Through the Eyes of the Living Creatures

by Nathan Shaw

The book of Revelation masterfully draws the reader into its revelations. It’s not a book you merely read for information. It’s a book that opens up the Spirit realm and then draws you into it. Quite unexpectedly God whispered this phrase to me: “In the Spirit, through the door, through the eyes.” These three short statements describe something of John’s journey in Revelation. Although the phrase only contains nine words, it reveals a dynamic progression that opens up the realms of the knowledge of God. “In the Spirit,” “through the door,” and, “through the eyes,” all reveal location and perspective. Those who understand location and perspective understand the times. Those who don’t understand location and perspective misinterpret the times.

In the Spirit

In Revelation chapter one John informs the reader about his location. In fact he mentions two locations. Firstly, he is on the island of Patmos, and secondly, he is in the Spirit (Revelation 1:9-10). It is from the second location that John hears Jesus’ trumpet-like voice and sees Jesus’ resplendent glory. There are a lot of things you don’t hear and see until you are in the Spirit. John sees Jesus walking among seven candlesticks. The seven candlesticks represent the seven churches of Asia Minor. John then receives messages from Jesus for the seven churches. It’s a revelation of how intimately involved Jesus is with His church—He walks among them. The first three chapters of Revelation form one scene. Front and center in this scene is Jesus’ heart for His church. At the end of the scene there is a major transition.

Through the Door

John sees a door standing open in heaven and for the second time hears Jesus’ trumpet-like voice (Revelation 4:1). Immediately John finds himself through the door and standing before God’s throne. An intriguing drama unfolds before him about an unopened scroll in the hand of the One on the throne. There is a brief moment of suspense when it appears as if no one can open the scroll. Finally a very relieved John is informed that there is One who can open it. Jesus is then introduced as a Lion, but appears as a Lamb. Front and center in this scene is a throne and a scroll.

Through the door John is ushered into a realm of profound governmental authority that manifests through the unsealing of a scroll. The seven seals, seven trumpets and seven bowls that follow are all an outworking of God’s authority over the nations and God’s plan for the nations. The seals, trumpets and bowls are all connected to a throne. God is calling His church to step through the door, encounter His throne, and see the outworking of history from this position. The revelations John receives “in the Spirit” and “through the door” are intense and profound. Regardless, while he is before the throne another level of revelation opens up to him.

Through the Eyes

Around the throne are four living creatures. These majestic creatures—resembling a lion, an ox, a man and an eagle—have wings and are covered with eyes (Revelation 4:7-8). Their eyes give them the ability to look into the One who is on the throne. What they see is so profound it causes them to cry out in awe and devotion day and night. When a person cries out in fear, pain or triumph you can feel that person’s reality in the sound of their voice. It is the same way with the living creatures. The living creatures are anointed to convey through their voices what they see with their eyes. The impact of their voices is so profound it causes the twenty four elders to aggressively throw themselves on the ground before the One on the throne and before the Lamb. When the multitudes around the throne hear the thunderous cry of the living creatures there is a sense in which they also see through the eyes of the living creatures.

The four living creatures and the twenty four elders sing what is described as a new song. The song reveals exactly what they are seeing: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:9-10). Many wrongly assume that the dominant theme of Revelation is judgment. It is not. The theme of this song is redemption, not judgment. The dominant theme of Revelation is the redemption of the nations through the sacrifice of the Lamb. The theme of judgment is always subservient to the theme of redemption. The cry of the living creatures reveals and releases the movement of God’s heart of redemption.

A Kingdom of Priests

As profound as the revelation was that John received in Revelation chapters one to three, he saw something even more profound when he stepped through the open door. As profound as the revelation was that John received when he looked on the throne, he saw something even more profound when saw through the eyes of the living creatures. Although the phrase “in the Spirit, through the door, through the eyes” unfolds three dynamic levels of revelation experienced by John, it’s important to realize that the revelations weren’t given exclusively for John. John was given a message for a kingdom of priests and we are those priests (1 Peter 2:9, Revelation 1:6, 5:10)! When you read the book of Revelation you can tell yourself, “This is not just John’s realm, this is my realm.” Priests operate in the Spirit. Priests step through open doors. Priests see with precision and depth into the heart of God and help administrate His purposes on the earth. We have only just begun to understand our priestly role in the times in which we live.

© 2024 Nathan Shaw.

Related Articles:
Through the Door – Nathan Shaw
Priests and Doors – Nathan Shaw

Back to Articles