God Wins: The Message of the Book of Revelation
A Series by Ray Jewell
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.” At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. 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. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven –fold Spirit of God. Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. – Revelation 4:1-6
The revelation takes an interesting twist starting here. The initial vision and the letters to the seven churches are an earthly scene, things that symbolize what people were dealing with in their space-time continuum. Now we have a heavenly scene. This is one of the hermeneutical devices of this book. Things that happen on earth happen simultaneously with things that happen in heaven. So, as the seven churches listen to and try to put into practice what has been said to them, at the same time, in some other space dimension, is what is happening in heaven.
John is taken into a throne room. He is ushered into the very throne room of God. Flashes of lightening, rumblings and peals of thunder were the best descriptive words John could use to describe what he saw. This place is awesome, it is a holy place. God’s rainbow is there as well.
And something else that continues to be an important part throughout the book, twenty-four thrones around the main throne with twenty-four elders seated in those thrones. Here is one place where the revelation clearly shows the connection between the Hebrew covenantal people and the church. Twelve tribes + twelve apostles = twenty-four elders. It is a representation of the whole people of God. This is how the people of faith that we read about in the Hebrew Bible are connected with the people of faith we read about in the New Covenant.
And God the Spirit is present as well. He is the One showing John all of this, but He is also a part of those surrounding the throne of God. May I suggest that a spirit-filled life is how people are allowed entrance to this Kingdom. And the elders were dressed in white (signifying the purifying work of the Lamb who was slain) and with crowns on their heads (they are actively reigning with God, not some disembodied spirit that is sleeping until the end of time comes).
This is a vivid picture of Heaven now, going on even as we speak. But it is not eternity. We will see later some of the other things that shows how heaven now interacts with earth now. One passage in the letter to the Hebrews sheds some light on this. After the great chapter in Hebrews listing the heroes of the Faith, that writer pens these words, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1-3).
The twenty-four elders, all the people mentioned in Hebrews 11, other believers who have gone before, are cheering us on. And the main cheerleader is Jesus Christ Himself, the author and finisher of our Faith.
Lord, You know how difficult it is to follow You, but you have not left us alone. You are here in our midst through Your Spirit. Give me/us the courage we need to make it to the finish line, the end of my/our days here on earth. Until that day let me live in such a way that I will hear those wonderful words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Amen.
Until next time,
TO THE GLORY OF GOD!
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