A Throne, Jasper, & Seraphim? Revelation 4:2 - a few notes

Today we are continuing some note taking from Revelation 4:2. Last discussion we observed the significant references to be made between what John saw and heard in 4:1. Today we will turn to the things which caught John's eye in 4:2:

At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.

John records that he was "in the Spirit". The things he was seeing were not phenomena on Patmos where he was exiled for his testimony of Christ (1:9). John was seeing that which the Spirit of God was revealing to him. John wasn't writing Christian fiction. John wasn't positing metaphysical philosophies. John wasn't engaged in a private spiritual experience. John was a conduit, a messenger, a tool whereby God was displaying something which John was then to write and publicly distribute. 

John looked and saw a throne. Thrones are inherently seats of power. A throne without power is simply a decorative chair. Yet this throne is occupied. This throne's location is heaven. What references should be in our mind as we read John's vision of this throne? There are several times throughout the Old Testament scriptures where we are told of one who is enthroned in heaven:

Psalm 11:4 The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them.  

Psalm 97:1-2 1 The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice. 2 Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. 

Psalm 103:19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. 

Psalm 123:1 I lift up my eyes to you, to you who sit enthroned in heaven. 

Isaiah 66:1 This is what the LORD says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be? 

Lamentations 5:19 You, LORD, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation. 

Isaiah 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.

Ezekiel 1:26 Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man

There are many more instances of throne and heaven in the Old Testament than the above few passages. However, these few passages give us a thematically consistent concept of God's rule. While there are plenty of earthly thrones and plenty of earthy kings mentioned throughout the Bible (and indeed human history), there is one throne and One on the throne who is exalted beyond anyone or anything earthy. 

We see aspects of the Lord's rule in many of these passages. We see God's knowledge and right to judge (Psalm 11:4). We see God's righteous and just reign as a source of joy (Psalm 97:1-2). We see God's kingdom is subservient to no one, it is truly sovereign with no one else in authority above (Psalm 103:19). God's rule is one which the Psalmist looks to for aid, this God enthroned is not one who is removed, detached, or uncaring (Psalm 123:1). After the destruction and devastation of Jerusalem (by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC) the prophet Jeremiah weeps and cries to the God whose rule has no end (Lamentations 5:19). The prophet Isaiah was overwhelmed by the majestic glory of God's supremacy (Isaiah 6:1). In a vision many hundreds of miles away from Jerusalem, the prophet Ezekiel witnessed the vision of God's marvelous throne which demonstrated God's total geographic authority and rule (Ezekiel 1:26). 

God's rule is at the top of the authority food chain. To borrow a phrase from President Truman "the buck stops" at God's throne. 

With these references to the enthroned God in heaven in mind, we again return to John's vision:

Revelation 4:2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.

Who was sitting on this throne? The great Creator. The covenant keeping God. The One who called the stars into being. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The redeeming and mighty God. The One who said, "I Am". John saw the Lord whom the Psalmist trusted in, who the prophet's were commissioned by, who was, is, and is to come. 

What is the significance of this throne? We learn much about the throne and those around the throne in the next few verses of Revelation chapter 4:

4:3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. 4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. 6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. 

In verse 3 were given some very specific details by John. Jasper is only mentioned a few times in all the Bible. Jasper is found both in Exodus 28:20 and 39:13 as being a part of the special uniform of the priests of God. In Ezekiel 28 the prophet was instructed by God to speak a lament about the king of Tyre and in that lament Jasper is mentioned (28:13). The book of Job also mentions Jasper in a comparison with wisdom, that wisdom is more precious than even the most precious stones of value (Job 28:12-19). 4 times Jasper is mentioned in the entirety of the Bible, and then in the book of Revelation Jasper is mentioned 4 times, all in connection with God's presence on the throne (Revelation 4:3), or God's new city (21:11, 18, 19). Ruby is also mentioned regarding God's presence and only occurs twice in the Bible in Revelation 4:3 and again regarding God's new city (21:20). 

After the mention of Jasper and Ruby comes a strange and seemingly minor detail: a rainbow. The rainbow which encircles the throne again should give us Old Testament flashbacks. Rainbows are only mentioned a few times in all the Bible: 

Genesis 9:12-16 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” 

Ezekiel 1:28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. 

Revelation 4:3b A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.

We see a short story of rainbows in these three passages. We see rainbows are a sign of God's covenant promise (Genesis 9). The rainbow was the last detail to describe the radiance of the Almighty by Ezekiel in his vision (Ezekiel 1:28). In Revelation 4:3b we're told of the promise keeping God, whose radiance is supreme, his throne is surrounded by an emerald like shining rainbow. Since there are so few references to rainbows, we can make a pretty clear thematic association. The rainbow was a sign of God's covenant. God is a promise keeping, covenantal, faithful being. God doesn't break his word. If God has spoken, you can take that to the bank. This is God's administrative policy, trustworthy promise keeping. 

We're told John's vision continued in 4:4-6 with a description of many more strange things. We're told of 24 thrones with 24 elders. We're told of thunder and lightning which emanates from the throne, and of lamps, spirits, and a sea of glass in front of the throne. As John's vision continued, even more strange things are mentioned:

Revelation 6b-8a In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings.

This part of John's vision should have our minds again remembering the visions of Isaiah, and Ezekiel. Each of these prophets also saw strange creatures called Seraphim with many eyes, varying heads, and multiple wings (Isaiah 6:2, Ezekiel 1:6, 10). John's vision communicates a clear thematic overlap with Isaiah and Ezekiel - God is giving John a message to deliver, just as he gave Isaiah and Ezekiel a message to deliver. Often Isaiah and Ezekiel were given their messages from God through visions, John has already stated this plainly that this message he received was also through a vision (1:9). Just as Isaiah and Ezekiel had been given by God specific warnings and judgements for their contemporary moment in history, so too John was being given by God specific warnings and judgements for his first century contemporary audience. 

The last part of chapter 4 answers the question "What is the proper response to this One on the throne?"

Revelation 4:8b-11 Day and night they never stop saying: “ ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.” 9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: 11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” 

Worship. That is the proper response to this One on the throne. All these strange things with their ancient thematic meaning, they all point to one thing: worship. The praise, adoration, honoring, rejoicing in, pouring out of affection, devotion towards, respect of, and finding satisfaction in the One on the throne. The Seraphim praise this Lord God Almighty (4:8). They praise him for his never beginning, ever present, and never ending being. Joined in this worship are the 24 elders. They take whatever nobility they have in their crowns and put them before this One on the throne (4:10). 

The elders reason for praise is profound, meaningful, and yet also simple. They credit the One on the throne with creation. It's as though a question is asked here in Revelation 4 - do you exist? were you created? if so, then it is due to this One on the throne. Regardless of anything that has occurred within your existence, this One is due your worship by the very simple fact you exist. Worship is the giving of God glory, honor, and power. It is what God is owed by all which has been created. 

I have a few takeaways for you as we wrap up today's discussion. 

1) Anyone claiming that the God of the Old Testament is a different being from the God of the New Testament has failed as a reader of both Testaments and specifically this passage in Revelation. It was the same God that Isaiah saw, that Ezekiel saw, that met with the ancient Israelites on Sinai, that also spoke at the Baptism of Jesus and was seen as John looked in his vision as recorded in Revelation. The texts presented do not allow for two separate, distinct beings. John's writing has done everything possible, down to the most niche detail to conceptually overlap the Ancient One of Old, with the One on the throne whom he witnessed. 

2) God is magnificently gorgeous. God in himself is resplendent and grand. Not just God's byproducts, not just what God makes, but God in himself is ultimately desirable. He is desirable above all other things. John describes precious things, incredible things, powerfully frightening things, majestic things, and yet all these things are the decorations near the throne, which do not compare with the most precious, incredible, powerful, and majestic One who is on the throne. God has inherit value. Everything else in all the universe has comparative value. There is someone whose worth is self-existing. Everything else is known via comparison. This One on the throne is beyond comparison. This must be the source of so many exclamations of praise throughout the scriptures. Not in finding a benefit of the work of God - but in finding benefit in knowing God. I'm reminded of Psalm 89:5-8:

5 The heavens praise your wonders, Lord, your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones. 6 For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord? Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings? 7 In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him. 8 Who is like you, Lord God Almighty? You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

3) God is worthy of all [worship]. Each of us has a limit to what we owe one another. God has no limits on what he is owed. He is worthy. While some see missions as an effort to "convert", or "enlighten" or even "improve life". I cannot see missions as anything less than an invitation to creation to render thanks back to the Creator. Missions is certainly a great deal more than just worship. Yet missions are nothing more than human philanthropy if it only deals with the present material problems of a person. Worship is about who God is, and His value in relationship to those who know Him. At some point each of us could say to someone else "you're exaggerating" regarding their boasts and accolades. This God whom John witnessed is the only being which there is no exaggerating. God's glory is truly beyond fathom, and that leads us to raise our hands in praise. That's before we even get into the glorious realities of God's mercy and grace to us in the gospel! This is all pointing back to God's worthiness in creation. Oh, how vast and beyond all measure is the worthiness of God.