In Revelation 4 John is taken up in the Spirit to see where he saw One seated on a throne. Hebrews 1:3, 8:1; 10:12 and 12:2 all say that Jesus is seated on the throne of God, at the right hand of the Father (or in the executive position). In other words, it is Jesus who carries out the determinant will of God. All that God chooses to do is done through his Son, Jesus. So, does John see Jesus or the Father, because the text reveals only one who is seated on the throne?
In Revelation 3:21 Jesus says he sits upon the throne of his Father. He mentions the Father’s throne in order to distinguish the ‘Most High’ throne from that of the Messianic throne, upon which we are invited to sit with Christ. In other words, the authority we have in Christ stems specifically from the Messianic throne, not from the Father’s throne. However, although Jesus rules as the Messiah from his Messianic throne, this is not the limit of his authority. Scripture shows us he also sits upon the throne of the Most High God. There is no greater authority than this – not even that of the Father (viz. Revelation 22:1, 3)!
In view of these things, in what way can we say John saw God? John is not the only one who saw God sitting on his throne. Isaiah also saw the LORD (YHWH), sitting on his throne. Was Isaiah able to see God in his glory? Probably not (1John 3:2). John says in his Gospel that no one had seen God at any time, except for Jesus (John 1:18). Notice Isaiah’s experience:
Isaiah 6:1-10 KJV In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. (2) Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. (3) And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. (4) And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. (5) Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. (6) Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: (7) And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. (8) Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. (9) And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. (10) Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. (emphasis mine)
It is interesting that the apostle says in John 12:39-42 that it was Jesus that Isaiah saw “high and lifted up…” It was Jesus’ glory that Isaiah saw, when he feared he would die, for he had seen the King, the LORD of hosts! The living creatures with the six wings in Revelation 4 are the Seraphim with the six wings in Isaiah 6, and there they covered the face and feet of him who sat upon the throne (Isaiah 6:2). The “holy, holy, holy” in Isaiah 6 is a praise directed toward “the LORD of hosts,” while in Revelation 4 it is directed to the “Lord, God Almighty.” In Exodus 3:1-6 and Exodus 6:2-3 this described the Angel of the LORD, but in John 12:39-42 it describes Jesus of Nazareth!
In Revelation 4:2 John immediately found himself in the Spirit and he saw one sitting on a throne. “And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone:” (verse-3). If we permit the Bible to interpret its own terminology, we find in Exodus 28:10-15 that Moses was to make Aaron a breastplate of judgment, which he was to wear over his chest (heart), as he performed the office of High Priest. Upon this breastplate were twelve stones representing the whole house of Israel. The first stone was stone was sardius (Exodus 28:17 and the last stone was jasper (Exodus 28:20). Therefore, in Revelation 4:3 we find that he, who sat on the throne, was to look upon as the first and the last (cf. Revelation 1:11, 17), the High Priest ready to judge his people.
In verse 4 we find the 24 elders who correspond to the captains of the 24 courses of priests that David formed in 1Chronicles 24:1-31 and 2Chronicles 8:14. These 24 elders had crowns (stephanos G4735). These are victor’s crowns or wreaths offered to those who competed in games (1Corinthinas 9:25). They are mentioned in Revelation 2:10 and 3:11 as crowns for those who overcome (cf. Philippians 4:1; 1Peter 5:4). In verse 10 the 24 elders cast their crowns before the throne at the feet of their Lord, saying he is worthy, for he created all things for his pleasure (cf. John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:15-17). It is in this light that we can understand verse-8: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and is and is to come (cf. Isaiah 6:1-5).
Here, we find Jesus, the High Priest, is poised for judgment. In Isaiah 45:25 we are told that all the seed of Israel shall be justified in the LORD. Justification is done with sacrifice in the Temple. Notice what it says a few verses before this in Isaiah 45:22-24:
Isaiah 45:22-24 KJV Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. (23) I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. (24) Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.
“Look unto me and be ye saved…” (cf. Numbers 21:9; John 12:32). One God speaks, no one else. He swears by himself, for there is none greater, that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall swear. The same is said of Jesus in Romans 14:11 and Philippians 2:11. We worship one God, and one Jehovah, but our heavenly Father and Jesus are ONE Spirit in the same manner that a husband and a wife are ONE flesh (Genesis 2:23-24; cf. John 10:30 and John 8:42; 16:30; 17:8; 18:31). Together they are one God and one Jehovah. To honor one is to honor both; to dishonor either is to dishonor the other as well (John 5:23; Philippians 2:9-11). Therefore, it seems that the one whom John saw sitting on the throne was none other than Jesus, our Savior.[1]
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[1] See my next study in Revelation 5: God Almighty in Revelation Chapter 5
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