God’s Throne in Revelation Rev Ch 4

When we turn the page and begin to read the story in Revelation chapter 4, we are tempted to begin interpreting the passages based on what we’ve been taught. In this case, we are going to look at a few details, and also look for key words that need an explanation. Then we are going to gather all the information on those key words.

Revelation 4:1 MKJV After these things 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, saying, Come up here, and I will show you what must occur after these things.

The first words, “After these things,” establishes a timeline. To find out what details this event follows, we have to look back at chapter 3.

Revelation 3:20-22 MKJV (20) Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him and he with Me. (21) To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame and have sat down with My Father in His throne. (22) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

The Bible is telling us, we can’t hope to understand this story unless we understand the previous story. In other words, we have to learn to listen to Jesus to progress through this series of visions and symbols. We just learned another important Bible Study lesson. How to follow directions.

We have to be in tune to how the Bible is designed to direct us to one place or another for answers. Answers to what? Answers to questions the Holy Spirit places in our heads. The Holy Spirit uses printed words in the Bible to place questions in our heads. Those directions show us how to locate answers. It is as simple as that.

The simple Bible Study method learned at the beginning of Revelation chapter 4 is, this book is written as a book. It is designed to be read as a book. Like any other book, it can only be understood as a whole. No book or novel in this world can be explained by pulling out a single sentence and adding preconceived ideas about what the reader thinks the rest of the story is trying to convey. No one would do that with any of the classic novels. Why do people give Jesus less respect than an author who has sold millions of books? The Bible is and always will be the best selling book in the world. The major difference is, the Bible is the only inspired book from cover to cover. The Bible deserves more respect than any book in this world. Jesus earned respect in ways no other author has been able to earn or convey in words. It’s time we place the Bible where it should be. In terms of its literary style, each book in the Bible follows the same literary rules as all other books. Each chapter and story has an introduction and a summary. Each book in the Bible uses repetition to draw the reader’s attention to important details. Each book in the Bible describes the scene before explaining what happened at that location. The difference is, the Bible shows bits and pieces of the future. The Bible was inspired by the only living God who can look into the future. That does not give readers literary freedom to take a sentence about the future then attempt to explain that scene based on their personal feelings. That my friend is leaving the original Author behind while attempting to play god.

When we read the Bible, we have to be aware of our senses. Every author wants to take the mind of the reader out of their environment and into the scene where the event they described takes place. That’s exactly what a great author does. Book publishers look far and wide for authors with that special gift. What the world doesn’t understand is, that gift comes from God. The same source that inspired the Bible.

When we open a book, we are placing our minds in the hands of the author. Yes, words can and will influence our thoughts and imagination. Every great author knows how to captivate the imagination. If the Bible is not doing that for you, that’s because the world has done something to steer your imagination away from God’s inspired Word. When you turn your imagination away from God, your heart is not far away.

What turns people away from God? Let’s look at the facts. The devil watches every move you make. The devil closely observes every influence in your life. When the devil sees circumstances in your life turning you towards God, Jesus, and His Word, the devil sends ten detours to deflect your path. How does the devil do that?

Maybe your first introduction to Jesus and the Bible was at a funeral. When you were a child, your grandmother died. You loved her. Death was a new experience for you. Your mind told you, this life will never change. The times you spent with your grandmother were the happiest moments of your life. You talked, laughed, cooked, and gardened together. You could still smell the flowers and see the colors swaying in the summer breeze. There was not a subject in the world your grandma could not explain. Then suddenly that security and happiness were gone. You went to the funeral. The preacher opened the Bible and read a few words. You didn’t know anything about the Bible, but the preacher told you God took your grandmother away from you. The devil was also there. He took a few words from that preacher and introduced thoughts he wanted to stick in your mind for the rest of your life. You looked at God as someone who only takes. You looked at that large black book the preacher read from as a book of horrors. In one scene the devil branded the depths of your mind and soul for eternity. What was natural event in life was twisted around by the devil as an unnatural form of pain and revenge sent from God. You only received a small part of the story of life and death found in the Bible. An example showing how the devil uses tiny parts of the Bible to introduce concepts he wants to paste into your mind and imagination. The devil doesn’t want anyone to read the Bible. Little bits and pieces are okay as far as the devil is concerned. If the devil makes you think all you need is little bits and pieces of the Bible, he accomplished what he set out to do. The devil convinced you to disrespect God’s literary skills.

Other people are given different impressions. Events the devil uses to set their minds against God and the Bible. The devil prefers to scar people for life at an early age. Then pick at those wounds day after day for the rest of their lives. The devil looks in your brain, knows how it functions, and knows how to place memories in just the right spot so when the Holt Spirit wants to leave an impression, the devil has his scar tissue covering the most sensitive and impressionable sections of the human brain, mind, and emotions.

When Jesus walked this world, He healed the most serious illnesses and deformities. Jesus cured the blind so they could see. Jesus relied on God’s power, who knows how the eye is designed, and how the devil was able to either injure or mutate those eyes. Jesus cured lepers, a woman suffering from defective reproduction organs, a woman hunched over from bone disease, paralyzed men, and a number of other diseases.

Each of those diseases carries a sort of spiritual concept or idea. Each is designed to reach people who were attacked and wounded by the devil long before they opened the Bible for the first time. Before anyone opens the Bible, the devil has already been hard at work for years to set up different types of mental prejudices and preconceived ideas to mislead people in the scriptures. Without the Holy Spirit, the devil has no way of knowing exactly how the Bible works. The Bible proved, the devil has no way of knowing how any prophecy will be fulfilled. So the devil uses a shotgun approach to mislead people. He introduces as many false beliefs, concepts, ideas, and doctrines as he can. The devil may not know what the Bible is actually saying, but he can come in with with a million wrong concepts.

God always has a plan on the spiritual level. Everyday the Bible reaches people on a spiritual level the devil can’t figure out, and can’t properly prepare for. Some people see their lives in the blind man in one story. Or maybe it is in the woman who is rejected by society because of her bleeding issue. Maybe one of the stories about a leper described how a person felt when they finally turned to the Bible for an answer. People turn to the Bible for answers at the lowest moments of their life. And the Holy Spirit supplies the answers they are looking for. The Holy Spirit directs them to a spiritual symbol in the Bible, and circumstances in life reveal the spiritual meaning. Anyone and everyone can have that connection with the Holy Spirit. But not everyone does. Too many people allow the devil to keep picking at the scars the devil placed on their mind and heart so they never heal.

Some people are in fact reached by a sermon in one way or another. Let’s look at the facts. The person giving that sermon doesn’t know a thing about the scars you carry. They may not even know about the concept of how and why the devil covers people with scars. Somehow the Holy Spirit was able to reach that preacher when they were writing down that sermon. Actually that preacher has no idea what part of their sermon will reach an individual or how it will touch them. But the Spirit does. The Spirit is working working overtime to reach not only you, but a number of people sitting in those pews. You have no idea how other people are influenced by the words that preacher is saying. But that is only the beginning. Expecting a sermon to remove those scars is like looking at a bottle of medicine and saying you have faith it will heal you. Opening the Bible with the Holy Spirit at your side is like diving into that medicine and allowing that healing power to flow into every part of your body. So why do so many people allow the devil to convince them, the preacher has all the answers? Why do so many people stop at the first healing step, and allow the devil to stop them in their tracks? The Spirit is opening doors, windows, taking the roof off your soul to open your mind to concepts that preacher never saw, and you could never expect to see. Something is holding you back, and that something is not God. It is you and your cooperation with the devil.

Now let’s take a look at how the Holy Spirit works with an individual when they open the Bible. In Revelation chapter 4 we have an introduction. John is introducing us to God’s throne. A door is open in Heaven. Are you walking through that door, or are you going to allow fear to hold you back? Or is the the devil using the things he taught you over the years to hold you back? The author of Hebrews also wrote about God’s throne. We should take a look at what the inspired word says about God’s throne.

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. (Hebrews 4:16 NLTse).

Whoever wrote the Book of Hebrews knew something about the healing power that emanates from God’s throne. It’s time we stop thinking that power comes full strength from any other source, and go the only source of healing that can and will remove all those scares from our body, mind, heart, and soul.

Jesus opened another story for us by sending us back to the Tabernacle. I’ve written a number of books on the Tabernacle, but every time I read the story in the Bible, I find out I missed 99% of the spiritual meanings locked inside those stories. That is another feature that makes the Bible unique.

The Tabernacle has an alter in the outer courtyard. It is the first thing you would pass if you were to walk through the Tabernacle. In short terms, the alter represents Jesus’ sacrifice outside the city gates. Outside the walls of the stone temple.

Past the alter is the Tabernacle tent. The tent is designed with two chambers, the Holy and Most Holy. The first room contains a few important items, the lamp, incense alter, and the table. The lamp sheds light. “Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalms 119:105 RSVA). The alter represents prayer, which is communication with God. “The smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of God’s holy people, ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out.” (Revelation 8:4 NLTse). The table is set with bread, bowls, and eating utensils. The table represents an opportunity to sit down with Jesus, where He will illuminate your mind and prepare you for the next step. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20 RSVA).

The last room is the Most Holy room. “Place the incense altar just outside the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant, in front of the Ark’s cover–the place of atonement–that covers the tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. I will meet with you there.”

(Exodus 30:6 NLTse). The Most Holy room contains the Ark of testimony with the Ten Commandments covered by the mercy seat. Now comes the hard part.

Why are some people afraid to approach God’s throne? Is it because the devil has trained them to fear God and His Ten Commandments? Israel displayed that fear when God spoke to them and gave them those Ten Commandments for the first time. Israel told Moses to go up to God, then come back and tell them what He had to say. That explains a lot. The devil saw how effective fear can be. The devil found how easy it was to use God’s Ten Commandments against Him. And the devil is still up to his old tricks.

You are either going to fear or respect those Ten Commandments. Don’t give me that baloney about fear means respect. Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. (Deuteronomy 6:13 KJV). In this context the word fear means to reverence. It also means to be frightened. But which one do you choose? Are you afraid of God and His law, or do you reverence God and His law? Let’s examine the facts.

The Most Holy room represents the judgment process that takes place in front of God’s throne. People are either judged by the law, or Jesus stands in their place. That is the simple explanation Christians have to be taught to accept. In one sense it is true. In reality it doesn’t tell the whole story. Fear without reverence amounts to nothing. One without the other is useless. You have to learn to understand fear. That is why the lamp, incense alter, and table is in front of the thin curtain that separates the Holy from the Most Holy place.

When we take a second walk through the Tabernacle, we first notice the alter of sacrifice. Many people never get past that alter. That’s all they’ve been told about the plan of salvation. That is as far as Satan wants people to go. People have been trained to think that’s as far as they need to progress. Beyond that alter is a water basin called a laver. The laver represents cleansing and humility. Two attributes a person must posses before entering the first room in the Tabernacle. Since many people have been taught to remain at the alter and progress no further, they are satisfied with thinking, all they need to do is claim Jesus’ sacrifice and they are safe. That is stopping at the alter of sacrifice and progressing no further.

People have a tendency to jump from the alter of sacrifice into the mysterious inner room containing the Ark and Commandments. All they know is fear. They skipped the cleansing, which is removing misleading concepts the world teaches. They skipped the humility part of the Tabernacle. They also skipped over the light, the learning process with Jesus, and the prayers. Of course many people tried that concept of prayer, but we have to remember, the disciples were smart enough to ask Jesus how to pray.

When people make a process of their own, or accept a man made process over the progression designed into the Tabernacle, of course they are going to be consumed by fear when they decide to jump in front of God’s throne without following proper protocol. That is only natural. But when we do stop at the alter, study and understand Jesus’ sacrifice, go to the laver to be cleansed and humbled, return to that alter to review what we’ve learned, then progress into the first room, we are ready to be illuminated, fed by Jesus, and pray before approaching God’s throne.

Here is one example showing how the Spirit guides us through His Word. I turned to Revelation chapter 4. This time I was guided to the word, “throne.” I used a Bible program to provide a list of verses the word throne is found in the Book of Revelation. The information I found surprised me.

Taken from the MKJV

Rev_1:4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia. Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is coming; and from the seven spirits which are before His throne;

Rev_3:21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame and have sat down with My Father in His throne.

Rev_4:2 And immediately I became in spirit. And behold, a throne was set in Heaven, and One sat upon the throne.

Rev_4:3 And He who sat there looked like a jasper stone and a sardius. And a rainbow was around the throne, looking like an emerald.

Rev_4:4 And around the throne I saw twenty-four thrones. And on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white clothing. And they had crowns of gold on their heads.

Rev_4:5 And out of the throne came lightnings and thunderings and voices. And seven lamps of fire were burning in front of the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.

Rev_4:6 And a sea of glass was in front of the throne, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind.

Rev_4:9 And whenever the living creatures gave glory and honor and thanks to Him who sat on the throne, who lives forever and ever,

Rev_4:10 the twenty-four elders fell down before the One sitting on the throne. And they worshiped Him who lives for ever and ever, and threw their crowns before the throne, saying,

Rev_5:1 And I saw a book on the right of Him sitting on the throne, written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.

Rev_5:6 And I looked, and lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, amidst the elders, a Lamb stood, as if it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

Rev_5:7 And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him sitting on the throne.

Rev_5:11 And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and the living creatures and the elders. And the number of them was myriads and myriads, and thousands of thousands,

Rev_5:13 And I heard every creature which is in the Heaven and on the earth, and under the earth, and those that are in the sea, and all who are in them, saying, Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him sitting on the throne, and to the Lamb forever and ever.

Rev_6:16 And they said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him sitting on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb;

Rev_7:9 After these things I looked, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues, stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palms in their hands.

Rev_7:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God sitting on the throne, and to the Lamb.

Rev_7:11 And all the angels stood around the throne, and the elders, and the four living creatures, and they fell before the throne on their faces and worshiped God,

Rev_7:15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and they serve Him day and night in His temple. And He sitting on the throne will dwell among them.

Rev_7:17 For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will feed them and will lead them to the fountains of living waters. And God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Rev_8:3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer. And many incenses were given to him, so that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints on the golden altar before the throne.

Rev_12:5 And she bore a son, a male, who is going to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her child was caught up to God and to His throne.

Rev_14:3 And they sang as it were a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. And no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousands who were redeemed from the earth.

Rev_14:5 And in their mouth was found no guile, for they were without blemish before the throne of God.

Rev_16:10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom became darkened. And they gnawed their tongues from the pain.

Rev_16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air. And a great voice came out of the temple of Heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done!

Rev_19:4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God sitting on the throne, saying, Amen! Hallelujah!

Rev_19:5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all His servants, and the ones fearing Him, the small and great.

Rev_20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and Him sitting on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And a place was not found for them.

Rev_21:5 And He sitting on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said to me, Write, for these words are true and faithful.

Rev_22:1 And he showed me a pure river of Water of Life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

Rev_22:3 And every curse will no longer be; but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will serve Him.

32 verses found, 40 matches

Revelation 32 verses found 40 matches

The first thing I noticed when I looked at this list was the description of God’s throne and court in chapter 4. That is followed by a list of actions originating from that throne. Another detail I noticed was the sequence Revelation followed. First we saw a description of Jesus, followed by a description of God on His throne. There may be a very good reason for that. John recorded a lesson Jesus taught. God was very pleased with Jesus’ ministry, efforts, ability to follow directions, and of course His sacrifice. God gave everything to Jesus. Jesus gave all the credit to God, and returned all the power and control to God. It was a lesson in giving. The story also showed how God and Jesus are of one mind, set on a single goal.

We also see how Jesus wrote Revelation with the same flow all novelists and writers use. They first describe a scene, then tell you what occurred at that scene. We have evidence that Revelation is not a book of hidden mysteries, but a story written by God’s Son. Jesus wrote that book to be understood.

We see, the “throne of God,” repeated a number of times. Keep in mind, Revelation was constructed and written by Jesus. Here we see the respect Jesus has for His Father, and the type of respect we should have for God.

Putting verses together has a unique way of bringing out facts and details. But we have to be careful when we approach a study of this type. If we only look at one sentence in a story, we run the risk of missing 99% of the facts. One sentence will never show us the context the sentence was used in. We also miss important details linked to other parts of Revelation as well as other books in the Bible designed to provide answers. In short, we can easily fail when we rely on single sentences.

This list was provided to support a point we are looking at. We can take one word or phrase, quickly find where and how that word or phase was used in the same Bible book, and other books in the Bible, and continue our research. Computer programs have revolutionized Bible Study, making it much easier and quicker to put lists and facts together. But we have to take the next step. We have to determine which sentences have a direct bearing on the subject at hand, go to those chapters, read them, determine if the context is the same, and put those entire stories together. We have to look at the events involved. We have to examine the timeline by looking at connecting factors and surrounding events. We may only know the timeline of one event mentioned in each of those stories. That will help establish the relationship between two series of events. We have to look for references to other books in the Bible, and read those stories. All in all, with a good computer program, we are only a click away. Links between verses are placed in those programs for a reason. We have to learn how to use the tools we are given, and the common sense God placed within mankind at creation.

Another detail we have to think about for a moment. Satan’s throne is mentioned only once in Revelation. What does that tell us? We have 31 verses with God on His throne, and only 1 verse with Satan on his throne. But where is the majority of study focused today? On Satan and his throne. Doesn’t that show us how misguided this world is? Doesn’t that make a point we should heed? If we are seeking truth, do we go to men or groups focusing on a single sentence in Revelation? Or do we listen to those who focus on Revelation as a whole?

It’s interesting to see how one word can open a floodgate to information and facts we never considered before. That’s the way the Bible was written. The Bible needs to be absorbed. Or as Jesus put it, consumed. Not just a line or two, but the entire story the way Jesus had it recorded.