Let's Study Revelation (Chapter 4) by E. G. Cook

In the first Chapter and verse 19 our Lord told John to “write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.” John wrote what he had seen in Chapter One. Then he wrote the things which are in Chapters Two and Three. Now, beginning with Chapter Four he writes the things which shall be, not hereafter, but after these things. The word “hereafter” could mean some indefinite time in the future, but the Greek expression META TAUTA used here seems to speak of a definite time. John is commanded to write about the things which are to take place, or come to pass after the things which are, that is, after the churches, or the church age. Since the Lord of glory made these divisions there can be no room for error. Therefore, it would seem to me that the rapture of the saints (I Thessalonians 4:16-17) must of necessity take place before the things recorded in Chapters 4 through 22 can begin to come to pass. I see no room for them to run concurrently even for one short hour. If these two overlap, how can one of them be after the other? Furthermore, our finding the expression META TAUTA again here at the end of verse 1 seems to me to be proof positive that what takes place from this point on must take place after what had taken place in Chapters Two and Three. The very first phrase in this chapter, “After this,” or better “After these things I looked” would seem to prove that all this takes place after the church age has ended with the rapture. If our Lord is not coming for us until the middle, or the end of the great Tribulation, why should I be looking for Him today? I assure you, however, that I am looking for Him today. If he does not come today, let’s look for him tomorrow.

In the latter part of Chapter Three we see some of our Lord’s own churches leaving Him completely out of their activities. He is knocking at their door. When this has gone far enough a door is opened in Heaven and all the Saints of all the ages from the death of Abel to that time will hear that glorious shout, “Come up hither.” John looked and a door was opened in Heaven. The door did not open as a result of his looking, but he was expecting that door to open, therefore, he was looking. “Unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time” Hebrews 9:28. Just as John was called up to heaven here in this chapter before any of the judgments are recorded, so in like manner I believe the Saints will be raptured before these judgments come upon the earth. Our Lord tells the church at Philadelphia that He will keep them “EK” that is, “out of” this terrible time, Revelation 3:10.

John says that immediately he was in the Spirit. This reminds us of 1 Corinthians 15:52 where we learn that we who are living when our Lord comes for us will be changed in such a short time that our translators had to just say, “In the twinkling of an eye.” The word “moment” here in this verse is from ATOMOS from which we get our word “atom.” It originally meant a period of time that was so short that it could not be divided. So could not John’s saying, “Immediately I was in the Spirit” be a type of our change “in the twinkling of an eye” when our Lord comes in the air for us? I believe we shall hear the same words that John heard here in verse 1. The trumpet like voice here reminds us of our Lord’s loud voice in John 11:43 when He called Lazarus from the grave. We would not for one moment think that He had to cry with a loud voice in order for Lazarus to hear Him but that is the way He chose to do it.

The first thing that John saw in heaven was a throne upon which One sat. No one should have any trouble recognizing this One who sits upon this throne. He is the Lord of glory, the judge of all the earth. This reminds us of Daniel 7:9 where we read, “As I looked, thrones were placed and One that was ancient of days took His seat” (R.S.V.) John saw a rainbow round about this throne which was quite different from our rainbows. The ones we see in the heavens are made up of all the basic colors of our light spectrum. But the one he saw here was a light green color. This light green stone, the emerald as we see in Revelation 21:19 is the fourth stone in the foundation of the wall of the New Jerusalem. The number four is the earth number, and its being mentioned here may very well speak of our Lord’s dealing with the earth in judgment during the awful Tribulation.

In verse 4 we meet the twenty-four elders for the first time. Here John saw twenty-four thrones (not seats), and on these thrones he saw twenty-four elders. For many years I followed the teaching that is so common among Bible commentators on the subject of these elders. This teaching that the elders are representative of all the saints of all ages is firmly supported by the King James translation. In Revelation 5:9 these translators have these elders say that God hath redeemed us. Then in verse 10 they have these elders saying that God “hath made us” “kings and priests” “and we shall reign on the earth.” So, it was only natural to say that since these elders had been redeemed and were to reign on the earth that they had to be some of the saints and therefore representative of all the saints. But, since all men are prone to err, we find that these translators made a glaring error in these two verses in that they use the first person where it should be third person. These elders are not saying that God hath redeemed us, but rather that He hath redeemed, that is, His saints. Then in verse 10 where we have “us” and “we” it should be “them” and “they.” Since these elders are not among the redeemed and not among those who shall reign on the earth they must, I believe, be an order of created beings who were created for the specific purpose of praising God. Their sitting on thrones and wearing crowns of gold could mean that they are to reign with Christ in Heaven as we, the redeemed, are to reign with Him here on earth.

In Hebrews 4:16 we are told to “come boldly unto the throne of grace”, but here in verse 5 we see no “welcome mat.” What we see here would deter any who might wish to approach this throne. When this time comes the throne of grace to which we are to come boldly is no longer in view. Neither is our Lord’s love, His great mercy nor His long suffering in view at this time. This does not mean that He has changed. It just simply means that He has taken His place on the throne of judgment and is now ready to deal out judgment upon His enemies during what we call the great Tribulation.

Since there is but one Holy Spirit, the “seven lamps”, “which are the seven Spirits of God” must of necessity mean the sevenfold Spirit, or the seven functions of the Spirit. In Isaiah 11:2 we find six of these functions. He is the “Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.” Then in John 16:8 He is the Spirit of reproof, or conviction.

In verse 6 the “sea of glass” calls to our mind the molten sea in Solomon’s Temple. In II Chronicles 4 we learn of this great huge vessel that contained about 24,000 gallons of water. On the right side of this great huge molten sea there were five layers, or basins, and on the left side there were five more layers. It was in these layers, or basins that the slain animals were rinsed before they were burned as the burnt offering. But the molten sea itself was reserved for the priests to wash in. In other words the priests came to this molten sea for their cleansing. Then for us to see what this molten sea typified let us turn to Psalms 119:9 where we read, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to Thy Word,” and to John 15:3 where we are told, “Now ye are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you.” Since the Word of God cleanses His people like water, we should be able to see that this molten sea speaks of the Word.

Here in Revelation 4:6 this sea of glass is not occupied so far as we are permitted to see. But, if we turn to the fifteenth chapter and verse two we see our Lord’s martyred saints as they stand on the sea of glass. Not only is the Word for our cleansing in this life, but it is our firm and steadfast support now and forever more. In Isaiah 40:8 we are told that “The Word of our God shall stand for ever.” There is nothing of a temporary nature about God’s precious Word.

Also in verse 6 we see in the midst of the throne, and round about it the four living creatures. The Authorized Version calls them “beasts”, but other translations call them “living creatures” as they should. It is a far cry from these wonderful creatures who praise God day and night to the terrible beasts of Revelation 13 who labor relentlessly against our Lord and His people. In Revelation 13 these beasts are THERION in the original. This word means wild, untamed beasts, but here in Revelation 4:6 these creatures are ZOON in the original, and this word means living ones, or living creatures. So why not write in your Bible the words “living creatures” where you find the word “beasts” here in Chapters Four and Five? To call these wonderful creatures who rest not day nor night from praising God by the name of “beasts” is, in view of our present day usage of the term, awfully close to an insult to them. Their being “full of eyes” may speak of their being guardians of the throne. Some see them as guardians of the gospel, but be that as it may, we must admit that they are well equipped for whatever task may be theirs round about that precious throne.

The first one of these wonderful creatures “was like”, or in some way resembled “a lion.” We believe these “four living creatures” set forth the fourfold ministry of our Lord in His earthly ministry. The lion is considered the king of the forest. So this first living creature “like a lion” sets forth our Lord’s ministry in the gospel of Matthew. In this book He is set forth as the King of the Jews. And while there are many truths in Matthew that apply to us, still this book was written primarily to the Jews to show them that this Jesus of Nazareth was in reality their promised Messiah. The second of these “living creatures” was “like a calf.” In Ezekiel 1:10 it is an “ox.” The “ox” is a beast of burden, a servant of man. So this second living creature sets forth Christ in the book of Mark. Here He is the servant. In chapter 10 and verse 45 He says, “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister.” You find no genealogy in Mark, for after all, who is looking for royal blood in a servant? The third “living creature” was “like a man”, and this sets forth our Lord’s ministry in Luke. Here in this book He is “the man Christ Jesus”, or the man who was God. The fourth “living creature was like a flying eagle.” The eagle is called the bird of heaven because of its living so high above other birds. So this all speaks of our Lord’s ministry in the book of John where He is the one who “came down from Heaven.” In this book He is God who was man.

These wonderful creatures praise continually “Him who is and who was and who is to come.” He was from everlasting to everlasting without beginning or ending of days. He is today on the right hand of the Father interceding for His people. And He is to come, not only to reign for one thousand years, but Revelation 21:5 leads me to believe that He will dwell with men on the new earth. Could it be that when all traces of sin have been removed from the earth that Heaven itself will be transferred to the new earth and, instead of our spending eternity in Heaven with our Lord He will spend it here on earth with His people?

“When these living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, the one who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him and worship.” These elders cast their crowns before the throne, and worship Him as creator. No one can worship Him as redeemer except those who have been redeemed by the precious blood of the lamb. No one can sing the song of redemption but those who have experienced His wonderful redemption. But every creature whether in Heaven, on the earth, or under the earth will have to worship their creator in that coming day.

“Every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God,” Romans 14:11. Those who hate the ground our Lord walked on, and who hate the ground His saints walk on today will someday bow their knee to Him and confess that He is God.