The Lord invited John to visit heaven. John entered through an open door to the throne room of God. It was opened by the Lord when He died on the cross. He made it possible for any believer to approach the throne of grace in times of need. God who is sitting on the throne shines with diamond-like transparency signifying perfection. He also possesses sardine-red splendour. It signifies royalty. There is also an emerald-green rainbow round about the throne signifying Life. It reminds of a covenant relationship He has with mankind. (It is not the now-perverted rainbow of flowing colours VIBGYOR!)

There are twenty-four thrones around God’s throne. Twenty-four elders sit on them.

Twelve of these elders represent the twelve tribes of Israel. They are the believing seed of Abraham. The believing line began from Seth and continued till Noah until the global flood. Then, God chose Abraham because of His faith in His word. The believing line continued through Isaac, Jacob and his tribes. These twelve elders are the twelve pearly (hidden but seasoned to shine) gates of New Jerusalem. These gates represent the believers of the Old Testament. They paved way for the believers, Jew and gentile, to enter the New Testament Church. Salvation is of the Jews!

Twelve other elders also signify the twelve Sent ones (Apostles). The doctrine of Christ they taught formed the foundation of New Jerusalem. There is no need for more Apostles today as the Apostles’ doctrine is completely revealed in the inspired Scriptures contained in the New Testament. The predominant theme running through the Scriptures is Christ. Believers stand firm on the basis of the faith in these Scriptures. No temptation would overcome them. These twelve elders represent the Church that the Lord is building now.

God clothes His believers with holiness. Their Lord Himself is their righteousness and sanctification and they have put Him on. The Lord has made them kings. He has made them sit with Him to rule and reign with Him now.

The presence of God is awe instilling. His Spirit is before the throne. The sea of glass before the throne shines like a crystal. The people who gather around the throne of God display the nature of God. They are also transparent and pure – His nature permeating through them.

There are also four living creatures around the throne and in the middle of it. The first looks like a lion, the second like a calf, the third has the face of a man and the fourth is like a flying eagle. All the four can see everything round about them even without turning around.

(1) The four living creatures reflect the nature of the Lord Jesus.

• The lion signifies that He is the King, the Lion of the tribe of Judah that triumphed over all His enemies. Mathew depicts Christ as King.
• The bull signifies that He is the suffering servant. He poured out His life to finish the purpose of God on earth. Mark takes this line.
• The face of a man signifies that despite being God, the Lord took on flesh to die for mankind. He is the Son of man Who only can forgive sins. Luke portrays Jesus as a perfect man.
• The flying eagle signifies that Jesus is God. He is the majestic image of the invisible God. He is the eternal Christ. John presents Him as the prefect God.

Jesus is all-knowing. He stands in a strategic position from where He can see the past as well as the future. And He is in the midst of the throne of God. He is also around it along with His redeemed ones.

(2) The four living creatures also resemble the Seraphim.

Seraphim are spirit beings that had a special purpose in the plan of God. The prophet Isaiah saw them in his vision. Even they had six wings about them. They cover their faces with two of these wings. They use two more to cover their feet and the two others to move around. Their assignment is to proclaim without ceasing the holiness of God. They are also agents whom God used to sanctify His men for His service.

Now, the Lord Jesus has already completed these functions – proclamation and sanctification. He has revealed Who God is. He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. He is the Seed of the woman that has crushed the devil under His feet. And, He has sat down in His throne, waiting for His saints to emulate His victory.

(3) The four living creatures are also called as beasts. They reflect the nature of the Chosen ones.
Beasts signify nations, people or kingdoms. These are people called out of the world to be God's people. God calls them to grow to the stature of Christ, their perfect prototype. When these believers behold Jesus at His coming, they will be like Him. So, they are kings unto God too. They are servants of the Living God too. They are human too. But they are also children of God who soar up to Him as eagles. They would be gods (note the ‘g’) according to Psalm eighty-two. They have been in God’s eternal purpose all along and will continue to be with Him.

The four living creatures continue to proclaim the holiness of Jesus Christ. They say incessantly, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty Who was and is and is to come". (He is not just a thrice holy God as some would like to say - He is altogether holy). They keep giving Him glory, honour and thanks. They keep acknowledging that Jesus, the Lord God lives for ever and ever.

When the living creatures worship Him, the believers also worship Him. They humble themselves before their Lord and bow down to Him. They acknowledge that all the worth they have is because the Lord gave it to them in His grace. They also worship Him rendering to Him glory, honour and power. They say He is the Creator of everything. He created all things for His pleasure. The destruction that man has caused saddens Him. So, He creates again a new creation. He still creates.