Revelation 4-5: A Glimpse of Heaven

Spend a few minutes thinking of a situation or situations in your life where you doubted
Godʼs power in your life, or felt God was not there, because of suffering, pain, etc.

Metaphor & Heavenly Perspective (Rev. 4:1-2)

- The door to heaven. Are we to understand that a door literally opened up in the sky?
- Recall that objects in Revelation have greater meaning than their mere existence
- “In the Spirit” is used by Jesus in Matt 22:43 referring to David being inspired by God
to write a Psalm
- The same thing is happening to John; he is receiving an inspired vision from God

Read Ezek. 1:1, 4-10, 22, 26-28 and understand what John is experiencing

The Throne (Rev. 4:3-11)

- Jasper: a clear crystal-like stone

- Sardius or Carnelian: a fiery red stone
- An emerald rainbow (see Genesis 9:11) A sign of Godʼs mercy?
- Nothing about God Himself i.e. eyes, face, etc. Only his glory appears

The Attendants before the throne (Rev. 4:4-11)

The Twenty-Four Elders

- Likely angels because:
- Angels often are said to wear white (see John 20:12, Matt. 28:3. Acts 1:10)
- Paul refers to angels as “rulers in the heavenly places” (see Eph. 3:10)
- Elders are ministering to saints later in Revelation (see Rev. 5:8)
- O.T. talks about “God (is) feared in the council of the holyn ones, great and
terrible above all that are about him” (Psalms 89:7) and on Mount Zion “before
his elders he will manifest his glory” (Isaiah 24:23)
- The number 24 possibly comes from 12 disciples and 12 tribes of Israel (which are
inscribed on the New Jerusalem (see Rev. 21:12-14)
- Or it could be reminiscent of the 24 priestly orders in the O.T. (see 1 Chron. 24)

The Seven Spirits

* Read Isaiah 11:2 What are the seven spirits?
- Spirit of the Lord, of wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, fear
(awe or worship) of the Lord
- There are not seven Spirits, rather one Spirit with a sevenfold ministry
- Seven is the number of completeness or fullness in Jewish gematria, essentially
means “one”

The Four Living Creatures (see Psalms 80:1)

- Likely represent the totality of creation
- Lion - the king of wild beasts
- Ox - the king of domesticated animals
 Revelation 4-5: A Glimpse of Heaven

- Man - the king of intelligence

- Eagle - the king of flying animals
- Wings represent protection (Psalms 36:7, Isaiah 8:8), or Godʼs will being carried out
(Isaiah 66:15)
- Eyes represent Godʼs ability to see and administer justice (2 Chron. 16:9, Jer. 16:17)

Stop and think about the words the living creatures and the elders say.

The Scroll and the Lamb (Rev. 5:1-14)

The Scroll
* Read Ezekiel 2:8-10
- John is entering into the tradition of O.T. prophets like Ezekiel
- Rev. 1:19 “write the things you have seen, the things which are, and the things
which will be”
- Rev. 10:1-2, 8-10; John eats the scroll (like Ezekiel) and is told to prophesy
about the contents
- In effect, Revelation is the scroll, and the scroll is the events of this age

Show pictures of the scroll and explain its function

The Lion and the Lamb

- John hears about the Lion, but sees the Lamb
- This is a contrast (or paradox) between the Power of the Lion and the suffering of the
Lamb
- Lion comes from Genesis 49:9, Joseph prophesies Messiah coming from tribe
of Judah
- Lamb is based off of O.T. temple sacrifices, also John 1:29 “Behold the Lamb
who takes away the sin of the world” and Isaiah 53:7 “He did not open His
mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter.”
- Horns are used in O.T. as a sign of power (see Deut. 33:17, Psalms 18:2)
- Eyes are the fullness of vision, i.e. omniscience (see Zech 4:10)
- His reason for being worthy is because he has redeemed us. (see 1 Cor. 6:20, Gal.
3:13, 4:5)

Understand that apart from the person and redeeming work of Jesus Christ, history is
an enigma. Christ and Christ alone has the key to history. Only His redeeming work
makes sense of the suffering and pain, gives us an end to hope for, justice, and
salvation.

Bring this into the context of the Christians at the time.

Discussion: Share times in life where God has redeemed (i.e. turned bad into good) a
situation, either through justice, love, or other means. Or share times where you are
praying for Godʼs redemption but havenʼt seen it yet.