Revelation Part 16
We now join John as He is invited into the throne room of God. This is the command center of the universe! This is the ultimate oval office above all other dominions, governments and armies. From this throne room, overlooking earth, come the visions that constitute the rest of the book of Revelation.
After the messages to the seven Churches, John is given a dramatic shift in vision. He writes, “After these things I looked, and behold…” (Revelation 4:1). The phrase links what follows to chapter 1, where John had already seen the risen Christ in His glory on the island of Patmos. Patmos itself was a barren, rocky island off the coast of Asia Minor, used by Rome as a place of banishment and imprisonment. There, in the midst of exile and isolation, John was given a heavenly invitation. The voice that had spoken to him before—the voice of Jesus Christ, sounding like a trumpet—now calls again: “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”
This invitation pulls John into the heavenly realm. From this point forward, the focus of the prophecy moves from the earthly Churches to the heavenly throne room, the true command center of the universe. The word “throne” appears 42 times in Revelation, making it the central image of authority and sovereignty in the book. John is being granted the ultimate perspective: to see earth through heaven’s lens, a biblical worldview shaped by the throne of God.
The word heaven in Greek is Ouranos and is used 300 times. It is translated in both a spiritual and physical or natural sense. The natural connotation of the word is the expanse of the sky and everything in it, the Cosmos, or universe. Its spiritual connotation is the dwelling place of God and His heavenly court, beyond the created order of physical things.
John is in a vision “in the Spirit” (Revelation 4:2), caught up in a vision beyond what humans can normally see, similar to Elisha’s servant in 2 Kings 6, whose eyes were opened to see the fiery chariots of God surrounding them. It can be hard for us to fathom, but there is much happening in the spirit world that we can’t see, like all the spiritual battles that happen alongside physical battles. Once we are enabled, we will be able to see the throne of God and His governmental seat, and spiritual Jerusalem, where God dwells.
John now sees a throne set in heaven, and One seated upon it. This throne is the source and origin of all that will unfold—past, present and future. Nothing happens apart from God’s sovereign purpose. As Isaiah 66:1 declares,
“Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool.”
The One on the throne is described in symbolic brilliance. John does not attempt to portray God in human form but instead uses imagery.
"He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald” (Revelation 4:3).
These precious gems convey His radiant majesty, His holiness and His fiery judgment. Surrounding the throne is a rainbow, reminiscent of God’s covenant with Noah (Genesis 9), a reminder that even in judgment, God acts in mercy and faithfulness. Satan has twisted the rainbow into a symbol of pride, but in heaven it remains the eternal sign of God’s covenant love and grace.
In tomorrow’s lesson we will continue our look at the Throne of God described in Revelation.
UYA Team | uya@ucg.org
United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of the young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.
