11  A Trip to Heaven  (Revelation 4:1–11)

After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads. Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God; and before the throne there was, something like, a sea of glass like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” (4:1–11)

There is an unprecedented fascination these days among both Christians and non-Christians with the afterlife. Books on supposed after-or near-death experiences and angels top the bestseller lists. TV programs explore the mysterious realm of the supernatural, often focusing on angels and their alleged interaction with humans. Many people, both those who profess to be Christians and those who do not, claim to have visited heaven and returned to tell of their experiences.

In contrast to the fanciful, bizarre, often silly fabrications of those who falsely claim to have visited heaven (which I critique in my books Charismatic Chaos [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992] and The Glory of Heaven [Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway, 1996]), the Bible records the accounts of two people who actually were taken there in visions. In 2 Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul wrote of being transported to the third heaven (the abode of God). But he was forbidden to speak of what he saw there (2 Cor. 12:4).

The apostle John also had the inestimable privilege of visiting heaven. Unlike Paul, John was permitted to give a detailed description of his vision, which he did in chapters 4 and 5 of Revelation. In those two chapters, John recorded the second vision he saw, the first being his vision of the glorified Lord Jesus Christ in 1:12–17. The Bible refers to heaven more than five hundred times, and others, such as Paul (2 Cor. 12) and Ezekiel (Ezek. 1), wrote descriptions of it. Yet John’s description in chapters 4 and 5 is the most complete and informative in all of Scripture. Escorted by the beloved apostle, readers are carried far beyond the mundane features of this temporal realm to behold the realities of eternal heaven. Through John’s vision, believers have the privilege of previewing the place where they will live forever.

The first occurrence of the phrase after these things (v. 1) relates to John’s personal chronology. It notes that this second vision followed immediately after John’s vision of the risen, glorified Christ (1:9–20) and the letters to the seven churches (2:1–3:22). The phrase after these things is used throughout Revelation to mark the beginning of a new vision (cf. 7:9; 15:5; 18:1; 19:1).

The second occurrence of after these things relates to God’s chronology. Its use marks an important transition in the book of Revelation from the church age (the “things which are”; 1:19), described in chapters 2–3, to the third great division of the book (the “things which will take place”; 1:19), found in chapters 4–22. The scene shifts from matters concerning the church (which is nowhere mentioned in chaps. 4–19) on earth to a dramatic scene in heaven. That scene centers on the throne of God and forms the prologue to the future historical events (the Tribulation, millennial kingdom, and eternal state) that unfold in chapters 6–22. In keeping with the Lord’s promise to spare His church from the hour of testing (the outpouring of wrath before the Lord returns) given in 3:10, the church will be raptured before that time of tribulation (described in detail in chapters 6–19) begins.

As John looked, to his astonishment (indicated by the exclamation behold) he saw a door standing open in heaven (cf. Ezek. 1:1; Acts 7:56). That already open door admitted John into the third heaven (cf. 2 Cor. 12:2; the first being the earth’s atmosphere and the second interplanetary and interstellar space)–to the very throne room of God. It was heaven to which Christ ascended after His resurrection and where He has since been seated at the right hand of God (John 14:2–3; Acts 1:9–11; 3:20–21; 7:55–56; Rom. 10:6; Col. 3:1; 1 Thess. 4:16). Heaven became John’s vantage point for most of the remainder of the book of Revelation.

After noticing the open door, the first voice John heard was the familiar voice like the sound of a trumpet that had spoken to him in his first vision (1:10). As noted in the discussion of that passage in chapter 3 of this volume, this was the voice of the risen, exalted Lord Jesus Christ. His voice is likened to the sound of a trumpet because of its commanding, authoritative quality. The Lord specifically ordered John to come up here, that is, to heaven. John was not swept away into some mystical fantasyland, but transported spiritually into the reality of heaven. Some see in this command a reference to the Rapture of the church. However, the verse does not describe the church ascending to heaven in resurrected glorification, but John going to heaven to receive revelation.

The central theme of John’s vision is the throne of God, mentioned eleven times in this chapter. All the features of the chapter can be outlined based on how they relate to that throne of divine glory. After describing the throne, John tells us who is on the throne, what is going on around the throne, what comes from the throne, what stands before the throne, who is in the center and around the throne, and what is directed toward the throne.

THE THRONE

Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, (4:2a)

Most modern-day people who claim to have had visions of heaven tend to emphasize the trivial and the bizarre. But John’s vision focused on the glorious throne of God and the ineffable majesty of the One who sits on it. As he was taken out of the familiar dimension of space and time and into the heaven of God’s presence in the Spirit’s power (cf. 1:10), John was amazed and astounded by what he saw, causing him to exclaim behold.

The cause of John’s amazement was the throne of God that he saw standing in heaven. This was not a piece of furniture, but a symbol of God’s sovereign rule and authority (cf. Pss. 11:4; 103:19; Isa. 66:1) located in the temple in heaven (cf. 7:15; 11:19; 14:15, 17; 15:6–8; 16:17). According to Revelation 21:22 the heavenly temple is not an actual building: “the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb” are the temple. The use of the term temple symbolizes God’s presence. The throne was said to be standing because God’s sovereign rule is fixed, permanent, and unshakable. A vision of God’s immovable throne reveals He is in permanent, unchanging, and complete control of the universe. That is a comforting realization in light of the horror and trauma of the end-time events about to be revealed (chaps. 6–19). In much the same way, Isaiah was comforted during a traumatic time in Israel’s history by his vision of God’s glory (Isa. 6).

ON THE THRONE

and One sitting on the throne. And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; (4:2b-3a)

The whimsical, mindless, purposeless forces of random chance do not, as many foolishly believe, govern the universe. Instead, the sovereign, omnipotent Creator of the universe is sitting on His throne as its ruler. Unlike its use in Hebrews (cf. Heb. 1:3; 10:12; 12:2), where it depicts Christ’s posture of rest, the term sitting here indicates the posture of reigning. The thought is not resting because the work of redemption has been accomplished, but reigning because judgment is about to take place.

Though John does not name the One sitting on the throne, it is obvious who He is. He is the One Isaiah saw in his vision: “I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple” (Isa. 6:1). The prophet Micaiah also saw Him on His glorious throne: “I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left” (1 Kings 22:19). “God reigns over the nations,” declared the psalmist, “God sits on His holy throne”(Ps. 47:8). Daniel also saw a vision of the heavenly throne room:

But perhaps the most detailed look at God on His heavenly throne outside of Revelation is that given by Ezekiel:

In sharp contrast to the casual, flippant, proud, almost blasphemous accounts of those today who claim visions of God, Isaiah (Isa. 6:5), Ezekiel (Ezek. 1:28), and Daniel (Dan. 7:15) were terrified and humbled by their visions.

John described He who was sitting on the throne as being like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance. That description is reminiscent of the flashing light, blazing fire, and vivid colors in Ezekiel’s vision. Revelation 21:11 describes jasper as “crystal-clear”; therefore, it is best to identify this stone as a diamond. All the shining, flashing facets of the glory of God are compared to a diamond, brilliantly refracting all the colors of the spectrum. A sardius, from which the city of Sardis got its name, is a fiery, bloodred ruby. It too expresses the shining beauty of God’s glory, and may also symbolize God’s blazing wrath, about to be poured out on the sinful, rebellious world (chaps. 6–19).

There is a possible further symbolism in the choice of these two stones. The sardius and the jasper were the first and last stones on the high priest’s breastplate (Ex. 28:17–20; “ruby,” “jasper”), representing the firstborn (Reuben) and lastborn (Benjamin) of the twelve sons of Jacob. It may be that those stones depict God’s covenant relationship with Israel; His wrath and judgment will not abrogate that relationship. In fact, it is during the Tribulation that, largely through the zealous evangelistic efforts of the 144,000 (Rev. 7:3ff.), “all Israel will be saved” (Rom. 11:26). It is also possible that the names of Reuben (“behold, a son”) and Benjamin (“son of my right hand”) picture God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, sitting at His Father’s right hand in glory.

John’s vision of God’s throne is not one of peace and comfort. Its flashing, glorious, splendorous magnificence reveals the terrors of God’s judgment. Truly, “our God is a consuming fire”(Heb. 12:29; cf. Deut. 4:24).

AROUND THE THRONE

and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads. (4:3b–4)

Moving away from his description of the throne to describe what was around it, John noted first that there was a rainbow around it. That John described it as being like an emerald in appearance reveals that green was the dominant color. This again is introduced to show the many-splendored glory of God (cf. Ezek. 1:28). The rainbow provides a comforting balance to the fiery flashings of judgment earlier seen emanating from God’s throne. According to Genesis 9:13–17, a rainbow symbolizes God’s covenant faithfulness, mercy, and grace. God’s attributes always operate in perfect harmony. His wrath never operates at the expense of His faithfulness; His judgments never abrogate His promises. God’s power and holiness would cause us to live in abject terror were it not for His faithfulness and mercy. God said of the faithful remnant of Israel who feared being swept away in His judgment of the nation, “They will be Mine … on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him” (Mal. 3:17).

John also saw around the throne twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones he saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads. The identity of the twenty-four elders has been much debated. While some see them as an order of angelic beings, it seems best to view them as human representatives of the church. Several lines of evidence point to that conclusion.

First, the reference to the twenty-four thrones on which the twenty-four elders sat indicates that they reign with Christ. Nowhere in Scripture do angels sit on thrones, nor are they pictured ruling or reigning. Their role is to serve as “ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation” (Heb. 1:14; cf. Matt. 18:10). The church, on the other hand, is repeatedly promised a co-regency with Christ (2:26–27; 3:21; 5:10; 20:4; Matt. 19:28; Luke 22:30; 1 Cor. 6:2–3; 2 Tim. 2:12).

Presbuteroi (elders) is never used in Scripture to refer to angels, but always to men. It is used to speak of older men in general, and the rulers of both Israel and the church. There is no indisputable use of presbuteroi outside of Revelation to refer to angels. (Some believe that “elders” in Isaiah 24:23 refers to angels, but it could as well refer to humans.) Further, “elder” would be an inappropriate term to describe angels, who do not age.

While angels do appear in white (e. g., John 20:12; Acts 1:10), white garments more commonly are the dress of believers. That is particularly true in the immediate context of Revelation. Christ promised the believers at Sardis that they would “be clothed in white garments” (3:5). He advised the apostate Laodiceans to “buy from Me … white garments so that you may clothe yourself” (3:18). At the marriage supper of the Lamb, His bride will “clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean” (19:8). White garments symbolize Christ’s righteousness imputed to believers at salvation.

That the elders wore golden crowns on their heads provides further evidence that they were humans. Crowns are never promised in Scripture to angels, nor are angels ever seen wearing them. Stephanos (crowns) is the victor’s crown, worn by those who successfully endured the trial, those who competed and won the victory. Christ promised such a crown to the loyal believers at Smyrna: “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (2:10). “Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things,” wrote Paul. “They then do it to receive a perishable wreath [stephanos], but we an imperishable” (1 Cor. 9:25). He wrote of that imperishable crown again in 2 Timothy 4:8: “In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” James wrote of “the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12), and Peter of “the unfading crown of glory”(1 Pet. 5:4). Holy angels do not personally struggle with and triumph over sin; thus, the overcomer’s crown, the crown of those who successfully ran the race and finished victorious, would not be appropriate for them.

Assuming, then, that the twenty-four elders are humans, the question remains as to which humans they represent. First, it should be noted that the number twenty-four is used in Scripture to speak of completion and representation. There were twenty-four officers of the sanctuary representing the twenty-four courses of the Levitical priests (1 Chron. 24:4- 5, 7–18), as well as twenty-four divisions of singers in the temple (1 Chron. 25). Whoever the twenty-four elders are, then, they likely represent a larger group.

Some believe the elders represent Israel. But while individual Jews have been and will continue to be redeemed throughout history, at the time of this vision the nation as a whole had not yet been redeemed. Their national judgment and salvation (Rom. 11:26) comes during the Tribulation (chaps. 6–19), largely as a result of the evangelistic efforts of the 144,000 (introduced in chap. 7). When the twenty-four elders are first introduced, those events are yet to take place.

Similarly, the elders cannot be Tribulation saints, since they too had not yet been converted. The elders are already in heaven when the Tribulation saints arrive. Revelation 7:11–14 describes the scene:

The elders are also seen in heaven when other momentous events of the Tribulation take place, such as when the kingdoms of the world become the kingdom of Christ (11:15–18), when the 144,000 gather on Mount Zion (14:1–3), and when God destroys the Babylonian economic and religious system (19:1–4).

Some would split the twenty-four elders into two groups of twelve, one representing the church and the other Israel. There is no compelling exegetical reason, however, for so dividing them. In all their appearances in Revelation they appear as a unified group of twenty-four, never as two groups of twelve.

It is unlikely, then, that the twenty-four elders are angels, or that they represent Israel, the Tribulation saints, or a combination of Israel and the church. That leaves one most acceptable possibility, that they represent the raptured, glorified, coronated church, which sings the song of redemption (5:8–10). They have their crowns and live in the place prepared for them, where they have gone to be with Jesus (cf. John 14:1–4).

FROM THE THRONE

Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. (4:5a)

Flowing out from God’s presence, symbolized by the throne, John saw a precursor to the firestorm of divine fury about to burst on the sinful world. Flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder are associated with God’s presence in Exodus 19:16 and Ezekiel 1:13. They are also associated with God’s judgment during the Tribulation. In Revelation 8:5 “the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning.” In Revelation 11:19 “the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder.” When the seventh angel pours out his bowl there will be “flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder”(16:18). John saw a preview of the divine wrath that will be poured out on the earth, described in chapters 6–19.

BEFORE THE THRONE

And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God; and before the throne there was, something like, a sea of glass like crystal; (4:5b-6a)

As he looked at the scene in heaven John saw two things before the throne. First were seven lamps of fire. Unlike the lampstands mentioned in 1:12–13, these were outdoor torches, giving off not the soft, gentle light of an indoor lamp, but the fierce, blazing light of a fiery torch. John identifies them as the seven Spirits of God. As noted in the discussion of 1:4 in chapter 1 of this volume, that phrase describes the Holy Spirit in all His fullness (cf. Isa. 11:2; Zech. 4:1–10). The sevenfold representation of the Holy Spirit in Isaiah speaks of wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, reverence, and deity; in Zechariah of power; in Revelation 1:4 of grace and peace; and here of fiery judgment. Torches are associated with war in Judges 7:16, 20 and Nahum 2:3–4. John’s vision depicts God as ready to make war on sinful, rebellious mankind and the Holy Spirit as His war torch. The Comforter of those who love Christ will be the Consumer of those who reject Him.

Also in front of God’s throne was something like a sea of glass like crystal. That sea is metaphorical, since there is no sea in heaven (21:1). What John saw at the base of the throne was a vast pavement of glass, shining brilliantly like sparkling crystal. Exodus 24:10 records a similar scene when Moses, Aaron, and the elders of Israel “saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself” (cf. Ezek. 1:22, 26). Heaven is not a shadowy world of mists and indistinct apparitions. It is a world of dazzlingly brilliant light, refracting and shining as through jewels and crystal in a manner beyond our ability to describe or imagine (cf. Rev. 21:10–11, 18).

IN AND AROUND THE THRONE

and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; (4:6b–8a)

This passage introduces the four living creatures who will play a significant role in the events that unfold in Revelation. That they are said to be both in the center and around the throne means that their station is in the inner circle nearest the throne. The similar passage in Ezekiel 1:12, 17 suggests they are in constant motion about it. The translation living creatures is somewhat misleading, since these are not animals. The phrase derives from a single word in the Greek text, the noun form of the verb zaō, which means “to live.”

Ezekiel gives a detailed description of these incredible beings and of the glorious magnificence of heaven and God’s throne:

Ezekiel’s description appears incomprehensible, almost incoherent, as he struggled to make sense out of the spectacular, supernatural scene that he witnessed. Both Ezekiel’s description and that in Revelation 4 describe what could be called the divine war machine ready to unleash judgment.

Ezekiel 10:15 specifically identifies these four living beings: “Then the cherubim rose up. They are the living beings that I saw by the river Chebar.” The four living creatures are thus cherubim, an exalted order of angels frequently associated in Scripture with God’s holy power (e. g., 1 Sam. 4:4; 2 Sam. 6:2; 22:11; Pss. 80:1; 99:1; Isa. 37:16). After Adam and Eve sinned, God drove them out of Eden and stationed cherubim at the entrance to keep them from returning (Gen. 3:24). Two carved cherubim were placed in the Holy of Holies (also called the Most Holy Place), symbolically guarding God’s holiness (1 Kings 6:23–28). Satan, before his fall, was “the anointed cherub who covers”; his duty was to attend God’s throne (Ezek. 28:14; cf. v. 16).

John, like Ezekiel, struggled to capture the reality in comprehensible terms to describe the indescribable scene before him. First, he said the living creatures were full of eyes in front and behind (cf. v. 8; Ezek. 1:18; 10:12), symbolizing their awareness, alertness, and comprehensive knowledge. Though they are not omniscient, nothing pertaining to their duties escapes their scrutiny.

Ezekiel’s description of these angels notes that each one possessed all four facial features (Ezek. 1:6). But from John’s vantage point, the first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. Those descriptions view the four cherubim in relation to the created world; the lion represents wild creatures, the calf domestic animals, the eagle flying creatures, and man the pinnacle of creation. Symbolically, the lion represents strength, the calf service, the man reason, and the eagle speed. The Talmud saw in these four creatures the four primary forms of life in God’s creation. It also noted that the twelve tribes of Israel camped under these four banners; some with Reuben (symbolized by a man), others with Dan (symbolized by an eagle), others with Ephraim (symbolized by the calf, or ox), and the rest with Judah (symbolized by a lion).

The four living creatures, like angels in general (Matt. 13:40–43, 49; 25:31ff.; Rev. 15:1, 7), are deeply involved with the coming judgments of the Tribulation, in which they will play an integral role. They will be there at the outset of divine judgments as one of their number calls forth the rider on the white horse (6:1–2). Another will decree economic disaster upon the earth (6:6), while another will give the seven angels involved in the bowl judgments their bowls (15:7).

Their six wings denote that their supreme responsibility and privilege is to constantly worship God. From Isaiah’s vision, we learn that the seraphim (possibly the same beings as the cherubim) used their six wings in the following manner: “with two [they] covered [their faces], and with two [they] covered [their] feet, and with two [they] flew” (Isa. 6:2). Four of their six wings related to worship; with two they covered their faces, since even the most exalted created beings cannot look on the unveiled glory of God without being consumed. They also used two wings to cover their feet, since they stood on holy ground. Worship is thus their privilege, calling, and permanent occupation.

TOWARD THE THRONE

and day and night they do not cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” (4:8b-11)

Fittingly, the scene in heaven culminates in worship directed toward God on His throne. In this passage and in chapter 5 are five great hymns of praise, during the singing of which the size of the choir gradually increases. The hymns of praise begin in verse 8 with a quartet–the four living creatures. In verse 10, the twenty-four elders join in, and in 5:8, harps are added to the vocal praise. The rest of the angels add their voices in 5:11. Finally, in 5:13, all created beings in the universe join in the mighty chorus of praise to God. Worship is reserved for God alone, since there is no one in the universe like Him. In 1 Chronicles 17:20 David prayed, “O Lord, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You” (cf. Pss. 86:8–10; 89:6–8).

This mighty oratorio of praise and worship may be divided into two movements: the hymn of creation (chap. 4), and the hymn of redemption (chap. 5). The hymn of creation, the first movement, may be divided into several elements.

The four living creatures begin the oratorio of worship by focusing on God’s holiness: day and night they do not cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God.” The threefold repetition of holy is also found in Isaiah 6:3; holiness is the only one of God’s attributes so repeated, since it is the summation of all that He is. God’s holiness is His utter and complete separation from evil in any and every form. He is absolutely untainted by any evil, error, or wrongdoing–unlike angels (some of whom sinned) or humans (all of whom sinned). In 1 Samuel 2:2 Hannah declared, “There is no one holy like the Lord,” because He alone is “majestic in holiness” (Ex. 15:11). The prophet Habakkuk praised God because “[His] eyes are too pure to approve evil, and [He] can not look on wickedness with favor”(Hab. 1:13). “God sits on His holy throne,” declared the psalmist (Ps. 47:8), while Psalm 111:9 adds, “Holy and awesome is His name.” In 1 Peter 1:16, God Himself declared, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

But on this occasion, the praise is for God’s holiness specifically exhibited through judgment. Being holy, God hates sin, and pours out His wrath on it. “Will not His majesty terrify you?” Job asked his would-be counselors (Job 13:11). After God executed some of the men of Bethshemesh for irreverently peering into the Ark, the survivors exclaimed, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God?”(1 Sam. 6:20). After Uzzah was executed for touching the Ark, “David was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said, ‘How can the ark of the Lord come to me?’” (2 Sam. 6:9). Overwhelmed by his vision of God’s majestic holiness Isaiah cried out, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips” (Isa. 6:5).

Because of His grace and mercy, God refrains from worldwide judgment on all sinners, as they deserve. But in the future time of Tribulation, the opportunity for mercy and grace will be past, and the sinful, rebellious world will feel the full fury of God’s wrath. So terrifying will that time be that unrepentant sinners will cry “to the mountains and to the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’” (6:16–17).

Not only is God’s holiness cause for worship, but also His power. In their song of praise, the four living creatures refer to God as the Almighty–a title by which God identified Himself to Abraham (Gen. 17:1). That term identifies God as the strongest, most powerful being, utterly devoid of any weakness, whose conquering power and overpowering strength none can oppose. Because God is Almighty, He can effortlessly do whatever His holy will purposes to do (cf. Isa. 40:28). In the midst of his trials Job affirmed, “If it is a matter of power, behold, He is the strong one!” (Job 9:19). The psalmist declared, “Our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases” (Ps. 115:3). In Isaiah 46:10 God said, “My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.” After experiencing God’s devastating and humiliating judgment, King Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged, “He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” (Dan. 4:35). Jesus taught that “with God all things are possible”(Matt. 19:26).

God’s power is seen in creation. Psalm 33:9 says, “He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.” Having created the universe, God also controls it. In 1 Chronicles 29:11–12 David declared,

The phrase “He is able” expresses God’s power toward His elect, redeemed children. In Ephesians 3:20 Paul praises God for being “able to do [far more] abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,” adding in 2 Corinthians 9:8, “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.” Paul wrote to Timothy expressing his confidence in God’s power working on his behalf: “I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day” (2 Tim. 1:12). Hebrews 2:18 reveals that the Lord Jesus Christ “is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted,” while Hebrews 7:25 reassures believers that “He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” Jude closes his brief epistle with a doxology of praise: “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen” (Jude 24–25).

But as was the case with His holiness, the aspect of God’s power most clearly in view here is His power exhibited in judgment. For example, He judged Satan and the sinning angels, expelling them from heaven; drowned the world in the Flood; destroyed Sodom, Gomorrah, and the cities of the plain; drowned Pharaoh’s army; and shattered the most powerful king in the world, Nebuchadnezzar, reducing him to eating grass like an animal for seven years. Many times God’s power has destroyed the wicked. And it will be God’s power that unleashes the terrible, irresistible judgments on sinful mankind during the Tribulation before the Lord’s return.

Speaking of God’s judgment power, the prophet Nahum declared, “Who can stand before His indignation? Who can endure the burning of His anger? His wrath is poured out like fire and the rocks are broken up by Him” (Nah. 1:6; cf. Mal. 3:2). God will judge those human rulers who foolishly think they can stand against Him (Ps. 2:2–6). “Who understands the power of Your anger,” asked Moses, “and Your fury, according to the fear that is due You?” (Ps. 90:11). “Wail, for the day of the Lord is near!” cried Isaiah. “It will come as destruction from the Almighty”(Isa. 13:6). In Joel 1:15 Joel also warned of God’s coming judgment: “Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is near, and it will come as destruction from the Almighty.”

The four living creatures also praise God for His eternity, extolling Him as He who was and who is and who is to come (cf. the discussion of this phrase in chaps. 1 and 2 of this volume), who lives forever and ever (cf. 10:6; 15:7; Dan. 4:34). Scripture repeatedly affirms God’s eternity, that He transcends time, having neither beginning nor ending (e. g., Pss. 90:2; 93:2; 102:24–27; Isa. 57:15; Mic. 5:2; Hab. 1:12; 1 Tim. 1:17; 6:15–16). That sets Him apart from animals, who have both a beginning and an ending, and angels and humans, who had a beginning, but will have no ending.

To know that God is eternal provides comfort for His children, since, unlike a human father, He will always be there to take care of them. God’s eternity guarantees that our eternal life in heaven will never cease, that we will receive “an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison” (2 Cor. 4:17). But it also means that the punishment of the wicked in hell will last forever, that their weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth will never cease, that “the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever” (Rev. 14:11). Such destruction of sinners is a vindication of the righteousness of God.

The praise of the four living creatures, as they give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, triggers a response from the twenty-four elders. They will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever. This is the first of six times that the elders prostrate themselves before God (5:8, 14; 7:11; 11:16; 19:4). Such a posture is one of reverential worship, a natural response to the majestic, holy, aweinspiring glory of God (cf. Gen. 17:3; Josh. 5:14; Ezek. 1:28; 3:23; 43:3; 44:4; Matt. 17:6; Acts 9:4).

Amazingly, after prostrating themselves the twenty-four elders cast their crowns before the throne. They are not preoccupied with their own excellence. They are not concerned about their own holiness, honor, or reward. All those things pale into insignificance and become meaningless in light of the glory of God.

The elders add their own note to the chorus of praise initiated by the four living beings, crying out, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” Axios (worthy) was used of the Roman emperor when he marched in a triumphal procession. The focus of the elders’ song is on God’s glory manifested in creation; He is presented as Creator throughout Scripture (cf. 10:6; Gen. 1:1; Ex. 20:11; Isa. 40:26, 28; Jer. 10:10–12; 32:17; Col. 1:16). The elders are acknowledging that God has the right both to redeem and to judge His creation. Their song anticipates paradise lost becoming paradise regained.

This first movement of the oratorio of praise pictures God about to judge Satan, demons, and sinners and take back His creation. Both the living creatures and the twenty-four elders can only worship in awe and wonder as God prepares to bring about the glorious day of which Paul wrote: For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. (Rom. 8:19–22)