1 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.” 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. 4 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. 5 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. 6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.

Revelation 4:1-6

Few mortals have had the opportunity to peer into the Heavenly throne room of God and see Him on His throne. Isaiah saw God on His throne and it made him fall down in shame and humility. Isaiah 6 Isaiah was made to feel like he could never be made clean even with a good washing. That is what the presence of our Holy God will do to any individual. The very presence of so much holiness will slay a man unless he is hidden in the cleft of the rock like Moses was when God passed by Him. Exodus 33:14-21 Yet, while in the wilderness, God delivered information to Israel through Moses regarding God's desire to dwell with mankind. It was in the wilderness that God began to unfold to Moses His grand plan to restore man's place in the presence of God.

One day a year, on the Day of Atonement, God would enter the Most Holy Place demonstrating His personal glory, power and strength. He would on this high holy day meet with the great high priest behind the veil. If the heart of the priest was not properly prepared, he would be slain by the glory of God. The door into Heaven's court was a closed door to the common man, woman and child. However, at the crucifixion of Christ, the veil was rent apart indicating that the way into Heaven's court was now open. According to the apostle Paul we can enter into the Most Holy Place and present ourselves to the Father with a great deal of confidence. However, we have this confidence only because the way has been prepared by Jesus, our great high priest. Don't waste the opportunity, enter in!

John the Revelator, though confined in a prison made by man, went where all holy men long to go. He entered into the Heavenly temple right into the Most Holy Place and saw God sitting on His throne! The book of Revelation is an open invitation to you and me. We may also enter into the presence of God and witness things that even the angels desire a better understanding of.

The invitation to enter in sounded like a trumpet to John. Hearing the trumpets and entering into the Most Holy Place are indicators of the time of the year. The passages refer us to the fall of the year, the season when Israel celebrates the fall festivals of God. Let us make our hearts right with our fellow man during the season of Elul so we can be at peace with our God during the Feast of Trumpets. Prepare to enter into the Heavenly Temple, the Most Holy Place in the universe. We should recognize from these passages that there is a distinct connection between the festivals celebrated during the fall of the year and the coming of Christ. I believe a study of the fall feasts commanded by God will give us a better understanding of the messages found in Revelation. Learn more. . .

Enter into the throne room of God and experience all He has to say to us about this grand event as it unfolds some of the mysteries of God. The Creator of the universe longs to reveal Himself to mere mortal minds. I want my mind transformed by the message and my heart changed by the Master. Join me here as we listen to all He has to say to those with ears to hear.

This assembly sets the stage for everything that is to happen after this. Something very significant is about to happen and it involves the sons of Adam. The universe is interested in these grand events. Therefore, it is ironic and sad that most of mankind is clueless regarding these matters. Regardless of your personal interests, He will soon be manifest in ways we never knew we needed to understand or ever thought we would see.

Individuals with ears that do not hear and eyes that do not see will miss The Way to Heaven. People without Godly knowledge only know the ways of the prince of this dark world. When the genuine light is manifested, many will close their eyes preferring the darkness of their day. However, God will prepare His own to deliver the message of reconciliation to the world before He comes in His wrath. This is your opportunity to avoid wrath and reap reward instead.

The grand assembly in Revelation 4 came to honor and receive The One that is bent on conquering our enemies so we can become overcomers just like Him. He will overcome the darkness with His own light as it shines through his bride, the church. There will be much resistance to the message resulting in greater deception than the human mind can perceive without divine intervention. Many will refuse to accept the invitation, but there will be a great multitude that will. Revelation 7:9-17 For their sake and at the request of Christ we say, "Here am I, send me."

Around the throne are twenty-four elders sitting on thrones. These individuals are key players in this event. They serve in the priesthood as witnesses for the Great High Priest in the atonement process. It is imperative for humanity that each individual seek at-one-ment one with their God before He arrives. Once He comes, the time to make peace will have passed. Today is the day of salvation so do not delay. These twenty-four elders represent the entire priesthood that has been ordained to proclaim this opportunity.

Who are these twenty-four elders? I do not know their names, but I do know they represent the twenty-four orders of the priesthood. In 1 Chronicles 24:1-19, David divided the priesthood into twenty-four orders. The priests served in the temple rites by rotating their service through this division. Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, was serving his rotation by burning incense on the altar of incense when the angel appeared to tell him of the birth of John. Luke 1:5-10

These twenty-four elders serve as witnesses when the Great High Priest enters into the temple to be found "worthy" to begin the atonement process. If the Great High Priest is found unworthy to provide intercession for Israel, He will be slain and the people will be without hope. It is imperative to us that, Jesus, our Great High Priest be found worthy to proceed with final steps in the atonement process. Though denied by the world, He was declared worthy from the foundations of the world when only God was witness. Revelation 13:8 Now the cosmos declares Christ a worthy Great High Priest. Revelation 5:11-14

The twenty-four elders are dressed in white because they chose to be covered with the righteousness of Christ, the one that represents us to the Father. Isaiah 1:18; 61:10; Revelation 19:14, 6-8 They wear crowns and sit on thrones because the promise of Jesus to each of us is that we will be priests and kings. Revelation 2:10; James 1:12 These elders represent what Christ longs to do for all of us. If you ever desired prosperity and prestige then here is your chance to have a prominent place within a vast kingdom.

There are rumblings, lightening and thunder coming from the throne. Do not let that scare you. It is the nature of our Heavenly Father. He is the source of all power, and living energy flows from Him. This display of power from the mountain scared Israel and rightly so because there were many unconverted in their midst. God even had Moses build a barricade around the base of the mountain so the Israelites would not be harmed by the presence of God. However, Moses clearly demonstrated that it did not have to be that way. When Jesus comes, He will make a lot of noise and His presence will scare people so badly that they will run and hide begging the mountains to fall on them. Revelation 6:15-17 It does not have to be this way. Your decision today will determine your position with the Lamb of God at His coming. Will you run away or run to meet Him?

In the wilderness tabernacle there was a golden candlestick with seven lamps. One of these lamps had to be burning at all times. As a child, it was Samuel's job to keep oil in these lamps so they would light up the holy place. Israel clearly recognized her role as the light of the world. This menorah symbolized her responsibility. In the first chapter of Revelation we saw Jesus walking in the midst of the seven candlesticks indicating that now the church is the menorah to the world. Matthew 5:14-16 However, our light will go out unless we keep our vessels full of oil. These seven lamps are the seven spirits of God or the Holy Spirit. As long as these old clay vessels that make up our bodies are full of oil, the light of the Holy Spirit will never go out and will draw men to Jesus. Jesus said that He was the light of the world. John 8:12 He is our example. We can be light only as long as we follow the light. He brought light into the dark place and we are also to be a light in the darkness. Never has the world been so dark as it will be during the time of the end. The Holy Spirit will anoint believers in the same way those in the upper room received the Spirit on Pentecost. Without this power, the darkness will devour the light. Our God will prepare us to receive the spirit so that we will be like the bush Moses saw, ever burning but not consumed.

The sea of glass that is before His throne represents the laver. The laver was for the priest to wash himself before entering the Holy Place to participate in his priestly duties. The laver on earth is in the outer courtyard, in front of the door into the holy place (heavenly place). This sea is where He will cast our sins and remember them no more if we have washed ourselves in the righteous blood of Christ. The outer court represents this world. You must be washed while in this world to enter into the world to come.

Christ wanted to wash Peter's feet, but Peter was embarrassed to allow that. When Christ told him he must wash his feet or Peter would not be clean, Peter said to wash all of him then. John 13:1-9 If we have been washed, we should want to help others that desire to be clean by bringing them to the One that can wash them. This is the reason Jesus said that we are to wash each other's feet. John 13:12-17

The saints of the last days will stand on this sea of glass during the time of great tribulation. They do not sink because their sins are at the bottom of the sea and no longer have the power to hold them down. The bottom of the laver represents the depths of the sea where God will cast the sins of the saints never to be remembered or recalled again. Micah 7:19; Isaiah 43:25 While the rest of the world is trying to find a place to hide during the plagues, the saints will walk on water until the waters are parted and they cross over dry shod as they, like Enoch, walk right into Heaven!

In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:

“‘Holy, holy, holy

is the Lord God Almighty,’

who was, and is, and is to come.”

Revelation 4:7-8

Who are these living creatures? The first clue is that a creature is by definition living, but these creatures are living, living. Another thing that captures my attention is that the living creatures are in front of the throne, but they are also in the midst of the throne. Who would be in the midst of God's throne? God's throne is the most exclusive place in the universe since it is exclusively God's throne. These creatures represent the Holy Spirit to us. It is common for God to use various creatures to represent something about His character. For example, a lamb is used to demonstrate the sacrifice offered by the Son of God. Another example is the lion which is used to demonstrate the regal power and majesty Christ will display when He comes. The living creatures John saw have very unique features that again demonstrate certain aspects of God such as his omnipotence (sitting in the midst of the throne), omnipresence (wings) and omniscience (all seeing eyes day and night).

Ezekiel also saw the throne of God. Ezekiel 1 We will compare his vision of the living creatures to that of John.

• same faces; man, lion, ox and eagle
• they have wings
• The Spirit goes wherever they go
• they travel in any direction without turning with gyroscope like wheels
• they are full of eyes
• they speak with the voice of the Almighty

The living creatures witnessed by Ezekiel and John represent the Holy Spirit that is before God's throne day and night waiting to be sent to the earth to do the will of the Father and Son. Luke 11:13; John 3:34; 14:16, 26: 15:26; 16:7; 1 John 4:13 It is the work of the Holy Spirit to reveal the saving grace of the Son to each of us. That is why the four faces represent the work of the Son. The man because Jesus is the Son of Man. The lion because He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. The ox because he disires to carry our burdens. If we will yoke up with Him, the burden will be light. The eagle because He bore Israel on eagle's wings as she traveled in the wilderness and He will do the same for the church. Exodus 19:1-4; Revelation 12:13-14

It is the work of the Holy Spirit to proclaim to all that have ears to hear that God is the Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty. Who could be better to proclaim this message than the Great Persuader? The Holy Spirit not only speaks to us, but He also speaks through us. We join Him in declaring to the inhabitants of this planet that the God of the Universe always was, still is and will come. All will see Him with their own eyes. The Holy Spirit moves Heaven and earth to do the will of the Father. As we speak in the presence of Heavenly beings, the Spirit of God transforms our language that is trite and embarassing in the throne room of God and speaks through us giving our final speech an eloquence that all of Heaven can appreciate. Only the love of God would do such a thing on our behalf.

9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.”

Revelation 4:9-11

Finally, the twenty four elders also follow the lead of the Holy Spirit as he demonstrates proper protocol within the presence of Heaven's royal family. They all fall down before the one who sits on the throne and they worship Him. They have been given crowns to identify them as joint heirs with Christ, but they take these crowns of life and cast them before the source of all life and declare Him worthy because He is the Creator.

We have now established that we are in Heaven's Most Holy Place, the throne room of God Almighty. There is a grand assembly and something profound is about to take place. We are about to discover that God, in the form of a lamb, offered Himself as a living sacrifice so the He could Himself become a priest to us. He alone understands our trials because He took upon Himself our nature.

Dominion was given to Adam and Eve in the garden and was lost to an usurper named Lucifer. However, God was born unto the woman making Him a son of Adam and heir to the lost kingdom because he never bowed down to Ha Satan and his reign of sin. Therefore, Christ is worthy as both king and priest. As King of Kings from the royal tribe of Judah He is entitled to come and reclaim dominion. As the acceptable sacrifice of the Great High Priest He is also worthy to redeem His kinsmen. Stay tuned, the excitement will only increase as more is revealed about Jesus through the mysteries of Almighty God. We will discover the graciousness of the Father and the courage of the Son as we learn more. . .