues each section ties in with the next. There are no breaks in between these sections; we just put the content of this chapter into these categories to for the sake of learning. It is easier to learn several things if you are able to group them together.
c. The chapter will start off by describing the way the Lord invited John to heaven, and what that experience was like. Then it will move on to describing what John saw when he entered heaven. John saw the wonders and mysteries of the throne room, which is in the Temple of God, and even God Himself. After giving a description of these things the book will then moves on to giving a description of four different activities that occur around God’s throne as He rules creation.
IV. Section 1 – John’s Invitation to Heaven (verse 1)
a. After These Things
i. John briefly mentions that this part of the vision (chapter 4) is distinct from what was previously seen in chapter 1. Chapter 1 had its direct implications on the churches of chapters 2 and 3 with secondary applications to us, but chapter 4 onwards addresses a different time frame. This part of the vision addresses a time frame yet future.
b. I Looked and Behold
i. Behold… This is the first emphasis of verse 1: “behold”. The word “behold” always indicates that what follows is really important.
ii. This doesn’t just mean that John saw things with his physical eye but that he was receiving revelation concerning what he saw. We can’t limit what he saw to either only physical or only intuitively, it was both. John both saw what he recorded and also was given the intuitive understanding of it[1] (revelation: spiritual understanding).
c. A Door Opened in Heaven
i. Not just a regular door, but a door in the sky that permits access to heaven. This door was a symbol of God’s granting John permission to enter heaven.
1. Not that it was a symbolic door as opposed to a literal door, but that it was affirming what God was ordaining, and it symbolized what God was doing. God was giving the ‘open door’ to the ancient mysteries of His Temple.
ii. John was going to penetrate into the heavenly mysteries (Rom. 10.6; 2 Cor. 12.1-2). This door was the dividing line between the earthly realm and the heavenly realm. On just the other side of this door lie the open mysteries of heaven that John was going to witness with unveiled eyes.
d. The Sound of a Trumpet
i. John heard Christ’s voice blasting as a trumpet, as he did before (Rev. 1.10), inviting him into the heavenly realm. This voice was loud and full of authority.
e. The Voice’s Invitation
i. “Come up here…
1. God gives John a command to receive revelation. John was given direct revelation as opposed to indirect revelation. Indirect revelation is when we must search for the revelation, when we must search it out. Direct revelation is when God downloads revelation to you. He directly deposits it into your spirit. This is what happened here. God brought it to John.
ii. and I will show you things which must happen…
1. These events must happen. God’s judgments at the end of the age are predicted, not just probable. They will happen. This is what God has destined for the future. These events are irreversible, they cannot be stopped. God in His sovereignty has decreed that these events of judgment, wrath, mercy and deliverance take place. These events are the outworking of God’s will.
2. These prophesies are not given to satisfy our curiosity, but to remind us who is really in charge. We should be intentional when studying this book to seek revelation; not just information. Information remains in our thought life and puffs us up, but truly believing that information will produce a different pattern of living in our lives, and that is ultimately what is required.
V. Section 2 – The Throne of God (verses 2-4)
a. Beholding the Throne of God (2a)
i. The throne is in God’s Temple –
1. Rev. 16.17 + Rev. 8.3, 11.19 (Golden Alter, incense, Ark of the Covenant) Ps. 18.6, Micah 1.2, Hab. 2.20
2. The Throne is one of the central themes of the book. It symbolizes God’s omnipotence, and sovereign authority over all created order. It is mentioned in 16 Chapters and 37 times in Revelation alone.
3. The throne symbolizes –
a. Absolute and ultimate authority.
b. Ultimate power
c. Control
d. Sovereignty
b. Beholding the One who Sits on the Throne (2b-3)
i. Climax – This is the climax of John’s vision in this chapter.
ii. Who is He? – The One sitting upon the throne is God the Father.
1. He is distinguished from the Lamb in 5.5,7; 6.16, 7.10
2. And from the Spirit in 4.5
iii. Sitting – The sitting posture denotes God’s reigning from heaven. God is reigning not resting or ceasing from His priestly function (Heb. 1.3; 10.12; 12.2).
iv. Like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance […] -
1. Why does John Use Symbolism?
a. John uses symbolism when articulating the appearance of the Father because God surpasses all description of words.
b. John’s aim was not necessarily to paint us a clear mental image of God, but was to bring us to a place of reverence at the thought of what this One is like. John wants us to consider God in all of His mysterious and incomprehensible aspects.
v. Jasper Stone and a Sardius –
1. Jasper Stone – The key to identifying the jasper stone lies in Revelation chapter 21 verse 11. Here it represents a watery crystalline brightness. This stone was translucent, like a diamond. You could see through it.
2. Sardius Stone – A sardius is a fiery, deep red stone. This also was translucent (see through).
3. The use of these two stones could be symbolic of the contradictory or antithetical realities that are continuously reconciled in the Person of God.
4. Meaning that there are certain principals or realities which oppose each other but are found to harmonize in the Person of God alone. For example:
a. The goodness of God’s Nature and the Severity/Intensity of His judgments
b. His Deity and His Humanity
c. His Holiness and His union with the Saints
d. His wrath and His deliverance through mercy
e. His love of humanity and His hatred toward sinful flesh
f. He is One and He is Tripartite
g. He is Just and the Justifier of men
5. Each one of these realities sharply contrasts each other, yet rests in perfect harmony in the Person of God. No where else can these situations or objectives be reconciled to one another except in the Person of God. To gaze into God is to gaze into perfect mystery.
vi. The Rainbow -
1. The exact shape of the rainbow-
a. There are two shapes that are proposed for the exact shape of the rainbow. Both have evidence for the shape which they represent.
b. One view suggests a semicircle. The parallel passage in Ezekiel 1.28 and the word iris “rainbow” suggests a semicircle.
c. But the word kyklothen “around” (around the throne) suggests a complete circle of the rainbow as a sort of halo around the throne, rather than a bow shape over the top of the throne.
2. As a Picture of Divine Judgment –
a. Several images and activities that take place in this chapter emphasize the coming judgment described in the rest of this book. The references to fire, storms, thunder, lightning, and voices are all language that alludes to judgment. They are all manifestations of power and fury.
3. The Hope of Deliverance for God’s Covenant People –
a. The rainbow is a picture of the hope which God’s people have in deliverance. This hope is exclusive to God’s covenant people. Because it is exclusive to God’s people there is both wrath and mercy; judgment and deliverance.
c. 24 Elders Positioned Around the Throne (4ab)
i. Next we move on to a description of 24 elders enthroned around God Who is seated in His Temple.
ii. There are many interpretations of who the elders are; being either humans or angels. A lot of the interpretations are weird. The two that make the most sense and seem to be supported by Scripture best are:
1. They are humans serving to illustrate that God exalts redeemed humanity far above his original state.
2. That the 24 elders are a special class or college of angels, beings of high authority that belong to the court of God in heaven. This particular group of angels assists in execution of the divine rule of the universe.
3. Neither case has a proof text, so both interpretations are theories. Regardless of our personal interpretation of the elders the focus of this chapter is on God enthroned. They are probably humans.
iii. These elders worship God day and night. They continuously stare into this One who is as a jasper stone and a sardius stone. They gaze both day and night at this one who has power, thunder, lightnings, and voices emanating from His Being.
iv. What we learn about the elders is that they are captured by the magnificent beauty of God.
d. Description Given of the 24 Elders (4cd)
VI. Section 3 – Activities Around the Throne (verses 5-11)
a. There are four activities that take place around the throne:
i. Activity Number 1: Flashes of Lightning, Voices, and Peals of Thunder (5a)
1. God’s sovereignty exercised in judgment –
a. This is one of the major focuses of chapter 4; that God is completely sovereign even in the midst of judgments being executed on the earth. At no point in time does God ever lose control. Even as the atmosphere on earth is hectic, chaotic, and totally lawless the Lord of heaven is still completely sovereign.
b. The fact that God is the One who is exercising these judgments proves that He is still sovereign in the midst of this time period. They come from Him, not primarily from the devil or men in authority over the nations. Because the judgments come from God, God is in control.
ii. Activity Number 2: The Burning of Torches (5b)
1. These are the 7 Spirits of God.
2. The word that is used for these torches is different than the word used to describe regular lamp stands. These types of torches were used outside instead of inside. They were described as blazing and fierce torches that were not extinguished by winds.
3. This type of imagery speaks of the fierceness of the Spirit’s activity in the last days.
a. Might to save
b. Just to judge
iii. Activity Number 3: The Worshipful Songs of the 4 Living Beings (6-8)
1. Again here with the four living beings there are many weird interpretations that we will stay away from. They are not NT Gospels, they are not tribes of Israel and they are not Zodiac signs. These four living beings should be interpreted as angelic beings of the highest angelic order. They are called seraphim in Isaiah (6.1-3), and cherubim in Ezekiel (10.2, 14, 20).
2. They have something to do with the judicial authority of the throne. The scene describes God’s judicial dealings with creation.
3. They are engaged in worship and have a special function in the context of the apocalypse of administering divine justice in the realm of creation (Rev. 6.1, 3, 5, 7). These beings have some sort of role, which is in cooperation with God, in loosing the judgments at the end of the age. They participate in administering divine justice from heaven throughout the book.
4. Covered in eyes –
a. This emphasizes their alertness and comprehensive knowledge.
b. Nothing relevant to their sphere of responsibility happens without their knowledge because of their “unsleeping watchfulness”. [2]
c. This is not to say they are omnisciencent as God, but that God has created them with penetrative intelligence that they are immediately aware of what is happening at all times within their sphere of responsibility.
iv. Activity Number 4: The Worshipful Song of the 24 Elders (9-11)
1. It’s interesting that the song of verse 8 is considered as giving “glory and honor and thanks”.
2. They express their gratitude for God’s gift of creation.
3. Their own beauty and excellence mean nothing to the elders, they are fixed on God.
Filed under: Eschatology - (The Study of the End Times), Global End Times Prayer Movement
