To listen to the whole unabridged teaching, listen here: A Glimpse into the Throne Room
As we move from the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 into the vision of the heavenly throne room in chapters 4 and 5, things are about to get “weird.” We are moving from the clear to the less clear—into the realm of deep imagery and symbolism.
To set the stage, we must remember that the churches John was writing to were facing intense hardship. Whether they were in the midst of struggle or on the verge of it, they needed a central focus. The commentator William Hendriksen captures this perfectly:
“Whenever in history the church is faithful to its calling and bears testimony concerning the truth, tribulation is bound to follow… The church needs these tribulations… as an instrument for our own spiritual advancement. We see God’s footstool; let us not forget His throne.”
Revelation is not primarily a timeline for the future; it is a call to persevere. It teaches us how to “suffer well.” When we walk through hard seasons, knowing who is on the throne changes everything. We don’t experience the woes of the world as those without hope, but as those who know that victory has already been won through Christ.
The Open Door: Heaven is Closer Than You Think
In Revelation 4:1, John says, “After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven."
Often, we think of the physical and spiritual realms as being miles apart—heaven “up there” and earth “down here.” But John’s imagery suggests something more like C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia. The “door” isn’t miles away in the sky; it’s right here. The spiritual realm is intertwined with our own, typically unseen, but separated only by a “curtain” that John is now permitted to look behind.
The Seven Circles of Worship
To understand the layout of this heavenly vision, it helps to visualize the throne room as seven concentric circles. This structure becomes a recurring anchor throughout the rest of the book.
-
The Center: God the Father seated on the throne, appearing like Jasper and Ruby—a picture of overwhelming purity and holiness.
-
The Radiance: An emerald-like rainbow encircling the throne. While thunder and lightning (judgment) emanate from the throne, the rainbow reminds us of God’s covenant faithfulness. The “storm” of brokenness exists, but it ends in grace.
-
The Holy Spirit: Seven blazing lamps, representing the “sevenfold” (perfect and complete) Spirit of God.
-
The Four Living Creatures: The Cherubim (lion, ox, man, and eagle). These represent either the highest order of angels or the fullness of creation itself, leading the worship.
-
The 24 Elders: Representing the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles—the totality of God’s people from all of history.
-
The Multitude of Angels: “Thousands upon thousands” who join the chorus.
-
The Outer Circle: Every creature in heaven, on earth, and under the sea.
The Scroll and the Lamb
In Chapter 5, a scroll appears in the Father’s right hand, sealed with seven seals. This scroll represents the will of God—His plan for the outworking of history. John weeps because no one is found worthy to open it. If God’s plan cannot be carried out, there is no hope.
But then, one of the elders tells John to stop weeping: “See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah… has triumphed."
When John turns to see this Lion, he sees a surprise: A Lamb, looking as if it had been slain.
The Lion and the Lamb
This is the beautiful “both-and” of Jesus. He is the Lion (power, authority, and kingship) and He is the Lamb (meekness, sacrifice, and gentleness). His ultimate power is displayed not through worldly conquest, but through His willingness to give His life for others.
Because He was slain, He is worthy to take the scroll. He is the only one who can take God’s plan and carry it to fruition on the earth.
Our Response: Presence and Prayer One of the most moving images in this scene is the “golden bowls full of incense,” which are the prayers of God’s people. Don’t miss this: when you pray, your words go directly into the throne room. They are held in the very center of the universe’s power.
As we look toward the one who is King of Kings, our response—like that of the elders and the angels—is worship. We can press on, knowing that the One who holds the scroll also holds us.