Revelation 4:1-4

After receiving his instructions for the Seven Churches, John appears to have seen a portal or door that granted him a view into heaven. And he says, “the first voice I heard was as it were of a trumphet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.” What John is about to report to us in chapter four was a scene of things that would be IN THE FUTURE. What future? John was seeing a scene that was about to happen in his day and his age, and so what he sees had a very specific meaning to the people of that time – especially to the believers in the Seven Churches to whom this revelation was written. “And immediately I was in the spirirt: and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.” Those who have ears to hear the voice from heaven will immediately do so “by the spirit” and will have insight into heavenly things. So we have to decide who He was seeing – God the Father, God the Son, or God the Holy Spirit? We have to remember that God is a spirit and has no form like unto a Man. So if a vision is seen that includes a heavenly visage in human form in will always be Jesus. Here, John does not seem to be describing the Lord – as He did in chapter one. So this is our first indication that the Deity sitting on the throne is God the Father, the Only true and living God. John probably does not define the One on this heavenly throne because He is Not physcially definable – and this insight into heaven is proof of this. This was to be a future scene of heaven and the throne – so the question? Where’s Jesus – why does he not see Jesus standing (or sitting) at the right hand of the throne of God? Remember, here in Revelation Jesus has been telling John that He was coming quickly. He has said it several times now. John is witnessing the state of heaven in the future – when everything has been wrapped up. John was seeing what that time would like in heaven – where the One God would be sitting on the One Throne. Again, the question is: Was John seeing a state that we are still waiting to occur, and therefore Jesus is still at the right hand of the Father, or was John seeing something that has already happened? The message to the believers at the Seven Churches was “Behold I come quickly!” If His words can be trusted, then He has come. Whether we believe what John saw is still to come or has happened, we can say that He was seeing the future view of heaven where all things have been put under Christ’s feet, and there is no reason for Him to continue to be at the right side of God. He was there “UNTIL God made His enemies His footstool.” John was seeing heaven as it would be once everything was done and subdued. Now Jesus was telling John that He was coming back shortly to them. This final act in His work among the Children of Israel, and that age, would consummate everthing He would ever do on earth physically as He would bring judgment upon those who were His enemies on earth and reward to those who were His friends. So John was seeing things that were to happen in the future – the end in and around the heavenly throne of God, where Jesus once was at His right hand but now (in John’s vision) God is all in all – which was the whole purpose behind Jesus’ life and works – to make God all in all. As John looked upon Him, this seemed to be His appearance but John does not describe His form, but His spleandor. Now, we may see the person of Christ sitting on this throne as the fulness of God. But maybe all Paul is saying is that when God becomes all in all, the Word made flesh will be revealed as the One True God in fullness. Just realize there is ONE God and Jesus will not forever remain at His right side- but He might actually take the throne AS the one complete and total One God. And here we are presented with a scene of twenty-four older men – unnamed elders who were all dressed in white sitting on twenty-four thrones, and wearing Gold Crowns. These twenty-four elders may represent or are symbolic of the entire Church of the Redeemed (Revelation 5:9) – past and present – all of us of every land and age of the world. Check out our Website www.CAMPUSchurch.tv https://www.youtube.com/user/hotmshow