Revelation 4:1-11

The Glory of God

The Church has been encouraged in the midst of her tribulation and temptation by the vision of the presence and support of Christ. Now (Revelation 4:5) a further series of visions begins, in which are shown, under figures, the forces by which the life of the Church is affected, or, in other words, those who are for her and those who are against her. She is shown God and the Lamb, and she is shown the devil, the beast, the false prophet, and the apostate city. Then she is shown the victory of Christ, and the eternal defeat of the powers of evil.

In Revelation 4, for the comfort of the Church, the greatness and majesty of God the Father is shown in language adapted from Isaiah 6 and Ezekiel 1:10. He is portrayed, on His heavenly throne, sitting 'above the water floods,' surrounded by beings representative of the angelic creation and of the Church. These beings ceaselessly watch Him to do His will, and worship Him as Creator.

We are not to understand the imagery as literally descriptive of heaven, but as pictorial symbols of spiritual things: see on Revelation 5:5.