Thank you. That was very, very nice to you. Appreciate that special message for the children. Today we're going to be able to continue in our study of the outline of the book of Revelation. It's been a few weeks since we were able to finish chapter 3 and the seven churches and their meeting.
Today we're going to be covering chapters 4 and 5, which are, in a sense, laying the entire background, or the scene, you might say, for the rest of the book, because chapters 4 and 5 are not necessarily chronological, although perhaps some consider them that way, but it does show the throne room of heaven, the things that take place there, and where all of the events subsequent to this are directed from. Later in the book you will find out of the throne came a voice, or from the throne came whatever it was, an angel. So chapters 4 and 5 that set the platform for the book of Revelation are incredibly important to understand.
There are five particular things we need to be aware of beginning in chapter 4. Number one is the heavenly door. Number two is the heavenly throne. Number three, the twenty-four elders. Number four, the four living creatures. And number five, the scroll with seven seals. All of these are important, and they have something to do as the events of the book play out. Let's go back over to Revelation. At the end of chapter 3 we mention the summary of the seven church eras that not only are there seven church eras mentioned, but words like keep and patience occur seven times. There are seven spirits mentioned. There are the golden candles six. There are a number of just a numerically interesting coincidences in these first few chapters of the book of Revelation. But after John has seen and written down this message, he then has a different experience beginning in chapter 4. Now keep in mind the three-part outline of the book of Revelation that was given to us in chapter 1. Number one, the things which John had seen. Number two, the things which are, which the seven church eras existed, those seven cities existed, and they had congregations. Plus the Old Testament eras, the seven eras of the Old Testament times from the times of Adam until the time of Jesus Christ. And then, of course, the seven eras of the New Testament church that were to follow. But those things are things which are. And finally then, the things which shall be hereafter. Most of the book concerns things which are going to be hereafter. In other words, after the seven church eras have come almost to a close, at least why it's very close to it. So in Revelation 4, John says, after these things, so after he was given the messages to the seven churches, after those were all closed up, and the angels that talked to him pretty much left, it doesn't say, but it didn't write down for us what the time span was. But between chapter 3 and chapter 4, I'm just going to guess there was at least an hour or two. There was some time, perhaps even more than that. Because he says in verse 1, chapter 4, After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. So what kind of door? Was it a big double-leaf door with gold trim and a massive frame? Was it a small door? Was it more like an opening to some sort of a small cave? He doesn't tell us. But it was the door of heaven, so it must have been something spectacular. But he says, And the first voice, which I heard, was that like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, Come up here, and I will show you things which must be hereafter. So John had after these things a voice which called him up. And I'm going to show you things that must be, or must immediately take place, things which are going to happen. Things which must take place after this. So John was called up to see the throne room of God. He wasn't the first one. There are a number of places in the Bible where God's people were able to see either the throne room or the throne, or perhaps even just God himself, as the Scriptures tell us. First, let's go to Ezekiel 1.
There are some other places. I think it's important here to find out what these men saw, so that when we look at what John sees, we will understand that they were seen before by others and how their descriptions dovetail with his. There are four of God's prophets or writers, authors, you might say, who saw visions of the throne room of God, and three out of the four wrote down some descriptive material for us.
Ezekiel, by far, wrote the most. John, I guess, would be second in what he wrote. Isaiah writes a significant amount in chapter 6. And then the apostle Paul just sort of dangles this tantalizing statement in front of us that, well, I saw things that we really can't talk about now, but you really wish I would tell you, but I won't, and then went on. I'm just paraphrasing, but Paul just kind of said I was there. But Ezekiel does give us quite a bit. Let's begin in Ezekiel 1, beginning in verse 1.
It came to pass in the 13th year in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, I was among the captives by the river Kebar, that the visions were opened, and I saw visions of God. So here we have, in one of the earlier captivities, the one probably that Daniel and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were taken to Babylon in, on the fifth day of the month, which was in the fifth year, of King Jehoiachin's captivity. So if King Jehoiachin went into captivity in 608 B.C., some say 607, so we're looking at about the year 603 or 602 B.C.
The word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Kebar, and the hand of the Lord was upon him there. So the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel, and God's hand was upon him.
Then he writes, When I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming, Out of the north a great cloud, with raging and fire engulfing itself. So he sees this cloud coming, that it's kind of like a cloud, either full of fire or fire around it, and brightness was all around it, all sparkling colors, and like the sun, and like it says, he describes it like amber. Brightness was all around it, and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, which is orange or silver or kind of a yellowish color, out of the midst of the fire.
So we have this kind of a blowing presence of all sorts of radiating color, coruscating out in all directions. Also, for the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. So in this big ball of radiating fire that he sees in vision, he's able to identify four living creatures. This was the appearance. They had the likeness of a man, so one portion of them looked like a man. Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings. Now, four wings is not the likeness of a man, but they appeared as a man, and they had these four wings on them, and also four faces.
We all have known about people who were accused of being two-faced. Someone accused Abraham Lincoln once, said he was two-faced. He said, if I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one? And, of course, the answer was supposed to have been no. But he was a very honest man. He wasn't two-faced. I think those of us who have studied and read about him have nothing but admiration for him. But let's continue. Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings.
Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the soles of calves' feet, so cloven hooves. And they sparkled like the color of burnished bronze. So bronze and a fire put out green and gold and silver and all sorts of colors and sparkles. The hands of a man were under their wings on their four sides, and each of the four sides had faces and wings. Now, this is almost impossible for an artist to render.
I know many have tried. I don't know if Mr. Pack – or, if art has done it yet or not. If he's been able to get over and get the – try to furnish out – finish out some of these things, it would be awfully difficult, especially for those of you who are not artists. But we've certainly had many, many people who have tried to make these rendered in a physical form to look at and not been very successful at it. Their wings touched one another, so as the creatures put out their wings, they touched one another.
So there were four of them facing different directions, each direction of the compass, apparently. The creatures did not turn when they went, but each one went straight forward. They didn't turn. They had to go north. The north guy went south. They went towards the south. As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man. Each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side. Each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side. Each of the four had the face of an eagle. So we have these four faces that were on these beings, these four beings, so a total of 16 faces.
Thus were their faces, their wings outstretched upward. So two wings, one of each touched another, and two covered their bodies. So two down, two sideways, and two up, it apparently looks like. And they went straight over forward, and wherever the spirit wanted them to go, they did not turn when they went. As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire.
So they glowed and they shimmered like coals of fire in a fireplace. Like the appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. So there's this sort of fire presence going back and forth among these four living creatures. The fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightning. So now it's described as lightning. You can tell that Ezekiel is having a difficult time describing all of this coruscating lights and different colors and glows. It looks like torches, and it looks like lightning, and it looks like bronze in the fire, and it just looks like all sorts of things.
The living creatures ran back and forth in appearance like a flash of lightning. And now, as I looked at the living creatures, behold, a wheel was on the earth beside each living creature with its four faces. And he describes these wheels that are kind of like a wheel within a wheel with eyes and with rims and with all sorts of descriptions. Just for the sake of time, let's drop down to verse 22.
The likeness of the firmament above the heads of the living creatures was like the color of an awesome crystal stretched out over their heads. So he sees this sea of glass, which is later mentioned in Revelation. But now it is stretched out over their heads and over the throne. And under the firmament of their wings spread out straight, one towards another. Each one had two which covered one side. Each one had two which covered the other side of their bodies.
And as they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters. Very important. This noise or sound of many waters sometimes indicates that the throne of God is coming near. Kind of like the whirr of a helicopter, I suppose. You know that it's coming. So you heard the voice of their wings like the voice of many waters. How many times in Revelation is that phrase used? The voice of many waters.
In this case, it indicates the throne of God is being transported by these four living creatures to a place where it can be observed. So he says, the voice of the Almighty, a tumult like the noise of an army, and when they stood still, they let down their wings. A voice came from above the firmament that was over their heads whenever they stood and let down their wings. So he mentions here this fabulous transportation system. Above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne. So we have these four creatures with all their wings, two up, two sideways, two downs. They have four faces, each one facing a different direction. And they support this massive firmament. It looks like a sea of glass. And above that sea of glass there is a throne in appearance like a sapphire stone. So it's blue. Sapphire is kind of like a light blue color. There's also a place where it's described as green, kind of like an emerald green color. So on the likeness of the throne was the likeness with the appearance of a man high above it. So we have this throne with obviously God the Father on the throne. Also from the appearance of his waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber, with the appearance of fire all around it and within it. And from the appearance of his waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of brightness all around. So we have this massive brightness that Ezekiel is able to describe for us in detail. Verse 28, like the appearance of a rainbow in the cloud on a rainy day. So it was the appearance of the brightness all around it. So it kind of goes over like a big umbrella. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.
So the second of glory, this shining, massive presence of so many colors and hues, and it looks like lightning and it looks like all sorts of fancy glass, and then this sea of glass above it, and on that the throne of God. This is an important chapter to understand in detail, because so many other places in the Bible describe these same elements, and we need to understand how these elements fit into those verses.
For example of that, let's go to Exodus 24. To understand what was on Mount Sinai, and the description here in Exodus 24, the description that really scared the Israelites to where they said, we don't want to talk to God anymore, we want you to go up for us, Moses. We have to understand the description in Ezekiel, because it was the same throne with the same four creatures, and all the fire and lightning, and all the various colors, and the sounds that was on Mount Sinai. Exodus 24. Let's begin in verse 9.
Then Moses went up also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. So these seventy men, seventy-three men, went up the mountain to have what would be called a dinner, simply a celebration dinner, or if we look at it later, a great supper, to commemorate the covenant, the agreement that they were making. So they had this agreement, and they had a meal together.
It says in verse 10, they saw the God of Israel. Notice how they saw him and how it's described. He would have had to greatly reduce the amount of glow, and sparkle, and light, and lightning, just so these men would not die by seeing it. But it simply says, His feet were on a paved work of sapphire stone. We just read in Ezekiel that above the throne, or above these four creatures, but below the throne, is the sea of glass that looks like sapphire.
So here he is under his feet. There is a paved work of sapphire stone. Obviously the same thing, but in a smaller form. And it was like the very heavens in its clarity. For on the nobles of the children of Israel, he did not lay his hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank.
So they had a wedding supper, so to speak, or an agreement supper. The Lord said to Moses, Come up to me here on the mountain and be here, and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, so you may teach them. And of course, Moses did that. But now look at verse 16. Now the glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai. Ezekiel has just given us a description of the glory of the Lord, and now it is resting on Mount Sinai, probably on the very top.
And the cloud covered it six days, because in its full glory a person looking upon it would simply die. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. The sight of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire upon the top of the mountain. In the eyes of the children of Israel. So all of this that Ezekiel saw was there in its full glory on the top of Mount Sinai. It helps us to understand not only what the Israelites saw, but also what John saw in the book of Revelation.
Now there are a few other places that are not necessarily incidental, but not quite as descriptive. Let's go to 1 Kings chapter 22. 1 Kings chapter 22. This experience is much like Stephen in the book of Acts, where a prophet, Mychia, simply says, I saw the throne of God, and God told me to tell you this. It's just kind of an interesting sidelight here. In 1 Kings chapter 22 and verse 19, this is when the king of Israel very foolishly made an agreement with the king of Judah to go to battle.
And of course, it ended up in the king of Israel being dead. Verse 19, Mychia said, Therefore hear the word of the Lord, I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by, on his right hand and his left. Now we haven't gotten to the host of heaven yet in Revelation 4, but we will. And Dezecia doesn't describe the host of heaven surrounding the throne. He just simply describes the throne and its sort of transportation network or transportation vehicle that it sits upon.
And of course, all the glory and the shining presence around it. But here now Mychia was able to see and vision the throne of God with God the Father, the Lord sitting on it, and all the hosts of heaven standing by. So the 24 elders and the many others that we will read about in a few minutes. So these are all standing by on his left hand and on his right. So we know that Moses, the 70 elders and 73 men total, were able to see God on Mount Sinai, and that shining presence was there.
And here, in addition to Ezekiel, Mychia has the same vision. Let's go over to Isaiah 6, verse 1. I mentioned that Isaiah is one of four biblical writers, biblical authors, who describes God's throne. And in this case, Isaiah gives us a little different view of these four creatures, these four creatures that transport and surround God's throne. In Isaiah 6, verse 1, it says, In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of his robe filled the temple. So from the back of him, his robe, whatever sparkle it was, whatever light it was, whatever shining presence it was, filled the entire room that Isaiah saw in vision.
Notice he says, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne. So he saw God the Father sitting on a throne, or saw a vision of it. And above it stood six seraphim. Each one had six—or stood seraphim—each one had six wings, with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. Same description as we read in Ezekiel, that these beings essentially had six wings. And one cried to another and said, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts.
The whole earth is full of his glory. Now that's important because that phrase is said again in Revelation 5, where these beings around the throne of God say, Holy, Holy, Holy, the whole earth is full of your glory.
It says, the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. So again, the house was filled with smoke so that Isaiah would not die, and seeing that much light, that much shining presence of God.
Verse 6, then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal, which he had taken with the tongues from the altar. And so this altar, which was a very small altar in the tabernacle that was built by Moses and Aaron, it was only about four feet high, maybe about a foot and a half around, and it was an altar that sat more like a pan than anything else, this incense-burning altar, that sat in front of the Holy of Holies curtain. Behind that was the curtain where the Ark of the Covenant was, and of course, a place where only Aaron could go once a year.
So in front of that is this pan of incense that is burned that symbolizes the prayers of God's people going up in front of his throne. So he took some of these tongues off the altar, which Aaron would do year by year on the Day of Atonement, and put in his incense burner to go into the Holy of Holies.
But in this case, the seraphim, this being, takes a coal and touched Isaiah's mouth. It says, Behold, this has touched your lips, your iniquity has purged, or taken away, and your sin is purged. And of course, then, Isaiah is given his commission and all that he was then to tell the people of Israel. But Isaiah has a slightly different description from a little different point of view, but very, very similar to what Ezekiel saw.
But Isaiah adds, of course, the description or the account of this little altar of incense being in front of that. Now let's go over to Daniel 7, another place where the vision is given of God's throne. Daniel also saw in a vision from God, only in this case he's seeing a future event, an event where Jesus Christ receives the throne of all the earth, and he's given dominion and authority over all of the earth. In Daniel 7, he says in verse 8, I was considering the horns, and there was another horn.
So Daniel is watching this beast with ten horns. And there was another horn coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked up by its roots. And there in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking pompous words. We know this as the ascendance of the church of Europe that was so defiant against, and you might just simply say heretical against, the truth, and essentially claiming in a way that's blasphemous God's authority for themselves.
He says, I watched...so there was a time period that Daniel watches during the times of these ten horns, and this little horn that came up and took out the first three and then spoke pompous words. I watched till thrones were put in place, and the ancient of days was seated. So he's watching, and thrones are put in place, and the ancient of days is seated on a throne.
His garment was white as snow, and his hair of his head was pure like wool, and his throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire. We've just read that description in Ezekiel, also saw it in Exodus, and here we have that same fiery flame around that throne being given to us by Daniel. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him, and thousands and thousands ministered to him.
Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. Now, it's also mentioned in Revelation 5. This is quoted there. Thousands and thousands stood before him, and ten thousand times ten thousand were also there. The best understanding is that these are angels, well over a hundred million angels that were also surrounding the throne of God. There are some who interpret prophecy as saying that perhaps this is a vision of the resurrection, because it says the court was seated and the books were opened. So does that mean these are people in the first resurrection? Does that mean people in the second resurrection?
It doesn't really say. I think the best understanding may be that simply it's angels that surround the throne and do God's bidding and work that he has them do. That seems to be the indication of Revelation. But just to let you know, there are those who would believe this would teach this is resurrected beings, and of course you can't say absolutely for sure.
I would seriously doubt if there would be a hundred million in the first resurrection. I'd be thrilled beyond words if that were the case. But I just would seriously doubt that the number is that high. It says, though, the court was seated and the books were opened.
And he mentions here, verse 15, I watched in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven, came to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him, and to him was given dominion, and a glory, and a kingdom.
Now this is also pictured in Revelation, the same vision of Jesus Christ being crowned and given dominion and glory in a kingdom. It is described in slightly different words, but some of them are the same. That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and his kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.
So Daniel watched till these thrones were brought. But of course, the thrones were brought, and then finally, there is a time here. Thrones were put in place, verse 9. Perhaps that means places for God's resurrected family members to be a part of. We really don't know. But this vision of Jesus Christ being crowned is very important. So we have this throne of God that is being seen, seen by a number of Bible writers and described for us. And of course, around that throne is all this fire and the sea of glass and all the presence that's so difficult for these Bible writers to describe.
Now let's go back to Revelation 4, and we'll continue. It does mention here that after John it goes through this heavenly door, it's called up through this heavenly door. He sees this throne. And reading in verse 3, He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stolen in appearance. Again, colorful, bright, red, yellow, purple, all sorts of stone colors.
There was a rainbow around the throne in appearance like an emerald. So like an emerald, like a sapphire. Emerald being a little more green sapphire, being a little more blue, is what Ezekiel described it as. So we have this throne surrounded by these colorful stones of all sorts of various colors and hues and shininess. And around the throne were 24 thrones. So there are 24 smaller thrones, apparently in a circle form, around the throne.
And I saw 24 elders sitting clothed in white robes, and they had crowns of gold on their heads. So these are the 24 elders, and they obviously are alive before any resurrection takes place. So they are angelic beings of some kind. And it says, verse 5, From the throne proceed lightning and thunderings and voices. And Ezekiel said lightning came out of this portable throne that he saw going around.
And the sound of thunderings. There were seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. So God has seven lamps of fire burning before his throne. Maybe each one depicts a church era. Each one depicts, perhaps, one of the seven church eras of Revelation 2 and 3. But we have these elders. The number 24, of course, is important.
There were 24 courses of priests in the service of the Temple of Solomon. And King David set those up. And these elders have an important function that will become a little more apparent as we go on.
Then we have these seven lamps, and these seven lamps before the throne, before this sea of glass. And, of course, the sea of glass is very much the same one that we saw in the account in the book of Exodus.
So before we go any farther, I want to go back to Philippians 2.
Philippians 2 has an interesting comment here. When Paul is talking about the eventual rule of Jesus Christ over the earth, and that someday everybody, even the stubborn pagan Romans that dominated the society in which he lived, he mentioned in verse 8 that Jesus Christ, this is chapter 2, "...became an appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even to the death on the cross. Therefore God, the Father, also has exalted him and given him the name which is above every name." And the concept of the name given to him and the name that he will give to his followers, his resurrected family members, is very important.
But notice verse 10.
"...at the name of Jesus every knee should bow." And then he has three categories of knees that are going to bow to Jesus Christ.
Those in heaven, those obviously are the 24 elders, the angels, the other beings that are described around the throne, they are described as bowing, in one case in Revelation 5, before the throne, before where Jesus Christ is standing at the right hand of God. So we know that beings in heaven, these heavenly beings, already bow to Jesus Christ, God the Father. And notice, of those on the earth, those who are alive on the earth, there are those who are of the understanding and the true knowledge that they should bow their knee to Jesus Christ. Paul even said that several times, I bow my knee to God, the Father, and Jesus Christ. And, of course, of those under the earth, so those who are dead, those who are buried under the ground, they are someday going to have the chance to bow their knee to Jesus Christ. And notice that every tongue, no one will miss out on the opportunity. Every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
And then he adds a verse that we often quote on its own without really looking at the context.
So Paul is simply saying, you are commanded to bow your knee to Jesus Christ. You are on the earth now. There will be a time when all the rest will have their chance in the resurrection, and even others on the earth here will have their chance when they are called. So we have these three groups that will bow their knee to Jesus Christ at some day. Those who are in heaven, the heavenly beings that we have record of in Revelation, those who are alive on the earth, that Paul records doing it at his time, and we record doing it in our time, obviously, and those who are under the earth. Now let's look at the concept here of these... Go back here to Revelation 4. He mentions in verse 5 the spirits of God, or the seven spirits of God. There are places where, obviously, these spirits are important. It does seem to be that these are messengers, that these are the ones who go back and forth and then tell God where things are or how these messengers go back and forth. Let's go back over to Zechariah, where these messengers are mentioned. Okay, where do they get? Zechariah chapter 6. Zechariah chapter 6 verse 1 says, I turned and raised my eyes and looked, and behold four chariots were coming from between the two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze. The first chariot were red horses, the second black horses, the third chariot white horses, and the fourth dappled horses, strong steeds. Kind of a parallel to the horsemen that ride in Revelation chapter 6 that we'll hopefully get to next time. I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, What are these, my Lord? And the angel answered and said, These are the four spirits of heaven, who go out from their station before the Lord of all the earth. And so they are going out through all the earth. And it says, the strong steeds, verse 7, eager to go, that they might walk to and fro throughout the earth. And he said, Go walk to and fro throughout the earth. So of course they did. And they come back and they report who is worshipping God and who is not. Who are the ones that are really trying to obey God and really want to be part of, you might say, just this coming kingdom. Because there is a time of measuring, a time of reckoning, and a time to figure out exactly who these might be. And so these four creatures, or these, you might say, these, I guess, seven spirits, represent the spirits of God going out into all the earth to bring back a report to him about who is going to be, I'm just going to make a guess here, spared from the great tribulation that's coming. Let's go back now to Revelation 4 again. I hope that not too much work going back and forth, back and forth there. But certainly these details are very important, and details about these men and being able to understand these various purposes and what they are doing.
Okay, Chapter 4 and verse 6, before the throne, there was a sea of glass. We saw this sea of glass described by Ezekiel. He called it kind of like an umbrella or apparition, a furman, I guess you would call it, over the throne, or over these four creatures, but under the throne. And in the midst of the throne and around the throne, there were four living creatures full of eyes in front and back.
So we have these four supporting creatures called Seraphim or Carabdom in the earlier verses that we read in Ezekiel and in Isaiah.
The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature, the face like a man, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle. So very similar to what was described by the earlier prophets.
So these creatures are in the throne room of God, and John sees them in vision even as Ezekiel and Isaiah did.
The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. Now Ezekiel described them as wheels, and having wheels on the inside rim and eyes on the outside rim, and they were going sort of in combination circular motions. But notice, they do not rest day and night. They say, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is to come. And so they are quoting the verse that we read in Isaiah 6. These living creatures are saying the same words as the 24 elders will also say. Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor, and thanks to him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the 24 elders fall down before him. Remember we read in Philippians 2 that everyone will bow the knee to God. And in this case, it is those in heaven that Paul mentioned. We have the account here that whenever these four living creatures give honor and glory to God and sing, Holy, Holy, Holy, that they fall down before the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they exist and were created. So in this first chapter of these two chapters, really they're one in the way it was originally written, but we have them as two. In this first chapter, we have the stage set for the center of power of the universe, so that all of the events that are going to come to pass in the future, we know emanate from this great throne room. And we have the description of the immense power and the history of that immense power that comes from that great throne room. So then we have, then, chapter 4 coming to an end, and we have the beginning of chapter 5.
Chapter 5, verse 1, I saw on the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll, written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. So here is a scroll, which was very common in that era. That's how messages, letters, things were written. They were written on a scroll and rolled up, sometimes written on the front and the back. If you've seen the Dead Sea Scrolls, you probably saw something similar to what this is. They were originally rolled up, and then, of course, as they rot and things tend to deteriorate when they unroll them, it's a big challenge. But in this case, it is a scroll. Normally, a scroll had one seal. You are all familiar with the concept of the molten wax that the king or the courier would put on the seal, and they would put a ring or some kind of a stamp in it. And that was to remain intact until the designated recipient was to receive it, and then he could break the seal and open it. In this case, there are seven seals on one scroll, indicating it is very tightly sealed, and perhaps also indicating that it would take a special number of seven or a special person to be able then to undo that scroll and reveal what those seven seals are.
The next section is sort of interesting because there is a struggle, at least emotionally, in the mind of John that God created so that John would understand just how important it was that only one being was qualified to open these seals on this one scroll.
I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals? In other words, who is worthy to bring all of these coming events on the earth?
Who is the one that has not only qualified, but has the responsibility and the power and everything given to him, everything in his hand, to be able to bring the contents of these seven seals to pass and to bring them out on the earth? And it says in verse 3, And during that time, the Church of God suffers. There is tribulation, there is persecution, there is certainly spiritual growth. Perhaps this time of delay here has something to do with the seven errors because it does have seven seals on the scroll, really don't know. But the answer is that there was a delay.
They could have simply said, the Lamb, Jesus Christ, is here. He could open the scrolls and everybody would have gone on. But for some reason there is a delay. And the question is given to John. And he says, he wept much, meaning they're suffering during this time. During this time of delay, there's going to be much weeping and certainly some who are suffering and anxious for the time when these seals would be opened.
He says, finally, verse 5, So one of the elders said to John during this time of his sort of mental anguish and weeping, as he said, There is one. The line of the tribe of Judah is able to open this scroll and to loose its seven seals, to let loose the contents of these seven seals. And of course, these are very grave, very serious events to come on the earth described by these seven seals. And I looked and behold in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures. So there's this throne on top of the four living creatures and on top of them, of course, the sea of glass and the throne on top of that.
And in the midst of the elders, these elders on their thrones, around the throne, there was standing a lamb, as though it had been slain. So there's a lamb. We don't really have much more detail. But obviously, Jesus Christ was the lamb who had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
So here we have this seven spirits of God then sent out into all the earth, coming from this one being, the lamb, as though it had been slain. So these seven spirits are very important. I want to first just hold your place here. Let's go to 2 Chronicles 16, verse 9. 2 Chronicles 16, verse 9. Another place where these spirits are mentioned. In this case, we have, during a time of the death of Asa, one of the kings of Israel. Verse 9 of 2 Chronicles 16, So the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to him. So the eyes of the Lord go back and forth throughout the earth to show himself strong, to give strength and help to those whose heart is loyal to him. He says, So Asa disobeyed God, and he was told that God has spirits throughout all the earth sent to give help to those who are on his side. So maybe the same spirits, obviously the same source, the same purpose. So back to Revelation 5 and verse 6. We have these seven horns, the seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. These eyes see God's way of seeing and understanding the hearts and minds of men. Verse 7, So the authority for these seals is God the Father, the one sitting on the throne. In his right hand he has this scroll with seven seals that he then gives to Jesus Christ, gives to the Lamb of God, gives to the root of David or the Lion of the tribe of Judah, several different titles, meaning it's now time to loose the seals and have those events take place on the earth. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
So interesting here, the 24 elders each have a bowl full of incense, just like that altar of incense in front of the Holy of Holies. And even the four living creatures have a bowl of incense of some kind, and they represent the prayers of the saints. And then they have this song, verse 9, that really is apparently the prayer of the saints that they're talking about.
And it is, you are worthy to take the scroll. So the saints of God, who have been many, most of them in their graves, perhaps some still alive when this occurs, they say, you are worthy to take the scroll, to open its seals. For you are slain, and you have redeemed us to God by your blood. So the prayers of the saints have not been forgotten. The prayers that acknowledge they have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ.
The message we acknowledge and keep that pass over every year. Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and you have made us kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign on the earth. So at the time these prayers are said, are reminding God the Father and the Lamb who has the scroll in His hand, these priests and kings are not yet reigning, but they are about to.
The time chronology shows that before long they shall be resurrected, and this shall be fulfilled. But their prayers are current and still before God according to the way this is written. Then I looked and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne. So not just the four creatures, not just the twenty-four elders, now there are many angels around the throne. The living creatures and the elders, and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands. The same number that we read earlier. Same with a loud voice. So all of these beings surrounding the throne of God, these one hundred million, at least if you consider ten thousand times ten thousand, that's a hundred million, plus thousands of thousands, so millions more, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and blessing.
The same vision Daniel saw, only now it's being seen by John and recorded for us, that worthy is the Lamb to receive power and riches and wisdom, the coronation ceremony, so to speak, or the announcement that He's worthy to be coronated as King. And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth, and such as are in the sea and all that are in them, I heard saying, so this is a fulfillment of what we read in Philippians chapter 2, of those three categories of beings that are going to bend their knee to Jesus Christ for the glory of God the Father.
There are creatures in heaven. We have record of that here. There are creatures on the earth, which means human beings who are alive on the earth and those who are under the earth and in the sea, those who have been buried in the earth and in the sea. Notice, I heard them saying, So the acknowledgement is to Jesus Christ and to God the Father who is sitting on the throne, and of course the Lamb who lives forever and ever then. So it's very, very important that we understand the correlation of not only these two chapters and the events that are given us, or you might say the table that is spread here, the heavenly table, the heavenly throne room, that the other places where they are mentioned dovetail in and give us more details.
Because with this, then, is the authority for the rest of the book, the events that are to transport or to come to pass just after this. They all come from the throne. And this book tells us, or these two chapters tell us, that the center of all authority and the center of all of the power in the universe is the throne room. It is the throne room of God, with God the Father sitting on the main throne and then Jesus Christ being given here.
The responsibility of opening these seven seals on the earth. And these seven seals obviously bring devastation, they bring a lot of punishment, they bring a lot of bloodshed, they bring a lot of suffering, but they also bring salvation, and they eventually usher in the Kingdom of God being here on the earth, the ruling all mankind.
So next time we'll start in chapter 6 in the opening of those seals. I certainly hope this has helped you get a greater appreciation for the throne room of God in heaven. And maybe when you bow your knees, like it is said in Philippians 2, when you bow your knees to God in heaven, you'll have a little better vision of what you are bound to.
