Revelation 4

A glimpse of heaven - introducing its beasts & its elders

1: AFTER THIS I LOOKED, &, BEHOLD, A DOOR WAS OPENED IN HEAVEN: & THE FIRST VOICE WHICH I HEARD WAS AS IT WERE OF A TRUMPET TALKING WITH ME; WHICH SAID, COME UP HITHER, & I WILL SHOW THEE THINGS WHICH MUST BE HEREAFTER.        

• Christ is no longer dictating, John is giving his account       

• Voice of the trumpet will be known as voice from the throne  

• How many doors are in Heaven? There are many doors as there are many mansions: John 14:2 IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE THERE ARE MANY MANSIONS   

2: & IMMEDIATELY I WAS IN THE SPIRIT: &, BEHOLD, A THRONE WAS SET IN HEAVEN, & ONE SAT ON THE THRONE

• John is in the spirit, is drawn to heaven, the highest form of meditation perhaps

3: & HE THAT SAT WAS TO LOOK UPON LIKE A JASPER & A SARDINE STONE: & THERE WAS A RAINBOW ROUND ABOUT THE THRONE, IN SIGHT LIKE UNTO AN EMERALD

•  These are the first & last stones worn on the high priest's breastplate, pre-Christianity

4: & ROUND ABOUT THE THRONE WERE FOUR & TWENTY SEATS: & UPON THE SEATS I SAW FOUR & TWENTY ELDERS SITTING, CLOTHED IN WHITE RAIMENT; & THEY HAD ON THEIR HEADS CROWNS OF GOLD    

• To wear a crown is to rule; whom they rule is displayed in the mystery

• These have overcome their iniquities

5: & OUT OF THE THRONE PROCEEDED LIGHTENINGS & THUNDERINGS & VOICES: & THERE WERE SEVEN LAMPS OF FIRE BURNING BEFORE THE THRONE, WHICH ARE THE SEVEN SPIRITS OF GOD        

• The number seven is designated to be of God's

• The seven lightenings & thunderings & voices are the Almighty speaking - Job 37:2, 4, 5; 40:9; Psalm 18:13; 29:3-9; 81:7; Isa. 30:30 & 31; 1Samuel 2:10; 2Samuel 22:14        

• The seven spirits are the gifts God gave Jesus for overcoming & reaching this elevated position

6: & BEFORE THE THRONE THERE WAS A SEA OF GLASS LIKE UNTO CRYSTAL: & IN THE MIDST OF THE THRONE, & ROUND ABOUT THE THRONE, WERE FOUR BEASTS FULL OF EYES BEFORE & BEHIND        

• These beasts differ greatly from the beasts of future chapters - more properly translated is the word 'beings.'        

• These beings, if not equal to Christ, are very close to His equal.  

• - if they are His equals then they must rule another star. This would give logical reasoning to beings from another universe, UFO aliens - or perhaps will rule soon

• The eyes 'before, behind, & within' - shown later are the highest form of wisdom, far exceeding our imagination - imagine the knowledge one would reap if existing millions of years,

7: & THE FIRST BEAST WAS LIKE A LION, & THE SECOND BEAST LIKE A CALF, & THE THIRD BEAST HAD A FACE AS A MAN, & THE FOURTH BEAST WAS LIKE A FLYING EAGLE. 8: & THE FOUR BEASTS HAD EACH OF THEM SIX WINGS ABOUT HIM; & THEY WERE FULL OF EYES WITHIN:

• The number '4,' the four beasts, is directed at the earth.

• They have the look of cherubim & seraphim wings - the lion's authority - the growing calf, held high in Jewish background as food [1Sam.28:24; Luke 15:23] purposely not lamb - oxen's strength equals terminology of wisdom - an eagle's swiftness & farsightedness [Genesis 3:24 & Exodus 25:18]

9: & WHEN THOSE BEASTS GIVE GLORY & HONOUR AND THANKS TO HIM THAT SAT ON THE THRONE, WHO LIVETH FOR EVER & EVER, 10: THE FOUR & TWENTY ELDERS FALL DOWN BEFORE HIM THAT SAT ON THE THRONE, & WORSHIP HIM THAT LIVETH FOR EVER & EVER, & CAST THEIR CROWNS BEFORE THE THRONE, SAYING, 11 THOU ART WORTHY, O LORD, TO RECEIVE GLORY & HONOUR & POWER: FOR THOU HAST CREATED ALL THINGS, & FOR THY PLEASURE THEY ARE & WERE CREATED   

• Unless these elders had exceptional knowledge of God & Christ, SOME BEING TO COMPARE TO, they would not know He was worthy

• The three 'holy' begins the concept of the Trinity - beginning with the three woes of Revelation. Under Gibbon, vol. 5, page 139, 'The Trisagion [thrice holy] 'Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts' is supposed by the Greeks to be identical hymn which the angels & cherubim eternally repeat before the throne of God, & which, about the middle of the fifth century, was miraculously revealed to the church of Constantinople. The devotion of Antioch soon added, 'Who was crucified for us!' & this grateful address, either to Christ alone or to the whole Trinity, may be justified by the rules of theology, & has been adopted by the Catholics of the East & West.' Thus Trinity found roots as Christianity grew