John was called to this scene by a trumpet sound v.1,Revelation 4:1XWaiting for response just as the saints will be awakened from the dead by a trumpet call (1 Corinthians 15:52),1 Corinthians 15:52XWaiting for response with the faithful invited to enter the political heavens to reign with Christ v.1.Revelation 4:1XWaiting for response Immediately John was in spirit v.2,Revelation 4:2XWaiting for response representative of all those who will be changed to Spirit nature. He saw Jesus upon his throne and it is significant that the aura around him was like a jasper and a sardine stone v.3Revelation 4:3XWaiting for response because the first of these is sky blue, or heavenly, while the second is flesh coloured, so that these two together represent the divine and human aspects of Christ. The saints are represented by twenty four elders to show that they will be priests as well as kings Revelation 1:6,Revelation 1:6XWaiting for response for David organised the priesthood into twenty four orders (1 Chronicles 24:1-19),1 Chronicles 24:1-19XWaiting for response and they are dressed in white raiment, representing their righteousness, and crowned with gold, representing their faith v.4.Revelation 4:4XWaiting for response The saints are also the Israel of God which is consistently represented in the scriptures by four living creatures v.6Revelation 4:6XWaiting for response with four faces v.7Revelation 4:7XWaiting for response which are those of the cherubim upon the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant, the four standards of the camp of Israel, and the four aspects of Jesus presented in the Gospels. When Jesus and the saints reign, instead of the nations being in turmoil as “the sea and waves roaring” Luke 21:25,Luke 21:25XWaiting for response they will be at peace and like “a sea of glass” v.6.Revelation 4:6XWaiting for response Jesus will then be a manifestation of God in the earth and all the saints will honour him vs.8-11.Revelation 4:8-11XWaiting for response
“there was a rainbow about the throne”. The rainbow was given to Noah as the sign of God’s covenant that He would never again destroy the earth with a flood. The symbol is here re-deployed to again signify the unchangeableness of God’s covenant but this time with respect to the throne over Israel. This was the throne of the Davidic Covenant.
“out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices”. The awesome and frightening power displayed during a thunderstorm is used appropriately to describe the dramatic and frightening storm when God’s pent up fury is unleashed with awesome power upon the wicked nations. These appropriately describe the unleashing of the judgments of God via the saints.
In chapters 4 & 5 John describes the vision he had of Jesus and the saints in future glory.