It’s pretty much a classic moment . . . when Dorothy opens the door of the house that came crashing down after riding a tornado and she steps out of her black and white Kansas world into the Technicolor world of Oz. Technicolor . . . happening technology in it’s day . . . pretty much taken for granted and forgotten in our day. But as I read Revelation 4 this morning, I too kind of feel like Dorothy looking out that door for the first time . . . not at some man-made Technicolor of Oz . . . but at God created Omnicolor . . . and it causes me to stand wide-eyed as I gaze into heaven’s portal with John.

John is “in the Spirit” as he enters the open door of heaven and the first thing that captures His attention is a throne and the One sitting on the throne. And what impresses Him at once is the color emanating from the One who sits on the throne. The color is like jasper and carnelian. I don’t know much about precious stones, but from what I read, the jasper has the potential to cast of multiple colors while the carnelian, or sardius stone, would have been predominantly a deep red. Whatever the exact array of colors were, you get the sense that they are the visible manifestation of the glory of God.

And around the throne there’s a rainbow . . . a predominantly green rainbow, “in appearance like an emerald.” And I think it too emanates from Him who sits on the throne . . . the throne insufficient to contain the glory of God . . . but the color pouring from it to fill heaven itself.

Whatever the exact colors . . . whatever might be there representative meaning . . . all I know is that to behold the throne is to go into sensory overload. Our eyes will be overwhelmed with trying to process the visible majesty of the One enthroned. But the color intake doesn’t stop there. There are twenty-four elders seated around throne and they are in garments of white and wearing crowns of gold. And before the throne there is a sea of glass which sparkles like crystal. Can you imagine the manifold colors coming off the throne reflecting off the crystal sea before the throne? Neither can I really. I guess that’s what Omnicolor is all about!

Majestic . . . magnificent . . . awe inducing . . . beautiful beyond imagination . . . behold your God!

But the color and visual stimulus is only the beginning. Cue the six-winged living creatures . . . a sight to behold in themselves . . . but it’s not how they look that silences you necessarily, but the sound of their voices as they continually declare, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come.” These would seem to be the seraphim of Isaiah 6 . . . declaring the holiness of God. Perhaps that’s where this cacophony of color comes from . . . the holy essence of Lord God Almighty. So you see the color . . . you hear the voices . . . and then the movement of the elders catches your eye . . . as they fall down before the throne . . . casting their crowns before the feet of God as an expression of the Lord’s worthiness to receive all glory and honor and power.

Can you imagine it? Can you take it in? Maybe not fully . . . but, to some degree . . for Omnicolor is ours to behold as well. “But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.” (1Cor. 2:9-10). The same Spirit which transported John into this heavenly kaleidoscope, indwells us as believers and, as we read these Scriptures, He will reveal to us too, in some measure, the beauty of God’s holiness and the glory of His majesty.

Though, for now, we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, the day is coming when we will see everything with perfect clarity (1Cor 13:12 NLT). The sights and sounds of heaven will be ours to behold “face to face.” And like John, the first thing that will capture our attention is the throne . . . and the Omnicolor of Him who sits on it . . . and like the elders, we’ll fall facedown and give Him all the glory. Can’t wait . . .