Gems in the book of Revelation
Part 134 - Revelation 4:1–11
The Creator God
John tells us he saw a door standing open in heaven (4:1). ‘Open’ is a key word in Revelation. John uses it to say that he is starting to tell us about a new vision he had. So it means something like ‘I am opening up a new vision, a new story. And a wonderful one this one is. In these next 2 chapters John is going to paint word pictures of Father God and Jesus Christ.
He has told us about the disturbing atmosphere in which the seven churches are living, their dangers and difficulties and also their opportunities. He is going to go on to talk about the terrible mess the human world has got itself into, and is still in today, because of the way the devil, Satan, is controlling so much of mankind. Only, finally, in his last two chapters, will he be able to talk about the wonderful positive things towards which it will eventually all come.
In this chapter particularly he is doing the impossible: he is describing the indescribable. To do so he uses much of the language of Ezekiel’s first chapter. Ezekiel ends up by saying that he is describing the ‘appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord’ thus shielding himself from any accusation that he was describing God. John might well do the same. Any attempt to make a painted or drawn picture out of his description would be foredoomed to disaster. Most of the attempts of the artists of former centuries do not portray Father-God but rather Grandfather-God or even Great Grandfather-God anyway! We cannot answer the question what does God look like, both because we are unable to and we are forbidden to do so (Exodus 33:20 – 23).
Yet we still have a wonderful picture in front of us. The things that surround the actual figure on the throne indicate how God is to be treated. The strange living creatures with the four different faces are the nearest things to the figure on the throne and they lead the praise and worship. They may be strange but they are a clear indication that it is not just human beings who worship the Lord God: all creation does. The twenty-four elders are usually reckoned to be indicating the twelve tribes of Israel and the people of Jesus represented by the twelve apostles, thus all the people of God. They have but one function - they are to worship. There is a double chorus of praise and worship going on continuously round the figure on the throne: the inner circle represents creation, the outer circle represents humanity. We are to praise because the creation rejoices in its creator as we rejoice in our saviour.
The elders represent us who are his people. We are to work to earn crowns we do not deserve (2 Timothy 4:8) but like the elders we shall only use them to throw down before the great glory of the Lord God. They represent a great challenge for us all; to strive to have the best possible crowns so that we throw the best possible gifts before the Lord God. Look forward to that day.
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