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Revelation 4
6 Before the throne was something like a sea of glass, similar to crystal. In the midst of the throne, and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes before and behind.
7 The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle.
8 The four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around about and within. They have no rest day and night, saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come!"
9 When the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to him who sits on the throne, to him who lives forever and ever,
10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives forever and ever, and throw their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, the Holy One, to receive the glory, the honor, and the power, for you created all things, and because of your desire they existed, and were created!"
Four Living Creatures
around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes before and behind
The four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around about and within
Let's begin with the eyes. They are full of eyes. They are before, behind, about and within.
These are all perspective terms. In front and in back, external and internal.
When they went, they went in their four directions: they didn't turn when they went. As for their rims, they were high and dreadful; and they four had their rims full of eyes round about. (Ezekiel 1:17-18)
When they went, they went in their four directions: they didn't turn as they went, but to the place where the head looked they followed it; they didn't turn as they went. Their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had. (Ezekiel 10:11-12)
What is the significance of eyes? What are they used for? What do they represent?
The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light. (Matthew 6:22)
The four creatures are seen around the four sides of the camp of Israel in the wilderness filled with people, each having a set of eyes. When we think of these creatures as being composed of thousands or even millions of people, all having eyes, minds, emotions and unique perspectives, this begins to make a lot more sense and relevance.
What is the identity of the 4 creatures and what might they represent?
The first creature was like a lion
the second creature like a calf
the third creature had a face like a man
the fourth was like a flying eagle
How do these correspond to the 4 standards held on the 4 sides of the camp of Israel in the wilderness, each composed of 3 tribes per side? Is there a discrepancy in their sequence? Discuss.
Throughout chapters 4 and 5 these 4 creatures are constantly listed in connection with the 24 elders. In fact, throughout the book whenever they are mentioned it is almost always linked with the elders in some way. When the Lamb begins to break the seals from the scroll taken from the hand of the One on the throne, the first 4 breaks are accompanied by an announcement from one of these creatures.
This is clearly expanded upon in Ezekiel where these creatures are presented in much greater detail. There is much to learn by examining the descriptions and activities of these creatures, for they have far more to do with us than we might first imagine.
What I find most compelling in what we see in connection to these creatures and elders is the idea of synchronization. These are the connecting links that provide communication between heaven and earth, between the family of heaven in God's immediate presence to the family on earth where darkness constantly attempts to block all light and obfuscate reality that is clear to the rest of the universe.
What we are learning is that these creatures represent the emotional dimension that is central to relationships, especially our relationship with God. Satan hates this intimacy with God for which we were designed, so he does everything possible to discredit or minimize this. But without emotional involvement, it is impossible for anyone to come into harmony with God's design for life, love, joy and peace.
These creatures are unique and quite different from each other, representing varying personality types, characteristics and diversity. Yet what they reveal is how the Spirit of God organizes and synchronizes those who are willing to be led by the Spirit as she works all things together for the good of those who receive and reflect love from the heart of God. This beautiful, powerful, compelling vision of harmony in complexity is seen as similar to a matrix of wheels turning, moving, flying and yet somehow completely unified in the description given by Ezekiel.
I looked, and behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, a great cloud, with flashing lightning, and a brightness round about it, and out of the midst of it as it were glowing metal, out of the midst of the fire. Out of the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures.
This was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man. Everyone had four faces, and each one of them had four wings. Their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot; and they sparkled like burnished brass. They had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings thus: their wings were joined one to another; they didn't turn when they went; each one went straight forward.
As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man; and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four had also the face of an eagle.
Their faces and their wings were separate above; two wings of each one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies. Each one went straight forward: where the spirit was to go, they went; they didn't turn when they went.
As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches: the fire went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. The living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
Now as I saw the living creatures, behold, one wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, for each of the four faces of it. The appearance of the wheels and their work was like a beryl: and they four had one likeness; and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel within a wheel. When they went, they went in their four directions: they didn't turn when they went.
As for their rims, they were high and dreadful; and they four had their rims full of eyes round about.
When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. Wherever the spirit was to go, they went; there was the spirit to go: and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up beside them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
Over the head of the living creature there was the likeness of an expanse, like the awesome crystal to look on, stretched forth over their heads above. Under the expanse were their wings straight, the one toward the other: each one had two which covered on this side, and every one had two which covered on that side, their bodies.
When they went, I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a noise of tumult like the noise of an army: when they stood, they let down their wings.
There was a voice above the expanse that was over their heads: when they stood, they let down their wings.
Above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and on the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man on it above. I saw as it were glowing metal, as the appearance of fire within it round about, from the appearance of his waist and upward; and from the appearance of his waist and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness round about him. 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 Yahweh. When I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke. (Ezekiel 1:4-28)
Then I looked, and see, in the expanse that was over the head of the cherubim there appeared above them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne. He spoke to the man clothed in linen, and said, Go in between the whirling wheels, even under the cherub, and fill both your hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city. He went in as I watched.
Now the cherubim stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court. The glory of Yahweh mounted up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of Yahweh's glory. The sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of God Almighty when he speaks.
It came to pass, when he commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim, that he went in, and stood beside a wheel. The cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubim to the fire that was between the cherubim, and took of it, and put it into the hands of him who was clothed in linen, who took it and went out.
There appeared in the cherubim the form of a man's hand under their wings. I looked, and behold, four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside one cherub, and another wheel beside another cherub; and the appearance of the wheels was like a beryl stone. As for their appearance, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel have been within a wheel. When they went, they went in their four directions: they didn't turn as they went, but to the place where the head looked they followed it; they didn't turn as they went. Their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had. As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing, the whirling wheels. Every one had four faces: the first face was the face of the cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third face the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. The cherubim mounted up: this is the living creature that I saw by the river Chebar.
When the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the wheels also didn't turn from beside them. When they stood, these stood; and when they mounted up, these mounted up with them: for the spirit of the living creature was in them.
The glory of Yahweh went forth from over the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim. The cherubim lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight when they went forth, and the wheels beside them: and they stood at the door of the east gate of Yahweh's house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chebar; and I knew that they were cherubim. Every one had four faces, and every one four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings. As for the likeness of their faces, they were the faces which I saw by the river Chebar, their appearances and themselves; they went every one straight forward. (Ezekiel 10:1-22)
Points of interest:
Each of them had the likeness of a man yet with four faces
Sole of their feet like a calf's yet straight, sparkling like burnished brass
Hands of a man under their wings
Didn't turn when they moved in any direction, where the spirit was to go
The spirit was in the wheels
Appearance like bright coals of fire with lightening coming out
The crystal expanse was over their heads with a throne and the appearance of a man on it
Under the expanse their wings were straight, two on each side for covering
Sound of their wings like waters, voice of the Almighty, tumult and army
The throne and man appear like glowing metal and intense brightness, fire, rainbow, glory
Man clothed in linen – Fill both your hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim
One whirling wheel beside each cherub, each with four faces
Body, backs, hands, wings, wheels, eyes in perfectly synchronized movement by the spirit
The ox is replaced with a cherub face in the last description
Four wings vs. six wings elsewhere – possibly wheels substitute for wings?
In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each one had six wings. With two he covered his face. With two he covered his feet. With two he flew. One called to another, and said, "Holy, holy, holy, is Yahweh of Armies! The whole earth is full of his glory!" The foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. (Isaiah 6:1-4)
The four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around about and within. (Revelation 4:8)
They have no rest day and night
The smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. They have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name. (Revelation 14:11)
He also spoke a parable to them that they must always pray, and not give up. (Luke 18:1)
Therefore be watchful all the time, praying that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will happen, and to stand before the Son of Man. (Luke 21:36)
In love of the brothers be tenderly affectionate one to another; in honor preferring one another; not lagging in diligence; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope; enduring in troubles; continuing steadfastly in prayer; (Romans 12:10-12)
with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints: (Ephesians 6:18)
Continue steadfastly in prayer, watching therein with thanksgiving; (Colossians 4:2)
Pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
This is entirely different than the lack of rest described in Hebrews.
Therefore I was displeased with that generation, and said, 'They always err in their heart, but they didn't know my ways;' as I swore in my wrath, 'They will not enter into my rest.' (Hebrews 3:10-11)
This is a refusal to enter the kind of rest God entered on the seventh day of creation.
Beware, brothers, lest perhaps there be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God; but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called "today;" lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm to the end: while it is said, "Today if you will hear his voice, don't harden your hearts, as in the rebellion." (Hebrews 3:12-15)
Let us fear therefore, lest perhaps anyone of you should seem to have come short of a promise of entering into his rest. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, even as they also did, but the word they heard didn't profit them, because it wasn't mixed with faith by those who heard. For we who have believed do enter into that rest.... (Hebrews 4:1-3)
For he who has entered into his rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from his. Let us therefore give diligence to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. There is no creature that is hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of him with whom we have to do. (Hebrews 4:10-13)
What is this kind of rest that God did? A rest of graciously giving complete freedom to everyone to choose who they will believe and follow based on the evidence provided. The Sabbath rest represents the highest principle of all in God's family, the freedom from all fear. This is the ultimate method God relies on to win over evil and confronts every weapon of the enemy. And while it initially appears weak and powerless, this rest of freedom is the only avenue by which we may enter the kingdom of Jesus.
This display of transparent freedom leaving everyone free to decide how they will relate to God is described all throughout these two chapters in Revelation involving the center of all power. The arrangements described here emphasize openness, transparency, full disclosure, access for communication resulting in uninhibited responses of praise, gratitude and affirmations of the trustworthiness of the One who has unlimited power.
saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come!
Above him stood the seraphim. Each one had six wings. With two he covered his face. With two he covered his feet. With two he flew. One called to another, and said, "Holy, holy, holy, is Yahweh of Armies! The whole earth is full of his glory!" The foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. (Isaiah 6:2-4)
One of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power. No one was able to enter into the temple, until the seven plagues of the seven angels would be finished. (Revelation 15:7-8)
What kind of smoke fills the temple? And what kind of temple is filled with it?
Now the cherubim stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court. The glory of Yahweh mounted up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of Yahweh's glory. (Ezekiel 10:3-4)
the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to him who sits on the throne, to him who lives forever and ever
From the Greek words these mean praise, value and strength.
How can we give value to God?
How can we give strength to God?
The tight interconnections of so many passages is starting to become more clear. And most importantly, the centrality of continual and spontaneous praise is key for us to appreciate and participate in filling the whole world with the glory of God. This is really the content of the new song that must be learned and sung continuously by all who will be God's representatives in the end.
What we see in this chapter is how the highest beings in the universe in concert with representatives in heaven of God's children on earth, all synchronize their activities and voices to give honor, glory and praise to the One on the throne, countering all the slander to restore His reputation viciously attacked by the prince of darkness. We are invited to personally be involved in this, for we are not spectators or bystanders but are all very much included in the scenes we are exposed to here.
If the 4 creatures represent emotional organization and synchronization of God's people with the emotions of heaven and the heart of God, then we see how these descriptions involving music, sounds, vivid colors, movement and everything else can arouse similar intense emotions in the human psyche.
What we come to appreciate is that with our will we may choose to amplify these expressions of emotion that all focus on salvaging God's reputation and thus may shorten the time it takes to bring all this mess in the universe to a final end. The end point of evil will happen when the only thing left, the only desire of everyone will be to give praise, honor and gratitude to God because He is good, and He has no shadow or hint of darkness at all. The sooner we become locked into this mindset and settle our hearts in loyalty to this truth about God, the sooner the end can come and we may live in the unveiled glory of passionate love described as rivers of fire flowing from the throne of God.
the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives forever and ever, and throw their crowns before the throne
The elders, those who represent God's people, who are mature, full of wisdom and experience, are aroused to worship the One on the throne every time the 4 creatures pour out glory, honor and thanksgiving. The 4 creatures represent four states of our right brain it goes through as it boots up, and four aspects of what it means to be sentient and alive. They represent our emotions, telling us that we must not divorce ourselves from our emotions, but integrate them into our worship of God.
These 24 elders are described as seated on thrones all around the throne where there is One seated also. Normally when we think of people in the presence of one considered supreme ruler, we don't expect to see them sitting around just like the one who is considered far about them in authority and power. Yet in the kingdom of heaven we discover that God seems to do things very different than what we are used to thinking, so He treats the elders as if they were on an equal level with Himself, having them sit instead of standing respectfully or making them prostrate themselves in subjugation. Again, this is a revelation of the stark difference between the methods and motives of heaven compared to the social arrangements and expectations we think of as related to rulership here on earth.
Yet when the emotional outbursts of admiration explode from the 4 creatures, overcome with appreciation and awe of the goodness of the One on the throne who is so different than everyone else, the elders, who in a way might represent the more left brain, logical, pragmatic part of how we are designed, are moved to get off their thrones and prostrate themselves and remove the crowns they have been honored to wear and to humble themselves, not out of fear but only from admiration of the amazing character and worthiness of God that has for so long been cast in doubt.
"Worthy are you, our Lord and God, the Holy One, to receive the glory, the honor, and the power, for you created all things, and because of your desire they existed, and were created!
Worthy is a term of relative value and demands a context by which to determine its meaning.
Is this worth referring to commercial value?
Is this because God is richer and owns more stuff than anyone else?
Is this worth related to raw power?
Is He to be worshipped because we need to be afraid and if we don't we might offend Him?
What is the standard of worth this refers to? This is key to unmasking the true issues involved and the reason for worship.
This talks about worthiness to receive. What does this guide us toward in our thinking?
How can God receive glory? What is glory? We thought glory came from God as the origin of glory.
How can God receive power when He alone is the originator of all power?
Here we are given the reason for His worth – that He created all things.
In addition, they say He is worthy to receive because of His desire.
Desire is very similar to emotions if not the same thing. God emotionally desired for creation to exist. Contemplate this and its implications. There is enormous potential for new insights here.
What we are seeing here is an introduction to a major element in Revelation that emerges more throughout the book. It is the New Song that is essential for all to learn if they want to participate on the winning side of this war. The new song, as we shall see more and more clearly as we progress through this story, is a single-minded focus on the goodness of God with no suggestion that God has a darker side. This is key to learning this song, and as we shall see it seems to be extremely difficult for God's people to divest themselves of the penchant to include at least a little of their old way of thinking into their praise. Yet the sooner we come to appreciate the true song of the Lamb and its unique difference from the song of Moses, the sooner we may practice singing this new song. And this is not just a song but the most powerful weapon we are given that alone can defeat the enemy.
As we move into the next chapter, which really is a continuation of this one with no break, it will become even more clear what this word worthy is all about.
God must be appreciated as worthy of all trust, for God never resorts to force or retaliation like His enemy claims, and He always remains consistently the same despite all claims to the contrary.
This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)
The authority God relies on is that received from others that is given to Him willingly, not authority forcibly imposed on others like we do it here on earth. This is why these beings say God is worthy to receive - it is an invitation to see the truth of His complete trustworthiness that spontaneously elicits all the expressions of praise and admiration listed here.
The law of love being the foundation of the government of God, the happiness of all intelligent beings depends upon their perfect accord with its great principles of righteousness. God desires from all His creatures the service of love—service that springs from an appreciation of His character. He takes no pleasure in a forced obedience; and to all He grants freedom of will, that they may render Him voluntary service.
So long as all created beings acknowledged the allegiance of love, there was perfect harmony throughout the universe of God. It was the joy of the heavenly host to fulfill the purpose of their Creator. They delighted in reflecting His glory and showing forth His praise. And while love to God was supreme, love for one another was confiding and unselfish. There was no note of discord to mar the celestial harmonies.... (PP 34-35)
