AM Dec 13th Rev 4

December 13^th               Revelation 4      C. FUTURE – Christ in Heavenly scenes A Throne set in heaven

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; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. 2: And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. 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. 4: And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. 5: And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. 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 full of eyes before and behind. 7: And the first beast 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. 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. 9: And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, 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, 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.

From now on John is given an insight into the future. Christ says, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. The rest of Revelation is obviously future, yet John sees everything as if it were present then. The first thing John sees is a throne in heaven. This is an amazing glimpse of Christ in glory. The throne is jasper and Sardis and a rainbow surrounds the throne. Twenty four elders are seated – clothed in white and they have golden crowns. There is the sound of lightening and thundering and there are four angelic beasts – each beast has six wings. In front of the throne is a crystal sea. The twenty four elders bow before Christ and worship his because he is the creator. This vision takes us away from this earth to a scene so unlike earth that it is impossible for us to imagine the things that John sees. Its no wonder that Paul said that he saw things that were indescribable.