The first thing we encounter in this scene is a door standing open in heaven. Remember the Key of David and that Jesus opens a door that cannot be shut and vice versa. He introduced this in the message to the ekklesia at Philadelphia. Jesus has opened this door to the presence of the Father. When he died on the cross, the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom, signifying our access to God without the need for any other mediator than Jesus himself.
In this chapter we have the presence of the Father and the Holy Spirit. Jesus, the Son, is not introduced until Chapter 5. God the Father is seated on the throne. The Holy Spirit is present as the seven lamps in front of the throne. John tells us that these are the seven-fold Spirit of God.
Let’s take a look at John’s description of God the Father. He had the appearance of jasper and ruby. “Although the term jasper is now restricted to opaque quartz, the ancient iaspis (jasper) was a stone of considerable translucency…” “The jasper of antiquity was in many cases distinctly green…” (Wikipedia). Of course, rubies are red stones. So, what John perceives on the throne, he describes using the metaphor of precious stones, both green and red.
The color green symbolizes life and regeneration. From God springs all forms of life in the universe. In addition, it speaks of resurrection, something only God can bring about. “For many early cultures, the color green symbolized growth, rebirth, and regeneration through it’s association to nature…” (jsirglog.com)
Jasper and rubies were both highly valued precious stones. Like the rainbow that encircled the throne, jasper contained many colors, but in a random way. And in ancient days, it was dominated by the color green, much like the rainbow that encircled the throne contained many colors but shone like an emerald. Rubies were the most precious of stones and associated with power and passion.
I cannot list every characteristic associated with these two precious stones that John uses to describe the appearance of the One who sat on the throne – the Father. But what is happening is something that we will all experience when we pass from this physical world and are ushered into eternity. John saw not only the outward appearance of God, but he also saw who God was – his attributes, his character, his essence, if you will. When you and I see a person walking down the street, we see their physical appearance, but know nothing about them; their character; their reputation; their proclivities; their work ethic; their driving motivations; on and on. Our knowledge of them is severely limited to the light, shadows, and colors reflecting from the spectral dimension. And it often takes considerable time and interaction for us to really learn who a person is. The truth is, we hardly even know ourselves as well as we should. But one day, when we are ushered into eternity, we will no longer be restricted in this way. In heaven, when we see someone, we will see more than just a form, we will perceive everything about them, their very essence – immediately!
1 Corinthians 13:12 puts it this way, “We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears, and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!” (The Message)
There are some today who claim to be able to discern things about a person they don’t know. These people claim that all of us have an aura, and they would have us believe they can see it. Based on the colors of an aura, they claim to be able to know characteristics about that person. Whether such abilities exist or not, I cannot say. But that is not the point. The interesting part about it is that every one of us would like to have that ability. And I believe it is a desire placed in us by our Maker, one that will be fulfilled when we break the bonds of this fallen world and are ushered into the dimensions of eternity when time is no more. And I believe that is what John was experiencing in the Spirt. That’s why God the Father has the appearance of jasper and ruby with a rainbow encircling him that shone like an emerald in John’s vision.
In this chapter we have the presence of the Father and the Holy Spirit. Jesus, the Son, is not introduced until Chapter 5. God the Father is seated on the throne. The Holy Spirit is present as the seven lamps in front of the throne. John tells us that these are the seven-fold Spirit of God.
Let’s take a look at John’s description of God the Father. He had the appearance of jasper and ruby. “Although the term jasper is now restricted to opaque quartz, the ancient iaspis (jasper) was a stone of considerable translucency…” “The jasper of antiquity was in many cases distinctly green…” (Wikipedia). Of course, rubies are red stones. So, what John perceives on the throne, he describes using the metaphor of precious stones, both green and red.
The color green symbolizes life and regeneration. From God springs all forms of life in the universe. In addition, it speaks of resurrection, something only God can bring about. “For many early cultures, the color green symbolized growth, rebirth, and regeneration through it’s association to nature…” (jsirglog.com)
Jasper and rubies were both highly valued precious stones. Like the rainbow that encircled the throne, jasper contained many colors, but in a random way. And in ancient days, it was dominated by the color green, much like the rainbow that encircled the throne contained many colors but shone like an emerald. Rubies were the most precious of stones and associated with power and passion.
I cannot list every characteristic associated with these two precious stones that John uses to describe the appearance of the One who sat on the throne – the Father. But what is happening is something that we will all experience when we pass from this physical world and are ushered into eternity. John saw not only the outward appearance of God, but he also saw who God was – his attributes, his character, his essence, if you will. When you and I see a person walking down the street, we see their physical appearance, but know nothing about them; their character; their reputation; their proclivities; their work ethic; their driving motivations; on and on. Our knowledge of them is severely limited to the light, shadows, and colors reflecting from the spectral dimension. And it often takes considerable time and interaction for us to really learn who a person is. The truth is, we hardly even know ourselves as well as we should. But one day, when we are ushered into eternity, we will no longer be restricted in this way. In heaven, when we see someone, we will see more than just a form, we will perceive everything about them, their very essence – immediately!
1 Corinthians 13:12 puts it this way, “We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears, and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!” (The Message)
There are some today who claim to be able to discern things about a person they don’t know. These people claim that all of us have an aura, and they would have us believe they can see it. Based on the colors of an aura, they claim to be able to know characteristics about that person. Whether such abilities exist or not, I cannot say. But that is not the point. The interesting part about it is that every one of us would like to have that ability. And I believe it is a desire placed in us by our Maker, one that will be fulfilled when we break the bonds of this fallen world and are ushered into the dimensions of eternity when time is no more. And I believe that is what John was experiencing in the Spirt. That’s why God the Father has the appearance of jasper and ruby with a rainbow encircling him that shone like an emerald in John’s vision.
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