Rev.# 13~4:1-11 Scene Around The Throne Series

REV.#13~4: GLORY AROUND THE THRONE 7-11-09

Today we’ll continue our study of the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

We’re here in chapter 4, this is where the rapture takes place as well as what we will experience and witness in both 4:-5:, both chapters are one scene.

The people that don’t believe in shouting and praising God down here are in for a surprise, if we didn’t have glorified ears at this time we wouldn’t be able to stand the great magnitude of exaltation that’s surely goanna take place, and let me say that there’ll be no one bashful or timid there either, all self pride will be a thing of the past, what a time we’re goanna have.

Well the last time we commented on the 1st 4 verses of Chapter 4, so today we’ll read them over again and remind us of what their referring to and continue on.

Listen as I read from Rev. 4:

1After this** I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither,** and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

2And immediately {rapture} I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. this is not the Son, as the Son receives the book from His hand in chapter 5.

3And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone:

The Scripture tells us that God “dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen, or can see.

1 Timothy 6:16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to Whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

“Jasper.” This was a clear, crystal-like gem, possible a diamond.

It portrays the purity and brilliance of God’s holiness. Since such a stone picks up and reflect light, it reminds us that God is light, a Holy God who reveals, and does away with darkness.

Sardine stone- This stone was blood red portraying God’s wrath and justice, but it also portrays His redemptive work of love and grace in the person of the Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world through His death on the cross.

In the Old Testament these stones had a special relationship to the tribes of Israel.

Each tribe had a representative stone, which the High Priest wore on his priestly garment. As the High Priest, he was representing each tribe before God at the altar.

The Jasper was the stone representing the first tribe, the tribe of Reuben. The 1st born of Jacobs’s sons.

The Sardine stone represented the last tribe, Benjamin.

So these two stones represent the whole nation, the first and the last and all in between.

Reuben means “Behold a Son” and Benjamin means “Son of my right hand.”

Therefore both of these two stones pointed to God the Son whom the Father would give through the nation Israel to save mankind in the person of His beloved Son.

3-b- and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.**

Remember last time we read from Gen. 9: that God made a covenant of mercy, that He’d not destroy the world any more with a flood, He put a rainbow in the clouds as the covenant.—mercy—

So this rainbow around the throne was green, {emerald} the every green tree is green year around, unending mercy. There’s no rainbow around the white throne judgment in Chapter 20, there’ll be no mercy.

4And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting,** --work is ended.

There are some well-known commentators that say these 24 elders represent the O.T. believers as well as the N.T believers. And I must say that for a long time I leaned in that direction as well, but as we take a closer look at who the book of Revelation was written to we’re inclined to believe that these 24 elders are all N.T. believers, their all Christians.

John is not writing this letter to the tribes of Israel, or the Gentiles, or even to a class of spiritual beings such as angles. He is writing it to the church!

Rev. 1:4- 6

John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; 5And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6And hath made us kings and priests** unto God and his Father;--