Revelation 4
1
After these things I looked and saw a door opened in heaven, and the first voice that I heard, like a trumpet speaking with me, was one saying, "Come up here, and I will show you the things which must happen after this."
2
Immediately I was in the Spirit. Behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and one sitting on the throne
3
that looked like a jasper stone and a sardius. There was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald to look at.
4
Around the throne were twenty-four thrones. On the thrones were twenty-four elders sitting, dressed in white garments, with crowns of gold on their heads.
5
Out of the throne proceed lightnings, sounds, and thunders. There were seven lamps of fire burning before his throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
6
Before the throne was something like a sea of glass, similar to crystal. In the midst of the throne, and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes before and behind.
7
The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle.
8
The four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within. They have no rest day and night, saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come!"
9
When the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to him who sits on the throne, to him who lives forever and ever,
10
the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives forever and ever, and throw their crowns before the throne, saying,
11
"Worthy are you, our Lord and God, the Holy One, to receive the glory, the honor, and the power, for you created all things, and because of your desire they existed, and were created!"
Apocalypse Revealed＃808
808. 19:4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, "Amen! Alleluia!" This symbolizes an adoration of the Lord as God of heaven and earth and judge of the universe by angels of the higher heavens, and an affirmation by them of the thanksgiving, confession and celebration of the Lord made by angels of the lower heavens.
To fall down and worship symbolizes humility, and worship as a result of that humility, as in no. 370 above. The twenty-four elders and four living creatures symbolize the higher heavens (no. 369). He who sat on the throne means the Lord as God of heaven and judge of the universe, since the throne symbolizes heaven and the government there (nos. 14, 221, 222), and also judgment - in this case judgment, because it refers to the judgment on the Roman Catholic religion, which is the subject of the preceding chapter. That He who sat on the throne is the Lord will be seen below. "Amen! Alleluia!" symbolizes an affirmation of the thanksgiving, confession and celebration of the Lord by angels of the lower heavens. "Amen" symbolizes an affirmation and agreement in response to truth (nos. 23, 28, 61, 371, 375), and "alleluia" symbolizes a thanksgiving, confession and celebration of the Lord (no. 803). These were made by angels of the lower heavens, because they spoke first and celebrated the Lord as God of heaven, and as judge and avenger, saying "Alleluia!" as is apparent from the first two verses of this chapter and the exposition in nos. 803-806 above. Affirmation of these by angels of the higher heavens is symbolized here by "Amen! Alleluia!"
[2] That He who sat on the throne is the Lord is apparent from Revelation 1:4; 3:21; 4:2-6, 9; 5:13; 6:16; 7:9-11; 22:1, 3. These verses tell us that God and the Lamb were on the throne. God there means the underlying Divinity of the Lord called the Father, and the Lamb the Divine humanity called the Son (nos. 269, 291). Thus it is the Lord alone. This, too, is apparent from chapter 7 where it says, "the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them" (Revelation 7:17). And in Matthew:
...when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory (i.e., ready to judge).... (Matthew 19:28)
When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the... angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. (Matthew 25:31)
