Revelation 4: The Celestial Earth

                John is called up to heaven, where in the Spirit he sees ‘one’ who sits on a throne like a jasper and roundabout there is a rainbow. Surrounding the thrown are 24 crowned elders, who have their own thrones. Seven lamps burn around the thrones, which represent the seven Spirits of God, the throne itself is like a sea of glass. Near the throne were also four creatures that were full of eyes; one was like a lion, one like a calf, one like and eagle and one like man. All of these creatures proclaimed; “…Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty…” (Revelation 4:8)

                In the Doctrine and Covenants we get a better insight into what John wrote;

• What is the sea of glass spoken of? “It is the earth, in its sanctified immortal, and eternal state.” (Doctrine and Covenants 77:1)
• What are the four beasts? “They are figurative expressions, used by the Revelator, John, in describing heaven, the paradise of God, the happiness of man, and of beasts, and of creeping things, and of the fowls of the air; that which is spiritual being in the likeness of that which is temporal; and that which is temporal in the likeness of what which is spiritual; the spirit of man in the likeness of his person, as also the spirit of the beast, and every other creature which God has created.” (Doctrine and Covenants 77:2)
• Who are the 24 elders? They “…were elders who had been faithful in the work of the ministry and were dead; who belonged to the seven churches, and were then in the paradise of God.” (Doctrine and Covenants 77:5)