The fourth chapter of Revelation portrays an awesome scene. In this passage we get our first glimpse of heaven’s glorious landscape and beauty. Even though we know in our hearts that heaven is real, to have it described is breathtaking: “I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it! The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones- jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow” (vv. 2-3).
Rainbow colors of precious jewels were all around the throne of God. Before the throne were the twenty-four elders, the seven lamps of the Spirit of God, and the sea of glass. Four awesome creatures surrounded the throne, and day and night, they cry, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty-the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come” (v. 8).
The earthly ark of the covenant was just a little gold-plated box that symbolized this awesome throne. David’s heart’s desire was to build a place for that ark in Zion, for God had said, “This is my home where I will live forever. . . . I will live here, for this is the place I desired” (Psalm 132:14).
Make spending time in God’s presence the greatest desire of your life. One day your eyes will see Him face-to-face upon the throne of His glory.
Obadiah
Obadiah’s Vision
1 The vision of Obadiah.
This is what the Sovereign LORD says about Edom—
We have heard a message from the LORD:
An envoy was sent to the nations to say,
“Rise, let us go against her for battle”—
2“See, I will make you small among the nations;
you will be utterly despised.
3The pride of your heart has deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rocks
and make your home on the heights,
you who say to yourself,
‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’
4Though you soar like the eagle
and make your nest among the stars,
from there I will bring you down,”
declares the LORD.
5“If thieves came to you,
if robbers in the night—
oh, what a disaster awaits you!—
would they not steal only as much as they wanted?
If grape pickers came to you,
would they not leave a few grapes?
6But how Esau will be ransacked,
his hidden treasures pillaged!
7All your allies will force you to the border;
your friends will deceive and overpower you;
those who eat your bread will set a trap for you,
but you will not detect it.
8“In that day,” declares the LORD,
“will I not destroy the wise men of Edom,
those of understanding in the mountains of Esau?
9Your warriors, Teman, will be terrified,
and everyone in Esau’s mountains
will be cut down in the slaughter.
10Because of the violence against your brother Jacob,
you will be covered with shame;
you will be destroyed forever.
11On the day you stood aloof
while strangers carried off his wealth
and foreigners entered his gates
and cast lots for Jerusalem,
you were like one of them.
12You should not gloat over your brother
in the day of his misfortune,
nor rejoice over the people of Judah
in the day of their destruction,
nor boast so much
in the day of their trouble.
13You should not march through the gates of my people
in the day of their disaster,
nor gloat over them in their calamity
in the day of their disaster,
nor seize their wealth
in the day of their disaster.
14You should not wait at the crossroads
to cut down their fugitives,
nor hand over their survivors
in the day of their trouble.
15“The day of the LORD is near
for all nations.
As you have done, it will be done to you;
your deeds will return upon your own head.
16Just as you drank on my holy hill,
so all the nations will drink continually;
they will drink and drink
and be as if they had never been.
17But on Mount Zion will be deliverance;
it will be holy,
and Jacob will possess his inheritance.
18Jacob will be a fire
and Joseph a flame;
Esau will be stubble,
and they will set him on fire and destroy him.
There will be no survivors
from Esau.”
The LORD has spoken.
19People from the Negev will occupy
the mountains of Esau,
and people from the foothills will possess
the land of the Philistines.
They will occupy the fields of Ephraim and Samaria,
and Benjamin will possess Gilead.
20This company of Israelite exiles who are in Canaan
will possess the land as far as Zarephath;
the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad
will possess the towns of the Negev.
21Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion
to govern the mountains of Esau.
And the kingdom will be the LORD’s.
Revelation 4
The Throne in Heaven
4 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.”2At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.3And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.4Surrounding 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.5From 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.6Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.7The 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.8Each 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.”
9Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever,10the 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.”
Psalm 132
Psalm 132
132 LORD, remember David
and all his self-denial.
2He swore an oath to the LORD,
he made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
3“I will not enter my house
or go to my bed,
4I will allow no sleep to my eyes
or slumber to my eyelids,
5till I find a place for the LORD,
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6We heard it in Ephrathah,
we came upon it in the fields of Jaar:
7“Let us go to his dwelling place,
let us worship at his footstool, saying,
8‘Arise, LORD, and come to your resting place,
you and the ark of your might.
9May your priests be clothed with your righteousness;
may your faithful people sing for joy.’”
10For the sake of your servant David,
do not reject your anointed one.
11The LORD swore an oath to David,
a sure oath he will not revoke:
“One of your own descendants
I will place on your throne.
12If your sons keep my covenant
and the statutes I teach them,
then their sons will sit
on your throne for ever and ever.”
13For the LORD has chosen Zion,
he has desired it for his dwelling, saying,
14“This is my resting place for ever and ever;
here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it.
15I will bless her with abundant provisions;
her poor I will satisfy with food.
16I will clothe her priests with salvation,
and her faithful people will ever sing for joy.
17“Here I will make a horn grow for David
and set up a lamp for my anointed one.
18I will clothe his enemies with shame,
but his head will be adorned with a radiant crown.”
Proverbs 29:24-25
they are put under oath and dare not testify.
25Fear of man will prove to be a snare,
but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.
