Feast: God Is Still on His Throne
#FT23-01AM
Martin G. Collins
Given 30-Sep-23; 58 minutes
description: The Psalmist David assures us that the LORD is on His throne in Heaven, beholding and testing the sons of men (Psalm 11:4), the location before which God's resurrected saints will occupy on the Sea of Glass, the venue which the martyr Stephen witnessed as he was stoned. In Ezekiel 1:3-4, we see another glimpse of God's throne as the Seraphim provide instantaneous transportation through the heavens. In Exodus 19:16-23, we experience a foretaste of the power (thundering and lightnings). As future stewards of the Kingdom, we need to be cleansed and sanctified. God's splendor is beyond human description, with brief fleeting pictures on Revelation 4:1-3 describing an emerald rainbow, green and brilliant in color, accompanied by Jasper red quartz, where 24 elders encircle the throne area. As the seven lamps (symbolic of the seven spirits of the churches) are described, lightning and thunder accompany their presence. The Seraphim, depicted as animals, reveal characteristics of Jesus Christ (a lion, depicting rulership, a bullock, depicting strength, a man, depicting intelligence, an eagle, depicting protective care), revealing that there is no reason the universe exists except for the wisdom of God. The 24 Elders who fell on their faces represent resurrected saints from the 12 tribes of Jacob. On this dazzlingly beautiful sea of glass, God's chosen, called-out, and resurrected saints will receive a new name and identity.
transcript:
Over 20 years ago, my wife had what I would call menopausal anxiety and she was struggling with it. She had been in the church for decades (she did not know I was going to tell the story so she is cringing right now), and as a faithful individual, she believed in God, of course, and she knew He was on His throne, but I did not know what to do on my part. So I bought her a plaque that said, "God is still on His throne." It is one of those plaques you put on a desk and it sits there upright, and to this day it is still on her desk, and I still read it and it helps me.
It is something that we take for granted and we think about in a general sense. But do we really think about and visualize what is going on in God's throne and how the power and the might and the excitement that there is constantly? So God is still on His throne and by the time we reach the Millennium, which is part of what we are celebrating now, the saints, and hopefully us, will have appeared before the throne of God on the Sea of Glass. Now, that is hard to imagine, so let me help you try to imagine that through this sermon.
We do not know if the distance from us to God's throne can even be stated physically. But it is much closer than we realize and it is not as far away as most people believe, because it is in a spiritual universe. We know God is on His throne in heaven. Scripture emphatically states that.
Psalm 11:4 The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven.
Please turn with me to Acts 7. Probably a chapter you are very familiar with once you get there. Acts 7 records the martyrdom of the first century Christian, Stephen. Stephen was a sanctified member of God's church, one of the last profound witnesses to the leaders of Judaism. And in a sense, with this incident, the doom of Jerusalem and the Temple and everything there was sealed. In his sermon, Stephen says,
Acts 7:46-58 "David, who found favor before God and asked to find a dwelling for the God of Jacob. But Solomon built Him a house. However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says: 'Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. What house will you build Me? says the Lord, or what is the place of My rest? Has My hand not made all these things?' You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it."
When they heard these things they were cut to the heart [that is, the Jews that he was speaking to], and they gnashed at him with their teeth [please take special notice of this next verse]. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of the young man named Saul [who you know became Paul, the apostle Paul after his conversion].
In his vision, Stephen saw Jesus Christ standing at the right hand of God. What does it mean to be at the right hand of someone? All of you have somewhat of an idea. When someone is at the right hand of someone else of authority, it is a sign of honor to begin with, representing dignity and majesty. It is the most important place of honor. Notice Stephen did not see Him sitting there on His throne. As you come to the end of Revelation 3, verse 21 Christ says,
Revelation 3:21 "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne."
So this time Christ was standing, and He was standing there looking at what was going on, not just sitting and viewing. He was not a passive participant in this, but active when Stephen looked up and saw that vision.
Now, God and Christ were pleased and excited, and the angels rejoiced at Stephen's victory over sin, Satan, the world, and human nature. Stephen was cleansed and sanctified and completed in preparation for God's Kingdom. At the appointed time, Stephen will be on the Sea of Glass, bowing in front of God the Father with Jesus Christ seated at His right hand and when all the saints appear before God following the resurrection of the firstfruits.
Jesus Christ is not only shown standing at God's right hand at the throne of God, but Hebrews 8, verse 1 shows Him sitting.
Hebrews 8:1 Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.
Hebrews 12:2 [shows Him sitting there as well] Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
The main point of the book of Hebrews is that we have a High Priest who has brought full forgiveness of sins, which is evident by His being seated at God's right hand. Jesus is the eternal High Priest ministering from heaven. So God the Father and Jesus Christ, they either stand or sit depending on the occasion and what is going on.
Ezekiel also saw a vision like the revelation of Jesus Christ of the apostle John. And he saw the likeness of a firmament, shining like crystal, and above the firmament there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire. So please turn with me to Ezekiel 1. Now, the opening sequence of Ezekiel is the most elaborate, complex, and carefully structured of the stories about the call of a prophet in the Old Testament.
In a vision, Ezekiel witnesses the awesome approach of the glory of God. He receives his prophetic commission by swallowing a scroll that God offers, thus strengthening him and training him in obedience. So after the glory of God withdraws, Ezekiel's role is further refined by his appointment as a watchman. Now there is something here in Ezekiel 1 that is very unusual and important. Things in heaven are made of spiritual things, not physical things.
Ezekiel 1:3-4 The word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was upon him there. Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
Ezekiel 1:13-14 And as for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightning. And the living creatures ran back and forth, in appearance like a flash of lightning.
So New Jerusalem will be made from spiritual things. And so likewise, here in Ezekiel 1, whatever these spiritual creatures are, probably cherubim, it is God's chariot that they are describing.
Ezekiel 1:20-22 Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, because there the spirit went; and the wheels were lifted together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When those went, these went; when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. The likeness of the firmament above the heads of the living creatures was like the color of an awesome crystal, stretched out over their heads.
So there is something like a rainbow over the crystal and this is not the Sea of Glass that it is talking about. These things are a composed of spirit.
Ezekiel 1:23-28 And under the firmament their wings spread out straight, one toward another. Each one had two which covered one side, and each one had two which covered the other side of the body. When they went, I heard the voice of their wings, like the voice of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a tumult like the noise of an army; and when they stood still, they let down their wings. A voice came from above the firmament that was over their heads; whenever they stood, they let down their wings. And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne [that would be a probably a replica of God's throne here because it is a moving], in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was the likeness with the appearance of a man high above it. Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.
Then Ezekiel received his commission as a prophet of God in chapter 2. And he is to go to the rebellious house of Israel and warn them to turn back toward God because they had strayed so far. God says they will not listen but they will know after the fact that a prophet of God was warning them. And Israel did not listen and they had bad times ahead of them, but they eventually learned the lesson—but they had to learn it over and over again. It just did not seem to stick.
The departure of the glory of God is accompanied by the same experiences as it approaches. So if you will flip over two chapters to Ezekiel 3, and we will read verses 12 through 14.
Ezekiel 3:12-14 Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a great thunderous voice: "Blessed is the glory of the Lord from this place!" I also heard the voice of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, and a great thunderous noise. So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away [this is Ezekiel speaking], and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the Lord was strong upon me.
So simultaneous events are being described here. Ezekiel is being taken away by the Spirit, but at the same time, the throne of the Lord is departing. So it seems that Ezekiel had a ride on a cherubim. This is probably very similar to what happened to Enoch when he was carried away and Elisha when he is carried away. They were carried away to a separate place and the chariot of Lord took them away. At least that is the way it appears from how it is described.
It is interesting that there are things made of spirit that must then be manifested to human eyes. You cannot see these spiritual things otherwise. And God uses those things according to His pleasure and reveals them according to His will.
Now, let us look at Isaiah's vision of God's throne. If you will turn over to Isaiah 6 with me. God's grace leads Isaiah from "Woe is me!" to "Here I am." It is an amazing process, quick process that must have been a powerful event for him. This vision seems to recount Isaiah's commission as a prophet. His book conveys the lasting impression of this vision of God in His infinite holiness. So now in Isaiah 6 we will see where Isaiah was also before the throne of God. No one should ever want to set himself up as a prophet. And that is the key to recognizing false prophets. They all set themselves up. Look at how Ezekiel was set up or commissioned. Jeremiah was set up too. Now, let us look at how Isaiah was set up as a prophet; God always did it directly.
Isaiah 6:1-2 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
The seraphim are fiery angelic beings. Seraphim in Hebrew means "flames." It gives us an idea of the type of angels they were and not just mild, passive things. Their six wings suggest remarkable powers and their references to face, hands, and feet imply composite creatures.
Isaiah 6:3 And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!"
Revelation 4 is very similar to what we have here.
Isaiah 6:4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.
This was probably done to protect him from the true glory of God. He could not appear in full view. He had to be, in a sense, shaded or clouded.
Isaiah 6:5-7 So I said [this is Isaiah speaking]: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is purged."
This was to show Isaiah that God would see him, but God had to cleanse and sanctify him first as only God can.
Isaiah 6:8-10 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here I am! Send me." And He said, "Go, and tell the people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing but do not perceive.' Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed."
So God was purposely blinding the people because they had been so wicked in rejecting God and their enmity toward God. He told Isaiah to give them the warning of what was going to happen. But He blocked their ears so that they would have to go through what He warned them of because God wanted them to understand, after they went through it, what Isaiah had warned earlier. Because they were so hard-hearted, that is what it took. So we see that God set up Isaiah after He cleansed and sanctified him and He would do the same, and is doing the same, with us.
Please turn over to Exodus 19. Exodus 19 reveals that when the Israelites reached Mount Sinai, they were in for a demonstration of a tiny amount of the power and glory of God. God required certain things of the Israelites before they were ready to meet Him. (I just want to interject here that in no way is my sermon chronological. We are going to jump all over the Bible and we are going to jump all over time.) My point is to show you the glory of God's throne and what is happening there and what we will eventually see.
Exodus 19:16-23 Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice.
Then the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. And the Lord said to Moses, "Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the Lord, and many of them perish. Also let the priests who come near the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them. But Moses said to the Lord, "The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for You warned us, saying, 'Set bounds around the mountain and consecrate it.'"
So before the Israelites could come before God, He required that they wash their clothes and they were to be physically clean and pure; no unclean or impure thing was allowed in God's presence.
All the ancient Israelites did not have God's Holy Spirit. Prophets did or specific individuals did, but not the whole nation of Israel. And so God had to teach them cleanliness in a type with physical cleanliness so they would later understand spiritual cleanliness, meaning overcoming sin and being cleansed by the blood of Christ. And so these were understanding it in a physical sense.
And actually, we should take this to heart as well. God's people should be clean people. Our houses should be clean, our homes, our yards should be clean, our cars should be clean because God looks down on us and He says, "What type of a world or what type of a city will this person rule?" And He looks at your yard, He looks at your house, He looks at your car, and that is what He sees. Is He going to say, "Yeah, that's the way I want My city under that person to be." Just a thought that is really important, actually, even though it is on a physical level.
The Lord also instructs Moses to consecrate the people; so Moses sanctified them. Consecrate and sanctify have the same basic meaning. They mean "to set apart for a special or specific purpose." The same Hebrew word gadash, in verses 22 and 23, is translated both consecrate and sanctify. They use it interchangeably, the translators did. It means "to be clean," "to pronounce as clean ceremonially or morally" and to "be holy."
So the Israelites were required to be clean as a condition of coming before God. How much more are we expected as God's church to be clean? Well, we are expected to be clean on a spiritual level as well, as I mentioned earlier. So to come before God requires cleanliness, it requires holiness.
You have heard the old saying, "Cleanliness is next to godliness." It is a saying of the world, yet it is true, and it really does apply both physically and spiritually. Now, members of God's church, the firstfruits of the Kingdom are required to be not just clean physically—not just clean on the outside, but clean on the inside—clean spiritually of heart and mind. We must be holy, and God is who declares us holy. No human can make something holy.
Please turn over to Revelation 4. In Revelation 4, the throne of God is open to the apostle John's view through a vision, as you well know. John's vision was not precisely the same as that given to Isaiah in Isaiah 6 or Ezekiel in Ezekiel 1. But the most spectacular symbols are similar. Each of them describes the throne and the attending circumstances. Each of them speaks of One on the throne, but none of them attempt to describe the Almighty in detail.
Ezekiel states that the One on the throne "has the appearance of a man and from the appearance of His waist downwards, I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire, with brightness all around. Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of all the likeness of the glory of the Lord."
When John's more detailed description of revelation of the throne of heaven, God's majesty and splendor are described but not His appearance.
Whether we try to find symbolism in each element of John's vision or allow the imagery of the whole scene to create the impression of transcendent glory, we must conclude that God's splendor and majesty are beyond realistic description. We just cannot, with human terms, describe the glory of the Lord justly enough, so to speak.
Now, let us look at this whole scene concerning the throne of God. As the church age comes to a close, we see Revelation 4 in the timeline.
Revelation 4:1-3 [this is somewhat parallel to Isaiah 6:1-3] After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, "Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this." Immediately I was in the Spirit [sounds like he was experiencing this in the vision, of course. I think that is what we all believe.]; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow all around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.
The One sitting on the throne was like the minerals jasper and sardius, portraying a supernatural splendor and majesty of God. Jasper is an opaque variety of quartz of red or yellow and some dull colors, breaking with a smooth surface that finishes with a high polish. So the color here is not designated whether red or yellow. Since red was the common color worn by princesses, it may be that it was red that appeared, but we do not know exactly what color that jasper is. The sardius is a precious stone of a blood red color or sometimes a flesh color, more commonly known as carnelian.
The use of these two stones in John's description pictures the appearance of Him who sat on the throne as a prince or a monarch in scarlet colors just like you would expect to see in a a king's robe. God the Father appears as radiant light diffused and reflected in all its prismatic beauty through precious jewels. Scripture often pictures God as clothed with dazzling light as in Psalm 104:2.
Now the rainbow here, resembling an emerald, conveys the impression of God's encircling brilliance, mercy, and peace. The emerald is green and brilliant in color and the mild color of green appears as a predominant color in a rainbow. And it is interesting that the different minerals that are mentioned, things like that have different wavelengths of light, and also sound. And emerald is one of the finest of all the minerals in that way. Rubies are way down the line, so to speak, but they also have those effects.
Since the rainbow covenant of God, the rainbow has been a symbol of mercy and peace. God said, "I set My rainbow in the cloud." Then He so solemnly promised humanity and every living creature of all flesh that the earth would never again be destroyed by water.
The appearance of the rainbow around the throne is a magnificent emblem of the mercy of God and of the peace that pervades this Kingdom, and obviously the throne of God.
Revelation 4:4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads.
Even just that one description is hard for us to imagine. We just cannot picture it.
These are lesser thrones. John sees a brilliant throne with twenty-four spirit beings and elders sitting around it on smaller thrones. Hebrews 8:5 shows that the Temple and its service were an earthly copy of the heavenly reality. The Aaronic priesthood had 24 divisions, each serving the Temple during a set time. The elders are of a kingly order because they are represented as sitting on thrones and have crowns of gold. And the elders are the representatives of the church as redeemed and as a priesthood of which Jesus Christ is High Priest. In Revelation 5:9-10, it says generally, "You have redeemed us to God by Your blood, out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God."
In John's vision, white robes generally belong to the saints and represent purity and righteousness. The 24 elders represent the church as triumphant, redeemed, saved, as rendering praise and honor to God, as uniting with hosts of heaven, and adoring Him for His excellence and for the wonders of His grace. As representatives of the church, the 24 elders are admitted near to Him. They encircle His throne and they appear victorious over every foe, and they come, in unison with the living creatures, the angels, and the whole universe to ascribe power and dominion to God. Again, it is impossible for us to imagine or even picture.
The throne area manifests incredible power and energy.
Revelation 4:5 And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.
Lightning was one of the signs of God's presence at Mount Sinai that evoked awe and terror in the Israelites. It announces the presence of the omnipotent God. John was aware of the power and brightness of lightning. Lightning which accompanies thunder is a well known phenomenon in Palestine, especially in the cool season, with most occurring in November and December. John had experienced this personally, seeing the lesser power of such a common, so to speak, lightning and thunder.
Now lightning fascinates us as much as frightens us. Here is some interesting physical facts about this power-disrupting phenomenon. And this is, of course, on a physical level. I cannot imagine what it is at a spiritual level.
♦ Although uncommon, lightning hits the earth about 100 times per second. That makes about 18 million strikes per day. The United States alone experiences 20 million lightning strikes per year.
♦Scientists have estimated that at any given moment, there are nearly 2,000 thunderstorms occurring over the earth's surface and that means 100,000 thunderstorms annually in the U.S.
♦ Cloud-to-ground lightning occurs when negative charges at a cloud's base are attracted to positive ones on the earth. A surge is created which carries the current to the ground. This bolt typically contains about 1 billion volts and 10,000 to 20,000 amperes of current. What happens next is called a return stroke, which is revealed as a bright flash.
♦ The average lightning stroke is about six miles long. The flash appears wider than it is due to the glowing air surrounding it. Lightning's return stroke can reach 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit. To put this blast in perspective, the sun's surface is only at about 11,000 degrees. That is incredible to me; in such a small area that there is that much power.
♦Thunder is essentially the air around the lightning exploding due to the high temperature. Lightning cooks the surrounding air to between 65,000 degrees. The sound is relative: The closer the strike, the louder the lightning's "bang." Rumbling thunder is the clap arriving at a different time due to the distance of lightning.
♦ Lightning travels at 186 miles per second, almost a million times the speed of sound.
These are physical facts and who can imagine what the spiritual side of things are.
Lightning is not all bad. In fact, it serves a worthwhile purpose in the scheme of nature. When lightning occurs, it changes the insoluble nitrogen that is in the air into soluble nitrogen, which in turn encourages plant growth. Nearly 100,000 tons of nitrogen are produced each year in this manner. Well, there we have it. That is the next thing they are going to get rid of under this environmental thing is lightning. At least that is the way they are thinking, is it not? Absolutely insane.
There are seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.
Revelation 1:4 Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before His throne.
Revelation 5:6 . . . stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
These seven spirits are probably the angels to the seven churches in Revelation 2:3. This is very similar to the account we read about when God came down to Mount Sinai in Exodus 19 and 20 and brought the Ten Commandments. There was lightning and thunder and the great sound of a loud trumpet at that time.
Revelation 4:6 Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, there were four living creatures full of eyes in front and back.
In front of the throne was a massive foundation, "a sea of glass, like crystal." This adds to the magnificence of the scene. The Sea of Glass of God's throne depicts a fixed state of holiness, both inward and outward, and its being before the throne indicates that its purity mirrors the holy excellence of the God of the universe and His throne. Its mirror-like quality symbolizes that in the sight of God, all is revealed.
Hebrews 4:13 There is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
The Sea of Glass' crystal appearance describes the splendor and beauty of the scene of holiness spread out before the throne. It is an emblem of peace, a vast dominion, omniscience, righteousness, and justice. And it emphasizes the throne's eternal quality and endlessness.
So all the resurrected saints will come before the throne of God and there is a sea of glass for us to stand on or kneel on. But I really strongly believe that our initial reaction will be to prostrate ourselves before the glory of God. And I will give you more proof of that later on in the sermon.
In the midst of the throne and around the throne were the four living creatures full of eyes in front and back: the lion, calf, face like a man, and flying eagle. Each have six wings. It is quite an interesting description. One thing I have always personally wondered is if many of the animals on earth are not duplications of what the angels look like because they are described by animal features and things like that. And so, I just wonder if that is not the case. Some of them definitely are because its states that.
Revelation 4:7-8 The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had the face of a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"
The four living creatures are linked to the seraphim in Isaiah 6:3 and the cherubim in Ezekiel 1:5-25 and chapter 10, verses 1-22. They are heavenly creatures of the highest order involved with the worship and government of God. These creatures were full of eyes portraying the exceeding knowledge of God. And these eyes are emblems of the omniscient, omniscient, the all-seeing power of Him who sits on the throne and His ever-watchful divine guidance in the administration of the divine government. Everything is distinctly contemplated. Nothing escapes observance, nothing can be concealed.
The faces of the lion, calf, man, and the flying eagle are qualities that belong to God, such as royal power and authority, strength, spirituality, and the wisdom of God, and swiftness of action to execute God's purposes. There is a tremendous amount of civil symbolism in these descriptions.
The lion is the monarch of the woods, the king of beasts. Therefore, he is the emblem of dominion, of authority, of government in general.
The calf, or more properly, the original Greek says a young bullock, is a symbol of firmness, endurance, strength. It stands under the throne as one of its supports. And it also represents qualities about Him who sat on the throne found abundantly in the divine administration, stability, firmness, and perseverance.
The face of a man here would denote intelligence because that is what distinguishes man from the creation beneath him. And this emblem represents that the operations of the government of God are conducted with intelligence and wisdom. The divine administration is not the result of blind fate or chance. It is founded on the clear knowledge of things, what is best to be done, and what is most beneficial for the common good. And we should take this advice right now and do the same ourselves, seeking truth in everything, especially medically these days. Research, research, research, from different sources and find out what is really the truth behind these things.
The flying eagle is distinguished among the feathered race for the rapidity, the power, and the elevation of its flight. No other bird is supposed to fly so high, none ascends with such power. None is so majestic and grand in its ascent towards the sun. So the eagle symbolizes the rapidity with which the commands of God are executed. They are promptly executed and there is a vigorous, powerful, and rapid flight towards the accomplishment of the plans of God.
There is so much organization, so much planning, so much power behind all of this. It is incredible. So our lives, mapped out before we are born, so to speak, with allowances for our own free will, but God is there working all things to His will, according to His pleasure.
The eagle also represents protective care, the protection that God extends over those who put their trust in Him. The Song of Moses describes that the Lord is like an eagle in this way.
Deuteronomy 32:11-12 As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings, so the Lord alone led him.
The living creatures' six wings give the impression of unlimited mobility in fulfilling God's commands and readiness to do the will of God. It appears that their position in the center and around the throne may mean that one is before, one behind, and one on each side. All creatures pay ceaseless reverence and service to God whose throne they are represented as supporting. And this is characteristic of what all the operations of the divine government do, they promote His glory and render Him praise. So perhaps two wings of each living creature were used, as in Isaiah, to cover the face, a token of profound reverence. Then the remainder were used in flight representing the rapidity with which the divine commands are executed.
So these four living creatures portray the majesty of God and His providential government, showing what sustains His throne; symbols denoting intelligence, vigilance, the rapidity, the directness with which the divine commands are executed, and the energy and firmness with which the government of God is administered. The amount of power flowing through all of this! No wonder people fall on their face when they come before God, even in a vision.
And that ties in to the appearance of the cherubim. So wherever God goes on the cherubim, He has His portable throne, so to speak, and He has a small replica of it just like the main throne that we are seeing right here in Revelation 4. So whether that is in reality that He travels around on a similar throne or smaller throne, or it is just in vision for those who saw it, I do not know. But either way that is how it is portrayed.
Now, we are going to pick it up again in verse 9 of Revelation 4. Going through this to me was just absolutely overwhelming. I just was in awe with each step of the way. I am speechless. I am glad I have to read these descriptions.
Revelation 4:9-11 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created."
So the living creatures are represented as offering praise and adoration to God sitting on His throne. And the idea is that the ways and acts of God and His providential government are by nature continually honoring Him. All living things and all acts of the Almighty cooperate to proclaim His glory. So everything we do in our life should be to glorify God. That is the bottom line of it. Everything we think, everything we do, should be for the glory of God. Our actions especially are the hardest sometimes.
The church (by her representatives, the 24 elders) honors God; the angels, without number, unite in praise; all creatures in heaven, in earth, and in the sea, join in song—and all the acts and ways of God declare His majesty and glory: because around His throne and beneath His throne are expressive symbols of the firmness, the energy, the intelligence, and the power with which God's government is administered.
So when Jesus Christ comes down to establish God's government on earth, there is going to be a great deal of energy, intelligence, and power behind that just in the sheer authority that is there, as well as the events that are carried out. So we have a lot to look forward to in the Millennium and even more to look forward to when we are all in God's Kingdom as spirit beings during that time and then also for the eternity.
Please turn over to Ephesians 3. There is no other reason why the universe exists at all than that. It is the will of God that explains everything and consequently, whatever wisdom, power, and goodness is manifested in the universe is traced back to God and is the expression of what was in Him from eternity. This is tremendously encouraging because we were and are created for God's pleasure. And we understand that salvation is created right now in us—a spiritual creation taking place in us!
Ephesians 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.
So we must let God do His good pleasure in us. We must let Him create in us the spiritual character and strength that comes only from God because that is why we have been called out of this world and into His church. We have been placed in God's church to worship Him, to work with Him, to produce good fruit as He perfectly and completely develops us. And it is happening every minute of every day, every second of every day, that He is working with us.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them [and we should look at that as we must walk in them].
Please turn over to Revelation 11. Now, what is the reaction of humans in the presence of God? What do spirit beings do in His presence? We have learned some of of that. Let us continue on and look and see specifically those things in Revelation 11. We are going to read verses 15 and 16. And of course, this is at the seventh trump and the Kingdom is proclaimed.
Revelation 11:15-16 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever." And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God.
The apostle John's vision of God's throne so impressed him that he was in awe of what he saw. He was not speechless, but he struggled with the description. The prophet Isaiah describes his reaction to appearing before God in a vision when he received his commission as a prophet of God, as I mentioned earlier, in Isaiah 6:1-5.
Isaiah 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on the throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.
Isaiah 6:5 "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips."
What does it mean to become undone? You feel like you are coming apart, whatever that feels like, and it sounds like it would be painful. But that is the way he described it. Isaiah felt like his body was falling apart right there on the spot. No doubt, he could not remain standing. And the effect described here often occurred to those who had a vision of God. The prophet of Ezekiel describes his reaction to appearing before God in his vision. And you will remember as we read some of these before.
Ezekiel 1:28 Like the appearance of a rainbow and a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.
Ezekiel 2:1-2 And He said to me, "Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak to you." Then the Spirit entered me when He spoke to me, and set me on my feet; and I heard Him who spoke to me.
So the Spirit had picked him up and held him there on his feet because his legs had become like gelatin from fear and awe at being in the presence of God. I wonder when we appear before the throne of God, will the angels have to pick up us up and stabilize or hold us? Of course, this happened in vision, but still, you have to wonder.
Please turn with me to Daniel 7, verse 9. The prophet Daniel describes his reaction to a meeting in vision with the Lord and the archangel Gabriel.
Daniel 7:9-10 His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire; a fiery stream issued and came forth before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.
Daniel 8:15-18 Then it happened, when I, Daniel, had seen the vision and was seeking the meaning, that suddenly there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. And I heard a man's voice between the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, "Gabriel [remember Gabriel is a angel], make this man understand the vision." [and in verse 17 I especially want you to take note of] So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid and fell on my face; but he said to me, "Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end." Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright.
So it appears there that Jesus Christ was there telling Gabriel to tell this man that, but whether it is Jesus Christ or Gabriel that caused Daniel to fall on his face because he was afraid. The angels are pretty powerful and they are probably terrifying as well to a human being. So I am not sure which. I would think that he was falling on his face partly to honor Jesus Christ, but also Gabriel might have a similar effect because of the archangels having so much power in themselves. But falling on your face seems to indicate worship. So I would say probably because of Jesus Christ being there.
Please turn over to Revelation 1, verse 10. The apostle John describes his reaction to the appearance of One like the Son of Man in the vision.
Revelation 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet.
Trumpets are known for their blast. They get your attention and they are used for many things, for the announcement of some some dignitary, or they are warnings.
Revelation 1:13-17 And in the midst of the seven lampstands was One like the Son of Man [that is, like Christ], clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. [You do not get more still than that, do you?] But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last."
So whether in the presence of God the Father or Jesus Christ, even in a vision, Their power and glory are more than a human can withstand. "Woe is me, for I am undone!" "I was afraid and fell at His feet as dead." Those are some of the comments.
Let us begin to wrap this up. For a final scripture, we are going to turn back to Revelation 11.
Revelation 11:16-18 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: "We give you thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned. The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth."
No doubt, we will fall on our faces out of reverential fear, glory, and honor, and adoration for God the Father and Jesus Christ. But God lifts us up to kneel or stand as all the firstfruit saints are given our reward.
We also know from Revelation 2:3 that we will be given a new name. We must be given the name of the Father, the name of the New Jerusalem, and Christ's new name. And all of that must occur after the saints, the spiritual firstfruits, are resurrected. It is plausible that this receiving of new names happens on the Sea of Glass before God's throne.
Tremendously exciting worship and ceremonies of other types—a marriage ceremony—will take place before God's throne. So all I can say at the end of this is words cannot express the awesomeness of being in the presence of God.
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