REVELATION
God created a perfect world. The sun, moon, stars, planets, and creatures of all kinds were made for His absolute pleasure. He spoke things into existence, and it came to be, but with man, he took time to form him out of the dust of the ground. Why was this? God wanted man to know that he was special unto Him. God personally hand- crafted every single detail of man’s existence. He could have spoken a word, and man would have appeared, but that is not what God did. God did not take any shortcuts, but with His own hands, He formed a perfect man and woman out of the dust of the ground. Man was made a little lower than the angels but higher than any beast on the earth. Unfortunately, the devil corrupted the perfection of man’s innocence and introduced him to the knowledge of good and evil. This caused God to set a plan into motion. He devised a plan for the salvation of mankind. The plan involved sending His only Son to be a sacrificial Lamb to bear the sins of the world.
John was given a vision of Heaven and witnessed the honor and praise given to the One who was slain. There was and still is no one worthy of such praise other than Jesus, for He took on the form of a servant to be elevated by God the Father as KING of Kings and LORD of Lords. Therefore, all Heaven above and earth below will confess before God that Jesus is LORD. In Revelation 4, John gave an in-depth description of the throne room of God, four living creatures, twenty-four elders, and the Lamb that was slain. Blessed are all who read and understand the words of this book. Let’s unveil another portion of John’s vision for the Body of Christ.
Quick Review from Lesson 2
a.) The Church of Ephesus had lost their first love. Therefore, God told them to renew their first works over and repent before their lampstand be removed.
b.) The Church of Smyrna was told that they were rich even though they were poor. They were to remain faithful even during persecution and would receive a crown in Heaven.
c.) The Church of Pergamum was rebuked for holding on to the teachings of Balaam and of the Nicolaitans. God told them to repent, or He would come against them with the sword of His mouth.
d.) The Church of Thyatira was rebuked for tolerating the teachings of Jezebel. God warned that He would repay them according to their deeds if they did not turn away from her heretical teachings.
e.) The Church of Sardis was rebuked for being dead even while having a reputation of being alive. God told them to repent, for He would come like a thief, and they would not be ready.
f.) The Church of Philadelphia was commended for enduring even while they were weak. God promised to keep them from the hour of persecution.
g.) The Church of Laodicea was rebuked for being in a lukewarm state. God warned them of their arrogance of being self-sufficient and told them to repent of their ways.
The Throne in Heaven
“Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. ‘Could you build me a temple as good as that?' asks the LORD. 'Could you build me such a resting place?’ ” (Acts 7:49).
Thrones have been known throughout history to represent power, status, and position by the one who sat on them. In Greek history, the throne was referred to as the seat of the gods.[1] II Chronicles details the throne Solomon made for himself, representing his vast wealth and power. The Bible says: “Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with pure gold. The throne had six steps, and a footstool of gold was attached to it. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them. Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom” (2 Chronicles 9:17-19). However, thrones were later not limited to those in kingship, but were used for ecclesiastical dignitaries, such as bishops, cardinals, popes, and others. In Saint Peter's Basilica, a bronze sculpted throne created by Bernini encloses a wooden chair, a relic from the ninth century, believed to have been the Apostle Peter’s personal chair. It is referred to as the Chair of St. Peter, also called the Cathedra Petri.[2]
John was about to witness many spectacular wonders in Heaven. These extraordinary sights included seeing heavenly beings he had never seen before, and more. God had John record all that he had seen so that the church of the end times would be prepared for the events that would take place before Jesus’ return. First, John would see the awesomeness of God’s surroundings and those who worshipped Him constantly around the throne. He would also understand the worthiness of the Lamb that was slain to open seals that no other person could open and stand witness to the glory of the Lord.
John had not been martyred as the other apostles had, for God was going to use him to give the last days’ prophetic message to the body of Christ. So, when Peter asked if John was going to suffer the same fate, Jesus responded in a manner to let Peter know that John’s fate
was not for him to know. The Bible says: “Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved— the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, ‘Lord, who will betray you? Peter asked Jesus, ‘What about him, Lord?’ Jesus replied, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.’ So the rumor spread among the community of believers that this disciple wouldn’t die. But that isn’t what Jesus said at all. He only said, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?’ ” (John 21:20-23). John was chosen to be the scribe for what he had seen in Heaven. Therefore, he had to pay close attention to everything that he was shown to relay the events back to the church to record them and heed its prophetic warnings today.
Invitation to Come
“After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’ At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it” (Revelation 4:1-2).
John was invited to enter through a door into Heaven. No one can enter unless
the invitation is given. John had to have a relationship with Jesus first; otherwise, the invitation would not have been given for him to see inside Heaven. The Bible says: “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture” (John 10:9). The invitation was clear and given by the same voice that had spoken to him earlier. But this time, the voice sounded like a trumpet. The Bible says: “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God…(1 Thessalonians 4:16). John had been given this message for the seven churches of Asia Minor, but now, he was to be told what would take place in the future. The Spirit of God once again came over him, and he saw someone sitting on a great throne.
HOMEWORK: Each of you have been assigned a Bible translation to give details about. Please give as many details as you can regarding the creation, translating company/person, date written, verses included or excluded, and its reliability as a source for believers.
[1] Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, "Throne | History, Symbolism & Types of Furniture | Britannica," Encyclopedia Britannica, last modified May 27, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/topic/throne.
[2] Pietro Zander, "The Cathedra of Saint Peter," Official Website of St. Peter's Basilica | A Masterpiece to Explore, last modified 2025, https://www.basilicasanpietro.va/en/san-pietro/the-cathedra-of-saint-peter.
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