*Around the Throne Area

The Heavens Opened  by Anna Rountree

(...)

Praise Purified
The angels in flight gathered some of the praise from the sea of glass and wove it into their praise within each color of the bow (that is, the radiance around the Father) before it went to Him. Some worship went to a small altar on which there appeared to be smoldering coals. I wondered why some went one way and some another.
Epaggelias addressed this unspoken question. “Some praise is already in harmony with heavenly praise, but some must pass through the fire,” he said.

Angels of His Presence
Angelic beings in pale lavender were at this small altar. Their robes were embroidered with deep purple and gold on the sleeves and hem, and they were bound with golden girdles. The palms of their hands were also tinted with the purple color. I felt that they must be angels of His presence. They took great care with all that was going to the Father. There was a delicacy in handling that which belongs to Him, like a shepherd encouraging and assisting a newborn lamb. Whether being woven into the angelic harmony within each color of the radiance, or like a homing pigeon, drawn into the coals on the small altar—all, all goes to Him. Nothing is carried away nor stolen.

Interwovenness
I became more aware of the pleasant fragrance around the throne area and of the interwovenness of sound and color and smell. These cannot be woven together on earth the way they are blended here in heaven. We below can experience them simultaneously, but above they seem to have the same properties. It is more like water being poured into water. Water, having the same properties, can be mixed. So it is here with sound, light, and fragrance. It seems strange to see sound, hear color, and for smell to have a tangible quality to it; yet in heaven it all seems natural and right and even obvious.

Seven Great Flames
There were seven great flames of fire, seven torches, before the throne.
Epaggelias spoke, “These are manifestations of the Holy Spirit. They burn before the throne continually. He reveals Himself here [above] and on earth. The Lamb embodies these, and the Spirit takes of Him. Of the created, heavenly hosts, the seraphim, burning in holiness, most closely resemble these lamps of the Spirit. They burn above, and the lamps burn before [the throne].”

Seraphim
I looked up to see heavenly beings burning right above the most intense light of the throne. Each had six wings. Now and then I could see their faces or the movement of their wings. They burned like blow torches. From them came the sweetest and purest music I had ever heard.

The Twenty -four Elders
In the midst of the intensely white light of the throne area, there stood twenty-four very tall beings with crowns on their heads.° Each wore a chain with a single gold medallion hanging from it. The hair on their heads was white, and they were full of light. I could sense that they were ancient, wise, and bore much authority.
Epaggelias led me into a clear area nearer the throne.

Four Living Creatures
Within the greater light, I could see four living creatures.’ Each was whiter than white, so full of light were they. Each had six wings. One looked like a calf, one like a lion, one like an eagle, and one like a man. Their heads and their feet, paws, hoofs, or claws were golden. They were full of eyes, awesome and very beautiful.
The living creature of light that looked something like a man wore a transparent garment with a collar that came up high from the neck to the ears. This collar looked like an open fan of white lace interwoven with golden thread. A golden yoke and front panel completed the center of the robe. Through the gossamer fabric of his clothing, I could see that his body was covered with eyes. Beneath the wings of each of these living creatures were hands.
When the redeemed dropped to their knees during the dance, these four bowed before the King. Within their hands they held golden bowls that they presented before the throne.
Epaggelias spoke to me: “These represent four great divisions of animate creation.” The Word says that all things are to praise Him. These are the remnant of creation that fulfill that Word. That which they do is attributed to all that God has made.”
“Why do they have golden heads?” I whispered.
“Gold shows their place among those representing creation before the throne,” he answered. “It is a precious metal on earth and representative of Christ here, so their color reflects that which is precious: worshiping God. God deals with the remnant. These four are a certain remnant. Before the throne, God the Almighty, the glorious One, is being praised and worshiped by His creation. The white represents the innocence of all He brought forth originally. It reminds Him that what He created was created pure and uncorrupted in the beginning.”

Concluding the offering of Praise
The offering of worship and thanksgiving by the redeemed was drawing to a close. As one, the redeemed saints stepped forward, their arms around each others’ waists. They knelt on their right knees before the throne, bowing their heads in reverence. The twenty-four ancient ones and the four living creatures knelt, saying amen at the conclusion of the dance.
The myriads of angels praising Him aloft within the radiance stood still. They looked like thousands upon thousands and tier upon tier of organ pipes as far as I could see.
In the silence that followed, God spoke.