THE BOOK OF REVELATION
Part 15
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ
~ ~ ~
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."
Rev 4:1-2 NIV
John was called up with a trumpet—a Voice said
"Come up here!" because at this time in chapter 4, the Rapture takes
place—concluding the Church Age.
The Voice tells John, “I will shew thee things which must be hereafter” (KJV).
This signals that the rest of Revelation will be
predictive in nature. From this point forward, John is transported from ‘the First
Century’ to ‘the End Times’—he becomes a witness to the things that will happen
at the end of time.
At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in
Heaven with someone sitting on it (Verse 2 NIV).
Prophet Isaiah in his day also saw the Lord seated
on His Throne in the Most Holy Place.
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a
throne, high and exalted, and the train of His robe filled the temple.
Isa 6:1-2 NIV
He saw a vision of the Messiah's Glory, which is “the
Sh’khinah of Yeshua.” Like John, he saw Jesus' Glory.
Now, here is the appearance of the Lord Jesus as
John saw Him:
And the One Who sat there had the appearance of jasper and
carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne (verse 3 NIV).
Verses 4 and 5 says,
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. From the throne came flashes of lightning,
rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing.
These are the Seven Spirits of God.
NIV
“The sea of glass” clear as crystal seen in verse 6,
could be the same as in chapter 15 verse 2.
Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of
glass, clear as crystal.
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures,
and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 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. Each of the four living creatures
had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day
and night they never stop saying:
"Holy, Holy, Holy
is the Lord God Almighty,
Who was, and is, and is to come."
Rev 4:6-8 NIV
A parallel passage to this is in Ezekiel 1:10-24.
Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a
man, 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. Such were their faces. Their
wings were spread out upward; each had two wings, one touching the wing of
another creature on either side, and two wings covering its body. Each one went
straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as
they went. The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of
fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was
bright, and lightning flashed out of it. The creatures sped back and forth like
flashes of lightning.
As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground
beside each creature with its four faces. This was the appearance and structure
of the wheels: They sparkled like chrysolite, and all four looked alike. Each
appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. As they moved, they
would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did
not turn about as the creatures went. Their rims were high and awesome, and all
four rims were full of eyes all around.
When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved;
and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose.
Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along
with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When
the creatures moved, they also moved; when the creatures stood still, they also
stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along
with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
Spread out above the
heads of the living creatures was what looked like an expanse, sparkling like
ice, and awesome. Under the expanse their wings were stretched out one toward
the other, and each had two wings covering its body. When the creatures moved,
I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the
voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they
lowered their wings.
NIV
Holiness is the fullness of God’s nature, attributes
and characteristics (Isa 6:3); He is the Lord God, the Almighty (Rev 1:8)—Who
was and is and is to come (Rev 1:4).
He died and came to life (Rev.1:18).
"You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive Glory and Honor and Power,
for you created all things,
and by your Will they were created
and have their being."
Rev 4:11 NIV