The%20Open%20Heaven%20(Revelation%204)

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The Open Heaven(Revelation 4)

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Open Door

• 1 After these things I looked, and behold, a door
  standing open in heaven. And the first voice
  which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with
  me, saying, Come up here, and I will show you
  things which must take place after this.
• Mans door is closed to God
• Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If
  anyone hears My voice and opens the door
  (320)
• Gods door is always open to man

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One sat on the throne

• 2 Immediately I was in the Spirit and behold, a
  throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.
• Because of the magnificence of His majesty he did
  not know how to call God, so he called Him, "One
  sat..."
• No one could call God by a name for He is
  extremely dazzling.
• Isaiah (61) I saw the Lord sitting on a
  throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His
  robe filled the temple.
• Daniel (73) I watched till thrones were put
  in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated

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One sat on the throne

• 3 And He who sat there was like a jasper and a
  sardius stone in appearance and there was a
  rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an
  emerald.
• He could not express himself and used the words
  like, as if

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Jasper and Sardine

• The first and last two precious stones that were
  mounted the front vest of the high priest (Exod.
  2817-20).
• The tribes,
• On Gods chest (heart) is the smallest man and
  the largest man.
• All humanity is kept in His heart.

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Jasper and Sardine

• Jasper is extremely transparent
• Symbol of God's glory (Rev. 2111)
• It shows His dazzling holiness and the simplicity
  of His (unconditional) love
• The sardine (stone) is red like fire
• Indicates His fear and His justice
• Love and Justice at the same time
• Rainbow covenant binding Him with man (Gen. 9)
• Has many colors, declaring Gods goodness and
  gifts
• Through His love, he bestows gifts to us

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Rainbow Like an Emerald

• On the high priests vest, points to the tribe
  of the Levites.
• This bow that surrounds the Lord points to His
  priestly work interceding for us through the
  honored Blood.
• Green, and is not affected by sun nor shade
• Greenish shade gives calmness and joy
• Every time our sight is lifted up to the throne,
  our souls calm down, are filled with peace, and
  we understand His glorious priestly work
  (salvation) for us.

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Twenty-Four Presbyters

• 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and
  on the thrones I saw twenty-four presbyters
  sitting, clothed in white robes and they had
  crowns of gold on their heads.
• Heavenly and priestly host
• St. Cyril of Jerusalem
• Those are the incorporeal, for they are close to
  God who controls everything, and they are
  always in front of Him, interceding for all the
  creation, crying together with the four Living
  Creatures saying, Holy, holy, holy.

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Twenty-Four Presbyters

• St. Cyril of Jerusalem
• Great is their glory in the Lords sight, more
  than the patriarchs, the prophets, the apostles,
  the martyrs and the saints.How honorable is this
  rank they deserved! For while the angels and all
  the rest of the heavenly orders are standing in
  front of the just Judge those are sitting on
  luminous thrones, wearing royal garments. On
  their heads there are crowns of honor, and in
  their hands golden censers filled with the
  prayers of the saints..

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Twenty-Four Presbyters

• White robes their splendor, their glory, their
  righteousness and their holiness.
• Symbolize the prophets of the Old Testament who
  prophesied about the Lord
• Symbolize the entire Church
• Old Testament 12 tribes
• New Testament 12 disciples

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Lightnings, Thunderings, and Voices

• 5 And from the throne proceeded lightnings,
  thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were
  burning before the throne, which are the seven
  Spirits of God.
• God's word is like lightning that people see in
  the preacher's life before it thunders on his
  tongue.
• The thunder points to the work of the Holy
  Spirit in the heart of the believer.
• He rebukes him, shakes his rejection and smashes
  his pride.

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Lightnings, Thunderings, and Voices

• Once the heart had thundered, crying to the Lord,
  the believer hears "voices" coming out of the
  throne.
• It is the voices of tenderness and love of God,
  revealed on the mouth of His priest Absolution
• All this takes place in the Church by the Holy
  Spirit
• Seven lamps of fire were burning before the
  throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
• The Spirit of God illuminates the Church and
  works in her through the seven sacraments

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Sea of Glass

• All that will not be realized except through
  Baptism
• 6 Before the throne there was a sea of glass,
  like crystal.
• Without baptism
• we do not cross to the divine throne.
• no one can see the kingdom of God (John 35).
• Crystal firm, strong, white
• baptized person is to be firm in faith and pure

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The Four Living Creatures

• And in the midst of the throne, and around the
  throne, were four living creatures full of eyes
  in front and in back.
• St. John Chrysostom
• I tell you my dear children that nothing is like
  them in honor, neither in heaven nor on earth,
  because they are carrying God's throne, and they
  cannot look at the face of the Eternal Living
  One. They are created of light and fire. They are
  very strong and powerful. They appeal to God for
  the forgiveness of sins of mankind, and for
  having pity on them...

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The Four Living Creatures

• Without thrones or crowns, unlike the 24
  presbyters
• God is their crown and they are His chariot.
• 8 The four living creatures, each having six
  wings, were full of eyes around and within.
• Eyes Their understanding of the present and
  future mysteries which the Lord reveals to them.
• Six Wings respect and awe
• Each one had six wings with two he covered his
  face, with two he covered his feet, and with two
  he flew. (Isaiah 62)

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The Four Living Creatures

• St. John Chrysostom
• Even for those orders, God is truly beyond reach.
  They cannot approach Him. Therefore, He
  condescendsout of love for them
• And when He appeared sitting on the throne,
  surrounded by those powers, they could not see
  Him, nor look at His dazzling light. They covered
  their eyes with two wings
• Hence if anyone dares to test the providence of a
  God that the heavenly powers cannot touch or
  describe, he had better disappear under the hills!

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The Four Living Creatures

• 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the
  second living creature like a calf, the third
  living creature had a face like a man, and the
  fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.
• As for the likeness of their faces, each had the
  face of a man each of the four had the face of a
  lion on the right side, each of the four had the
  face of an ox on the left side, and each of the
  four had the face of an eagle. (Ezk 110, 1014)

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The Four Living Creatures

• St. John Chrysostom
• They intercede for the creation
• beasts of the wilderness
• animals of the field
• Human beings
• birds
• No intercessor for
• Reptiles the serpent that the Lord had cursed
• Aquatic animals for the sea points to the
  disturbances , while heaven is quiet and
  peaceful, and to Satans realm.

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The Four Living Creatures

• St. Gregory Nazianzus and Origen
• The four forces of the soul, which are sanctified
  by carrying God within
• Lion The forces of rage
• Calf The carnal desires
• Man The gift of logic
• Eagle The spiritual energies

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The Four Living Creatures

• St. Jerome
• The redeeming works of the Lord
• Man incarnation
• Calf slaughter on the cross
• Lion resurrection
• Eagle ascension
• St. Irenaeus
• The redeeming works of the Lord
• Man incarnation
• Calf rites of the sacrifices and priesthood
• Lion power, royal dominion and leadership
• Eagle sending of the Holy Spirit

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The Four Living Creatures

• St. Irenaeus and Bishop Victorianus
• Point to the four gospels
• Lion Mark in whom you hear the voice of the lion
  crying in the wilderness(Mark 13).
• Man Matthew, who did his best to make known the
  Virgin Mary's genealogy, from whom the Lord Jesus
  took the body.
• Calf Luke, who relates Zachariah's priesthood,
  who presents a sacrifice on behalf of the people.
  
• Eagle John, who is fluttering his wings up to
  the great heights speaking about the Word of God.

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Unceasing Praises

• And they do not rest day or night, saying
         Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,
        Who was and is and is to come! 9
  Whenever the living creatures give glory and
  honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne,
  who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four
  presbyters fall down before Him who sits on the
  throne and worship Him who lives forever and
  ever, and cast their crowns before the throne,
  saying        11 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.

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Unceasing Praises

• They glorify Him unceasingly
• The twenty-four presbyters cannot endure this
  view until they stand up for their chairs, take
  off their crowns, cast them at the Lord's feet
  and kneel in front of Him for His greatness, His
  holiness, His love and His care.

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Unceasing Praises

• The Book of Revelation unveiled to us
• The amount of love the heavenly creatures have
  for us, for they praise God on our behalf
• The Book of Revelation mentioned about twenty
  praises, as if it was blowing the trumpet for us
  "learn the language of heaven. Prepare
  yourselvesfor the communion with the heavenly
  in their deeds."