Bible Commentaries
Revelation 4

Verses 1-14

VII

THE THRONE OF GRACE

Revelation 4-5

In the preceding chapters on Revelation 2-3, we have considered an earth scene of "the things that are" – a most discouraging view. Now we consider a heaven scene of "the things that are" – a most encouraging view.

The first thought is "the heavens opened." Many people live and die without a vision of heaven. To them heaven is vague and far away, exercising no influence on their lives. Others, by faith, see things invisible. The Old Testament examples of the vision of heaven are worthy of study. The examples are many but I cite only three:

Jacob left home for the first time – to be gone many years and never to see his mother again. Camping one night – all alone – with a stone for his pillow – he dreamed that he saw a stairway reaching from earth to heaven – on which angels descended and ascended. According to the New Testament this stairway was our Lord Jesus Christ restoring communication between heaven and earth. The vision converted Jacob and revolutionized his life. He called that place "the house of God and the Gate of Heaven." That one experience of the sensible presence of God – of heaven’s interest in the pilgrims of earth – dissipated his loneliness and fear and never lost its power.

Again, in the discouraging year when King Uzziah died, Isaiah was cheered by a vision of the King who never dies. He saw heaven opened and the throne of eternal mercy – the ministering angels – all aflame with interest in earth’s, affairs. Yet again, Ezekiel, in the more discouraging times of the exile, had a glorious vision of the throne of grace and its circle of flaming – wide-awake – ministering angels. In the light of the vision exile changed to restoration and restoration to the spiritual eternal kingdom of God.

So here, Revelation 4-5, the heavens are opened to John, the exile on Patmos, and in the light of its vision, the discouraging earth view of the imperfect churches and pastors is swept away forever and in its stead, through panorama after panorama, he sees the ultimate triumph and universal prevalence of the kingdom of God.

At the outset let me assure you there is no reason for you to be dismayed at the symbolism of these chapters. The book is a revelation, not a hiding. It is not difficult to understand the leading thoughts and central facts underlying the imagery.

What, then, are the particulars of the vision? First of all he saw a throne. We know it to be the throne of grace by the rainbow arch above it.

On that throne, whether described by Isaiah, Ezekiel, or John, the Almighty is presented in an exceedingly reticent way. No man has seen God directly at any time, nor can see him. He said to Moses: "You saw no image." So here the Father appears without form or shape – vaguely seen as the brilliance of a jewel. But the thought is clear "The Lord God omnipotent reigneth – let the earth rejoice." Before the throne is a sea. In this and other apocalyptic books – the sea represents the peoples or nations of the earth – with this difference: As seen on earth Satan appears dominant over the sea of peoples. It is there storm-tossed (Daniel 7:2-3), one beast (or nation) rising up after another. But before God in heaven, who overrules, that sea (of nations) becomes placid as a mirror. To him the nations are but drops of water in a bucket. He sees a representation of the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit: "Seven lamps of fire – which are the seven Spirits of God." Seven is a perfect number meaning any number necessary, but here just seven to show that the Omnipresent Spirit is with each of the seven churches named in the preceding chapters. If a hundred churches on earth had been named, the symbolisms here would have been "one hundred lamps of fire which are the hundred Spirits of God."

He saw the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God, not as he was before the creation of the world, but as a Lamb that had been slain now alive to die no more.

So he saw all the Holy Trinity and each in a way to identify the throne as a throne of grace – the Father and the rainbow – a Spirit for every church – the Son as a Lamb once slain but now alive.

He sees the Cherubim or "four living ones." Do not follow the common version "four beasts" as if the Greek word were "therion" as in Revelation 13:1, but "zoa," living ones. Now, as there is more confusion of mind concerning the Cherubim than perhaps any other thing it is my purpose to give you a clear conception of them gathered from the Scriptures alone.

1. The Cherubim of Ezekiel 10:1-20, are the same as "living ones" of Ezekiel 1:5, and Revelation 4:6, (Greek zoa), and the same as the Seraphim of Isaiah 6:2. Seraphim expresses merely the glowing flames or luminous quality of the Cherubim. It is human rhetoric or poetic license that makes them distinct orders of beings.

2. Their number is always and only four (Ezekiel 1:5; Ezekiel 10:10; Revelation 4:6). But as from an east, west, north, or south angle of vision only two can be seen, so on the mercy seat – an east view – only two can be made visible. Hence the directions to Moses to make two (Exodus 25:18).

3. The Cherubim are Angels, but angels of high honor and princely character always nearest the throne of God, as seen by Isaiah, Ezekiel, and John. That they are angels is evident from Psalms 104:4, correctly interpreted by Hebrews 1:7. It is more evident from 1 Peter 1:12, referring to the posture of the Cherubim bending over and gazing down upon the mercy seat: "Which things angels desire to look into." Hence also Cherubim were placed on a great veil that shrouded the most holy place as if endeavoring to peep through that veil and comprehend the mystery of Redemption.

4. They are not angels of wrath but always associated with, the throne of grace, as you may see by tracing the word through a concordance. Every manifestation of mercy exhibits them. God, intervening for fallen men, is always represented as sitting, or dwelling, or appearing, or speaking between or amonn the Cherubim. As the Shekinah, or sword-flame, he dwelt between the Cherubim, to keep open the way to the tree of life, when the throne of grace was established at the east of the district of Eden when man was expelled from paradise (Genesis 3:24; see rendering in Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown), and there Abel found him and through atoning sacrifice and faith found his way back to the tree of life (Genesis 4:4, and Hebrews 11:4).

This precise idea of Genesis was embodied by divine directions to Moses in the construction of the mercy seat of the tabernacle (Exodus 25:18-22; Exodus 26:31; Exodus 37:8).

Here, between the Cherubim, God’s voice was heard (Numbers 7:89). Here God dwelt (1 Samuel 1:24; 2 Samuel 6:2; Psalms 80:1; Psalms 99:1; Isaiah 37:16; Hebrews 9:5). And so in the Temple of Solomon (1 Kings 6:23; 2 Kings 19:15; 1 Chronicles 13:6). And just so in Ezekiel’s ideal temple (Ezekiel 41:18).

5. The four Cherubim, combined, constitute the chariot of God, moving on purposes of mercy (1 Chronicles 28:18; Psalms 18:10). In this chariot of fire Elijah ascended to heaven (2 Kings 2:11). Compare the sarcasm of Isaiah 22:18, on the death of Shebna. Doubtless also it was this angel chariot that met the beggar Lazarus at the depot of death and carried him away to banquet with Abraham in the kingdom of heaven (Luke 16:22). Hence, not without power, and certainly with instructed piety, the happy camp meeting Negroes of the South are accustomed to sing, "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot!" If ever that fire chariot goes on a mission of wrath it is always, like the wrath of the Lamb, because of mercy despised (Isaiah 65:15). The heavenly realities which forecast these symbols for tabernacle and Temple in the visions of Isaiah, Ezekiel, and John certainly indicate the angelic interest and activity of the Cherubim in the plan, method, and work of salvation.

6. Each Cherub is symbolically represented with four faces, fronting east, south, west, and ’north, to indicate their power to see, and their readiness to move in any direction without turning around. So, in the description of Ezekiel. To illustrate, the camp of Israel fronted four ways, three tribes on each of the four sides. In military maneuvers a battalion may form a hollow square, facing and fighting in four directions.

7. The different faces expressed the qualities of the Cherubim. The face of the man indicated intelligence, and sympathy with man; the face of the eagle indicated great powers of vision and flight; the face of the ox indicated endurance and strength; the face of the lion indicated courage. Thus, facing east you see the face of a man, and on one side you see the face of an eagle, and on the other side the face of an ox, and on the back view the face of a lion.

8. The highest number of wings actually named as in use at one time is six (Isaiah 6:2; Revelation 4:8), yet there must have been two wings for each face – eight altogether. The idea conveyed is that they are always ready to fly in the direction any face fronted without turning around. The number of wings seen at any time depended on circumstances, particularly on the angle of vision. Seen over the mercy seat, from an east front, only two faces and four wings are visible; seen at rest every wing is folded and none is visible (Ezekiel 1:25)

9. The wheels represent the means of movement on earth, as the wings represent the means of movement in the air. There was a wheel for each face (Ezekiel 1:15). Now, as a pair of wings for each face indicated capacity and readiness to fly in the direction that face fronted, so the same idea is expressed in the earth motion by "a wheel within a wheel." To grasp this thought, conceive of one tire of a wagon wheel pressed into another at right angles. Such a double wheel would not only stand of itself, but without turning could be rolled in four directions. With the exercise of a little ingenuity, you can make a double pasteboard wheel that embodies the idea.That is a wheel within a wheel. It can roll any one of four ways without turning. The same thought may be seen in the rollers to the legs of a table that enables you to push or pull in any direction without turning the table.

Ezekiel repeatedly presents this thought, that whether the Cherubim fly with wings, or glide on wheels, they never turn around. They always move straight forward, whether it be one Cherub or four. If the four be together, two faces and four wings and two wheels front every cardinal point of the compass, being ever ready to see, fly or glide north, east, south, or west without turning. In any element, land, sea, or air they are ever ready for sight or movement in four directions. An auto must turn round for a new direction, but the Cherubim moves straight forward – the chariot of God never made a turn. Dr. J. R. Graves borrowed from Ezekiel’s Cherubim, i.e., "A wheel within a wheel," his idea of Methodism, as set forth in his "Great Iron Wheel" – but he utterly missed Ezekiel’s idea of the number of wheels and their relative size and position. Ezekiel’s wheel was double, each of the same size, and interfitted at right angles. Dr. Graves’ idea was one big wheel, a smaller one in that, and a still smaller in that, all fitted in laterally, and not at right angles and connected by spokes jointed into a central hub, the hub representing the bishops, the innermost wheel representing the presiding elders, the next wheel the preachers in charge and the outer wheel the class leaders – and the whole wheel rolling over the members.

This symbolical idea of the Cherubim fitted for motion in any element is embodied somewhat in the airplane – in the air it is a bird, in the water it is a boat, on land it is a wheeled wagon.

10. The leg of the Cherub had no knee and the foot no joints, to indicate that movement was purely volitional, no bending of knee or foot, no labored steps, but a gliding motion, like roller skates or other skates on ice. I have dreamed, more than once in my life, of possessing this volitional gliding movement either on the earth or in the air – the will only acted. That is, I dreamed that Just by willing I could lift myself up and, without exertion or fatigue, could glide. Doubtless we will all possess this volitional power of movement in the better world. Our autos must carry an oil supply, and a crank for ignition, but in Ezekiel’s Cherubim "the Spirit" or motor power resided in the wheel (Ezekiel 1:12; Ezekiel 1:20), the power turned off or on by will, not mechanism.

11. Their swiftness of movement, whether on the land, or through the air, is compared to a flash of lightning (Ezekiel 1:14). For instance, combined, the four Cherubim into a chariot which could go east to west and back again just by a mental movement. They could go forward and back again as quick as a flash of lightning appears and disappears.

12. The rims, or felloes, of the wheel, Ezekiel says, were very high and dreadful, and like the wings full of eyes – to indicate vision in every direction, power of perception incalculably great. No man-made wheel was ever like this. The Ferris wheel at the Chicago Fair was a toy in comparison.

13. The appearance of the Cherubim in motion was exceedingly luminous – Ezekiel says like coals of fire, or torches. The fire was exceedingly bright, radiating flashes of lightning (Ezekiel 1:13). They constituted indeed a "chariot of fire." And he says that the noise of their wings was like the roaring of an ocean storm – like the voice of the Almighty – or like the tumult of great armies.

14. Under each wing was the hand of a man (Ezekiel 1:3). That is, each Cherub had two hands for each of the four faces. Hence the hand of one of the Cherubim touched the lips of Isaiah with a coal from the altar, cleansing and inspiring him to speak for God. And in the same way a hand of one of the Cherubim extended to Ezekiel a book of Revelation. These various organs of sight, motion, and touch expressed in a symbolic way the capacity of the Cherubim for varied activity, in the highest conception of motion, sight, touch, and light. Heathen mythology sought to express these extraordinary powers in the hundred eyes of Argus, the hundred hands of Briareus, the seven heads of the Hydra and the varied shapes of Proteus and the man-horse Centaur. Parables and symbols are far more expressive than literal speech.

15. The last thought: In the light of these scriptures concerning these Cherubim we confront some surprises in the way of interpretation. First, that art paints a cherub with the winged face of a baby. Second, that even such a theologian as Dr. Strong should deny any real existence to the Cherubim, making them only a symbolic representation of glorified humanity. See his article on the Cherubim in his "Philosophy and Religion." This idea of the Cherubim representing glorified humanity is based on the doubtful reading in our lesson, the word "us," Greek hemas, in Revelation 5:9, which makes the Cherubim sing a song declaring "Thou hast redeemed us with thy blood," – that is the way the Common Version reads. Of course, if the Cherubim are redeemed with the blood of Christ they cannot be angels. But the best manuscript authority leaves out that us – so does your American Standard Revision of that verse. A still wilder interpretation makes the four Cherubim stand for animate creation as represented by man, ox, eagle, lion. Yet the wildest of all makes them mean the four continents – Asia, Africa, Europe, and America. The Cherubim that John saw in this vision are represented as saying tirelessly, continuously: "Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty."

John saw twenty-four elders in priestly garb, seated on twenty-four thrones, each with a crown, a harp, and a bowl of incense (see Revelation 4:4; Revelation 4:10; Revelation 5:8). The crown and throne indicate their royalty, the harp signifies their praise and the incense their prayers. The white robes and the offering of incense represent their priestly office. The number twenty-four represents the perpetuity of their service. David divided the priesthood into twenty-four courses, or reliefs, so that by successive rotation in service, the temple worship should be perpetual (see reference to Zacharias in Luke 1:8-9; Luke 1:23). The antitype is the universal priesthood of all Christians under the New Covenant: "Ye are to be a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices – a royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:5; 1 Peter 2:9). Or, as John has already expressed it in this book: "He made us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto God" (Revelation 1:6).

You must be careful to note that the adoration, praise, and prayers of Christ’s royal, New Testament priests are offered on earth. But John’s symbolism here is to show how these earth offerings reach heaven, and avail there. We know by experience, the adoring, praising, and praying down here, but we could not know without revelation the other end of the line, the reception accorded to and the profit arising from this earth service. The vision means: "I will show you your song and prayer entering heaven." The adoration of the King-Christian on earth, when it gets to heaven, casts the crown of earthly royalty before God’s throne of grace and sings: "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."

The next thing that he sees is a sealed book, which the Father holds in his right hand. You are not to think of a book like the printed Bible. The books of that time were manuscripts of parchment and rolled around a staff. Suppose I had a long piece of parchment, each end fastened to a staff or roller, interspaced into seven sections, each section sealed up when rolled around the staff. Then there would be the other staff to which the last part of the roll would be attached, and when you read it you unroll it from one staff and roll it after reading around the other staff. What you have read would keep getting larger and larger, and what you had to read would keep getting smaller and smaller, and when you have emptied one staff and the other would be full.

John saw that this roll, or book, was written on both sides, every space covered, which signified that nothing more is to be added to it. It is complete. Now, the question is: What does that seven sealed roll mean? The rest of the book will show you that it is a disclosure of future events concerning the kingdom of God. God knew its contents, but it was sealed from human and angelic sight, and when the question was asked: "Who can break the seals and open this book?" neither man nor angel could respond. John wept at the thought. Then one of the Cherubim comforted him: "You need not weep, the Lion of Judah, the root of David, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, Jesus Christ in his glory, can break these seals and open that roll."

Now, it is the object of the book, from Revelation 5 on, to forecast in symbolic imagery the salient points of our Lord’s kingdom. Both sides of the roll were covered with writing, every space was filled to indicate, as I suppose, the completeness of the revelation, so that at the end of the book it could be said that no man should add to it or take from it; it was complete. When it was announced that this Revelator would unseal that book, both Cherubim and Elders unite in singing this new song: "Worthy art thou to take the book and open the seals; for thou wast slain and died to purchase unto God with thy blood [not "us," but] – men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, and madest them to be unto our God a kingdom and priests, and they reign upon the earth." That is, while he reigns in heaven, they reign on earth.

Now, when the twenty-four Elders, representing the perpetual priesthood of God’s people, and the four Cherubim sang that song, then the countless host of angels took it up. The number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand of thousands. "Worthy is the Lamb that has been slain to receive the power, and riches, and wisdom, and might, and honour, and glory." Now, when the uncountable angels of God sang that song, there came an echo to the song (Revelation 5:13), "and every created thing which is in the heaven and on the earth, and in the earth and on the sea, and all things that are in them, heard I saying: Unto him that sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb, be the blessing and the honour and the glory and the dominion forever and ever." This must be the thought of Paul: "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us-ward. For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to vanity, and not of its own will, but by reason of him who subjected it, in hope thathe creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain togther until now." Which means that the earth, man’s habitat, cursed when man sinned (Genesis 3:17), shall partake of man’s redemption, so that from the great flood of fire attending our Lord’s final advent, there shall emerge a new heaven and a new earth (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1).

QUESTIONS

1. What is the first thought of this revelation?

2. Cite Old Testament examples of the thought.

3. To most Christians how does heaven appear, and the consequent effect on their happiness, usefulness and life?

4. What was the power of hearing heavenly voices and seeing heavenly visions? Illustrate by Stephen.

5. What throne revealed in this vision, and what symbol indicates it?

6. In what-way is the Father revealed? – The Spirit? – The Son?

7. What do the Elders represent – the meaning of the twenty-four – meaning of "harp" – of "incense" – and is it a picture of adoration, praise, and prayer as offered on earth, or as reaching heaven?

THE CHERUBIM

8. The difference, if any, between Seraphim and Cherubim?

9. Prove from Ezekiel 10, that Cherubim and "living creatures" are the same.

10. Prove that the Cherubim are angels.

11. What was their number always?

12. Explain the symbolism of four faces, eight hands, eight wings, four wheels.

13. Illustrate a "wheel within a wheel."

14. What use did J. R. Graves make of "a wheel within a wheel" and how did he misapply the imagery?

15. Meaning of the form of the several faces – man., eagle, ox, lion?

16. Cite the passages proving that the four Cherubim combined constitute the chariot of God, and give instances of use.

17. Where the spirit or motor power, of the chariot, and compare with auto and airplane?

18. With what are the Cherubim always associated, and cite proof from the tabernacle – the temple, and Ezekiel’s ideal temple?

19. What is the sealed book, and explain how the seven seals are applied, and how each seal in succession when broken would reveal only a part of the book?

20. What is the meaning of "sea" in this book, and explain why this sea seen in heaven is placid, and on earth disturbed?

21. Who governs the earth sea, and cite proof? (See Revelation 12:17; Revelation 13:1).