02.16. LECTURE No. 16 -- Rev_4:2-5
LECTURE No. 16 -- Revelation 4:2-5
Why the Church Will Be Translated - What Will Happen After the Church Has Been Caught Up to Heaven - A Prophetic Foreview of Things in Heaven - Holy Ground, God’s Throne What the Stones and the Rainbow Represent - The Meaning of the Seven Lamps - The Crystal Sea - The Enthroned Elders - Who They Represent IN the preceding chapter we began a study of those things that will come to pass after the Church, which is the true body of Christ, shall have been raptured away to be with the Lord. From the scriptures we learned the interesting and important fact that when the Church, which is now being called out from among both Jews and Gentiles, as a people for His name is completed, the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, and the dead in Christ shall rise first, and those who are alive and remain shall be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, as stated in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
Now, there is no question but what some will ask, why will the Church be translated? And the answer is, So that sin may come to a head. We know that just as long as the True Church, is still in the world, this cannot happen. Just as God would not allow the Angels to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah until Lot had been delivered; even so God will not allow iniquity to come to its full, and His righteous judgments to fall upon the wicked of the whole earth until the Church, which is the Body of Christ has been completed and raptured away to be with Christ. This is confirmed ill 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8, where it says,
“For the mystery of iniquity doth already work; only he who now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way and then shall that wicked (or wicked one) be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of His mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming.”
Another reason why the Church will be raptured away to be with Christ is that all true Saints may escape the judgmental which will come upon the earth during the tribulation period! At the present time we who are Christians are Ambassadors for Christ here upon the earth. We are Pilgrims in a weary land. And we are witnesses to the great truths of the Gospel. But, we know that when two nations are about to go to war, the first step is for a nation to withdraw its Ambassador, and such diplomatic action is virtually a declaration of war.
And so, my friends, when God is ready to inflict His righteous judgments upon the wicked of the whole earth, one of the first things He will do will be to call those of us, who are His Ambassadors to the court in heaven.
This will be a sign of His wrath and displeasure with the wicked and will let them know that God is going to wage war against them, which He will do by inflicting judgment upon them.
Hereafter
Let me remind you, however, that this chapter has to do with the things which shall be hereafter, namely, after the resurrection and rapture of the Church!
Scenes in Heaven The scenes and persons described in this entire chapter are in heaven.
We therefore should feel, as we approach a study of this chapter that we are upon high and holy ground. With what reverence, therefore, we should give attention to these things recorded here for our instruction.
Truly, my friends, it would seem as if the things mentioned in this chapter were rather a subject for Angels than for those of us who are still here upon the earth surrounded by sin of every sort; but since God has caused these things to be written, let us study them with all sincerity and diligence, and strive to learn those things which this passage was intended to teach.
After beholding the door that was opened in heaven, and hearing the voice which said, “Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter,” John said:
“And immediately I was in the Spirit: and, behold, a Throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the Throne. 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.”
God’s Throne
Now, this, my friends, was what John saw immediately after being transported in the Spirit to heaven. When it speaks of heaven in this passage, let us remind you that the heaven spoken of here is the one where God’s Throne is.
You will remember that Paul speaks of having been caught up into the third heaven, where he heard words which were unlawful for man to speak. The atmospheric heavens immediately above the earth are also spoken of as heaven, but the heaven referred to here is without a doubt the highest heaven above all principality and power where God’s Throne is now situated.
The first thing which attracted John’s attention was the Throne itself, and the one who occupied the Throne.
The nature and purpose of this Throne must be derived from the description which is given here in the word itself.
First let us notice that He who sat upon the Throne was to look upon like a Jasper and a Sardine Stone.
This is very suggestive because a Jasper is a clear stone like a diamond, while a Sardine Stone is blood red like a ruby. A Jasper stone, therefore, suggests the clear majestic and resplendent glory of the risen Lord. And since the Sardine Stone is blood red, it reminds us of the cross of Christ where He shed His blood to make an atonement for the sins of the world.
Stones The use of these two stones to describe Him who sat on the Throne, are of even greater significance when we refer to the meaning given to these stones by the Israelites.
In his book “The Revelation of Jesus Christ,” Louis T. Talbot, quotes a statement from Dr. H. A. Ironside of Chicago, on this point, as follows:
“Remembering that many of the first readers of The Revelation were converted Jews, we might ask what would these stones suggest to them? Surely every instructed Hebrew would instantly recall that they were the first and last stones in the breastplate of the High Priest (as stated in Exodus 28:17-20). As these stones bore the names of the Tribes of Israel, arranged according to the birth of the twelve Patriarchs, the one would suggest at once, the name ‘Rueben,’ which means “Behold a Son;” and the other ‘Benjamin’ meaning “The Son of my right hand.” It is Christ enthroned, the Son about to reign in power, who is before the seer’s vision.” And so, my friends, we see that these two stones used here, to describe Him that sat on the Throne, do in reality describe the nature and character of the risen and glorified Christ, seated upon the Throne in heaven, in preparation for the impending events which are to follow immediately after the rapture of the church. The Rainbow
Now, it says, there was a rainbow round about the Throne in sight like unto an Emerald.
The color of an emerald is green! The appearance of the rainbow here in this heavenly scene is also significant. The rainbow, as we know, is of historical importance, as pertaining to the covenant which God made with Noah.
From the record given in Genesis, we know that it was a sign of God’s covenant with Noah, wherein He promised never to curse the earth. again with another flood, such as that which destroyed the whole earth.
This is confirmed in Genesis 9:13-16, where it says, “I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of the covenant between me and the earth, And it shall come to pass, when I bring cloud over the earth, that the bow be seen in the cloud:
“And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.”
Thus, my friends, do we see that the rainbow encircling the Throne in heave was a symbol of the Noahic covenant which God made with Noah after the flood; wherein He promised that He would not again destroy the earth with a flood, and that as long as the earth remained, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and Summer and Winter and day and night, would not cease!
Therefore, under this great covenant God’s purpose was to bestow grace upon man, and to bless the earth with seed time and harvest until His ultimate purposes, both in grace and in judgment could be accomplished, in behalf of man’s redemption. The Rainbow a Sign The presence of this Rainbow round about the Throne in heaven, therefore indicates that, although it is a Throne of Judgment, it is not a Throne of destruction, but one of conservation. And that all of the ministrations of this Throne are to be carried out under the symbol of the covenant which God made with Noah, which we know is one of the three unconditional covenants of the Bible, and which is to stand forever.
Emerald
Let us remember that the rainbow round about the Throne in heaven was like unto an Emerald, that is, its prevailing hue was a light green. As already suggested the Jasper and the Sardine Stone represent the radiant and majestic glory, which flashed from Him that sat upon the Throne, and the presence of green in the rainbow round about the Throne, indicates that, in the midst of judgment, which is to proceed from this Throne, God will remember mercy! A Judgment Throne The Throne is further described in Revelation 4:5, where it says,
“And out of the Throne proceeded lightning and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the Throne, which are the Seven Spirits of God. And before the Throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal, and in the midst of the Throne, were four Beasts (or living creatures) full of eyes before and behind.”
The fact that from this Throne there proceeded lightnings and voices and thunders, would indicate that it was to be a Throne of Judgment, and that the wrath of God was about to proceed from it.
In olden times when God was about to inflict judgment upon Egypt, you will remember that He sent thunder and hail, and that fire ran along upon the ground, and when Pharaoh had seen these things he besought Moses to intreat the Lord that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail.
Thus he recognized that these things had come from God as an evidence of His wrath and displeasure!
You will also recall that when God came down upon Mt. Sinai “it came to pass on the third day in the morning that there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud, so that all the people-in the camp trembled.”
These, and many other scriptures could be cited to show that lightnings and thunders and voices are symbols of God’s wrath and displeasure, and substantiate the fact that the Throne, here in question, which John saw, was a Judgment Throne. The Seven Lamps This is further confirmed when we consider the seven lamps of fire which John saw burning before the Throne, which were declared to be the seven Spirits of God!
We have learned already from Isaiah 11:2, that these seven Spirits refer to the sevenfold plenitude or fulness of the Holy Spirit. In other words, at this Throne in the heavens, John saw also the presence of the Holy Spirit, who is the third person of the Trinity.
We know when Jesus was baptized the Spirit descended upon Him from heaven as it were a dove, and during His earthly ministry, it rested upon Him as the Spirit of grace, and it has continued as such throughout this entire Church Age. And we know that the great work of the Holy Spirit in this present age is the calling out of the Church from among both Jews and Gentiles!
But the time is coming when the Church will be completed, and when this task is finally accomplished, the Holy Spirit, now present in the world, will return to heaven with the Bride of Christ, which has been called out, and which will be translated to heaven before the events of this chapter come to pass!
What John was given to see here was the presence of the Holy Spirit before the Throne, symbolized by the seven lamps of fire burning before the Throne.
Here the symbol of the Holy Spirit has changed, and it is no longer the Spirit of grace, but the Spirit of burning, as symbolized by the burning lamps before the Throne. The Holy Spirit will therefore become one of flaming indignation, as when men go forth in preparation for battle. In Isaiah 4:4, God speaks of washing away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and of purging Jerusalem by the Spirit of judgment, and by the Spirit of burning. The work of the Holy Spirit, as a Spirit of burning, is suggested in Malachi 4:1, where it says: “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts and it shall leave them neither root nor branch.”
We may expect, these things, my friends, to take place during the Tribulation Period, which it would seem is very near at hand. During the Tribulation Period the same Spirit which is now operating as the Spirit of Grace, will then operate as the Spirit of the Throne and shall go forth as the Spirit of Vengeance! The Holy Spirit Will Work
Many people wonder how souls will be saved when the Holy Spirit returns to the Throne in Heaven. The Book of Revelation plainly teaches that many people will be saved during the Tribulation period, and there is no question but what the Holy Spirit will work during that Age very much the same as He did during the Old Testament period, at which time He came upon the Prophets of God with special power, anointing and preparing them to serve as God’s witnesses to the people.
The Holy Spirit is now working upon earth through the words and testimony of those whose hearts He indwells, and empowers for service. But during the Tribulation Period He will operate from His own place before the Throne of God in heaven.
Let us remember that the Holy Spirit is not limited to time or space, such as we poor creatures are here upon the earth If He chooses to do so, being omnipresent, and all powerful, He can operate as well from the Throne in Heaven as here upon the earth. The Sea of Glass In verse Revelation 4:6, the Throne in Heaven, is further described as having before it a sea of glass like unto crystal. This statement, my friends, is in keeping with what we read in Exodus 24:9-10 where it says, “Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the Elders of Israel: and they saw the God of Israel: and there was under His feet, as it were, a paved work of a Sapphire Stone, and as it were the body of Heaven in His clearness.”
Also in Revelation 20:1, we have description of the New Jerusalem, it says that the street of the City was pure gold, as it were transparent glass!
And so, my friends, we see from such statements as these, given in the Word of God, that Heaven is more than a place of disembodied Spirits, and of mists of shadows! On the contrary it is to a place of substance, and of beautiful realities. The Enthroned Elders
Now, having learned the nature, a the character and the purpose of the Throne in Heaven, which John was given to see, let us give our attention to what is said in the fourth verse of the chapter where it says: “And round about the Throne were four and twenty seats, a upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment and they had on their heads crowns gold.”
This, my friends, is a very interesting and important statement, and one which rightly demands our earnest study, a careful attention. In this verse the word translated “seats,” means “Thrones.” In other words, his vision, John was given to see, not only the Throne of Deity in the center of the scene, which was filled with majesty beyond description, but in a circle around the great Throne were twenty-four lesser seats or thrones, and these lesser Thrones were occupied by twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white raiment, and it says they had on their heads crowns of gold.
Glorified Saints
Now this, my friends, is not a word picture of the disembodied spirits of those who are redeemed, but what we have here is a revelation of the glorified saints of God, who will be raised from the dead, or changed while living, and caught up to be with the Lord at the time of the rapture!
This is confirmed in Revelation 5:9, where these same elders which John saw, sing a new song, saying, “Thou are worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou hast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.”
This is positive proof that they were not Angels but human beings who had been redeemed from the earth. Neither must we look upon them as being the Patriarchs, or Jews, or the twelve Apostles only; for in the verse just read they speak of themselves as being from every kindred, and tongue and people and nation.
Crowned
It is important also for us to notice that John saw them clothed in white raiment, with crowns of gold on their heads, and they were already enthroned! This very fact would indicate that the time of this vision is still future, and will not take place until after the resurrection and rapture of the saints; for no one could be robed, and crowned and enthroned until he had received his resurrected and glorified body. The Apostle Paul did not expect his crown until after his resurrection. This is confirmed in 2 Timothy 4:6-8, where he said: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.”
And so, my friends, we see that the idea which some people have that the disembodied souls are already crowned and enthroned, is not true to the scriptures. True enough, they are at rest in the Paradise of God, but they will not be crowned until after the resurrection and rapture of the Church. The rewards which the Saints are to receive, Christ is to bring with Him, and will not be given out until the morning of the resurrection.
This is confirmed in Revelation 22:12, where Jesus is quoted as saying, “Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be.”
Many Crowns As a reward for service, the Bible promises five different kinds of crowns, i. e.
(1) The Crown of Righteousness, (2) The Crown of Glory, (3) The Crown of Life, (4) The Crown of Rejoicing, and
(5) The Incorruptible Crown.
Therefore, according to the Scriptures the time of our own coronation will not be until the resurrection, for no one can be crowned until he is either resurrected from the dead, or translated while living.
Now, you may wonder why there were twenty-four of these elders.
From the scriptural point of view the number twenty-four is very important, and was used here, no doubt, as a representative number. This is confirmed in 1 Chronicles 24:1-31, where we have a record of the divisions of the Sons of Aaron into twenty-four different orders.
The purpose of this was so that each group could serve for two weeks at a time in the service of the Sanctuary.
Please remember that in Israel all the Levites were considered as Priests for the service of the Tabernacle, and there were several thousand of them. Therefore, they were divided into twenty-four courses, or divisions, and while one group or division was serving in the Tabernacle they were representing the entire body.
What John saw, therefore, was a representative body of twenty-four elders standing for the entire company of men and women who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb.
12 Patriarchs - 12 Apostles
Let us not forget that in the Old Testament days there were twelve Patriarchs, and in the New Testament period, there were twelve Apostles of the Lamb, and so we may rightfully declare that these twenty-four Elders are a representative body, representing both the Saints of the Old and of the New Testament periods, who have been saved through faith in the blood of Christ. The Old Testament Saints looked forward to the Cross, just as we who are saved today look backward to the Cross!
John saw them with Crowns of gold upon their heads. Now, some will ask, why did they have these Crowns of Gold upon their heads? In answer to this we must not forget that what John saw here was merely a prophetic foreview of the things that shall be hereafter.
The scene presented here presupposes resurrection and the rapture of the Saints, and they are looked upon as the Judgment Seat of Christ had already taken place, and rewards for service ready meted out!
Hence John saw these twenty-four elders robed and crown and seated upon their Thrones, which were situated around the Great Throne upon which the ONE sat who was to look upon like a Jasper and Sardine Stone. In Conclusion In his book on the Apocalypse, Seiss, says on this point,
“I find, then, in these enthroned Elders, the highest manifested glory of the risen and glorified saints. They are in heaven. They are around the Throne of Deity. They are pure and holy, wearing white, which is the righteousness of the Saints. They are partakers of celestial dominion. They are kings of glory, with golden crowns! They are settled, and at home in their exalted dignities; not standing and waiting as servants, but seated as royal counsellors of the Almighty. They are assessors of the great Judge of quick and dead, the spectators of all that transpires in heaven and earth, and participants in the judgment of the world for its sins, the Church for its apostasies, Babylon for her impurities, Antichrist for his blasphemies, and that old Serpent and his brood, for their ungodliness and wickednesses during all these weary ages! They are the Elders of the glorious house of the redeemed, and kings and priests in the temple and palace of the Lord God Almighty, whom all the earth shall obey, and all the ages acknowledge.”
~ end of lecture 16 ~