Revelation 4 - John's Vision Or Visit To Heaven And God's Throne -

Isaiah saw God and His throne in Isaiah 6.

“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. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” 4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Ezekiel had a vision of heaven and God’s throne in Ezekiel 1 and 10.

“In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the Chebar canal, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.”  – Ezekiel 1:1

Ezekiel goes on to describe 4 living beings that he saw, and we will see his description of them a little later on.

” …and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.”  – Revelation 4:3

The rainbow represents God’s mercy and grace, as in the promise God made in Noah’s time after the great flood. The shining rainbow around God’s throne is described as having the appearance of an emerald, or a greenish color.

Revelation 4 – John’s Vision or Visit to Heaven And God’s Throne

24 Elders Sitting on Thrones

Revelation 4:4 mentions the 24 elders sitting on thrones, dressed in white, and wearing crowns of gold. Who are the 24 elders?

Some think the 24 elders are angelic beings. However, angels that appear in the Bible don’t sit, they stand or hover. Angels never have crowns in the Bible. And angels are never on thrones in the Bible.

The Greek word for elder “presbyterous” or presbyters in English in Revelation 4:4 is never used in Scripture to describe angels. So who are these 24 elders?

Here is Jesus’ promise to the apostles in Matthew 19:

“Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” – Matthew 19:28

“Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” – Revelation 20:6 (saints on thrones to reign and judge with Christ during His 1000 year reign)

The number of the 24 elders, is seen by many as symbolizing the 12 tribes of Israel (written on the gates of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21:12), and the 12 apostles of the Lamb (written on the 12 foundations of the city in Revelation 21:14). Thus, they suggest 12 of the elders represent Old Testament faithful believers and the other 12 New Testament faithful believers.

“It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed. – Revelation 21:12

“And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” – Revelation 21:14

24 Elders Are Dressed in White

Faithful followers and witnesses of Jesus are shown to be wearing white garments in the book of Revelation and other places in the Bible. The white garments represent the righteousness of Jesus given to those who repent and place their faith in Him.

“He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” – Revelation 3:5

“And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.” – Revelation 6:11

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands.” – Revelation 7:9

The 24 elders are described in Revelation 4:4 as wearing crowns of gold. The Greek word “stephanos” is used , and is a crown or prize given to the victor of an athletic event or race.

Jesus says “he who overcomes …” in every one of His letters to the 7 churches in Revelation 2 and 3. This means he who overcomes evil and the world will receive the crown of life and the crown of righteousness, which is eternal life in heaven. And the honor of reigning with God in His eternal kingdom.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” – 2 Timothy 4:7-8

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” – 1 Corinthians 9:24-25

“Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. ” – Revelation 2:10

“He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations.” – Revelation 2:26

Revelation 4 – John’s Vision or Visit to Heaven And God’s Throne

Evidence of the Rapture Occurring Before The Tribulation

The 24 elders on thrones, representing believers from the Old and New Testaments, are in heaven in Revelation 4. This takes place before the 7 year tribulation, which begins in Revelation 6. The 7 year tribulation period begins with the opening of the first 6 of 7 seals in Revelation 6. Thus the 24 elders appearing in heaven on thrones in Revelation 4 is suggesting more evidence of a pre-Tribulation rapture of Jesus’ faithful followers and witnesses.

Also, in 1 Thessalonians 4 Paul writes and teaches about Jesus coming back to rapture His church.

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.”  – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Then in 1 Thessalonians 5 Paul talks about “the day of the Lord “, which is God’s final judgement and punishment of His enemies. This takes place in the 2nd half of the 7 year tribulation. The 2nd half is known as the Great Tribulation.

“Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”  – 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3

Paul says that the people in the church of Thessalonica do not need to be taught about “the day of the Lord “, and that they already knew about it. Ols Testament prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, and others wrote about it. And Jesus taught about it in Matthew 24.

Paul is talking and teaching about the rapture of the church in 1 Thessalonians 4,  as a different event than the “day of the Lord “. And he proceeds talking about the day of the Lord in 1 Thessalonians 5 by teaching about the rapture. Which is another piece of evidence to show that God’s people and church will be raptured and spared the tribulation.

More Evidence of the Rapture Occurring Before The Tribulation

In Jesus’ letter to the faithful church in Philadelphia in Revelation 3 He makes a great promise to them for their faithfulness and patient endurance through persecution and suffering.

“Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. ”  – Revelation 3:10

Here is a great promise for the faithful and obedient believers in the church of Philadelphia. And not only for the true followers of Jesus in the church of Philadelphia, but for all true believers of Jesus. The true followers of Jesus that continually and faithfully stay devoted to Jesus, and keep obeying His commands. Despite the difficulties and dangers. Despite the persecution. Despite the costs of truly following Jesus.

Jesus is promising to His true followers that remain devoted, faithful and obedient to keep them out of the coming tribulation.

This is one of the key verses and promises in God’s word the Bible of a pre-tribulation  raputure of God’s people. The original Greek words “τηρέω ἐκ (tereo ek) in Revelation 3:10 mean to “keep from” or also mean “keep out of”. The people who believe that there is no pre-tribulation raputure and that it will come later believe the Greek words τηρέω ἐκ (tereo ek) mean that Jesus will keep them, or sustain them, during the Great Tribulation. They do not believe that Jesus means that He will keep them from or out of the Great Tribulation.

The Greek word ἐκ is used various times in the New Testament. Here are just a couple of the many cases where the word ἐκ is used to mean “out of”:

“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of  (ἐκ) my hand.”  – John 10:28

“The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of (ἐκ) the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness.”  – John 12:17

“How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of (ἐκ) the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”  – Matthew 12:34

“For he was saying to him, “Come out of (ἐκ) the man, you unclean spirit!”  – Mark 5:8

So in Revelation 3:10 Jesus is promising his faithful followers that He will keep them out of (τηρέω ἐκ – tereo ek) the coming 7 year tribulation.

These verses in Revelation 1 and 4 are referring to Isaiah 11:2, which describes the 7 Spirits of God:

“and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: ⁷ 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. ⁸ And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, 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 4:6-8

In Revelation 4:6-8 John describes 4 living creatures, which have 6 wings (verse 8). The seraphim, which have 6 wings, were described by Isaiah in his vision of heaven in Isaiah 6. These are the only 2 instances in the Bible of living beings with 6 wings. So these living beings in John’s vision in Revelation 4 are seraphim. The word seraphim is from the Hebrew word meaning “burning ones”. This suggests they have a fiery appearance.

4 Living Creatures with Eyes All Around

“In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings.”  – Revelation 4:6-8

Revelation 4 – John’s Vision or Visit to Heaven And God’s Throne

Seraphim vs Cherubim

The 4 living beings described by John in Revelation 4:6-8 have 6 wings with eyes all around, and thus are seraphim or “burning ones”. These are also described by Isaiah in his vision of heaven in Isaiah 6.

There is another type of living being or creature described in other places in the Bible that are called cherubim.

The Cherubim that appear in the Bible have 4 wings, and are not the same as seraphim.

Genesis 3:24 – Cherubim

“He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.”

Ezekiel 1 & 10 – Cherubim

Ezekiel 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.

Ezekiel 1:5 and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was human, 6 but each of them had four faces and four wings.

Ezekiel 1:10 Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle. 11 Such were their faces. They each had two wings spreading out upward, each wing touching that of the creature on either side; and each had two other wings covering its body.

Ezekiel 10 (describes the same living beings, or cherubim, as in Ezekiel 1)

Ezekiel 10:14 – And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of the cherub, and the second face was a human face, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.

Ezekiel10:20-22 – These were the living creatures that I saw underneath the God of Israel by the Chebar canal; and I knew that they were cherubim. 21 Each had four faces, and each four wings, and underneath their wings the likeness of human hands. 22 And as for the likeness of their faces, they were the same faces whose appearance I had seen by the Chebar canal.

Cherubim And Seraphim Are Not Angels

Cherubim and Seraphim are not described as angels in the Bible, but as living beings. They are not human beings, and are not angels either. Their appearance is quite different than the appearance of angels as described in the Bible.

Revelation 4 – John’s Vision or Visit to Heaven And God’s Throne

Only God Is Worthy of All Honor And Glory And Thanks And Praise

“And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰ the twenty-four 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, ¹¹ “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

Only God is worthy to receive all glory, honor, thanks, praise, and worship.

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” – Ephesians 3:20-21