B. Action before the throne. 4:6-11 V.6 f) The living creatures in heaven - Crystal sea and the 4 Creatures I. Old Testament references to the sea of glass. Ex.24:10; Ezek.1:22, 26 II. In the temple of Solomon there was a molten bronze sea before the entrance into the holy place; the priests washed their hands and feet by the water in the sea of bronze. 1.Kings 7:23-26, 44; 1.Chr.18:8; 2.Chr.4:2-6, 15 III. In our time mirrors are made of glass, glass is made of sand. The mirrors in Moses time were made of bronze. IV. Crystal reflects light in many ways and light carries sound and images. V. The interpretation of the glassy sea: A. Its perhaps a sea where God’ s counsel is revealed, it’ s a reflection place of His light, purposes and plans. B. It’ s God’ s Word to His creatures; like the sea of bronze where the priests washed their hands and feet, the Scripture also speaks of the washing by His Word. John 13:3-10; 15:3; Eph.5:26 C. It’ s a sea of revelation and knowledge. Hab.2:14 D. It’ s a sea that represents the all-knowing - Omniscience of God. The transparent sea and all the eyes of the seraphim could speak of His Omniscience. VI. The 4 living creatures are seraphim, the supreme creature of God’ s creation. It’ s those creatures that are closest to the glorious presence of God. VII. Cherubim and seraphim are called living creatures. Ezek.10:15, 20 Living creature (Heb. Chay) means strong, fresh, life and beast. Living creature (Gr. zoon) means life and animal, the English word zoo derives from this word. VIII. The seraphim and cherubim are different yet very similar: A. Cherubim: 1. Cherubim are beneath the throne of God Ezek.1:22, 25; 10:1; 11:22 2. Their 4 faces are a cherub (or ox), man, lion and an eagle. Ezek.1:6, 10; 10:14, 21 3. They are connected to wheels of the throne. Ezek.1:15-21;3:13; 10:9-13, 16-17 4. They have 4 wings. Ezek.1:6, 11, 23-24;3:13; 10:5, 21 5. Their feet are calf-like. Ezek.1:7 6. They move very fast. Ezek.1:14 7. They appear to be like a fiery fire. Ezek.1:7; 13 8. They have eyes all around their body. Ezek.10:12 9. They have a man’ s hand under their wings. Ezek.1:8; 10:7-8, 21 10. They are carriers of the throne of God. Ezek.1:13-22 11. Notice - Beneath, cherub, wheels and 4 wings, the seraphim are different in those areas. B. Seraphim: 1. They are above, in the midst and surround the throne of God. Isaiah 6:1-2; Rev.4:6; 5:6 2. They have 6 wings. Isaiah 6:1-2; Rev.4:8 3. They have eyes all around their body. Rev.4:6, 8 4. Their 4 faces are a calf, man, lion and an eagle. Rev.4:7 5. They are ministers of God and praise and worship Him. Isaiah 6:2-7; Rev.4:8-9; 5:8-14; 6:1-7; 7:11; 15:7; 19:4 IX. Satan was once a living creature, a cherub, one with the face of a cherub (or ox), man, lion and an eagle, he had 4 wings, eyes all around, calf-like feet. Ezek.28:14, 16 V.7 a) The Differences of the living creatures - Characteristic I. The living creatures represent the creation of God. A. The lion is supreme of the wild animals. B. The calf is supreme of the domestic animals. C. Man is supreme of all earthly creatures. D. The eagle is the supreme of all flying creatures. II. During the time of Moses a tabernacle was built and Israel encamped around the tabernacle (God’ s presence) in 4 encampments according to their flag : Num. Ch.2 1. East - Judah’ s camp (Judah, Issachar, Zebulun) Their flag were green with a lion. 2. South - Reuben’ s camp (Reuben, Simeon, Gad) Their flag were red with a man. 3. North - Ephraim’ s camp (Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin) Their flag were red and white with an eagle. 4. West - Dan’ s camp (Dan, Asher, Naphtali) Their flag were golden with a calf. V.8 b) The Devotion of the living creatures - Concert I. The functions of their 6 wings: A. They cover themselves with 4 wings. Isaiah 6:2 B. They fly with 2 wings. Isaiah 6:2 C. Man also need to use more “ wings” to protect themselves and develop character than they do “ flying” in ministry. II. Man did 3 things in the garden after they had sinned: A. They heard God’ s voice but didn’ t respond. Gen.3:8-9 B. They saw their nakedness and feared. Gen.3:7, 10 C. They hid themselves. Gen.3:9 III. The seraphim (Living creatures) show the restoration of the fall of man. A. They respond to the voice of God by crying holy. B. They see with their many eyes without fear. C. They hide themselves in the presence of God and not from His presence with their wings, not because of sin but in reverence and worship. Isaiah 6:2 IV. They continual declare God’ s: A. Triune Holiness. (In Hebrew its called Qedussah) B. Triune Greatness (Lord, God, Almighty). C. Triune Eternity (Was, is and come). V. Revelation is a worship book. 1. The song of the living creatures. 4:8 2. The song of the 24 elders - The song of creation. 4:10-11 3. The song of the living creatures - the song of redemption. 5:8-11 4. The song of the angels, living creatures and the elders. 5:11-12 5. The song of all creation. 5:13 6. The saying of the great multitude. 7:9-10 7. The saying of the angels. 7:11-12 8. The sayings of the great voices. 11:15 9. The sayings of the 24 elders. 11:16-18 10. The song of the 144.000. 14:2-3 11. The song of the tribulation saints - The song of Moses and the lamb. 15:3-4 12. The saying of the angel. 16:5-6 13. The saying of the other angel. 16:7 14. The saying of the great multitude. 19:1-3 15. The saying of the 24 elders and the living creatures. 19:4 16. The saying of the great multitude. 19:6 VI. There are 7 doxologies and praises in heaven in the book of Revelation. 4:8-11; 5:8-13; 7:9-12; 11:16-18; 14:2,3; 15:2-4; 19:1-6 VII. The 2 first praises is directed the Father, 4:8; 11 and the 2 next praises are directed to the Son, 5:9-10, 12 and the last is directed to them both. 5:13 The Singers. 1:9-10 The Song. 1:11 V.9 c) The Declaration of the living creatures - Concert The living creatures’ praise causes a response of the elders. V.10 d) The Devotion of the elders - Crowns Cast The 24 elders fall down in worship and cast in an unworthy manner their crowns down before the throne. I. It is before God’ s throne that they got their rewards (Crowns) and it is at God’ s throne that they lay them down again. II. The plurality of crowns speaks of at least the 5 crowns in Scripture: 1. Incorruptible crown. 1.Cor.9:24-25 A crown for those who run the race and complete the task of God for their lives. 2.Tim.4:7 2. Crown of righteousness. 2.Tim.4:8 A crown given to those who longed for Christ’ s appearing; those who longed for righteousness and only sees Jesus as the fulfiller of that righteousness. Matt.5:6 3. Crown of life. James 1:12; Rev.2:10 A crown for everyone who enters heaven and remained faithful until they died. 4. Crown of glory. 1.Pet.5:4 A crown given to them that were living examples for the Church of God. 5. Crown of rejoicing. 1.Thess.2:19 A crown given to them that builds up the saints and caused them to run the race. III. All things man have is from God, whether energy, money, wisdom, strength, gifts, calling and even our life, all these were given by grace, man just allowed it to grow by God’ s helping grace. Rom.12:6-8; 1.Cor.2:6-16; 12:4-11; 15:10; 2.Cor.9:8-10; Eph.4:7-13; Phil.1:6; 2:13 IV. Everything we have is lent by God, He owns all things. If we borrow some money from a friend, should we expect a reward for giving the money back to the friend? - Man deserves no reward. V. How does God reward man? A. God reward undeservingly His children and servants, all the crowns and rewards of God to man is grace. B. God rewards us for allowing Him to work through our life, not according to how much we did for Him, but how much we allowed Him to do through us. C. It’ s not the Method or Measure He rewards us for but His Movement through us. D. It’ s not the Weight of the Work but the Will of allowing His Way through us that causes Him to reward man. E. The only thing man deserves are eternal hell-fire, God’ s Grace and Goodness give everything else, man deserves no rewards from Him. F. By grace we are saved, by grace we are rewarded and by grace we continue in faith. V.11 e) The Declaration of the elders - Creator I. The elders knows they are unworthy for the crowns and that they where given by grace, therefore they declare Him to be the worthy One, Christ is the Cause of the Crowns of man. II. God is the Creator and created all things, He alone is the reason of their existence, not the Big Bang but the Great God.