4 After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me (A)like a trumpet, said, (B)“Come up here, and (C)I will show you what must take place after this.”2 At once (D)I was in the Spirit, and behold, (E)a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 3 And he who sat there had the appearance of (F)jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was (G)a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.
The believer glories in the sovereignty of God, because he knows that God’s sovereignty is on his side. It means that no good purpose of God relating to the believer will ever be left undone.
4 Around the throne were (H)twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, (I)clothed in white garments, with (J)golden crowns on their heads. 5 From the throne came (K)flashes of lightning, and rumblings[a] and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning (L)seven torches of fire, (M)which are the seven spirits of God,6 and before the throne there was (N)as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.
And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are (O)four living creatures, (P)full of eyes in front and behind: 7 (Q)the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight.
These beings of great intelligence and understanding live their existence to worship God. All failure to truly worship is rooted in a lack of seeing and understanding.
8 And the four living creatures, (R)each of them with six wings, are (S)full of eyes all around and within, and (T)day and night they never cease to say,
(U)“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
(V)who was and is and is to come!”
9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, (W)who lives forever and ever,10 the twenty-four elders (X)fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast (Y)their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 (Z)“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for (AA)you created all things,
and (AB)by your will they existed and were created.”
Our text says they all cast their crowns before the throne. There are no divided opinions in heaven, no sects and parties, no schisms there. They are all in perfect harmony and sweet accord. What one does, all do. They cast their crowns, without exception, before the throne. Let us begin to practice that unanimity here. As fellow Christians, let us get rid of everything that would divide us from each other, or separate us from our Lord. I do not read that there was a single elder who envied his brother’s crown, and said, ‘Ah, I wish I were such an one as he is, and had his crown.’ I do not read that one of them began to find fault with his brother’s crown, and said, ‘Ah, his jewels may be bright, but mine have a peculiar tint in them, and are of greater excellence.’ I do not read ought of dissension; they were all unanimous in casting their crowns at Jesus’ feet. They were all unanimous in glorifying God.” (Spurgeon)
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