THE GLORY OF GOD

Dear Brother/Sister,

It was a great privilege for Apostle John to see the vision of the throne of God.  The throne was described in its minutest detail in Revelation Chapter 4,  where in we read about the One who is seated on the throne and the way he is worshipped in heaven.  The Word of God says, “he that has eyes let him see; he that has ears let him hear; he that understands let him understand.”   Prophet Isaiah described the throne of God and the angels guarding it. Prophet Ezekiel described in a closer way; nevertheless John is the one who saw the throne of God to the minutest detail. As the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel entered to serve the LORD, they were permitted by HIM and to have visions to see the Almighty One.  (Isaiah 6:1-13 and Ezekiel 1:1-28). Nevertheless, John's vision was quite distinct from that of  the ones Isaiah and Ezekiel saw  In Revelation Chapter 4 the vision of future things to come and the exalted throne upon which the God is seated is presented to John  As John looked a door was opened, which indicates that John was invited to have look at  the heaven.  Until the door was opened the throne and and that which is in heaven was not known to John.  He was not to make presumptions but was decisively shown by the almighty himself as to what will come to pass in future.  Hhe heard a voice calling him to witness the things that will come to pass in future.  The voice that called him was like a trumpet and the voice said to him, to come up to have a vision of the things that will come to pass in the future.  No sooner than he heard this voice he was taken in spirit and behold, he saw the throne that was set in heaven and he also saw ONE was seated on the throne.  John does not say that he was caught up in to heaven, but he says he was caught up in sprit to witness these things that will come to pass. He was still in the island of Patmos. The vision that he saw appeared to him as real and about the things that will come to pass in future. It is noteworthy John does not give the description of the One who sat on the throne nor does he give any name of the One who is seated on the throne.  There is, therefore, no scope for any one to make an idol of how God looks like. To John the One seated on the throne appeared like the one in royal robes similar to a prince decked with expensive stones, a transparent Jasper that offers to the human eye vivid colors in perfection signifying God's glory, and Sardis that signifies justice of God. The image of the heaven, the throne and the One, who is seated on the throne is so excellent that John goes on describing that there was a rainbow around the throne, presenting a picture of beauty indescribable, and the sight was similar to that of an emerald. The rainbow is a picture of peace as was first presented by God as as sign of peace after the cessation of floods during Noah's period, when God made a covenant that there will no more destruction of men with flood.

There were twenty four elders sitting in their seats around the throne on which the One that is worthy to receive worship is seated. The twenty four elders were royal; seated on their seats with their crowns on their heads, which gives us the picture that they represent the saints of whole Church/Assembly of Old Testament and New Testament.  They received salvation through grace free of cost after confessing their sins and accepted Jesus as their personal savior; the Old Testament saints looked to the messiah, who was to come, the New Testament saints looked to the messiah, who had already come.  They have also overcome the temptations in the world and received crowns for their good works the have done. They are seated and their seating indicates the peace in them, the rest, the satisfaction, and the honor that is bestowed on them   It eliminates the possibility of assuming that they were literal twenty four elders in number around the throne on which God is seated but these twenty four elders, who are clothed in white robes signifying their purity, are the ones saved and their salvation entitled them such a position as they were in. They are robed in white raiment that indicates the purity in them, imputed righteousness of Lord Jesus and they had crowns on their heads signifying the honor and the rewards they received. They represented the Church/assembly on the earth and the exalted seat the victorious Church/assembly has in heaven.

From out of the throne proceeded the lightening and thundering and voices and before the throne were seven lamps of fire burning that were of seven Spirits of God. Before the throne was a sea of glass that appeared like a crystal and in the midst of the throne and around the throne there were four beasts that had eyes before and behind full on their bodies.  The first beast looked like lion, the second like a calf, the third had a face of man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle  These four beasts had each of them six wings around him and they were full of eyes.  They did not cease worshipping God saying, 'Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come'.

The Lion represents nobility, Ox represents strength, human face represents wisdom, and the flying eagle represents swiftness. As the beasts keep worshipping God that there was none like him before nor is, nor will be, the twenty four elders, who were seated on their seats around the throne,  fall down before him, casting down their crowns, which they gained for having lived unto the One, who has chosen them to his children.  They lay down their crowns before him acknowledging that it is because of his grace that they won their crowns and worship him saying, " 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".

God bless
Leslie M. John

O Lord, my God, my Savior, I thank You for loving me. Forgive me of all my sins.... [...My Prayer...]