A Peek Behind the Curtain
Revelation 4:2-11 NLT
2 And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. 3 The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow. 4 Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. This is the sevenfold Spirit of God. 6 In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal.
In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back. 7 The first of these living beings was like a lion; the second was like an ox; the third had a human face; and the fourth was like an eagle in flight. 8 Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—
the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.”
9 Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever), 10 the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever). And they lay their crowns before the throne and say,
11 “You are worthy, O Lord our God,
to receive glory and honor and power.
For you created all things,
and they exist because you created what you pleased.”
We don’t have many glimpses of heaven, but this passage in chapter four is an amazing visual. I typically share only a few verses in our devotionals, but this was too good to stop.
One of the things that stands out to me as I read this chapter is the awesomeness of God. I am all for celebrating God’s love for us and how He cares for us individually. I am all for coming before His throne with confidence because of what Jesus has accomplished for us. I am grateful that we can worship and fellowship with our Heavenly Father. But I do not ever want to lose sight of the majesty and awesome wonder of our God. I have heard people refer to Him as the Big Guy or the Man Upstairs. But my guess is that they are not well acquainted with Him or have never read this chapter. There is no way we can ever refer to God in such a casual, almost flippant, manner if we get a glimpse through the Scriptures of what John described. And when we stand before the throne of God, there will not be anything casual about being in His presence. He is the Lord God Almighty, the One who was and is and is to come.
I am not sure who the twenty-four elders are. I can guess some being the saints of old; Moses, Elijah, and David come to mind. And of course, the twelve disciples of the Lamb, excluding Judas. There are twenty-four of them, and they cast their golden crowns before the throne and worship God. They declare that God is worthy to receive glory, honor, and power. For God created everything, and it was by His will that all things exist.
I find this passage to be both awe inspiring and humbling. Awe-inspiring from the visuals of God’s glory glimmering as jewels and the light coming out of Him and before the throne. Lightning and thunder and voices combined with the reflection off of the sea of glass. My guess is we will be somewhat speechless when we stand before Him and the only thing coming out of our mouths will be what the four creatures say, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. And we’ll give glory and thanks and praise to the One who created us and redeemed us so that we might live with Him forever.
What an awesome God we serve!