Old Testament Reading: Psalm 79

“A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins. They have given the bodies of your servants to the birds of the heavens for food, the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth. They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them. We have become a taunt to our neighbors, mocked and derided by those around us. How long, O Lord? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire? Pour out your anger on the nations that do not know you, and on the kingdoms that do not call upon your name! For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his habitation. Do not remember against us our former iniquities; let your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name’s sake! Why should the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’ Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants be known among the nations before our eyes! Let the groans of the prisoners come before you; according to your great power, preserve those doomed to die! Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbors the taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord! But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise” (Psalm 79, ESV).

New Testament Reading: Revelation 6:9-11

“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” (Revelation 6:9–11, ESV)?

Introduction 

Brothers and sisters, there are three principles that arise from the text that we are considering today. First of all, we must come to terms with the fact that in this life there will be Christian martyrs – some Christians will indeed die for their faith in Christ. Secondly, Christians should take comfort in the fact that God keeps his martyrs – to die in Christ is really to live in his presence. And thirdly, we should remember that God will avenge the blood of his martyrs in the end – though the wicked seem to prevail in this life, they will not prevail forever, but will certainly face judgment.

Let’s take these principles one at a time: Read the rest of Sermon: How Long, O Lord?: Revelation 6:9-11 »

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.

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.

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 45:14–25

Listen to how the Lord spoke to Old Covenant Israel through the prophet Isaiah concerning what would happen in the days to come among the nations of the earth.

“Thus says the Lord: ‘The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over to you and be yours; they shall follow you; they shall come over in chains and bow down to you. They will plead with you, saying: ‘Surely God is in you, and there is no other, no god besides him.’ Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior. All of them are put to shame and confounded; the makers of idols go in confusion together. But Israel is saved by the Lord with everlasting salvation; you shall not be put to shame or confounded to all eternity. For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): ‘I am the Lord, and there is no other. I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I the Lord speak the truth; I declare what is right. Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save. Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me.  Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’ Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him. In the Lord all the offspring of Israel shall be justified and shall glory’” (Isaiah 45:14–25, ESV).

New Testament Reading: Revelation 3:7-13

Now listen to how the Lord spoke to New Covenant Israel, that is, the church, made up of both Jew and Gentile, through John the Apostle:

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. ‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 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. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’’” (Revelation 3:7–13, ESV).

Sermon

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed when writing a sermon. Such was the case this past week as I wrote this one. Never have I felt overwhelmed for a lack of something meaningful to say – God’s word is always meaningful.  And rarely have I felt overwhelmed by a text because I struggled to understand it’s meaning (though I can think of a few instances) – God’s word is generally very clear, though some passages can, at first, be hard to understand. I tend feel overwhelmed with a text when it is complex. I use the word “complex”, not to refer to a text that is confusing or hard to understand, but in reference to one that has lot going on in it. Perhaps a better word would be dense, or layered? Such is the case with the letter to Philadelphia. I suppose the same thing could be said of all the letters to the seven churches, but it seems especially true of this one: the letter to Philadelphia is jam-packed with symbolism. It is filled with allusions – references – to other parts of the book of Revelation. It’s language harkens back to things that have been said in chapter one and points us forward to things that will be developed from chapter four onward. And it is also filled with allusions to the Old Testament, particularly the book of Isaiah. The effect is that, when reading the letter to Philadelphia, the reader’s mind is constantly directed this way and that. One word will take our minds back to Revelation chapter one. Another word will make us think of things that will be said later in Revelation. Another phrase will remind us of Isaiah 22, whereas another will bring to remembrance Isaiah 45, or Psalm 86. That is what I mean when I refer to the letter to Philadelphia as complex. There is a lot going on in it. If we had hours together I would not feel overwhelmed, but we only have a short time.

The letter was written to Christians living in Philadelphia. This is obviously not a reference to our Philadelphia, but to a 90 A.D. city located in Asia Minor that went by the same name. The church there was strong and faithful and true. Notice that Christ did not rebuke this church for any shortcoming. He did not say, “but I have this against you”, but urges them to continue on faithfully to the end. Of the seven churches addressed in Revelation it is only Smyrna and Philadelphia that were not rebuked. The other five were rebuked for their weaknesses. Two of those were in especially bad shape.

I should remind you of something that was emphasized two weeks ago. Christ, though he rebuked and commended his churches for a variety of things, was supremely concerned with this question: is the church fulfilling their obligation to witness? That seems to be the criterion. That seems to be the principle or stander by by which Jesus Christ judged these churches. Is the church doing what she was designed to do? Is she faithful to shine forth as a light in the darkness? That was the primary question that the Son of Man who was seen walking in the midst of the lampstand was concerned with as he inspected his churches. Are they faithful witness to me? Though the word “witness” is not used in each of the seven letters, the idea is there. Christ inspected these churches with that question in mind – are they faithful witness of mine?

When I use the word “witness” I understand that many will automatically think of evangelism – that is, the proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ with our mouths. Indeed that is a kind of witness, and an important one at that. But the word “witness” means more than to preach. Certainly we witness when we speak of Jesus, but we also witness when we live in obedience to God’s word, when we faithfully worship as God has called us to worship, when we believe and teach what God has revealed, when we maintain our devotion to God and to his Christ, forsaking the things of this world, even to the point of death. These are the things that a faithful “witness” does.

Witnessing is a way of life, then. The English word “witness” comes from the Greek word μάρτυς, which refers to “a person who has been deprived of life as the result of bearing witness to his [or her] beliefs.” Perhaps “martyr” would be a more accurate English translation. Now, I am not saying that God calls all Christians to “martyrdom”, that is, to literally die for the name of Christ. Indeed, only some Christians are privileged to have that calling. But is it not true that all Christians are called to martyrdom of another kind? Are we not all called to lay down our lives, to die to self daily, and to live for Christ? Is this not how Christ calls us to follow him? He said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:24–25, ESV). For some Christians the martyrdom becomes literal and physical, but it is spiritual for all who name the name of Christ. All are called to deny self, take up his cross (die to self), and follow after Jesus.

The churches that were rebuked by Christ were rebuked because, in one way or another, they had failed to live as Christ’s witnesses. They had compromised, either in doctrine or in way of life. Their light was no longer shining in the darkness. Their lamp had grown dim. It had begun to flicker and sputter as a result of their failure to preserver it. These churches, in one way or another, had become like the world around them. They had compromised in their doctrine or in their way of life so that the distinction between Christian and non-Christian was melting away. Their light was growing dim and on the verge of becoming darkness.

The churches that were commended and not rebuked were commended, not because they were perfect in every way (there is no such thing as a perfect church), but because they were faithful to live as Christians in the world. They were uncompromising in doctrine and in life. The were unwilling to bow the knee to false god’s or to run after the pleasures of this world or to tolerate false teaching in their midst. They were true to Christ and to his name.

Such was the case with the Christians at Philadelphia. They were commended because they had (verse 8) “kept [Christ’s] word and [had] not denied [his] name” (Revelation 3:8, ESV). They had (verse 10) “kept [Christ’s] word” and were “patient [in] endurance” (Revelation 3:10, ESV). The Greek word translated “patient endurance” is ὑπομονή, which means to “continue to bear up under difficult circumstances—‘endurance, being able to endure.’” These were uncompromising, faithful, and sincere people.

But we should not take this to mean that things were easy for the Christians in Philadelphia. Clearly the church was under attack. It is not difficult to understand what the problem was there. We are told at the end of verse 8 that the Christians had “but little power,” and yet did not deny the name of Christ (Revelation 3:8, ESV). We do not know exactly what is meant by the phrase, “you have but little power.” Perhaps the Christians were small in number in that city. Perhaps they were poor. Perhaps they were outcasts socially. I would not be surprised if all of the above were true of them. What is clear is that the church in Philadelphia was weak as it pertains to worldly power, and they were vulnerable.

Specifically they were under attack from the Jewish community there in Philadelphia. This is clear from what is said in 3:9. There Christ encourages them, saying, “Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you” (Revelation 3:9, ESV).

Indeed, these are harsh words leveled against the Jews in that city, and they are hard to understand if we are ignorant of the historical situation. A synagogue was, and is, a place of gathering and worship for the Jews. The word simply means “assembly, or congregation.” It is not all that different from the word “church”, which also refers to an assembly or congregation. The Jews have gathered in synagogues to worship ever since the Babylonian captivity in the year 586 B.C. The Jews worshipped in synagogues because they did not have access to the temple, which had been destroyed in that. The temple was rebuilt and then destroyed again in 70 A.D. making the synagogue the central place for Jewish worship once more, even up to this present day. Our Christian concept of the church and of worship is clearly connected to the Jewish synagogue system, and not to the temple. We assemble in what we call churches to pray, sing, and read scripture, among other things. Such was the practice of the Jews in the days leading up to, during, and after the life of our Lord.

It is important to understand the tension that existed, and the divide that developed, between the Jews who rejected Jesus as the Messiah and all who received him as such, Jew and Gentile alike.

Many of the first Christians were Jews. Jesus was a Jewish man. The Apostles were all Jewish men. Many Jewish priests confessed Jesus as the Christ. But many more rejected the claim. It was the Jews, after all, who handed Jesus over to the Romans to be crucified. Most of the Jewish religious elite denied that he was the Christ. The rift between Christian Jews and non-Christian Jews was undoubtably deep and wide. Think, for example, about the Apostle Paul’s conversion. Before he was Paul the Apostle of Christ he was Saul the persecutor of Christians. His aim was to stomp out the Christian movement, but then he was converted. After this his life was constantly threatened by his own kinsmen according to the flesh, that is to say, the non-believing Jews.

It was not at all uncommon for Jews to persecute Christians in the early days of the church. Undoubtably that is what was happening in the cities of Philadelphia and Smyrna. In both letters Jesus uses the phrase, “synagogue of Satan” to describe the non-believing Jews who were persecuting the Christians. In Revelation 2:9 we read Christ’s words to Smyrna: “I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan” (Revelation 2:9, ESV). The phrase appears again in the letter to Philadelphia. In 3:9 where we read, “Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you” (Revelation 3:9, ESV).

They were called by Jesus a “synagogue of Satan” because they were, ironically, doing Satan’s work as they were opposing and persecuting the Christians. They found themselves on the wrong team. They were on the wrong side of the divide, given their decision to reject Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah.

And in both letters Jesus makes this remark: they “say that they are Jews and are not”. What does this mean? Clearly these are Jewish people ethnically speaking. Perhaps there were some Gentiles amongst them who had converted to Judaism – to the religion of Judaism. Christ’s critique of them was this: Though they may have been Jews according to the flesh, and though they claimed to be Jews, that is to say, the true children of Abraham, and the true people of God – they were not. Why? Because they had rejected the Messiah. They had rejected the Christ who had been promised to them through the Fathers from shortly after the fall. Ironically then, they were therefore Jews, but they were not Jews; they were children of Abraham, but they were not children of Abraham; and they were Israel, but they were not Israel.   

You may think that it sounds strange to speak in this way, but it is the way that the story is told from the days of Abraham onward. Indeed, Abraham had very many decedents according to the flesh, but not all shared his faith. It was possible, then, from the very beginning to be a child of Abraham according to the flesh, but not according to faith. Jacob and Esau are held up as models of this dynamic. Paul held them up in Romans 9 to illustrate this very point. Though both were decedents of Abraham only Jacob had faith so that God said of them, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated” (Romans 9:13, ESV). So, from the beginning is was possible to be a child of Abraham – a Jew, and Israelite according to the flesh – but not a true child of Abraham, Jew, and Israelite according to the spirit.

And what distinguished between the two? If we put the doctrine of election to the side for a moment and look at the issue from the human vantage point, we would have to say that the distinguishing factor was “faith”. The true children of Abraham, the true Israelite, the true Jew, had, not only the genes of Abraham, but the faith of Abraham. And what was Abraham’s faith rooted in? It was rooted in the promises of God concerning the coming of a redeemer, a savior, the Messiah, the Christ.

Even under the Old Covenant, then, we see that a distinction was made between those who were Jews merely according the flesh and those who were true Jews according to the spirit. This is where the talk of a “remnant” comes from. There where times under the Old Covenant when, though the Jewish population was indeed very great, only a small remnant remained. These were the minority from amongst the Jewish people who had the faith of Abraham – faith in the promises of God concerning the Christ who would accomplish salvation and would, one day, usher in the new heavens and the new earth.

Faith in God – faith in his promises – faith in the promised redeemer was the thing that distinguished between Israel according to the flesh, and true Israel, even under the Old Covenant.

And the same principle is true under the New Covenant. In fact it must be confessed that, not only does the same principle hold true, but it is greatly intensified under the New Covenant, for the New Covenant is made only with those who believe. The Old Covenant differed from the New in this regard: The Old Covenant was made with all who descended from the loins of Abraham. Every child born to a Jewish father was born into the Old Covenant and was circumcised on the eighth day as a sign and seal of that reality. If they would have faith would yet to be seen. If they would grow to become a true Israelite, a true child of Abraham, would depend upon their faith or lack thereof. But all who born to Abraham were indeed members of that Old Covenant. It was a mixed covenant, then, consisting of believers and non-believers, true Israel and Israel only according to the flesh.

But a promise was made in the days of the Old Covenant concerning the arrival of a New Covenant. And this New Covenant would be different from the Old in that it would be made only with those who had faith. In other words, the issue of genealogy or ethnicity wouldn’t matter a lick in regard to being a part of this New Covenant. The Lord spoke through Jeremiah the prophet, saying,

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jeremiah 31:31–34, ESV).

This New Covenant would be made only with those who “know the Lord”. Everyone in this New Covenant would have a regenerate heart – God’s law would be written on their hearts. Under this New Covenant no longer would “each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me”, says the Lord. This is covenant would not be a mixed covenant, but a pure one.

This is why I say that the distinction between true Israel and false Israel does not pass away with the coming of Christ and the establishment of the New Covenant, but is greatly intensified. For after the coming of the Christ and the establishment of the New Covenant, those who do not have the faith of Abraham cannot even be consider as being in covenant with God as was the case under the Old.

Let us use Jacob and Esau as an example. Did Esau have faith? He did not. But was Esau an Israelite, a descendent of Abraham, under Moses, and member of the Old Covenant? Yes he was! He was not a part of true Israel, but he was a part of Israel. He was not a true child of Abraham, but he was a decedent of Abraham. He did not benefit from the Covenant of Grace that would be instituted by the Christ, but he was truly under the Old Covenant. He could, in that external and physical sense, consider himself to be one of God’s people, though he was not one of the elect (read Romans 9).

But may I ask you this? Are there any Esau’s under the New Covenant? No! For all who are under the New Covenant know God, are regenerate, having the law written on their hearts – they all have the faith of Abraham. This is the thing that matters – faith in Christ.

This is why Paul spoke as he did, saying, “For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel… This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring” (Romans 9:6, 8, ESV).

In Galatians 3:7 Paul put it this way, saying,

“Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘In you shall all the nations be blessed.’ So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith” (Galatians 3:7–9, ESV).

Under the New Covenant ethnicity doesn’t matter – your physical birth gets you nowhere. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:28–29, ESV).

When the New Covenant was ratified in Christ’s blood the promise made to Abraham that through him (though his offspring) all the nations of the earth would be blessed was fulfilled. Jesus the Christ is the savior of the world. The apostles were commissioned to make disciples of all nations. The wall of separation that had existed under the Old Covenant between Jew and Gentile had been broken down. The dietary laws that distinguished the Jew and Gentile had been removed.  On and on I could go.

All of this made it possible for Paul to write the church in Ephesus as he did, saying,

“Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called ‘the uncircumcision’ by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:11–22, ESV).

So much more could be said about this. The point that I am laboring to make is that when Jesus the Messiah came he instituted the New Covenant. The Old Covenant was no more. It was fulfilled by Christ. And this New Covenant, while certainly not disconnected from the Old, was radically different. It was particularly different in regards to the question “who is in the covenant, and on what basis.” Under the Old the answer was mainly this: Israel is in and on the basis of birth, though not all have true faith (there was a way for Gentiles to come in too). Under the New Covenant the answer is this: it is those who have faith who are in the covenant, and this is equally true for Jew and Gentile alike.

This was a radicle shift, friends. And it was this shift that makes the tension between the Jews and the Christians in the early days of the church understandable. The Jewish people were (and are) insistent in their claim that they are God’s people on the basis of their ethnicity. What was Christ’s opinion? ‘You say that you are Jews, but you are not. In fact you are the synagogue of Satan.’

It always feels wrong to use this language given what has happened to the Jews in the past. I struggle to say it, but is the language of our Lord. It is the language of scripture. We must remember that this firm language is not racially motivated. Jesus was a Jew. Most of the early Christians were Jews. This is not an attack upon the Jews as a people. And in no way is it intend to motivate hostility towards them. Such action would be completely contrary to the way of Christ.

The strong language, however, is meant to draw attention to the serious error that these Jews had made. They had missed their Messiah. Though they were Abrahams children according to the flesh they did not have the faith of Abraham, for Abraham believed in the promises of God concerning the Christ would be a blessing to the whole world – Jesus was that Christ, and they did not believe upon him. And not only did they fail to believe upon him, but they persecuted those who did.

Do you see the irony. Those who were called “the people of God” under the Old Covenant (the Jews) were now called by God “not my people” under the New given their lack of faith; and those who were called “not my people” under the Old (the Gentiles), are now called by God “my people” under the New because of the faith. The prophet Hosea prophesied concerning these things in Hosea 1, and the Apostles Paul explains these things in Romans 9.

This whole passage drips with irony.

The Jewish synagogue in Philadelphia was strong. They persecuted the Christians. They excommunicated the Jew who professed faith in Christ. The doors were slammed shut in the face of Christians. Their claim was this: “we are the true people of God, you are not”; “We are in covenant with God, you are not”; “We are in the kingdom, you are not”; “Abraham is our Father, not yours”; “David is our King, not yours”; “we are in, given our heritage, and you are out”.

Ironically, the opposite was true. Notice half way through verse 7 that Jesus Christ himself is the “holy one” – a title reserved for God alone, especially in the book of Isaiah, which is alluded to throughout this passage. Jesus Christ is “the true one” – he is the true Messiah, God’s faithful servant. Jesus is the one “who has the key of David” – he is the promised descendent of David who’s Kingdom would be everlasting – Jesus is the King, and God’s Kingdom is his. Jesus, therefore is the one “who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.” The Jews in Philadelphia had shut the Christians out, but it is Jesus who has the authority to open and to shut the doors to his kingdom. It is those who believe upon his name that have an open door before them. Look at verse 8. To the Christian church he says, “I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut” (Revelation 3:8, ESV). For those who do not believe, the door is securely closed. This corresponds to the vision of Jesus in chapter 1 where Jesus is is heard saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades” (Revelation 1:17–18, ESV). In chapter 1 it is Christ’s authority to bind and loose in regard to death and hades that is emphasized. He in the letter to Philadelphia it is his authority open and shut in regard to the kingdom that is emphasized. There is a very important passage surrounding Isaiah 22:22 that is behind what is said here concerning the “key of David”. I so wish that we had the time to explore it, but we do not.

The message for the Christians in Philadelphia was clear. They were to continue persevering through the persecution for they were the true Israel of God by virtue of their faith in Christ. Jesus was the Christ. Though him they had an open door to the kingdom.

Notice that Christ said that he would make “those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you” (Revelation 3:9, ESV). This is a reversal of what was promised to Israel in the Isaiah passage that was read at the beginning of the sermon. In Isaiah 45 it was promised to Israel that the day would come when the nations would come and bow before them confessing the their God was the one true God. Here in Revelation 3 the same language is used but it is promised to the church that the Jews would bow before them. The promise of Isaiah 45 was fulfilled at the first coming of Christ and continues to be fulfilled to this present day as Gentiles come to the God of the Jews through faith in Jesus who is the Messiah. The promise of Revelation 3 will is fulfilled when ever Christian live as faithful witness to God and to Christ in the presence of Jewish people, leading them to confess that indeed Jesus is Lord. It’s a marvelous reversal, isn’t it?

The promise to the Christians was that Christ, through their patent endurance,  would “keep [them] from the hour of trial [was] is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth” (Revelation 3:10, ESV). It is hard to know what particular trial this was in reference to. What is clear is that they would be “kept” by Christ. Many pre-tribulation, pre-millennial interpreters take this as a reference to the rapture that will, in their view, come before the great tribulation. Their thought is that Christ would never allow his people to pass through tribulation, but that he will “keep” them, that is, take them out of, the tribulation. That’s an awful lot of theology to cram into this text! And it ignores what is clearly said elsewhere! Was it not just said to the church in Smyrna, “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)? And what about Jesus’ words in John 17 (recoded by the same John who wrote the book of Revelation, mind you)? There we hear Jesus’ prayer for his disciples, saying,

“I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one… I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one” (John 17:11, 15, ESV).

It is the same word in the Greek found in both John 17 verses 11 and 15 and Revelation 3 verse10. The word “keep” does not mean “to take out of”, but rather, “to keep watch over”, or “to guard”; “to cause to continue or persevere.” This is the thing that Christ does for his people who are in tribulation – he sustains spiritually. That is what he promised to do for the faithful in Philadelphia.

And what do the saints have to look forward to?

“I am coming soon”, he said. This could be a reference to the second coming. But we should also remember that book of Revelation speaks of Jesus coming in judgment and in support of believers in other ways (2:5; 2:16; 3:3).

He exhorted them, saying, “Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown” (Revelation 3:11, ESV). They have rewards in heaven waiting for them. They are to hold fast to them, and not trade those treasures of infinite worth for the fleeting pleasures of this world.

And to the Christians 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…” (Revelation 3:12, ESV). There will be no physical temple in the new heavens and the new earth. Revelation 21:22 says so. Something better will be there, for the whole earth will be the “temple of God”, “for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb” (Revelation 21:22, ESV). In other words, the presence of God and the glory of God will fill all. Everything will be what the Holy of Holies in the temple symbolized. What then is meant when Jesus says, “The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God”. Certainly this is symbolic language. We do not expect to be made into stone, do we? The promise is that the one who remains faithful to Christ to the end will have a permeant place in the new heavens and new earth. That one will enjoy the presence of God and the glory of God always and forever.

Furthermore Christ promised to “write on him the name of [his] God, and the name of the city of [his] God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from… God out of heaven, and my own new name” (Revelation 3:12, ESV). Here everything points to the principle of possession. We belong to him and he to us. What he has earned is ours through faith in him. This is our eternal reward.

Conclusion 

The letter concludes with these familiar words: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 3:13, ESV). I know that you have ears, but I wonder, do you have ears that really hear? Is the word of God alive to you? Does the Spirit instruct you in it? Does it have power in your life? Does it have an effect upon you? I wonder if you have developed the discipline of meditating upon the word after you have heard it? Do you think deeply upon the word? Do you work to understand it? And after that, do you work to apply it? The word is to be applied!

It is true that these letters were addressed to churches living long ago who faced challenges that were in some ways unique to them. But friends, we must not forget that principles stated here are timeless and universal.

You are God’s chosen people. You’ve been called out of the kingdom of darkness to walk in light. You are to shine forth as lights in the darkness so that others might come to give glory to God almighty. Are you walking in the light? Is your life – your thoughts, words, and deeds – distinctly Christ like? Or are you worldly.

May the Lord purify us. May he make us able and willing to keep his will and to walk faithfuly before him, setting our eyes upon the eternal reward.