When we read the Bible, as we turn a page, we take a peak into a particular time in the past. If we were to look at Genesis to Revelations as a Scroll, we could look at Adam, Joseph, Nebuchadnezzar and Paul at the same time. But the above individuals could never see the others from where they stand. Isn’t “Time” like a scroll? We who are inside time, can see what happens around us at this particular space of time, but we could never look at 1000 years in the past or the future.
So as we read this Scroll, are we not like God – who reigns above and beyond time? Isn’t it an appropriate allegorical example? For God the “Timeline” we live in would look like a Scroll, where He sees everything at once, while those who are written inside the scroll would be living in their appropriate spaces. There is a beginning and end to the Scroll, but no such beginning or end to where God resides. Time does not exist in eternity, does it?
Isa 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
More on this later. Let’s jump into the topic at hand.
A Heavenly Encounter
As we step into the 4th Chapter of Revelations, we see a door opened and an invitation made by Yeshua, for John to step outside the Scroll of Time in the Spirit.
Rev 4:1,2 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
There was a Singular Throne with a person who had a likeness of Brilliance similar to what was witnessed at Mount Sinai in Exo 24:10. This same Brilliance is also seen in The Heavenly Jerusalem City mentioned in Isaiah 54 and Revelation 21.
Rev 4:3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
The Rainbow which signifies God’s Covenant to all creation was also seen in a similar vision by the Prophet Ezekiel.
Eze 1:26-28 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.
The 24 Elders and 4 Beasts in God’s Presence
Rev 4:4-6 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
Who do these 24 Elders and 4 Beasts signify? Are these Heavenly beings? Let us see what John reveals of the same figures elsewhere.
Rev 5:8-10 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
An important point to note above is that these 24 Elders and 4 Beasts Sing about themselves being redeemed from all tongues, peoples and nations by the Blood of The Lamb. Which signals to us that they Represent His Chosen People and not any heavenly beings.
The Four Beasts in particular were seen by Ezekiel in much more detail as we see below:
Eze 1:4-12 And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire. Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four “living creatures“(Hebrew חיות Chayot). And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass. And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings. Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward. As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle. Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies. And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.
Meaning of Living Creatures
While the Hebrew word חיות Chayot which means “Lively” is translated Living Creatures, it is also used for a “Congregation” or an “Army/Troop” as seen below.
Psa 68:10 Thy congregation(Hebrew חיות Chayot) hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.
Psa 74:19 O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation(Hebrew חיות Chayot) of thy poor for ever.
2Sa 23:11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop(Hebrew חיות Chayot), where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines.
2Sa 23:13 And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop(Hebrew חיות Chayot) of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim.
Who are these Living Creatures with the Four Faces
If we look at the Four Living Creatures as Four Congregations and Four Troops encircling God, we see a similar sight in the Wilderness where four groups of Troops camped around the Throne/Ark of God.
Num 1:52 And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, throughout their hosts.
Num 2:3 And on the east side toward the rising of the sun shall they of the standard of the camp of Judah pitch throughout their armies: and Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall be captain of the children of Judah.
Num 2:5 And those that do pitch next unto him shall be the tribe of Issachar: and Nethaneel the son of Zuar shall be captain of the children of Issachar.
Num 2:7 Then the tribe of Zebulun: and Eliab the son of Helon shall be captain of the children of Zebulun.
Num 2:10 On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their armies: and the captain of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur.
Num 2:12 And those which pitch by him shall be the tribe of Simeon: and the captain of the children of Simeon shall be Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.
Num 2:14 Then the tribe of Gad: and the captain of the sons of Gad shall be Eliasaph the son of Reuel.
Num 2:18 On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their armies: and the captain of the sons of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of Ammihud.
Num 2:20 And by him shall be the tribe of Manasseh: and the captain of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
Num 2:22 Then the tribe of Benjamin: and the captain of the sons of Benjamin shall be Abidan the son of Gideoni.
Num 2:25 The standard of the camp of Dan shall be on the north side by their armies: and the captain of the children of Dan shall be Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
Num 2:27 And those that encamp by him shall be the tribe of Asher: and the captain of the children of Asher shall be Pagiel the son of Ocran.
Num 2:29 Then the tribe of Naphtali: and the captain of the children of Naphtali shall be Ahira the son of Enan.
We see 4 Sides to the whole Camp of God. The four sides have Judah’s Standard on the East (Num 10:14), Reuben to the South (Num 10:18), Ephraim to the West (Num 10:22) and Dan to the North (Num 10:25). This is how God Camps with His People as He promised.
Lev 26:11,12 And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.
Additionally, as per Ezekiel 1:10, The Face of a Lion was on the Right and the Face of an Ox on the Left, which could Signify the connection of Judah to the Standard of the Lion and Ephraim to the Standard of the Ox.
Gen 49:9 Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?
Deu 33:17 His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns(Wild Ox): with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.
The Four Camps and The Four Beasts – The Cherubs and Chariot of God
Looking at the above evidence, we could safely suggest that the Four Beasts/Living Creatures/Congregations/Troops seen around the throne of God is the Camp of God containing His Holy people. This whole Camp of chosen people are God’s Chariot on which He rides upon. The same Chariot mentioned with the Four Living Creatures in the 1st chapter of Ezekiel, appears again in chapter 10 – this time as “Cherubs”, which means The Living Creatures are called “Cherubs”(meaning “to come close” in Hebrew).
Eze 10:1-4 Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne. And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight.
Now the cherubims stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.
Eze 10:8-12 And there appeared in the cherubims the form of a man’s hand under their wings. And when I looked, behold the four wheels by the cherubims, one wheel by one cherub, and another wheel by another cherub: and the appearance of the wheels was as the colour of a beryl stone. And as for their appearances, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel. When they went, they went upon their four sides; they turned not as they went, but to the place whither the head looked they followed it; they turned not as they went. And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had.
Eze 10:14-15 And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. And the cherubims were lifted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar.
Eze 10:20-22 This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubims. Every one had four faces apiece, and every one four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings. And the likeness of their faces was the same faces which I saw by the river of Chebar, their appearances and themselves: they went every one straight forward.
God’s Ark is the Throne of God, with the Mercy Seat on top, where God was enthroned while the whole Camp moved through the Wilderness of Sinai to the Promised Land. This Chariot had the likeness of human hands and eyes all around as if the Whole Chariot was made up of a “Congregation of People”. This was what later came to be signified by the Cherubims in Solomon’s Temple.
1Ch 28:18 And for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubims, that spread out their wings, and covered the ark of the covenant of the LORD.
The Chariot that praises and worships the One who rides it
The Four Living Creatures are said to Praise God along with the Elders who would be signifying the Leaders of the Camp.
Rev 4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
Rev 5:8-11 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
Rev 7:11-12 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
Rev 19:4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
After all, His people were formed to praise Him.
Isa 43:21 This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.
The people who are outside the Scroll praising God in His Presence
As we discussed in the beginning of this post, God dwells in the realm with no time called eternity. The Story from Adam to our day and forward, unravels like a Scroll where the characters in the Scroll can see only that point in time, while the people reading the scroll from outside could see the whole scroll/story at the same time. As John is invited into this realm in the Spirit, he sees the Chariot of God with Him enthroned surrounded by the four Living Creatures and the twenty four Elders who turn out to be those who are bought by the Blood of Yeshua.
So, would not that multitude surrounding Him contain you and me as well? If we were chosen before the foundation of the world, before The Scroll of Time started to unravel, is it not plausible to say that we are on our knees praising Him this very minute?
Eph 1:4-6 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Praise Him now because You are praising Him in Eternity
All those who surround God’s Throne in eternity, know the immense value of God’s Grace shown to each individual through our Savior Messiah Yeshua! They see the Scroll of time playing right in front of them, as they worship God in reverence for the Gift that each of us have received. May He come quickly, so that we may surround Him in Praise and Worship as His Heavenly Chariot!
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