AROUND IT A RAINBOW
LIKE EMERALD
JASPER and SARDIUS
L I G H T N I N G
V O I C E S
T H U N D E R
IN FRONT FOUR LIVING CREATURES
24 ELDERS ON THRONES
CLOTHED IN WHITE
WITH GOLD CROWNS ON THEIR HEADS
SEVEN SPIRITS OF GOD
SEA OF GLASS
LIKE CRYSTAL
4:3 Like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the
throne, in appearance like an emerald.
- 4:3 – It begins to pick up. There is a realm of the Spirit. A real person makes sense of our life. And
three colors: jasper – sardus – emerald. Very significant. Psalm 104:2 – garments of light. We are never
able to look full gaze. It will be the stunning discovery of the ages as the beauty of the Father is unfolded little
by little. We will not be disappointed. 1 Timothy 6:16 – a light so intense no human capacity is capable of it – meaning
it’s not unapproachable because God is rejecting us. It’s unapproachable in the sense that our human spirit is not
compatible. It’s 100v to a billion volt. He dwells in light that protects creation from this blazing glory. Beloved this is true –
not a doctrine – it is real. He has plans about you. Things feel different when it touches us. Matthew 25 – throne of glory.
- He is not described by any human features, so as to be represented by an image, but only by His transcendent
- Appearance – in sight – to look upon (JFB)
- 4:3 The glory – jasper, sardus, emerald. Modern jasper is dull and not precious but in the ancient world a crystal
dazzling bright stone shown with brightness. 21:11 The city of God is having glory of a jasper – so it s a diamond –
a bright, white, shining, radiant stone – more than a diamond. It is the first stone to describe God in 4:3. It is the first
to describe the city of God in 21:11. It’s the first stone of the foundation of the wall. 21:18, 19. And this crystal jasper
radiant stone is also like the sea of glass in 15:2 & 3. The sea has the crystal qualities like the jasper.
- As the watery brightness represents God’s holiness, so the fiery red His justice executing fiery wrath (JFB)
- Yeah – beyond a diamond. God’s indescribable holiness described by jasper -- his dazzling white purity -- nothing
in God’s being is not radiant and dazzling in God’s purity. So the jasper of the city and sea and foundation stone speaks
of radiant purity – there is no darkness in Him. 1 John 1:5 – no darkness.
- He’s a sardus – a deep fiery red – a camellia today. Named after a city of Sardus. Deeper than ruby. Fiery dimension
speaks of His blazing judgment against sin. He is not only blazing with holiness – He’s justice. In His holiness He has zeal
and He will remove everything not holy. His zeal to judge – everything that comes short of holiness. His justice to remove
everything not holy.
- Sardus – carnelian (Z)
- In God’s zeal that doesn’t have the beauty of holiness, He had to offer His Son to be slain and to become a man. Red
is a color of humanity. Father can the cup pass? Is there any way you won’t have to judge sin? He knew Father’s answer
would be “No”. “I must remove everything that hinders love.” But it is the protection of the heavenly city. The jasper/sardus
God is the assurance that nothing will harm the city. The energy and the commitment God has in His being to remove
everything that is not pure.
- Paul saw the garment of light around God’s throne and God’s being. Daniel saw the light as fire; the Psalmist saw it
as a garment of radiant light. It’s a mixture of light and fire. I kind of change what that looks like in my mind and probably
not what it is like at all but its helpful now. It’s better than praying to the air.
- Our capacity is so small that we can’t approach the light. It’s like a 110 unit vs. a billion watts – its unapproachable
because our capacity so limited. It’s an issue of capacity – not affection.
- There He is: engulfed in light and fire. Focus on a real person. It’s not just government that John sees. He’s not
just seeing raw power – He sees a person. One who sits there – feeling, desiring, longing, love sick, ravished, wanting
John. Oh what feeling to come into the presence of radiant desire and pulled into it by the force of the delight. Can you
feel the pull of His desire?
- God’s desire is one of the most splendid aspects of His beauty. It touches the deepest chambers of the heart. He
sits in total supremacy with His character. That means that what He desires comes to pass. What if He had government but
no desire – or desire and no government? He sits in full unity – nobody can stop Him. He has all power.
- The Holy Spirit focuses on the beauty of the Lord. The Father allows Himself to be pictured. It’s amazing – the great
monarchs won’t always allow themselves to be photographed. This is the Ultimate Monarch who allows Himself to be
photographed.
- Radiant jasper and sardus. Jasper – a deep green gem. Sardus a deep red gem. So there is this deep red and green
flowing out of desire – fire around the throne with this deep desire – clothed in light. How green is green? How red is
- The contrasts. The ultimate light show of the ages is coming – we will be stunned.
- A rainbow – Ezekiel 1 – the rainbow in Ezekiel 1 around Jesus – here it is around the Father. The Father and Son
sitting next to each other. We don’t know why Ezekiel doesn’t mention the Father or why John doesn’t mention the Son –
but they both mention the rainbow and other Scriptures say they’re right next to each other.
- The rainbow formed a complete circle (type of God’s perfection and eternity: not a half circle as the earthly rainbow)
- Rainbow – halo (NAS)
- The rainbow as the seal and token of the covenant of providence that God made with Noah (MH)
- Now the rainbow speaks of the throne of God and the desire of God covenanted to the human race in mercy. God
says all that I possess I have covenanted to give to you I mercy. It’s not just in magnificence and our heart melts in the
tenderness of God’s mercy. Seven colors in rainbow – all wrapped around like in the garment of emerald light – rainbow –
arc over throne – green. Something about green.
- When this holiness and justice touches sinful man, there is a problem. There is a need for the rainbow. God’s
covenant mercy tempers His fiery justice. He makes a way for the human race. I believe the rainbow has been there since
ages past. The rainbow was around the throne before the human race was ever created. That the God who created,
created knowing that the vastness of mercy that equals His purity and His justice around the throne. Green is the color of
mercy -- the vegetation of the earth supplies for all living beings -- God’s provision for the weak and the needy of creation
-- the seven colors of the rainbow. God’s mercy is as vast as His dazzling purity and His zeal for justice. His holiness and
justice protects His city but His mercy gives us a way to the city. There is no triumph of sovereignty at the expense of
mercy. God’s mercy is as vast as His jasper purity and His red-hot zeal for justice. In fact the rainbow here is the first sign
of the new creation that actually existed before Genesis 1. The rainbow existed before there was a human race that needs
the rainbow. God is filled with infinite mercy. It is a witness to all the hosts in the eternal city – the merciful God. A main
song of Scripture: God is Good and His mercy endures forever.
- The rainbow is reminiscent of God’s covenant never again to judge the earth by a flood, perhaps implying that a
different means of judgment was about to come upon the earth (NCBC)
- The wine is red – the retribution is terrible, it is blood for blood, foaming vengeance for foaming malice. The very
color of divine wrath is terrible, what must the taste of it? Psalm 75:8 Spurgeon
References: Revelation 21:11 (having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as
crystal).; Ezekiel 1:28 (Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness
all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord)
4:4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones twenty-four elders sitting, clothed
in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads.
- 4:4 – Now God beautifies His throne by those He has caused to sit around Him. He is adorned in beauty by the
attendants of His court and the attendants of His court and I believe they are the redeemed – the 24 elders. They have:
#2 – clothed in white robes
#3 – crowns of gold on their head
- This beauty realm of God and all the attendants – stuns the seraphim and when human beings are pictured as seeing
it, they fall flat on their face.
- God’s throne surrounded by governmental ministries
- Around the throne are 24 thrones/elders
- The very fact that there are thrones, that there are elders, and 24 of them, and that they are sitting – every fact is
significant because God started with a blank canvas. He could have painted anything He wanted. And the fact that these
are the issues God told us instead of a multitude of other issues means these are important. Why? Why does God want
us to know these? What do these do to my heart in God’s plan? What do they do to awaken me to the first commandment?
These are the questions?
- First God is competent in power and he doesn’t need anybody to help Him. He doesn’t need anybody. He’s totally
competent. But He’s not content to rule alone!
- Isn’t that something? He’s totally competent but not content. He wants to share with human beings. The elders
are human who have authority. They’re really on thrones and able to make decisions. That’s part of the dignity of the human
spirit – to make decisions. Decisions matter forever. Now that dignity misused can send us to hell. One of the most dynamics
of the human spirit is that our decisions are life or death – for real. And the decisions of the elect in the eternal city matter.
It is not that God hands them an order and they do it. There is a life dynamic and real decisions. 1 Corinthians 6:2
- Yes, we will flow in the mind of God but it won’t be like a computerized piece of information. We make decisions that will
last forever – eternal ramification decisions.
- Sitting – secure – not striving – brought there by the hand of God
- White – innocent – righteous – no stain. Their decisions come out of righteousness. Their position is secure
because no stain – totally white – not stained by past sins – what a fantastic scene
- Crowns – rewarded for their battles – successful – employee of the month – did that which was pleasing to owner.
God manifests His pleasure with rewards. Labors are effective, meaningful, efficient, pleasing to God, rewarded openly.
- Now put all of this together as you like. None of us will get it all right – but doesn’t matter if its by 95 or 98%. The
throne is engulfed in fire and light – 24 elders, river – Revelation 15 on the sea – I say, “I love You – this is a good place
to be!”
- The elders like us. We’ll feel it. I want to feel it now
- Revelation 2 and 3 promises of Jesus to the churches – each of these promised to have been promised to the
redeemed. 2:10 promises the redeemed to have crowns – beloved you will receive a crown. 3:11 promised crowns – its
real – it’s worth enduring. They’re in the presence of God the Father. 2:26-27 speaks of thrones and 3:21 promises to be
seated on thrones. We may endure martyrdom and obedience may cost but there are crowns and thrones. Today it
causes the bored church not to live lives of compromise. Right now the church in the western world is not a suffering church
but a bored church. But the same revelation will have the same impact – it really will.
- Perhaps the mention of twenty-four elders has a reference to the smaller Sanhedrin at Jerusalem which was
composed of twenty-three elders; or to the princes of the twenty-four courses of the Jewish priests which ministered at the
Tabernacle and the Temple at first appointed by David (AC)
- The 24 represent the heads of the Old and New Testament churches respectively, the Twelve Patriarchs, not in their
personal, but in their representative character, and Twelve Apostles. Just as in 15:3 the song of Moses and of the
Lamb, the double constituents of the Church are implied. (JFB)
- “Elders” is the very term for ‘the ministry’ both of the Old and New Testament, the Jewish and the universal Gentile
church. (JFB)
- “Upon the twenty-four thrones, elders sitting” (JFB)
- They are not angels, for they have white robes and crowns of victory, implying a conflict and endurance (JFB)
- When it touches our spirit that there are really crowns, and thrones, and white robes – it changes the way we invest
life on planet earth. 3:4, 5 white garments and 3:18 white garments. Each of these three are so significant as the
possession of the people of God – it speaks of the position of the priest and the king because the white garment was a
priestly garment and with white we not only share the dazzling holiness and goodness of the jasper stone that bright white
dazzling stone but we share the priestly calling and we can gaze upon the Lord and see His face. We need to define our
lives through this reality – saints are right now in white garments – they really are – right now on thrones – with crowns –
many that lived on planet earth have these. Will all believers have them? I believe so – the way I understand Scripture
every believer will have this. Well why not just kind of live passive? Because our dignity and our capacity is to live this way
before a God of transcendent beauty. They’re sitting on thrones -- that speaks of the kingly office. They’re white
garments – that’s the priestly. They have crowns -- that’s the triumph and victory over sin, satan, and all the works of
darkness. The crown/victory is over there and there is no more war – the war is over; the rest is coming. We are to
understand our lives in this glory right here. When we worship, we’re not just worshipping – we’re identifying with our eternal
destiny. We’ll wear white forever. We’re worshippers forever at the core of our being. We’re leaders. We’ll be in that city.
We don’t need to walk in sin in the earth. We don’t need to look at the compromise of this age and live like it’s the normal
way to live – wrapped up in these three symbols – yeah – more than symbols – these realities. We can look at sin and say
in our heart “I’m a king. I don’t have to live like this. I’m a worshipper of God. I’m victorious. I will have a crown an a throne
and be victorious.” Everything that comes against God’s purpose for my life – the identity of the people of God -- I want to
live in that identity now. That’s who I am. We’re of the aristocracy of the eternal city. We’re married into indescribable wealth.
- 24 elders – representatives of entire church
- 12 tribes of Israel and 12 apostles in the New Testament probably represent all the redeemed of God for all
time (LB)
- Rick Joyner thinks 24 elders are the sons of Zadok. Zadok was a High Priest who stayed true to David. He was given
a promise to come near.
- Elders sit on thrones themselves, indicating that they too possess a royal glory and dominion, one dependent upon the
throne which they surround; they wear crowns as already victorious and in heaven’s eternal glory
- Garments – acts of righteousness
- Clothed in white raiment – the garments of the priests (AC)
- Gold – Divine nature; we become like Him when spend time with Him
References: Revelation 11:16 (And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God);
Revelation 3:4 (You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with e in white, for they are
worthy), 5 (He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his
name before My Father and before His angels.); Matthew 19:28 (So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when
the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel);
2 Timothy 2:12 (If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us)
4:5 And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were
burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
- From the throne: lightning, thunder, voices
- Each one massive – this is only 1% of picture. Why these? Why not something totally different?
- Revelation 4:5, 8:5, 11:19, 16:18
- List begins as three – but it grows to seven. The three are consistent but four others that are associated but occur
in realm of natural. When lightning comes out of the throne, an earthquake occurs.
- In 11:19 voices are noises/sounds – a voice like a trumpet – a voice with musical dynamics to it. Not just singing – like
musical instruments.
- Voices or noises – could be 25 instruments locked into your voice.
- They come out of God’s being
- Thunder, lightning, music, sounds – coming out of throne. Earthquakes, hail, loosed on earth Revelation 16:20 –
every island disappears; every mountain moves
- Related to power surges – divinely activated
- 4:5 out of the being of God – His personhood – proceed three things: divine energy which will make true and secure
everything to the elders of 4:4 – and the promise of the elders of crowns and thrones and worshippers – flows out of the
reality of 4:3 and who He is as the jasper, sardus and emerald God. It depicts characteristics of His being – the reality that
there is a realm of the spirit. We don’t have to live in darkened, unrenewed minds. We are not limited to defining our lives by
ourselves. We know that but do we really know that?
- 4:5 proceeds with three manifestations – His emotions – around the throne. These manifestations are seen through
out the ages. They are not just signs or symbols – they are realities of the energy that bursts from God’s throne. There’s
lightning – out of three colored garments of light – suddenly out of nowhere comes flashes of lightning break out with
indescribable power. These flashes are not some kind of side show. They are deeply related to the being of God. I believe
its one of the elders favorite things. The energy breaking forth out of God’s being.
- The next thing is thunderings – speaks of His thundering against sin – His authority over the natural realm. These
power surges fill the whole city. What we see in the natural of storms are just mere whispers of what proceeds from God’s
throne.
- Thunderings – express God’s threats against the ungodly: there are voices in the thunders, i.e., not only does He
threaten generally, but also predicts ‘special’ judgments (JFB)
- In Revelation, thunder and lightning always mark an important event connected with the heavenly temple (NIV)
- There’s voices. Later in the Book it is called noises or sounds. They are music, songs, messages – proceeding out of
the being of God. These voices change the whole course of history in time and eternity. They come out of God’s own heart.
Communicates the passions of God’s heart. A practical meditation – you will be shocked where it leads you. In 4:5 begin to
learn the language of the throne. Unless become familiar won’t flow in the reality of it and we’ll always be at a distance.
Meditate on these. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you focus on one dimension and to bring you into clarity of that dimension of
the being and splendor of God. If dial down and look into every description it will thrill our heart in this age. Can’t do it in a
hurry or on the run. Study out words. Divine entertainment that surpasses anything the world has.
- No human description. Colors – feelings – realities – fragrances – SOS 8:14 Mountains of spices –magnificently
blending – perfect sounds – no rude contrasts. Noises/sounds – music – sounds from God’s being.
- Zephaniah 3:17 – He sings over us – God has a musical Spirit – when His music is released to natural realm it quiets
the storms of life. The raging storm of anger, demonized lusts, torment, fear and anxiety calmed when God releases His
songs. He woos us with His mercies. Imagine the energy levels. You step into that “force field” of Divine light – “Whoaaa”.
2 Chronicles 7 – they all fell out.
- Psalm 29 – thunder. Revelation 10 – seven thunders – he heard but couldn’t reveal. Where are the spices, fragrances,
cherubim – you start here and He’ll lead to others.
- Lamps – fire of God’s love; Holy Spirit
- The seven lamps of fire before the throne are antitypical to the seven-branched candlestick also in the holiest,
emblem of the manifold Spirit of God (JFB)
- There are seven manifestations of fire. The lamps of fire, which is the Holy Spirit. Know where the Ezekiel 1:13
lamps/torches are. Torch is a blazing fire you use outdoors; lamps used indoors. The word here is torch – raging.
Ezekiel 1:13 they move and float around and moving all around the throne. Like a light show of the Holy Spirit. Then there
is the sea of glass – not a lake or pond. Enough for a billion plus saints to stand on. Living creatures – below the throne –
and seraphim – the burning ones.
- Jesus described John the Baptist as a burning and shining lamp: “He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were
willing for a time to rejoice in his light” – John 5:35
References: Revelation 8:5 (Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises,
thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.); 11:19 (Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in
His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail); 16:18 (And there were noises and thunderings and
lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth); Exodus 37:23
(And he made its seven lamps, its wick-trimmers, and its trays of pure gold); Revelation 1:4 (John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: grace
to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne.); Zechariah 4:2
(….Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit…); Luke 12:35 (Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning); Psalm 77:18 (The voice of Your
thunder was in the whirlwind; the lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook); Exodus 19:16 (Then it came to pass on the third day,
n the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that
all the people who were in the camp trembled); 25:37 (You shall make seven lamps for it, and they shall arrange its lamps so that they give light
n front of it)