Vision of Heaven: A Righteous Church Singing Before The Throne

Shared on March 23, 2025

Introduction

What will we be doing in heaven?  I remember asking my dad that question when I was just a little child.  Scripture doesn’t hide from us what heaven will be like nor does scripture hide what we will be doing.  In this week’s lesson, we are going to take a look at the throne room and see the future of believers.

The Rapture of the Church

In last week’s lesson, we took a look at the second coming of Christ.  When I teach about the second coming of Christ, I often try to note that His second coming, you can think of, happens in two parts.  Let me explain what I mean by this.

When Jesus first came to this world, He was manifested in the flesh through a virgin’s birth.  After His death, Jesus rose on the third day, and Acts 1:1-9 tells us that He remained forty days until His ascension.

Now, Jesus spoke of His return on several occasions.  You might think of what’s recorded in John 14:3 when Jesus told the disciples that He will come again and receive them unto Himself.  As we saw in last week’s lesson, this is the coming that the scoffers mock because Jesus hasn’t returned and it’s been 2,000 years.

The rapture of the church is solely for the church as Jesus won’t even set foot in this world.  As Paul said, the congregation of sincere believers, both those living and those dead in Christ, will meet Jesus in the air (1 Thess. 4:15-17).

Those who remain in the world after the rapture will go through the Great Tribulation.  During that period, mankind will still have the opportunity to accept Christ, becoming a tribulation saint.  What we saw in our lesson last week was Peter speaking about the second coming of Christ.  The true second coming of Christ occurs when Jesus sets foot in this world and establishes the Millennial Kingdom.

Revelation of the True Church

The sincere believer won’t take part in the Great Tribulation.  What happens after we meet Jesus in the air?  To the Corinthian church, Paul wrote about how we who are corruptible will put on our incorruption, we will put on immortality (1 Cor. 15:53-54).  This is speaking about the justified sinner who has lived in obedience becoming holy and righteous.

Something interesting of note that I want to point out about the book of the Revelation of Christ is about the church.  From this point forward in the book of Revelation, we don’t even see a mention of the word “church”.  I am careful with sharing this because the church, as we are about to see, is very much present throughout the book of Revelation.  From this point forward in Revelation, the church is now the bride of Christ.  

I also want to be very clear about who and what the true church actually is, for just a brief second.  In the world, the church is viewed as a religious organization.  I cannot speak against those outside of the faith that would view “the church” in such a way.  

Honestly, Christianity, the church, has been co-opted by a group of people that proclaim a name but don’t actually move with faith.  There are many who proclaim to be Christ but their actions are far from Him, similarly, to what Jesus said about the religious leaders (Matt. 15:8-9).  

As we have seen both Jude and Peter touch on in recent weeks, the true church isn’t concerned with living worldly.  The true church moves in obedience to Christ and is not consumed with politics, wealth, nor is it consumed with earthly devices. 

In fact, the church organization, that which isn’t made up of the true worshiper, will be left behind to see the Great Tribulation.  The true worshipers worship the Lord in Spirit and truth, which is to say, they move and live in obedience everywhere and at all times.  The day is coming, and now is, that the differences between the true worshiper and the false is clearly revealed.

An Image of the Heavenly Kingdom

In Revelation 4:1-2, the scene switches from what takes place on earth to what will take place in heaven.  John said that he was immediately “in the Spirit” when he beheld a throne set in heaven.  It’s almost like John experienced what we will one day experience in the rapture.  Paul wrote that in the twinkling of an eye, we will be transformed (1 Cor. 15:52).

 So, immediately, John said that he beheld a throne with One sitting on the throne.  We will soon see that it’s the Lord sitting on the throne, which means this scripture takes place in heaven, specifically in God’s throne room.

In the throne room, John made note of all that he witnessed.  John noted the beauty of the One sitting on the throne, appearing like a jasper and sardius stone (Rev. 4:2).  John noted that there was also a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald (Rev. 4:3).  John is giving us a description of what the throne room looks like in all of these beautiful colors and auras of reds, oranges, yellows, and greens.  

As I type this, I am chuckling at John’s descriptions, not because I think they are funny, but because of how heaven has been imagined in media.  If you did a Google search right now on heaven, you will find pictures of blue skies and white clouds.  John’s description of what he saw in heaven sounds like a painting of vibrant colors.  Heaven will be stunning and filled with the glory of God.

Around the Throne of God

John’s description of heaven continues in Revelation 4:4 as he begins to describe what he saw around God’s throne.

The twenty-four elders

John tells us that there were twenty-four thrones with twenty-four elders sitting on them.  John even describes the elders as he saw them wearing white robes and crowns of gold on their heads.  Now, what John doesn’t tell us is who these elders are.  However, the description of their appearance does give us an idea of who these elders likely are.

Throughout the New Testament, the church is pictured in heaven clothed in white robes and having the crown of glory.  Isaiah 61:10-11 speaks of the garments of salvation, including a robe of righteousness.  1 Corinthians 9:25, Paul wrote about obtaining an imperishable crown.  Ephesians 5:27, Paul wrote about the glorious church wearing garments that will be without spot or blemish.

In James 1:12, James wrote that the man who endures temptation will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him.  In 1 Peter 5:4, Peter wrote that when the Chief Shepherd appears, the sincere believer will receive the crown of glory which doesn’t fade away.  

How were these men able to speak so matter-of-factly about what would be worn in heaven?   In Isaiah 61:1, the answer is perfectly given to us when the prophet expressed, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.”

You should recognize this scripture as the scripture Jesus read from when He announced His ministry in Nazareth (Luke 4:16-20).  The prophesy of Isaiah spoke both of Jesus’ first and second coming, and to be clear, it was the Holy Spirit, God, which gave Isaiah the prophesy.   Let us always remember that the Holy Spirit guides all whom He dwells with in all truth (John 16:13).

In Revelation 3:1-6, Jesus had a word for the church in Sardis.  Within His message to that church, Jesus said, “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life.”  So, it is very likely that the twenty-four elders are representatives of the church – those of sincere faith throughout the church age.  This speaks to the presence of you, the faithful believer, being seen in heaven.

I say that they are likely representatives solely because of what we find in Old Testament scripture.  The twelve tribes of Israel would always be represented by the “elders” of a tribe.  The numbers in heaven will be a vast multitude and the twenty-four elders will represent the vast multitude of true worshipers.

The glassy sea and the four living creatures

As he continued to look around the throne, John describes seeing a “sea of glass, like crystal” around the throne (Rev. 4:6).  This sea is transparent, not mucky, trashy, and it’s sitting stil, not being driven back and forth.  There will be no pollution in heaven, nor storms in heaven!  Heaven will be a place of calm, rest, and peace, even for its sea.

John sounds like he was in awe of what he was seeing, doesn’t he?  Continuing in awe, John saw in the midst of the throne, and around it, that there were four living creatures.  Who are these four living creatures?  What does it mean that they were in the midst of the throne and also around the throne at the same time? 

John provides a description of these living creatures in Revelation 4:7-8.  The description that stands out most to me is the creatures each having “six wings” and being full of eyes “around and within”.  Even more, John’s description of them never resting and singing “Holy, holy, holy.”

Why do these descriptions stick out the most?  Because they match the description Isaiah provided from his vision of God’s throne room.  In Isaiah 6:1-3, Isaiah said that he saw the Lord sitting on a throne and watching over the throne stood the living creatures – seraphim.  The seraphim, Isaiah said, had six wings and they sang “Holy, holy, holy.”

The only difference between the throne room visions is that Isaiah doesn’t mention seeing the twenty-four elders.  This is even more of an implication that the twenty-four elders are of the church age.  John’s vision of heaven was of heaven at a later period of time than Isaiah’s vision.

Worship around the throne

As John’s vision continued, and he continued to marvel, John witnessed another wonderful sight.  John tells us, in Revelation 4:9-10, when the seraphim gave glory and honor to the Lord, the twenty-four representatives of the church also fell in worship and then would cast their golden crowns in great rejoicing.

What will we be doing in heaven?  We are going to be rejoicing in great joy, living in peace, and praising the Lord!  To be clear, this praise and worship is not going to be something that is forced.  No, this praise and worship of the Lord in heaven will genuinely be sincere!  

The elders will sing out, “You are worthy, O lord, to receive glory and honor and power; For you created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created (Rev. 4:11).”  Let’s be clear, this is a praise of thanksgiving.  The church will be happy to give this praise to the Lord because the church will be living in calm, not the chaos of this world!  Again, the church will be happy to be in God’s kingdom!

I don’t know about you, but this is something I dream of – singing and shouting all over God’s heaven.  I, honestly, get so excited when we have lessons, or I get to preach from the Book of Revelation as it fills me with so much joy.  I could honestly talk about what heaven will be like all day long!  I hope that such a lesson as this one will also fill you up with great joy.