It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Sometimes a photograph captures a moment in time, and that image becomes emblematic or symbolic in our consciousness. The picture summarizes the moment. It helps us to understand the time through which we are living.

There are a number of iconic photographs that come to mind illustrating this axiom. Think of the picture of Vietnamese children running down a road toward the camera, crying as they go. The girl in the center is naked, having ripped off her clothes set on fire by napalm. The picture captured the horror of war and the suffering of innocents. It played a significant role in the anti-Vietnam War movement. Or recall the photograph of the raising of the American flag on Iwo Jima by our Marines. Like the picture of the sailor kissing a nurse in the streets of New York City, the picture of our Marines expressed the thrill of victory over the Axis powers. Finally, do you remember the picture of the man standing alone in protest before a column of tanks in China’s Tiananmen Square? The photo captures the remarkable courage and power of an individual standing against tyranny. I am sure if we thought about it for just a moment more, many other powerful images would quickly come to mind.

Revelation Chapter 4 is a verbal snapshot, if you will. The picture John describes is more than an iconic moment in time captured by coincidence. The picture grants us a glimpse into the courtroom of Heaven. Through John’s inspired words, we actually see into eternity, and the image we behold there helps us to understand the times we are enduring. Let us explore the images of the text together so we may gain God’s intended benefit from them.

Look at verse 1. “After this I looked, and there in heaven a door stood open! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’” Chapters 1-3 describe “what is,” and everything takes place on earth (see Rev. 1:19). Chapters 4-18 describe “what will be” or to use John’s language, “what must take place after this.” Although the place changes, the voice that speaks is the same. Rev. 1:12-16 describes who is speaking. “Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands I saw one like the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and from his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining with full force.” The one who spoke to John was the risen and glorified Christ.

Verse 2 begins to describe what John saw in the vision. “At once I was in the spirit, and there in heaven stood a throne, with one seated on the throne!” At the center of John’s revelation is a throne, a symbol of kingship and dominion. It represents the sovereign’s kingdom. Eugene Boring, in his commentary on Revelation, characterizes it as “the throne of the universe.”

This is a deeply important word for the times we are living through right now. When we look at the world, it appears that no one is in charge. The only visible sovereignty is the self-serving and often cruel dominion of Man. The reconquest of Afghanistan by the Taliban is a painful example of the triumph of evil. The world of nature is likewise chaotic. The earthquake in Haiti is on all of our hearts, but we might also call to mind the drought, record-breaking temperatures, wildfires, severe weather outbreaks, floods (including in Austria), and of course, the rise of the Delta variant of COVID-19. But despite appearances, at the center of the universe is a throne, and the throne is not vacant! Someone is in charge. The universe is not a chaos, nor is it ruled by blind fate.

There is one seated upon the throne. “And the one seated there looks like jasper and carnelian” (vs. 3a). Jasper and carnelian are precious stones with a fiery hue to them. Verse 5 adds that “coming from the throne are flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder.” All of these images are intended to communicate power. As Hebrews 12:29 describes God, “Indeed our God is a consuming fire.” We believe in God the Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

But the omnipotence of the one seated on the throne is tempered in John’s vision. Look at the later part of verse 3. “Around the throne is a rainbow that looks like an emerald” (vs. 3b). The rainbow was the sign of the covenant God made with the world following Noah’s flood. The rainbow in the ancient near east was believed to be God’s cosmic war bow. When the LORD placed it upside down, God was promising to end His war against creation. God promised never to destroy the world again by water. The rainbow then is a sign of hope. Judgment will still come, but at the end of the rainbow, God will usher in a new creation where righteousness is perfectly at home.

Furthermore, God’s chosen people have a place in the throne-room of the universe. “Around the throne are twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones are twenty-four elders, dressed in white robes, with golden crowns on their heads” (vs. 4). The twenty-four elders dressed in white robes and wearing golden crowns symbolize the people of God. Perhaps John has in mind the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles. God’s people on earth are represented before the throne of God. God is attentive to us and our needs.

The angelic beings are also present before God. “In front of the throne burn seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God” (vs. 5b). As Hebrews 1:7 says, “He makes his angels winds, and his servants flames of fire.” The angels are God’s servant to keep watch over God's world and accomplish God’s decrees. God is actively involved in the world.

There is one final element in the scene that is important to note. “And in front of the throne there is something like a sea of glass, like crystal” (vs. 6a). The sea in the Bible represents the forces of chaos that continually challenge God’s sovereignty. Chaos is always a threat to God’s good creation. At any moment, it can return and engulf our world. The chaos sea will not be vanquished until the End. When the first heaven and the first earth pass away, then “the sea will be no more” (Rev. 21:1). However, before the throne of God, the chaos sea is as smooth as glass, as calm as crystal. Chaos dares not rear its ugly head in the presence of the fiery one seated upon the throne. That suggests that the nearer we are to God, the greater will be our peace and joy and blessing.

The final verses of Chapter 4 describe the four living creatures and the worship they offer and evoke from the twenty-four elders. The living creatures are very much akin to the angelic beings described in Ezekiel 1 and Isaiah 6. They seem to be guardians of the throne. They are around it and on each side of it. They are full of eyes in front and behind (vs.6b). The first creature is like a lion, the second like an ox, the third like a human, and the fourth like an eagle (vs. 7). Most commentators believe the creatures represent the created order or all aspects of created life.

They may be guardians, but the sole focus of the living creatures is worship. They stand as a perpetual reminder that the chief end of man and all creation is to glorify God. As we learned from Ephesians, we are to “live for the paise of his glory” (Eph. 1:12b). This means we are not our own. We belong to the God who is the eternal creator. God is the one who was and is and is to come (vs. 8b). This God lives forever. He alone created all things. All that exists does so at God's behest. He is LORD, and we are his people.

The twenty-four elders follow the lead of the four living creatures in worshipping by prostrating themselves and casting the symbols of their dominion at the feet of the one seated on the throne. We follow their lead in worship and submission.

It is worth noting that the angels and elders alike offer their worship by singing. Singing to God, singing to an audience of one is quintessential Christian worship. There are hardly any places left in society where we sing at all, but in the Church, we render full-throated worship to the Lord. The words of verse 11 have been set to music by a number of composers. I learned a simple version years ago that goes like this: “Thou are worthy, thou art worthy, thou art worthy, O LORD. To receive glory, glory and honor, glory and honor and power. for Thou has created, hast all things created, for Thou hast created all things. And for Thy pleasure they are created. Thou art worthy, O Lord” (See the recording of our service on Facebook to hear the song.). Indeed, God is supremely worthy of all our praise.

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes words, especially God’s words, can be better than a thousand pictures. God’s word paints a picture that captures our imagination and helps us in our time of need. God’s words are truth that can set us free.

Revelation 4 proclaims that at the heart of the universe is a throne and the throne is not vacant. The fiery being seated there is fully in charge of the world. God’s power is tempered by God’s promise of peace, and before God chaos is placid and still. Our God is the one who was and is and is to come, the one who lives forever and ever, the one who created all things. Ours is to give Him all praise. All glory, honor, and power be to our God, world without end. Alleluia! Amen.