Ezekiel depicts God as the Being with flames of fire, and Daniel sees Him as an Ancient of Days, as brilliant as snow in the sunshine. Daniel 7:9-10 “I kept looking until thrones were set up. And the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, its wheels were a burning fire. “A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, and myriads upon myriads were standing before Him…”
John uses the image of the brilliance of a diamond in which white light breaks into many colours, and of a ruby, a red-coloured quartz stone. The colours of the rainbow into which white light divides surround the throne. Ezekiel saw as blue-coloured lapis lazuli, and John as emerald—shining with a greenish colour, green being the colour of hope—of a new earth to come.
John keeps having to look for words: it had the appearance of… it looked like… it shone like … He was trying to put into words what cannot be expressed in human language. John tries to describe what he sees comparing it with colours and images of things on earth that he knew. How could a 1st century man describe things that will happen in the 21st century? Or describe in human words what he sees in the other dimensions of the Heavenly realms that surround us?
The description of the precious stones reminds us also of the High-Priest’s breastplate with twelve different precious stones lying over the High-Priest’s heart,2 representing the twelve tribes of Israel. The High Priest also wore two precious stones on his shoulders.3 We come across these stones mentioned here on that breastplate also in the foundations of the Holy City4—light, colour, beauty, transparency and yet consistency, like metals, gold, silver, bronze in flaming fire and holiness – again: Heavenly realities described in human terms.
Around the throne there are twenty-four thrones, upon which twenty-four elders— ‘presbuteroi’ in Greek—are sitting, clothed in white raiment, with golden crowns on their heads: people in authority, ruling regally.
Who are these elders? The traditional explanation is that they represent the glorified Church. Some say that they are the representatives of the people of God throughout all ages, consisting symbolically of two times twelve: the twelve fathers of the tribes of Israel and the twelve Jewish Apostles, the fathers of the Church. A second point of view is that they only represent the New Testament church of the past centuries and that this church is taken up to Heaven together with John at the beginning of this chapter as it were, before the great trials, tribulations and judgements of God burst forth over the earth.5 They wear the white garments of Christ’s righteousness and one of the many crowns6 which await ‘victors’, ‘overcomers’ and they receive rewards according to their works.7 There is a third explanation however to which preference should be given in my opinion. For what are these twenty-four people in authority, these crowned rulers, doing?
First of all they are praising the Lord for His creative power, for His creation, just like the ‘morning stars and the sons of God’ rejoiced and exulted when the Lord laid the earth’s foundations.8 Secondly, they appear to fulfil a mediating role by bringing the saints’ prayers before the Lamb,9 something that is later done by an angel.10 This is apparently one of the angelic functions. In the third place, John addresses one of these elders as Lord, my Lord (Kurios)11—something that is unthinkable if he was a fellow believer. They have just been worshipping and praising God there together with the other Heavenly beings, the four living creatures, just as angels do.12 Could they be the leaders of the angelic beings in the Heavenly places? More about this tomorrow!
Bible References:
1. NIV 2. Exodus 28:15–21 3. Exodus 28:9–14 4. Revelation 21:18–21 5. 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; 1 Corinthians 15:50–53 6. 2 Timothy 4:8 among others
