The apostle John will surely be recognized as one of the
greatest apostles in eternity.
His most fruitful years were spent as the overseer of the
church at Ephesus. While there, he wrote his gospel and three epistles
(letters). As an old
man he was exiled to the isle of Patmos “...for
the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” (Revelation
1:9b).
While on Patmos Jesus appeared to
John in vision and revealed to him the prophecy we know as the
book of Revelation. Jesus
assigned three divisions to the revelation He gave:
1.
“. . .the things
which you have seen. . .” (chapter
1)
2.
“. . .the things
which are. . .” (the Church age, Chapters 2, 3.
3.
“. . .the things
which will take place after these things.” (Chapters 4-20).
See
Revelation 1:19.
John Was
Caught Up In Spirit To Heaven
At the beginning of Revelation 4 we find John caught up in
the spirit to heaven. To
John alone Jesus gave the privilege of observing in spirit the
events that will follow the church age.
The Holy Spirit enabled him to record what he saw so that
through his eyes we might view the events that will come to pass
after we who make up the church of Jesus are caught up to be with
Him in heaven.
From A Rocky
Cave to God’s Throne Room
God On His
Throne
As a banished exile on Patmos John’s quarters were a cave dug in volcanic rock. In an instant of time he finds himself in the throne room of God. His first impression is that of the heavenly Father on His throne. He describes the Father on His throne as emanating a brilliant, clear light with fiery red light glowing at the center. The clear light represents God’s pure holiness and the red light His justice burning in wrath. In the background there is an emerald green rainbow representing God’s mercy. Those who carefully read on in the book of Revelation find that there will be seven years following the church age which can be labeled “The Wrath of God” (See Revelation 6:16, 17). The wrath of God will fall with increasing intensity on those who persist in their rebellion against His authority. At the same time His mercy is abundantly available to those who yield to His authority and receive His Son, Jesus Christ, as their Savior.
Around
God’s Throne
Letting his gaze drift outward from the throne of God, the Father John sees twenty-four elders sitting on thrones in a circle around the Father’s. They are clothed in white garments and have golden crowns on their heads. Our best guess is that twelve of them represent the twelve tribes of Israel and the other twelve represent the twelve apostles who are the original source of all who come into the church.
John also sees four living creatures with six wings. One like a lion, one like a calf, one like a man and one like an eagle. Ezekiel had a similar vision (Ezekiel 1:5-10). So did Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-7). They guard the approach to God’s throne; proclaim God’s holiness and lead others in worship. They proclaim night and day, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD God, the Almighty, Who was and Who is and Who is to come.” Revelation 4:8b. In response the twenty-four elders fall down before the Father and worship Him. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” Revelation 4:11 We learn from this that God, the Father is worthy of all praise.
The Book In
The Right Hand Of The Father
John’s attention (and ours) is next riveted on a book
lying in the right hand of God, the Father.
We need to understand that in John’s day books were in
the form of scrolls…up to 30 feet long.
The scroll that John saw in the Father’s hand had seven
seals located throughout the book.
As each seal is broken, more of the scroll can be opened up
and more of its contents read.
A Mysterious
Yet Supremely Important Book
With loud voice a mighty angel puts the question to the dwellers of Heaven, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” John’s eyes fasten on the living creatures and the twenty-four elders. They bow their heads in silence. His eyes sweep the assembled throng and pause when he sees cherubim, seraphim and arch angels. They too, stand mute because they know they are not worthy. And John records, “no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look at it.” Revelation 5:3. And so John wept greatly.
Beyond question, this is a
mysterious book that purposely leaves many things in the shadows
of obscurity. Yet,
there are two major revelations that give us the key to
understanding what this book is about:
1. As each seal is broken a great event unfolds that brings the kingdoms of the world one step closer to being reclaimed for God and redeemed mankind’s champion, Jesus Christ.
2. When the seventh seal is broken it initiates seven trumpets to be sounded by seven angels. When the seventh trumpet sounds we read of loud voices in heaven saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever.” We also read that the twenty-four elders fall on their faces and worship God saying, “We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty. . .because You have taken Your great power and reigned.” Revelation 11:15-17.
We are aware that God bestowed upon the first man the authority to rule over God’s creation. “Be fruitful and multiply: fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing. . .”. Genesis 1:28. We also are aware that Lucifer, the highest and most powerful being God created, rebelled against God. With great subtlety he tempted Eve to disobey God. When she did Adam joined her in disobedience. As a result man’s authority to rule over God’s creation was lost. Lucifer seized the scepter of universal rule that fell from Adam’s hand. We have a clear example of how he has used this authority in 2nd Corinthians 4: “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this world has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ…” Verses 3, 4. Lucifer has effectively become the god of this world and he primarily uses his power to keep unsaved men and women from coming to an understanding of salvation. More and more of the world's people have been kept in darkness to the true God.
This is the reason why it is so important that the ruler-ship of the world must be taken away from Lucifer and restored to God. That book in God’s hands contains the steps necessary to bring this to pass. And John continues to weep because no man is worthy to open the book and break its seals.
As John weeps one of the elders informs him, “Do not weep, Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed. . .to open the scroll and and to loose its seven seals.” Revelation 5:5. John lifts his gaze towards God’s throne expecting to see a lion. Instead, he sees a Lamb as if it had been slain standing before God’s throne. The Lamb steps forward and takes the book from the hand of God. When He does the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fall down before the Lamb and begin to sing a new song:
“Worthy
are You to take the scroll and to open its seals; for You were
slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every
tribe and tongue and people and nation.
You have made us kings and priests to our God;
and we shall reign on the earth.”
Heaven and
Earth Rejoices
The living creatures and elders are joined by Cherubim, Seraphim, Arch angels and myriad’s of angels beyond number saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” Revelation 5:12.
Because He
Was Slain For Our Sins
He "Who being in the form of God (and) did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond-servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Philippians 2:6-8. (See also 1st Peter 1:18, 19.)
Every animal sacrifice by God’s redeemed people in the Old Testament was a picture of one of the benefits received by the sacrifice of “the Lamb of God”.
The spirit of prophecy in the Old Testament prophets reaches its zenith in Isaiah 53. God allowed Isaiah to see the Lamb of God hanging on the cross and here is how he described it: “Surely He has borne our grief’s and carried our sorrows: Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned, every one to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." . Verses 4-6.
The apostle Paul summed up New Testament teaching on the sacrifice of Christ when he wrote, “He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.´ 2nd Corinthians 5:21.
Because He
Purchased People for God From Every Ethnic Group
Our daily news is filled with reports of people hating and killing other people because they have a different bone structure or because they have more or less skin coloring or they speak a different language. Not so Jesus Christ. He loved the whole world and He received the punishment for the sins of all mankind and He turns no one away who comes to Him in sincerity and receives Him by faith as their Savior. All those who join in this chorus of praise to Jesus are brothers and sisters in Christ.
Regardless of our social status redeemed people know that morally and spiritually our classification was somewhere between being “down and outers and up and outers” before we got saved. But now we know we are royalty in waiting and can intercede as priests before God on behalf of the needs of other people. When Jesus takes His throne our positions will be exalted to an even higher level.
As a sacrificial Lamb Jesus made all this possible. He is worthy of all our praise.
Copyright © 2002 Thomas E Berry
All Scriptures quoted from NKJV unless otherwise noted
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Copyright © 2003 Truth Helpers Inc.