Revelation 4

Revelation 4 is the chapter in which the heavenly vision begins, following the letters to the seven churches of Asia Minor that run through Revelation 3. The scene of the heavenly throne continues into the account of the scroll and the Lamb in Revelation 5.

Outline

• Verses 1–2: John sees a door opened in heaven and hears a voice saying, "Come up hither." In the Spirit, he sees a throne set in heaven and One seated upon it.
• Verses 3–6: The One seated on the throne appears like jasper and a sardine stone, and a rainbow like an emerald encircles the throne. Around the throne are twenty-four thrones, on which sit twenty-four elders clothed in white raiment with crowns of gold on their heads. Lightnings, thunderings, and voices proceed from the throne, and before it are seven lamps of fire, which are the seven Spirits of God, and a sea of glass like crystal.
• Verses 6–8: Four living creatures, full of eyes before and behind, are also present. The first is like a lion, the second like a calf, the third has the face of a man, and the fourth is like a flying eagle; each has six wings. Day and night they rest not, crying "Holy" three times.
• Verses 9–11: As the four living creatures give glory, the twenty-four elders fall down, cast their crowns before the throne, and praise the Lord who created all things.

Key Verses

• Revelation 4:8, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty" — the central hymn of heavenly worship, confessing the holiness of God.
• Revelation 4:11, "for thou hast created all things" — grounds the worship due to God in creation.

Figures and Places

• John: the one who saw and recorded the vision.
• The twenty-four elders: figures seated around the throne who offer worship.
• The four living creatures: beings in the midst of and around the throne who praise without ceasing.
• The heavenly throne: the central place around which every scene in the chapter unfolds.

Points for Reflection

• "Come up hither" in verse 1: Interpreters in the dispensationalist tradition read this summons as a symbol of the rapture, in which the church is caught up before the tribulation. Other traditions, including the Reformed tradition, understand it as John himself being taken up into heaven in a vision.
• The twenty-four elders: A widely known interpretation holds that they represent the whole people of God, combining the twelve tribes of the Old Testament and the twelve apostles of the New Testament. Others regard them as angelic beings.
• The seven Spirits of God: Many interpreters take this as a reference to the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Some interpret it as seven angels.
• The four living creatures: They recall the seraphim of Isaiah 6 and the living creatures of Ezekiel 1 (see Seraphim and Cherubim). Since the early church, a tradition has linked the four living creatures with the four Gospels as their symbols. This connection does not appear in the text itself and is a later interpretation.
• The eternal God: The expression in verse 8, "which was, and is, and is to come," echoes Revelation 1:8.

In the Korean Church

• Hymnody: The threefold "Holy" of Revelation 4:8 forms the basis of hymn no. 8 in the Korean New Hymnal (Sae Chansongga), "Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty." This hymn is often sung at the opening of worship services.
• Worship and preaching: Revelation 4:11 is frequently used as a call to worship and cited in sermons on worship that exalts the triune God.