“Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne” (Revelation 4:2).
Upon receiving an invitation to “come up here,” in the previous verse, John (our apostolic author) promptly observed a throne in heaven. As we’ll see, everything John discusses in this chapter is described in relation to that throne.
While a royal throne is relatively easy to visualize, it is little more than a highly ornamented armchair if we strip those embellishments away. A throne will not confer special status upon anyone who sits upon it, except perhaps to document his or her experience on social media.
Instead, the significance of a throne is determined by two factors:
- The rightful owner of that throne.
- The authority it represents.
Those factors are especially true of this particular throne, for it serves to represent God’s sovereign authority, power, and leadership. The throne described here in Revelation 4:2 is the seat of governing power that holds dominion over everything that exists within the natural and spiritual realms. In fact, the magnificence of this scene was such that our author turned to the use of precious gemstones to capture its brilliance…
“And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald” (Revelation 4:3).
Jasper is thought to be a translucent stone, possibly referring to a diamond. Sardius (also described as a carnelian or ruby in other translations) was a deep red stone. In addition, an emerald colored rainbow surrounded this throne, perhaps describing a sort of halo-like effect.
“Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads” (Revelation 4:4).
Readers have long pondered the identities of these twenty-four elders. One view holds that these elders personify God’s people throughout history. Their thrones and white attire lend support to this idea based on two earlier passages from the book of Revelation…
“He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments” (Revelation 3:5).
“To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne” (Revelation 3:21).
The reference to “twenty-four” may allude to the twelve tribes of Old Testament Israel, along with the twelve apostles of the New Testament era. Their cumulative presence totals twenty-four, which may serve to represent God’s people down through the ages.
Image Attribution: Photo by Stockcake