Revelation 4
CHAPTER 4
The Heavenly throne room
After these things I looked, and beheld a door opened in heaven; and the first voice that I heard, as if a trumpet was speaking to me, was as one saying: Come up here, and I will show you the things which hereafter must came to pass. 2 Immediately I was in the Spirit, and beheld a throne set in heaven; and one sitting upon the throne. 3 And he that sat on it was to look upon like a jasper stone, and a sardius; and there was a rainbow round about the throne, like an emerald to look upon. 4 And round about the throne were twenty four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty four elders sitting, dressed in white garments, and on their heads were crowns of gold. 5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings, voices and thunders. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. 6 And in front of the throne there was as it were a sea of glass like a crystal; and in the midst of the throne and round about the throne, four living creatures full of eyes before and behind. 7 And the first creature was like a lion, the second creature like a calf, the third creature had the face of a man and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. 8 And the four living creatures each had six wings, full of eyes round about and within; and they have no rest day and night, saying: Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.
9 And when the living creatures shall give glory and honour and thanks to him that sits on the throne, to him that lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty four elders shall fall down before him that sits on the throne and shall worship him that lives for ever and ever, and shall cast their crowns before the throne, saying: 11 Worthy are you, our Lord, to receive the glory and the honour and the power. For you did create all things, and for your sake they existed and were created.
Commentary
4:8 Full of eyes- Through the cherubim Angels, God knows all that is happening on earth and in our lives. They were full of eyes “within”- perhaps indicating their total self-knowledge. One of the greatest joys of being immortalized with God’s nature is that we shall know ourselves fully.
4:8 Day and night- In the Kingdom, we will praise God and serve Him every single moment. Our service of Him in this life cannot be a mere occasional hobby; if we are seeking to eternally serve Him every moment, then this will be our desire in this life; and our life decisions relating to education, career and use of our personal time will reflect this.
