Revelation, Part 2: Inside the Throne Room

Before getting on with the visions John has been commanded to record, Jesus has a message for each of the seven churches being addressed. They are mostly praised, though there are some exhortations to reform some of their wicked ways. There isn’t much of interest in them, aside from a couple of lines in the message to Philadelphia indicating, once again, the Second Coming is imminent.

Revelation, Chapter 3: ¹⁰ Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. ¹¹ I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.

Once all that preamble is out of the way, we are ready to embark on Mr. John’s Wild Ride.

Revelation, Chapter 4: ¹ After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”

And just like that, John’s in heaven, looking at God sitting on his throne. Wait, holy crap, we have an actual visual of God, the being who appeared only as a cloud and as a burning bush previously, and who addressed Himself only as “I AM” way back when. Give us some description, John!

Revelation, Chapter 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.

That… that’s it? “The one who sat there” — without saying anything about what He looked like — “had the appearance of jasper and ruby.” In what way? Hell, what color jasper? WHY CAN’T YOU DESCRIBE THIS??

Here’s a police artist’s sketch of God based on John’s description.

Fine. Whatever. Moving on. Surrounding God’s throne are 24 other thrones, with 24 elders all dressed in white with golden crowns. Then we do get a little more description of what’s going on with God’s throne.

Revelation, Chapter 4: 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.

With all of the storm imagery (lightning, thunder, and rainbow), this pretty clearly follows the description of God as a cloud from the exodus. But stonier, I guess? Like, a storm cloud covered in gem stones?

The floor in front of the throne appeared as a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center of it, around the throne, were four creatures, which seems reminiscent of Daniel’s prophecies.

Revelation, Chapter 4: 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.

That doesn’t sound so crazy. Except they each had six wings and were covered in eyes, front and back, top to bottom, even under the wings. For their sake, I hope God’s throne room is dust-free. All day every day, the creatures never stop praising God.

John then reports that whenever the living creatures give thanks to God, each of the 24 elders bows before Him, remove their crowns, and also give glory to Him. And since the creatures are at it 24/7, presumably so are the elders. It’s a non-stop praise-fest in God’s throne room, above a sea of crystalline glass. But that pattern is about to be interrupted for a singular event.