So, let me show you in Isaiah 6, because remember, the creatures that we saw in Ezekiel 1 and
10, they were a little different, because they had four wings, as opposed to six wings,
because the creatures in Revelation 4 actually had six wings. You remember that? But they
were both full of eyes. Look at Isaiah 6, verse 2. Actually, let's just start in verse
1. In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high
and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims. Now notice,
not the chariot-bims, now we have the seraphims. Each one had six wings, with twain, twain
means two, with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with
twain he did fly. So here we have the exact number of wings that we have in Revelation
4. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole
earth is full of his glory. Does that remind you of Revelation 4? They're saying, holy,
holy, holy, they're praising God continually. They have six wings. So they have the same
function as the angels in Revelation 6, or not angels per se, but I want to say the beasts
or the living creatures. They have the same function, and they have the same number of
wings, and so on and so forth. So, you say, what is the difference between a seraph and
a cherub? Because remember, Revelation 4 and Isaiah 6, we're dealing with the seraphims,
and in Ezekiel 1 and 10, we're dealing with the cherubims. Well, if you look at the etymology
of the word cherubim, and the etymology of the word seraphims, basically the word cherubims
is a derivative of the number four, and the word seraphims is a derivative of the number
six. And so basically, that is just a name that refers to how many wings these living
creatures have. So back to Revelation 4, let's finish it up here. Now that we understand
the four beasts, it says in verse 6 that they were full of eyes. We saw that consistent
with the Old Testament. Verse 7, the first beast was like a lion, the second beast like
a calf, the third beast had a face as a man. Remember, the calf was represented as an ox
in the Old Testament, but an ox and a calf are the same animal, just different ages.
And then it says the fourth beast was like a flying eagle, and the four beasts had each
of them six wings about him, and they were full of eyes within, and they rest not day
and night. I mean, we're talking 24-7, he says, saying, holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,
which was and is and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks
to him that sat on the throne who liveth forever and ever, and how often is that? All the time,
right? When those beasts give glory and honor and thanks, I mean, and they're doing it all
the time. Tim that sat on the throne who liveth forever and ever, the four and 20 elders fall
down before the throne. Now look, these 24 elders that are falling down, they're not
doing this once, are they? They're doing it repeatedly. You got to look at the verb tenses
here. He says when the four beasts do this, the 24 elders present tense do this. It doesn't
say did like they did at one time. It's saying this is what they do every time the four beasts
give glory and honor and thanks. Then the four and 20 elders, not fell, the four and
20 elders fall, present tense, meaning that they do it when they do this, they do this.
When the beasts give glory and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne who liveth forever
and ever, verse 10, the four and 20 elders fall down before him that sat on the throne
and worship him that liveth forever and ever and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for Thou has created
all things and for Thy pleasure they are and were created. So get the picture. These 24
elders are seated around the throne, white raiments, crowns on their head, and when they
hear the beasts giving glory and honor and thanks, they get up and throw their crowns
before him and give him all the praise and all the glory also. Then they pick up their
crown, put it back on their head and sit down, and basically this drama is playing out over
and over again. They're just constantly worshiping God, praising him, throwing their crowns at
his feet, saying, You're worthy. And obviously what is a crown? It represents authority.
These guys had a crown representing authority that they had. These are elders, these are
pastors, these are bishops, these are preachers, these are prophets that have been given authority
on this earth, okay, to rule God's house. The Bible says, Let the elders, listen now,
let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, in 1 Timothy 5. So
the elder is what? A ruler. And then he says in Hebrews 13, to obey them to have the rule
over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God, they watch for your souls. And so
these men have that authority, but they're taking their crowns saying, Man, all the authority
is yours. Because a pastor doesn't really have his own authority that emanates from
himself. He only has the authority that God has given unto him. We are shepherds as pastors,
but Jesus is the chief shepherd. We derive all our power and authority from him. That's
why that crown is cast at his feet. And he's the one that's worthy to rule and reign. And
we only derive any authority that he is good enough and gracious enough to give us. And
of course, in the millennium, we will have even more authority. And so will God's people
that are not pastors will be given authority based on their works.