“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. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads” (Revelation 4:1-4).
Around God’s throne were twenty-four elders sitting on twenty-four thrones. These twenty-four elders represent the body of Christ, who will judge the world in the end. The Bible says: “Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28). Twelve disciples followed Jesus at the time, but the Bible says that Judas betrayed Jesus and later killed himself; therefore, he could not be counted as part of the twelve. Mathias later replaced Judas, and their number was complete once again. Nevertheless, this number is symbolic of those saints who make it in the end and will judge the entire world. The Bible says: “Or do you not know that the Lord's people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?” (1 Corinthians 6:2).
The twenty-four elders were dressed in white robes with crowns of gold. As we studied in the first lesson, white represents the purity and righteousness of God. There can be no sin in the presence of a Holy God. He embodies all that is pure. The Bible says: “I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels” (Isaiah 61:10). The Word tells us that we will be given crowns as rewards in Heaven. The crowns worn by the twenty-four elders represent the rewards given to the Body of Christ who endures to the end. The Bible says: “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).
The Seven Spirits of God
“From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God” (Revelation 4:5).
John describes the flashes of lightning and sounds of thunder that came from the throne of God. This is likened to the return of Jesus when He comes to take His children home. The Bible says: “For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 2:27). The Prophet Samuel’s mother, Hannah, spoke of the thunder of God coming from Heaven to render judgment upon the earth. The Bible says: “Those who oppose the Lord will be broken. The Most High will thunder from heaven; the Lord will judge the ends of the earth. “He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed” (1 Samuel 2:10). These are signs of the power of God when He comes back in all His glory and the judgment that will be upon the face of the earth.
In front of the throne were seven lamps that represent the seven spirits of God. In the first lesson, we broke down what the seven spirits represent. Let’s go back over them as a reminder. The seven spirits found in this text represent those found in the book of Isaiah. The Bible says: “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge, and the fear of the Lord— and he will delight in the fear of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:2).
The Seven Spirits
a.) Spirit of Rest – “But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7).
b.) Spirit of Wisdom – “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation” (Ephesians 1:17).
c.) Spirit of Understanding – “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26).
d.) Spirit of Counsel – “When he (Holy Spirit) comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned” (John 16:8-11).
e.) Spirit of Power – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
f.) Spirit of Knowledge – “To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:8).
g.) Spirit of Fear (Reverence) – “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).
1. What is your name, or what nick name do you prefer?
2. Are you single, married, have children, etc.?
3. Do you have pets, a hobby, career, or other?
4. What do you like to do for fun?
5. What is a talent or gift that God has blessed you with?
6. What is your favorite food?
7. What do you like to do for the holidays?
8. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
9. What is your favorite type of music and/or musical artist?
10. Feel free to share anything that you feel comfortable with telling the rest of the group.
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