Revelation 4

The Explanation

John was looking. And suddenly he saw something that no one had ever seen before.

High above him, in heaven, a door stood open.

Then he heard a voice. Not a soft little voice. This voice sounded like a trumpet, loud and clear, so loud that you feel it in your stomach. The voice said: "Come up here, and I will show you the things which must happen after this."

Would you have dared to go through that door?

John went. And there, right in front of him, stood a throne. A throne is the chair of a king. And Someone was sitting on it.

John does not tell us what that Someone's face looked like. He could not. It was too bright, too beautiful. All he could say was: it was like shining stones, sparkling green and glowing red, like a jewel with the sun behind it. And around the throne curved a rainbow, deep green, like an emerald.

Around the big throne stood twenty-four smaller thrones. On them sat twenty-four old men in snow-white clothes, with golden crowns on their heads.

Then it began to rumble. Out of the throne came flashes of lightning and rolling thunder, like a storm right over your house. Seven lamps burned with fire in front of the throne. And the floor was like a sea of glass, smooth and clear as ice you can see straight through.

And there were four living creatures. One looked like a lion. One like a young ox. One had a face like a man. And one was like an eagle with its wings spread. Each one had six wings, and they were covered with eyes, in front, behind, all around. Eyes that never close.

They never stop. Day and night they call out:

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come!"

And every time they sing that, something happens. The twenty-four old men fall down on their faces. They take the golden crowns off their heads and they throw them down in front of the throne. They do not want to be kings themselves. They say: "Worthy are you, our Lord and God."

What Does This Mean?

John saw who is really in charge.

Sometimes it feels like the biggest one is whoever shouts loudest, or the strongest kid in your class, or somebody on the news. But John looked through the open door, and in the very middle of everything he saw a throne. Not empty. God Himself sits there.

The thunder tells you: this King is powerful. The rainbow tells you: this King keeps His promises. And the old men throwing away their crowns tell you: nobody else is that great. Only Him.

And listen to what they sing at the end: "you created all things." God made the trees, the beetles, the sea, and you. Not by accident. Because He wanted to.

The Common Thread

That open door matters. Heaven is not shut tight. Someone called John up.

Later in this same book John will see a Lamb come and stand right by the throne. That Lamb is Jesus, who died and lives. Jesus is the door that stands open. Because of Him you may come near to that shining throne and not be afraid. The King on the throne is your Father.

For You

The four creatures sing without ever stopping. You cannot do that. You have to sleep. But you can start.

Tonight, before you get into bed, say out loud: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God." Just those words, nothing else. And then name one thing God made that you love. Your dog. The rain. Your grandma.

And tomorrow, when something feels too big or too scary, remember: there is a throne, and it is not empty.

Talk About It

If you could look through that open door for one minute, what do you think you would want to look at first?

Why do you think the old men threw their own crowns down in front of the throne?

Praying Together

Lord God, You sit on the throne and You are holy. Thank You that You made everything, and that You made me. Thank You that the door is open. Help me not to be afraid, because You are the King. Amen.