{"id":696,"date":"2017-11-20T07:51:41","date_gmt":"2017-11-20T15:51:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=696"},"modified":"2017-11-20T07:51:41","modified_gmt":"2017-11-20T15:51:41","slug":"devotion-revelation-46b-8-who-are-the-four-and-what-do-they-mean-part-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=696","title":{"rendered":"Devotion Revelation 4:6b-8 Who Are the Four And What Do They Mean Part 3"},"content":{"rendered":"

Revelation 4:6b- 8\u00a0<\/b>–\u00a0In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures,\u00a0and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.<\/span>\u00a07\u00a0The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.<\/span>\u00a08\u00a0Each of the four living creatures\u00a0had six wings\u00a0and was covered with eyes all around,\u00a0even under its wings. Day and night\u00a0they never stop saying: \u201c\u2018Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,\u2019 who was, and is, and is to come.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c8\u00a0Each of the four living creatures\u00a0had six wings\u00a0and was covered with eyes all around,\u00a0even under its wings. Day and night\u00a0they never stop saying: \u201c\u2018Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,\u2019 who was, and is, and is to come.<\/span>\u201d\u00a0 These four angelic beings are also noted as seraphim in\u00a0Isaiah 6:2<\/b>\u00a0\u201c<\/span>Above him were seraphim,\u00a0each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet,\u00a0and with two they were flying.\u201d\u00a0 The literal translation for seraphim is \u201cburning ones.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Fire is the chief symbol of the holiness of God (Exodus 3:2-5, 19:18<\/b>).\u00a0 Being in the proximity of the holiness of God, they are referred to as the \u201cburning ones.\u201d\u00a0 It is interesting that they cover their eyes.\u00a0 Some believe it is because even they could not gaze into the intense holiness of God, even while being consumed in His holiness.\u00a0 But, being servants of God, their ears were always open, always tuned to His bidding.\u00a0 In this we may find confirmation how, as we learn more of God and increasingly desire to dwell, and do dwell in His presence, that our eyes do not strain for proof of God.\u00a0 God need provide no proof or reason for us because we know Him and who He is greater than our thoughts and understanding. \u00a0\u00a0We need no proof, we have known His presence and need to see nothing.\u00a0 In fact, Jesus said we are blessed because we believe though we have not seen (John 20:29<\/b>).\u00a0 The reality and proof of God lives within us (John 16:13<\/b>).\u00a0 The holiness, the purity of God burns within us.\u00a0 Although we long to see God, and we will at the appointed time, the position of our hearts is to hear God.\u00a0 We long to be as the seraphim and cherubim are.\u00a0 To be burning with His presence and listening for the instant He calls us to service and we immediately are off to do all He asks us to.\u00a0 We, like the angels, are servants of God.\u00a0 We are the redeemed of God who love Him with a fire that consumes us.\u00a0 We desire to hear from Him.\u00a0 We read His Word that His Holy Spirit might make it explode with fire within us, bringing us into His throne room, into His fiery presence, and we will move forward, from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18<\/b>), in our knowledge and love of Him.\u00a0 We see and know Him in Spirit.\u00a0 What we see becomes to us, reality.\u00a0 We understand that what we see with our physical eyes is temporary, but what we see in our spirits is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18<\/b>).\u00a0 May we all be as the seraphim and cherubim are, always living in God\u2019s presence and forever, in every moment, desiring to do His will.\u00a0 To live in His will. To be so one with God that we are an integral part and effect of His will.\u00a0 As a leaf is irresistibly blown along by the wind, it has no control over its own travel, nor does it desire to and sit idly on the earth.\u00a0 It desires to be swept up and dance in the wind that carries it along.\u00a0 So may we be.<\/p>\n

The living creatures are covered with eyes, front and back.\u00a0 They represent that God is always looking and always seeing all.\u00a0 Yet we remember that that God is omnipresent (Jeremiah 23:24, Proverbs 15:3<\/b>).\u00a0 He is everywhere.\u00a0 He is the witness to all.\u00a0 There is no hiding from God.\u00a0 For the unredeemed this is a fearsome thing.\u00a0 From those who run to Him, through Jesus, this is a most comforting truth.\u00a0 His eyes are always on us, His love and protection is with us always, because He is with us always.\u00a0 Always is always.<\/p>\n

It is interesting that after noting that they are covered with eyes all around, it is then noted that they even have eyes under their wings.\u00a0 Why that notation?\u00a0 Perhaps it indicates that when they are busy, when they take flight, they are not distracted.\u00a0 In fact, as they fly, as they do the will of God, they do not know and see less, but their vision of the beauty and will of God is increased.\u00a0 Praise God, may we be busy in the works of God that we may know Him, and His will, ever more.<\/p>\n

Being in God\u2019s presence, the four creatures cannot stop praising God. When we have set aside the concerns of the world and are focused with heart and mind only on God, what do we do? \u00a0We praise the Lord.\u00a0 We cannot help it. We are overwhelmed by His presence.\u00a0 Jesus said that if the children did not praise Him then the rocks would cry out .\u00a0 It is not because of God\u2019s ego that His very presence demands praise.\u00a0 It is because of His holy and completely separate and superior being that all must cry out (Luke 19:40<\/b>).\u00a0 It is not so much a demand from God, but an irresistible response to our God who is pure holiness, absolute love and beauty beyond imagination.\u00a0 If we see someone or something beautiful in this world, it is said that in amazement we look at the jaw dropping beauty.\u00a0 Well in God\u2019s presence, the jaw doesn\u2019t just drop, it keeps moving and praise flows from us.\u00a0 It is the appropriate and irresistible response to God. For those who are \u201cdumber than a box of rocks\u201d and will not praise God, well then, the rocks themselves will acknowledge what the fool will not.<\/p>\n

In Isaiah\u2019s vision we see the angelic saying that God is holy.\u00a0 In the Old Testament Hebrew the superlative is expressed by saying a word twice.\u00a0 For example in\u00a02 Kings 25:15<\/b>\u00a0what is translated \u201cpure gold\u201d is said in the original language \u201cgold gold.\u201d\u00a0 Here the way of expressing the superlative by saying it twice is not sufficient to describe the holiness of God.\u00a0 So, the holiness of God is expressed three times.\u00a0 It is the only time in Hebrew bible that a quality is raised to the power of three.\u00a0 Praise God!\u00a0 People, take off your sandals as we consider what the holiness of God.<\/p>\n

Additionally, holy expressed three times is said to be indicative that it is the triune God being referred to, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n

Family, let us start every day at the place where these cherubim and seraphim live.\u00a0 May we learn, in ever increasing measure to live there!\u00a0 Oh, let us fix our gaze upon God, let our ears be listening for His voice speaking to us from within.\u00a0 There is no better blessing than to be in, and to continuously live, in His presence.\u00a0 Praise our God who, purely because He loves us, has called and blessed us so.\u00a0 Wow!\u00a0 Just wow!<\/p>\n

Psalm 150:6<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.\u00a0 Praise the Lord!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Micah 7:7<\/b>\u00a0– But as for me, I watch\u00a0in hope\u00a0for the\u00a0Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear\u00a0me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Micah 6:8<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0He has shown You, O man, what\u00a0is\u00a0good; And what does the\u00a0Lord\u00a0require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Revelation 4:6b- 8\u00a0–\u00a0In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures,\u00a0and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.\u00a07\u00a0The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.\u00a08\u00a0Each of the four living creatures\u00a0had…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1192],"tags":[129,2257,103,99,100,2148,106,94,88,17,711],"class_list":["post-696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devotion","tag-corinthians","tag-exodus","tag-isaiah","tag-jeremiah","tag-john","tag-kings","tag-luke","tag-micah","tag-proverbs","tag-psalm","tag-revelation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/696","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=696"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/696\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":697,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/696\/revisions\/697"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=696"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=696"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=696"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}