Read with Me
Revelation 4:6b-11 (NET)
In the middle of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second creature like an ox, the third creature had a face like a man’s, and the fourth looked like an eagle flying. Each one of the four living creatures had six wings and was full of eyes all around, and inside. They never rest day or night, saying:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the All-Powerful,
Who was and who is, and is still to come.”
And whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders throw themselves to the ground before the one who sits on the throne and worship the one who lives for ever and ever, and they offer their crowns before His throne, saying:
“You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
since you created all things,
and because of your they existed
and were created.”
Listen with Me
Some have said that John “borrowed” imagery from prior visions and apocalyptic writings. It is more accurate to say that he saw the same things at previous prophets had seen, and since both writers were faithful witnesses, their descriptions closely matched each other. John was not being inventive, he was being accurate in his eyewitness account.
John’s account of the four “living creatures” harks back to what Ezekiel saw and described of the glory of the Lord at the Kebar River in Babylon. Ezekiel also described these beings as living creatures or living beings (Ezekiel 1:5-14), whom he was later told were cherubim (Ezekiel 10:20-22). Whereas Ezekiel had seen four different faces on each of the four cherubim in his vision, John sees the same four faces, but only describes the face of each that faced him.
John’s description of the location of these living creatures is also interesting. He describes them as being simultaneously “in the middle of the throne and all around the throne”. This is reminiscent of Ezekiel’s description of the cherubim he saw which flitted about continually as quickly as flashes of lightning, never staying in the same place for more than an instant.
John describes the cherubim as being full of eyes not only over the entirety of their outer surface but also under their wings, and even inside. This would indicate that they were vigilant at all times, able to see everything, and missing nothing. In Ezekiel’s vision, he had seen the eyes of the cherubim as being embedded in the wheels that stood next to each one.
When Ezekiel had seen the cherubim on the earth, they had served as throne bearers of God’s glory. But in heaven, they were worship leaders, continually shouting out God’s eternal holiness and almighty power. And whenever they did this, the twenty-four elders fell on their faces in worship before the throne. At the same time, they laid their crowns, the victors’ laurels that adorned their heads, at the foot of God’s throne, giving eternal glory to the one who had given them their victory.
In all, John’s glimpse of God’s heavenly throne left him gasping in wonder. It was a place filled with the light of God’s presence, and with eternal praise of His greatness by heavenly beings about whom he had only read before this.
Pray with Me
Father, this all seems completely overpowering. I am amazed that John could even keep enough of his senses about him to record everything that he was seeing. And I’m convinced that he wouldn’t have been able to do that at all without Your divine enablement. The mere vision of the risen and glorified Jesus had caused him to swoon in wonder (1:17). Without Your help, the vision of You and Your throne room would surely have destroyed him! Lord, this helps me to understand how little we appreciate who You are and what You are truly like. If we did, we would be much more honoring of Your word and Your commandments, and we would have much more fear of disobeying You. Help us to use these eyewitness accounts to learn how You should be worshiped and obeyed. Amen.