New Testament Reading: Revelation 6 8:1-5

“Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, ‘Come!’ And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer. When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, ‘Come!’ And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword. When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, ‘Come!’ And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, ‘A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!’ When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, ‘Come!’ And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth. When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, ‘O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?’” (Revelation 6, ESV).

“When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake” (Revelation 8:1–5, ESV).

Introduction

Brothers and sisters, we have now come to another section in the book of Revelation. You are beginning to see just how structured the book is. In fact, I can’t think of another book of the Bible with more of an explicit and obvious structure than the book of Revelation. In particular you’re beginning to see just how important the number seven is to the organization of this book. Remember that in the opening chapter John saw a heavenly vision where Christ was seen walking in the midst of seven lampstands. These, we were told, represented seven churches. And then that heavenly vision of Christ walking in the midst of the seven lampstands gave way to chapters two and three which contain the letters written to those seven churches. Do you see that the seven churches were first symbolized by the seven lampstands, the general message being that Christ walks in the midst of his churches, and then much more was revealed to and about those seven churches in the seven letters that followed? Likewise, in chapters four and five, John records for us another heavenly vision. In the first part of this vision everything focuses upon God enthroned. After that Jesus the Christ takes center stage. This time he appeared, not as one like a son of man, but as a lamb that had been slain, with seven horns and seven eyes. And remember that in this vision Christ was seen interacting with another object with seven parts to it. This time it is not a seven pronged lampstand, but a scroll with seven seals on. God had it in his right hand and gave it to Christ, for he alone was found worthy to open it. What does that scroll with seven seals symbolize? It symbolizes this general truth: that God has written a decree. He has a plan for human history. John was invited to come up in to heaven so that he might see “what must take place after this.” What are we to expect is written on the scroll front and back? Should we not expect that it is God’s decree concerning what “what must take place”, from John’s day forward? And if that is what is symbolized by the presence of the scroll sealed with seven seals in God’s right hand, what do you expect to happen next in the book of Revelation? Well, just as the sight of Jesus standing in the midst of the seven pronged lamp stand gave way to the revelation of the content of the letters to the seven churches, so too we should expect the sight of a scroll sealed with seven seals given to Christ to give way to the opening of those seals.

Indeed, that is what we have before us. Revelation 6 and 8:1-5 describe to us the opening of the seven seals, one after the next. With the breaking of each seal something new was revealed to John, and through John to us, concerning how things would go from that day forward. John was progressively shown the things that “must take place after this”, “this” being a reference to his day, and not ours.

We will devote at least three sermons to the seal cycle. Today I wish to overview the seal cycle, making general observations abut it. Next Sunday we will take a break from Revelation to consider a  topic that we need to address. In two weeks we will return to consider the first four seals in detail, for they go together. In three weeks Dr. Renihan will be preaching. And in four weeks we will come back to consider seals five through seven.

So the task today is to consider the entire seal cycle broadly, and to make some general observations about it, before closing with application. My hope is that we will leave here today with a clear understanding of what these seals signify in general. I have seven observations.

The Seal Cycle Is Intimately Connected To All That Has Come Before And All That Will Follow In The Book Of Revelation

First of all, it is important to recognize that the seal cycle is intimately connected to all that has come before it and all that will follow it in the book of Revelation.

In the introduction to this sermon I emphasized just how obvious the structure of the book of Revelation is. The book certainly consists of parts. Those parts are easy to identify, and it is important that we recognize them! But is also important that we recognize how the parts of the book of Revelation fit together to make up one whole and unified book. The book is highly structured, yes. But it is a unified book. It has one story to tell. It has one message to communicate. From beginning to end it proclaims this message to to the people of God: “Here is how things really are now in heaven! Here is how things will be on earth in the time between Christ’s first and second coming! And here is how it will be in the end! Now live accordingly. Walk faithfully in this world. Worship Christ. Serve Christ. Witness to Christ. Never turn back.” That is the message of the book of Revelation. It was as much for the people of God living in John’s day as it is for us today. Though the book consists of parts, the parts fit together to make up this unified whole.

The Christ who opens the seals is the Christ who received the scroll from the Father enthroned in heaven. This is the same Christ who addressed the seven church and who was seen walking in the midst of them in the opening vision. The whole book, therefore, is

“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near” (Revelation 1:1–3, ESV).

So, although it easy to recognize that we have now entered into a new section of the book of Revelation it is important to see that each section coheres with what has come before and what comes after. The vision of chapters four and five flow naturally into the breaking of the seals in chapters six and eight. And the breaking of the seventh seal will, as we will see, flow naturally into the sounding of seven trumpets, and so on and so forth. The book tells a story.

There Is No Indication In The Text That A Gap Of Time Stands Between Chapters Five And Six Of The Book Revelation

Secondly, we must recognize that there is no indication in the text that a gap of time stands between chapters five and six of the book Revelation. 

This observation should sound familiar to you. I made the same observation about the chronological relationship between chapters three and four of the book of Revelation when we began to study chapter four. Remember, there is no mention of a gap of time there either. In 4:1 John was invited to come up into the heavenly realm where he would be shown “what must take place after this” (Revelation 4:1, ESV). The plain and simple reading of the text should lead the reader to believe that John would be shown something of how things would go from his day forward. No gap of time was indicated.  In other words, the text does not say,  Come up here, and I will show you what must take place a long, long, time after this, but only “after this”, “this” being a reference to how things were in John’s day as described in the letters to the seven churches. There is no mention of a chronological gap separating the events described in chapters two and three from what is described 4:1 onward. I am simply noting that there is no mention of a chronological gap at beginning of the seal cycle either.

Why does this need to be said? Well, as you know, the popular interpretation of the book of Revelation today says that what is described in the seal cycle will come to pass only in our future. In other words, they the popular interpretation – the futurist interpretation – teaches that what the seals symbolize has not happened yet, but will someday. Notice that with this view a huge chronological gap is imagined and is inserted somewhere after Revelation chapter three? The thought is that chapters two and three were about how things were in John’s day, and then chapters four and onward, or perhaps six and onward, describe how things will go, not in the future from John’s vantage point, but in the future from ours. This means that a chronological gap of nearly 1,927 years has to be read into the text of Revelation.

Our interpretation is quite different from the futurist’s. It is that the seal cycle describes, not only what will happen at the very end time in the events connected with the return of Christ and the final judgment, but also how things will be in these last days – that is, in the days between Christ’s first and second comings. The New Testament is clear that the last days began with the first coming of the Christ. The writer to the Hebrews began his work with these words: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Hebrews 1:1–2, ESV). The book of Revelation is indeed about the last days, which are the days in-between Christ’s first and second coming’s. These are the days in which John and his original audience lived, and these are the days in which we live. In other words, the message communicated through the opening of the seven seals was just as pertinent to John and his original 90 A.D. audience as it is for you and me today. Indeed, the message communicated through the opening of the seven seals was just as pertinent to John and his original audience as it will be for the Christians who happen to be alive in the days immediately preceding the second coming of Christ. For, we have set before us here a depiction of how the world will be in these last days. In these last days we will hear of wars and rumors of wars, and then the end will come. Christ told us all about this directly. The seven seals of Revelation depict it.

There is no reason whatsoever to think that what is depicted to us through the breaking of the seven seals pertains only to events immediately preceding the end of time. The book of Revelation gives us no reason to think in this way, nor does any other place in scripture (no, not even the book of Daniel).

I could combat the futurist interpretation – and I do feel obligated to combat it, for I think it is a distortion of the text of scripture – by emphasizing again how the book of Revelation insists that the things portrayed in it would happen soon after its writing. Remember that John was repeatedly told that “the time is near”. I could also emphasize again how it was assumed that the audience who originally received the book of Revelation in 90 A.D. would be able to fully understand and apply this book to their own lives – not parts of the book, but the whole book from beginning to end. Remember the blessings pronounced upon the reader! “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3, ESV).  I could again stress that all indicators point, not to a chronological gap – as if a few things in the book of Revelation were pertinent to the churches to whom the book was addressed and other things will only pertain to people alive in our future – but to the assumption that the original audience would see and experience most of the things portrayed in this book, the obvious exception being the return of Christ and the consummation. But all of that has been said in previous sermons. For now I would simply challenge the futurist to show us where there is evidence of a chronological gap separating the events described in chapters one through three, or one through five, from the events described in the rest of the book.

I might pose the question a little differently to our futurist friends who are pre-tribulational pre-millennialists. To them I would say, where is the secret rapture that supposedly kicks off all of these future end times events? The truth of the matter is that this so called secret rapture nowhere to be found in the book of Revelation. Actually, it is nowhere to be found in the New Testament.  Don’t misunderstand – there will be a rapture, that is, the reassertion of the just and the unjust on the last day. But it will not be a secret rapture  – one only for Christians and then another for everyone else following seven years of tribulation. This theory is based upon a faulty reading of Daniel. The book of Daniel is then given priority over the book of Revelation. And then the book of Revelation is made to conform to what the pre-tribulational pre-millennialists think Daniel is saying. Things couldn’t be more backwards. As we saw last week Revelation advances and explains Daniel, and not the other way around. Revelation makes Daniel more clear, not the other way around. The difference of opinion that we have with our brothers and sisters in Christ who are futurists is obviously a hermeneutical one. We have the same Bible, but they are interpreting the New Testament in light of the Old. We firmly believe that the Old Testament should be interpreted in the light of the New. The fact the the book of Daniel concludes with things being sealed up, whereas Revelation begins with seals being opened supports this notion.

I understand that for those who are unfamiliar with all of the different views on the book and Revelation and the end times this what I have just said is about as clear as mud. Thank you for bearing with me. For those familiar with the debates, I hope this is helpful.

Here is the point: there is no indication in the text of Revelation that a gap of time stands between chapters three and four or five and six. The burden of proof, therefore, is upon the futurist. They must demonstrate their position from the text. It will not do to claim that their position is found in the blank spaces that separate chapters and verses.

Brother and sisters, the seal cycle describes, not only what will happen at the very end time in the events connected with the return of Christ and the final judgment, but also how things will be in these last days, both in heaven and on earth.

The Opening Of The First Four Seals Reveals That God Is Active In Executing His Judgments Upon The Earth Now In These Last Days

Thirdly, see that the opening of the first four seals reveals that God is active in executing his judgments upon the earth now in these last days.

We will return to the first four seals to consider them carefully in a couple of weeks, so I’ll keep my comments very brief. Notice three things about them for now.

One, notice that the horsemen are sent by God into all the earth. They go to do what they do at the decree of God. The are said to go when the seals are broken. Those seals were opened by Christ. And Christ received the scroll from God. Whatever the horsemen do they do because God sent them to do it.

Two, notice that when they go out they bring judgment upon the enemies of God in the form of military conquest, civil war, famine, plague and death. Here is the place where Christians – especially American Christians – need to pay attention. It is common, I think, for Christians to imagine that God is in control of some things, but has nothing all to do with the bad things that happen on earth. The book of Revelation, and indeed, the whole of scripture, says otherwise. God is sovereign over all things. Nothing comes to pass apart from his decree. He does not do or cause evil, but he does permit it and use it to bring about his ultimate purposes.

I do not have the time to demonstrate this principle from scripture today, not to address all of the questions that naturally arise out of this doctrine, but it is important that I state the principle generally here. Do you see that these horsemen go being sent by God? They go when the seals on God’s scroll are broken by Christ. The rider on the white horse was given a bow and a crown and came out conquering, and to conquer. The rider on the red horse was permitted to take peace from the earth and was given a great sword. The riders on the pale horse, “were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.”

The opening of the first four seals reveals that God is active in executing his judgments upon the earth now in these last days. He judges now in many ways. In particular the seal cycle is concerned to remind the Christian that when we hear of wars and rumors of wars, God is sovereign even over that.

Three, notice that what the horsemen do describes the current, and not merely future, state of affairs. Simply look at the world around you. Do you not see their activity in the world now? Look back upon history do you not see their activity in the world then? Actually, read your Old Testament and you will see evidence of their activity, but you’ll actually see the four horsemen. This concept is not new, but old. One of the ways that God brings his judgment upon a sinful people is by permitting one nation to raise up against another, or by allowing one people to turn in upon itself in war. God will sometimes use famine or plague to judge. This is not a pattern or principle unique to the time of the end, but one that has been common throughout human history.

In fact, the four horsemen that John saw in his vision were seen by the prophet Zechariah hundreds of years earlier in a vision shown to him. I will not read the passages today – we will reserve it for a future sermon – but Zechariah 6 is very significant. Ezekiel 14:12-23, and Deuteronomy 32:23-25 are also significant passages. Together they make it clear that God, even in the  Old Testament time, is active in executing his judgments upon the earth.

The opening of the first four seals reveals the fact that God is active in judging his enemies even now through the process of giving them over to war and the results of war, which are often famine and pestilence. To quote G.K. Beale, “Believers need to understand the dual role of these calamities so that they can accept them in a positive manner as tools of sanctification, yet also realizing that these same trials are punishments upon unbelievers.”

Do you see it, friends. It is a myth to think that Christians will be spared from tribulation. It is a myth. Read your Bibles better. Study history. Look at the world around you. How could you possibly believe that God’s people will be spared from tribulation? No, we will have trouble in this world. The trouble will work as a punishment upon the enemies of God, but will sanctify the one who belongs to Christ.

Do you remember the words of Christ in John 16:33? To his disciples he spoke these words: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, ESV). Christians will sometimes be caught up in tribulation – wars, famines, and plagues – but the Christian is to “have peace” in the midst of it and is to “take heart” knowing that Christ has overcome. He has “conquered” the world.

God’s Judgments Are Restrained For Now

The fourth general observation that I would like to make about the seven seals is that they communicate that God’s judgments are restrained for now.

Remember that in 6:8 when the fourth seal was broken and the riders on the pale horse were sent out “they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth” (Revelation 6:8, ESV).

We’ve been in the book of Revelation long enough that you should know the answer to this question: should we take the fraction 1/4 literally? I think not. The idea is that though God is active in judgment in the world today his judgments are restrained for now. Someday his judgments will be unrestrained – he will judge fully and finally. Now, they are restrained. They are retained mercifully. They are restrained for the sake of God’s people and also so that the remaining elect might be brought it.

After the seven seals are opened, seven trumpets will be blown. And notice something about the seven trumpets. The first four of them also reveal God’s judgment upon the earth. We have recapitulation. What is portrayed by the seal cycle will be portrayed again in the trumpet cycle, but from a different vantage point. But notice that it is not “flat” recapitulation. Progression is communicated. For in the trumpet cycle a third of the earth is said to be affected. What is the meaning? Again, the meaning is that God’s judgement are restated, but there will be progression as history unfolds. Things will go, not from bad to good, but from bad to worse.

But it is important to recognize the clear message in both the seal and trumpet cycle:  God’s judgements are restrained for now.

Although The Saints Are Not Immune From Earthly Suffering, They Are Indeed Preserved

Fifthly, notice that although the saints are not immune from earthly suffering, they are indeed preserved.

It is the opening of the fifth seal that reveals this. There the focus shifts from earth to heaven. “When he opened the fifth seal, [John] saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne” (Revelation 6:9, ESV).

John saw the souls of Christians under the heavenly alter. Specifically, he saw the souls of those who had been slain for, or on account of, the word of God and for, or an account of, the witness they had born.

What is the basic and general message communicated in the opening of the fifth seal? It is twofold: One, this age is clearly an age in which Christians will experience suffering and tribulation. Christians will suffer trials and tribulation. Some will even be killed because they proclaim the word of God and witness to Christ.  Two, it is clear that to die on account of Christ is not really to die, but to live. Therefore, “we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6–8, ESV).

Chronological or Redemptive Historical Progression is Revealed WithIn The Seal Cycle

Sixthly, notice that chronological or redemptive historical progression is revealed within the seal cycle.

To put it another way, though there is no evidence of a gap of time coming in between the beginning of the seal cycle and what came before it (which would necessitate that the whole of the seal cycle be fulfilled only in the future) there is certainly evidence of chronological or redemptive historical progression within the seal cycle itself.

In other words, though the seal cycle is not relegated completely to the time of the end, it does take us to the time of the end. We should not push the seals to the end, but they will carry us there.

Seals six and seven clearly teach that the final and full judgment of judgment of God will come, and when it comes will come suddenly.

“When he opened the sixth seal, [John] looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand’” (Revelation 6:12–17, ESV)?

Sounds like the end to me.

The seventh seal picks up where the sixth leaves off and continues to portray judgement. There is said to be silence in heaven, which symbolizes the solemnity of judgment. And John also described, “peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake” (Revelation 8:5, ESV).These things appear in Revelation wherever the judgment of God is portrayed.

So, though there is no good reason to push the whole seal cycle off into the time of the end, seals six and seven do take us there. The seven seals portray in sweeping fashion how things will be in this world and in heaven in these last days on to the consummation. There is chronological or redemptive historical progression revealed within the seal cycle.

Delay Is Communicated

Seventhly, notice that delay is communicated within the seal cycle. The message is that God will indeed judge fully and finally, but the end is not yet. There will be a delay.

The principle of delay is communicated in two way. One, through explicit statements found within the text. And two, through the literary structure of the text.

First, let us consider the explicit statements.

Remember that when the fifth seal was opened John “saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne.” The had a question for God. Actually, it’s the same question that a lot the saints on earth have. “They cried out with a loud voice, ‘O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’” How long until the final judgment? That was their question. And here is what they were told: “Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been” (Revelation 6:9–11, ESV). Delay. The end is not yet.

The scriptures give different reasons for the delay between Christ’s first and second comings. In Matthew 24:14 we hear Christ say, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14, ESV). What must happen before the end comes? The gospel must be preached throughout the whole world and to all nations. Paul, in Romans 11 is considering the history of redemption into two phases – a time focused upon the Jews (the Old Covenant) and a time focused upon the Gentile (under the New Covenant). He says “lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:25-26, ESV). According to Paul the true Israel of God is all who believe upon Christ from amongst the Jews and the Gentiles. According to him the end will come only after “the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved.” So what must happen before the end comes? All of God’s elect, from both Jews and Gentiles, must come in, that is to say, come to faith and be saved. But in Revelation a different reason is given. Evidently there are a certain number of martyrs destined by God. When the last martyr dies, then the end will come. It is not as if the scriptures contradict one another. It is that each of these passages answer the question, “how long”, in a different way. The gospel must be preached in all the earth! All of God’s elect must be brought in! The number martyrs must be filled up! Then then end will come.

Delay is communicated with the words “rest a little longer” spoken to the souls of the saints in heaven. But it is also communicated by the structure of the book of Revelation. Did you notice something strange about the scripture reading today? To read about the breaking of all seven seals we had to skip chapter seven.

A literary gap exist between the sixth and seventh seal. Chapter seven is, what commentators have called, an interlude. Chapter seven describes in detail the sealing of the 144,000 on earth and then a great multitude in heaven from every tongue tribe and nation. I will explain that chapter in the months to come. For now, notice that there is an interlude – a delay in the literary structure – between seals six and seven.

The same feature is found in the trumpet cycle. The sixth and seven trumpets are separated by chapters ten and eleven which describe the recommissioning of John, and the ministry, martyrdom and resurrection of the two witnesses. I’ll explain that text later. For now, notice that there is an interlude – a delay in the literary structure – between trumpets six and seven.

In both cycles the reader, or the hearer, of the book of Revelation is rolling right along. It seems as if everything is going to be brought to a conclusion, but then there is an interlude. It gives the sense of delay.

Notice, though, that in the bowl cycle, there is no delay.  For the bowl cycle describes, not God’s limited and restrained judgment upon the earth, but the full and final judgment of God upon all the earth.  There is no interlude there. Things roll right along – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Why? Because these are the seven bowls filled with the wrath of God to be poured out fully and finally upon on the earth.

The seals and the trumpets communicate delay because they describe, not only the end, but also the sweep of redemptive history leading up to the end. They eventually describe the end, but before that they describe how things will be in heaven and on earth in these last days. The end will come, but it is not yet.

Conclusion 

By way of concussion I would like to show you just how similar the seal cycle is to the words of Jesus found in Matthew 24.

Jesus’ disciples asked him the same question that the souls of the martyrs asked God. How long will it be? When will the judgment come? Here is how he answered them:

“See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:4–14, ESV).

What Jesus spoke in Matthew 24, he depicts in the seven seals of Revelation 6 and 8.

Brothers and sisters, let us live according to these things.

Let us be at peace on this world, knowing that God is sovereign over all.

Let us see tribulation for what it is – judgment upon God’s enemies, but means of sanctification for his people.

Let us not fear death. For to die in Christ is to live.

And let is not avenge ourselves, knowing that God will indeed judge fully and finally in the end.

“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord’” (Romans 12:19, ESV).

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Old Testament Reading: Ezekiel 2

“And he said to me, ‘Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.’ And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. And he said to me, ‘Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them. And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions. Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house. ‘But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.’ And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. And he spread it before me. And it had writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe” (Ezekiel 2, ESV).

New Testament Reading: Revelation 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. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?’ And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 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.’ 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. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 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. 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, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.’ 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, 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!’ 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!’ And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ and the elders fell down and worshiped” (Revelation 5, ESV).

Introduction

Do you see, brothers and sisters, that Revelation 5 comes to focus upon Jesus the Christ? He takes center stage in the vision that was shown to John. He is the one symbolized by the lamb that John saw “between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders”. In chapter 4 everything focuses upon God enthroned. God is the one worshipped there. But in chapter 5 everything comes to focus upon Jesus the Christ who was slain, who is alive forevermore. He is the one worshipped here.

We learn three things about Jesus in this passage:

One, in all of God’s creation Christ alone was found worthy to open the scroll and to break it’s seals.

Two, in all of God’s creation Christ alone was found worthy to open the seals because he has accomplished our redemption having won the victory by his sacrificial death, triumphant resurrection, and victorious ascension to the Father’s right hand.

Three, in all of God’s creation Christ alone was found worthy to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.

We will return to each of these principles in a moment. For now, notice that Revelation 5 begins with a predicament.

John “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. And [John] saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?’ And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and [John] began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it” (Revelation 5:1–4, ESV).

When we are told that John “saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll”,  we are to understand this to be an anthropomorphism. God does not really have a right hand, does he? When we ask or children the question, “What is God?”, we teach them to answer saying, “God is a spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being…” (Baptist Catechism, 7). Our confession rightly says that God is “a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions”.  Jesus told us so when he said, “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24, ESV). It is important to understand that whenever the scriptures use human characteristics (either physical or emotional) to describe God they are anthropomorphisms (or anthropopathisms). They are human characteristics being attributed to God, though God does not really possess those characteristics. Remember when God showed Moses his glory this is how he did it: He put him in a cleft of the rock, and covered him with his “hand” until he had passed by. Then he took away his “hand” so that Moses could see his “back”. Why? So that Moses would not see God’s “face”, “for man shall not see [God] and live” (see Exodus 33:20–23). Friends, God does not have a face, a hand, or a back. He is “a most pure spirit, invisible, without [a] body.” But these anthropomorphisms help us to better understand what happened with Moses. Did he see God? Yes he did! But did he see the fulness of God’s glory? No he did not. God shielded him from it with his “hand”; he only allowed Moses to see his “back”; God’s “face” was hidden from Moses, lest he be consumed by the fulness of the glory of God. These are human characteristics applied to God, who is not human, but divine. We must not take the anthropomorphisms literally, but we must understand that truths about God are being communicated by them in way that we can comprehend. When we read that John “saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll” we are not to think, God has hands!, but rather, God is enthroned in heaven as King, and he is issuing his decree by stretching forth his strong right hand, just as an earthly king would. That is what is happening here. John saw a vision of God enthroned, and God is now issuing forth his decree.

And what did John see in God’s right hand? He saw a scroll with writing on the front and back sealed with seven seals.

If we are familiar with the Old Testament the scroll that John mentions should bring a number of passages to mind, the foremost being Ezekiel chapter 2, which we have already read. There the prophet Ezekiel describes his commissioning. God sent him to proclaim the word of God to the people of Israel concerning, one, the judgment that would come upon them, given their rebelliousness, and two, the promise of God to preserve a remnant, given God’s faithfulness to his covenant (see Ezekiel 16:59ff. and 20:33ff., for example). So the message of the prophet was twofold. It was mainly bad news – destruction is coming – God will judge, given your rebelliousness. But there was also good news peppered throughout – God will preserve a remnant and restore, because he is faithful to his covenant promises. And how was the prophet commissioned to preach? Remember, it all started in Ezekiel 1 where we are told of the vision Ezekiel saw – a vision very similar to the one that John saw described to us beginning with Revelation 4. And then in chapter 2 of Ezekiel a scroll was given to the prophet. The scroll – just like the one described in Revelation 5 – had writing on the front and back “and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe” (Ezekiel 2:10, ESV). If we were to read on into Ezekiel 3 would would see that Ezekiel was then commanded to eat the scroll – he was to ingest it – to make it a part of himself – so that he might then proclaim it to the people. If we were to read the rest of Ezekiel we would then encounter the actual preaching of the prophet. We would read of the prophesies that he uttered in the coming years – prophesies that predicted both the destructions that would come upon rebellious Israel, and also prophesies that foretold of the preservation of a remnant for the sake of the establishment of God’s covenant. That is a summery of the book of Ezekiel.

Brothers and sisters, it is essential that we make the connection between Revelation 4 -5 and Ezekiel 1 and 2. The connection is obvious. And the connection helps us to know what to expect from the rest of the book of Revelation. Ezekiel chapters 1 and 2 set the stage for the rest of that book. There the heavenly vision and commissioning of the the prophet are described. And the rest of that book contains prophesies concerning judgment and also promises concerning the preservation of God’s elect. Most of those prophesies and promises were fulfilled as history unfolded leading up to the first coming of Christ. Here is the point: given the obvious similarities between Ezekiel 1 and 2 and Revelation 4 and 5, should we not expect, therefore, that the book of Revelation will also contain prophesies concerning judgment and promises concerning the preservation of God’s elect from the time of it’s writing up until the next monumental redemptive historical event, namely, the second coming of Christ? Indeed, that is what the rest of the book of Revelation will be about – the judgment of God’s enemies, the preservation of his people, and the fulfillment of his promises, up to the very end of time. That, my friends, is the king’s decree that is written on the front and the back of the scroll that John saw in God’s right hand.

Notice that this scroll was sealed with seven seals. It was common in the ancient would to seal important documents with a wax seal. The document would be rolled up. A bit of hot wax would be dropped onto the seam, and the author would impress the wax with an mark unique to him. The document would be then be delivered and the recipient would know whether or not the information was kept secure depending upon the condition of the seal. If the seal was broken then there was reason to believe that the scroll had been read by someone who should not have read it. The scroll in God’s right hand was sealed with seven seals, indicating that the information contained within was most sensitive.

If we are familiar with the Old Testament another passage should come to mind when we are told of the seals. We have already seen that a close relationship exists between the book of Daniel and the book of Revelation. I’ve pointed out (though I have not taken the time to demonstrate it to you) that the content of Daniel 7: 9-27 and Revelation 4-5 mirror one another. The vision of the son of man in Revelation 1 is based upon Daniel 7. The book of Daniel, like the book of Ezekiel, was written a long time before Jesus’ birth and it too contains many prophesies concerning what would happen in the days leading up to the birth of the Christ. But consider this: in Daniel chapter 12 we see that some things were revealed to the prophet concerning the very end of time –  concerning the resurrection and the final judgment. But the information given to Daniel was very limited. Listen to Daniel 12:1-4:

“At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end” (Daniel 12:1–4, ESV).

What does this passage describe? It describes the great tribulation, the resurrection of the just and the unjust, the final judgment, and the eternal reward. It describes all of that, but very briefly. And Daniel is commanded to “shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end”. As the passage progress we see Daniel pressing the Lord for more information. “What will the outcome of these things be?”, he asks. Daniel was not given much more but was again told, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end” (Daniel 12:9, ESV). And in verse 13 he was again told, “go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days” (Daniel 12:13, ESV). This is how the book of Daniel concludes.

So we have the book of Daniel written long before the birth of Christ. It contains many prophesies concerning what would happen in the days leading up to the birth of Christ. It also contains some prophesies that speak to what will happen at the end of time when Christ returns, but the information concerning that is very limited. Daniel, as he pressed for more information, was told “go your way”. “The words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end”. Daniel, “shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end”.

Think about it.  Think about how the book of Daniel, written in the 500’s B.C., is related to the book of Revelation. The book of Daniel concludes with information being withheld. Things are hidden. The book is sealed. But this is also where the book of Revelation picks up. John sees a vision of God enthroned. In his right hand is a scroll with seven seals on it. Those seals will be opened. The book of Revelation picks up where the book of Daniel left off. Revelation builds upon and advances Daniel.

Remember that John was a Jew. He was very well acquainted with the Old Testament. He knew Ezekiel and Daniel backwards and forwards. What do you think he expected, then, when he saw that scene unfold before his eyes? Without a doubt he thought, here it is! Here is the revelation that Daniel longed to see! Here is the decree concerning how things will go from this day forward. There’s the decree. It’s in the scroll, written front and back! Without a doubt that was his expectation. He expected to receive the message contained within the scroll just as Ezekiel did.  Also, remember the loud voice that John heard at the beginning of this vision. The Lord said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this” (Revelation 4:1, ESV). He must have been so excited to hear it – so eager to receive it. Without a doubt he would have instantaneously made all of these connections and would have been overwhelmed with joy at thought of seeing what Daniel and the other prophets longed to see, but were limited.

But a problem remains. The scroll was sealed with seven seals. The scroll, at this time, was as inaccessible to John as it was to Daniel. It was sealed – it was closed off to him.

It is no wonder, then, that John began to weep loudly after he saw “a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?’ And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it.” (Revelation 5:2–3, ESV). No one in all of God’s creation was found worthy. “No one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it.”

Here is where Christ enters the scene. And when he does we learn three things about him.

Christ Alone Was Found Worthy To Open The Scroll And To Break It’s Seals

First of all, we learn that in all of God’s creation, Christ alone was found worthy to open the scroll and to break it’s seals.

Listen to the announcement that one of the elders made to John in verses 5. He said,  “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’” (Revelation 5:5, ESV).

This is obviously a reference to Jesus who is the Christ. And the way that Jesus is spoken of here is very significant.

He is called the “Lion of the tribe of Judah”. That is a majestic title, isn’t it? But was is the significance of it?

Remember that when Jacob, who was then called Israel, pronounced blessing upon his son’s near the end of his life he compared his son Judah to a lion and prophesied that a perpetual royal dynasty would come from him. He said,

“Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down before you. 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? 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” (Genesis 49:8–10, ESV).

Jesus the Christ is the fulfillment of this prophesy. He is “Lion of the tribe of Judah”.

And he is also called the “Root of David”. This too is a regal title!

Remember that David was the best of Israel’s kings. And remember that it was prophesied that David’s dynasty would be everlasting – David would never lack a man on the throne (2 Samuel 7). But the people of Israel would eventually be defeated and taken into exile. It seemed as if the promise made to David concerning an everlasting kingdom was failing. But Isaiah the prophet prophesied that after the exile the day would come when a shoot would spring forth from the stump of Jesse (Jesse being the father of David, and another way of referring to David’s lineage). In others words, after the exile it looked as if the flourishing dynasty of David had been cut to the ground and destroyed. But Isaiah the prophet prophesied saying,

“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit… 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” (Isaiah 11:10, ESV).

The dynasty of David seemed dead, like a tree cut to the ground with only a stump remaining. But the day would come, said the prophet, when life would spring forth from that stump and bear fruit, not only for the Jews, but for all nations.

Jesus the Christ is the fulfillment of this prophesy. He is the “Root of David”.

It is because of this that Jesus is the only one in all of God’s creation who is able to open the scroll and to break it’s seals. He is worthy because he is the Christ. He is more than a prophet. “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9–11, ESV).

Christ Alone Was Found Worthy To Open The Seals Because He Has Accomplished Our Redemption Having Won The Victory By His Sacrificial Death, Triumphant Resurrection, And Victorious Ascension To The Father’s Right Hand

Secondly, we learn that Christ alone was found worthy to open the seals because he has accomplished our redemption having won the victory by his sacrificial death, triumphant resurrection, and victorious ascension to the Father’s right hand.

In verse 5 one of the elders said to John, “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” (Revelation 5:5, ESV).

Jesus was able to open the scroll because he had conquered.

What did he conquered? The rest of the Revelation along with the rest of the scriptures make it clear as to what he conquered. He has conquered death. He has conquered Satan. Indeed, he has conquered all of the enemies of God fully and finally.

But how did do it? How did Jesus conquered these powerful foes?

What John describes next reveals it to us. Verse 6: “And between [in the midst of] 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” (Revelation 5:6, ESV).

Now you expected this because you are familiar with the text of Revelation. But do you think this is what John expected to see? Or, if you imagine that this were the first time you had read Revelation, is this the image that you would expect to see – a lamb standing as though slain? I think not. After hearing the announcement, “weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered”, what do you expect to see? Something powerful, of course. Maybe something like what John described in chapter 1 where he saw,

“One like a son of man…the hairs of his head.. white, like white wool… His eyes… like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength” (Revelation 1:13–16, ESV).

You expect to see a powerful figure. But instead the one who has conquered appears as a sacrificed lamb. It’s a jarring transition.

What is the meaning of it? The meaning is this: Christ has conquered death, and Satan, and all of the enemies of God by giving himself up for for us as a willing sacrifice.

“He was in the form of God, [but] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:5–8, ESV).

That is how “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered”.

Notice that he was slain, but now he is seen standing in heaven in the midst of the throne of God. How did he get there? Well, he rose from the dead and ascended to Father.

He has seven horns. Horns symbolize power. Christ has all power. Remember, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to [him]” (Matthew 28:18, ESV).

And he has seven eyes. The seven eyes symbolize Christ’s omniscience. He sees all. Remember how he spoke to each church saying,  “I know”. But the eyes are specifically said to represent “the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth”. Christ sees all things even to the ends of the earth, and he has also promised to send the Spirit to support his elect in every age.

In verses 7-10 John says, “And [the Lamb] went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 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. 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, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth’” (Revelation 5:7–10, ESV).

There is a lot going on in this scene.

One, notice the transaction that took place between God and Christ. God gave the Lamb the scroll.

Two, notice that prayers were offered to Christ. The elders held “golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” Remember, the elders are angels who represent God’s redeemed on the earth. The prayers of the saints we brought before Christ by them.

Three, notice that worship was given to Christ. “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, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth’”

Jesus was found worthy to open the seals because he is the redeemer of God’s elect.

He has “ransomed people”.  To ransom is to “to cause the release or freedom of someone by a means which proves costly to the individual causing the release—‘to redeem, to set free’”. We were slaves to sin and death. Christ has freed us by his blood, if we know him.

He has “ransomed people for God”. We have been freed so that we might belong to God.

He has “ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” Do you remember Jesus high priestly prayer in John 17: Father “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word” (John 17:6, ESV).

By the way, the doctrine of limited atonement is clearly taught here. By his shed blood Christ ransomed, payed the price for, and set free, not all people, but people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.

And what were these ransomed to do? To be “a kingdom and priests to… God, and… [to] reign on the earth.” We have been ransomed so that we might worship and serve God.

Why was Christ alone found worthy to open the seals? Because he has accomplished our redemption having won the victory by his sacrificial death, triumphant resurrection, and victorious ascension to the Father’s right hand. Only he is worthy to reveal and bring about the conclusion to the story in which he is the central figure and hero.

Christ Alone Was Found Worthy To Receive Power, Wealth, Wisdom, And Might, Honor, Glory And Blessing

Thirdly, notice that in all of God’s creation, Christ alone was found worthy to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.

Verses 11-14: “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, 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!’ 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!’ And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ and the elders fell down and worshiped” (Revelation 5:11–14, ESV).

This seen is the most majestic of all. John’s view grows far more expansive. Instead of focussing in upon the throne and the creatures surrounding the throne, all of God’s creation is brought into view. He sees thousands upon thousands of angels along with “every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea.” And what are they doing? The are worshiping God and Christ.

Christ, they say, is worthy “to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” He is worthy to receive it because he has earned it by his obedient life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection.

It is only right that both God and Christ receive “blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever.” Amen.

Application 

Let us consider a few possible points of application before we close.

First of all, I would ask you this: have you believed upon Christ Jesus? Have you confessed your sin? Have turned from it and looked to Christ in faith? Have you asked God to forgive you because of what Christ has done for you? Have you made Christ Lord? Do you see that Christ is the redeemer? If you do not belong to him then you belong to the enemy. We must look to Christ in faith if we hope to be saved.

Secondly, having believed upon Christ, have you made him the central thing in your life? Notice that in the heavenly realm God and Christ are central. They are worshipped and served there. They alone are considered worthy of praise. Such is not the case on earth. Man is made to be central in this realm. We worship and serve ourselves. We worship and serve the creation rather than the creator. But things should be very different among the redeemed. Our lives should follow the heavenly pattern, and not the worldly one. God and Christ should be central for us. And this mindset should be evident to all who look in upon us. Our lives should be different. Sadly, it is oftentimes hard to tell the difference between the one who names the name of Christ and non-Christian today. Worldliness is rampant within Christ’s visible church. It should not be so. We have been redeemed by Christ for God to live in his kingdom as priests, offering up acceptable worship to him.

Thirdly, are you living in this world according to the way of Christ? He conquered by laying his life down for others in humble submission to the Father. Do you bear the same characteristic? Are you humble before God and man? Have you died to self completely, living instead for God and for others? All of our remaining sin and corruption exists only because we have failed to put to death the flesh and to live according to the Spirit to the glory of God and for the good of our fellow man. Die to self, friend. Live to God. Pursue holiness. And as you do rejoice, for the Lamb, who is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered for you and me and all who are in Christ Jesus in every place and in every age.

Posted in Sermons Joe Anady Revelation 5
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Pre-Introduction

We took some time to read Ezekiel 1 last Sunday. It would be good to keep that text in mind as we again read Revelation 4, but I will not read it again for the sake of time. Remember especially the four living creatures that Ezekiel saw in the vision: “As for the likeness of their faces, each had a human face. The four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle. Such were their faces. And their wings were spread out above. Each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while two covered their bodies” (Ezekiel 1:10–11, ESV).

Let us go again to Revelation 4. Last week we gave special attention to the inanimate things that John saw surrounding the glory of God in this vision. Today we will consider the living things: particularly the twenty-four elders, the four living creatures, and the seven spirits of God.

New Testament Reading: Revelation 4:1-11

“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.’ At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 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. 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. 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, 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: 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. 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 the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’ And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 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, ‘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.’” (Revelation 4:1–11, ESV)

Introduction

There are three principles that I would like to draw from the text of Revelation 4 today.

One, we must again remember that there exists a heavenly realm that lies beyond the earthly realm that we can perceive with our natural senses.

Two, notice that the heavenly realm is not a fallen realm. In this un-fallen heavenly realm the worship and service of God remains the unceasing and all consuming activity of every living thing.

Three, notice that this un-fallen heavenly realm interacts continuously with the fallen earthly realm in the application of both redemption and judgment.

There Exists A Heavenly Realm That Lies Beyond This Earthly Realm

Let us return briefly to the first principle: We must again remember that there exists a heavenly realm that lies beyond this earthly realm. We can perceive the earthly realm with our natural senses. The heavenly realm is made known to us only through special revelation. It is true that we might observe the natural world around us and reason from what we see that there must be a heavenly realm, but it is God’s word that reveals reveals it to us most clearly. Revelation chapter 4, along with many other passages in this book and elsewhere in scripture, reveals something to us about how things are in the heavenly realm. We are to see it, therefore, with eyes of faith, trusting in what God has revealed to us.

Friends, the fact that we cannot perceive the heavenly realm with our natural senses does not make it any less real than the earthly things that we can see, taste, touch, hear and smell. The heavenly is indeed real and true. This is one of the most fundamental truths revealed to us in the book of Revelation. The book was given so that the people of God might cultivate a heavenly mindset.

When I exhort you to cultivate a “heavenly mindset” I am not only encouraging the Christian to live this life in preparation for the world to come, but also to live this life being mindful of how things are now in the heavenly realm. Can you see the difference between those two principles?

It is common, I think, for Christians to hear the exhortation, “be heavenly minded”, but upon hearing it to think, “yes, I must live this life in preparation for heaven, which is something I will taste in the future, that is, in the life to come.” Indeed, my exhortation to cultivate a heavenly mindset involves that – store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, brothers and sisters, where neither moth nor rust destroy, nor do thieves break in and steal – but it involves more than that. Not only are we to live for the world to come – that is, in preparation for life in the new heavens and new earth – but we are also to live according to how things are now in heaven – that is, in the realm that exists now where God sits enthroned.

It is evident that we use the word heaven in two different ways. Actually, we use it in four different ways if we include the ways in which we use it to refer to features in the natural world. One, we sometimes refer to the realm where the birds and airplanes fly as “heaven”.  Two, we sometimes refer to the realm where the stars and planets reside as “heaven”. Three, we use the word “heaven” to refer to that realm where God and his heavenly attendants dwell now – that realm that lies beyond our natural perceptions. When the word heaven appears in scripture it is most often a reference to that “heaven” – the heaven that exists now where God is enthroned and where those who have died in Christ are in the spirit as they await the resurrection of the body on that last day.

Four, we sometimes refer to the place where those who have faith in Christ will dwell with God for all eternity, after the return of Christ, the resurrection, and final judgment, as “heaven”. In this fourth sense the word “heaven” is used to refer to a future reality. Really we ought to refer to this thing – the future, final, consummate “heaven” – as the “new heavens and the new earth” . That is how it is described in Revelation 21. For at the end of time the division between heaven and earth will be no more. God will be with us in a most immediate way. Heaven and earth will become one.

When I exhort you to cultivate a “heavenly mindset” I am not only saying, “live your life being mindful of and in preparation for the new heavens and new earth which have yet to come”, but also, “live your life today being mindful of how things are now in heaven, where God, his attendants, and those who have died in Christ are ruling and reigning.” This is the kind of heavenly mindset that we need to cultivate! We are to see the world in these terms: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth! He has has always been enthroned in heaven – heaven is his throne and earth its footstool – he is enthroned now, and ever will be. This is the truth communicated to us in Revelation 4.  Indeed, the whole book was given so that God’s people might cultivate a heavenly mindset and, therefore, live life well in this world.

You’ve noticed, I’m sure, that I do not often preach practical sermons, but rather ideological ones.

It is not that I do not know how to preach practical sermons. I do! I could give you 10 steps to a healthier marriage right now! And it is not as if I don’t understand how much people like sermons like that. I get it. People like them very much. They tend to be easy to listen to – easy to understand and apply. And it is not as if I think sermons should be impractical. By no means! We must apply God’s word to our lives! The word is to have a transformational effect upon us. We are to be changed by it. The end goal of the study of scripture is always obedience to scripture – we are to put into practice the things that we learn. The issue is this: sermons that are all about practice are hollow. They lack the substance needed to bring deep and lasting change our lives.

If our practice – our way of life – is going to change us in a deep and lasting way, we need to be confronted with the ideas that are communicated in the holy scriptures. We must know what those ideas are, come to see them as true, and then live our lives according to them. This is why I preach ideological sermons and not practical ones.

But ideological preaching (I’ve made up that term – I’m not using it in a technical sense) is far from impractical. In fact, preaching that begins by teaching the ideas of scripture it is far more practical than practical preaching is! It is practical in a deep and substantial way. Ideological preaching seeks to transformation the believers’ way of life – their practice – through the renewal of the heart and the mind. When the truths of holy scripture are understood in the mind and believed in the heart, they will indeed transform the practice of the Christian as the Holy Spirit works.

Do you want a better marriage, friends? Then cultivate a heavenly mindset.  You say, but that has nothing to do with marriage! I say, that has everything to do with marriage! True, husbands need to learn to live with their wives in a tender, considerate, and understanding way. True, husbands need to learn to speak kindly to their wives (look, I’m getting practical now). True, husbands must learn to take seriously their God given responsibility in the home as leaders within it. True, husbands should serve their wives, giving themselves up for them daily (what do we have now, four of ten secrets to a healthy marriage?). True, husbands must learn to humbly and sincerely repent before God and their wives when they have done wrong. All of these things are true, and they need to be applied practically from day to day (some men need to learn these truths and also how to apply them – practical instruction is indeed needed and is of some value).  But I am also convinced that a husband will not do any of these things (at least not for long) unless his mind and heart have been transformed by the word of God and the Holy Spirit.

Let me illustrate. I’ve notice that there is a growing interest in old traditional trades like blacksmithing. There’s a show on television called “Forged in Fire”, or something like that. I’ve noticed other series’ too with the same theme. I get the appeal of it. It’s enjoyable to watch a craftsmen work. It’s refreshing in our modern and industrial age to watch someone produce something beautiful or functional with their hands in an artistic and skillful way.

It seems to me that there are two qualities needed to be a truly skilled craftsmen; one internal quality and the other external. A craftsman, first of all, needs to have a knowledge of and a love for his craft. That is the internal quality needed. And secondly, the craftsmen needs to develop practical skills to work with his tools. That is the external quality needed. The knowledge and love for the craft reside internally within the heart and mind. The skills in working with the tools develop as the man learns to use his hands to effectively put into practice the knowledge and passion that resides within him.

Preaching that is obsessed with the practical but to the neglect of the ideological or theological can be compared to putting a hammer in an untrained child’s hands and setting him in front of anvil and forge. Can you picture him there? Does he have the tools of a craftsmen? Yes, you’ve given him the tools! But does he have the mind and heart of a craftsman. He does not.  He is yet untrained and unconverted. Without a doubt he will pretend to be a craftsmen for a time. He will play blacksmith. He’ll pound on a few things and make a real ruckus, but he will not produce anything of lasting value. He’ll quickly loose interest and move on to other childish things. Why? Because you’ve given him the tools but have not yet filled his mind with knowledge nor won his heart.

Friends, living a godly life is an art. To do it consistently well we must know what is true, believe what is true, and then live our lives accordingly.

I say all of this to encourage you not to grow weary as we consider passages of scripture that are intended to impact your way of life by, first of all, changing the way that you think. There will be times when the main points of the sermon will be, “do this, or do that” because the text of scripture is indeed compelling us to do something. But there will be other times when the main points will be “see this, remember that, think in this way, understand this, or believe that.” Friends, these ideological sermons, as I have called them, have the potential to be deeply practical if we would only believe these things deeply and labor to live accordingly.

Friends, remember that there exists a heavenly realm that lies beyond this earthly realm. God is enthroned there. He is the sovereign King of the universe, and he is judge. This truth should have a profound impact upon husbands and wives, parents and children, employers and employees, students and teachers, young and old. What could possibly impact our lives more than know that God sits enthroned in the heavenly realm?

This Heavenly Realm Is Not A Fallen Realm

The second principle to draw from Revelation 4 is this: notice that this heavenly realm is not a fallen realm. In this un-fallen heavenly realm the worship and service of God remains the unceasing and all consuming activity of every living thing.

Remember that chapters 4 and 5 of Revelation go together and they are peppered with accounts of praise. There are five songs sung in these two chapters. The first is found in 4:8. The praise is directed towards God and is sung by the four living creatures. The second is in 4:11. It also is directed towards God but is sung by the twenty-four elders. The third in 5:9-10 is directed towards Christ and is sung again by the twenty-four elders. The fourth song is found in 5:11-12. It is again directed towards Christ, but is sung by the four living creatures who are then joined by the twenty-four elders and “many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands” (Revelation 5:11, ESV). The fifth song is found in 5:13. John “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!” And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ and the elders fell down and worshiped” (Revelation 5:13–14, ESV).

This heavenly realm is un-fallen. In this un-fallen heavenly realm the worship and service of God remains the unceasing and all consuming activity of every living thing.

You may be thinking to yourself, but wasn’t there a fall in this heavenly realm among the angels  before there was a fall in the earthly realm affecting all of humanity? Indeed there was. But the fallen angels were immediately expelled from this heavenly realm and condemned. 2 Peter 2:4 says, “For…God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment” (2 Peter 2:4, ESV). Do you see that no mercy was shown to the angels when they fell? There was and is no plan of redemption for them. There is no redemptive history to unfold. Heaven is not a realm that is fallen where the process of judgment and redemption is unfolding progressively. Earth is that way. Heaven is not. Only the elect angels belong and remain there.

When Paul exhorted the young pastor Timothy to rebuke the unruly in the church he did so by reminding him that heaven is watching. Listen to what he said: “As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality” (1 Timothy 5:20–21, ESV). Timothy was exhorted to do his job as a pastor being ever mindful of the fact that heaven is watching. And who is looking down upon us from this heavenly realm? God, Christ Jesus, and the elect angels are.

Everything is in perfect order in this heavenly realm. The worship and service of God remains the unceasing and all consuming activity of every living thing. Do you remember the sea of glass that John saw before God’s throne? That tranquil sea is, in part, symbolic of this very fact. There is no turmoil in heaven. God is enthroned there. He is worshiped and served as he ought to be. That will never end. The angels that are there are elect angels. They will not fall. They will serve him and worship him faithfully forever and ever.

Who are the twenty-four elders that John saw worshipping before the throne? The answer is that they are angels who stand for, represent, and serve God’s elect who are on earth in every age.

Notice the number of them. They are twenty-four in number. Remember that there were twelve tribes in Israel and twelve apostles. The number twenty-four is certainly meant to symbolize this group – all of God’s redeemed under both the Old and New Covenants.

Notice what they are called – elders. Typically, the title elder is used to refer to leaders who are human, and not angelic.

Notice how they are dressed. They are said to be wearing the garb that was promised to Christians who overcome in the letters to the churches. To the Christians in Smyrna, for example, Christ said, “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10, ESV). And to the Christians in Sardis Christ said, “The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels” (Revelation 3:5, ESV). Here these elders are said to be “clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads” (Revelation 4:4, ESV).

Notice where these elders are sitting. They are seated on thrones, ruling and reigning with God and with Christ. Is this not what Christ promised to the Christian who overcome? To the Laodiceans Christ said, “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne” (Revelation 3:21, ESV).

All of these observations have led some to conclude that these twenty-four elders are not angels, but are in fact the souls of believers (perhaps leaders) who have died and are with the Lord in heaven now. I understand why they come to that position Indeed, there are many factors compelling us to identify the twenty-four elders with God’s people. The number of them, their title, how they are dressed, where they are said to be sitting, all compel us to identify these beings with God’s redeemed – the elect from every age – under the Old and New Covenants.

But it cannot be, for clearly these twenty-four elders are distinguished from redeemed humanity and are more closely identified with angels as the book of Revelation unfolds. I cannot demonstrate this to you now because of time constraints, but a simple word study that examines the usage of the word “elder” in the book of Revelation would prove the point. These are angelic beings. The twenty-four elders are, therefore, angels who stand for, represent, and serve God’s elect – God’s redeemed people on earth – in every age.

This idea that there are angels  – ministering spirits – that correspond to the redeemed on earth should not surprise us. Remember that every one of the letters written to the seven churches was addressed, not to he church itself, but “to the angel” of each particular church – “to the angel of the church in Ephesus write…”, and “to the angel of the church in Smyrna write…”, and so on. The writer to the Hebrews when speaking of angels says, “Are they not all ministering spirits sent out [by God] to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation [the redeemed]” (Hebrews 1:14, ESV)? These are the angels that John saw in his vision represented by the twenty-four elders seated on the twenty-four thrones.

And who are the four living creatures that John saw worshipping before the throne? The answer is that they too are angels, but they represent all of creation and serve God in his interaction with the whole created world. So we have heavenly representation for the redeemed, and we have heavenly representation for all of creation.

If you pay attention to the activities of the four living creatures throughout the rest of the book of Revelation you will find that they are active in carrying out the judgments of God upon the whole earth. This can be seen in chapter 6 and also 15:7.

Notice the appearance of the creatures. John says they were,

“…full of eyes in front and behind: 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. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within…” (Revelation 4:6–8, ESV)

The many eyes signify divine omniscience. God’s judgments are perfect because he sees all things with perfect clarity, even the intents of the heart. The living creatures administer God’s judgments justly because they do so according to the command of the omniscient God.

In the vision John saw that each of the four heavenly creatures had the face of an earthly creature – a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle. This also supports the idea that these living creatures represent and minister on behalf of God in his created world.

The faces of the animals also likely symbolize something of the qualities of God’s judgments. His judgments will come swiftly, like an eagle in flight; with power, like that of an ox; with fierceness, like that of a lion; and according to wisdom, like that of a man.

It is very important to notice that the four living creatures that John saw in his vision are both similar and dissimilar to the four living creatures that Ezekiel saw in his vision. The similarities are so numerous (same number of creatures, same faces, similar position before God’s throne) that you cannot deny that they make reference to the same thing. In other words, what John saw is what Ezekiel saw. But the dissimilarities keep us from making a serious interpretive error. In Ezekiel’s vision each creature had four faces, one of the animals faces on each side, the numbers of the wings differ, etc. It would be a mistake to assume that this is really what angels look like. It would be a mistake to assume that John and Ezekiel were taken up to heaven with a camera and they took a picture of how things look there. No, they saw visions of haven, and those visions were symbolic in nature. Angels really look like angels, and not oxen or eagles or lions or men. Jesus the Christ looks like Jesus the Christ, and not a lamb slain with seven horns and seven eyes (Revelation 5:6). This was a vision that John saw and the things that he saw were symbolic.

The elders and the living creatures represent angels. And their appearance communicates truth to us about the, namely, that in heaven there are angels who worship and serve God. Particularly they serve God by ministering to his redeemed (symbolized by the twenty-four elders) and also carrying out his judgments upon the earth (symbolized by the four living creatures.

Friends, you are seeing that interpreting the book of Revelation constantly well requires mental discipline. This is true for all interpreters, but especially for those of us who grew up with the futuristic and hyper-literalistic view of the book of Revelation.

Many of us grew up being taught that Revelation 4:1 and onward describes things that will happen yet in our future. I’ve tried to demonstrate that this is not at all true. The content of the book of Revelation is not organized chronologically from beginning to end, but rather it recapitulates, telling the story of God’s redemption and judgment over and over again from different vantage points. It is not mainly about the future, but it is about the past, present and future. I think I have demonstrated this effectively in past lectures and sermons, but if you are still unconvinced then I would simply ask you to explain why the birth of Christ is described in 12:1. I could ask you to explain many other instances of recapitulation, but this one seems to be most clear. The birth of Jesus Christ is described in the middle of the book of Revelation. The book is not mainly about the future, but it is about the past, present, and future. It is not organized chronologically, but it recapitulates again and again, painting a picture of how things will go in these “last days” (the time between Christ’s first and second comings). You might be growing tired of hearing me say this, but the repetition is needed lest we fall back into our futuristic mindset.

Also, many of us grew up being taught that we are to interpret the book of Revelation literally whenever possible. I’ve also tried to demonstrate that this is not true. The book is filled with symbolism. It’s genre is apocalyptic and prophetic. Much of the book is a record of visions that John was shown. Truthfully, if we interpret the book literally whenever possible then we will make the book to contradict itself. I might simply ask the question, what does Jesus look like now that he is in heaven? Does he look like the son of man described in Revelation 1 or the lamb that looked as though it had been slain in chapter 5. If what what John describes to us is to be taken literally, then we have a contradiction. It is far better to recognize that truths about our risen and ascended Lord are communicated to us in both chapter 1 and 5, but in a symbolic and nonliteral way.  Jesus does not really look like the figure in chapter 1 or 5. This is an obvious example, but I mention it to illustrate the principle.

Brothers and sisters, these visions are filled with symbolism. But please remember that to say something in the text of scripture is symbolic does not make it any less real or true. It simply means that we must get to the truth by properly interpreting the symbolism. Are there really angels in heaven? Yes! And do they represent us and minster to us on God’s behalf? Yes! How do we know that is real and true? Because of what John saw and the obvious symbolism contained within the vision. I suppose God could have simply said in a direct way, “Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation”, just as he did through the writer to the Hebrews. But we are not in Hebrews, we are in Revelation. And in Revelation truthes are not just explained to us, they are shown! And I, for one, am glad for it, because the images we see are vivid and bright and most descriptive. We simply need to develop mental discipline while we study this book being ever mindful of where we are – in the book of Revelation, which is prophetic and apocalyptic literature. It communicates truth in it’s own unique way.

Brothers and sisters, remember that the heavenly realm is not a fallen realm. In this un-fallen heavenly realm the worship and service of God remains the unceasing and all consuming activity of every living thing.

This Un-fallen Heavenly Realm Interacts Continuously With The Fallen Earthly Realm In The Application Of both Redemption And Judgment

And lastly notice that this un-fallen heavenly realm interacts continuously with the fallen earthly realm in the application of both redemption and judgment.

To put it another way, things are indeed perfect in the heavenly realm, but the way things are also reveals that things are far from perfect in the world in which we live.

Consider this, if there were no fall on earth – if man did not fall frm his state of innocence into a state of sin – would John have seen the ominous and threatening thunder and lighting of judgment preceding from the throne of God. No! There would have been nothing to judge. Would he have seen the rainbow of mercy? No. Mercy is need only because we have sinned. And would there have been need of angels who represent and support the redeemed? No, without the fall there would be no need for redemption. And what of the four creatures who will take part in calling forth the judgments of God? Though they would have existed as elect angels , the would not have that task, for there would have be nothing on earth to judge.  The point that I want to make is that the vision John saw in heaven reveals much to us, not only about how things are there, but also here.

You and I live in a fallen world. But it is not a forsaken world. It is a fallen and sinful realm, but it is a realm in which the God of heaven along with his heavenly attendants are at work. They are applying both redemption and judgment continuously and will do so until the new heavens and new earth are ushered in. God is active in redeeming a people for himself, and will support them and keep them to the end. God is also active in judgment. He judges now, and will judge finally in the end. Do you want to know what the book of Revelation is all about, friends? It is about that! It tells the story of redemption and judgment in a most colorful and vivid way.

Application

Let us apply these truths by way of conclusion.

One, know that heaven is not in turmoil. friends. God is is not frustrated or confused. That should bring peace to our lives as we sojourn in this chaotic world.

Two, take comfort in the fact that God is with us. His elect angels minster to his elect people. But notice one more feature in this vision. “Before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God” (Revelation 4:5, ESV). When we compare this passage to Zechariah 4 it is undeniable that this is a reference to the Holy Spirit. There is, in reality, one Holy Spirit and not seven. Then why the does the text say seven? It is symbolic, of course. True, seven is the number of perfection – the Holy Spirit is perfect in every way. But notice also that the number here corresponds to the number of churches addressed in this book. There are seven churches and seven spirits of God before the throne. The meaning is this – God is with all of his redeemed by the power of the Holy Spirit. You are not alone. Christ told his disciples,

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also… If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. ‘I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you’” (John 141-3; 5–18, ESV).

Three, let us order our lives here on earth according to what is real in heaven. In particular, let us gather faithfully to worship on the Lord’s day, which is the Christian Sabbath, knowing that when we do we join in with the heavenly chorus who worships God continuously. Our worship here on earth correspond to the worship in heaven. We show, though our keeping of the Christian Sabbath and by our worship of God, that we are, first of all, citizens of heaven who are sojourning here for a time.

Lastly, I would call all who can hear these words to repent and trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Indeed, or sins make us worthy recipients only of God’s judgment. But through faith in Christ we have the forgives of sins.

Posted in Sermons Joe Anady Revelation 4:4-11
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Pre-Introduction

It was difficult for me to choose an Old Testament reading for today. As you know, I typically choose an Old Testament text that in some way corresponds to, or serves as a backdrop for, the New Testament passage that are studying in detail. I would do the reverse if we were studying through an Old Testament book.

Rarely do I have time to comment much on the Old Testament text that I read, but I read it, one, so that you know it is there, two, to demonstrate that there is an intimate relationship between the Old and New Testaments, and three, with the hopes that you will reflect more deeply upon the connection on your own, given that I do not always have the time to draw out all of the implications given that our time is short. My main objective is that you might see, quoting Augustine, that “the New Testament is in the Old concealed, the Old is in the New revealed”.

It was difficult for me to choose the Old Testament reading today, not because I could not find one, but because there are so many Old Testament passages pertinent to Revelation 4. Isaiah 6 comes to mind. So does Daniel 7. In fact, if you set Daniel 7:9-27 and Revelation chapters 4-5 side by side to compare them you’ll notice that the two texts mirror one another very closely when it comes to their subject matter (G. K. Beale demonstrates this effectively in his commentary on the book of Revelation). Zachariah 4 is also important. Also, what John describes to us in Revelation 4-5 concerning the vision that he saw in heaven should be compared to Israel’s experience at Mt. Sinai as described in Exodus 19-20 and 24.  We should also have in our minds the instructions that we’re given to Moses concerning the construction of the tabernacle in Exodus 25 and following. That tabernacle was built according to the pattern given to Moses by God. Everything about the tabernacle, and the temple after that, was designed to communicate in visual form truths about God who is enthroned in heaven, his relationship to man who dwells on earth, and the provisions that he has made for us to come to him. All of these passages and the concepts communicated in them should be on our minds as we consider Revelation chapters 4 and 5.

These passages should be on our minds, not just so that we can say, “look, this connects to that!”, but so that we might consider the connections. What is similar? What is different? It is in noticing the similarities and differences that we are helped in the proper interpretation and application of the text.

I say all of this to again make the point that Revelation is a frustrating book to preach through given its complexity. It is clear! But it is also complex. It is rich. We do not have the time to say all that could be said.

I’ve decided to read from Ezekiel 1 before reading Revelation 4. You’ll see why in a moment. The events described in Ezekiel 1 took place in 593 B.C., five years after the first group of exiles were taken from Israel to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. Hear now the word of the Lord:

Old Testament Reading: Ezekiel 1

“In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the Chebar canal, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. On the fifth day of the month (it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin), the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the Chebar canal, and the hand of the Lord was upon him there. As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal. And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness, but each had four faces, and each of them had four wings. Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf’s foot. And they sparkled like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus: their wings touched one another. Each one of them went straight forward, without turning as they went. As for the likeness of their faces, each had a human face. The four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle. Such were their faces. And their wings were spread out above. Each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while two covered their bodies. And each went straight forward. Wherever the spirit would go, they went, without turning as they went. As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches moving to and fro among the living creatures. And the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. And the living creatures darted to and fro, like the appearance of a flash of lightning. Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them. As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like the gleaming of beryl. And the four had the same likeness, their appearance and construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel. When they went, they went in any of their four directions without turning as they went. And their rims were tall and awesome, and the rims of all four were full of eyes all around. And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose. Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring crystal, spread out above their heads. And under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward another. And each creature had two wings covering its body. And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the sound of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army. When they stood still, they let down their wings. And there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads. When they stood still, they let down their wings. And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance. And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him. Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.” (Ezekiel 1, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Revelation 4:1-11

“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.’ At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 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. 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. 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, 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: 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. 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 the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’ And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 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, ‘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’” (Revelation 4:1–11, ESV).

Introduction 

Ezekiel 1 and Revelation 4 have many things in common. Most fundamentally, they both describe heavenly visions shown to men – one a prophet, the other an apostle – who were ministering to the people of God living in exile. Israel was in exile, having been taken from their land to Babylon. The church always lives in exile, having no land of her own on this earth. We will live as sojourners until the Lord returns.

And what did the prophet and apostle see? Well, the most significant thing that they saw – the central figure in the visions shown to them – was God enthroned in heaven. This, friends, is what exiles and sojourners need to see. They must remember that God is enthroned! He is the Sovereign one. His purposes will not be thwarted. He will accomplish all his will. Though you might feel alone, though it may seem as if God’s purposes have been derailed, the Lord reigns! “For [he is] God, and there is no other; [he is] God, and there is none like [him], declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose’” (Isaiah 46:9–10, ESV). Ezekiel and John saw God enthroned in heaven. It is imperative that God’s people cultivate a heavenly mindset while sojourning in this world.

But notice that in both Ezekiel 1 and Revelation 4 it is not only the appearance of God that is described, but other things too. The men saw other creatures and other images around or beneath or before the throne of God. These are the things that I want to give attention to today. We’ve already established the central thing – God is enthroned. He is the central figure in the heavenly vision. Everything centers upon him. Everything surrounds him, or issues forth from him. More than that, every living thing worships and serves him. This is indeed the main thing to be recognized – God is central and supreme. But what about all that surrounds God in these visions? What is the significance of these things?

I’d like to devote two sermons to this. There is too much here to say it all in one. Today we will consider the inanimate things which surround God in this vision – that is to say, the things that are not alive – the throne, the flashes of lightning and peals of thunder, the rainbown, and the sea of glass. Next Lord’s Day we will consider the living things – the twenty-four elders, the four living creatures, and seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God.

Throne

We should remember that the first thing John saw after being caught up to heaven was a throne. It has already been said that the throne symbolizes God’s power. God is sovereign. He has power, not just over this nation or that, but over all things, for he is enthroned, not on earth, but in heaven. “Thus says the Lord: ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool’ (Isaiah 66:1, ESV). He is the King of kings, and Lord of lords. Indeed, his sovereign power extents over all he has made. No one and no thing exists apart from him. He created all things and he rules all things. All of that was emphasized last week.

But it should also be recognized that the throne symbolizes judgment. Yes, God is the sovereign king. But more specifically, he is the king who will judge. Revelation 4 sets the stage for what will follow as the book of Revelation progresses. Here God is seen on the throne. In the rest of Revelation we see to God’s judgements.

For example, in 5:1 God’s throne is mentioned again. “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” (Revelation 5:1, ESV). The scroll, as we will see, contains, among other things, the judgments of God. God is enthroned in heaven as judge.

Consider also Revelation 6:12-17.  This passage describes what happens when the sixth seal on the scroll is opened.

“When he opened the sixth seal, [John] looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?’ (Revelation 6:12–17, ESV).”

Clearly this is a description of the final judgment and it is “him who is seated on the throne” that judges.

Consider also Revelation 20:11-12:

“Then [John] saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done” (Revelation 20:11–12, ESV).

Again, the final judgment is described here but from a different vantage point than before. Here individuals are judged, and they are judged from the “great white throne”.

The throne of God is the centerpiece of the vision of Revelation chapters 4-5, and it will remain the centerpiece throughout the book of Revelation. We will constantly be brought back to the throne of God as we progress through this book. We will find that the throne is the place where God is seated. It is before the throne that heavenly creatures worship. It is also the place where the saints who have died worship – they find refuge and comfort there. And it is the place where God declares his judgments. Everything that happen in heaven and on earth happens because of the one who sits on the throne. Worship is directed to him, his servants proceed from him, and judgments are pronounced by him.

As I thought about the centrality of God’s throne in the book of Revelation I was stuck by the thought that this book has the ability to, at once, terrify and to bring comfort. Have you noticed that? Some read the book and tremble; others read it and rejoice. Here I am not contrasting the one who has interpreted the book properly with the one who has interpreted it improperly, leading the one to tremble and the other to rejoice – that does happen, but that’s not what I am talking about. Here I am talking about the fact that two individuals can read the book, interpret it properly, leading one to tremble and the other to rejoice. What makes the difference? The thing that distinguishes the one from the other, of course, is their relationship to God. When a person who has faith in Christ – who has been made right with God through Christ’s shed blood – considers this book, he is comforted by it. It brings assurance to the believers heart. It move the Christian to rejoice. But when a person who does not know Christ – who stands guilty before God and in his sin – considers this book, he trembles – or at least he should.

This phenomenon is especially true as it pertains to the thought of God’s throne. For the Christian, the thought of God enthroned in heaven rejoices the heart. God’s throne is, for the one who has faith in Christ, the throne of grace. It is there that our Father sits. We take comfort in the fact that he reigns supreme. And We the Christian also understands that God’s throne is a  throne of judgement, but not for us. For God’s judgment – his wrath – has already been poured out on Christ who has stood in our place. He bore our sins in his body in that tree. He took upon himself the wrath of God that we deserved. He atoned for our sins. He died as a propitiation, satisfying God’s wrath. So for the Christian the thought of God’s throne does not cause us to tremble, but to rejoice. He is sovereign, and he will judge his enemies and ours, making a things right in the end. But for the one who does not know Christ – for the one who stands before God guilty – the thought of God enthroned in heaven can only produce fear and trembling.

I wonder how it is for you? Do you have the “confidence [to] draw near to the throne of grace, that [you] may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16, ESV) – a confidence rooted, not in your own works or merits, but in the work and merit of Christ alone? Do you take comfort in the thought of God enthroned? Are you compelled to worship at the thought of it? Or does the thought of God enthroned bring only a “fearful expectation of judgment” (Hebrews 10:27, ESV)?

The remedy to expectation of judgement is faith in Jesus who is the Christ.

Flashes of Lightning, Peals of Thunder 

First of all, John saw a vision of God sitting on a throne. But notice what he saw coming from the throne in verse 5. “From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder” (Revelation 4:5, ESV). Can you picture it?

I love to watch lightning and to hear thunder. I’ve spent some time in Chicago. And while there I saw some very powerful thunderstorms roll through the city. It’s awesome to behold. But I must confess, never have I been caught in a thunderstorm exposed. That would be most terrifying.

Thunder and lighting also symbolizes divine judgment. It’s an awesome thing to behold so long as you are in a safe and protected place, but to be under it and exposed is a most terrifying thought.

Let me show you how the vision of thunder and lightning issuing forth from the throne of God here in chapter four sets the stage for what will be revealed later on in the book of Revelation. It sets the stage for the judgment scenes that will follow.

Later in the book of Revelation we will witness the scroll that is in God’s right hand being opened. It has seven seals.  With the breaking of each seal more is revealed concerning God’s purposes concerning the salvation of his people and the judgment of his enemies. When the seventh seal was broken here is what John saw: “Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake” (Revelation 8:5, ESV). This is how the final judgment is described at the end of chapter 8 eight.

The seven seals then give way to the blowing of seven trumpets. Things recapitulate in this cycle. They also advance and intensify. And is with the blowing of the seventh trumpet that the final judgment is described again. Here is what John saw: “Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail” (Revelation 11:19, ESV).

Later in Revelation we will see seven bowl being poured our. Again things recapitulate. They also They also advance and greatly intensify.  Here is what John saw when the seventh bowl was poured out: “And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake” (Revelation 16:18, ESV).

So much can be said about how these texts relate to one another. They each describe the final judgement. The judgment clearly intensifies as we move from seal, to trumpet, to bowl cycles. More on all of that another time. For now, recognize that thunder and lighting symbolize the judgment of God.

It is a most terrible and frightening thing to come under God’s righteous judgment unprotected and exposed.

If you are in Christ Jesus – if you believe upon him – then you are shielded by him. He has stood over you to shield you from God’s wrath. He has bore your sins in his body on that tree. He has taken God’s wrath upon himself. He has covered you in his righteousness, so that you need not fear. In him you are shielded and clothed.

But if you are not in Christ by faith – if you are not shielded or clothed by him – then you stand before God unprotected and exposed. You will you stand before him as righteous judge in your own sin. His wrath will indeed be poured out upon you.

Next time a powerful thunderstorm rolls through town I want for you to think about all of this. As it approaches you I want for you to recognize the impulse you will naturally have to run for cover.  You’ll enjoy the storm, I’m sure. But you will enjoy it only because you are covered. And let that experience remind you of how it will be on the day of judgement. You’d better be covered by Christ, friends. You’d better be found in him, cleansed by his blood and clothed in his righteousness. You will not make it if you stand before God covered in your own filth, naked and exposed.

Rainbow

John saw God enthroned in heaven. “From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder”.  But he also saw a rainbow. This is what John describes at the end of verse three. “Around the throne was a rainbow”, he says.

What does the rainbow symbolize in the Bible? It symbolizes God’s mercy. It is the sign associated with the covenant that God made with Noah. After flooding the earth as an act of judgment upon humanity, and after bringing Noah and his family through that ordeal by the ark, which was a type of Christ, he put a rainbow in the clouds and promised Noah saying, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease” (Genesis 8:21–22, ESV). God promised to show mercy to humanity so that his purposes of redemption could be accomplished.

When we read in Revelation 4:3 that John saw a rainbow in the appearance of an emerald around the throne of God, what are we to think? I like the way that G.K. Beale put it in his commentary. “The ‘rainbow’ implies, as probably also in Ezek. 1:28, that God’s actions of judgment portrayed in the following visions will be tempered with considerations of mercy.”

God, when acting in judgment upon the world will be considerate of and merciful to his people. Also, God is even merciful towards his enemies. His judgments are even now delayed and restrained. The book of Revelation makes much of this. When the seals are broken only a fourth of the earth is effected by the judgments. When the trumpets are blown, only a third of the earth is touched. It’s not until the bowls are poured out that all of creation comes under the judgment of God. All of this communicates restraint. God, in his mercy, is holding back judgment until that day.

God is now showing mercy to sinful men. Days and weeks and years pass by. The seasons come and go. Sinful men and women enjoy the blessings that God gives in this life, but most do not turn from their sins. They presume upon the kindness of God. They enjoy food and drink, but they mock God, saying, “Christ will never return! There will be no judgement.”

The words of Peter seem appropriate here. He warns,

“that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.’ For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn” (2 Peter 3:2–12, ESV)!

Friends, God is showing mercy now. John saw around his throne, which is a throne of judgment,  “a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.” Do not abuse the kindness of the Lord. Repent and turn to him while there is still time.

Sea of Glass

Lastly, let us consider the sea of glass that John saw before the throne.  In verse 6 we read, “Before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.” What is this sea of glass?

When we compare Revelation 4 with Ezekiel 1 and also Exodus 24 it seem that this “sea of glass”, as John describes it, or the “expanse, shining like awe-inspiring crystal” represents the dividing point between the world as we know it and the heavenly realm that is invisible to us. When we look up we see the expanse of heaven above us. When God looks down he looks through this “sea of glass” upon us.

Also, get used to this idea: The sea (the ocean) is symbolic of evil and chaos, or that which is contrary to God’s purposes. This is true in the book of Revelation, but also in the rest of scripture.

In Genesis 1:1 we read, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:1–2, ESV). Before God brought the earth into shape by the word of his mouth it was covered by chaotic and uninhabitable waters. The waters were no place for human existence. God formed the earth into a place where man could dwell and have dominion.

When God brought the flood waters of judgment upon the earth in the days of Noah that primordial sea was allowed to return and to cover the land for a time.

When the people of Israel were brought out of Egypt what did they pass through? They passed through the Red Sea. God parted the waters for them, but the waters returned upon the Egyptians in judgment.

In Revelation 13 we will be introduced to the first of two beast who oppose the people of God. And what is that beast seen arising out of? The sea!

And at the end of the book of Revelation the new heavens and new earth are described to us. One of the characteristics of the new creation is that there is no sea. In Revelation 21:1 we read, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more” (Revelation 21:1, ESV). The thing symbolized by this reference to no more sea is that in the new creation there will be no more evil and, therefor, no more threat of judgement – evil and judgment are features of this this old creation, not of the new one.

Notice this about the sea that is before God’s throne: it is calm and tranquil, and it is crystal clear.

The meaning is this, I think. Our world is filled with chaos. But that chaos does not intrude upon the heavenly realm. All things are calm and tranquil before God. Also, he sees the with perfect clarity all that happens on earth as he looks down upon us.  This too should bring comfort to the child of God and make the unrepentant sinner tremble.

Application

So these four inanimate things have been considered: the throne, the thunder and lighting, the rainbow, and the sea of glass.

As we consider these symbols, what difference should it make in us?

First of all, the thought of judgement should move us to seek shelter in Christ while God is merciful.

Secondly, those who are in Christ should take comfort in the fact that God will judge. We do not rejoice that sinners will be judged – we pray that they would turn from their sins before it is too late – but there is comfort in knowing that God will set all things straight in the end.

Thirdly, for the Christian, the tranquility that exists before the throne of God should spill over into our lives so that we be at peace, though would around us be in turmoil. It is the reality that exists before our God that matters.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah Come, behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah” (Psalm 46, ESV).

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New Testament Reading: Revelation 4:1-3

“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.” At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 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” (Revelation 4:1–3, ESV).

Introduction

It was about a month ago that our family was driving through town late at night (I think it was probably 9:00 or 10:00) and I noticed that while almost all of the businesses were closed, the psychics and palm readers were open. Their “Open” signs really stood out shining brightly in the darkness. I would argue, of course, that those bright signs were a mirage, promising way more than they could deliver. I remember saying, “how many people go to these palm readers anyways, let alone at this hour of the night?” Well, apparently the answer is enough to keep these people in business, right?

Really, it does not surprise me. It is not uncommon for people to want to know something about the future. We humans are limited creatures. We are limited in more ways than I can list right now, one of them being that we do not know what the future holds. This limitation can make us feel very vulnerable. Some will even find themselves petrified – unable to act – when faced with a major life decision for fear that they will choose the “wrong path”. If only they could know the future, or at least something about the future, they could act with confidence. It is no wonder, then, that they are willing pay these charlatans to read read the palm or the cards or the stars or to consult the spirits on their behalf so that they might know something about the future to help discern which direction they should go.

A Christian would never to think to visit one of these establishments. It is not that we see the future with greater clarity than our fellow human beings, for we too are limited in our knowledge of the future. And it is not that we are immune to the feelings of vulnerability that sometimes overwhelm finite creatures living in an unpredictable world. The difference is that we look elsewhere for help.

We look to God. We trust in him. Really, we do not need to know the future for we know the One who has ordained all things and who has promised to bring his purposes to pass. We trust in him to bring about what is best, both for his glory and our good. We trust in him to sustain us through every season of life. The follower of Christ is comfortable with his finitude. He is at peace despite his limitations. He is content with not knowing the future. Why? Because he knows the One who knows all things, who has decreed all things, and who has all power to bring all things to his desired end, who’s name is Love.

Not only do we look to God himself and to the person of Christ, trusting in them, we also look to the word of God. God’s word does not reveal everything to us, but it does reveal enough. It reveals, among other things, who God is, so that we might trust in him. It also reveals how we are to live in this world so that we might obey. The Christian, then, is not to be consumed with speculations about the future. Instead, we are to trust and obey. You know the old hymn, Trust and Obey:

“When we walk with the Lord
in the light of his word,
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will,
he abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

Friends, we do not need to know what tomorrow holds. Instead, we need to know the one who holds tomorrow in his hands. It is he that we are to trust and obey. This is this thing that Christians should be preoccupied with, not with speculations about the details of our future.

With that said, is should be recognized that God has not left us to wander in total darkness concerning our knowledge of the future. He has revealed something of himself to us so that we might trust in him. He has revealed his will for us so that we might obey him. And he has also revealed something about the future to us so that we might walk according to the light of that revelation. He has not revealed all things. But he has revealed some things so that we might live accordingly.

Deuteronomy 29:29 says, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law”. There are two main principles communicated in this verse. One, this verse clearly states that some things are “secret” – only God knows them. He, in his infinite wisdom, has chosen not to reveal everything to us. The secret things are things that we sometimes wish we knew: When exactly will Christ return? Who will I marry? Which career path should I choose? Why did this bad thing happen to me – what good can possibly come of it? Etc. But we are to be content with not knowing. We are to trust God, and we are to obey what he has revealed. That is the second principle communicated in this verse. God, though he has not revealed all things, has revealed some things. The things that he has revealed “belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”

These two principles are important for us to keep in mind as we continue our study of the book of Revelation. It is here in the book that God reveals to us some things about the future. We should be grateful for the light of this revelation. It should help us to trust in God and to obey him. We are to walk in the light of what has been revealed. But we must also be content to allow what God has kept secret to remain secret.

Brothers and sisters, the book of Revelation has been badly abused in our day. Actually, it has been tortured. It is has been tortured by futurist interpreters who interrogate it with the text of Revelation in one hand and the newspaper in the other. The futurists insist that Revelation say something specific about todays headlines – “What do you have to say about this?”, the futurist asks – but Revelation will not be pushed around. What is says, it says clearly. But it is also stubborn to say not a word more. It is the futurist interrogators who wind up flustered and frustrated, looking rather foolish in the end.

And so here is our objective: to allow the book of Revelation to speak where it speaks, and to allow the book to remain silent where it is silent. “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law”.

So why all of this talk about the future today?

Well, we have come to the place in the book of Revelation where things begin to transition from a focus upon how things were in John’s day to how things will be from that day forward. Please know that I chose those words very carefully. I will repeat them: We have come to the place in the book of Revelation where things begin to transition from a focus upon how things were in John’s day to how things will be from that day forward.

Notice the words “after this” both at the beginning of verse one and also at the end. “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’” (Revelation 4:1, ESV). The words are the same in both the English and the Greek. In both occurrences the words obviously communicate something about sequence – first this, and then after this, that. But the two occurrences – the one at the beginning of the verse and the one at the end – refer to different things.

The first “after this” refers to the sequence of the visions that John received. First, he saw a vision of one like a son of man walking in the midst of seven lamp stands who commissioned him to write to the seven churches. After that he saw another vision. This new vision is described beginning in chapter four.

The first thing that John saw was a “door standing open in heaven”, but he also heard a voice. It was the same voice that he heard at the beginning that spoke to him like a trumpet. This is a reference back to chapter 1 verse 10 where John said, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying,’“Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea’” (Revelation 1:10–11, ESV).

Do you remember how last Sunday I made much of the idea that the whole of the book of Revelation was for the seven churches, and not just chapters one through three? I tried to demonstrate that the letters to the seven churches were intimately related to chapters four and five conceptually. The concepts communicated in chapters four and five correspond to the concepts communicated in chapters two and three. Chapters two and three say, “live in this way, Christian” and chapters four and five (indeed, the rest of the book of Revelation) say, and here is why you should – it will be worth it in the end!

Here we see a more concrete literary connection. In chapter one John was “in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, [he] heard behind [him] a loud voice like a trumpet, saying, ‘Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches” (Revelation 1:10, ESV). Here in 4:1 John hears the same voice, and in 4:2 he is again said to be “in the Spirit” before describes the visions that follow. What is crystal clear is that the whole of the book of Revelation was addressed to the seven churches alive in 90A.D.. The whole thing was a for them, just as the whole thing is for us. The point I am making is that our interpretation of the book of Revelation must not violate its fundamental unity. It seems clear to me that the futurist interpretation violates the unity of the book by driving a huge chronological wedge in between the end of chapter three and the beginning of chapter 4.

Clearly, 4:1 marks the beginning of a new section in the book of Revelation. But it is equally clear that this new section goes along with the previous one. The first section says, “persevere, conquer, overcome, endure, even to the point of death.” The second section begins to say, “here is why it will be worth it.”

The second “after this” – the one at the end of verse one – refers to the sequence of history. The vision that John saw at first had to do with how things were in his day. Chapters two and three had to do with the condition of seven particular churches alive in 90 A.D. when he wrote. True, those churches represent all churches then and now, but the letters were written concerning how things were with them back then. In 4:1 the focus begins to shift to describe how things would be from that day forward. Christ spoke to John saying, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this”, that is to say, in the days to come and until the Lord returns.

The words “after this” at the end of 4:1 should remind us of what was said by Christ to John back in 1:19. Christ spoke to John saying, “Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this” (Revelation 1:19, ESV).The book of Revelation is indeed broken into two main parts. The letters to the seven churches described things as they were in John’s day, and chapters four and onward begin to describe how things would be from the time of John’s writing on to the end of time.

The futurists – that is to say, those who interpret the book of Revelation as if chapters four through twenty-two describe things that will happen yet in our future – make much of the words, “after this” both in 1:19 and also at the end of 4:1. The weight of their system rests heavily upon the word’s “after this”.  But it should be recognized that when they read the words “after this” they do not simply think, “after this”, but rather, “a long, long time after this”. Remember, their view is that almost 2,000 years of history come in between the events described in chapters two and three and the events described in chapters four through twenty-two. They do not read “after this”, but the imagine the text to be saying, “a long, long time after this.”

I’ve come to see this futurist view – which is the majority view today (or it is at least the most popular view) as incorrect for many reasons. I’ll mention only two reasons now.

One, this view reads into the text something that is not really there. True, 4:1 marks the transition from a focus upon how things were in John’s day, to a focus upon how things would be in the future, but the futurist makes the text to say more than it says when they cram their huge chronological gap into the text. The gap is not there – they force it into the text. The futurist position, which produces the pre-millennial position that is so popular today, has as its foundation the gaps in scripture. We might ask the futurist, “where do you find support for this idea that chapters four through twenty two describe things that will happen in our future, 2,000 years removed from the original audience?” They will have to admit that they see it in the gap between 3:22 and 4:1. Never does the text actually say it.

Two, I have come to reject the futurist interpretation because it ignores what is clearly stated in the text. I’ve already demonstrated that the chapters four and following are tightly linked to chapters one through three both literarily and contextually. But we should also remember the clear statements found in Revelation concerning the nearness of the events described in this book. Remember what was said in 1:3: “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3, ESV). And the same truth is repeated near the end of the book where John was told in 22:10, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near” (Revelation 22:10, ESV). So the futurist reads into the text something that is not there while ignoring what the text clearly says. Most of the things described in the book of Revelation were near. And remember that they were near, not first of all to us, but to those who originally read the book in 90A.D. More could be said – indeed, more has been said in past sermons and lectures – but we must move on.

If I had more time I would also make a case against the preterist, partial-preterist, and historicist position.  The full preterist position is so wild that I don’t fear any of you falling for it. The historicist position is rather uncommon today – you’ll probably never encounter it. The partial-preterist position is not all that different from the one that I hold to – I would not be too concerned if you came to hold that position. I speak against the futurist position strongly because it is both very wrong and also very popular today.

I hold to what is called the idealist, or the modified idealist, position. To state it very simply, the idealist position admits that revelation 4:1, and the words “after this” at the end of 4:1, marks a major transition in the book of Revelation. Things begin to transition from a focus upon how things were in John’s day to how things will be from that day forward.  But we recognize that the rest of the book of Revelation will describe, not just the things that will happen at the very end of time – things yet in our future – but rather how things will be in the world in the whole time between Christ’s first and second coming. The thing that the book of Revelation primarily reveals is how things will be in the last days, which are the days between Christ’s first and second comings. Yes, the book tells us us about the future! But is said just as much to the 90A.D. Christians concerning their future, as it does to us concerning ours. Revelation reveals how things will go concerning the redemption of God’s people and the judgment of God’s enemies throughout the church age (that is the story contained within the scroll in God’s right hand that the Lamb was worth to open). It also reveals what will happen in the end – the second coming of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, the judgment, and the ushering in of the new heavens and the new earth. Indeed, “after this” does have do with the chronology of history, but there is no gap there. The Christians who read the book in 90 A.D. saw and experienced the things revealed in this book, with the exception of the bodily return of Christ, the bodily resurrection of the dead, the final judgement, and the consummation of the new heavens and earth – the kingdom of God.

Here’s the thing I want you to take away from these introductory remarks (Yes, this was all introduction. I have three points for you, but they will be rather brief): I want for you to recognize that God has not left us in the dark concerning the future. He has revealed something to us concerning how things will go until Christ returns, and how things will go when and after he returns.  Really, this has been true from the beginning of time God has always been gracious to reveal something about the future to his creatures. It was true in the garden. It was true immediately after the fall. And it has been true throughout the history of redemption. God has given us warnings and promises and prophesy so that we might walk according to the light he has provided. “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29, ESV). What a gift this is! He could have simply said, trust and obey! But he, in his mercy and grace, has revealed something to us concerning the reality of things now, the trajectory of human history, and things that will certainly happen in the end. What a gift it is!

Friends, we would be wise to believe what God has said concerning the future. We would also be wise to take comfort in what he has revealed and to walk according to that light. We would be fools if we didn’t.

If you knew that the stock market was going to crash tomorrow what would you do with your investments today? You’d be wise to sell! You’d be called a fool if you didn’t. Why? Because you knew what was going to happen but you failed act accordingly. In the same way, we would be fools if we failed to live our lives today in light of what God has revealed concerning tomorrow.

To believe what God has revealed concerning the future should move us to live accordingly, and it should also produce peace within our hearts along with steadfastness, faithfulness, consistency, and confidence in our way of life.

I mentioned last Sunday that Lindsay and I had gone to a Chinese New Years celebration with some of her co-workers the day before. I had no idea what to expect. I’d never been to one before. And so a few days before the event I ran into Mr. Wynn, Lindsay’s boss, and said, “tell me about this thing. When will it start? What will it cost? How should I dress?” I felt completely in the dark before that conversation. I had no idea what would happen. And so I felt uncertain concerning what I should do in preparation. When did we need to leave? How much money did I need to bring? How should I dress? Paul answered those questions for me. He did not attempt to describe the event in detail – I don’t know that it would have helped anyways. There are somethings that you just need to experience to understand them. But he told me what I needed to know. He gave me enough information to get me to the event prepared. It was interesting to note the psychological effect that that little bit of information had upon me. It set my heart at ease. It gave me confidence. It freed me to make good and wise decisions. I was able to go prepared. It was only after experiencing the event that I can say that I understand it, but I was given the information that needed to go with confidence and well prepared.

The book of Revelation does this for us when it comes to life in general. How exactly will things go in the end? God has not given us all the details – “Concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matthew 24:36, ESV). But he has given us enough information so that we might walk with wisdom in this world. He has revealed enough so that we might walk confidently in this world, with steadfastness in our steps and peace in our hearts. He’s told us enough so that we might prepare.

So let us consider briefly the first three verses of Revelation four.

It is interesting to notice that chapters four and five of Revelation do not describe events that would happen in the future from John’s perspective, but rather how things already were when he wrote.

You might be thinking to yourself, “but that contradicts what has been said about the words ‘after this’ at the end of 4:1!” Listen again to what I said about 4:1. This is “the place in the book of Revelation where things begin to transition from a focus upon how things were in John’s day to how things will be from that day forward.”

Chapters four and five do not describe things that would happen in the future from John’s perspective – they set the stage for the unfolding of human history. In chapter four John describes his vision of God enthroned in heaven. When did that happen? Not in John’s future or ours, but long before that! If you know your Old Testament, Revelation chapter four will sound very familiar to you, for what John describes sounds a lot like what the prophets of old had seen. And chapter five comes to focus upon Jesus Christ who is seen at the Fathers right hand, appearing like a lamb that had been slain. He is the one who is found worthy to take the scroll from the Father and to break it’s seals, revealing it’s contents. When did that happen? Not in John’s future or ours, but when Christ ascended to the Father after his life, death, burial and resurrection. That happened some sixty years before John wrote. Notice the song that the twenty-four elders sang? “Worthy are you [Jesus] 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” (Revelation 5:9, ESV).

The vision that John saw as it is described to us in chapters four an five reveals how things already were at the time of John’s writing. He was given a glimpse into the present heavenly reality of things. The Father was already enthroned, of course. And Christ was already at his right hand and found to be worthy to receive the scroll and open it because he had finished the work of redemption through his death on the cross. Chapters four an five reveal to us how things already were in heaven at the time of John’s writing – God was (and is) enthroned, and Christ was (and is) at his right hand and is found worthy to open the scroll because of his finished work on the cross.

What’s in that scroll? That’s the question. Well, the rest of Revelation will make that clear. When Christ begins to break the seals of the scroll – when he begins to open it (chapters 6-8:5) – we will see laid out before us God’s plans concerning the salvation of his people and the judgment of his enemies.

Do you see, then, that Revelation four and five do not describe things that would happen in John’s future, but things as they already were in heaven at the time that he wrote. Revelation 4:1is the place in the book of Revelation where things begin to transition from a focus upon how things were in John’s day to how things will be from that day forward. These two chapters function like a hinge. They set the stage for what will follow, namely, the unraveling of the scroll seen in God’s right hand which Christ alone is worthy to open. The unraveling of this scroll will, in turn, reveal how things will go concerning the salvation of God’s people and the judgment of his enemies from the time of Christ’s first coming on to the end. Chapters four and five present us with an invaluable picture of how things really are in heaven.( The same pattern can be observed in Daniel 2:27-45. The vision that Nebuchadnezzar saw was concern things that would happen “after this” (2:29;45) from Daniels perspective, but the vision and it’s interpretation begin by describing Nebuchadnezzar’s present reign.  (The same pattern can be observed in Daniel 2:27-45. The vision that Nebuchadnezzar saw was concern things that would happen “after this” (2:29;45) from Daniel’s perspective, but the vision and it’s interpretation begin by describing Nebuchadnezzar’s present reign.)

Three things are to be noticed:

There Exists A Heavenly Realm That Lies Beyond The Realm That We Can See

One, notice that there exists a heavenly realm that lies beyond the realm that we can see with our natural eyes or perceive with our senses.

Look again at 4:1 where John says,  “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” (Revelation 4:1, ESV).

John saw a door standing open in heaven. He was invited to by Christ to “come up” so that he might see what was to take place from that day forward. There exists a heavenly realm that lies beyond the realm that we can see with our natural eyes or perceive with our senses.

This idea is fundamental. It is a most basic feature of the biblical worldview.

Do you remember the first verse in the Bible? What does it say? “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1, ESV). “Heavens” here is not a reference to the stars, but to the heavenly realm where God and his angelic hosts dwell. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth”. Paul the Apostle says the same thing. Speaking of the Christ he says, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16, ESV). There exists a heavenly realm that lies beyond the realm that we can see with our natural eyes or perceive with our senses.

Knowing this changes everything. This world is not all that there is. We would be fools to live for the things of this world. We would be wise to live our lives on this earth being ever mindful of the heavenly reality. We are to be heavenly minded.

The non-believer is blind to the heavenly reality. He looks at this world and thinks to himself, “this is all there is”. It is no wonder, then. that he lives for the pleasures of this life. “What more is there!”, he says.

The Christians is aware of this heavenly reality, for God has revealed it. She looks at the world and thinks to herself, “this is not all there is.” It is no wonder, then, that she denies the desires of the flesh and lives for the world to come.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19–21, ESV).

Cultivate a heavenly mindset, friends. See what God has revealed to us, believe it, and live accordingly.

God Is Enthroned In The Heaven

Two, notice that God is enthroned in heaven.

What was the first thing that John saw in this vision after he was taken up into heaven? Verse 2: “At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne” (Revelation 4:2, ESV). God is in heaven, and he is enthroned.

What does a throne symbolize? It symbolizes power. God is the sovereign King. And he is sovereign, not over this nation or that, or over this thing or that, but over all things. Nothing is outside of his control. What happens on earth happens because he has decreed it. He brings what he has decreed to pass by his providential care, through either permission or action, either directly or indirectly.

Through Isaiah the prophet God said,

“Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it” (Isaiah 46:9–11, ESV).

God is the King of Kings, and Lord of lords! He is God most high. He is sovereign over all things.

This is why Christ could speak to John as he did, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this” (Revelation 4:1, ESV). Christ can show John what must take place in the future because the future has been decreed by God and he will certainly bring it pass. It’s written in the scroll. It’s written in his book. He will accomplish it.

Brothers and sisters, develop your understanding of the sovereignty of God. Though it might at first perplex the mind, it will eventually bring comfort the heart. The world seems out of control. The events of history seem random, pointless, and unpredictable – from our vantage point they are! But has revealed to us that he is in heaven, and he is enthroned there. Nothing is outside of his control. Trust him and obey.

God Is Glorious Beyond Our Ability To Comprehend

Three, notice that God is glorious beyond our ability to comprehend.

Do you see how John describes the one who is seated on the throne? He struggles to find the words. Human language is poorly suited for the task of describing the divine. John uses the most beautiful things on earth to describe what he saw, saying, “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” (Revelation 4:3, ESV).

John did not see a man sitting there on the throne. God is not a man – he is not flesh and blood, but is a most pure spirit. The appearance of God was like precious stones – jasper, and carnelian – radiant in glory. Around the throne “was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.” What John saw was glorious.

Friends, we must learn to think thought about God that are true. We are prone to reduce him – to pretend that he is like us, or like the things of this earth. He is not. He is transcendent. He is the creator, we the creature. He is beyond us in every way, beyond our ability to fully describe or fully comprehend. What he has revealed to us about himself is true, but he not revealed himself exhaustively. Our minds cannot comprehend him.

Conclusion

My dear brothers and sisters, do you see how what John saw is of great value to us as we sojourn in this world? Do you see how encouraging this is for those suffering persecution, being threatened even with death? Do see how beneficial these revelations are to the one who is tempted to abandon Christ to live for the pleasures of this world? Don’t do it, friends! It’s not worth it. Stay true to God and to Christ! Remember that there is more to God’s creation that what you and I can see with our eyes. There is a heavenly realm. Store up your treasures there! And remember that God is enthroned in heaven. The things that we suffer in this world are not meaningless or lacking in purpose. God is working all things together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28, ESV). And remember that God is glorious beyond compare. Nothing in this world can compare with him. Trust in Christ, friends, and worship God though him, for he indeed is worthy of all glory, honor, and praise.

 

Posted in Sermons Joe Anady Revelation 4:1-3
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Pre-Introduction

Brothers and sisters, today we are going to consider all of Revelation chapters four and five. We are going to take a step back from the text to consider it broadly, asking, what message does this whole section of the book of Revelation communicate? What is the main point of it? Next Sunday we will come back to 4:1 and begin to walk through the section slowly, giving attention to the details of the text.

If you remember, I took the same approach with Revelation chapters two and three and the letters to the seven churches. On November 6th I preached a sermon on all of Revelation chapters two and three. On November 13th we went back to 2:1 and devoted one sermon to each of the letters (with the exception of the letter to Laodicea – two sermons were devoted to that).

I hope you can understand why. The book of Revelation is clearly divided into sections. The letters to the seven churches hang together in chapters two and three. Chapters four and five hang together, as we will clearly see. As we progress through Revelation we will encounter seven seals, followed by seven trumpets, followed by seven bowls, and so on. Each of these sections are packed with important details that must be considered carefully. That takes time. And we only have 45-50 minutes together each week. We must walk through these sections slowly, then, devoting many sermons to each section. But it must also be remembered that these sections are sections that hang together. They each have a particular message to communicate. Just as it would be unwise to move too fast through each of these sections, so too there is a danger in moving to slow. If we move too slow – if we get too caught up with the details of the text – we run the risk of missing the main point. The old adage rings true: it is possible to miss the forest for the trees.

In fact, I would argue that many interpreters of the book of Revelation get hung up on this very thing. They fixate so intensely on the details of the text of Revelation that they loose sight of the big picture. And I would argue that it is the big picture thats is most clear. It is the big picture which serves to frame the pieces of the puzzle of Revelation so that we might know how to properly interpret the details of the text.

And so this will be my approach throughout our study of the book of Revelation. I will devote one sermon to the introduction of each large section, asking, what is the main thought? And then we will return to the beginning of that section to move through it slowly. Hopefully this approach will help us to step back from the details of the text from time to time in order to regain and maintain perspective.

I want to pose a question before I read Revelation chapters four and five to you. The question is this: what is the relationship between the letters to the seven churches, which we have been considering over the past coupe of months, and chapters four and five, which we are about to read? This is such an important question to consider. I will deal with this question from the text in a much more detailed way in the weeks to come, but for now I want to ask the question generally and conceptually: What is the relationship between the letters to the seven churches and chapters four and five? To put the question another way, what did the original recipients of this book think when they read the letters to the seven churches in chapters two and three and then began to read chapters four and five? The two sections are obviously different. There is clearly a transition at 4:1. But how do the two sections relate to one another? To put it yet another way, the original 90 A.D. audience certainly understood that chapters two and three of Revelation were for them, for they were directly addressed in those letters. But did they also read chapters four and five and say, “this is for us!” Or did chapters four and five seem confusing and foreign to them as if they were speaking of things mysterious and a long way off.

I think you know what I am getting at here. The futurist interpretation of Revelation which is so common today drives a wedge and inserts gap between the end of Revelation three and the beginning of Revelation four insisting that the two sections describe things that are separated by thousands of years. Revelation two and three, they claim, described how things were back then when those churches existed. Revelation four and on, they think, describes that which will happen in our future. According to this view the answer to the question, what is the relationship between the letters to the seven churches and chapters four and five? would be, not a whole lot. 

I will address this problem much more carefully in the weeks to come as we move more methodically through text. For now I simply want to you recognize the obvious conceptual connection that exists between the two sections. By “conceptual” I mean that the concepts communicated in the letters to the seven churches, and concepts communicated in chapters four and five fit together like puzzle pieces. They go hand in glove. They go together like peanut butter and jelly so that they when the original 90 A.D. readers moved from chapter three into chapter four they did not say, “what is this?”, but rather, “Oh, how good this is! Oh, how this feeds my soul!” Chapters four and onward of the book of Revelation are intimately related to all that was said in the letters to the seven churches in chapters two and three.

Friends, it is important for us to remember the concept that was communicated in the first few chapters of Revelation. Jesus Christ was seen walking in the midst of his churches, inspecting them. And he spoke to them both words of encouragement and words of warning. The consistent plea of Christ to the churches was that they would remain true to him in this world. They were to witnesses to the world concerning him. They were to worship him. They were to live in this world in obedience to Christ, denying the lusts of the flesh, refusing false teaching, and bearing up under persecution, even to the point of death. Christians are called to suffer for the sake of Christ. The Christians were called to endure, to bear up under the trouble, and to conquer – that is, to win the victory, or to overcome.

I want for you to really think about this. These were real people facing real temptations.

Imagine the Christian businessman living in Ephesus. He’s both a husband and father. And he is tempted to compromise in the faith for the sake of gain. If he would only offer up a pinch of incense on the alter and say, “Cesar is Lord” – if he would only go to the festivals of trade guilds and bend the knee to their gods – he would prosper. He could buy the bigger house, and feed and clothe his wife and children. But to refuse to compromise would mean poverty for he and his family. If he remained true to Christ – if  he made the worship of Christ his leading concern – he would not be able to buy nice clothes for his wife. His family might dwell in a very small home. They might even go hungry. Christ was calling him to endure, to overcome, to resist the temptation to compromise.

Think of the young Christian woman living in Smyrna. She has her whole life in front of her. She hopes to marry someday and to have children, but she is being threatened with imprisonment, and even death, on account of her faith in Christ. The only thing she needs to do is to deny Christ. If she would just say the words, “I recant” – if she would simply drop the whole Christianity thing – she would be free to pursue her dreams. But Christ says to her, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10, ESV).

Think of the young man in Thyatira. He is tempted by the teaching of Jezebel, for she does not say, “deny the flesh”, but rather, “indulge!” The young man is conflicted in his mind and heart. Christ says,  “Put to death… what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming” (Colossians 3:5–6, ESV). But Jezebel says, “what you do in the flesh does not really matter. Christ has forgiven all your sins. This world and the things of this world will pass away. Indulge, then! If you have an appetite for something, then feed it!”

These were real people being tempted in really significant ways. Christ, in the letters to the churches, says “endure; conquer; overcome.”

The question on each of their minds was certainly this: is it worth it? Is it worth it to follow hard after Christ and to suffer in this world? Is it worth it obey Christ but to watch my family go without? Is it worth it to worship Christ and to suffer in prison, even to the point of death? Is it worth it to constantly fight against the sinful appetites of my flesh and to obey Christ? Is it worth it?

Friends, you may not even realize it but you don’t do anything in this life without asking yourself the question, “is it worth it?” I’m sure that this happens on the subconscious level more often than not. And there are some things that we do out of habit having settled the question, “Is it worth it?” a long time ago. But we do what we do, and we refuse to do what we refuse to do, because, at some point, and at some level, we have wrestled with the question, “is it worth it?”

I might crave a cup of coffee. But I will only purchase a cup of coffee, or take the time to brew a cup of coffee, if I decide that it is worth it? Someone might offer me a slice of cake and in that moment I have to decide, is it worth it? Does the enjoyment of eating that cake outweigh what it costs me? I understand that this decision making process often happens very quickly and naturally so that we hardly even recognize it, but it is there. The wise person recognizes that every decision we make has ramifications. Every word that we speak, and every word that choose not to speak – every thought that we think, and every thought that we choose not to think – every thing that we do, and every thing that we decide not to do – has an impact upon our life and the lives of others – it costs something. We are to count the cost, aren’t we? The one who is wise asks, is intentional in asking the question, “is it worth it?”

But I’m sure that you can see that different people will answer the question, “is it worth it?” differently. One man when tempted with sexual immorality decides, “it is worth it!”, and runs with reckless abandon into the sin. But another man faced with the same temptation, says, “by no means would the temporary pleasure be worth it; it will cost far too much”, and so he refrains.

And what is it that differentiates the one from the other? Friends, it has everything to do with the mind and heart of the man. What does the man really think is true? What does he believe about God, and man, and the world in which we live? Does he fear the Lord? Does he love others or himself? Does he live for the glory of God or for his own pleasure. It is what he thinks in his mind and believes in his heart that will determine whether the man runs into sin or away from it.

The man who decides to run full speed into sexual immorality shows by his actions what is truly in his mind and heart. He sins because he thinks the sin to be worth it. He does not truly believe that it will cost him much, if anything at all. The momentary pleasure, in his estimation, is worth it. This man does not fear the Lord.

The man who decides to refrain from sexual immorality shows by his actions what is truly in his mind and heart. He refrains because he does not think the sin to be worth it. It will cost him too much. The momentary pleasure, in his estimation, is not worth it. Something, or someone, else is worthy of his obedience. This one has the fear of the Lord.

This is how human behavior works. I understand that most of our decisions feel more impulsive. But truth be told, we do what we do because our hearts and minds are bent in a particular direction.

We are not animals, friends. We do not act upon simple impulse or instinct. We have the ability to freely chose. And we chose what we chose from the mind and heart. We think, say, and do that which our view of the world leads us to think, say, and do. We are constantly asking the question, is it worth it? And we answer that question one way or the other based upon what we think about reality.

This is why the scriptures place so much importance upon the transformation of the mind in the process of sanctification. Our behavior changes only as our minds change. Paul say, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…” (Romans 12:2, ESV). Our behaviors are changed when our minds change. The things that we think, say, and do flow from the mind and the heart. What we believe about reality – who God is, who we are, what this world is all about, and where all things are headed – will determine how it is that we live in this world. I heard it said by someone, “you are what you think.” This is true! We live according to what we think in the mind and believe in the heart.

I can’t remember why, but I was doing a word study on the word “repent” last week. Here is how the Greek lexicon Louw-Nida defines the Greek word, μετάνοια, which we translate as “repent”. To repent is “to change one’s way of life as the result of a complete change of thought and attitude with regard to sin and righteousness.” If we are to change our behavior to bring it into conformity to God’s will we must experience a metamorphosis of mind and heart.

An illustration came to mind as I was thinking about all of this. My wife is very disciplined with her diet, as some of you know. She impresses me very much. She is very careful and consistent to eat certain things and to not eat other things. The reason, though, is because she is thoroughly convinced that certain foods do damage to her body. She has a number of autoimmune problems.  And through study and also experience she has grown convinced that her body reacts very badly to certain kinds of food. She exhibits tremendous self control. She used to eat everything that I eat. She used to enjoy certain foods. But today she is disciplined to abstain even if the cravings are strong. Why? Because her mind has changed. She believes what she believes deeply. And her behavior proves it.

So what does all of this have to do with Revelation four and five?

Here is the point. These two chapters show us how things really are. God’s will is that we might see things as they truly are and believe it so deeply that we would live according to that reality. Revelation four and five (and the rest of Revelation, for that matter) peal back the curtains, as it were, to show us the heavenly reality. They show us how things really are with God and with Christ and with their plans and purposes in the world. The visions that are described here are meant, not to cause us to speculate about the future (when will Christ come and what exactly will it be like), but to renew our minds so that we would no longer conform to the world, but be transformed into the likeness of Christ. This is how the two sections – that is, the letters to the seven churches, and the visions of chapters four and five – relate to one another. The letters say, “worship Christ! Obey him! Do not compromise!” The visions of chapters four and five say, “and here is why it is worth it.”

As I read Revelation four and five I would ask that you pay special attention to what John hears in this vision. He sees many things. And what he sees is indeed very important. We will consider very carefully John’s description of all that he saw in the weeks to come. Today I want you to focus in upon John’s description of what he heard. Various figures in the vision speak. And what they have to say is very important. So listen to their words. And listen with the question that we have already posed in mind. Is it worth it to worship God and Christ in this world, though it may cost us everything? If we were to ask the question another way we might ask, who is it that is worthy of our worth-ship? I’m hoping that you notice the similarity between the words “worth”, “worthy”, and “worship”.

Let us give ourselves now to the reading of God’s holy, inspired, inerrant, and authoritative word.

New Testament Reading: Revelation 4-5

“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.’

At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 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. 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. 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, 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: 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. 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 the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!’

And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 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,

‘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.’

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. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice,

‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?’

And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 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.’

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. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 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. 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, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.’

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, 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!’

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!’

And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ and the elders fell down and worshiped” (Revelation 4–5, ESV).

Introduction

I understand that as we read this text many questions arise. What are we to make of the description of God? Who do the twenty-four elders represent? What do the four strange creatures represent? What is God said to have seven Spirits? And what is the significance of the scroll found in God’s right hand? We will answer these questions in the weeks to come.

For now I want you to recognize the two obvious and unmistakable things being communicated in this text: One, God is worthy to be worshiped for he is our creator.  And two, Christ is worthy to be worshiped for he is our redeemer.

This is the thing that the Christians in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea needed to hear! They wondered, is it worth it follow Christ in this world? Is it worth it to suffer for his name? And here they have their answer: Yes it is worth it! For God and his Christ are worthy of worth-ship! For God is our creator and Christ is our redeemer. Friends, this is what you and I need to hear. We need to view our lives in the light of the glory of our Creator God and in light of Christ our redeemer, who has conquered for you and for me. We are to live our lives  – we are to think, say, and do all that we think, say, and do – being ever mindful of our God and of our Savior.

God Is Worthy To Be Worshiped For He Is Our Creator

Friends, God is worthy to be worshiped because he is our creator? The Christian is one who says, “it is worth it to give God worship – to obey him, to serve him, to praise his name, witnessing to his goodness – even if it cost us everything in this world, for he is our Creator.”

Where did John see God seated? On a throne! For he is the sovereign King. Nothing is outside of his control.

And do you see that he is radiant in glory? We will consider the description of God more carefully i the weeks to come, but surly you can see that he is radiant in glory. He is holy, all powerful and worthy of all praise.

And what do the four living creatures say to him? “Day and night they never cease to say, ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come” (Revelation 4:8, ESV).

And what do the twenty-four elders say? They “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, ‘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” (Revelation 4:10–11, ESV).

We will say so much more about all of this in the weeks to come. For now notice the obvious thing: Christians are encouraged to think, say, and do, that which they were exhorted to think, say, and do in chapters two and three of Revelation because of what they see and hear in chapter four.

It is worth it to live a life completely sold out for God because God sits enthroned in heaven, he is radiant in glory, he is holy, he is unchanging, he is your creator. You were made by him and for him. From him you came and to him you will return. If this is true then why would you think to live for anyone else, or for any other pleasure other than the pleasure of knowing and pleasing him? A proper view of God has a way a straightening out our lives, friends.

Christ Is Worthy To Be Worshiped For He Is Our Redeemer

And do you see secondly that Christ is worthy to be worshiped for he is our redeemer?

Chapter five opens with a predicament. God has a scroll in his right hand, but no one is worthy to open it. The scroll, as we will see, will reveal God’s plan of judgment and redemption. But here no one is found worthy to open it. John began to weep. But one of the elders spoke to John saying, “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” (Revelation 5:5, ESV). Jesus has conquered through his life, death, and resurrection.

When the lamb stepped forward to receive the scroll what did the twenty-four elders say? “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” (Revelation 5:9, ESV).

And what did the four living creatures say? “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12, ESV).

After this John “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!’ And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ and the elders fell down and worshiped” (Revelation 5:13–14, ESV).

Friends, Christ is worthy to be worshiped because he is our redeemer. The Christian is one who says, “it is worth it to give Christ worship – to obey him, to serve him, to praise his name, witnessing to his goodness – even if it cost us everything in this world, for he is our redeemer.”

Conclusion

So I wonder, have you paused to ask the question, “is it worth it?” to live the way that you are living? Have you looked to God’s word with that question in mind? Have you examined your life in the light of God’s revelation of himself to us? Are you living your life to the glory of God, or for your own glory? Are you storing up treasures on earth or in heaven? Are you living for the fleeting pleasures of this world or are you pursuing the everlasting and all satisfying pleasure of knowing God and Christ?

Another way to ask the same question is to ask, “who is worthy of my worship?” We are made to worship, friends. We cannot help but worship. We worship every moment of every day. All of our thoughts, words, and deeds are an act of worship. They honor the person or the thing that we have deemed to be worthy . The question is not will we worship?, for it is inevitable that we will. The question is who will we worship? Who will we honor – who will we glorify – who will we serve in this life. Will we worship God and Christ, or self? Will we live for him, or the pleasures of this world. that is the question we must answer – who is worthy of our worship?

The answer is that God is worthy of our worship, for he is creator. And Christ is worthy of our worship, for he is our redeemer.  Certainly it is worth it to follow him all the days of our life even if it should cost us dearly in regard to the pleasures of this life.

Posted in Sermons Revelation 4-5
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Old Testament Reading: 

“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. The more they were called, the more they went away; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols. Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them. They shall not return to the land of Egypt, but Assyria shall be their king, because they have refused to return to me. The sword shall rage against their cities, consume the bars of their gates, and devour them because of their own counsels. My people are bent on turning away from me, and though they call out to the Most High, he shall not raise them up at all. How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute my burning anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath. They shall go after the Lord; he will roar like a lion; when he roars, his children shall come trembling from the west; they shall come trembling like birds from Egypt, and like doves from the land of Assyria, and I will return them to their homes, declares the Lord. Ephraim has surrounded me with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit, but Judah still walks with God and is faithful to the Holy One” (Hosea 11, ESV).

New Testament Reading: Revelation 3:14-22

“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.’ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’” (Revelation 3:14–22, ESV).

Sermon

It seems to me that the letter to Laodicea is strategically placed in the position of letter seven of seven. In previous sermons I’ve tried to describe the literary structure of the seven letters and how the structure impacts our interpretation of the overall message communicated in chapters two and three of the book of Revelation. I will not rehash all of that here, lest I frustrate you with the redundancy. But I do wish to make a few general observations about the letter to Laodicea and why the position of seven of seven matters before dealing with the details of the text.

Notice that Laodicea is in the worst shape of all the churches. Nothing good is said about her. She is only rebuked. Notice that Christ threatens to be done with her as a church in the most graphic way. If the church would not repent Christ would spit, or vomit, her out of his mouth!

Remember that Ephesus – the first church mentioned in chapter two – was also threatened with loosing their status as a church of Christ. Christ threatened to remove their lampstand if they would not repent. But remember that something positive was actually said about them! To Ephesus Christ said,

“I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary” (Revelation 2:2–3, ESV).

Ephesus was commended for being strong in this regard. Their problem was that they had stopped loving one another. And this problem was all pervasive. By that I mean that everyone in the congregation (or at least the vast majority) were guilty in this regard. In other words, no remnant remained in Ephesus. This is why they were on the verge of having their “lampstand” removed. And notice that the same can said of Laodicea – no remnant remained! Churches three through five – Pergamum, Thyatira and Sardis – were all rebuked, but they were not on the verge, as Ephesus and Laodicea were, for a remnant remained in them. This is how they were rebuked:  “you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam…” (Revelation 2:14, ESV), or “But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden” (Revelation 2:24, ESV). Clearly, churches three through five had problems, but those problems were isolated to some within the church. Their problems were not all pervasive.

Laodicea was in double trouble, then. One, nothing good was said about her – she had no commendable quality (this was worse than the situation in Ephesus). And two, there was no remnant. The problem was all pervasive. The sin had effected (or rather, infected) all of the members in such a way that the church was left utterly impotent. The church in Laodicea had lost her churchy-ness. Can you picture it?

It is no accident that the letter to Laodicea comes last. True, there may be a geographical reason for it – the letters might be listed in the order that a messenger would travel – but there is clearly a literary reason for it. When you are reading a document or listening to a message, what parts do you tend to remember the most? Usually it is the the things said at first, but especially last, that are remembered the most. This is why you, when you are in an argument, want to get the last word!

The letter to Laodicea serves as a kind of concussion to this whole section of the book of Revelation. The effect is that reader, or listener, is sent off into the rest of the book with a sober and somber disposition. We are sent off in our study of the rest of Revelation with this taste in our mouths. Fresh on our mind is the pitiful state of the church in Laodicea. In other words, the public rebuke leveled against Laodicea was not only for them, but also for us, along with all who have ever read this marvelous book. Christ made an example of the Laodiceans. He rebuked them, not privately – not in a letter written only to them – but in a public letter – one that would be circulated to all of the seven churches and preserved for all, even for us. Why? So to that we might fear with a godly kind of fear the thought of becoming what they had become. Public rebuke has that effect, doesn’t it? It has an effect, not only upon the one being rebuked, but upon all who hear. The witnesses are compelled to say, “may it never be said of us!” and “but by the grace of God go I”. This is the effect that the letter should have upon us. It should cause us to tremble at the thought of going the way of the Laodiceans.

I believe the positioning of the letter is significant, but I would also argue that the language and imagery used in this letter is most memorable. This is impossible to prove, I know. I’ll admit that this is a subjective opinion. But I think you might agree that some of most memorable, and, therefore, famous portions of the seven letters are found in the letter to Laodicea. They are famously rebuked for being lukewarm. Christ famously threatened to spit, or vomit, them out of his mouth. The irony is also thick and memorable. The Laodiceans thought of themselves as rich, prosperous, and in need of nothing, but Christ, ironically, had a completely different opinion of them. In Christ’s eyes they were wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Christ invited the Laodiceans to come and do business with him. He said, “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see” (Revelation 3:18, ESV). And then there is a that most famous (and often misused and misapplied) statement where Christ says to the church, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20, ESV). Perhaps it is just me, but I find the letter to Laodicea to be most memorable.

The point I am making is that I think all of this is intentional. Laodicea, in my opinion, is set forth as the prototypical “church in really bad shape”. The reason they are addressed last is so that we might be left to tremble at the thought of going in the way of the Laodiceans.

So what was their problem? That is the question. What was so bad about the church in Laodicea?

Christ rebuked the Laodiceans because they were lukewarm: “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15–16, ESV)”.

There is something that you should know about the city of Laodicea before we try to answer the question, what did Christ mean when he called the church in that city, lukewarm?

Laodicea was a prosperous city. You know the saying in real estate that it’s all about “location, location, location.” So it is with trade. Laodocea was situated in a location that made her prosperous in trade. The city was also a center for banking as well as medicine. Really, Laodicea had a lot going for it. But the city was lacking in regard to one vital resource – water. Think of the irony! The city was rich in so many ways, but lacked that which is absolutely vital to life! Water had to be piped into the city from hot springs six miles to the south. The citizens complained that the water was tepid and milky – distastefully lukewarm.  The water was actually known to cause nausea. All of this should be compared to the situation in the nearby cities of Hierapolis and Colossae. Hierapolis had hot springs in the city. They were used medicinally and also for bathing. Colossae had access to water that was cold and pure. Those cities enjoyed water that, in one way or another, gave life and brought refreshment to the people. But Laodocea’s water was lukewarm by the time it reached city. The hot water from the hot springs had lost it’s heat, and the cold water carried from the cold springs in the mountains was no longer cold by the time that it reached Laodocea. The water that was at one time extreme – that is either hot or cold – had acclimated to the temperature of the air by the time the Laodiceans took it to their mouths. It was most distasteful and unappealing. I’m sure that the citizens knew what it was like to take a drink of that Laodicean water only to spit it out in disgust.

With that as the background it is not hard to understand what Christ meant when he said to the Laodiceans, “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” Christ used this common experience familiar to all of the citizens of Laodicea to illustrate something about the churches spiritual state.

Notice a couple of things about Christ’s words:

One, Christ’s desire was that the church in Laodicea be either hot or cold. I’ve found that readers often assume that to be hot is good and to be cold is bad. They assume that to be “hot” means that we are “on fire for Jesus”, “passionate for him”, or something like that. And to be “cold” means that we are “spiritually dead”. But that interpretation does not fit with the text, does it? For Christ says, “Would [I wish] that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.“ In this metaphor either hot or cold would be good. Christ’s desire was that one or the other would be true of his people. The problem was that they were neither.

Two, notice that Christ does not rebuke them because they lack passion. This is not primarily about emotion. This would also be a typical, but incorrect, interpretation. The thought is that hot is good and cold is bad, and that these two descriptors describe the level of our passion or zeal. To be hot is to feel passion for Jesus. To be cold is to lack passion. Again, this does not fit with the text, for Christ says, “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot.” This was about the works of the Christians, not their emotional state. In other words, it was about the churches way of life – that was what Christ was concerned with.

I really wish that we would stop measuring our spiritual health – our spiritual maturity – by the question, am I experiencing intense emotion or passion for God and for Christ. By no means am I denying the importance of emotion in the Christian life. I’m simply saying that it is a poor gauge for measuring spiritual maturity or heath. A mature Christian is one who trusts God and obeys him in this world. A mature Christian is one who knows the truth of God’s word and lives according to it. A mature Christians is one who walks by faith and in wisdom. I promise you, I’ve met Christians who, although very “passionate”, are really immature and foolish in their way of life.

Emotion is not unimportant, friends. It is right that you feel love for God. It is right that you feel gratitude. It is right that you feel joy and peace. Emotions are a wonderful thing, and we should never suppress them or disregard their significance. How could you not feel emotion when considering the glory of God and all that he done for us in and through Christ Jesus? But we must allow emotions to take their proper place. Emotions follow where obedience leads. They arise when knowledge grows. Godly emotions accompany a godly way of life. You know this to be true in your human relationships. If you are mean to your spouse – if you speak harshly to him and neglect him – do not be surprised when the feelings of fondness disappear from your heart and his. But if you love him and are kind to him – if you love him with your words and actions – do not be surprised when the feelings of fondness grow.

I emphasize these things only because Christianity in America today tends get it really wrong when it comes to emotion. Passion for Jesus is made to be the goal. Emotion becomes the test of maturity. Having a “spiritual experience” has taken the place of loving God. And what did Christ say? “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15, ESV). Friends, the mature Christian is one who trusts God and obeys him. The mature Christian is the one who knows God’s word and lives according to it.

This passage is often misinterpreted, the thought being that when Laodicea was called lukewarm it was due to their having lost their passion for Christ. In fact, they were called lukewarm because they had compromised in their way of life. They had lost their zeal for him. They had lost their edge. They had become just like the world around them. They were no linger Christlike. Instead, they were just like the world.

This interpretation is the one that fits perfectly with the analogy of the water, doesn’t it? The waters of Colosae were cold. They descended from mountain springs made cold by winter storms. The water was enjoyed by them before it could acclimate to the warm temperatures. It was cool and refreshing because it was different from the surrounding environment – the air was hot but the water was cold. The same was true of the hot water of Hierapolis. It bubbled up from deep within the earth where tectonic powers made it hot. And it was hot and refreshing because it was different from all that surrounded it. The hot waters of Hierapolis would have been most soothing on a cold day, and perhaps even useful medicinally. Both the hot and cold waters brought life. They were refreshing because they maintained their distinction from the surrounding environment. They had not yet acclimated to the environment into which they emerged. Not so with the waters of Laodicea. Their water was lukewarm, room temperature, tepid and murky. Their water, instead of maintaining its refreshing characteristic, had given in to the surrounding environment.

And so it is with the Christian. A church is full of life and is pleasing to Christ when she is different from the sinful world around her. Never should a Christian acclimate to the world. In the moment they acclimate – in the moment they become, neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm – they become useless and disgusting to Christ, who is Lord of the church.

You know how easy it is to acclimate. You know how easy it is grow comfortable and complacent. It is so easy for Christians to become just like the world in which they live. We live our lives in the world, and the world is fallen. The world worships the wrong things. The world loves and serves the wrong things. The world lives in disobedience to God and his word. The world is in darkness and walks according to that darkness. But the Christian is worships God alone. The Christian is to love and serve God supremely. The Christians is to know God’s word and obey it in every arena of life. We are to walk according to the light of God and his word. So we have this constant conflict, don’t we? We have these two “worlds”, these two ways, these two kingdoms – they couldn’t be more different – and the one is constantly pulling upon the other, trying to make it just as it is. Gravity functions like this. Anything that is high, gravity wants to bring low. And the earth functions like this. It possesses the power of decay. Anything that sits upon the earth that is alive and whole, the earth seeks to break down. So it is with everything in this fallen world. The sinfulness of the world is forever pulling down upon the kingdom of God and the people of God. The world’s desire is that we would conform to it. The world wants us to acclimate to it. The world would love for us to become just like them – lukewarm – indistinct in both doctrine and life.

So how do we stay hot or cold, and not grow lukewarm? Or, if we are lukewarm, how to grow hot or cold? That is this question.

As I was thinking about this question, an illustration came to mind. You know, today it is really easy for us to take things that are lukewarm and to make them either hot or cold. If we want to make something hot we put it in the stove, in the oven, or in the microwave. And if we want to make something cold we put it in the refrigerator or freezer. It is easy for us to make things that are lukewarm either hot or cold. That is because we have invented devices that are able to create an environment that will, over time, pull something that is room temperature in one of those directions – either to hot or to cold. But what must we do with those devices – the refrigerator or the stove – in order for them to work? We must plug them into power! Power has to be involved. The whole process must be empowered. Everything naturally tends to acclimate to the world around it. If that power is to be resisted or reversed power from without must be applied. Go home and unplug your refrigerator and see what happens over three days time. Or go home and unplug your stove, turn the dial to 350, put a turkey in it, and check back three hours later. You’ll be disappointed, I’m sure. You’ll find that everything is room temperature, neither hot nor cold, because there is no power. But when those devices are plugged in, not only do the they themselves become hot or cold, but they have the power to make other things hot and cold too.

So it is with us, friends. If you disconnect from the power that God has provided, do not be surprised if over time you become just like the world around you. If you neglect to maintain your spiritual life do not be surprised if you become lukewarm. And if you become just like the world around you, you can forget having an impact upon anyone else for good. Things that are hot have the potential to make other things hot. Things that are cold have the potential to make others things cold. Lukewarm things can only generate lukewarm things. And Christ takes no pleasure in that, for his people are to be either hot or cold in this world. More than that they have been called to affect others – to serve as witness to lead others to Christ.

But where is the power found for the Christian life? That is the next question. We know where the power  it is found for the refrigerator and stove, but where does the Christian go to be empowered according to the Spirit?

The answer, friends, is that the Christian is to run to the means of grace that God has provided. We are to go thoughtfully and full of faith to the word of God, to prayer, and to the Lord’s Supper. And these things are to be consumed and enjoyed, not as isolated individuals, but in the church. These are the ordinary means of grace that God has given to us. What the outlet is to the refrigerator – what the gas line is to the stove – the word of God, prayer, and the Lord’s Supper are to the Christian. These are the means of grace – the conduits of power – that God has given to his people so that they might be strengthened to live in this world as he has called them to.

However, it is very important to remember that the power does not come from these things. The power does not originate in the words of scripture, in the act of prayer, or in the elements of the Lord’s Supper itself. The power, friends, is in God himself, and in Christ. He is our life. He is the one who has made us alive, and who sustains us day by day. The outlet and the copper wires that run through the walls of your house are not the source of power, but the conduit of it. So too the word of God read and heard, prayer, and the Lord’s Supper are not the source of power, but the conduit of it. Indeed we are to read and hear the word! Indeed we are to pray! Indeed Christians are to partake of the Lord Supper! But why? Because it is in this way that we enjoy communion with the living God, who is the source of our life, both physical and spiritual.

Friends, I’m sure that you understand that these conduits of grace – the word, prayer, and the sacraments – function as a conduit of grace only when we partake of them thoughtfully and with faith. In other words, they do not convey grace or power automatically. Another way to say it is that is possible to read the word, but not read it. It is possible to hear the word, but not hear it. It is possible to pray, but not pray. And it is possible to eat the Supper, but not eat it. There is a kind of religion that is merely external. There is kind of faith that only goes through the motions. It is possible to be in the church but not be the church, it is possible to name the name of Christ, but to in the end hear him say, “depart from me, I never new you.

I’m afraid this was the situation in Laodicea. Their’s was a merely external form of religion. The had the appearance of godliness, but denied its power. They named the name of Christ, but were in fact far from him. They lacked authentic faith.

Notice that Christ was speaking, not to non-Christians, but to those who claim to be Christians when he said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20, ESV). The langue here suggests that the observance of the Lord’s Supper is in mind. The image is this: the church is gathered and is observing the Supper, but where is Christ? He is out in the cold, knocking on the door requesting to come in so that he might commune with them. The people bore the name “Christian”, but there hearts were very far from Christ. Clearly the situation in this church was bleak. The church was so compromised and so worldly that Christ himself is portrayed as standing outside, asking to come in.

Notice also in chapter 3 verse 18 Christ counseled the Laodiceans  “to buy from [him] gold refined by fire, so that [they] may be rich, and white garments so that [they] may clothe [themselves] and the shame of [their] nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint [their] eyes, so that [they] may see” (Revelation 3:18, ESV). In other words, you have looked to the world for satisfaction, comfort, health and security. You’ve fallen in love with the world. You’ve done business with the world. Now come and do business with me! I have what you really need, Christ says.

It is well known that the city of “Laodicea was a prosperous banking center; proud of its wealth… It was also known for its textiles (especially wool) and for its medical school and production of ear medicine and undoubtedly the highly reputed Phrygian eye salve.” Do you see what Christ does here? He capitalizes on this fact and says, you’ve been banking with the world, now come bank with me. You’ve clothed yourselves with the luxuries of this world, now come and be clothed by me. You’ve anointed your physical eyes, now come and anoint your spiritual eyes so that you might truly see.

These Christians were compromised. They had fallen in love with the world and had become just like the world. And notice this: they were completely blind to all of this. If asked to assess their health, here is what the Laodiceans would have said. We are rich, we have prospered, and we need nothing. But what did Christ think of them? “You are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17, ESV).

This is the terrifying thing about sin. When we are caught in sin we tend to be blind to the severity of the situation. We have a tendency to justify ourselves. We tend to rationalize our behavior. We tend to compare ourselves to others and think, I’m not as bad as him. We tend to minimize the urgency, thinking, I will change tomorrow, but not today. In short, sin not only entraps us, it also binds. Sin has away of lulling us to sleep so that it might devour.

“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:12–13, ESV).

What do we need, then? We need God’s word. We need to learn to reflect upon it deeply with the Spirit’s help. We need to come to worship with hearts prepared. We need to check ourselves before we partake of the Supper. When we pray we must pray humbly, asking that the Lord would be glorified in us, advance his kingdom through us, make us able and willing to keep his will, forgive all of our sins, and keep us from evil. Thoughtfulness is what is needed. We are to look to God and his word as a mirror. We are to inspect ourselves with it, asking, does my life look like the kind of life that God, in his word, has called me to live. His word is a mirror by which we can examine and assess all of our thoughts, words, and deeds.

The Laodiceans were going through the motions. Their Christianity was Christ-less – the church gathered but he was standing out in the cold. Their faith was really faith-less – though they claimed to believe, it was not authentic faith. They trusted in the world, not in Christ. The loved the world, not Christ. The lived according to the world, not the words of Christ. It is no wonder Christ was disgusted with them and threatened to vomit them out of his mouth.

But here is some good news. Listen to how Christ spoke to this degenerate church. He comforted him with these words: “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent” (Revelation 3:19, ESV).

It may be that you are feeling conviction this morning. The conviction ought to draw you to Christ, not cause you to run from him. He rebukes those he loves! I rebuke my children from time to time. And why do I do it? Because of love for them! So it is with Christ.

And do you see that an open door remains? “Be zealous and repent!”, Christ says. There is always room for repentance. It is never too late. To repent is to turn from your sin and to Christ. He is always willing to receive the one who repents and believes upon him.

And then there is this promise: “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne” (Revelation 3:21, ESV).  The Laodiceans were in love with this world. The wanted to be rich in this world. They did whatever it would take to prosper in this world, even bowing the knee to false god and running with the wicked in their wickedness. Christ held before them the prospect of being prosperous in the world to come. Friends, we are to store up treasures in that world, not this one.

And then we have this familiar conclusion: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 3:22, ESV). My prayer for you each Lord’s Day is that you would really hear the word, and not just hear it. This is one of the reasons that the Lord’s Day should be set apart as holy. It should be a day set aside for worship and to reflect deeply upon the things of God.

May the Lord give us grace. May he refine us day by day so that we be a church that brings a smile to our Saviors face.

Posted in Sermons Revelation 3:14-22
Comments Off on Sermon: Laodicea (Part 2) – Lukewarm Revelation 3:14-22 Posted by Joe

Brothers and sisters, today we will consider the letter written to Laodicea (the seventh of seven churches addressed in the book of Revelation), but we will do it in two parts. Today we will focus only upon verse 14 where Christ introduces himself to the church. We will consider verses 15-22 next Lord’s Day, Lord willing.

I would like to begin by reading from Isaiah 65. This is a very important Old Testament text and it serves as the backdrop for the introduction of Christ to the church in Laodicea found in Revelation 3:14. It is important that we recognize this fact.

Would you listen now to the word of God delivered to Israel through Isaiah the prophet some 700 years before the birth of our Lord. And as you hear it notice, one, the firm rebuke delivered to those who were unfaithful to God; two, the promise that God would sustain his faithful ones; and three, the promise concerning the arrival of a new heavens and a new earth.

Hear now the word of the Lord:

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 65

“I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’ to a nation that was not called by my name. I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices; a people who provoke me to my face continually, sacrificing in gardens and making offerings on bricks; who sit in tombs, and spend the night in secret places; who eat pig’s flesh, and broth of tainted meat is in their vessels; who say, ‘Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am too holy for you.’ These are a smoke in my nostrils, a fire that burns all the day. Behold, it is written before me: ‘I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will indeed repay into their lap both your iniquities and your fathers’ iniquities together, says the Lord; because they made offerings on the mountains and insulted me on the hills, I will measure into their lap payment for their former deeds.’ Thus says the Lord: ‘As the new wine is found in the cluster, and they say, ‘Do not destroy it, for there is a blessing in it,’ so I will do for my servants’ sake, and not destroy them all. I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, and from Judah possessors of my mountains; my chosen shall possess it, and my servants shall dwell there. Sharon shall become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down, for my people who have sought me. But you who forsake the Lord, who forget my holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny, I will destine you to the sword, and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter, because, when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not listen, but you did what was evil in my eyes and chose what I did not delight in.’ Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, my servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put to shame; behold, my servants shall sing for gladness of heart, but you shall cry out for pain of heart and shall wail for breaking of spirit. You shall leave your name to my chosen for a curse, and the Lord God will put you to death, but his servants he will call by another name, so that he who blesses himself in the land shall bless himself by the God of truth [Amen], and he who takes an oath in the land shall swear by the God of truth [Amen]; because the former troubles are forgotten and are hidden from my eyes. For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity, for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord, and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,’ says the Lord” (Isaiah 65, ESV).

New Testament Reading: Revelation 3:14-22

Would you hear now the New Testament reading for today, which is Revelation 3:14-22? And would you give special attention to verse 14 where Jesus is introduced to the church?

“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.’ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’” (Revelation 3:14–22, ESV).

So far the reading of God’s word. May the Lord bless the preaching of it.

Revelation – A Book About Jesus

The reason that I have decided to take the letter to Laodicea in two parts today, focusing only upon verse 14, is so that we might have some time to give attention to the central figure of the book of Revelation, namely, Jesus who is the Christ.

Over the past couple of months we have considered Christ’s words to six of the seven churches addressed by Christ in the book of Revelation. The focus has primarily been upon the churches themselves.

I have emphasized again and again that the book of Revelation is a church book. It was addressed to seven real churches experiencing real struggles as they lived in the real world. And the book was not only for them, but also for us. Their real world struggles were not unique to them, but are common to all churches. We have, therefore, considered their situations, their strengths, and their weakness, and we have asked ourselves, can any of this be said of us so that we might repent our weaknesses and further strengthen that which which is already strong?

I think it has been necessary to emphasize the fact that the book of Revelation is a church book for two reasons:

One, in our day most have made the book to be about something else. Most have handled the book of Revelation as if it were a crystal ball, thinking that it reveals the specific details about specific events yet in our future. I have spoken against this approach strongly in past sermons. I will not repeat the criticisms here. For now I will say that this futurist view ignores the tone that is set in the opening chapters of the book. The opening chapters make it clear that the book is written, not to make predictions about specific events yet in our future, but rather to strengthen the church then and now. Revelation reveals how things are and where everything is heading so as to strengthen the church to live as she has been called to live in this time between Christ’s first and second comings. I have emphasized that Revelation is a church book, in part, to counter the way that the book is typically interpreted today.

Two, I have emphasized that Revelation is a church to book in order to prepare us for the study of chapters 4 through 22. The two sections – the introduction and the letters to the churches which we have already considered, and the visions contained in chapter 4 onward – are intimately related. The things that John saw that are recorded for us in chapter 4 onward are indeed concerning “what must take place after this”, as Revelation 4:1 says. But the “after this” is not from our perspective, but from the perspective of the 90 A.D. audience. Chapters 4 onward will describe the heavenly reality of things, and how it is that the heavenly reality of things impacts what we experience on earth. Chapter 4 onward will describe in vivid and symbolic language the cosmic battle that rages in the heavenly realm, and how it is that this cosmic and heavenly battle manifests itself in our day to day experiences. To put it simply, the Christians living in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, were blessed when the heard and obeyed, not just Revelation chapters 1-3, but also chapters 4-22. The whole book was a blessing to them, as it is for us. They were confused by chapters 4-22, thinking, “well all of this must be for a time far off”. No, chapters 4-22 revealed something to them, as they will for us. And they were blessed when they obeyed what they heard, just as we will be blessed when we obey.

And so it was right, I think, to focus upon the churches, emphasizing that these were real churches experiencing real struggles as they lived in the real world, asking the question, how does their experience apply to us today? It has been necessary to emphasizes the churchly focus of the book of Revelation.

But today I wish to give proper emphasis to the central figure of the book of Revelation, namely Christ Jesus our Lord. I wish to lift him up before you. My desire is that you would see that, though Revelation is a book addressed to the church, it is really about Jesus. Revelation reveals who Christ is. Is shows forth the significance of his person and work. The book screams this message: “look to Jesus! Look at what he has done! Look at the victory that he has won! Look at where he will take all things in the end! Now live accordingly.”

That the glory of God and the significance of the finished work of Christ is the central theme of the book of Revelation has already been seen. The letter comes from God and he is in 1:8 called, “the Alpha and the Omega,” the one “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8, ESV). The book will certainly give all glory to God the Father. But the message is given through Christ. He is quickly becomes the central figure of the book.

Indeed, the opening vision of the book is focused upon Jesus Christ. He is the one “like a son of man” who is seen walking the midst of the lampstands, which represent the churches. Everything comes to focus upon Jesus Christ, then. And he is described in such a way that the significance of his person and work is emphasized. Tell me church, does the opening vision in Revelation 1 describe to us how Jesus really looks in heaven now? No! The vision is filled with symbolism. And where do we find the answer to the question, “what does this or that symbolize?” We look to the Old Testament scriptures. As it pertains to that vision we find the book of Daniel to be particularly helpful. Friends, the book is about Jesus – his person and work. It screams: “look to Jesus! Look at what he has done! Look at the victory that he has won! Look at where he will take all things in the end! Now live accordingly.”

Not only is Christ the central figure in Revelation1, but he will remain so throughout the book of Revelation. To list all of the ways in which Jesus Christ takes center stage in the book of Revelation would be to tedious for our time together. For now I think it will suffice to say that the book of Revelation is for the church, it is about Jesus Christ – his person and work, and the victory he has won, and it is to the glory of God.

This principle is certainly present in each of the letters to the seven churches, though it has not been then thing that I have given emphasis to. I wish to emphasize it now. Every single letter begins with a description of who? Jesus!

The letter to Ephesus began this way: “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands’” (Revelation 2:1, ESV). The letter to Pergamum started like this: “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword” (Revelation 2:12, ESV). And this is how the letter to Thyatira began: “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze” (Revelation 2:18, ESV).

Each letter begins with a description of Jesus Christ. What is said about him corresponds in some way to the difficulty that the church was experiencing. Each introduction is also connected to the vision of chapter 1 so that we might understand that the “son of man” who what seen walking amongst the lampstands which represent the churches generally, really does walk amongst us to inspect us specifically. And the imagery found in these introductory descriptions of Jesus is also, not surprisingly, rooted in the Old Testament.

We could also mention the way that each letter is concluded. If we put aside for a moment the repeated phrase, “he who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches”, we notice that each letter is concluded by Christ holding out the promise of reward to the one who overcomes. To Smyna Christ said, “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life…The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death’” (Revelation 2:10–11, ESV). To Sardis Christ said,  “The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels” (Revelation 3:5, ESV). To Philadelphia Christ said, “The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name” (Revelation 3:12, ESV).

The point that I am trying to make is this: though the letters are written to real churches experiencing real struggles as they lived in the real world, they are about Jesus – his person and work, and the tremendous victory he has won.

The message is clear, then. We will have trials and tribulations in this world. There is a real battle that rages around us. Our enemy is real – he is active, seeking to devour. And his activities manifest themselves in real life situations. The weapons of his warfare are diverse. He uses persecution, false teaching, and the seduction of the world to war against God, his Christ, and his people. Beware of these things, Christian! Do not be naive! Do not grow sleepy, but be alert and wise to the schemes of the evil one! But here is the good news: Jesus is victorious. Jesus has all that we need. Jesus is all-sufficient and all-powerful. And he is near to us ready to support us in our time of need. Let us cling to him by faith. Let us draw near to him in obedience to his word so that “we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16, ESV).

The book of Revelation is written to the church, but it is about Jesus, for Jesus is our life. He is the one who saved us, he is the one who sustains us, and he is the one who will see us through to the end, all to the glory honor and praise of the Father.

The Introduction Of Christ to Laodicea

The same pattern is found here in the letter to Laodicea. Christ is introduced in a particular way and then the letter concludes with a promise of reward made to the one who conquers. We will save the conclusion for next week. Today I would like to take a brief look at the introduction to the letter.

The letter, we are told, contains “the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation” (Revelation 3:14, ESV). Let us consider each of these descriptions of Christ one at a time.

First of all, notice that Christ is called “the Amen”. 

This is an interesting title, isn’t it? We have the habit of saying, “amen” as a conclusion to our prayers. The word means “truly” or “indeed” When we say, “amen” at the conclusion of a prayer we are essentially agreeing with what has been prayed. We are saying “it is true; let it be so”. But here the word is not being used to conclude a prayer, but as a name for Jesus. He is called “the Amen.”

Think about the significance of this title?

We live in a world filled with deception, have you noticed that? But Christ is true. It is not just that he speaks truth, but that he is truth. He is the Amen. His words are true. They are to trusted. And he himself is true – he lived according to the truth and and still does to this day. So to should we. Christ the Amen, brings stability to our lives then. He is the rock upon which we must build. He is the light by which we must walk. He is words and ways are always true, and perfectly so. He is to be trusted and obeyed.

It must also be recognized that there is found in this title a tight link to the Isaiah 65 passage that was read at the beginning of this sermon. It is in Isaiah 65 that God himself is called the “God of Amen”. Listen again to verse 16 of Isaiah 65: “…he who blesses himself in the land shall bless himself by the God of truth [amen] , and he who takes an oath in the land shall swear by the God of truth [amen]; because the former troubles are forgotten and are hidden from my eyes” (Isaiah 65:16, ESV). The ESV says, “God of truth” but it is the Hebrew word, “amen” that stands behind the english word “truth”. These are the only two places in all of scripture where the word “amen” is used as a title or name. In every other instance the word is used as we are accustom to using it, that is to say, “truly, truly”, or “it is true”, or  “let it be so”.

The connection is clearly deliberate. God himself is the “amen”, and so too is Jesus Christ – he is the “amen.” The two share in this quality because the two share in divinity. Jesus the Christ is God with us. He is the eternal Son of God come in the flesh.

Also, this title is used of Christ so that we might consider Jesus – his person and work – in light of what Isaiah 65 says. The title for Christ, “the Amen”, is meant to function as a kind of hyperlink so that when read it takes our minds to Isaiah 65 where the same word is used as name for God himself. And once we get there we see that the Isaiah passage is very pertinent to the the story of the book of Revelation.

In Isaiah 65 the Lord is found rebuking Israel for her unfaithfulness. He is threatening judgment. But he also gives grace and mercy promising to sustain the remnant that remains and to bring about offspring from Jacob. This is ultimately a promise to sustain so that the offspring of Jacob might appear, namely the Christ. This is the thing that God, who is the “Amen” promised to do.

And what would be the result of the coming of the Messiah be? Listen to Isaiah 65:17 says (this is the verse immediately following the reference to God as “the God of amen”. Verse 17:  “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind” (Isaiah 65:17, ESV). The rest of chapter 65 describes “the new heavens and new earth” using what theologians call, prophetic idiom. This phrase describes what we often see in the Old Testament. “When the prophets spoke of the Messiah’s reign they described it [not literally, but] in terms and figures of speech drawn from their Israelite context” (Lee Irons, Prophetic Idiom). The Messiah, for example, would sit on David’s throne. But would he literally sit on David’s earthly throne? The New Testament makes it clear that this promise was fulfilled by Christ when he ascended to the right hand of the Father and sat down in that place of power. The prophesy concerning the reign of the Messiah was given using language common to this world and common to the Israelite experience but it’s fulfillment was not literal, but rather spiritual, far surpassing the original situation from which the idiomatic phrase was drawn.

Listen to how Isaiah describes the new heavens and new earth:

“‘For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity, for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord, and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,’ says the Lord” (Isaiah 65:17–25, ESV).”

Tell me, friends. Will the new heavens and new earth be confined only to the literal city of Jerusalem? And will there be any death at all in the new heavens and new earth? No! Not according to the New Testament! So how are we to take the reference to Jerusalem and the remark, a“young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed”, in Isaiah 65? The answer is found in the fact that the prophets often spoke in this way, speaking of things glorious and grand yet to come in the future by using common language and experience to describe it.

The words of Herman Ridderbos are helpful here. He says, “The function of prophecy is consequently not that of a detailed projection of the future, but is the urgent insistence on the certainty of the things to come. This explains why, at the end of the vista, the perspective is lacking … This limitation of the perspective … is connected with the fact that the prophet paints the future in the colors and with the lines that he borrows from the world known to him, i.e., from his own environment.” A little later he adds, “We see the prophets paint the future with the palette of their own experience and project the picture within their own geographical horizon” (The Coming of the Kingdom, pp. 524-25). The same could be said about the prophesy found in the book of Revelation, I think. The images are not to be taken literally, but they do tell us something true and certain about things yet to come.

The point of the Isaiah passage is this: Though Israel was rebellious, a remnant would be keep.  And it would be from this remnant that the Messiah would come. And when he comes he will bring about the new heavens and the new earth. He will usher in an age that is distinctly different from the one in which we now live.

When Christ is called “the Amen” it is meant to take us to Isaiah 65 where God himself is called the “Amen”. And once there we are to take a look around, asking, what does this text have to do with our Lord. What we find is that it has everything to do with him, for he is the offspring – he is the servant – through who the news heavens and new earth will be established.

Christ is called, the “beginning of God’s creation.”

Do you see that in Revelation 3:14 Christ is also called, “beginning of God’s creation.” What is this a reference to?

I could be a reference to the same principle articulated in John 1:1 and Colossians 1:16, namely, that it was through the eternal Word or Son of God that all things in heaven and on earth were originally created. We are to have the events of Genesis 1 in view when we read John 1:1-3:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:1–3, ESV).

We are to have the events of Genesis 1 in view when we read Colossians 1:15-17. Paul speaks of Jesus the Christ when he says,

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:15–17, ESV)

But I think it is something other than the original creation that is in view here in Revelation 3:14 where Jesus is called “the beginning of God’s creation.” It is better to understand this as a reference to the the new creation. Jesus Christ is the beginning of the new creation mentioned in Isaiah 65. He is the one who has and will usher in the new heavens and the new earth through his finished work on the cross. This is the story that the book of Revelation tells. It is in chapter 21 that we hear John say,

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’ And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true’” (Revelation 21:1–5, ESV).

It is Jesus the Christ who has accomplished these things. He is indeed “the beginning of God’s creation”, that is the new creation of Isaiah 65 and Revelation 21. You and I are a part of that new creation if we are in Christ Jesus

Paul says, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:17–18, ESV)

In another place Paul says, “For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.” (Galatians 6:15–16, ESV).

Jesus Christ is the beginning of this new creation. It is here now in part. It will come in fulness at his return.

Christ is also called, “the faithful and true witness.”

And notice that Christ is also called “the faithful and true witness.”

Christ was faithful to God. He witnessed to God through his obedient life and his sacrificial death. He willingly laid down his life in obedience to the Father and for the good of all whom the Father had given to him.

Application

How might we apply these truths?

Well, in a way this introduction of Christ functions as a kind of law for us. It reveals something about how we ought to live. We ought to live according to the truth of Christ. We ought to live as new creatures who have began to taste the benefits of the new creation in Christ. And we, like Christ, ought to be faithful and true witnesses to God.

But there is also gospel here. For when Christ is called, “the Amen, the faithful and true witness, [and] the beginning of God’s creation” it is to highlight all of the good that he has accomplished for us. He is truth for us, he has accomplished our salvation through by his faithfulness, and he has earned for us the new heavens and new earth. This is good news.

Christ is enough for us. He is sufficient. He has won the victory. Look to Jesus! Look at what he has done! Look at the victory that he has won! Look at where he will take all things in the end! And live accordingly.

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