WHAT JOHN SAW IN HEAVEN!
1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter (Rev. 4:1).
"After this" in Rev. 4:1 means after the liberal churches have been spued out (vomited -- Rev. 3:16) and the overcomers have been caught up (raptured) to sit with Jesus in His throne (Rev. 3:21). John was called up to heaven where the true churches are at the prophesied time. "Come up hither" (Rev. 4:1).
2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne (Rev. 4:2).
To be "in the spirit" does not mean that John had left his fleshly body. John was "in the Spirit on the Lord's day" (Rev. 1:10). Ezekiel was carried bodily by the Spirit (Eze. 3:14). "And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip..." (Acts 8:39).
The church is not mentioned any more after Rev. 3:22 until Rev. 19:7: "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife [the church] hath made herself ready." The word "churches" is mentioned in Rev. 22:16: "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star."
(From Rev. 5 to Rev. 19:7, the conditions on the earth are spoken about.)
3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God (Rev. 4:3-5).
At this point in the book of Revelation, the "catching up" [rapture] that Paul spoke about in I Thess. 4:13-18 and I Cor. 15:51-52 has taken place and the judgment seat of Christ has taken place. No one will be rewarded until all that deserve rewards receive them. "God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect" (Heb. 11:40). "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing" (II Tim. 4:8).
I believe, according to the Scriptures, the 24 elders are the 12 disciples of Christ and the 12 patriarchs of Israel (Rev. 4:4).
6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts [living creatures] full of eyes before and behind.
7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle (Rev. 4:6-7).
The lion is majestic. The calf is strong (they become oxen). Man is the only intelligent earthly creation. The eagle is very swift.
8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come [Jesus] (Rev. 4:8).
So many prayers go unanswered because some people will not begin their prayers in the name of Jesus, yet "no man cometh unto the Father, but by me [Jesus]" (John 14:6).
9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou [Jesus] hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created (Rev. 4:9-11).
This heavenly scene makes a person feel very unworthy to think that God would do so much for lost mankind. After saving us from our sins, He rewards us for every good work we do because we love Him, and then we see the great men of God (elders) throw down their crowns before the throne when all of them have died in the Lord's work -- except John. I believe, according to the Scriptures, that John hasn't died yet but he will die with Elijah in the tribulation as one of the "Two Witnesses". Elijah represents the olive tree and John represents the wild olive tree (Rom. 11:17-24).
