The Central Reality: The Throne Room of God Text: Revelation 4:1-11
Introduction: Worship is Warfare
We come now to a section of Revelation that pulls back the curtain of our mundane, workaday world and shows us the central reality of the entire cosmos. What is the most real thing? What is the control room of the universe? Our secular age would have us believe it is a boardroom in Davos, a committee meeting in Washington D.C., or a quantum fluctuation in the primordial soup. They are tragically mistaken. The control room of the universe is a throne room, and the central activity of the universe is worship.
The book of Revelation is structured in a particular way. It alternates between scenes of worship in Heaven and scenes of convulsion and judgment on earth. This is not a coincidence. The relationship is causal. What happens in Heaven drives what happens on earth. The prayers of the saints ascend, the elders cast their crowns, the living creatures cry "Holy," and as a direct result, seals are opened, trumpets are blown, and bowls are poured out on the earth. Our worship is not a retreat from the world; it is the primary engine of our engagement with the world. It is spiritual warfare conducted from the ultimate high ground. When we gather for worship on the Lord's Day, we are not hiding from the enemy. We are ascending into the heavenly places to join this very scene, and from there, with the hosts of Heaven, we wage war.
Chapter 4 is the pivot point. After dealing with the seven churches on earth, John is summoned "up here" to see what is truly going on. He is shown the throne, the source of all power, all authority, and all history. If we do not get this chapter right, we will get the rest of the book, and indeed the rest of our lives, wrong. We will think that history is driven by chance, or by powerful men, or by impersonal economic forces. But the Bible tells us that history is driven by the worship of the triune God. All of history is a liturgy, and the question is not whether you are a worshiper, but who you will worship.
The Text
After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” Immediately I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and upon those thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads. And out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. And the first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within, and day and night they do not cease to say, “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.” And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”
(Revelation 4:1-11 LSB)
The Open Door and the Central Throne (vv. 1-3)
The vision begins with an invitation and an immediate transportation.
"After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, 'Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.' Immediately I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne." (Revelation 4:1-2)
John is invited to ascend. This is a picture of what happens in New Covenant worship. Through Christ, who is the door (John 10:9), we have access to the Father. The way into the holiest of all has been opened by the blood of Jesus (Heb. 10:19-20). What was previously shut to sinful man is now open to the redeemed. Every Lord's Day, we are called to "come up here."
And what is the first and central thing he sees? A throne. Not a committee, not a democratic assembly, not a void, but a throne. The central fact of the universe is that it is governed. It is a monarchy. God is sovereign. This throne is the ultimate source of all authority and power. The lightning and thunder that proceed from it (v. 5) are reminiscent of Mount Sinai (Ex. 19:16), indicating that this is a throne of awesome, terrifying power and holiness. This is the fixed point around which everything else revolves.
"And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance." (Revelation 4:3)
John does not describe the form of God, for no man can see God and live. Instead, he describes His appearance in terms of brilliant, fiery gemstones. The jasper and sardius were the first and last stones on the breastplate of the High Priest (Ex. 28:17-20), representing the twelve tribes of Israel. This hints that the one on the throne is the God of Israel, the covenant-keeping God. He is both the beginning and the end. But surrounding this fiery holiness is a rainbow, the sign of God's covenant promise to Noah never again to destroy the earth by water (Gen. 9:13). This is a throne of judgment, yes, but it is a judgment tempered by covenant faithfulness and mercy. The emerald greenness of it speaks of life and peace. Here, in the very center of reality, mercy and justice meet.
The Royal Court (vv. 4-8)
Surrounding the central throne is the royal court of Heaven, composed of elders, spirits, and living creatures.
"Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and upon those thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads." (Revelation 4:4)
Who are these twenty-four elders? They represent the entire redeemed people of God. The number twenty-four is the combination of the twelve tribes of Israel (the Old Covenant saints) and the twelve apostles of the Lamb (the New Covenant saints). They are seated on thrones, indicating their royal status as co-reigners with Christ (Rev. 5:10). They wear white garments, signifying the imputed righteousness of Christ, and they have golden crowns, the reward for faithfulness. This is a picture of the Church triumphant. Notice, they are already enthroned, already crowned, even as the tribulations unfold on earth. Our position in Christ is secure in the heavenlies (Eph. 2:6).
"And out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal." (Revelation 4:5-6a)
The seven lamps of fire are the sevenfold Spirit of God (cf. Isa. 11:2), the Holy Spirit in His fullness, illuminating the throne and executing the will of the Father and the Son. Before the throne is a "sea of glass." This is not an ocean, but rather the heavenly counterpart to the bronze laver in the Temple (1 Kings 7:23). It was where the priests washed for purification. Here, it is perfectly calm and clear as crystal, signifying the perfect and complete purification of the saints who have access to this throne. We stand before God on the basis of a finished work of cleansing.
"And in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind... like a lion... a calf... a man... a flying eagle." (Revelation 4:6b-8a)
These are the cherubim, the highest order of angelic beings who guard the holiness of God. We see them in Ezekiel's vision (Ezek. 1) and guarding the way to Eden (Gen. 3:24). Their four faces represent all of creation in its noblest forms: the lion (king of wild beasts), the calf (king of domestic beasts), the man (king of creation), and the eagle (king of the birds). They represent all of creation worshiping its Creator. They are "full of eyes," signifying their ceaseless vigilance and comprehensive knowledge. Nothing escapes their notice as they serve the one on the throne. They are the ultimate guardians of the divine presence.
The Unceasing Anthem (vv. 8b-11)
The central activity of this throne room is perpetual, adoring worship.
"...and day and night they do not cease to say, 'HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.'" (Revelation 4:8b)
This is the Trisagion, the song Isaiah heard in the temple (Isa. 6:3). The threefold repetition of "Holy" is the Hebrew way of expressing the absolute superlative. God is not just holy; He is holiness itself. He is utterly set apart, transcendent, and morally perfect. This is His fundamental attribute. He is the Lord God Almighty, the sovereign ruler. And He is eternal, the one "who was and who is and who is to come," the master of all time and history.
This anthem is the keynote of all heavenly worship. The cherubim set the pitch, and the elders follow.
"And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks... the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him... and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 'Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.'" (Revelation 4:9-11)
The worship is responsive. When the cherubim sing, the elders fall prostrate. This is the posture of true worship: absolute submission and self-abasement. They then perform a most remarkable act: they cast their crowns before the throne. Their crowns represent all their achievements, all their authority, all their rewards. By casting them down, they acknowledge that everything they have and everything they are is from Him and for Him. Their greatest honor is to give all honor back to Him. There is no room for pride in the presence of God. All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, and any reward we receive is a reward of sheer grace, which we gladly return to the giver.
Their song gives the reason for God's worthiness. He is worthy because He is the Creator. "For You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created." This is the foundation of everything. God has the ultimate right to rule because He is the ultimate source of all that is. He owns it all by right of manufacture. This repudiates every form of atheistic materialism and every philosophy that would grant autonomy to man. We are not our own. We exist for His pleasure, for His will. And in His will is our peace.
Conclusion: The Center of Your World
This vision is not just a glimpse into a far-off future. It is a revelation of present reality. This throne is established now. This worship is happening now. And when we worship in spirit and in truth, we are joining this heavenly assembly (Heb. 12:22-24).
The question this chapter forces upon us is this: Is this throne the center of your world? Do you live your life in conscious submission to the one who sits upon it? Or do you imagine that you are on the throne of your own little life? Every sin, every act of rebellion, is an attempt to usurp this throne. It is a pathetic, ridiculous attempt to set up our own little throne and declare ourselves sovereign.
But the good news of the gospel is that the one on this throne of terrifying holiness is also the one who sent His Son to die for throne-usurpers like us. Through the blood of Jesus, we are not destroyed by the lightning and thunder, but are invited to draw near. We are given white robes and crowns of our own. We are invited to join the elders, to sit on thrones, and to cast our crowns before Him forever.
Therefore, let us live as though this were true. Let us see our earthly struggles, our political turmoil, and our cultural battles in light of this reality. They are not the ultimate reality. The throne in Heaven is. And because that throne is occupied by our God, the Creator of all things, who is Holy, Holy, Holy, we know that His will shall be done on earth, as it is in Heaven. Our worship here is the earthly echo of that heavenly song, and it is the means by which that heavenly rule is brought to bear on this rebellious world.