Chapters 4-5 look to the future. John sees an open door into heaven and is caught up in the Spirit to see the throne of God surrounded by a host of angels. The heavenly hosts praise the Father for creating the world and the Son for His redeeming work on the cross. Gathered around the celestial throne are twenty-four elders and four wondrous creatures. Believers are encouraged. Amid the chaos the world experiences, the beauty and peace of God’s kingdom stand open to any who reach out to the Father.
(*All Bible references are from the NIV unless otherwise noted)
Chapter 4:1-4
1 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”
2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.
3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.
4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.
Rev 4:1
There before me was a door standing open in heaven:
The Greek word for heaven used here is “ouranos” (ou-ran-os’), which means “the sky,” “the abode of God,” “happiness,” “power,” and “eternity.”1
The image of an open door into God’s Presence carries exciting implications. Others have also caught a glimpse of this celestial place:
Ezek 1:1 In my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.
Matt 3:16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.
Acts 7:56 “Look,” [Stephan] said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
Acts 10:11 [Peter] saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.
The author of the Book of Hebrews adds an essential perspective. It is through the atonement of Christ that a new and living way is opened into the Presence of God:
Heb 10:19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body”’
Rev 4:1
And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this:
Read Mark 13:1-31 (also, Matt 24, and Luke 21), sometimes called the “Little Apocalypse”. Focus especially on verse 30:
Mark 13:30 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
Futurists consider the phrase “this generation”to refer to those born far in Mark’s future who will witness the end of the world and what some call the rapture, or, the catching up of the saints.
Preterists interpret the phrase “this generation” as referring to the people who were present while Jesus delivered his discourse. They believe that this phrase applies to those living during the time of the Apostles, many of whom were still alive to witness the persecution of believers, Rome’s growing brutality, and the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
Preterists suggest that phrases such as “soon will take place,” “must soon take place,” and “near, right at the door” would not be used to describe events two thousand years or more in the Apostle’s future.
The ancient church certainly experienced the trials and troubles that Jesus warned them about. This presents another example of an eternal principle. Christians can speculate endlessly on the signs and timing of end-time events. The coming of false prophets, wars and rumors of wars, brothers betraying brothers, and nations rising against one another can be applied to hundreds, if not thousands, of points in history. But every Bible-believing Christian can be sure that “About that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father (Matt 24:36).
Most importantly, Jesus cautions believers in every age to, “Keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come” (Matt 24:42), “Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come!” “Be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Luke 12:40).
Rev 4:2
I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it :
Compare John’s experience to others in the Bible who entered the Presence of God:
Dan 7:9 “As I looked, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.
Gen 28:12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 There above it stood the LORD, and he said: “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying.
Exod 33:11 The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend…
1Kgs 19:11 The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
1Kgs 22:19 Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left.
Isa 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
Ezek 1:1 In my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.
Ezek 1:26 Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man.
Rev 4:3
And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian:
Jasper is an opaque variety of Chalcedony, a form of quartz. It is almost always multicolored, with unique color patterns such as brown, yellow, reddish, mottled green, orange, or black2. Jasper breaks with a smooth surface and is used for ornaments and gemstones that can be highly polished. A green variety with red spots, known as heliotrope (bloodstone), is one of the traditional birthstones for March3.
Carnelian is the red, orange, or amber variety of Chalcedony4. The color can vary greatly, ranging from a pale orange to an intense almost-black, being solid or sometimes banded5. Both gemstones were highly valued in ancient times:
Exod 28:17 Then mount four rows of precious stones on it. The first row shall be carnelian, chrysolite and beryl…20 the fourth row shall be topaz, onyx and jasper. Mount them in gold filigree settings.
Ezek 28:12 “Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “ ‘You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: carnelian, chrysolite and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper…
Rev 21:11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.
Rev 21:18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.
Today, we might think of modern precious stones such as diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds. Consider the symbolism of a personage who appears to be made of rare and precious gems.
Rev 4:3
A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne:
For Christians and Jews, the rainbow holds the promise of God’s covenant with mankind:
Gen 9:13-16 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
Ezek 1:28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD…
Rev 4:4
Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders:
The number 12 is one of the foundational symbolic numbers in Scripture and holds a special place throughout Bible. Somewhat like the number “7”, which represents the perfection and completeness of God’s plans and purposes, “12” seems to symbolize the perfect order of earthly authority and governance, such as the twelve tribes of Israel, twelve disciples of Jesus, and twelve gates guarded by twelve angels in the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:12). Multiples of twelve appear in descriptions such as “twenty-four” elders, “144,000” redeemed (Rev 7:4), and “forty-eight” towns of the Levites (Num 35:7).
In 1 Chron 24, King David separates the priests into twenty-four divisions for their appointed order of ministering. Here John sees “twenty-four elders” assembled on “twenty-four thrones”.
As you read these references to elders, make a list of the attributes that are either implied or described:
Exod 3:16 “Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt.
Lev 4:15 The elders of the community are to lay their hands on the bull’s head before the LORD, and the bull shall be slaughtered before the LORD.
Deut 27:1 Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people: “Keep all these commands that I give you today.
1 Timothy 5:17 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.
Titus 1:6 An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7 Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. 8Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
According to Strong’s Concordance, the Hebrew word for “elder” is the adjective zazen (zaw-kane’), meaning old, aged, ancient man or woman6. The Greek, presbuteros, carries much the same connotation of older, a senior, someone older and wiser to sit on the Sanhedrist councils, a Christian presbyter7.
In this context, the term “elder” represents the essential character of someone who has gained wisdom and leadership abilities through age and experience rather than simply an ordained “office.”
If “twelve” represents God’s perfect government, multiples of twelve would magnify that perception. Later, in Rev 5:10, 20:6, honor is given to those redeemed of the earth as a “kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”
Some writers see these “twenty-four elders” as literal angelic beings attending the throne room of God. However, since the other “creatures” surrounding the throne are symbolic, it’s more likely that these elders are symbolic as well.
The “twenty-four elders” seem to represent the redeemed leadership attributes of the Church as a whole, sharing Christ’s inheritance and reigning with him.
Rev 4:4
They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads:
A conquering general, event winner, or heir to the throne was traditionally presented with a garland of flowers or a crown of gold, representing royal position and authority. We’ve already seen that purity and redemption are signified by the imagery of “white,” and the fact that these twenty-four elders are “dressed in white” and have “crowns of gold” would seem to intensify their role as symbols of the purified Church ruling with Christ.
Judges 9:6 Then all the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo gathered beside the great tree at the pillar in Shechem to crown Abimelek king.
2Kgs 11:12 Jehoiada brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; he presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and shouted, “Long live the king!”
Footnotes
- Heaven: Strong’s G3772. ↩︎
- Jaspar: Minerals.net, https://www.minerals.net/gemstone/chalcedony_gemstone.aspx, accessed Jan. 6, 2024. ↩︎
- Jaspar: Ultimate Guide to Jaspar Stone, https://trulyexperiences.com/blog/jasper-stone/, accessed Jan. 6, 2024. ↩︎
- Carnelian: Minerals.net, https://www.minerals.net/gemstone/carnelian_gemstone.aspx, accessed Jan 6, 2024. ↩︎
- Ibid. ↩︎
- Strong’s H2204. ↩︎
- Strong’s G4245. ↩︎
*All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
