REV 4:1 After this I looked and saw a DOOR having been opened in the Heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “COME UP HERE AND I’LL SHOW YOU WHAT'S GOING TO TAKE PLACE AFTER ALL THIS.”
2And immediately I came to be 'in Spirit' and saw a Throne set in the Heaven, and One sat on the Throne.
EZEKIEL MAKES A SIMILAR CLAIM OF BEING 'IN SPIRIT' WHEN HE'S SHOWN THE NEW YERUSHALIM AND IN THIS VISION JOHN IS TRANSPORTED 'IN SPIRIT' THROUGH A COSMIC PORTAL DOORWAY INTO HEAVEN AND IMMEDIATELY SEES A THRONE AND 'THE ONE' WHO'S SITTING ON IT, WHICH IS AN OBVIOUS ALLUSION TO DANIEL'S VISION:
DAN 7 "As I watched, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was white as snow, the hair on His head was like pure wool. His throne was fiery flames, with wheels of burning fire".
SO JOHN IS SEEING WHAT DANIEL WAS SEEING (THE SAME SETTING ANYWAY) AND 'THE ONE' (REFERRING TO THE `ANCIENT OF DAYS') IS YAHUAH THE ETERNAL CREATOR JUST LIKE DANIEL SAW.
3And He who sat there was like a JASPER and a RUBY stone in appearance. And there was a RAINBOW around the Throne, like an EMERALD in appearance.
JOHN IMPLIES THAT `THE ONE' (YAHUAH) IS ON THE THRONE, YET BY USING JASPER AND RUBY GEMSTONES, HE'S ALLUDING TO THE FIRST AND LAST SON OF JACOB (REUBEN & BENJAMIN'S STONES ON THE HIGH PRIEST'S BREASTPLATE) AND WHO REFERS TO HIMSELF AS THE ALEF/TAU (THE FIRST AND THE LAST) IN REV 1?
THEN JOHN SEES THE RAINBOW OF PROMISE WHICH REASSURES HIM OF YAHUAH'S MERCY IN THE MIDST OF JUDGMENT - BUT IT'S LIKE AN EMERALD, ALLUDING TO JUDAH'S ROYAL GEMSTONE, AND WHO WAS THE MOST FAMOUS PERSON TO EVER COME FROM THAT ROYAL TRIBE?
LIKEWISE, WE TOO `IN SPIRIT' CAN SEE THESE VISIONS ABSTRACTLY FOR WHAT THEY ARE AND KNOW THAT YAHUSHA IS YAHUAH, 'THE ANCIENT OF DAYS', ABOUT TO ENTER THE SCENE SHORTLY AS THE SLAIN LAMB, TO CLEANSE BOTH HEAVEN AND EARTH AND TAKE HIS RIGHTFUL PLACE ON THE THRONE OF HIS FATHER TO REIGN FOREVERMORE.
4And around the Throne were 24 THRONES, and on the Thrones I saw 24 ELDERS sitting, dressed in white robes. And they had crowns of gold on their heads.
AROUND THE THRONE WERE 24 THRONES !!!NOT SEATS!!! (AS SOME TRANSLATIONS SAY). AFTER SEEING THE THRONE AND THE ONE IN THE THRONE, JOHN NOW SEES THE 24 ELDERS SITTING IN THRONES AROUND THE MASTER-THRONE. THIS IS THE FIRST MENTION OF "THE ELDERS" IN REVELATION, BUT THEY WILL PLAY AN IMPORTANT PART IN THE WORKINGS OF YAHUSHA.
THE NUMBER 24 IS THE NUMBER OF PRIESTLY ORDER, SERVICE AND GOVERNMENT. SO WITHOUT A DOUBT JOHN'S MIND UNDERSTOOD THE ORDER OF 24 ASSOCIATED WITH THE TEMPLE ORDER OF SERVICE, EVEN IN HIS TIME. THE PRIESTS, LEVITES, SINGERS, PORTERS, CAPTAINS, PRINCES AND OFFICERS ALL ARRANGED IN THEIR COURSES ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER 24.
24 ACTUAL OR SYMBOLIC?
UNDER DAVID AND SOLOMON'S TEMPLE, YISHARAL KNEW THAT THERE WERE ALWAYS 24 ACTUAL LITERAL PRIESTS ON DUTY, SERVING AND REPRESENTING THEM -
NO MORE AND NO LESS.
BUT THESE 24 PRIESTS ALSO REPRESENTED THE 24,000's OF YISHARALITES AND ALSO THE 12 TRIBES OF YISHARAL BEFORE YAHUAH. SO THEY WERE AN ACTUAL LITERAL NUMBER, YET SYMBOLIC ALSO!
THE SAME IS TRUE OF THESE ELDERS HERE IN REVELATION. THEY ARE AN ACTUAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE, YET ALSO A SYMBOLIC NUMBER. THE SONG THEY SING SHOWS THAT THEY REPRESENT THE VAST MULTITUDES OF DELIVERED PEOPLE "FROM EVERY TONGUE, TRIBE AND NATION" BEFORE THE THRONE, IN HEAVENLY PRIESTLY SERVICE IN ALL ESTEEM.
WHO ARE THE 24 ELDERS?
WHO DO
THEY
REPRESENT ?
SO WE HAVE (New Blood-Covenant members only)
(1) 12 first followers who walked with Yahusha,
(2) 12 last-day followers who will be involved in the final purposes of Yahusha’s Bride and it's maturing (not the 12 sons of Jacob) … why come to this conclusion?
CAN YOU IMAGINE YAHUSHA GOING BACK TO SOME OLD TYPE OR SHADOW AND USING IT IN HIS NEW CITY, WHEN EVERYTHING FROM THE OLD BLOOD-COVENANT WAS LITERALLY TRANSFORMED AND INJECTED INTO THE NEW BLOOD-COVENANT THROUGH YAHUSHA’S PERFECT BLOOD? NO!! WITHOUT DISPUTING THEIR HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE IN THE STORY OF REDEMPTION, THE FIRST 12 ELDERS ARE NOT JACOB’S SONS.
I COULD UNDERSTAND IF YAHUAH WANTED NOAH, OR MOSES OR DAVID ON HIS DIVINE COUNCIL (EVEN ENOCH, ELIJAH, JOB OR DANIEL?) … BUT DEFINITELY NOT THE TWELVE SONS OF JACOB (MOST OF WHICH WERE DOWNRIGHT WICKED). THESE MEN SERVED THEIR PURPOSE IN FULFILLING YAHUAH'S PROMISES TO ABRAHAM, IN ESTABLISHING A ROYAL NATION TO SHADOW FORTH HIS DIVINE TRUTHS IN. OLD YISHARAL AFTER THE FLESH WAS DIVORCED AND NEW YISHARAL HAS BEEN STAMPED AND SEALED WITH ALL THE BLOOD-COVENANT RESPONSIBILITIES AND PROMISES THROUGH A NEW AND LIVING WAY - NEW BLOOD - NEW BEHAVIOUR ...
2. THE LAST 12 ELDERS stand at the close of the (old-earth) Assembly and at the opening of the (new-earth) Transformed New Bridal Assembly. The last Twelve are the completion of the Assembly, and are seen in Revelation, as the twelve stars on the head of the woman in Rev.12. They will a part of the Last Day Revolution for Behavioural Maturity under the outpouring of Yahusha’s Spirit at the close of this old earth, before Yahusha destroys everything with the sheer magnitude of His radiating perfect presence and makes all things NEW!
1. THE FIRST 12 ELDERS stand at the close of the Old Blood-Covenant and assist in the opening of the New Blood-Covenant Assembly. They are of the Old Blood-Covenant, yet also of the New Blood-Covenant. They had lived, as it were, at the overlapping of them both. They are distinctly and uniquely the "12 Disciples of the Lamb", for they were with Him in His Earthly walk and this makes them unique.
5bAnd 7 LAMPS of fire were burning before the Throne, which are the 7 SPIRITS of Yahuah.
7 LAMPS BURNING BEFORE THE THRONE ARE JUST LIKE THE 7 LAMPS BURNING ON THE GOLDEN LAMPSTAND IN THE TABERNACLE OF MOSES OR TEMPLE OF SOLOMON. LAMPS WERE VERY IMPORTANT IN SCRIPTURE TIMES AND HAD TO BE ALWAYS BURNING IN THE DARKNESS OF THE NIGHT. THE WORD OF YAHUAH IS A LAMP TO OUR FEET AND LIGHT TO OUR PATH. THE SET-APART SPIRIT OF YAHUSHA IS ALSO LIKENED TO A LAMP. SO THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT TOGETHER PRODUCE LIGHT.
7 SPIRITS OF YAHUAH
7 SPEAKS OF FULNESS, COMPLETENESS AND PERFECTION, SO "7 SPIRITS" MEANS THAT YAHUSHA'S SET-APART SPIRIT HAS COMPLETED HIS PERFECT WORK AND HIS "7 LAMPSTANDS" (ASSEMBLIES) ARE PERFECT, HAVING HAD ALL GIFTS, FAVOUR, FRUIT, TRAINING AND POWER GIVEN TO THEM.
6And before the Throne there was a GLASS SEA, like crystal (as if turning to ice). And in the midst of the Throne, and around the Throne, were four Living Creatures, covered with eyes in front and in back.
THE "SEA OF GLASS" IS POSITIONED BEFORE THE THRONE - IT IS CRYSTAL CLEAR. THERE ARE TWO REFERENCES TO THE "SEA OF GLASS" IN REVELATION.
1. REV.4 THE SEA OF GLASS IS BEFORE THE THRONE, CRYSTAL CLEAR AND EMPTY.
2. REV.15 THE SEA OF GLASS IS MINGLED WITH FIRE, AND BELIEVERS STAND ON IT.
SCRIPTURE USES THE 'RESTLESS SEAS OF EARTH' TO SPEAK OF RESTLESSNESS, AGITATION, CROSS-CURRENTS, UNDER-CURRENTS, UPHEAVALS, TRIALS, TROUBLES, TIDAL WAVES AND DEVASTATION. THE WICKED ARE LIKE THE TROUBLED SEA, WHOSE WATERS TOSS UP MIRE AND DIRT. THE WATERS REPRESENT PEOPLES, NATIONS AND TONGUES. EVIL BEASTS ARISE OUT OF THE SEAS OF HUMANITY ALSO.
IN CONTRAST, 'THE PEACEFUL SEA OF HEAVEN', IS SEEN IN THE CRYSTAL CLEAR SEA OF GLASS. ALL IS STILL, PEACEFUL, RESTFUL, CLEAR AND TRANSPARENT. THERE IS NOTHING MURKY IN HEAVEN'S SEA, ONLY ABSOLUTE DIVINE CALM. ALL IS CLEAR AS CRYSTAL FROM HEAVEN'S VIEWPOINT.
IN SOLOMON'S ERA, A LARGE BRASS LAVER OF WATER FOR RITUAL WASHING PURPOSES WAS SET IN THE TEMPLE AREA FOR PRIESTS TO USE - IT WAS KNOWN AS THE MOLTEN SEA. IT WAS HUGE, LIKE AN ELABORATE ABOVE-GROUND SWIMMING POOL. AND WHAT DO WE FIND BEFORE YAHUSHA, IN HIS HEAVENLY TEMPLE NEXT TO HIS THRONE? SOMETHING CALLED A GLASS SEA. AND WHO WAS PRESENT AROUND HIS THRONE? 24 PRIESTS WHO USED THE SEA FOR RITUAL PURIFICATION.
6bAnd in the midst of the Throne, and around the Throne, were 4 Living Creatures, covered with eyes in front and in back. 7And the first Living Creature was like a LION, and the 2nd like a OX, and the 3rd had a face like a MAN, and the 4th was like a flying EAGLE. 8And the 4 Living Creatures, each had six wings and were covered with eyes around and within. And day and night, they didn't stop saying, “Perfect and Set-Apart, is Yahuah Al Shaddai, Who was, and Who is, and Who's coming!”
HEBREW: "QODESH, QODESH, QODESH" - EVEN MORE SUPER-DUPER-UBER-SET-APART THAN THE MOST SET-APART SET-APARTNESS ... ALSO DEFINE'S YAHUAH'S NAME!
NOTHING IN SCRIPTURE STANDS ALONE; IT’S ALL CONNECTED AND TO DEMONSTRATE THIS, LISTEN TO WHAT EZEKIEL SAYS. HE WAS A PROPHET THAT LIVED ABOUT 700 YEARS AFTER MOSES AND ABOUT 700 YEARS BEFORE JOHN WROTE REVELATION. EZEKIEL SEES HEAVEN AND YAHUAH’S THRONE AREA, AND SPEAKS ABOUT FOUR LIVING CREATURES WITH WINGS AND 4 FACES:
IN THE TIME OF THE EXODUS THE PLACEMENT OF THE 12 TRIBES AROUND THE WILDERNESS TABERNACLE HAD TREMENDOUS PROPHETIC SYMBOLISM AND MEANING, SHOWING A `TRIBAL PECKING ORDER'. AS WITH THE PRIEST'S BREASTPLATE, THE 12 TRIBES WERE DIVIDED INTO 4 GROUPS OF 3 TRIBES AND EACH GROUP WAS ASSIGNED A SPECIFIC, AND PERMANENT SIDE OF THE TABERNACLE ON WHICH THEY WERE TO CAMP, AND IT WAS GIVEN ACCORDING TO COMPASS DIRECTIONS.
EACH OF THE 3-TRIBAL GROUPS HAD A DOMINANT LEADER TRIBE, SO THERE WERE 4 DOMINANT TRIBES IN ALL: REUBEN, DAN, JUDAH, AND EPHRAIM, AND EACH HAD A SPECIFIC SYMBOL, AN EMBLEM PLACED UPON A BANNER, BY WHICH THEY WERE KNOWN.
EZ 1 "And each of the 4 Living Creatures had faces and wings ... and the likeness of their faces: the face of a MAN, and each of the 4 had the face of a LION on the right side, and the face of an OX on the left side, and the face of an EAGLE ... and each one went straight forward, going wherever the spirit was to go, and they did not turn when they went. And the appearance of the Living Creatures was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of torches, moving back and forth among the Living Creatures. And the fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightning.”
(YAHUSHA IS 'THE LION OF JUDAH') :
JUDAH'S SYMBOL IS THE LION
EPHRAIM'S SYMBOL IS THE OX
DAN'S SYMBOL IS THE EAGLE
REUBEN'S SYMBOL IS A MAN
THESE TRIBES SURROUNDED YAHUAH'S TABERNACLED THRONE ON EARTH, PROTECTING IT FROM OUTSIDERS AND YAHUAH PROTECTED THEM FROM ANY SURROUNDING ENEMIES.
THE 4 LIVING CREATURES OF JOHN'S VISION IN HEAVEN HAD THE FACES OF A LION, EAGLE, OX AND A MAN. THE SAME SYMBOLS OF THE 4 DOMINANT TRIBES OF YISHARAL. COINCIDENCE? HARDLY.
THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE EARTHLY PHYSICAL YISHARAL AND THE HEAVENLY THRONEROOM OF YAHUAH ARE UNMISTAKABLE.
THESE STRANGE CREATURES WERE SAID TO HAVE 6 WINGS AND WERE FULL OF EYES, WHICH IS AN ALLUSION TO ISAIAH'S VISION:
IS 6 "I saw Yahuah sitting on a Throne, high and lifted up and the train of His robe filled the Temple with esteem. Above it stood Mighty Seraphim, each having 6 wings, and with 2 wings he covered his face, with 2 wings he covered his feet, and with 2 wings he flew. And one cried to another and said, “Perfect and Set-Apart is Yahuah of Hosts, for all the earth is filled with His esteem!” And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke".
WHILE JOHN DOESN'T GIVE THESE CREATURES A NAME, ISAIAH CALLS THEM SERAPHIM, AND WE SEE ISAIAH SPEAK ABOUT HOW THESE BEINGS CONSTANTLY PRAISE YAHUAH'S SET-APARTNESS. SO AMONG ISAIAH, EZEKIEL AND JOHN WE GET A COMBINED PICTURE OF THESE GUARDIAN SPIRIT-BEINGS AROUND YAHUAH'S THRONE.
THESE CREATURES WERE FULL OF EYES, SHOWING THAT THEY SEE EVERYTHING AND ALSO KNOW EVERYTHING, FOR NOTHING ESCAPES THEIR GAZE. THEY NEVER PAUSE IN THEIR WATCHFULNESS OVER YAHUSHA HIMSELF OR OVER HIS CREATION. BUT THEY ALSO NEVER STOP PRAISING HIM, AND NEITHER SHOULD WE!
WINGS IN SCRIPTURE ALWAYS SPEAK OF YAHUAH'S SPIRIT IN RELATION TO SUPERNATURAL TRANSPORT WHICH IS LIKENED TO 'EAGLE-WING POWER'. JOHN WOULD BE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF WINGS IN THE TEMPLE-ORDER SINCE IMAGERY OF THE WINGED CHERUBIM WERE THROUGHOUT THE TEMPLE AND FURNISHINGS.
THE BRIDE IS ALSO LIKENED TO EAGLES AND WILL 'FLY HIGH ON WINGS AS THEY WAIT ON YAHUSHA'. IT SPEAKS OF THE SUPERNATURAL TRANSPORTATION AND TRANSFORMATION (LIKE ELIJAH AND PHILIP EXPERIENCED). THE WOMAN IN REV.12 IS GIVEN EAGLE'S WINGS FOR SAFE FLIGHT INTO THE WILDERNESS. THIS 'EAGLE-WING POWER' WAS DEMONSTRATED IN ALL THOSE WHO EXPERIENCED TRANSFORMATION WHETHER IN THIS DIMENSION OR INTO ANOTHER (ENOCH, ELIJAH, MOSES).
9And when the Living Creatures give esteem and respect and thanks to Him Who sits on the Throne, Who lives forever and ever, 10the 24 elders fall down before Him Who sits on the throne and bow before Him who lives forever and ever, and they cast their crowns before the Throne, saying, 11“You are worthy, Yahusha, to receive esteem and respect and power, for You have created all, and because of Your desire they are, and were created.”
WHY DO THE ELDERS PRAISE AS THEY DO? THEY'RE EXPRESSING THAT WHAT MAKES YAHUAH SO WORTHY OF PRAISE IS THAT THE ENTIRE CREATION CAME ABOUT PURELY BY HIS DECISION AND BECAUSE HIS WISDOM IS DEMONSTRATED BY HIS CREATION.
No one from this Lower Dimension can exist in the magificence of light, that radiates from the Higher Dimension of Heaven. As earthly beasts we need a DIVINE OPERATION within to begin this `eagle-wing' transformation.
He's given us a new heart and a new spirit - ASSETS THAT ARE DIVINE & INCORRUPTIBLE (FROM HIS DIMENSION) and allow us Direct Portal Access to Yahusha. No earthly flesh can stand in His perfect set-apartness - and this is the burning of the sin and self that Isaiah experienced through the hot coals that the 4-faced Living Creatures gave to him. PURITY OF BEING is required in order to PREPARE THE WAY for Yahusha's return and the final translation to marriage immortality.