When studying prophecy it is important to study the details of what is said. It is also important to compare Scriptures with Scriptures, because the Holy Spirit will never teach what clashes with other Scriptures. The Scriptures work in a complimentary manner, the one shedding light upon the other. In this way, the details of Scripture can keep us from misunderstanding what God wants us to know.

In addition, it is of utmost importance to be absolutely certain in our heart and mind, that the Bible, the Word of God, is true, and utterly reliable. What God has said about any subject, THAT IS "THE WAY IT IS," or the way it shall be, as the case may be. The Book of The Revelation Of Jesus Christ IS the infallible Scripture. God placed special emphasis upon this Book. He put it in the category of infallible Scripture, not only by inspiring the Words, but in giving John an interactive part IN it. It is a very lofty prophecy because it is especially the Revelation of Jesus Christ. It seems dramatic to us because details of End of the Age Events are laid bare before us. Hidden purposes of God are made known, and triumph of Christ over the run of Creation is revealed

The word "Revelation" in Greek language is the word "Apokalupsis". It means not just that which is seen, i.e., as a vision, but the very unveiling of the subject, so that the mystery of it is taken away. What is hidden becomes apparent and is available for the interpretation of it. Incidentally, there are some things in the Book that we shall not be able to interpret until they occur. Such as the Seven Thunders in chapter 10:3-4.

       In verse 2 John described a rainbow which he saw round about God's Throne. Observe that in Genesis 9:8-17, God placed a rainbow in the clouds of the earth. It is a token of God's promise not to flood the entire earth with a flood any more. In Revelation 4:2, John saw a rainbow which was green. It was not in the clouds of the earth, it was around the Throne of God in heaven. That rainbow seems to be an eternal token of God's Covenant which He made with Christ: a Covenant of Redemption and of Eternal Life. Thank God, we can be glad that He keeps His promises.

Let's compare this vision of God's Throne with some others in the Scripture and note the difference. E.g., in Revelation 6:16, a great earthquake has occurred, and all the people on the earth cry out, and hide in the dens and rocks of the mountains. They beg the rocks to fall on them and hide them from the face of His that sits on the Throne. That is a different panorama than what John saw in chapter 4:2. In chapter 4:2 God is at rest; He is in a favorable mood.

In chapter 6, God is in the 'judgment mode.' Again, chapter 20:11 describes The Great White Throne, and Him that sat on it, from Whose Face the heaven and the earth fled away. But in chapter 4:2, the earth and heaven didn't flee away. See the difference? It's the same One, and the same Throne. But to express it as best as I can, God's disposition is different in the two cases.

Revelation 4:2 seems to show God inclined to mercy, before His judgments in the Revelation of Jesus Christ begins. In Revelation 6 and 20 He's disposed to judgment. In chapter 6 the people on the earth mourn because they are exposed to His wrath. But in Revelation 4:2 the scene is one of peace.

Someone has said that the "Sea of Glass" is in verse 6, symbolizes calmness. Have you ever seen a lake so calm that the surface looked like glass? Well, the Sea that John saw before God's Throne was clear, and it was calm. Others have said it was a paved area. It seems inappropriate to think of it as a sea of literal water. In any case, we'll see this same Sea gain in chapter 15.

John then saw 24 seats around the Throne of God, and 24 Elders seated upon them. He does not name the, or describe their persons, but takes notice of their clothing. He notes that lightenings, thunderings, and voices proceed out of God's Throne. Then his attention focuses upon the seven lamps of fire burning before God's Throne and says that they are the Seven Spirits of God. Since Ephesians 4:4 says that there is one Spirit (of God) we may perceive that the Seven Lamps of fire before God's Throne represent the One Holy Spirit of God in His completeness.

Note the details in Revelation 4:4: Twenty four seats around the Throne: 24 Elders sitting upon them: all of them wear white raiment, and all of them wear golden crowns. Let us examine these details. For instance, no other pre-Rapture vision ANY WHERE IN THE SCRIPTURE, ever shows crowned Elders sitting before the Throne of God in heaven.

When the Prophet Isaiah saw his vision of God's Throne, he said nothing of any Elders sitting before the Throne. Therefore, Revelation 4:4 is a special notation that God WANTS us to know! Something unique has happened in Revelation 4:1-4.

For contrast, read 1 Kings 22:19. The Prophet Miciah saw all the host of heaven STANDING on God's right hand and on His left. Notice that they were STANDING, not sitting. None of the heavenly host were identified as Elders, and no mention was made of any seats or golden crowns. Yet, that was a heavenly court scene. They were determining the fate of Ahab, the wicked king of Israel. Miciah, the prophet, was on the earth, but in a vision he looked upon that heavenly scene.

In Revelation 4:4 the fact that the 24 Elders are seated, not standing, means that they have experienced the Rapture. (We will shortly indicate why we believe that). They are redeemed men, and they have already been to the Judgment Seat of Christ. Their position and their golden crown also means that they have received their reward from the Lord. They have overcome things on earth, and they have received the crowns that Jesus promised.

They 'paid the price' and were rewarded accordingly. They are the Elders and everyone is going to respect them when we get to heaven. They shall have such majesty that everyone will have to! Above and beyond them is God the Father, Who is the Eternal, all glorious One. To Him be all glory and praise.

Now this is why we believe the Elders have experienced the Rapture. No one who has died and gone to heaven thus far, before the Rapture, has received their reward. (We can know that because 2 Timothy 4:1 says that rewards are to be given at His (Christ's) appearing which doesn't happen until the event which Apostle Paul described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17.) Believers who have died in Christ ARE in heaven now, but they have not been rewarded as yet, and they do not have glorified, physical bodies as yet.

When the Lord Jesus comes in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) believers who meet Him there will receive a glorified body. They will be caught up to heaven, and face the Judgment Seat Of Christ. He will execute judgment for us, not for eternal life or eternal damnation, but for rewards. Afterwards, He shall present us without spot or blemish to before God.

Details indicate that the Elders in Revelation 4:4 have experienced all of the events noted above. They have their rewards. If so, that means that the Rapture has occurred prior to chapter 4:4! There is no other place after chapter 4 that indicates the event that Paul described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17. It didn't happen in Revelation chapters 1-3, and it is mentioned in none of the other resurrections noted in the Revelation after chapter 4. In addition, Revelation 6:12 indicates that there are no believers on earth when Jesus opens the sixth seal! Then the Rapture MUST have happened at Revelation 4:1! Otherwise, God surely would not have omitted from the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ the major premise that He inspired Paul to write about.

No pre-Rapture vision shows glorified men taking part in and executing divine judgment, being themselves in heaven. The Elders carry on their function in heaven. Also, no pre-Rapture vision of heaven ever shows mortal men in heaven administering the prayers of the saints. But note that these Elders do so in chapter 5:8! Therefore, they MUST represent the saints. Also, in chapter 5:9 THEY say that they are REDEEMED, therefore, they MUST BE redeemed men.

After considering all of these details, I conclude that Revelation 4:1 is the written form of the Rapture of the Church. Observe that nothing is said about the Church (the Body of Christ) from Revelation 3:22 until chapter 19. Groups of saints are noted, but not the corporate Body of Christ, and none of those groups are EVER called a Church.

Certainly, these details are in the Book of The Revelation Of Jesus Christ because God wants us to know about them. In John's day on earth, they had not occurred yet, but IN THE SPIRIT he SAW them, and participated in some of them. The Apokalupsis is a prophecy in which John was foretold about events future to his day. Yet he was so much a part of them that he interacted within them.

In Revelation 4:6 John told of four Living Creatures. They are very closely associated with the Throne of God. The Greek text calls them Living Creatures, whereas the King James Version calls them beasts. They have eyes before and behind, which seems to indicate capacity for observation and intelligence. They unceasingly cry day and night, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty. When they do that, the 24 Elders fall down and worship before God. John said that the first Living Creature was like a lion. The second was like a calf, the third had a face as a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle. Perhaps their likenesses have to do with their function. Apparently they are the same Seraphims described in Isaiah 6:1-2, though there are some differences in their attitude between the time that Isaiah saw them Isaiah 6:2, and when John saw them in Revelation 4:7.

In Isaiah's vision of them, Isaiah 6:2, he said that they each had six wings. With two wings they covered their face, with two they covered their feet, and with two they did fly. I know of no other record in the Scripture where any angelic beings have six wings, except these which both Isaiah and John saw. Only John did not attach an angelic name to any of them as Isaiah did. Viz., Seraphims. Notice also in Revelation 4:6-8, they do not cover their feet or their faces with their wings. Perhaps that is because redemption has occurred through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross of Calvary, since Isaiah saw them.

Revelation 4:9-11. When we worship God, we are correct to acknowledge His acts of creation. Worshipping saints do not flatter God. By virtue of creation He is worthy of honor. Of course, He is worthy for other reasons. The evil attitude of those who worship the creation rather than the Creator, is a high offense to God, because they deny Him the honor that is due Him.

People today dishonor God when they say that the universe evolved. That is a willful rejection of God, and they fall into the snare that people of old fell into. God DID create everything, heaven, earth, and the seas, including everything in them, except sin. The Living Creatures know that and they worship God and honor Him as the Creator, the Almighty.

John talked a little about the throne of God. Even so, we probably do not clearly grasp its glory and the wonder of its appearance. That is the very sovereign seat of Divine Authority, whence emanates all power in the universe. We are likely to think of the Throne as being an ornate chair, a special seat for one who has sovereign dominion. Surely, the Throne of God is greater than our conception of it.