REVELATION Chapter 4 "John's First Vision in Heaven" This Bible Study was written by Roger Christopherson, and it's transcription is provided with written permission by https://theseason.org The book of Revelation means to reveal. This book's meaning is to unveil the events that are to occur at the close of this flesh period, and takes us into the Millennium kingdom and beyond. Even to the eternal kingdom, when we will be present with all three offices of the Godhead. There are many doctrines that have slipped into today's body of Christian believers. This fourth chapter gets into one of the most damaging of all of the false teachings. That is because it's totally misleading. Unfortunately it is taught in most mainstream churches; by teachers, evangelists, and so forth; as they try to make the first two verses of the fourth chapter to fit into their "rapture doctrine". In studying the Bible in the original text; Both the Hebrew and the Greek languages have the subject and the object of the sentences fixed. This keeps man from changing it; so that a person with common sense can read and understand the subject and the object, and know exactly what God is talking about. So keep in mind that if some person tries to add something into the sentence, when it is not part of the subject, or object; then discount it. Listen to your Heavenly Father, and not to verbal distortions. The common thought in many studies of the book of Revelation, uses this fourth chapter of Revelation to show as evidence that the church will be gone during this great tribulation. They say "the rapture" has taken place and the church is not present on earth during the great tribulation. However, the "church" has no article in these first two verses of Revelation Four. The Church will not be mentioned again until Chapter Twenty Two. Revelation 4:1 "After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter." "After this", is after the vision of the seven churches have been instructed; in which two of those churches were on the right track, and the other five churches Jesus was displeased with. Two churches had the doctrines of Christ in them, and they knew who the "Kenites" were, and where they came. They knew the Kenites were of the synagogue of Satan and claimed to be Jews, when in fact they were lying and not Jews at all. Jesus said, if you understand what the churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia understood, and followed it, it is worth a crown of life to you. This chapter starts out, "After this [after the messages to the churches] I looked, behold a door was opened in heaven:" This door is not on earth where the seven churches are, but in heaven. John is being carried from the Isle of Patmos to a specific time, or "earth dispensation" in the heavenlies. The key to understanding when this time period was, go to Revelation 1:10. "I was in the spirit on the Lord's day:" This is not in reference to a Saturday or Sunday. This is a record given by Jesus to John of events that will happen just before, or following that day. "That day" is the day of the sounding of the seventh trumpet when Jesus Christ returns. John has already addressed the churches on the earth; then he looked up, and this door to heaven has opened. Now we can see through John's spiritual eyes and pen, what events are taking place on the "day of the Lord". "The first voice which I heard..." Who is this "I" in verse one? Of course it's John, the one writing this. Have you ever heard John referred to as "the Church"? Absolutely not. There is no church in heaven; not at this point. However, there will be, for heaven is wherever God is, and at the appointed time He is coming here to earth. Then there will be one church, one gathering place where the called-out ones shall meet. "...I heard as it were of a trumpet"; [This is the last trumpet] "...talking with me,". The voice here is not speaking to the church, but it is directed to John. "Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be here after." That refers to the "day" that is after our subject, "The Lords Day". "I will shew thee [John, singular]", transporting John and John only, in the spirit to this certain place in heaven. There is no church in this verse going anyplace. There is only John being taken to heaven in the spirit, and hearing a voice like a trumpet calling him up. John was taken from 90 A.D. to a time beyond this year, 1994; for we are living in the final generation. The whole purpose for John writing this entire book of Revelation is to warn the people of this generation of the great deception the Antichrist, and his system which he will bring upon the earth before Jesus Christ's return. We are living in the generation of the "parable of the fig tree" and that is why Jesus told us to learn it, so that we would not be deceived. This fourth chapter then tells us what is going to happen after this generation on the "Day of the Lord". Revelation 4:2 "And immediately I was in the spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne." Again, this is John that is in the spirit and observing our Heavenly Father sitting upon His throne. Revelation 4:3 "And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald." We know the "jasper stone" is green, and the "sardine stone" is red; So what is being said here? A priest's breast plate has twelve stones in it. The jasper stone and the sardine stones are the last and the first stones on his breast plate. Why then does John see the last stone first, and then the first stone last? It's the last to pass through this earth age, that are to be the first to see with their eyes these events that transpire. Whereby they can see and understand our Father's will and wish. Any time a light shines through a prism you can see a rainbow of colors. The rainbow is the description of the radiance of the Glory of God. This is brought to light in Revelation 10:1, at the time when the rainbow is worn as a crown of glory, when Jesus Christ's return to earth. It represents the full spectrum; the full pattern of the Godhead. Revelation 4:4 "And round about the throne were four and twenty seats [thrones]: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold." There is no way to document this, except in comparison of other Scripture, and the assumption is that God will put certain people in higher esteem than others in His kingdom. It's possible that these twenty four elders were the twelve patriarchs, or heads of the tribes of Israel, for in the seventh chapter the importance of these patriarchs will become clearer. The other twelve, being the Apostles. If we leave Judas out, we must remember, however, upon repentance all sinful acts are forgiven, and blotted out. Remember that Judas the Apostle did give the money back and repented in sorrow. So here we have twenty four elders sitting clothed in "white raiment." In the study of the third chapter we saw that "white raiment" are the religious acts of the saints; [Revelation 3:18], and upon their heads were their crowns of life. That is what these crowns of life symbolizes. Revelation 4:5 "And out of the throne proceeded lightning and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God." What are these seven spirits? God had seven angels over the seven churches, when the seven churches were being spoken to; however, we will cover these seven spirits in detail in the next two chapters. Revelation 4:6 "And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts [living creatures] full of eyes before and behind." The "throne of God" is pure. This "sea of glass" represents purity; with no flaws. The beast is a good way to classify something that man has no reference to. The word for "beast" in the Greek is "zoon", or "zoa", which means "living ones". The "zoa" are the cherubims of Genesis 3:24. In Ezekiel 1:5-14, they are the protective cherubims of God's throne. Basically these four creatures do not have free will, for their duty is solely to protect and to guard. Revelation 4:7 "And the first beast [creature] was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle." As you think of these four beasts that John is seeing in his vision, think also of the zoa, or cherubims of Ezekiel 1:10. In Numbers 2:2 we see that each night when the different tribes camped, they set their standards, or banners before themselves. That standard meant something, and represented that tribe with the banner set before them. The standard of the United States is the "Stars and Stripes". These beast-like figures are the standards of the four beasts. When the Israelites camped, the flag with the Lion was always before Judah to the east. On the south was the tribe with the "man's face" on the flag, Reuben; for he was the firstborn. To the west was the "ox", representing Ephraim, and Dan's banner was on the north side with "the eagle". God's order to the tribes was that they put those banners in their place of encampment. That is what the book of Numbers is all about. These four tribes were the protectors of the whole camp of Israel, all the tribes. They were the protectors of the nation and the throne, and God was their only King. In fact, in eternity, the "zoa" are never mentioned. They are mentioned only to John here, and this is the last time we will read of them. Revelation 4:8 "And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him: and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come." With these eyes they could understand clearly. It wasn't necessary for them to rest, because these "zoa" were created such as they were by God. This is their duty; they are to have a continual watch. And as they keep their watch, they are continually giving praise to our Heavenly Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ. "Which was", calls attention to Jesus Christ the Son in the first earth age, prior to the destruction of Genesis 1:1-2. "Which is"; is referring to Him as the Son of God that was born, lived, and died in this earth age. "And yet to come", is the time coming very shortly when Jesus will return at the seventh trump to establish His kingdom on earth. Revelation 4:9 "And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever," Christ is the source of power that allows us to live forever and ever. Revelation 4:10 "The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying," The power that is in their crowns, their authority, and all that they have are cast before the throne of God in humility, showing that all power and authority that exists comes from the Father. Revelation 4:11 "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." This is what these voices of the four beasts, and the twenty four elders said. They recognized that all glory is of God, and belongs to Him. Our God is the God of the Universe, for it is God that created all things. When God created mankind, our sole purpose of existence at any age or time, is for His pleasure. When we see people use God's name in cursing, think of how it must hurt him, but it also shows how much He must love His creation [man], for He gave his own Son to redeem man from his sins. God allowed a way for all men to come back to Him through the blood of His Son, shed on the cross, and man's humble repentance. In ignorance we sin, and in love God forgives us through His son's name, who gave His all for us. He left His place in glory to be born of the Virgin Mary. He grew from a baby to manhood, and saw the same temptation you and I see. Then Jesus went to the cross gladly to fulfill Scripture, and complete His Fathers plan; and the plan of redemption was finished on the cross. That great love is offered to anyone who can look up from wherever he or she is, and call out for our Savior's forgiveness. It's a gift friend. If that isn't enough, our Savior Jesus Christ will elevate you before the creator, and blot out all of the sins you have ever committed, and make them as if they were never committed, before the Father, and give you a real and lasting peace. Then He sent His Holy Spirit to be with each of us, to comfort us at all times, especially during our times of trouble. My friend, that is why Jesus Christ and the Heavenly Father deserve our love and praise; and that is why John saw in heaven this enormous praise given to Jesus Christ. If you don't understand this then you are spiritually out of touch, and need to humbly yourself and seek Him in prayer, and in His Word. All things were, and are created for God's pleasure, and that includes you and I. If you fall outside that realm of trying to give God pleasure, it is you that will suffer for your neglect. God is very real, and when you praise God and worship Him, He will bless you.
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