I'm continuing with the "paintings" God painted for us, the Church, in Revelation 4. I'm having fun with this, and so will continue.
"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. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. 6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal."
The Lord is throughout the universe, above the realm of the strictly local territories of earth. And He can only be perceived through spiritual means, ie by revelation. John was enabled to see the truths of God, and to experience His presence. This is something we are all given to be able to do, once we have embraced Jesus, God's Son, and have received the free gift of a New Nature from him.
God sits on the throne, with all power, and nobody able to stop Him from doing as He pleases. He fulfills every promise He has made, because nobody can resist His will.
And so, His appearance shows great worth, on behalf of Man, because He can do what He has promised. This is indicated by the gemstones.
And the rainbow indicates that God was willing to make promises to Man, even though we are unworthy. God produced a rainbow for Noah when He decided that humanity should continue despite their sin.
The 24 thrones originate from the priestly setup under the Law of Moses, and indicate that there is an angelic order standing behind the ministry of the Church. They ensure that the Church is viewed as innocent and authoritative, which is why they seem to be dressed in white and wearing crowns of gold.
The lightning and thunder indicate the entrance of God's judgments upon the earth with each event that God determines to act in a way to defend His People. The wicked world may be given to get away with abusing God's People for a time, but this is only for a time. When God's patience wears out, He acts, and His word brings judgments down upon the earth.
The 7 lamps are the light of God exposing all sin across the whole earth. God exposes sin both within the 7 churches and across the entire world.
The sea of glass, clear as crystal, indicates the purity that God demands on earth, reflecting His own nature in mankind. Most of the earth is a sea. But humanity has distorted God's image, as it was meant to be seen reflected in all of humanity. The waters of the sea presently look impure, due to humanity's sin. But God's will is to restore the world and humanity to purity.
"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. Day and night they never stop saying:
“‘Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,’
who was, and is, and is to come.”
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
11 “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.” "
The 4 creatures represent the judgment of God sent upon the earth. They are angels of judgment who, having many eyes, are aware of the sins of Mankind, and are prepared to bring judgment like animals pursuing prey. The lion and the eagle are clearly predatory creatures. The ox indicates size, as in power above lesser domestic creatures, such as goats and sheep. And the man indicates human judgment, such as intellectual judgment bringing charges and sentencing.
Angels themselves are appointed by God to guard His holiness on earth and amidst humanity. That is why God placed cherubim at the door to the Garden of Eden, after Man had sinned. God did not want sinful man polluting His presence in the Garden.
He didn't want them to take of the tree of life, to eat its fruit and become eternal beings in a state of sin. That would mar God's immediate presence. Those who would draw near to God must be purified. And only adopting the nature of Christ can we hope to have that purity, and to be able to draw near to God.
The six wings of the 4 creatures indicate God is bringing all creation to rest, just as in six days He did the work in creation to bring His purpose on earth to completion. The job today is to remove the wickedness on earth so that God's image will finally be reflected in all of humanity. This is how God planned, from the beginning, to express His glory throughout the earth.
Habakkuk 2.14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
"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. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. 6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal."
The Lord is throughout the universe, above the realm of the strictly local territories of earth. And He can only be perceived through spiritual means, ie by revelation. John was enabled to see the truths of God, and to experience His presence. This is something we are all given to be able to do, once we have embraced Jesus, God's Son, and have received the free gift of a New Nature from him.
God sits on the throne, with all power, and nobody able to stop Him from doing as He pleases. He fulfills every promise He has made, because nobody can resist His will.
And so, His appearance shows great worth, on behalf of Man, because He can do what He has promised. This is indicated by the gemstones.
And the rainbow indicates that God was willing to make promises to Man, even though we are unworthy. God produced a rainbow for Noah when He decided that humanity should continue despite their sin.
The 24 thrones originate from the priestly setup under the Law of Moses, and indicate that there is an angelic order standing behind the ministry of the Church. They ensure that the Church is viewed as innocent and authoritative, which is why they seem to be dressed in white and wearing crowns of gold.
The lightning and thunder indicate the entrance of God's judgments upon the earth with each event that God determines to act in a way to defend His People. The wicked world may be given to get away with abusing God's People for a time, but this is only for a time. When God's patience wears out, He acts, and His word brings judgments down upon the earth.
The 7 lamps are the light of God exposing all sin across the whole earth. God exposes sin both within the 7 churches and across the entire world.
The sea of glass, clear as crystal, indicates the purity that God demands on earth, reflecting His own nature in mankind. Most of the earth is a sea. But humanity has distorted God's image, as it was meant to be seen reflected in all of humanity. The waters of the sea presently look impure, due to humanity's sin. But God's will is to restore the world and humanity to purity.
"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. Day and night they never stop saying:
“‘Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,’
who was, and is, and is to come.”
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
11 “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.” "
The 4 creatures represent the judgment of God sent upon the earth. They are angels of judgment who, having many eyes, are aware of the sins of Mankind, and are prepared to bring judgment like animals pursuing prey. The lion and the eagle are clearly predatory creatures. The ox indicates size, as in power above lesser domestic creatures, such as goats and sheep. And the man indicates human judgment, such as intellectual judgment bringing charges and sentencing.
Angels themselves are appointed by God to guard His holiness on earth and amidst humanity. That is why God placed cherubim at the door to the Garden of Eden, after Man had sinned. God did not want sinful man polluting His presence in the Garden.
He didn't want them to take of the tree of life, to eat its fruit and become eternal beings in a state of sin. That would mar God's immediate presence. Those who would draw near to God must be purified. And only adopting the nature of Christ can we hope to have that purity, and to be able to draw near to God.
The six wings of the 4 creatures indicate God is bringing all creation to rest, just as in six days He did the work in creation to bring His purpose on earth to completion. The job today is to remove the wickedness on earth so that God's image will finally be reflected in all of humanity. This is how God planned, from the beginning, to express His glory throughout the earth.
Habakkuk 2.14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
