by Darrel Cline (darrelcline biblical-thinking.org)
Chapter # 4 Paragraph # 1 Study # 12 April 7, 2024 Broadlands, Louisiana (Download Audio)
I. This Chapter Is The Ultimate Background For All That Follows.
A. It is a vision of The Heaven as the initial presentation of the realm of Heaven (with its characteristics and significances) in respect to "what must take place after these things..." (4:1).
B. The relationship of "being in the spirit" to the summons to Heaven.
C. What John saw...
1. The "First" issue: he saw a throne...
2. The "Second" Issue: he describes the One sitting upon the "Throne of Heaven".
3. The "Third" Issue: the emerald "iris".
4. The "Fourth" Issue: the twenty-four thrones.
5. The "Fifth" Issue: "out of the throne proceed..."
6. The "Sixth" Issue: "seven lamps of fire..."
7. The "Seventh" Issue: "the sea of glass..."
8. The "Eighth" Issue: The Four Living Creatures.
a. The general description.
b. The more specific descriptions.
1) The first living creature like unto a lion... [A deep dive into the Gospel by Matthew presents us with the "Human King", the "Lion of Judah"].
2) The second living creature like unto a calf... [A deep dive into the Gospel by Mark presents us with the "Ox of God", the obedient Servant/Son of God, Whose "labors" resolve the "fears of men" which are at the root of all unbelief].
3) The third living creature having a face as of a man... [A deep dive into the Gospel of Luke presents us with "The Son of Man" who came to seek and save the lost].
a) In 1:13 the first reference to a "son of man" is a reference to John's vision of the One standing in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.
b) The next reference is 4:7, our present text, but it comes after 2:1 where the Ephesian "messenger" is told that his letter was from the One Who "walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands ... a letter that threatens the loss of the candle stick.
c) After 4:7 there are multiple uses of "man/men" but in 9:7 the locust hoard all have "faces as a man".
(1) At issue here is the reality that there is an aspect of the glory of God that is revealed by "humanity" made in His image.
(2) In a most general way, the creation of "man" was for him to be "in the image of God".
(a) In that original text, "the image of God" is tied immediately to his exercise of dominion over God's (lesser) creatures in this creation (sea, air, and earth: Genesis 1:26).
(b) In the very next verse, this "image" includes the creation of "male and female" as the "man" created in God's own image.
(c) Moses' own references to this concept have only Genesis 1:26-27 and 9:6 in his records.
i. The record in 9:6 addresses "the murder of a man" with the insistence that such an act was to be met with the subsequent "shedding of the blood of the murderer" by a "man" because he acted so against "the image of God" in both (the murderer and the one who was to avenge him/her).
ii. The point of "murder" is that a "man" has taken his/her "exercise of dominion" too far; using his/her own "dominion" against another who was to have his/her "dominion" held in a sacrosanct way by all others.
(3) That the locust hoard all possessed "crowns like gold" and had "faces like those of men" is a statement involving the release of "locusts" from the bottomless pit to bring great pain upon those "men" who did not have the "seal of God" upon their foreheads.
(a) The "crowns" hearkens back to the "dominion" thesis of "men as creatures".
(b) Their five-month torment of "men in impenitent (Revelation 16:9) rebellion" in their own "exercise of dominion" in this "opposition-to-God rebellion" is an example of "man-like" creatures doing to the rebels what their rebellion deserves.
d) That the third "living creature" had the "face as of man" in respect to his expression of "the glory of God" goes to the heart of the issue of God's third major "glory": His strong commitment to man's function as the representation of His own "dominion" exercised for the good of "men".
(1) This reflects both aspects of God's exercise of dominion: ruling, and avenging those who are ruled by rebellious rulers.
(2) The "glory of God" in respect to this "living creature" is the issue of His commitment to "man" as the pinnacle of His creating and His commitment to bring "men" into the benefit of His righteousness.
(a) The first living creature's lion-like face focuses upon the enforcement of the Justice of God.
(b) The second living creature's calf-like face focuses upon the essential character of God as The One Who labors greatly to enhance the benefits of His goodness for men.
(c) And this third living creature's man-like face presents "the glory of God" in His commitment to "men".
(d) The "four" are two sets of two: the lion and the man (Justice for and by men); and the calf and the eagle (powerful labor in bringing "Death" to its end as man's most critical adversary).