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John Sees the Throne of God
November 8, 2014

For the past several weeks we have been reviewing the message of Jesus to the churches in Revelation, most recently looking at the message to the church of the Laodiceans. Through these messages we learned that those who remain faithful will be saved and have eternal life. The apostle John, the author of Revelation who was given these visions next wrote about what he saw surrounding the throne of God.

Revelation 4:1-3
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. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. 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.

John records that his vision began much in the same way the opening of a door allows us to see what is behind the door. Immediately, John was greeted by a voice that reminded him of a trumpet that would show him the marvelous sights of the throne of the Lord God. He noticed the colors of the being sitting on the throne, and this being is identified later in the description as the Lord God. One of the the colors described of God was jasper, a deep green color and the other was the sardine stone (today thought of as carnelian), a reddish-orange color, which is much different than the white appearance associated with spirit beings. A rainbow of emerald green surrounded the throne.

Revelation 4:4-7
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. 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. 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. 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.

Near the throne were twenty-four seats, one for each of the twenty-four elders, and unlike the Lord God these elders appeared to be clothed in white, each wearing a crown of gold. Before the throne were the seven lamps of fire, each a spirit of God. Underneath these lamps was a sea of glass, and around the throne were four animals that John described as a lion, a calf, a person, and a flying eagle.

Revelation 4:8-11
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. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, 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, 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.

These four animals each had many pairs of wings and had more than the usual pair of eyes and throughout the day and night would lead those in the throne room in devotion to God. As the animals would recite their devotion the elders would kneel to worship the Lord God, recognizing that all things were created through him. As we think of God we don't always consider a green and reddish-orange color combination, nor do we think of animals that are too wonderful for to conceive, yet all of these abound at the throne of the Lord God.

All verses are from the King James Version.
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