Have you ever wanted to know what Heaven looked like? Those who are Christians will spend eternity there. It would be nice to know what it’s like. The book and movie, Heaven is for Real, tries to appease our curiosity. But beware the adage, ‘Curiosity killed the Cat.’ God has given us all He wants us to know about Heaven in the Bible. You can trust what He says.
In Revelation 4, the apostle John is given a vision of Heaven. He sees several things that help us understand what’s there.
Lightning and Thunder (v. 5).
Lightning and thunder always precede a storm. This shows us that the judgment to follow (the Tribulation in Revelation 6-19) comes from the Lord.
The Seven Lamps/Spirits (v. 5).
The last time John describes these ‘lamps’ he tells us they represent the churches (Rev. 1:20). They are on earth. Now the lamps are in Heaven. This may be an allusion that the churches will be in Heaven during the Tribulation. These lamps are also described as ‘seven spirits.’ These are not seven separate spirits, but the Holy Spirit described in Isaiah 11 of having seven attributes. When the church is removed from the Earth, the Holy Spirit will be removed.
The Sea of Glass (v. 6).
This would be compared to the ‘sea of brass’ in the Tabernacle and the ‘brazen laver’ in the Temple. These items were for the cleansing of the priests before they entered the Temple. Since it is as still as glass, it means that nothing has stirred it. There is no need for cleansing in Heaven since all its citizens have been cleansed for eternity. This sea went around the throne.
The Four Beasts (v. 6-9).
The word used for ‘beast’ is zoon in Greek. It is where we get the word zoo. It means animal. Many believe these beings are responsible for overseeing God’s creation: Lion (king of beasts), Cow (king of domestic animals), Man (greatest creature), Eagle (greatest bird).
These creatures are strange-looking. Some have viewed them as symbolic. However, it is possible (I believe this) they are actual creatures around the Throne of Heaven. If so, there will be animals in heaven.
These ‘cherubs’ are also mentioned in Ezekiel 1, Isaiah 6 and two were sculptured to sit on the Ark of the Covenant, the altar of Israel. Each had four faces (Ezekiel 1:5-11): lion, calf, man, eagle.
Their many faces explain why they were ‘full of eyes.’ Evidently, the man-like face was always directed toward the presence of God, judging from the two cherubim over the Ark of the Covenant (Ex. 20:17-22). From John’s sight, he only saw one face of each. They can go in any direction without turning (Ezekiel 1:12).
These four represent the four Gospels and their description of Jesus:
- Matthew = Lion – the King of the Jews
- Mark = Ox = the Servant of God
- Luke = Man, the Son of Man
- John = Eagle – the Son of God.
These creatures continuously praise God for His holiness and never get tired or bored. The three-fold ‘Holly’ describes not only he eternity of God (past, present, future), but also the trinity of God (Father, Son & Holy Spirit).
There are only five cherubs mentioned in the entire Bible. Four are mentioned here around the throne. Ezekiel 28:13-16 tells us what happened to the fifth cherub. It was Lucifer, Satan. He is not a fallen angel, but is a cherub who transformed himself into an angel of light. He was the cherub who covered the throne.
Two practical lessons to learn from this vision of Heaven:
1. Never tire of true worship of God. He is worthy of all our worship.
2. Be careful that your ‘worship’ does not lead to pride (as it did to Satan). True worship always brings the worshiper into greater sense of humility.