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The Throne Room Glimpse

Many of us were looking forward to the rapture this week and it didn't happen and I knew it wouldn't happen and I don't think it's going to happen October—the new dates October. They always change the dates.

Look, the bottom line is we're supposed to be looking for the return of Jesus every day. But he also in the scriptures, if you take the scriptures seriously, he calls us to the long game. And the long game is that we need to persevere. We need to stand fast. We need to be strong in Jesus.

The only way you can be strong in Jesus is if you know his word and you spend time with him in prayer. And the magic elixir, the frosting on the cake is fellowship with like-minded saved believers. Believers who don't care what others have to say. They know what they know because they know it.

This is one of the wildest chapters you're ever going to read in the whole Bible. The more deeper I get into this, the more it's like I don't know if I'm going to be able to control myself. This is just an unbelievable chapter. And the more you learn, the more you want to learn. And it's never ending what the possibilities of getting just a glimpse of the throne room of God.

John's Heavenly Transport

The last time we saw John, he had been airlifted out of this world through a door that had been opened in the heavens. That's the first verse of the chapter. And one of the big takeaways was that John was given a revelation of things which must take place after these things.

As you study Revelation 4, you will come to understand that John was a representative man. What does that mean? That means he can easily represent all true believers in Jesus Christ who will be taken out of this world in something called the rapture.

I still praise God for this blessed hope. He is coming. We are going. It's going to happen. And even though it didn't happen this week, please don't get discouraged. Now is still the time to be looking for his return. But it may be a while. It may be a while.

Play the long game, but daily be looking for his return, listening for the trumpet. I mean, in the word of God, it tells us that it'll come at a time we least expect. Jesus says, "No man knows the day or hour." Let's take these date setters and pray for them and set them aside and focus on what the actual word of God has to say. Huh?

Getting a Heavenly Perspective

We need a heavenly perspective on this world. Taken by themselves, the events, the trials, and the problems of this world make no sense at all. From an earthly perspective, this world appears to be out of control. War, disease, crime, wickedness, ungodliness.

But when you understand that God is on his throne, and when you understand that he is in control, and when you think about how he is working out a perfect, eternal, good plan, then it all falls into place.

Picture what a beautiful Persian rug looks like from the back. It's all tangled mess of strings and fiber. But when you flip it over and you look at it from the front, the pattern becomes very clear. Make sense?

So let's move to heaven and get a glimpse of what is taking place around God's throne.

The Person on the Throne

"At once I was in the spirit and behold a throne stood in heaven with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. And around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald."

Revelation 4:2-3

The very first thing John sees is God himself sitting on a throne in heaven. What a thrill that must have been. I mean, oh, go to the White House. Go to Buckingham Palace. I mean, sure, kind of an honor, but to walk into the very throne room of God and see him sitting on his throne would be—it's going to be glorious beyond description.

Yet, that is the honor John was given and it is the honor we will one day soon enjoy as well.

A Throne of Absolute Authority

In verse two, the first thing John sees is a throne set in heaven. A throne speaks of sovereignty and authority. We are viewing one who occupies the place of absolute authority over the affairs of heaven and earth. And we can put a lot of trust in that hour by hour, day by day.

The word stood speaks of stability, firmness, durability. God's throne is an eternal throne. No foe will ever be able to force him down from that place where he rules and reigns.

This world may not recognize God's authority and rule today. But he reigns nonetheless. Look, folks don't give a hoot. They don't give a second thought about the existence of God in many places around the globe. But our Lord and Savior, he notices all. He controls all and he will ultimately judge all.

People may not give him the time of day now, but we will face him someday. And man may not bow today, but when they see this picture, they will fall flat on their face. Every single one of them. Tom Petty says, "Stand me up before the gates of hell, and I won't back down." Sorry, brother. You're going to see this sight. You're face planting. I don't care who you are.

Attempting to Describe the Indescribable

Then in the first part of the third verse, John attempts to do the impossible. He attempts to describe God. The one on this throne is God the Father. How do we know that? Because the Son takes the seven sealed book out of his hands in Revelation 5:5-7.

See, John describes God as being like a jasper and a carnelian stone. The word appearance lets us know that we have encountered symbolic language. The appearance means this is going to be symbolic. John doesn't know what he's looking at. He's trying to describe it. God is not a mineral or a stone, but his appearance reminded John of these two precious stone.

Let's get the significance here. Let's just pause and look at these stones.

The Jasper Stone

First, jasper. It's clear. It's bright. It's possible that it's the same as like a diamond, you know, very hard stone. Speaks of firmness. This comparison reminds us that our God is firm and unchanging. Since we are in the context of a throne room where sovereign authority is about to be exercised, this tells us God's laws like God himself are firm and unchanging.

There are certain laws in nature that are firm and unchanging. Take gravity for instance. What goes up must come down. God has established the law of gravity and it is firm and unchanging. If you place a pot of water on a hot stove and really give it some heat, do you expect to come back and find ice there? No. Why? Because God has established the law of thermodynamics. It is unchanging.

The same is true concerning God's moral law. He is unchanging and inflexible there, too. And men kick against the moral laws of God, don't we? They call the Bible out of date and old-fashioned. They do their own thing thinking that God will just let them slide.

Fact is they are sinning against a God who is firm and unchanging in his moral law. And in our culture, those of us who are called church people, who's kicking the loudest in our culture? I believe it's the fake church who've created a fake Jesus and they are walking out a fake righteousness. And this means that they will be Matthew 7 fodder in the future. They're going to be told to step off.

The Carnelian Stone

Then we get the carnelian stone in our translation today. Most translations call that stone the Sardan stone because that's where it was found in Sardis. This is a blood red stone. It reminds us that while God is a God of sovereign rule and absolute authority who holds men to the high standard of holiness, this is also the God of redemption. He is a God who saved all those who will turn to him by faith.

Thank God he is a saving Lord. Thank God he's a saving sovereign Lord. Cuz if he wasn't, none of us would stand a chance. You know that, right? But it was this holy, righteous God of judgment and wrath who was moved by mercy, love, and grace to provide a way of salvation for all of us losers who will come to him.

The Breastplate Connection

Now, before we leave these two stones behind, I think it's worthy to note that the Sardis and the Jasper were the first and last stones of something in the Bible that's kind of cool, and I want to share it with you before we move on. It was in the breastplate of the high priest in Exodus 28.

The Sardis represented the tribe of Reuben, and the Jasper represented the tribe of Benjamin. These two stones were representative of all 12 stones and were a reminder that God always kept his people in his covenants with his people close to his heart. That's cool.

In other words, these stones were a constant reminder that God would keep his word and do everything he had promised to do. Judgment will come, but it'll be carried out by one who has walked among us. There is a human side to his judgment. He will judge, but it'll be tempered by his compassion and mercy.

The Restraining Rainbow

Second part of verse three, you see that he is the restraining one. God's throne is encompassed by an emerald rainbow. This rainbow is not like those we see here on earth. We only see half the bow. In heaven, it'll all be visible. We also know that the rainbow signals the fact that the storm has ended.

We also know if we go back that the rainbow was first given to Noah as a visible sign God would never destroy the earth by a flood again in Genesis chapter 9. This rainbow in heaven is a reminder that when we arrive there the storms will be over for the children of God. It is a reminder that while we may not understand everything that happens here, when we get there we will understand. It's also a reminder that God will judge the earth, but that he will do it in line with his promises and his covenants.

This is one reason why I am so to this day ticked off that sinful people hijack the rainbow. If I had a rainbow right here, would you think of what I just said or would you think something else? Just ask it. You see, the rainbow actually speaks of God's mercy. Even as the wrath of God is about to fall on the doomed world, God is still moving in restraint and mercy.

Every person is headed for an encounter with God. That's why I'm sharing the truth with you, good, bad, or otherwise, because I don't have any other choice. When I really understand what's going on here, I have no choice. There's no time to play games. There's no time to play religiosity or orator guy where I walk around and try to do little fun things to entertain you.

You are headed for an encounter with the living God. And just the sight of him is so incredible. You're going to fall on your face as if you're dead. And you know it in your most inner being. How do I know that? Because God has written eternity on the heart of every human being.

The People Around the Throne

"Around the throne were 24 thrones. And seated on the thrones were 24 elders clothed in white garments and crowned with golden crowns on their heads."

Revelation 4:4

Yes, we're going to see our loved ones again and we're going to all be praising him because we're there. The first question when I read verse four is who are these individuals being spoken of? Some think they are angels or cherubim. Did you know that the word elders is never used to refer to angels in the Bible? Others think they represent some other group.

Personally, I think they represent all the redeemed children of God. Why? Well, why don't we examine the evidence together? Huh?

Examining the Evidence

They are sitting on thrones. Thus, they are seen to be reigning with God. The saints will reign with him someday. 2 Timothy 2, Revelation 1, Revelation chapter 2—they seem to be representative people, these 24.

In Revelation 21, the new Jerusalem is described as having 12 gates named after the 12 tribes of Israel. It is built upon 12 foundations which contain the name of the 12 apostles. Did you get that? 12 + 12 equals 24. I believe that these 24 elders represent the redeemed people of God from both the Old Testament and New Testament.

In the Old Testament, David appointed 24 Levites to represent the entire priesthood. That's in 1 Chronicles 23 and chapter 28. While you know a meeting is necessary from time to time of all of these different people, it would have been impossible to gather every one of the thousands of Levites together. But when the 24 came together, they represented the whole body of Levites.

The same is true of these elders. They represent the entirety of the redeemed saints of God. These elders represent us.

Their Activity: Rest and Righteousness

So now let's consider their activity.

Seated in Rest

First off, your Bible tells you they are seated. This signifies rest. Their labors are over and they are sitting at rest in the presence of God in heaven. We are seated in heaven with Jesus today. Ephesians 2:6. That is our positional situation. Do you know that we're seated in heaven with Jesus right now in our positional situation?

Practically though, I'm still in the world. I'm living, laboring, longing for heaven. But one day we'll be where God has already positioned us. I just want to remind you that one day this life with all of its burdens, cares, worries, problems will all be behind us forever. And it can happen like that. We will go to a new home where those things can never hinder or bother us again. We will enter into rest in heaven.

Clothed in White

Next, I want you to notice what they have on. They were clothed in white garments. White garments in the Bible speaks of the righteousness of the saints. When God saved us, he forgave our sins and cleansed every stain of sin away from us forever. He declared us to be forgiven and justified in his eyes. That is our positional standing.

Again, practically, ah, we're anything but righteous, aren't we? We strive for that. But we have a hard time achieving holiness in the flesh, don't we? But we get glimpses of it, especially when we're in unity together. One day, this wicked flesh will drop away forever. We're going to be remade in his image, and we will be perfectly holy and righteous just like he is. Thank God that day is coming when we will leave sin and the appetite for sin behind forever.

The Five Crowns of Reward

Then in this text we see on their crowns or on their heads were crowns of gold. On their heads were crowns of gold. There are two words for crown in the New Testament. One is the word diadem. And if it wasn't for Christmas carols, I'd never even know what that word meant. This is the word that is used to describe the many crowns Jesus will wear when he returns to power and glory and reign on the earth. This is a kingly crown, the crown of glory.

The other word is stephanos. It is referred to a victor's crown. It speaks of the crown given to the victors in athletic contests. The diadem is worn by Jesus by divine right. The stephanos is earned by the saints by us. We're going to get a stephanos crown.

We are told that there are at least five different crowns that can be worn by the people of the saints of God:

1. The Crown of Life

This crown is given to those who demonstrate their love for Jesus by successfully enduring trials and temptations. When your circumstances are crushing in on you, remember the crown of life.

2. The Crown of Righteousness

This crown is given to those who live in the light of his coming. The saints who long for, live for, and love the coming of Jesus can receive this crown.

3. The Crown of Glory

In 1 Peter 5, that crown is a reward for a faithful pastor. I want that crown. That means I tell you stuff you don't want to hear sometimes. And I try to care. I just don't. I want this instead. I mean that in the most loving way.

4. The Crown of Rejoicing

This crown is the reward for those who faithfully share the gospel message and point others to Jesus. I want so many of you to get this crown.

5. The Imperishable Crown

That's in 1 Corinthians 9. It's awarded to those who battle the flesh and seek to live holy lives. You do battle over it and you get victory. And you know the victory comes from Jesus because you've been trying to battle it in the flesh all these years and you can't find a way to win. You give it over to Jesus. You submit to the foot of the cross and he gives you victory. And then you keep pushing for that victory in your life. If you keep pushing to win that battle over the flesh day after day after day, and when we get to that throne room, you're going to get an imperishable crown. That's pretty cool.

Your Service is Noticed

I know we all throw those crowns at Jesus's feet. But I just want you to know, you don't have to worry about your service for the Lord Jesus going unnoticed. He sees everything you do for his glory. He knows about every sacrifice, big or small. He sees every effort. He takes note of every prayer, every witness, and every secret thing you do to bring glory and honor to his name.

That's why we want to be consistent. That's why we want to just be faithful in what we do. He will reward that faithful service one day. You may not get recognition here, but you surely will when you get there.

In fact, trust me when I tell you this, you don't want the recognition here. Because if you get the recognition here and you get the praise of people, you've already received your award. Check out Matthew chapter 6, first six verses when you get a minute. That is your reward. That's why Jesus says, "Don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing."

The Praise Before the Throne

"From the throne came flashes of lightning and rumblings and peels of thunder. And before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God. And before the throne, there was as it were a sea of glass like crystal."

Revelation 4:5-6

In verses 5 and the first part of 6, we get a scene in heaven. As John watches, amazing things begin to take place around the throne of God. So let's observe the action for a second.

Wonders, Witness, and Waters

The Warning Signs

In the first part of verse 5, it speaks of wonders, lightnings, thundering, rumblings. The things speak of an approaching judgment. Heaven booms with the warning signals that judgment is on the way. Now these same things are seen in Exodus chapter 19. The heavenly noises then were a warning for the people of Israel to keep their distance from the holy mountain of God. The sounds were a warning that men and women better reverence God or they're going to face him in judgment.

The Spirit's Witness

He speaks of a witness. Seven torches of fire in the last half of verse 5. This is the spirit of God in his fullness. The spirit at this point is no longer the comforter. He is now an instrument of God's judgment. He is there to witness the righteousness of the judgments that are about to fall on the earth.

The Fixed Sea

He speaks of waters in verse six, a sea of glass like crystal. The crystal sea, think about it now. That speaks of God's judgment as being formed and fixed on this earth. There is nothing more constantly changing and moving than an ocean. The sea is never still and it's never the same. And this sea is solid and unmoving. Judgment is fixed and it cannot be altered in heaven. That sea of glass is fixed.

Our washing is complete. There will be no more need for the saints to come to God for cleansing. We will never fail him again. That will be a blessing. But for the lost sinner, the sea reminds us that it has become too late for repentance. Judgment is set and fixed. Man has reached his limit and God is about to pour out his wrath on a lost and sinful world.

The Four Living Creatures

"And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. The first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox. The third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight, and the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within."

Revelation 4:6-8

Then in the rest of the text verses 6-11 we hear shouts in heaven as the throne room is a place for praise. Now there are two groups of individuals involved in the praise of God on this occasion. First there is the shouts of the beasts. Crazy to read about this. I mean let's just look at their description first.

Description of the Living Ones

The words living creature comes from the word beast which itself comes from the Greek word zoo. We get the word zoo or zoology from it. The word has the idea of the living ones. John sees the four living ones and attempts to describe them for us using ancient words. Okay. He says that they are full of eyes before and behind. That speaks of complete intelligence.

• One was like a lion. That represents wild animal life.
• One was like an ox or a calf depending on your translation. This represents domesticated animal life.
• One was like a man. This represents intelligent life.
• One was like an eagle. This represents the bird's life.

These four beasts represent the entirety of God's creation gathered before him. I hope you see that they are full of eyes, perfect intelligence. They have six wings. That speaks of swiftness. They rest not. That speaks of ceaseless activity. These representation of creation stand in the presence of God and they lift their voices in praise to the creator.

All Things Created for His Glory

He is the creator and everything that was made exists for him and for his glory. The Bible doubles down on this in Colossians chapter 1:16-17. I want to show it to you.

"For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

Also, these living creatures are declaring his holiness. They declare his eternal nature. They declare his sovereignty and his control over all things. All nature is involved in praising the Lord. The rain, the sun, the birds, the animals, everything but man exists to glorify God. Everything but man glorifies him by doing what he formed them to do.

The Four Faces of Jesus in the Gospels

Now, before we leave these living creatures behind, we should also note that they represent different sides of the Lord Jesus. I was amazed when I found this out. Check this out. Now, coincidence or, you know, just a very cool consistency of our loving God. Think about it. Now, think about Jesus in the Gospels.

• The lion pictures Jesus as he is portrayed in the Gospel of Matthew, the lion of the tribe of Judah. As a lion, Jesus possesses majesty, power, and authority.
• The ox or the calf pictures Jesus as he is portrayed in the Gospel of Mark, the suffering servant. As a servant, Jesus demonstrated service and strength.
• The man pictures Jesus as he is portrayed in the Gospel of Luke, the son of man. As the son of man, Jesus possesses perfect intelligence and absolute moral righteousness.
• The eagle pictures Jesus as he's portrayed in the Gospel of John as the son of God come down from heaven. As the son of God, Jesus possesses majesty and transcendence.

These beasts are so much like him because they are so often with him. Now, even if that's a stretch, it's kind of awesome to ponder it. Yeah. This is a wild text to begin with. And the entirety of scripture points to Jesus as king and savior. So I can roll with that.

Their Ceaseless Worship

"And day and night they never cease to say, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come.'"

Revelation 4:8

The Believers' Worship

"And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever. The 24 elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 'Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.'"

Revelation 4:9-11

Lastly, let's look at verses 9 through 11. The shouts of the believers. It isn't just the four living creatures that are lifting their voices in praise. When the four beasts begin to praise the Lord, the 24 elders join right in. And I want you to notice four things about this.

Four Characteristics of Their Praise

1. Voluntary Praise

First, I want you to notice their praise is voluntary. Nobody is seen forcing them to praise the Lord. When they hear their Lord exalted, they can't help but join right in. They fall down before him and worship their redeemer.

2. Visible Praise

Next, their praise is visible. They don't just praise the Lord in my heart. They fall down before him and offer visible, opened, unabashed praise to the Lord. And you know how they do it?

3. Active Praise

They do it in an active way. Their praise is active. They take the crowns they had been given and they cast them at the feet of the Lord God. They acknowledge that where they are, what they have, and all they have accomplished is a direct result of his power, his grace, and his love. They owe it all to him, and they offer him everything that they have, and they are not concerned about their own glory, but they are lost in his glory.

4. Loud Praise

And lastly, I don't want you to miss this. Their praise was loud. And on top of everything else, they open their mouths and they loudly proclaim their love and adoration for the Lord. They declare his worthiness. They declare his power. They declare his right to rule and reign. They declare their agreement with what he is about to do in the world. And they declare the fact that he made the world and all that is in it. It is his and he can do anything he pleases.

Heaven's True Songs

When you get to heaven, there will be no songs about evolution. There will be no songs about how Jesus helped us reach our best earthly potential. There will be no songs about how much Jesus gets us. Heaven will literally reverberate with praises to God.

Anytime man enters the presence of God, man always falls down in worship. Man is terrified in the presence of God and always falls down in humble worship.

What We'll Actually Be Doing in Heaven

Do you want to know what you're going to be doing when you get to heaven? We're not going to be floating around on a cloud strumming a harp. Neither will we be fishing or hunting or sleeping or my favorite, racing Dale Earnhardt or any of these other foolish things we hear from time to time. Yeah, I'd like to race Dale Earnhardt. I'd wish we could go to heaven and I could race him. But that's not what this is. That's not what is prepared for you.

You won't even think about those things because you're going to be so enamored with what you see when you get a glimpse of the throne room of God.

If you want to know what we're going to be doing, look no further than this passage. When we leave here, we're going to be called up. We're going to be made perfect in the sight of God. And all we're going to do is get caught up in the praise and worship that is the God, the creator, the one who forgives us, the one who loves us, the one who redeemed us.

When we arrive there, we will see what we were, where we were headed, and what he has done for us in saving our souls. We will comprehend this, and we will not be able to restrain our praise. How great would it be to get that down here a little bit? Get a taste, huh?

Praise Him Now Like We Will Then

Oh, that his people would praise him for all that he has done for them. Where he actually is taking them and how he is truly blessing them with what they can't even see yet. There's nothing wrong with praising the Lord. The only thing wrong is that we need more of it going on.

If we want to praise him, then let's do it here like we will do it there. Our praise should be voluntary, visible, active, and loud.

I'm excited about going to heaven. How about you? I look forward to seeing my Lord and my God. I look forward to joining my voice with those other redeemed saints and praising the one who sought me, bought me, and delivered me from my sins. I want to live now my life as an expression of praise to the Lord who loves me. I want to be found glorifying him by the life I live and about how I praise him.

The Beauty of Ordinary Worship

And there's not a lot of super sugar in this. It's very boring sometimes. I praise him by paying my bills. I praise him by loving the one woman of my youth. I praise him by praying for a lot of you guys. You see, it's awesome to live for Jesus. And these boring things that we used to think were boring are no longer boring. They're exciting.

I mean, maybe it's a little bit that I'm now the mayor of Geyser Town, but one of the most exciting things for me to do is have a cup of coffee on my back deck with my bride. Why? Because when contentment with godliness, they say it's great gain. And we're praising him.

He is worthy of our love and devotion, our adoration and our praise. He deserves it as much today as he will when we get home to glory. So, let's give him everything he deserves. And let's not wait for heaven to do it.