Revelation 4:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.

NIV: At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.

NASB: Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and someone was sitting on the throne.

CSB: Immediately I was in the Spirit, and there was a throne in heaven and someone was seated on it.

NLT: And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it.

KJV: And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

NKJV: Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.

In this verse John relates he was in the Spirit when he beheld a throne that stood in heaven. Perhaps the Holy Spirit transported John or his spirit to heaven, or John was seeing a clear vision of what was happening there. His first gaze fell on a firmly established throne, on which sat God. Isaiah had a similar vision of the Lord sitting upon a throne, "high and lifted up" (Isaiah 6:1). The image of God on a fixed throne indicates that He is sovereign, King over all creation. It also indicates that nothing can shake His throne. Nor can anyone, whether the Devil or an earthly ruler, topple God from His throne.

John is about to see future events that cause unbelievers on earth to panic, but God originates those calamitous events as judgments. While these events may inspire sadness as they occur to non-believers (2 Peter 3:9; Ezekiel 18:23), they do not trouble God. Nor do they change the destiny of those who are Christians before the rapture, who will be in heaven when the judgments fall on the earth (Revelation 3:10). The fact that God is seated on a throne should calm whatever fears assail believers. He is in control!

Revelation 4:1–6 describes the apostle John's experience of being in the Spirit and being transported to heaven. There, he sees the radiance of God described as precious jewels. Further, he sees twenty-four other thrones, occupied by twenty-four elders. He also witnesses seven burning torches and a sea of glass in front of God's throne. Near the throne are four creatures that ascribe threefold holiness to God.

John reports in the opening verse of Revelation 4 that he saw a door open in heaven and heard a voice beckoning him to come up to heaven. From heaven's vantage point John would witness future events. Upon his arrival in heaven, John saw God. He was sitting on a throne surrounded by twenty-four other thrones. A sea of glass lay in front of God's throne, and four living creatures were beside the throne. When the living creatures ascribed honor and praise to God, the elders who occupied the twenty-four thrones fell down and worshiped God. They cast their crowns before Him and praised Him.

Chapter 3 concluded the description of ''the things that are'' (Revelation 1:19). Chapter 4 begins the final section of Revelation, regarding ''the things that are to take place after this'' (Revelation 1:19). Chapter 1 describes the appearance of Jesus to John on the island of Patmos, at which time He commanded John to write to seven churches in Asia Minor. Chapters 2 and 3 provide us with the contents of Jesus' letters. Whereas chapters 1–3 relate events on earth, chapters 4 and 5 describe what John saw in heaven. Because the word ''church'' does not appear in this ''after this'' section of Revelation, we may assume the church does not experience the judgments described in chapters 6 and beyond.

The word ''revelation'' means ''an unveiling or disclosure.'' This writing unveils future events such as the rapture, three series of judgments that will fall on the earth during the tribulation, the emergence of the Antichrist, the persecution of Israel and her amazing revival, as well as Jesus' second coming with His saints to the earth, the judgment of Satan and his followers, and finally, the eternal state. This content, combined with the original Greek term apokalypsis, is why we now refer to an end-of-the-world scenario as ''an apocalypse.''