REVELATION 4
INTRODUCTION
Concerning the throne, things were arranged as
follows:
o The four animals were in the middle of and
around the throne (Revelation 4.6).
o The Lamb was in the middle of the throne (Revelation 5: 6).
o The twenty-four elders are around the throne (Revelation 4: 4);
o River of Life proceeds from the throne (Revelation 22: 1).
o Before the throne seven lamps burn (Revelation
4.5).
o Before the throne was the sea of glass (Revelation 4.6).
o Before the throne in the sea of glass were the foolish virgins (Revelation 15: 2) worshiping the Eternal and showing His justice,
judgments, ways and deeds to all.
o Before the throne the Gentiles who died from the bowls in the Great
Tribulation serve the Eternal in His sanctuary (Revelation 7:15).
o Around the throne, the 24 elders and the 4 living creatures are the angels (Rev. 5.11) flying over the entire assembly of the righteous, covering it with its
shadow.
First of all, let us compare the rapture of those who
believe in Jesus and the spiritual rapture of John:
|
Rapture of the Church (1 Thessalonians
4:13-18) |
Rapture of John (Revelation 4:1) |
|
At the end of the
Church's age |
At the end of the seven
letters to the Church. |
|
The voice of the
archangel calls the elects |
Jesus calls John up |
|
Trumpet of the Eternal |
Voice as of a trumpet |
|
Church is on earth |
John is on earth |
|
Immediate Rapture |
Immediately John stayed
in the spirit |
|
Church taken to the
presence of the Eternal. |
John is taken to the
presence of Jesus. |
Now let's make a parallel between chapters one and
four of Revelation:
|
Revelation 4 |
Revelation 1 |
|
4:1 - It was the first
voice, like a trumpet. |
1:10 - And he heard a
great voice like a trumpet. |
|
4:2 - John was in the
spirit. |
1:10 - John was in the
spirit. |
|
4:2-3 - Description of
the Father |
1:12-17 - Description of
Christ |
|
4:5 - Seven torches of
fire |
1:12 - Seven golden
candlesticks |
|
4:5 - Before the throne
are seven spirits of the Eternal. |
1:4 - John writes from
the seven spirits who stand before the throne |
|
4:4; 5:10 - The Lord made
kings and priests of the Church. |
1:6 - The Lord made kings
and priests of the Church. |
|
4:1 - I will show you the
things that after these things must come to pass. |
1:19 - Write the things
that you have seen, and the things that are, and the things that are to be
done after these things; |
|
5:1-5 - An Introduction
to the Seven Seals |
1:20 - An introduction to
the seven oholyao. |
With such similarity, it concludes itself that the
chapter "one" was an introduction to the things that were in the time
of John (referring
to the 7 oholyao) and chapters four and five, an introduction to things
that would happen at 7 oholyao (group of brothers Jesus meets to get to know Him
better) next.
Although the Apocalypse will come to have a literal
fulfillment, it is written in symbols to communicate a message to His Church
now. The book of Revelation is the life of all who believe. Hence it is so
blessed who reads, hears, and keeps the words of the Apocalypse. After all,
just so to know:
• Who is Jesus;
• Who we are, what Jesus wants from us and
for us, and what is the meaning of everything we are going through;
• What is to happen in our life and how we
should deal with it all.
ROLLING UP TO THE OPEN DOOR TO SEE THE END OF EVERYTHING
o
“After 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.” (Revelation
4.1).
o
The Book of the Revelation consists of three points:
o “Write
the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which
shall be hereafter;” (Revelation 1.19).
o The things John had
seen referred to Revelation 1.
o Those that are refers
to the revelation of the real spiritual state of the seven oholyao
(group
of individuals who believe in Jesus and are gathered by Him in a given place) from Asia.
o Things that would
happen briefly in the life of the Church and which begin to be shown from this
chapter on (Ap 22.16).
On three
separate occasions John is invited to go "in spirit" to a place to see the revelation:
o Rev. 4.1 -> Was
taken up in spirit by passing through the open door in the heavens (Rev. 4:2) to see the throne of
the Eternal, namely from where the various opportunities of mercy for all
emerge before the condemnation (whether through messages, Or judgments) after a great
expression of clamor, praise, service or worship (i.e., passionate prayer) before the throne;
o
Praise: (Rev
4 e 5);
o Warning
signal to save the CHURCH of the Great Tribulation: first four seals (Rev. 6.1-8):
o The first three seals
help identify the antichrist. It shows him as a spiritual deceiver, master of
intrigue and agitator of the economy;
o The fourth seal shows
the antichrist after being possessed by Ha-Satan (after his fall - Rev 12:7-10) and having his death
wound healed;
o Cry: fifth seal shows
what is happening in the hearts of the faithful who were murdered for Christ's
sake without being part of the Church (Rev. 6:9-11);
o
Warning signal to save the CHURCH of the
Great Tribulation: sixth seal (Rev.
6:12-17). It is the shout alerting the Church to the coming of the Bridegroom (1 Thess. 4:16)
o The
message preached to save ISRAEL from the Great Tribulation: the first 144,000
Israelites are converted (Rev. 7.1-8) by the ministry of the two witnesses. They proceed to
follow Jesus on Mount Zion moved by the angelic messages they receive (Rev 14: 1-13). They help the two
witnesses to confirm the gospel in Israel.
o Heavenly
Service: Gentiles who die of natural death in the Great Tribulation (Rev 7: 9-17) are seen serving on
the heavenly throne.
o Adoration: the prayers of all the
saints are offered to the Eternal (Rev 8.1-5);
o Warning
signal to save the CHURCH of the Great Tribulation: the six trumpets
sound to warn the Church about the coming of the Great Tribulation (Rev. 8: 6-3, 9);
o The
message preached to save the WORLD of the Great Tribulation: the two witnesses
testify to the gospel devoured by John, warning every one of the apostasy that
leads to the Great Tribulation and the rapture about to take place (Rev 10, 11).
o Warning Sign
to save ISRAEL from the Great Tribulation: persecution of the
faithful remnant of Israel during the first half of the 70th week (Rev. 12: 1-6).
o Warning signal
to save ISRAEL eternal condemnation: persecution of the faithful remnant of Israel during
the second half of the 70th week (Rev. 12:7-17).
o Warning
signal to save the Church of the Great Tribulation: political and
religious system of Ha-Satan takes control of all population through religion (Rev 13);
o Adoration: The Jews who died of
natural death in the Great Tribulation (Rev. 15: 1-4) are seen praising the
Eternal;
o The Warning
Sign to save the WICKEDS from eternal damnation: the bowls of
judgment are cast: this is the last opportunity of repentance for the people of
the earth. This is the Eternal's warning to the world (see Isa 26:9,10).
o Rev 17: 1 -> He was
taken in the spirit to a desert (Rev. 17: 3) to see the condemnation:
o The prostitute and the
Great Babylon (beginning
shortly after the Rapture and ending just before the Battle of Armageddon);
o The forces of the
antichrist (in
the Battle of Armageddon);
o The antichrist and
false prophet (at
the end of the Battle of Armageddon);
o The followers of
Ha-Satan (after
the millennium);
o The Ha-Satan (and probably all of his
demons);
o Of all the wicked on
the Great White Throne;
o Ap 21.9 -> He was taken in spirit to a great and high mountain (Rev. 21:10) to see the glorified
Church, the reward of the faithful.
It is important to note the expression
"after these things". Similar expression is found in (Rev 7:1,9; 15:5 and 18:1). This informs us that the apocalypse can be separated
as follows:
o
The First Unit:
Revelation 1.1-3.22;
o
The second unit:
Revelation 4.1-6.17;
o
The third unit:
Revelation 7.1-7.8;
o
The Fourth Unit:
Revelation 7:9-15.4;
o The Fifth Unit:
Revelation 15:5-17.18;
o The sixth unit:
Revelation 18:1-22.21.
"After these things" combined
with "I looked," "I saw," or "I heard" implies a
change of vision or perspective. To look means to direct the vision and see, to
receive the vision.
Not only this! The use of these
expressions indicates that John is not only quoting metaphors, but telling a
reality that he lived.
In addition, notice how many times
something is open:
o Here is an open door;
o Then seven seals are
opened;
o Further on the
sanctuary of the Eternal in heaven is opened (Rev 11.19; 15.5);
o The heaven is finally
opened (Rev.
19:11).
However, notice the difference here in Rev
4 with what happened in Acts 7.56; 10.11, Rev 11.19; Ezekiel 1:1; Matthew 3.16.
In these passages the heavens opened and the people had visions. Here, however,
John was transported to the Day of the Lord Jesus (Rev. 1:10) and experienced (tried
within) everything
that will happen in it.
John did not see the door opening. It was
already open. John, entering through this door, sees the heavens and, at the
same time, what happens on earth in response to what happens in heaven. The joy
and calm of heaven is interspersed with the agony of everything that happens on
earth.
And the point is that this door was not
opened exclusively to John (as
it was given, for example, in Ezek 1:3, 3:16; Jesus
is this door, which opened from the moment He cried out "is finished"
(John 19:30, Matthew 27.51). Since then the time has come to be "at hand" (Rev. 1.3) for all who believe.
The door open to heaven is Christ: there
is no other door (John
10:9). If there were
several doors, which one would John go through?
This door is open to whoever receives
Jesus. Unfortunately, few can see this in their lives. The door of revelation
is open (see 1
Corinthians 2: 9-12), but there
are few who find it and enter it (see
Matthew 7:14-15).
This is the door by which we must all pass
so that we may live the Day of the Lord Jesus, namely, the day when He reigns
over us (see Rev
11.17; 19.6). There is no
way to be saved without experiencing this day, that is, without leaving the
system that rules this world, as well as everything connected to it (beast, false prophets, marks of the beast, etc.) (see
Rev 12.7-10).
Be clear: once John saw an open door in
the sky and was called to go up there, then this means that John had not yet
ascended to heaven. He was seeing the Day of the Lord in spirit here on earth.
It is only from chapter 4 that his spirit is transported to heaven and he sees
everything from there to chapter 17.
In ascending, John finds himself in the
room of the heavenly throne (as
in Isaiah 6: 1-5, Ezek 1, Acts 7.56). Notice that the sanctuary is opened
twice (Rev 11.19; 15.5). Now, what was the difference between the
throne room and the sanctuary? After all, the Lord is praised and worshiped in
the throne room and the tabernacle was a place where the lamb's blood was taken
in mercy for our sins:
o “The LORD [
is ] in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne
[ is ] in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.” (Psalms 11.4);
o
“In my distress I called upon the LORD, and
cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came
before him, [ even ] into his ears.” (Psalms 18.6).
o “The voice
of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth
every one speak of [ his ] glory.” (Psalms 19.9).
John was called to heaven by a trumpet-like
voice, as will be done at the rapture (1Thessalonians
4:16,17). A
trumpet-like voice resembles the Hebrew silver trumpets used to warn the people
of Israel that it was necessary to drop everything to heed the call (Num. 10:2). The first voice, like a trumpet, was of Jesus himself (Rev. 1:10, 11). Jesus' voice resembled a trumpet, which means that
the message of the Revelation is urgent. Therefore, we must give up everything
to know Jesus, to hear Him, to see what He has to show us, to follow Him in
order to discern this time in which we are living through the Revelation (Luke 12.54-57) and prepare ourselves, since at any moment He can
call us, either to use us or to call us back.
As soon as Jesus speaks, things happen in
our lives (and woe
to us if we have not prepared! We will lose our opportunity - Ecclesiastes
9.11; Luke 19.44). Take, for
example, what happened to the two witnesses (Rev. 11:12 - compare with John 4:24,25). The truth is that man can make plans,
but what is actually going to happen in our life is determined by Jesus - Prov.
3.5-8; 4.26,27; 16.1,4,6,10,18,33; Jeremiah 10.23; Proverbs 20.24; 21.1).
Finally notice the expression "the
things that must happen afterwards". Note the change of verbal time
between present and past so quickly in the same chapter (in particular, in Rev. 1:20, change from
"saw" to "are", "are" in the same verse - see
below).
o “Saying, I
am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest,
write in a book, and send [ it ] unto the seven
churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto
Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the
things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; the mystery
of the seven stars which thou sawest in my
right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the
angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.” (Revelation 1.19,20).
In addition, the expressions "soon to
come", "after these will happen", "after these must
happen" show that past, present and future are well connected.
Look:
o “The
Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants
things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified [ it ]
by his angel unto his servant John:” (Revaltion 1.1).
o “After 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.” (Revelation 4.1)
o “And he
said unto me, These sayings [ are ] faithful and true:
and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants
the things which must shortly be done.” (Revelation 22.6).
When we see from the earth, we tend to see
the here and now. From the heavenly point of view, however, there is no such
distinction of time.
Notice that, as John said, the things
revealed from chapter four would happen after what was happening in the oholyao. Therefore, they are not allegorical, nor have they
happened only in the past. Rather, they have been happening throughout history
and will continue to be fulfilled until Jesus comes. And as they are related to
Daniel, so the book of Daniel, even though it may have had a partial
fulfillment in the past, its full fulfillment is yet to be fulfilled.
Summarizing: the book of revelation has
already happened, is happening and will still happen. Moreover, it is an exact
synthesis of one's life. That is, each one is born in sin and condemned to
hell, that is, within the Great Babylon, marked by the beast and seduced by the
false prophet. But it is up to us to hear the message of the two witnesses and
the 144,000 sealed, to repent, to convert, and then to live the same life-style
of the Lamb of the Eternal in order to overcome the beast with its mark and
image and thus be able to live in communion with Christ for all eternity.
THE THRONE ARMED IN HEAVEN
o “And
immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and [
one ] sat on the throne.” (Revelation 4.2).
Upon hearing the voice of the Eternal,
immediately John was disconnected from the physical world, beginning to
contemplate only the celestial regions (as in Rev. 1:10 and Rev 17.3 and Rev 21.10).
Notice how the thrones were already set in
the heaven and someone was already seated on the main throne. In Isaiah 6:1,
Isaiah sees a high and lofty throne, and the Eternal seated on it.
However, in Daniel 7 you see thrones being
put and the Eternal sitting on the throne:
o “I beheld till the thrones were
cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment [ was ] white as
snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne [ was like ] the
fiery flame, [ and ] his wheels [ as ] burning fire.” (Daniel 7.9).
Now what made the Lord stand? Somebody
just stands before someone important. Look:
o “That thou shalt take up this
proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath
the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased! Hell from beneath is moved for
thee to meet [ thee ] at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, [ even ] all the chief ones
of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the
nations.” (Isaiah
14.4,9).
Just as hell rose to receive a king, there
is only one person important enough to make the Eternal rise: The Lamb. After
Jesus dies and resurrects, He is led to the right hand of the Eternal (Daniel 7:13), and then the judgment begins.
That is, Revelation 4 is a continuation of
Daniel 7, when thrones were laid (the
thrones for the twenty-four elders) and the Ancient of Days sat down.
Understand: in Isaiah 6 no judgment was
being made. It was only being prophesied that, although the earth was full of
the glory of the Eternal (Isa
6:3), Israel from that
moment until the Battle of Armageddon (immediately
before Isaiah 6:11,12) would be completely blind and deaf to all the work of the Eternal (Isa 6:9,10), without recognizing Him in the past (He who was), in the present (He
who is) and in the
future (He who is to come). He will only be acknowledged by the
144,000 (firstfruits - Rev 14: 1-4) and faithful remnant. These latter only recognizing
Him when He comes to the Battle of Armageddon (Zec 12:10-14).
In Daniel 7:9 shows the Eternal initiating
judgment on the four world empires. In Dan 7:13,14, we see Jesus coming in the
clouds (when He ascended to the
heavens - Acts 1:9).
In Revelation 4.10 we have the end of the
judgment with the twenty-four elders handing their crowns back to the Eternal (see 1Cor 15.28).
However, before the book is opened in
Revelation 5, John cannot imagine everything that has occurred between Daniel
7:13,14 and Revelation 4.10.
This vision of the throne of the Eternal
is important because, in addition to giving us the certainty that there is a
God in control of everything (we
are not victims of circumstances or people), this fights atheism that states that everything
happens by chance or by evolution. They do not think that if they dethrone Jesus,
they will fatally put themselves or others on the throne. After all, some order
is needed. Otherwise, there is a wild pursuit with no one settling on being
underneath anyone.
The question arises: who is initially
seated on the throne? It is not Jesus, but the Father (note how the Apocalypse makes a point of quoting the
difference between the Eternal and Jesus):
o The Lamb will take the book out of the
hand of Him who sits on the throne (Rev.
5:6-7). This is
similar to Daniel 7.9 when the dominion was delivered by the Ancient of Days to
the Son of Man;
o The song says that the Lamb bought for the
Eternal individuals (Rev.
5:9,10);
o The song distinguishes: to him who sits on
the throne and to the Lamb (Rev.
5:13);
Why is this distinction made? To show that
we have to serve the Eternal, but living the life of Christ, instead of living
for ourselves. It is no use adopting the lifestyle of Christ without thinking
of glorifying the Eternal (seeking
only glory and spiritual reward for oneself), nor serving the Eternal thinking about living one's
life.
The throne is a symbol of the mercy and
judgment of the Eternal, being mentioned fourteen times in this chapter. And
this question of the throne is so important that, when ascending to heaven to
see the future, the first thing that John contemplates is the throne of the
Eternal settled in heaven (as
in Is 6:1; Everything else in the apocalypse has to do with this throne.
Everything is centralized according to the throne of the Eternal, which is a
throne of glory (Jer. 17:12) that demonstrates His authority.
One of the reasons the name of the Eternal
is not mentioned here is because for John, as well as for the Church, the
Eternal, besides being one, is not strange. The proposal is not to seek a
strange God. Just as when you enter a friend's house there is no need for
presentations, so it is also in heaven.
It also reveals John's ignorance of not
being able to distinguish the Eternal from Jesus. After all, since Jesus is
God, who is this that sits on the throne?
THE RAINBOW OF ESMERALD
THAT COME OUT FROM LIGHT OF JASPER AND SARDINE
o “And he that sat was to look
upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and [ there was ]
a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.” (Ap 4.3).
o
The rainbow remembers the Eternal’s
justice that:
o Like a righteous king doesn’t leave the
sin unpunished;
o Like a compassionate king, like a humble
and meek priest for with those who are His and watch His covenant, He supplies
an escape at the time of the probation (1Corinthians 10.13) and a hope that can keep our soul on His throne (Hebrew 6.18-20).
That is to say, although Jesus, like lion
of the tribe of Juda, don’t give up His justice, like Eternal’s lamb, He
provides a way so that His justice accomplishes in us (Romans 8.1-4). Jesus isn’t tyranny king that compels the others to
strain to make His will, neither a corrupt priest that invents a couple of
excuses to get you rid of the law and its outcomes. In place of this, Jesus
gives His gifts (His
Church) so that the
individual be able to love (see
Hosea 11.4) and, thus, to
be the fulfillment of the law. Just deliver your own life so that all this
reach you and, thus, you can be used by Jesus to convey His name and glory,
even before the situations most extremes.
The throne shows the Eternal’s sovereignty,
which can do whatever He wishes; the rainbow represents the promise which the
Eternal, in His fidelity to Himself (2Timothy
2.13), dispose Himself to carry
out. This teaches us that, if He, being perfect, contains Himself, what we are
supposed to do? In the midst of the wrath (lightnings, voices, and
thunders), He is keen on
remind Himself of the compassion (Lamentations
3.22-23).
The same deluge that was symbol of the
Eternal’s wrath to the recalcitrant, it was the salvation for Noah and his
family, being the baptism, the symbol of the two things (1Peter 3.20,21): the end of all that bound Noah to his old life, as
well as of the disposal to get down to live a new life from zero.
To take this in, it’s enough to remember
that the rainbow, here, is a sign of the Eternal’s covenant with all humanity
of that the world wouldn’t end in water again (Genesis 9.12-14).
Note that the rainbow come out when the
sun shines after the clouds pour down rain on the earth.
o “Neither by the blood of goats
and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having
obtained eternal redemption [ for us ]. For if the
blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an
heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the
purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through
the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience
from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator
of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the
transgressions [ that were ] under the first
testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal
inheritance. For where a testament [ is ], there must
also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament [ is ] of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no
strength at all while the testator liveth.” (Gn 9.12-17).
Come the question: why did the Eternal
make question of changing the laws of the nature only to remember of this
covenant with Noah? Because there isn’t nothing that brings more satisfaction
to the Eternal that manifest His grace. And, throughout the one hundred years
that Noah took to build the ark, the Eternal could manifest His grace to that
lost generation:
o “But Noah found grace in the
eyes of the LORD.” (Gn 6.8).
Unfortunately, throughout these one hundred years the
people refused this generous offer, commencing by “believers” that, instead of
giving place to Eternal’s transformation from their lives, they persisted in
praying in behalf of end of the world (Genesis
6.3).
In other words, the rainbow symbolizes Eternal’s
grace, which is the essence of His glory:
o “As the appearance of the bow
that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so [ was ]
the appearance of the brightness round about. This [ was ]
the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw
[ it ], I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of
one that spake..” (Ez 1.28).
The rainbow is a comforting promise amid
announces of judgment to come (represented
by lightnings, voices and thunders – Revelation 4.5). And this rainbow that around Eternal’s
throne have a further advantage: it is complete, while our rainbow appears in
the clouds by half.
By way of explanation: while our rainbow symbolizes
a partial solace (the
world won’t be destroyed by water, but will end in fire), the rainbow round about the throne
depicts full consolation for who come near to the throne of the grace (Hebrews 4.16). Such a person will be compassed (protected) by Eternal’s mercy and no one
will snatch them out of His hands (John 10.28,29).
And the aim of the Eternal’s mercy is to urge
us to fear Him (Psalms
130.4). Note that
isn’t the dread of the punishment that guide us to fear the Eternal; before, it
is His love that constrains us (2Corinthians
5.14; 1John 4.18).
Remember that it is the Eternal’s grace
that, in the end, triumphs over judgment (James 2.13), and not His anger (and
much less the men’s wrath – James 1.20). Hence the whole throne to be surrounded (in the plan horizontal) by rainbow: to settle the distance between Him and
those who try to draw near Him. Someone only can reach the Eternal if he has
been brought into His grace by Jesus (Matthew
11.27; John 6.44,45).
Another important aspect to be observed is the
likeness of the rainbow with the emerald. The green represents the hope of a
new life:
o “His flesh shall be fresher
than a child's: he shall return to the days of his youth” (Jó 33.25).
o “He that trusteth
in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.” (Provérbios 11.28).
Come the question: How this rainbow come out around
the throne?
When the Sun of Justice (Jesus – Malachi 4.2; Luke 1.78) shines after the waters of His judgment being
pour down, then the signal and meaning of His grace and glory (the rainbow like an emerald). And of what it is constituted the Sun of Justice? Of
the pure and holy truth (jasper) plus the sacrifice to get rid of the
wrath those who believe in Jesus (sardine).
Jasper was:
·
The last stone in the breastplate of the high priest (Exodus 28.20; 39.13);
·
The first fundament of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21.19).
·
Most precious stone, like refulgent crystal (Revelation 21.11).
Sardine was:
·
The first stone in the breastplate of the high priest (Exodus 28.17; 39.10);
·
The sixth fundament of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21.20).
·
Gemstone red blood.
Sardine represents the bloody wrath of the Eternal for
the sake of the sin, as well as the necessary sacrifice to expunge it, to wit,
the Christ’s blood.
Jasper depicts the light of the truth that release us
from the sin and deliver us of the forthcoming wrath (John 8.32; 1Thessalonians 1.10).
·
When the individual receives the truth inwardly (John 1.12) and accepts in his life the sacrifice that Jesus made for the sins ours
and of those who around him, he is free from the Eternal’s wrath and get
knowledge of the covenant that the Eternal made with him (Psalms 25.14).
·
When the individual rejects the truth and try to sacrifice himself to
have rights (whether
in this life or in the upcoming), he is led by Eternal’s wrath toward the eternal abyss.
As Noah, each one has his own rainbow (his intimacy, secret, covenant with the Eternal). But it only will come out in our lives
after we go through the temptation (1Corinthians
10.13) of the storm
and whirlwind (Nahum
1.3) without giving up of
the sacred truth.
When we win, our eyes will see the Eternal (such as it gave itself with Job – Job 42.5) and the true glory being revealed in us (Romans 8.19-22; 2Corinthians 4.10,11) through solace that we receive in the
storm (2Corinthians 1.3-6).
Note that the Eternal isn’t pictured here with human
features, but as metaphors that highlight the transcendental brightness of His
glory and His effect in the life of everybody who stays believing while undergo
the tribulation.
THE TWENTY-FOUR ELDERS
o “And
round about the throne [ were ] four and twenty seats:
and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white
raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.” (Rev 4.4).
o
Characteristics of the
twenty-four elders:
o They are clothed in
white raiment -> The white robes are closely related to the followers of the
Eternal (Rev.
3.4-5; 6.11; 7.9; 19.8.14) (His Bride), which represents the righteous acts of the saints (Rev. 19:8). These are those who
have succeeded in being the object of the justice of the Eternal (through His Church - Matt
5: 6,10-12; 1 Peter 2: 18-21; 4: 21-19) instead of having to
be disciplined by the world (1 Peter 2:20). Detail: we only dress
someone who is without the cloth of justice of the world (that is, he is being victim
of injustice).
o With crowns of gold on
their heads -> These crowns were not their conquests, but given to them by
the Eternal:
o “Henceforth
there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also
that love his appearing.” (2Timothy 4.8).
They received these
crowns because they succeeded in achieving the victory proposed to them (see Heb. 12: 1). They are of gold
because they did not overcome by their own strength, but by the Spirit of the
Eternal (Zech 4.6). Hence it is
incorruptible (1 Corinthians 9:25).
o Seated on thrones
-> That is, they have the authority to judge. The crowns here are not to
reign, but to testify that they received the competence to judge righteously.
Let it be clear: Jesus is the King of
kings and Judge of the Judges. The twenty-four elders compose the jury that
will participate in the verdict of the Eternal. They are around the throne,
with their backs to it, right after the beasts and the seven torches of fire,
looking at those who are being judged.
They are the ones who knew better the ways
of the Eternal, coming more intimately into their rest (Psalms 95:11; Heb
3:11,3,5,5). Now they can
contemplate the Eternal without any cloud to blur the vision (as was the case with the High Priest upon entering
the Holy of Holies - Lev 16:12, 13). They are more than judges: they are friends of the Eternal:
o “Henceforth
I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not
what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have
heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” (John 15.15).
But who are these elders? They are
representatives of the Church. After all:
o They are kings (they have a crown) and priests (they have a harp and golden
salves full of incense - Rev. 5: 8), something that correspond to the Church (Rev 1.6; 5.10; 1 Pet 2.9).
o They have a crown,
which is promised to the victors who make up the Church (Rev 2:10; 3:11; 1Cor 9:25;
1Thess 2:19; 2Tim 4:8; Jas 1:12, 1Pet 5:4). Angel does not use a
king's crown (they
are fellowservant of the Church - Heb. 1:14; 19:10;
22:9), much less of winners (since they have never been tainted by sin).
o The term elder (presbyter) was used to designate
the leaders of Israel in the Testament of the Law and the oholyao’s
supervisors in the Testament of the Favor of the Eternal (James 5:14, 1 Peter 5:1,
Acts 15:2,9). On the heavenly level, only the Eternal receives this title (Dan 7:9,13,22) or is seen as having
such a characteristic (Dan 7:9; Rev 1:14).
Physically, the elders
are individuals who feel the weight of age (changes in health and vigor) as well as are
identified with their wisdom and experience (see Job 32.7), something that is
proper only of humans.
The Eternal appears in
this way because He made us in His image and likeness (Gen 1:25,26) and makes a point of
showing in Himself the maturity to which we must all come.
o What they receive from
the Eternal have to do with the promises given to the Church:
o “Fear none
of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast [ some ] of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye
shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give
thee a crown of life.” (Rev 2.10).
o “And he
that overcometh, and keepeth
my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he
shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they
be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.” (Rev 2.26,27).
o
“He that overcometh,
the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his
name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and
before his angels..” (Rev 3.5).
o “To him
that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my
throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his
throne.” (Rev
3.21).
o The individuals are
condemned or saved by looking at the Church (join these verses 2Corinthians 10:3-6,
Ephesians 3:8-10, Heb. 12:1) In other words, as they look at the twenty-four elders who are the
representatives of the Church, they will see a living testimony of what they
ought to be, be ashamed because they have failed to attain this standard of
purity and holiness and they will consider just the reward which they received
from the Eternal.
Moreover, they are always seen praising
the Eternal (it is
not in vain that many associate the number twenty-four with the number of
classes in which the priesthood was divided - 1Ch 24.7-18):
o
“The four and twenty elders fall down
before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth
for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,” (Revelation 4.10).
o “And when
he had taken the book, the four beasts and four [ and ]
twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps,
and golden vials full of odours, which are the
prayers of saints.” (Revelation 5.8)
o
“And the four beasts said, Amen. And the
four [ and ] twenty elders fell down and worshipped
him that liveth for ever and ever.” (Revelation 5.14)
o
“And the four and twenty elders, which sat
before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,” (Revelation 11.16).
o
“And the four and twenty elders and the four
beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying,
Amen; Alleluia.” (Revelation
19.4).
But, after all, what is the identity of
these twenty-four elders? According to this description, there are two groups
that fall into this category:
·
the twelve tribes of Israel, since the Eternal
initially expressed His desire to make them kings and priests (Exodus 19.6). As we well know, the
gifts and vocation of God are irrevocable (Rom 11.29). So much so that the
name of the twelve tribes of Israel is written in the twelve gates of New
Jerusalem (Rev.
21:12).
·
the twelve apostles (Rev. 1.6, 5.10) which are the
foundation of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:14).
Together they number twenty-four elders.
That the twelve apostles make up the group
of elders, it is enough to see the promise of Christ:
o
“And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say
unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the
regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also
shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Matthew 19.28).
But what about the elders concerning
Israel?
Although many servants of the Eternal
stood out in the Testament of the Law, only twelve receive the seal of the
Eternal (His
name (Rev 14: 1) or His Spirit (Eph 1:13)):
1. Enoch - The Eternal took it for himself
(Gen 5:24);
2. Elijah - The Eternal took it (2 Kings 2.3,5);
3. Abraham - The Eternal uses his name to sign
His (Exodus 3:15);
4. Isaac - The Eternal uses his name to
sign His (Exodus
3:15);
5. Jacob - The Eternal uses his name to
sign His (Exodus
3:15);
6. Moses - The Eternal uses his name as an
example of what it is to stand before Him (Jer 15:1);
7. Samuel - The Eternal uses his name as
an example of what it is to stand before Him (Jer 15:1);
8. Noah - The Eternal uses his name as an
example of righteousness (Ezek 14.14,20);
9. Daniel - The Eternal uses his name as
an example of righteousness (Ezek 14.14,20);
10. Job - The Eternal uses his name as an
example of righteousness (Ezek 14.14,20);
11. Joshua - The Eternal declared that he
possessed the Holy Spirit (Num 27.18)
12. John the Baptist - In addition to
being filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb (Luke 1:15), after Jesus was the greatest man born of woman (Matt 11.11, Luke 7.28).
You may ask: but there is also David.
After Jesus, it is the most quoted name in Holy Scripture (Ps 51.11, Ez 34.23,24, Ps
3.5). However, there is a
special role for David in the prophecies.
Together the twenty-four elders are the
chosen ones of the Church who, having had direct contact with the Eternal (having intimacy with Him, hearing His voice and being
guided and used by Him), were given the right to judge the Church and those who came of the
Great Tribulation at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Finally, who will judge who and why?
o The Twelve Apostles
will judge the twelve tribes of Israel (both those who are part of the Church and
those who came from the Great Tribulation). So they can see what
Jesus is capable of doing, even under the rule of law, when one truly
surrenders to Him. What they knew about the law was only the hypocrisy of
religious leaders (see
Gal. 2.14-20).
o The twelve servants of
the Eternal of the Testament of the Law, who wanted to see what the apostles
saw and heard what they heard, but could not (Matt 13:17) will judge the
Gentiles (both
those who are part of the Church and those who came from the Great Tribulation).
THE SEVEN LAMPS OF
FIRE AND THE LIGHTNING, VOICES AND THUNDERS
o “And out
of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and [ there were
] seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven
Spirits of God..” (Rev
4.5).
Lightnings, voices, and thunders represent the wrath
of the Eternal, which is raised by the law:
o
“Because the law worketh
wrath: for where no law is, [ there is ] no
transgression.” (Romans
4.15).
Note that anger comes from the throne of
the Eternal. That is, it is not we or the others who leave the Eternal wrathful.
His anger comes from His plan to lead all to true wisdom. Of course, He uses
our mistakes to show why He is angry when His law is transgressed, as well as
the reason why there is no remission without bloodshed (Heb 9:22).
However, it is His wrath that gives place
to sin in our life, not the opposite (see
2Samuel 24.1; Ezekiel 3.20).
Let us analyze the three components of the
wrath of the Eternal:
1.
Lightning. This has to do with
the speed with which the wrath of the Eternal is manifested when the
measure of sin is attained (Gen. 15.16; Dan 5.26-28; 1 Thess. 2:16), as well as the light
it brings when His judgment is performed (Isaiah 26.9):
o “E os seres viventes corriam,
e voltavam, à semelhança de um clarão de relâmpago.” (Ezequiel 1.14).
o “Os carros correrão furiosamente
nas ruas, colidirão um contra o outro nos largos caminhos; o seu aspecto será
como o de tochas, correrão como relâmpagos.” (Naum 2.4).
o “Um fogo vai adiante dele, e abrasa
os seus inimigos em redor. Os seus relâmpagos iluminam o mundo; a terra
viu e tremeu.” (Sl 97.3,4).
2.
Thunders (Symbol of rebuke). It portrays how
powerful the strife of the Eternal is in the lives of those who have decided to
justify themselves on the basis of the law (Lev 18.5, Ezek
20.11,13,21; Romans 10.5).
o
“Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how
little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power
who can understand?” (Job 26.14).
o
“Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will
call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may
perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in
the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king.” (I Samuel 12.17).
o
“The adversaries of the LORD shall
be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD
shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king,
and exalt the horn of his anointed..” (I Samuel 2.10).
o
“Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder
with a voice like him?” (Job 40.9).
o “Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee
in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah.”
(Psalms 81.7).
o
“And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings,
and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw
it, they removed, and stood afar off.” (Exodus 20.18) – from the hidden
place of the thunderings the Eternal gave them the
Testament of the Law so that they would fear and choose to cling to the
Eternal. Unfortunately, the opposite happened (Exodus 20:19,20; Deut
5:22-27; Heb 12:18-21).
3.
Voices. They are the voices
of those whom the Eternal uses to reprove us, namely, the prophets. However,
when they are silent, the Eternal can use stones and, why not, an ass?
o
“For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and
their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the
prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have
fulfilled them in condemning him.” (Acts 13.27);
o “And he
answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace,
the stones would immediately cry out.” (Lucas
19.40);
o
“Which have forsaken the right way, and are
gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor,
who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb
ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.” (2Peter 2.15,16).
The voices emitted from the throne rushed
out across the earth, just as electrons do when they move from one cloud to
another or toward the earth: the friction of electrons with air produces light (lightning) and noise (thunder).
o
“He sendeth forth
his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very
swiftly.” (Psalms 147.15)
When the Eternal sends His commandment and
Word, the prophets go forth swiftly propagating it, generating uproar (e.g., Jer 36.10-17, Amos
7.10, Acts 19:23), and at the
same time illuminating:
o “We have
also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as
unto a light that shineth in a dark place,
until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:” (2Peter 1.19).
Notice how these three elements (voices, thunder and lightning) are present on the seventh seal (Rev 8:8), seventh trumpet (Rev
11.19) and seventh vial
(Rev 16.18). That is to say, this shows that these
three phenomena are a confirmation of the Eternal's reign in the seals,
trumpets and vials, coming directly from Him (it is His will).
Notice how the Eternal's indignation is
seen in the combination of these four elements: lightning, voices, thunder, and
tremors (whether
internal or earthquake):
o
“And it came to pass on the third day in
the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings,
and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud;
so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth
the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part
of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD
descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a
furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. And when the voice of the
trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake,
and God answered him by a voice.” (Exodus 19.16-19).
o
“At this also my heart trembleth, and is moved out of his place. Hear
attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth. He directeth
it under the whole heaven, and his lightning unto the ends of the earth. After
it a voice roareth: he thundereth
with the voice of his excellency; and he will not stay them when his voice is
heard. God thundereth marvellously
with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend.” (Job 37.1-5)
o
“The voice of thy thunder was in the
heaven: the lightnings lightened the world:
the earth trembled and shook.” (Psalms 77.18).
In summary:
o Lightning affects vision;
o Voices affect the hearing (and consequently faith - Rom. 10.17);
o Thunder produces trembling (and, perhaps, even fear).
Summing up: lightning, voices, and thunder
represent the strife that the Lord has with all the inhabitants of the earth:
o “Hear the
word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with
the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor
knowledge of God in the land.” (Hosea 4.1).
Notwithstanding, since the Eternal has no
pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezek.
33:11), He expects
us to do as ordained in Ezekiel, as did Phinehas:
o
“Phinehas, the son of Eleazar,
the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of
Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the
children of Israel in my jealousy. Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my
covenant of peace:” (Num 25.11,12).
o “And I
sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the
gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.” (Ezek 22.30).
That's where the seven torches of fire
come. They are the seven spirits of the Eternal (Rev. 1.4; 3.1) that are present in the Church, making it the light
of the world (Matthew
5: 14-16). This is not
the first time the Eternal manifests itself with fire (Exodus 3:2) and is compared with fire (Hebrews
12:28-29). We cannot
forget that the Eternal is the light of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:23) and His Word is a lamp to our feet and light to our path (Ps. 119:105).
These seven spirits want to lead the
Church to manifest the truth, so that the whole world may walk in this light (see Isaiah 60:1-3, Revelation 21:24-27).
Besides, what better place to put these
seven torches than in the candlestick (which
represents the Church - Rev. 1:20) in order to enlighten everyone (Matthew 5:4-16) with the light of the world (John 8:12; 9.5)? And just as the cherubim in Ezekiel 1:13 behaved as
lamps, we must also give place to the fire of divine judgment moving in us,
shining forth His commandments (fire
of the law - Deut. 33:2) and truth (Jesus'
commandment - John 13:34 -35) and grace (John
1.17).
After all, it is not by force or violence
that we will overcome, but by the power of the Spirit of the Eternal (Zech 4.6). And the Church has an advantage: while
the prophets of Israel (2Pet
1:19) were represented by a
single candlestick (Zech.
4:2), the Church is
represented by seven candlesticks, that is, free to travel the world filling
the earth with the glory of the Eternal (Isa 11:9; Habakkuk 2:14) in every circumstance that comes to them. The Church,
rather than fearing circumstances, should take pleasure in the most adverse and
complicated, hoping to be used to show ever deeper signs of His power, love,
and perfection.
And that's not all! While Israel's
candlestick was located on the southern side of the tabernacle (Exodus 37.23; 2Ch 4.20) (being
the constant target of the opposition of Ha-Satan who wanted at all costs to
sit on the mount of the congregation on the north side - Is 14:13), the Church stands before the throne of
the Eternal.
It is a pity that, sadly, the Church has
allowed herself to be trapped by the Babylonian System that governs this world.
Being so rooted in this world, it is not possible to contemplate the heavenly
regions (the
place where we should be passing our moments - Ps 91.1,2, Eph
1.3, 2.6).
This is the basis of judgment in the
judgment seat of Christ for His Church (which is where all this is going on - Rom 14:10; 2
Corinthians 5:10), namely, the
disposition (or lack
thereof) of the
individual to be used by the Eternal to save the lost sheep.
Understand the difference: the wicked are
judged by the evil they have done; those who stand at the judgment seat of
Christ for the good they have failed to do.
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