Revelation 4:1-6 (ESV) — After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this. ” 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 3 And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, 6 and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind:
Thank you, Church, for allowing and encouraging Lisa and me to take some time off last week. It was wonderful. We went up to Pennsylvania to a town hidden in the Pocono Mountains. We unplugged from our daily and weekly routine. No schedules and no time restrain. We were able to slow down and see the big picture of God’s creation while, at the same time, enjoying the details.
Life is best enjoyed when you can see and appreciate both the big picture and the details. I think the busier you are, the less you can enjoy either. A busy life either focuses on details and misses the big picture, or it causes the opposite—a focus on the big picture but never getting to enjoy the simple, small things happening in your life or around you.
The common view of this Book misses its beauty. The common view misses the essential details that frame this book's message, leading people to overlook it.
When you read the scripture text above, did you notice it was a description of God the Father on the Throne of Heaven?
One of the lessons I have been emphasizing since beginning this study of the Book of Revelation is to encourage us to think about this book with new eyes. Too many people think of “the seals and the seven trumpets and the bowls of wrath and the end when Jesus returns.” When those subjects are all we focus on, we miss the rest of what God is saying. We also miss the most important things being communicated. Here in our text, God is seated on the throne. To the Christian, this should grab our attention. We should not be more interested in events above learning and seeing our God. We should look at this scripture passage and ask, "What does it say?" What does it say about Him? It may not be many words, but that does not mean it is a small description.
Let’s take a fresh look together at these verses of scripture.
Revelation 4:2–3 — At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 3 And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.
Jump to Verses 9 & 10 – “… Him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever..” “before Him who is seated on the throne …” The author wants us to notice where we are (where John is describing). We are in Heaven’s throne Room.
“and behold” means, look. What does the Apostle John see? When John sees “The One seated on the Throne,” what does he see? “And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.” This is not a literal description; it is symbolic. What are we as believers to take away from this description?
We’ll begin by understanding the symbol: “Jasper,” which is a clear green. “Carnelian”, also known as Sardius or Ruby. Picture a stone, a precious green stone, through which light shines. And a reddish stone. Both are brilliant and transparent, full of light.
I think this is telling us a big picture about God. The brilliant colors tell us that He is beyond our imagination. That He is too spectacular for the human mind to grasp or put in human words. It is also telling us that He is transcendent. He is altogether beyond and above us. The transparent light speaks of pureness and holiness.
I think there is more to learn about “Him who sits on the throne” by noticing some descriptions around His throne. In verse three, it says, “… and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.” An emerald-green rainbow. A rainbow reminds us of his covenant. He is a covenant-making God. I think there is more, and we should be asking the Spirit of God to help us understand.
Let’s get some help from Revelation 4:6, “and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal …”
“Before the Throne”, that is important. “as if it were a sea of glass, like crystal.” The reference to “a sea” is significant, in fact, very significant in prophetic language. Besides appearing 11 times in this book, this appearance “as a sea of glass, like crystal” appeared in various forms to earlier prophets. To Moses, Aaron, Aaron’s sons, and Israel’s elders, called up to Sinai to dine with God, it appeared as “a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself” (Exod. 24:10). The prophet Ezekiel saw “an expanse, like the awesome gleam of crystal” beneath the Lord’s throne.
Ezekiel 1:22 – “Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring crystal, spread out above their heads.”
Ezekiel 1:26-28 – “And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance. And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him. Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking. (I included the underline for emphasis.)
There is consistency in the Bible regarding the description of the throne room of God in heaven.
We can also see this in Revelation 15:2, where the sea reappears as a transparent pavement on which the martyrs stand to celebrate God’s victory.
Are you getting the image of this heavenly sea, so tranquil it seems to be glass? In God’s Sanctuary, in His presence, is peace, calmness, tranquility, and order.
We know that the ocean can be a place of serene peace and beauty, but it can also be a place of raging storms that cannot be harnessed except by God. Hurricanes and violent winds are so destructive that nothing seems able to control or stop them. But before God is calm, peace, and order.
Of the eleven times that the “sea” is referred to in the book of Revelation, it refers to this calmness, as well as violence, chaos, rebellion, and disorder. A couple of examples:
Revelation 11:7, 13:1, the Sea is identified with the abyss, from which the beast emerges to wage war against the saints.
Revelation 21:1 “… and the sea was no more.”
This is telling us that the satanic chaos and rebellion will be gone, no more. When God restores all things to what this world was before the sin of Adam and Eve, all confusion, all pain, all destructive forces, and violence will be gone. Forever! HALLELUJAH!
We go back to the picture of John’s vision, which he saw in the presence of the Throne of God. In his presence, we see the opposite of chaos and confusion. In the Sanctuary and Presence of God is indescribable peace, order, and calmness. We can add more to this description by looking at another scripture.
Psalm 96:6 — “Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.”
“splendor and majesty” and “strength/power and beauty.” In the presence of God is indescribable peace, order, calmness, splendor and majesty, and strength, power, and beauty. Is that what you would expect? From John’s vision, we have a wonderful picture of God’s Presence. This is an important one.
We can imagine such a place and believe with our whole heart that it is true, but who is able to enter into this presence of God the Father? No one at all, on their own. The only ones who can enter into such a place are those who are made able. Only those who are made righteous, blameless, and holy, not of themselves, but from Jesus Christ. Only those who have put their trust in Jesus Christ to be forgiven, cleansed of all sin and shame. Only those who do not try to stand before God in their own goodness, which is stained and soiled with selfishness and unfaithfulness to God, but approach such a place entirely by Jesus Christ.
There are two points I want to bring out from this vision of God and His sanctuary. One, the words John uses do not describe an angry judge who dwells in a perpetual state of vengeance and judgment. This is not a picture of a disappointed heavenly father over his children's actions. Nor does John see a courtroom setting that rebukes his children every time they mess up or fail. What does John see? It is a vision of radiant, vibrant color and light that speaks of life and love. Is this your view of God the Father? Or do you always think of God as a vindictive judge waiting to explode with anger? That is not the way God wants us to see Him and know him.
He is the opposite of the world we live in. This world, and those who prefer it over the presence of God, live in a perpetual state of chaos or restlessness. The gods of this world cannot provide peace. They cannot promise peace now or in the next life. God is the God of peace, order, and his presence is like a sea of glass, made of crystal.
The second point is that this is a picture of God's presence, both now and in the future. Not just one day when you are in heaven, or one day in the new heaven and earth. This is His throne now – of peace, tranquil beauty, of splendor and strength. Hear these promises from Scripture, from God himself, that are for His children today:
John 16:33 — I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (the chaos and rebellious sea)
Romans 14:17 — For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
It is difficult living in this world of chaos. In a world that is broken by sin, there are struggles, pain, and death. But living in this world does not mean you cannot enter into God’s presence and find the sea of glass. Brothers and sisters, are you struggling to find peace in your mind and heart? Is this chaotic world getting to you?
Hear the Word of God for you. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
God keeps us in perfect peace when our minds are stayed on him. And our minds will find him and stay on him if we trust him. Do you trust him? Bridle your thoughts to stay on him, even more so when the chaos and storms of life are hitting you hard.
The alternative is a restless, troubled mind that comes from dwelling on chaos and fears of this world. Guard what your mind dwells on. If your mind is playing in the chaos of this broken world, it will be restless, fearful, and anxious. But as children of God, even when chaos surrounds us and tries to disrupt us, we can focus our thoughts on Christ. We can keep Christ Jesus before us in our attitudes and actions. We can seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33).
Another culprit that hinders a peaceful mind is a troubled conscience. A believer who does not have a clean conscience is miserable. He is not at peace. Go to your Savior and confess your sins and ask for the joy of your salvation to be restored.
I will end with two remedies for a troubled mind. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6 to spend time in solitude with the Father. Enter into your proverbial closet and shut the door. Get alone with God. Quiet the mind by entering His Sanctuary, a place to find rest, peace, and calmness.
Second, do you have a life that is tangled up with too many things? Untangle your life. Too much and too many entanglements in this life will give you more to be anxious about. Jesus warned that the cares of this world will choke out the word of God that we have received (Matt. 13:22). See 1 Tim. 6, 9, 17. Choking out the Word of God from your mind and affections will choke out the peace. Our minds will encounter challenges in staying focused on Christ and his principles or on the many cares of this world. The less clutter in our lives, the more room there is for intentional interaction with Christ and his word.
Now I want to speak to the person who does not know God as Father. The person who has not surrendered to Jesus Christ and found Eternal Life, you are a stranger to the Throne of God and to God Himself. Jesus has invited you to come to Him and enter into this peaceful presence of God the Father. Here is Jesus’ promise to you:
Matthew 11:28 — Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
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