Month: November 2023

Worthy is the Lamb: Jesus Christ Unlocks History – Revelation 5:1-14

THE TEXT:

The text for the sermon today is Revelation 5:1-14. Our text can be found on page 1030. These are the words of God:

5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
9 And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
10         and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”
11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”
13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

INTRODUCTION

What makes you celebrate? This coming Thursday our nation will sit down to tables spread with turkey, dressing, a variety of vegetables that all the children will pass over, and pumpkin pies. As a nation, we’ll celebrate all the many blessings we enjoy, giving thanks and enjoying family and friends.

But there are many other occasions for celebrations that we observe. Our entire year is full of celebrations. We celebrate national holidays such as Independence Day or Memorial Day. We celebrate religious holidays such as Easter and Christmas. We even celebrate holidays that we don’t understand.

Originally St. Patrick’s Day was called the Feast of St. Patrick, in which the church celebrated the conversion of Ireland from paganism to Christianity. But what about today? What are we celebrating? Ireland? The color green? Shamrocks and leprechauns?

Once a year we celebrate birthdays, which mark off another year of God’s sustaining our physical life. We throw showers and receptions for weddings and babies, celebrating the beginning of a new family or a new generation. You might celebrate a personal milestone, like the graduation of high school or college, or a promotion at work.

Celebrations set human beings apart from every other living creature. Dogs don’t celebrate wedding anniversaries. Cats don’t celebrate a month of weight loss with a cheat meal. Chimpanzees don’t throw parties when their children graduate from Ape School.

RAISE THE NEED, SIGNPOSTS, STATE THE DESTINATION

But why? Why do we celebrate? If you think about it, from an evolutionary perspective, celebrations are terribly wasteful; they are an unnecessary expenditure of resources that could be saved up for the survival of the species. So, why do we celebrate?

Friend, you might say that celebrations are part of what make humans human. Because we are made in the image of the Creator, we have an internal knowledge that our lives are significant. The events of history have real and lasting meaning, be they the founding of a nation in 1776, or the evangelization of Ireland. In fact, historical events are so imbued and charged with meaning precisely because God works within history.

That’s why we celebrate Christmas. We recognize that the Son of God, as a fact of history, took unto himself a human nature, and had a birthday. That same Son of God, as a fact of history, was crucified outside of Jerusalem bearing the sins of his people, and was raised again three days later.

You see, the Christian view of history is not like the evolutionary view, which requires blind chance to determine what happens next. Nor is the Christian view of history like the Marxist view, that the material world is all there is, and therefore history is determined by economic relationships.

Rather, we believe that God who spoke both time and space into existence; who created all things by the Word of his power, is the same God who in Christ Jesus is redeeming all things in heaven and earth. The end of history isn’t the frozen, dead universe of the evolutionist, nor is it some utopia brought about by the proletariat’s rebellion against the bourgeoisie.

No, the end of history is a cosmic celebration, and as we will see in our passage today, it is brought about through the person of Jesus Christ. As we consider the unlocking of history, and the celebration that awaits those who are in Christ, let’s work through this passage in 4 parts:

  1. The Scroll He Saw (5:1)
  2. The Tears He Shed (5:2-4)
  3. The Comfort He Received (5:5-7)
  4. The Song He Heard (5:8-14)

Church, as we examine this passage, I pray you will know that Christ alone unlocks all of history. And if you are not a Christian, I pray that even today you will see that your life fits into God’s plan to redeem all things in Christ, and therefore you will turn to him in faith.

  1. THE SCROLL HE SAW (5:1)

In order to set the stage, consider what we studied last week in Revelation 4. The Apostle John, exiled on the Aegean island of Patmos for preaching Christ, received a vision from Jesus Christ in which he was invited up into heaven and there he saw, at the center of all things: a throne. God, seated on his throne is the ultimate center of all reality, and John relayed to us the worship that eternally occurs there.

Now, in Revelation 5:1 we read the following:

5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals.

Our attention is drawn from the one on the throne to a scroll or book in his right hand, the hand of God’s power.

If you were a first-century Roman citizen, you would instantly recognize the significance of a seven-sealed scroll. That’s because, in ancient Rome, the last will of a person’s estate and inheritance was written front and back on a scroll and sealed by seven witnesses. Only upon the death of a testator could the seals be broken and the legal inheritance be executed. So, this scroll is a deed of inheritance.

On the other hand, Jews reading this knew that centuries earlier, God had worked powerfully in the life of the prophet Daniel. Daniel gave many prophecies of the kingdoms of Babylon, the Medes & Persians, of even Greece and Rome.

Daniel was also told of the last days when God would judge sin and evil. In Daniel 7:13 we read these words:

13 “I saw in the night visions,

and behold, with the clouds of heaven

there came one like a son of man,

and he came to the Ancient of Days

and was presented before him.

14 And to him was given dominion

and glory and a kingdom,

that all peoples, nations, and languages

should serve him;

his dominion is an everlasting dominion,

which shall not pass away,

and his kingdom one

that shall not be destroyed.

In the final chapter of the book, Daniel inquired of the Lord when these last days would take place. But instead of giving Daniel an answer, the Lord told Daniel to “shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end.” (Dan. 12:4, 9)

Amazingly, the Lord Jesus, in Mark 14:62, foretelling his resurrection form the dead and ascension to the Father, quotes this very passage.

62 And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

You see, Daniel’s prophecy had been sealed up because the saints of the Old Testament could not have understood the full meaning of the Messianic age without direct knowledge of who Jesus Christ is, and what he came to do. But now that Christ has been revealed in the flesh, history has entered its final phase.

Church, you are living in the last days. The prophets like Daniel, Ezekiel, and Isaiah, foresaw a future age in which God’s Messiah would rule and reign, it would be a time of peace when the nations would come to Christ, they would learn to obey God’s commands, and God’s glory would cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.

But, when you turn to the New Testament, you realize that this reign of Christ, which the prophets saw as taking place at the end of the age, actually overlaps our current age. In other words, the kingdom reign of Christ is inaugurated not at the end of history, but right in the middle.

If we take both of those together we begin to form an understanding of what this scroll represents. This scroll represents the title deed to the earth, the plans, purposes, and judgments of God. It is written on both front and back, therefore nothing can be added to this plan.And, this scroll represents the unfolding of all history between Christ’s first and second advent. And John desperately wants to see what is in this scroll. How will God unfold the end of history and bring it to its consummation?

  1. THE TEARS HE SHED (5:2-4)

2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.

The only way to unlock all of God’s redemptive plan and judgment is to break the seals and open the scroll. And the question is, as Joel Beeke says, “Who is equal to the task of executing God’s plan, realizing his decrees, and carrying out his purposes in the universe? If it were left to us, there would be no kingdom of God, no salvation for mankind, no spread of the gospel, and no final righteous judgment.” And therefore, John weeps.

Friend, what do you weep about? What brings tears to your eyes? Do you weep over your own need for forgiveness? Do you weep for those who have not heard the gospel? When you see hostages taken in Israel, cities bombed in Ukraine, and abortion legalized in our own nation, do you weep; longing for the day when God will set things to right? Church, apart from Jesus Christ opening this scroll, there is no hope for us, for the nations, for good.

Friends, notice that the question asked is not whether someone is strong enough to open the book. Rather, the question is, “Who is worthy?” Is there anyone who has the character, the righteousness, the quality of life to receive this title deed to the earth? And John weeps, for no one in heaven was worthy.

Consider who was in heaven when John received this vision. The Apostle Paul had already been beheaded by Nero nearly two decades earlier, as had Peter within a few years of Paul. But neither of these men, hand-selected by Jesus himself were worthy.

What about David, Israel’s greatest king, the man after God’s own heart? Or what about Moses, the great prophet and deliverer of the children of Israel; the man who split the Red Sea and saw the glory of God on Sinai and delivered God’s law to the people. What about Abraham, the father of the faith, who believed God and it was counted unto him as righteousness?

Friend, no one in heaven, not even the holiest saint was found worthy to receive this book.

The search expanded to earth. Surely there were great and powerful leaders of men, kings and emperors who might be able to enact and bring about God’s plans of redemption and judgment. But no. No man or woman on earth could be found. Not the Emperor Domitian, or any of the early church fathers.

Church this is a reminder that even the best of men, are men at best. As important as it is that we elect godly men and women to public office, and it is, none of them are able to enact God’s eternal plans of redemption. No politician, no pastor, no spouse, no child. If we place the hope of our immortal souls in any of these, not only will our hearts be broken, but we’ll become idolaters; looking to men for what only the Son of Man can do.

We have seen:

  1. The Scroll He Saw
  2. The Tears He Shed

Now…

  1. THE COMFORT HE RECEIVED (5:5-7)

As John weeps and no one can be found who is worthy, one of the 24 elders notices his tears and speaks words of tremendous comfort:

5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Who is this Lion of Judah and Root of David? Well, those are two Old Testament references to Jesus Christ. The first comes from Genesis 49:

 

9 Judah is a lion’s cub;

from the prey, my son, you have gone up.

He stooped down; he crouched as a lion

and as a lioness; who dares rouse him?

10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah,

nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,

until tribute comes to him;

and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

And the second is from Isaiah 11:9

10 In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.

These were prophecies that would help Israel properly identify the Messiah of God. He would descend from the tribe of Judah, and more specifically, from the lineage of Jesse and King David.

Of course, Jesus perfectly meets these two prophetic requirements. He is the Lion of Judah. As the Root of Jesse, he is the rightful heir to David’s throne. And, as John turns to see this conquering Lion he is utterly shocked because when he turns around, instead of a Lion he sees a Lamb. And not just a Lamb, but who somehow appears to have been offered as a blood sacrifice. Yet this Lamb is standing and alive.

What is happening? Who is this one who is both a Lion and a Lamb? And what makes him worthy of taking the scroll? Church this is Jesus Christ, and what qualifies him is his victory: he conquered. But unlike every other human conqueror, Jesus victory is greater and his means of victory are more surprising. What did he conquer? While other warriors conquered nations, Jesus conquered the power of sin and the plans of the devil. In his perfectly obedient life Jesus conquered sin. He did what the first Adam did not do; where we failed to obey God, Christ the Son perfectly obeyed the Father on our behalf and received our punishment. And, in his resurrection, he conquered the plan of the devil to destroy him. Church, who could possibly execute the contents of this scroll if he could not first be master over sin? Who could bring about God’s redemptive plan and judgments if he was not able to first triumph over Satan? This is what makes Jesus, and Jesus alone, worthy to unlock all of God’s plans for history. And this is what brought John comfort.

Friend, this is what will bring you comfort in your distress, in your disappointments: Christ has conquered. Has your life not worked out the way you had planned: Christ has conquered. Have you received a diagnosis that has shaken you: Christ died in your place and was raised. Are you daily weighed down with concerns for your future? Friend, not one of God’s redemptive purposes will fail because Jesus Christ, the Lion of Judah, the Root of Jesse, the Lamb who was slain has taken the scroll and he will execute every line of God’s eternal plans not just for the cosmos—but for you personally.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take

The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy and shall break

In blessings on your head.

The Scroll he saw, the tears he shed, the comfort he received…

  1. THE SONG HE HEARD (5:8-14)

 

When Christ takes the scroll from the one seated on the throne all of heaven and all of earth break out in song. John says “every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth,” acknowledges the kingly rule of Jesus Christ. And as they sing about the worthiness of the Lamb, I want to draw your attention to two details in their song.

First, I want you to notice that the Lamb possesses the same power and authority as the one who is seated on the throne. When heaven worships the Lamb, they are worshipping God. When heaven worships the one on the throne in chapter 4, they are worshiping God. Just as the elders fell before the throne in chapter 4, they now fall down at the feet of the Lamb. This is because the Lamb is the Second Person in the Holy Trinity. Though the Son of God is distinct from the Father in his person, he is equal in essence or nature. One of the greatest statements on the deity of Christ comes from the Nicene Creed, written in A.D. 325. Of the son it says:

[I believe in] one Lord Jesus Christ,
      the only Son of God,
      begotten from the Father before all ages,
           God from God,
           Light from Light,
           true God from true God,
      begotten, not made;
      of the same essence as the Father.

I don’t know if you realize this, but the Christian view of Jesus is different from the Islamic, Jehovah’s Witness, or Mormon view of Jesus. The Islamic view of Christ is that he was a mere human prophet. The view of Jehovah’s Witness is that Jesus Christ was a created by Jehovah as the archangel Michael and is a lesser God. The Mormon view is that Jesus is the offspring of a “heavenly father” and “heavenly mother,” who became exalted to godhood and, even more strangely, that Jesus and Lucifer (who were brothers) both offered to be the Messiah. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus a created being. Church, we may have family, friends, or neighbors who are Muslim, Jehovah’s Witnesses, or Mormon, and we have a responsibility to love them by explaining to them, from passages like Revelation 5, that Jesus Christ is clearly the eternally existent Son of God.

The second detail I want you to note in their song is this: Jesus Christ ransomed a people.

9 And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll

and to open its seals,

for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God

from every tribe and language and people and nation,

When Jesus Christ went to the cross, he was not dying for the possibility that some might be saved. No, he ransomed actual people. He didn’t die for the prospect that sinners in general might be saved. Rather, he took a list of names to the cross. He died for the sins of his people. But notice where his people come from: every tribe, every language, every people, every nation. The death of Christ embraces all sorts of men and women: all ethnic groups, and linguistic groups. There is no favoritism or partiality. He did not save us because we were beautiful, but to make us beautiful. He did not ransom us because we were righteous but to give us his perfect righteousness. Friend, though God chooses to save, “that choice is not elitist, or snobbish. There is no preference or bias.” (Beeke) He welcomes the weakest, the vilest the poor.

So, if you hear his voice today, if you believe he has died to redeem you from your sins today, then trust him. Confess your need of him. If you have more questions about what that means, after the service come talk to me, or even talk to one of the people sitting near you. This church is full of people who love Jesus and can help explain the gospel to you.

That soul who on Jesus has leaned for repose,

I will not I will not desert to its foes

That soul though all hell should endeavor to shake

I’ll never no never no never forsake.

Holy, Holy, Holy: Worship in the Throne Room of Heaven

THE TEXT:

The text for the sermon today is Revelation 4:1-11. Our text can be found on page 1030. These are the words of God:

After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 3 And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, 6 and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 7 the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. 8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

                        “Holy, holy, holy, is he Lord God Almighty,

who was and is and is to come!”

9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

            11          “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

                        for you created all things,

and by your will they existed and were created.

INTRODUCTION

For as long as human beings have recorded history, we have records of ancient people looking up into the night sky, seeing stars and planets wheeling around, and wondering, “What is it that holds the universe together?” You are likely familiar with some of the most famous answers to that perennial question.

Claudius Ptolemy, a mathematician and astronomer who lived in Egypt just after the time of Christ, recognized that from any point on Earth, one gets the impression that the Sun, moon, stars and planets all revolve around the Earth once every twenty-four hours, and the earth appears to be an unmoving, stable, and stationary foundation. This theory, widely held during the ancient world and the Middle Ages became known as the Ptolemaic system.

But there were problems. Astronomers noticed that at different times of the year, the planet Mars appeared to reverse its course and move backward. Venus, which ought to orbit the earth inside the orbit of the Sun should only be seen in crescent or new phases, but never full, yet the astronomer Galileo looked through his telescope and saw her shining in a full phase.

Clearly, the Ptolemaic system, with the Earth as the center point, was not sufficient to explain the true nature of the universe. It would be 1,400 years before Nicolaus Copernicus would publish his famous work, “On the Revolutions of the Celestial Sphere,” which theorized that the Sun, not the Earth was the center of the solar system.

As an interesting side-note: Copernicus was convinced to publish his theories by a man named Rheticus, a mathematician from Wittenberg Germany who had been introduced to him by none other than Philipp Melanchthon, the close friend of the German reformer Martin Luther.

What followed was a scientific revolution. Having knowledge about the center of the solar system explains every other orbiting body. Or, put another way, a false understanding of the center will cause you to misunderstand everything else.

In Revelation 4, the Apostle John gives us a picture of the center, not simply of the solar system, or even the entire universe. He directs our attention to the center of all things material and spiritual, past, present, and future. This center is not a planet or a star, it is the very throne of God in heaven. As we begin to understand these eleven verses, a few reminders.

First, Revelation is not linear, but cyclical, and chapter 4 begins the second of seven cycles which repeat the same essential message: God rules history and will bring history to it ultimate consummation in Christ. That message is repeated in every section of visions, but from slightly different vantage points. For this reason, Revelation is a book for today, for us, for our difficulties.

Second, Revelation speaks to us in symbols. We are not to read this book in a literalistic manner. It is not a puzzle book, it’s a picture book. Revelation addresses spiritually anesthetized saints, employing vivid, and often terrifying symbols in order to shake us, wake us, and sober us to cosmic realities.

Friend, as you watch the news unfold, there is no question that the world is heaving in tumult. But Revelation reminds us that the violent storms of human history cannot be explained in merely human terms. Rather, these storms are part of a war in the cosmos.

What is it that will keep us buoyant and bear us up through the storms of history? What will keep us anchored and settled? John shows us that at the center of all things—there is one who is seated upon the throne. And, as we look to this throne, and learn who it is that sits upon the throne, not only are our hearts more settled and composed, but we even begin to rejoice and sing.

Church, we learn the identity of this one upon the throne as we see:

  1. Where He Is (4:1-2)
  2. Who He Is (4:3-7)
  3. What He Deserves (4:8-11)

And friend, if you have not yet placed your faith in Christ as the only savior of sinners, well I pray that even as this sermon is preached, you will begin to turn to him and believe.

  1. WHERE HE IS (4:1-2)

In Heaven. (v. 1)

This is the second vision of Christ given to John in Revelation. The first vision is found in chapters 1-3, and this second vision begins in chapter 4 and concludes in chapter 7.

Notice several similarities. Both the first vision in Chapter 1 and this second vision begin with a voice like the blast of a trumpet, and John is told that he will see things which must soon take place. In both visions, John tells us that he is in the Spirit.

In this vision, John is invited to step outside of time and space, into heaven. From this heavenly vantage point, John will see the sweep of all future history in the following chapters, but the first thing he sees in heaven is a throne.

On the Throne. (v. 2)

The throne is the symbol of kingly authority and dominion. The king, seated on the throne, shows us that the Lord God rules and reigns. Because this is a heavenly throne, the understanding of this king is exalted. The judgments of this king are uncontested. The sovereign will of this king dominates.

You might even say the word “throne” is one of the main themes of Revelation. The word occurs 62 times in the New Testament; 47 times in Revelation, and 17 of those 47 are found here in chapters 4 and 5.

The Centrality of the Throne. (v. 2 & following)

This throne is not simply in heaven. Notice that this throne is the centerpiece of heaven. Everything else in the passage surrounds the throne. Around the throne is a rainbow. Around the throne are the 24 elders. Out from the throne come lightening. Around the throne on each side are the four living creatures.

Friend you must read this passage imaginatively. John isn’t just telling you about a throne “up there.” He is painting a picture of a throne at the center of everything that is.

The center point of history, the center point of your life, that around which all else orbits is the eternal throne of God. Friend, your life is not an accident. The events of this last week were not random.

We may not understand why God allows all that he allows in the world today—but thanks be to God that the center of the universe isn’t the empty vacuum of space, rather it is the occupied throne of heaven.

I wonder if you live as if God is on the throne, or if you are living as if your life is an accident or mistake. Friend, if God sits on the throne, then the year of your birth wasn’t a mistake. The gender of your body is not a mistake. The role that God has called you to fulfill as a man or woman is not a mistake.

John is showing us that everything, from war in the Middle East, to even the chromosomes in our body find their meaning and significance in relationship to the occupied throne in heaven.

So, we see that the Lord God is in heaven, seated on a throne, and that throne is the center point of all that is. That’s where he is. Now, let’s see:

  1. WHO HE IS (4:3-7)

Surprisingly, John does not give us a physical description of the one seated on the throne. In this passage, we do not learn who he is by looking at him, but by noticing who and what it is that surrounds his throne.

When we see these images of thunder, and elders, and living creatures we must remember that they are not the focus. They are present in this vision in order to direct our focus towards the throne. Their individual characteristics shed light and understanding on the identity and character of the one seated on the throne. So, what do we see?

First, in verse 3, we see colors.

3 And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.

Jasper, which can reflect a myriad of colors, symbolizes the multifaceted glory of God. Carnelian, an opaque red stone stands for wrath and judgment. Finally, a rainbow like an emerald, reminds us of God’s mercy; for when God judged the earth in the days of Noah, he set a rainbow in the sky as a sign that he would never again flood the earth in judgment.

We won’t turn there now, but in Exodus 28, God instructed Moses to work these same stones into the breastplate and shoulder pieces of the priestly garments of Israel.

We also see these same stones in Revelation 21:18-21, where they serve as the foundation and walls of the New Jerusalem which comes down out of heaven. The walls and foundation of the new Jerusalem reflect God’s glory, his wrath, and his mercy.

What does all this mean? I believe John is showing us that this one who sits on the throne is the same one who forgave the sins of his people in Exodus, he is the same one who builds a new heavens and a new earth. From the first to the last, he is the glorious, wrathful, and merciful sovereign God. Everything, from the priestly worship of Israel to the very walls of the new creation rests upon the brilliance of God’s glory.

After these colors, we see 24 thrones and 24 elders seated upon them.

4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads.

Who are these elders? Are they human? Angelic? These elders appear 12 times in Revelation. In Revelation 7 they are distinguished from the great throng of common angels.

11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, (Rev. 7:11)

In the same passage, they are also distinguished from Christians who endure through the tribulation.

13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. (Rev. 7:13)

They do, however, represent the saints of God before the throne.

the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. (Rev. 5:8)

I believe these 24 elders are a special order of angelic beings who represent the church before the throne. But why are there 24? Well, I believe the answer is that just as there were 12 tribes in Israel and 12 apostles of Christ, these 24 elders represent the true church in all ages, Old Covenant and New, before the throne of God.

Here we see that the one on the throne is aware of the needs of the church in every age. Today we are being represented in heaven. Our prayers are being heard. You may not be able to get through to the President, the Governor, or even your cable company representative. But if you prayed to the Lord this morning, you were heard.

And friend, if you are not a Christian, these 24 elders show us that God, who is the creator, is also the redeemer of sinners; those who have ignored God, disobeyed his commands, and instead lived for themselves.

How has he done that: by sending his own Son to become a human, to live a life of perfect obedience, and to receive the just punishment that we deserved. And that’s exactly what Jesus Christ did.

Friend to become a Christian means to turn from a life of ignoring and disobeying God, towards Jesus Christ—believing that he has taken your place, received your condemnation in his death, and that he was raised again. Turn to him today. Believe today. Look to Christ, and know that the Lord of heaven and earth has received you, hears you, loves you, forgives you, and welcomes you.

Lightnings

After the 24 Elders, we see that lightning and thunder shoot from the throne. This same language of “lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder” occurs again in Revelation 8:5, 11:19, and 16:18 and each time represents the judgments of God poured out on earth. In fact, if you read those three passages you will see this common theme. The thundering of God’s judgment always is presented as the final judgment upon those who persecute God’s people. God’s people are oppressed, they cry out to the Lord, and the result is the swift and final judgment of God.

So we have seen colors, elders, lightnings and now a sea of glass.

In the ancient world, the sea was a fearful place. Storms at sea wrecked ships. The seas were the source of mythical monsters. If you go back to Genesis 1, before God made the land, the earth is said to be one giant chaotic ocean. In Revelation 13, a beast rises out of the sea. But here, the sea isn’t foaming and threatening; it isn’t chaotic and unruly. Rather, it’s so still it looks like solid crystal. In the presence of God’s throne, the seas are tamed and docile.

Friends, this should also remind us of the power of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who had the ability to speak to the winds and the waves and command them to be still.

Finally, the last sight John sees are these four living creatures.

And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 7 the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. 8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within

You say, “What are the living creatures?” Well, just as the church is represented by the Elders, I believe we are seeing the heavenly representatives of all created living creatures. The lion is the king of the wild animals. The ox is the strongest of the domesticated animals. The eagle is Lord of the sky, and man is the ruler of the animals. Why are they said to be full of eyes? Because they are representing every animal on the globe, who see and behold all of creation.

So, who is this one upon the throne? Though we do not see him directly, those who surround his throne paint a vivid picture. He is the sovereign Lord. He alone can silence the tumult of the seas. He is the redeemer, who will pardon and receive all who come to him asking for mercy. He is the ruler over every creature, from the greatest to the smallest. Church, there is no one like him.

And for that reason, when we come face to face with the enthroned Lord of heaven and earth, the only proper question is, “What does he deserve?”

  1. WHAT HE DESERVES (4:8-11)

These four living creatures, the heavenly representatives of all ensouled life on earth, serve one purpose; they have one responsibility. Verse 8 tells us that:

day and night they never cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,

      who was and is and is to come!”

Church, much like the seraphim in Isaiah 6, these four living creatures, from the moment of their creation, have never stopped in their worship of the one true God. They declare his holiness; that is, he alone is totally and utterly set apart from creation. God is not to be identified with anything else in creation.

There exists an infinite chasm between the everlasting God and the world he made. He is not mortal. He is not material. He is not created. He is not finite. He is not time-bound. He is not space-bound.

And, every time these four living creatures give honor and glory to God, verse 10 tells us that:

10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

            11          “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

                        for you created all things,

and by your will they existed and were created.”

Once again, they stress God’s unique nature—that he alone is the uncreated God who made all things. That he alone is the self-sustaining, self-causing, eternal being who creates and sustains all else.

Church, day and night, morning and evening, through every season, through every tumultuous century of human history, heavenly praise has been offered before the throne of God.

While evil men and women mock God on earth, the Lord has received all that he deserves in heaven. This is one of the reasons Christ taught us to pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

One of the questions you may have, as you consider this passage is, “Is this what heaven is going to be like for us? One long eternal song?” Well, no. This is but one portrait of heaven. We will see others that give more detail in this book. But friend, let me just say that if the idea of an eternal song of praise bores you, then perhaps you don’t truly understand who God is and what he deserves.

Church, consider all that John has seen: 7 churches who are persecuted. Consider what is to come: the unleashing of judgments, a beast who persecutes the church, Babylon which wars against the saints. Yet, as great and terrifying as these visions are, when you are in the presence of the throne—they aren’t even worth mentioning.

In fact, as we will see next week—the only way these judgments come to be is because the Lord God, and the Lamb who was slain decree and enact these judgments.

Friend, if you believe that the kings and rulers of the nations of the earth are the center of the universe, if you even believe your own life is the center of all things, you will be tossed about, up and down, anxious and confused.

But, if like John, you see that at the center of it all is a throne, occupied by the holy and sovereign creator, even when you are anxious, even when you are confused, you will not be overwhelmed. This is the anchor of your life, the center point around which you orbit.