In verse 5 we are told that “out of the throne come lightnings and voices and thunders.” All these signify God’s wrath in His judgment. In the Epistles, out of the throne of grace come the mercy and grace of God for anyone who approaches Him through the redeeming blood of Christ. But here, out of the throne of judgment come forth lightnings, voices, and thunders as warnings to the sinful world. In the book of Revelation, after all God’s judgments have been executed, the throne of God will be the throne of eternal life supply, out of which will proceed the river of water of life with the tree of life growing in it. All the believers who are participating in God’s mercy and grace today by approaching God’s throne of grace will enjoy the river of life and the tree of life out of God’s throne as their life supply for eternity, while the unbelievers, who will be judged by God’s throne of judgment, will have no share in the eternal enjoyment issuing out of God’s eternal throne.
Verse 5 also tells us that “seven lamps of fire are burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.” This indicates that God will touch the earth by the seven lamps, by His seven Spirits which are burning, shining, observing, searching, and judging. The seven lamps here refer to the seven lamps of the lampstand in Exodus 25:37 and the seven lamps of the lampstand in Zechariah 4:2. The seven lamps of fire which are the seven Spirits of God signify the enlightening and searching of the sevenfold intensified Spirit of God. In Exodus 25 and Zechariah 4, the seven lamps, signifying the enlightening of the Spirit of God in God’s move, are for God’s building, either for the tabernacle or the building of the temple. Here the seven lamps are for God’s judgment, which will issue also in God’s building—the building of the New Jerusalem. While God executes His judgment, His sevenfold intensified Spirit will carry out God’s eternal building by searching, enlightening, judging, and infusing. This is fully developed in the following chapters. The issue is the consummation of the holy city, New Jerusalem.
Verse 6 says, “And before the throne there was as it were a glassy sea like crystal.” The glassy sea is a collector and container of everything judged by God. This sea is not of water, but of fire (15:2). Since the deluge, God, in accordance with His promise not to judge the earth and living creatures again with water (Gen. 9:15), always exercises His judgment upon man with fire (Gen. 19:24; Lev. 10:2; Num. 11:1; 16:35; Dan. 7:11; Rev. 14:11; 18:8; 19:20; 20:9-10; 21:8). God’s throne of judgment is like the fiery flame out of which a fiery stream issues (Dan. 7:9-10). The flame of God’s judging fire sweeps all negative things in the entire universe into this glassy sea, which eventually becomes the lake of fire (20:14). The glassy sea, being the aggregate of all God’s fiery judgment, is “like crystal,” signifying that every negative thing under God’s judgment is crystal clear. Whatever is judged and kept in the glassy sea is fully exposed; nothing is hidden. In this chapter we have the rainbow around the throne of God, signifying that God will keep His promise in Genesis 9:8-17, and we also have the glassy sea of fire, indicating that God will still judge all negative things with fire.
When John saw the throne set in heaven, he saw “One sitting upon the throne, and He who was sitting was like in appearance to a jasper stone and a sardius, and there was a rainbow around the throne like an emerald in appearance.” God on the throne has the appearance of a jasper stone. According to 21:11, jasper is “a most precious stone...clear as crystal.” Its color must be dark green, which signifies life in its richness. Jasper here, as 21:11 indicates, signifies God’s communicable glory in His rich life (John 17:22, 2). It is the appearance of God, which will also be the appearance of the holy city, New Jerusalem (21:11). The city’s wall and first foundation are built with it (21:18-19). In the Bible green signifies life. Thus, the color of jasper indicates that the God who is sitting on the throne is the very God of life. God’s color firstly is green, testifying that He is the source of life.
God on the throne is also in the appearance of a sardius stone. Sardius is a most precious stone, red in color, which signifies redemption. Today, God is not only the God of life, but also the God of redemption. While jasper indicates God as the God of glory in His rich life, sardius signifies God as the God of redemption. Because we, His created ones, fell, He came in to redeem through the blood of Christ. Therefore, He has two colors—the color of life and the color of redemption. He is the life-giving God and also the redeeming God. On the breastplate of the high priest in the Old Testament, the first stone was sardius and the last jasper (Exo. 28:17, 20). This signifies that God’s redeemed people have their beginning in God’s redemption and their consummation in God’s glory of life.
According to 5:1, in the hand of Him who sits upon the throne there was a scroll. This life-giving and redeeming God has a mystery which is held in His hand. This mystery concerns the destiny of the universe and is sealed with seven seals. The mystery, the secret, of the universe is held by the God of life and redemption.