Jesus may also be likened to a calf or ox,
as He was the servant of both God and
man. He washed the disciples feet.

Jesus is likened to a man because He
took on himself the form of sinful flesh.

He is like a flying eagle because His
dwellings are the heavenly places. He
came down from heaven and went back
to heaven.

John is using earthly words to express
heavenly things. We should understand
these animal characterists like we under-
stand the meaning of Lamb and Lion
when they are applied
to Jesus.







He is called the Lamb
a number of times
in Revelation.
We do not picture
Him in
our minds as
looking like a lamb
or even acting like one.
He is called a Lamb
because He died for us.

The translators call them 'beasts' probably
because of their appearance, but they are
similar to the Cherubs of Ezekiel.

The scene and the circumstances are also
similar. These living beings are likened to
a lion, a calf, a man, and an eagle in flight.

As in Revelation, so in Ezekiel "there was
by them the likeness of a throne". (vs 26)

In both visions the glory of the Lord is
manifest. (vs 28)

In both cases there is a rainbow about the
throne. These angelic creatures in Ezekiel
were guardians of the throne of God. (Ez
10)

There are many more angels in heaven
than these four. In Revelation 5:11, we
find over a hundred million joining in the
praises and the worship of God.

In Ezekiel 1, there is a description of "four
living creatures". In verse 10, on the right
side they had the face of a man and a lion.
On the left side they had the face of an ox,
and a face of an eagle.

These are the identical symbols of the
living creatures in Revelation 4.

In Revelation 4:6 there is a description of
the four beasts". The translation is unfor-
tunate. Literally, it should be translated
"living ones" or "living creatures", rather
than "beasts".


The first was like a lion.

The second was like a calf

The third was like a

man.

The fourth was like a
flying eagle .

The Elders are clothed

in white raiment.

The promise of white

raiment is mentioned

twice by Jesus Christ

in His letter to the

Church in Sardis.

"They shall walk with

me in white:

for they are worthy.

He that overcometh,

the same shall be clothed in white

raiment." Revelation 3:4-5

White raiment is "The righteousnesses

of the saints". Revelation 19:8

The Elders wear

crowns and are

therefore
glorified saints.

Disembodied spirits

are not crowned.

Paul said he expected to receive a crown,
not at death, but "at that day" of His
"appearing" (2 Timothy 4:8).

That these Elders have crowns indicate
that the appearing of Jesus Christ has
taken place at the time of this scene.

These 24 people are called 'Elders'. It is
a term used about 200 times in the Bible
and is applied to men. To make an except-
ion in this case would be inconsistent.

These Elders sit on 'seats' which is trans-
lated from the same word as 'throne' in
verse 2.
This high exhaltation
is assigned
to human beings,
never
to angels.

Some of the modern versions translate
Revelation 5:8-9, in quite a different way
than the authorized version. They leave
out the 'us' and the 'we', in the song sung
by the elders, so that instead of their say-
ing, "And thou hast redeemed us to God
by thy blood out of every tribe. . . .", they
have it to read, "And didst purchase unto
God with thy blood out of every tribe. . ."
From that it is claimed by some that the
elders are not human beings at all, but
angels, or perhaps other created being(?).

It may be noted that the Elders are of the
heavenly priesthood. (Revelation 1:6)

In the Old Testament, the priesthood was
divided into 24 courses. (1Chronicles 24:3
-19) There were 24 priests specially chosen
out of a total of 24,000. (1 Chronicles 23:4
-5) If Old Testament saints are considered
with this group, as seems likely, then the
Twenty-Four Elders would represent the
twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve
apostles of Jesus Christ.

The twenty-four elders evidently repre-
sent the overcomers. Because in the last
verse of the third chapter, Jesus has given
the promise to the overcomers, of sitting
and ruling with Him in His throne. These
are the kings and priests of the church age.

"To him that overcometh will I grant to
sit with me in my throne, even as I also
overcame, and am set down with my
Father in his throne." Revelation 3:21

The twenty-four elders are symbolic of
the overcoming Church, and must repre-
sent more than 24 people.

This is evident from what they say to the
Lamb in Chapter 5:9, "thou hast redeem-
ed us to God by thy blood out of every
kindred, and tongue, and people and
nation."

The number 24, is far too small to repre-
sent every kindred and tongue. There
are ove 1500 different languages on the
earth.

The Four and Twenty Elders that have

gold crowns and sat around the throne

are human beings, redeemed of God,

as shown in Revelation 5:9

"Out of the throne go forth lightnings,
and voices and thunders." This further
shows that the throne is one of judgment.

When God was about to visit judgment
upon Egypt, He "sent thunder and hail,
and fire ran along the ground", (Exodus
9:23).

When Israel sinned against the Lord in
asking for a king, the Lord "sent thunder
and rain that day", (1 Samuel 12:18).

These things show that the throne now
set, is not a throne of grace, but a throne
of judgment which is about to visit wrath
upon wrongdoers.

John declares that "there was a rainbow

around the throne".

It means that

though the

throne is one of

judgment, it is

not a throne to

bring the

world to an end.

God is keeping

in mind

His covenant with Noah. The rainbow is

a token of God's covenant with all flesh,

never to destroy the inhabitants of the

world like in the Flood. (Genesis 9:11,17)

As judgment falls on the earth, fears

might arise that God is about the destroy

the world.

The appearance of the rainbow shows

that God will keep His promise and

covenant. The earth is to be judged, but

not to come to an end.

"And behold a

throne was

set in heaven,

and one sat

upon the

throne."

The One who

sits on the throne is God.

The prophecy in Daniel 7 should be

read in connection with it.

John was transported in vision. " was in
the spirit," he says.

It is not necessary for us to determine if
he was physically transported to heaven
or not.

Paul relates that he was caught up to the
Third Heaven, but, "Whether in the body,
I cannot tell; or whether out of the body I
cannot tell; God knoweth." (2 Corinthians
12:2).

Whether John was in the body or out of
the body makes little difference. He had
all his senses and was able to give a faith-
ful report of what he saw.

In heaven

there were

Twenty-Four

Elders

having gold

crowns on their heads.

They sing the song of the redeemed, saying

of Christ, "For thou wast slain, and has re-

deemed us to God out of every kindred and

tongue, and people and nation."

Redeemed spirits who are not resurrected,

do not have crowns! They receive theirs

only after Jesus comes.

From every angle, the evidence is that in

Revelation 4:1-2, speaks of a rapture of the

Church. It is not the harvest rapture, but

it is still a rapture.

John also mentions "a trumpet" which
speaks to him as a voice.

In 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, the rapture
passage, there is also an allusion to a
trumpet. "At the last trump: for the trump-
et shall sound." Also 1 Thessalonians 4:16

The voice of the trumpet said, "Come up
hither." And immediately John was
caught up to a throne set in heaven. This
certainly speaks of rapture. The same
words "come up hither" are spoken to the
Two Witnesses when they are resurrected
and raptured into heaven. Revelation 11:12

The first words of the fourth chapter of
Revelation, "hereafter", indicates that
events now taking place, are after the
Church Age. The event which ended
the Church Age, as taught in the New
Testament is the rapture.

We read that "a door was opened in
heaven." A promise had been given to
the Philadelphia Church of "an open
door". (Revelation 3:8)

And this open door is associated in
the verses that follow, with the promise
that He would keep the Philadelphia
Church "from the hour of temptation"
[the Great Tribulation].

These words of Christ are most surely
speaking of the rapture.

"After this I looked,

and behold, a door was

opened in heaven: and

the first voice I heard

was as it were of a

trumpet talking with

me; which said, Come

up hither, and I will shew thee things

which must be hereafter."

Revelation 4:1

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On the other hand there are those that
many thought couldn't be reached. They
didn't believe in Jesus' divinity. Many of
them had scoffed at the manifestations of
His power, denied the gifts of the Spirit
and healings, but are now having spiritual
awakening.
There has to
be a revival
that will grow
into an
outpouring of
God's blessings and His power until
it can be said that God has poured out
of His Spirit upon all flesh.

There are two opposite trends in the churches
of Philadelphia and Laodicea. There are those
who go by the name Full Gospel, who preach
in Full Gospel churches, but who are moving
toward denominational methods, to organized
programs and social activities, to using worldly
methods to attract people.

They themselves are worldly and Laodicean
in their hearts. They are moving away from the
Holy Spirit ministry and practices and away
from the supernatural.

The Lord is gracious and merciful. He knows
that there are people in the Laodicean Church
that have a hunger for Him. So Jesus is still
calling to them.
It is not likely He will be invited ino the midst
of their church .

yet many will
hear His voice
and open the
doors of their
hearts to Him.