WHAT A DIFFERENCE REALITY MAKES

Revelation 4:4-11
November 20, 2005
Bob Bonner

The other day, I came across an article updating the life of a missionary who, along with her husband, had been kidnaped by guerrillas in Central America. Her husband had been tortured to death before they could be rescued.  As I thought about her ordeal, I wondered if her husband ever questioned whether his call to reach the lost in Central America was really worth the treatment he was receiving at the hands of his captors before he died. Was it really worth not being able to see your kids grow up, meet your future grandkids, play ball with them, all the things we enjoy today and sometimes take for granted? Did this talented father ever question his decision to invest his life in what many, even some Christians, say was a waste of a life?  Somebody else, maybe who was less gifted and couldn’t make it in his own country could have fulfilled that role in Central America, but why this gifted individual? “What a waste of a life!” they say. Or was it?

What will determine whether or not his was a waste of a life, will be what is real and what is fantasy. If you believe that heaven and eternal life are a myth, then you will judge this man’s life as being wasted. If you don’t believe that Jesus Christ was serious about His impassioned teachings on the subject of eternal rewards, then you will view this man’s life as being wasted. If you don’t believe that there is a place in reality called “hell,” then you will view this man foolish to give his life to such a cause. But if there is a heaven and hell, if there are going to be eternal rewards, if what Jesus said is true, then possibly the investment of this man’s life was the wisest he could have made. When he sees Jesus face to face he will have no regrets.

This morning, we are going to continue to take a look at the reality of eternity, the future through the eyes of one who had given up all up for Jesus, the apostle John. At this point, John is in his 80's or some believe even 90's. He has had a hard life, one faced with much earthly loss and sorrow. Presently, he is living almost alone in exile on an island. He is not surrounded by friends or family. He is cut off from the world and any possibility to enjoy worship with friends. Alone, it is easy to lose perspective of what is most important. Alone, it is easy to begin second guessing one’s self. I imagine John, at this point in his life, had to wrestle with the nagging thought, “Was it worth it?”

Last week, as we began to look closely at these first two transition chapters, chapters 4 and 5 which introduce us to the last and largest section of the book of Revelation, Jesus takes John into a supernatural time machine and is traveling with him into the future. John tells us what he saw on that supernatural trip and what is going to happen after the rapture. Nothing we read about in this chapter or in the rest of the book is presently happening. It is all something that will be happening in the future. 

Jesus takes John into the command center of all creation, the throne room of God. John’s first impression was of this throne and the one who sat upon it, the living God.

Today, we are going to look at the others John saw there, the throng of beings at this scene and their response to the one who sits upon the throne. Once again, there is a logical order in which John is presenting this information. The throng we meet in vv. 4-8 can be placed into three groups. The first group are those who are represented as seated around the throne in verse 4. The second group are identified as out from the throne but close in before the throne in verse 5. The final group, in verses 6-7, are those who are some distance away from the throne, but they are before it, around it and in the air above the throne.

Let’s look at what John has to say about this first group who was there in the throne room of God, in verse 4. We read, “Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads.” This first group are sitting on twenty-four thrones. The fact that they are sitting on thrones that encircle the throne of God, spoken of in the first three verses, tells us that these twenty-four elders carry the responsibility of ruling in some way, and their rule is in submission to God who sits on the throne. The question is, who are these “twenty-four elders?”

In order to answer that question, we first must get a grip on the chronological context of this passage. It is set sometime in the future, after the Church age and after the Rapture and after some have received their eternal rewards.  How can we know that? Can we know what happens to the believer immediately after his/her entry into heaven? The answer is “yes.”

In 2 Corinthians 5, the apostle Paul tells us what happens immediately after we die and we are clothed in our resurrection body. He writes, beginning with verse 1, “For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, [a euphemism for physical body having died] we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. [a reference to our eternal resurrection bodies]  For indeed in this house [our temporary earthly bodies] we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. [“naked” meaning that our souls and spirits won’t be found floating around in space somewhere without being clothed by some kind of body.] For indeed while we are in this tent, [our earthly bodies] we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed [flying around with no housing for our soul and spirit] but to be clothed, so that what is mortal [our physical bodies] will be swallowed up by life [that which is eternal and will never die].” Let’s stop there for just a second.

Some people hold that when a person dies, that immaterial part of their being, their soul and spirit, kind of goes to sleep, until the Lord awakens them in the future. Without going into depth as to why I don’t agree with that, let’s simply recognize that this passage, and the verses to follow, leave no room for the concept of “soul sleep.” This passage clearly teaches that the moment you die, that immaterial part of your being, your soul and spirit never sleeps but immediately is transferred from your earthly mortal body into your eternal resurrection body. 

Accepting this as true, continue to look with me at what Paul says happens next to us, immediately after we receive our new resurrection bodies. In 2 Corinthians 5:10, Paul tells us that upon receiving our new bodies, we [meaning Christians] must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. The “judgment seat of Christ” is not the Great White Throne judgment seat at which Jesus will dismiss people to hell for all eternity, because they rejected Him as their Lord and Savior. The “judgment seat of Christ” is the place from which Jesus will pass out eternal rewards based on what Jesus determines we did with our lives that was good.

When Paul uses the term “bad” he does not use the word that refers to bad in the sense of evil or wicked, but bad in the sense of worthless or profiting you nothing. Likewise, when Paul uses the term “good” it is not the Greek word for “good” that refers to moral goodness. Instead, he uses the word for “good” that refers to that which is worthwhile, productive or profitable in light of eternity. In other words, there are things on this earth that we do for the Lord that He deems as worthy of eternal rewards. Those things that Christ tells us elsewhere that He will deem as worthy of reward are those things we do for Him, by faith and in obedience to His instructions found in His Word.

Bottom line, Paul clearly teaches from this passage that the first thing that happens after we die and receive our resurrection bodies is we receive our eternal rewards. In other words, one instant you are alive, on earth...blink, you are dead or raptured, and immediately, the next thing you know and see is that you are in heaven, alive, in your new resurrection body and you are at the great eternal reward ceremony. Payday! That quick, you and I will face the music as to how we invested our lives for the Lord here on earth. At that moment, nothing else in our past life will matter. All our homes, wealth, earthly awards, successes and accomplishments are history and they matter not.

Paul is not the only one who teaches us that this is the first thing that will happen after we die. Jesus also teaches this. In Revelation 22:12 Jesus says, “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My REWARD IS WITH ME, to render to every man according to what he has done.”  Again, in Matthew 16:27, Jesus promises, “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds.”

Realizing that the receiving of eternal rewards immediately follows our entrance into heaven, we must identify this passage in Revelation 4:4 as having taken place sometime in the future after the rapture, because whoever these twenty-four elders are, they have already received their eternal rewards. How do we know that? We know that because we were told in Revelation 2-3 that those who remain faithful to Jesus until the end of their lives on earth would be given eternal rewards. Three of those eternal rewards were the right to sit on thrones and to rule with Christ; to wear crowns of gold and to be clothed in white robes, specifically, those rewards promised in Revelation 3:21, 3:5, 2:10. And what do we find happening here? Sitting on thrones, wear white robes and wearing crowns. So, this must take place after the rapture.

Having understood the chronological context, we are now ready to look at who are these twenty-four elders.

Most theologians agree that the number 24, when attributed to beings, points to or is a representative of a particular group of beings. For instance: in 1 Chronicles 24, we find a listing of the 24 divisions of priests that came from the line of Aaron. There were literally thousands of priests, but each one was in one of the 24 divisions. Hence, when the writer of Chronicles mentions these 24 divisions he is referencing the priesthood in its entirety.

Likewise, in the very next chapter, in 1 Chronicles 25, we have a list of 288 skilled musicians, who were organized into a similar representative group of 24 divisions, to match the 24 divisions of priests. In turn, this number 24, when used of these priests and singers, these skilled musician, now represents the whole of the nation of Israel. 

Hence, whoever the twenty-four elders are, more than likely they don’t represent just twenty-four specific individual beings, but a whole group of beings. But which group of beings is John pointing to here?

Presently, there are three different explanations for who these 24 elders represent. The first is that these “elders” are actually angels. However, I don’t see any reason to believe that these elders were angels. Nowhere in the Scriptures do we find angels referred to as elders or are they ever mentioned as in a group of 24. In addition, nowhere in Scripture do we read that angels will receive eternal rewards or that they will wear crowns. Nor do we find in Scripture that angels are ever seated on thrones. So, why, suddenly would we want to say, right here that these 24 elders are angels? 

Furthermore, when you read through the next three chapters, John clearly tells us that there are three groups of people surrounding Christ’s throne at this point: four living creatures, angels and these 24 elders.  So there must be a better explanation for whom John is referring to here as 24 elders than these men being angels.

A second explanation as to who are these 24 elders, is that they symbolically represent all believers or all of those who are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. In other words, all those who are saved, including Old Testament believers as well as those who come to Christ during the tribulation. But I see a problem with this view that negates it as a possible interpretation.

First, as it concerns the Old Testament believers who will be saved: In Daniel 12:1-3 we are told that those Old Testament believers will not be resurrected until after the “time of trouble” is over. We know that time of trouble to be the Tribulation period. At this point, chronologically, the Tribulation period has either just begun or is about to begin. John is witnessing this future event as it is beginning. This group of elders can’t refer to Old Testament believers, because they are not to show up in heaven until the end of the Tribulation period or at the earliest, the middle of it.

As to the question of whether or not this group would include those saved during the Tribulation, we find the answer to that in Rev. 7:13. In that verse, one of these 24 elders is explaining to John who the multitudes are who are surrounding the throne and who are also wearing white robes. There, we are told by this elder that these multitudes who have joined the previous group around the throne represent those saved during the last three and a half years of this world’s existence, known as the “Great Tribulation.” So, there is a distinction made between these 24 elders and those who come to Christ during the seven years known as the Tribulation.

Hence, the 24 elders can’t represent all of the redeemed or saved people in history. These 24 elders must represent another specific representative group of believers. But whom?

That leads us to the third and what I believe is the best possible interpretation of who are these 24 elders are. They represent those Christians who lived during the church age and who remained faithful to the end. These are not your average carnal Christians, mentioned in five of the seven churches in chapters 2-3. Those carnal Christians will be saved and we will meet them in heaven, and probably in this same throne room. But they are not a part of this representative group of 24 elders, those whom Jesus describes as “overcomers.” They are a unique group of believers who will be given special recognition.

From the 24 elders who surround the throne, we now move to another who is at the scene, beginning with verse 5. This being’s role is represented by the prepositional phrases as being “out from the throne” and “before the throne.” I picture in my mind that the one represented here finds his source and authority coming from the throne and is in immediate, close proximity to the throne or just in front of it. We read, “Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.”

The “lightening and thunder” coming from the throne function as the same indicators they do in our natural world. They herald that a big storm is coming. This lightening and thunder is a reminder to all who read these words of God’s awesome power (see Exodus 9:23, 28; 19:16). These types of “storm signals” will be revealed later to those on earth during the Tribulation period as warnings from God as to the impending judgment which is about to fall upon the world. This “lightening and thunder” is spoken of later in Revelation as always proceeding from the throne room or command center of the living God (Rev. 8:5; 11:19; 16:18).

But whose role is it to send these “storm signals?” It is the role of the “seven spirits.” As we noted and explained in our study of 1:4, and 3:1, the “seven Spirits” mentioned in these passages are best understood as a representation of the Holy Spirit.. 

Ordinarily, the Holy Spirit is not humanly visible unless embodied in some way. For instance: When the Holy Spirit landed upon Jesus before His earthly baptism, the Holy Spirit came as a dove. When the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, He was visualized in the “tongues of fire.” Likewise, the Holy Spirit here is visualized as immediately before the throne as “seven lamps.” In reference to the Holy Spirit, the number seven is continually used, pointing to His perfection.

So what do we have taking place here? The Holy Spirit is doing something, but what? I refer you back to John 16:8. In this section of John’s gospel Jesus is promising the disciples that after He leaves, He will send His helper, known as the Holy Spirit. He also tells us what the role of the Holy Spirit is. He says, “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness and judgment.”

These actions that we read about in verse 5, coming from the throne of God, are in line with the actions and role of the Holy Spirit. These are the Spirit’s warnings about judgment that is coming to our world. The judgment that is to come from the same God who sits upon the throne that we looked at last time who is also the God who is perfect love and mercy. Over and over we see this same picture of God, and more specifically, Jesus, in Revelation. He is the sovereign King, who loves, is full of compassion and mercy, but who is also the righteous warrior and judge.

This brings us to the third designated group that is at this scene, in v. 6-7. Of them we read, ⁶and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within;

These four living creatures are nothing like anything John has ever seen before on earth, for they only exist in heaven. They are real, and one day, we will see these creatures. But for now, they are beyond our vision. They are all winged creatures, covered with eyes who continually fly about or around the throne of God. They resemble the cherubim that the prophet Ezekiel saw (Ezek. 1:4–14; 10:20–22), but their praise, which we will read about in verse 8 reminds us of the seraphim of Isaiah 6.  The statement that all of these creatures are “full of eyes” signifies that they carry with them the wisdom of the all-seeing and all-knowing God, and thus they have the authority to proclaim God’s holiness.

Now, let’s not lose sight of what has just taken place. Keep in mind the personal context of the apostle John, who has lost all of his fellow apostles to martyrdom for their faith. He has no family, or friends with him. Alone on the Isle of Patmos, he probably had serious questions, or maybe even doubts, if he would ever see any of them again. Was Jesus Christ’s promises to him and others while He ministered on earth, true? Would they really receive eternal rewards for their faithful service? Even though Christ had just reiterated those promises of rewards in the previous two chapters, was it really going to be true? 

Just like John The Baptist when in prison must have received when his disciples told him of their visit to Jesus.

No wonder one of the first things John notices after he takes his eyes off the throne of God, were those other 24 thrones, or his fellow believers, those faithful Christians who have died serving the Lord, sitting on thrones, wearing crowns and white robes ruling with Christ. Christ’s promises were true! His brothers and sisters in Christ have received their crowns, thrones and robes already! Well, not really already, this was still something that was to happen in the future after the Rapture. But that really didn’t matter. This scene still brought joy and comfort to his heart, just like John the Baptist must have received when in prison and his disciples told him of their visit to Jesus.   

Remember, John the Baptist was second guessing if Jesus was the real Messiah, as he waited in prison to die. John the Baptist was wondering if he had believed a lie and wasted his life pointing people to Christ. But after meeting Jesus, John’s disciples come back and tell him, “Jesus is the real deal! He’s the Messiah!” Just as that brought tremendous comfort to John the Baptist, so did the apostle John find comfort in seeing this future fulfillment of Christ’s promises about receiving eternal rewards and his loved ones in heaven. It was then that he was reassured that all he had believed and lived for was no joke after all. It was all true.

After John sees these thrones and rewards and the realization hits that he had been right all along to serve Jesus, then we have the noise and announcement, the lightening and thunder coming from the throne, the Holy Spirit warning all, that what they are about to see is a preview of the coming judgments that are going to fall upon the earth...those judgments spelled out in chapters 6-19. Following the lightening and thunder, the cheribum and seraphim go to work.

Look at the rest of verse 8, and see what they do: “...and day and night they do not cease to say, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.’”  Right there, these living creatures do what they were created to do. They proclaim the holiness of God. Notice that they repeat the word “holy” three times. They are emphatically declaring the truth that there is no one like the Lord God Almighty. He is transcendent. He is far above or beyond anything else in creation. He is thus, worthy of our worship. 

Why do these four living creatures at this moment begin to make this declaration? Because in light of what the Holy Spirit has just signaled, that the righteous almighty sovereign God is about to bring judgment upon the world, these creatures are adding an exclamation point that says, “It’s about time! This world has everything coming to it that God can throw at it! For He is Holy and worthy to be worshiped, but these ungrateful arrogant creatures on this planet have ignored and rebelled against Him.”

As these four creatures do their thing, probably for the first time since the 24 elders have received their eternal rewards, these believers then fall to their knees and join in the worship. We read that and more in verses 9-11. “And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, [then] the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

By the way, in verse 10, when it says that the 24 elders “will cast their crowns before the throne,” it is not an action that reveals a permanent giving back to God their eternal rewards. In other words, it is not what some sincere believers understand as the giving back to God their eternal rewards because they are just so grateful to be there with God that they don’t feel like they deserve their eternal rewards.

I say that for several reasons. The first is a grammatical one. The verb tense that John chooses to use here describes an ongoing taking up and casting down of these eternal rewards. It’s not just a one time event. Second, nowhere are we ever told that Jesus received or accepted the return of these eternal rewards from believers. Third, when you study the subject of eternal rewards, and especially Jesus’ powerful and motivational words trying to make us realize the importance of living for, or working toward, receiving eternal rewards and trying to convince us that we will need these eternal rewards in heaven, it makes no sense that He would take them back from us. He expects us to receive these eternal rewards and to use them for His glory.

So then what are these 24 elders doing by their action of casting their crowns down if they are not giving them back? Their actions of continually casting their crowns before the throne is the rightful and ongoing declaration of these believers that everything they have and everything they could possibly do with what they have, they offer up as a service of worship to Jesus. They are declaring that they will use these crowns and their responsibilities to bring rightful honor to Jesus. It is an action of ongoing commitment to partnering with God to fulfill His purposes, so that He will receive the glory He rightfully deserves.

Having seen this, I doubt that the Apostle John changed much of the way he lived out the rest of his days when he returned to the world we live in. People probably didn’t see a great difference in the way this 80-90 year-old man lived. But you better believe that whatever questions he had before Jesus took John on this spiritual ride into the future, were answered such that John was personally encouraged and caused to live the rest of his days much more focused on worshiping God through obedient service than ever before in his life.

Having seen that this is what our lives will be like for all of eternity, it begs the question: Am I submitting my heart, my life, my dreams, my goals and all that God has given me, am I casting all that I have and am before the Lord daily, as an act of worship and submission to God, who deserves it? Am I investing my life today, in light of what I understand to be true of the future?

If I am not, why not? If I will be doing this forever, why not start doing it right here and now on earth, while I can still make a difference in the lives of others who may not know Jesus and who may not, if they continue down the road they are on, spend eternity with Him?

Some treat what we have looked at this morning as just pie in the sky, but it is not. This is not a dream or fantasy, this is and will be reality. Therefore, wise am I, if I live today, if I invest my life today in light of the reality of my future.

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