Sermon Tone Analysis

Revelation 4:1 (NLT)

1 Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast.

The voice said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.”

Have you ever looked at something and it totally transfixed you?

Like you knew that as you beheld this person-this landscape-this thing- that you were in a sacred moment?

I’ve had a few of them.

Standing on my deck on a warm, sunny day, looking at my lawn that I just mowed - it’s just breathtaking.

Ok, not really, but some of you know what I mean.

For real, I can think of three times in my life when I really beheld something and each time, I was transfixed in a sacred moment.

The first, was when my wife, Abby appeared at the far end of the centre aisle on our wedding day.

In that moment, I was equally enthralled by her beauty, hopeful in anticipation of our marriage, and ashamed of my sexual sin from before we met.

Another time I looked around me and was transported to a sacred space was the first time we went to Mexico to celebrate our 10th anniversary.

Sitting on the beach at dusk, no one else around us, while waves 5 to 15 feet in height crashed in front of us I felt the presence of God in a way that still sticks with me today.

A third time I can recall was the day my first daughter, Rebekah was born.

Abby was drugged out her mind thanks to the beauty of epidermals, and Rebekah was fussing about in this clear, hard plastic bin.

She couldn’t sleep.

The nurses had rolled a cot in for me to sleep on and so I scooped up Bekah, laid her on the bed beside me and I just looked at her, as she settled down and fell asleep next to me.

And my heart was forever changed in that moment.

The apostle John had a moment like this.

He was worshipping God on a Sunday while he was exiled to a rock quarry called Patmos for preaching and teaching about Jesus when he had a vision.

God was calling him to look, to behold.

And what did he see?

A vision of worship.

Last week, we did a quick overview of how, in the vision, Jesus revealed himself in specific ways to seven churches in Asia Minor in chapters two and three of the book of Revelation.

This week, as we continue in our series, “Unveiling Hope,” the scene in chapters four and five shift to the great throne room of God and through the gorgeous symbolism that is shown there, we get to behold our God and worship him.

To help us understand what’s going on, I have broken these passages into three sections.

The first section focuses on the throne.

The Throne

Revelation 4:2–6 (NLT)

2 And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it.

3 The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian.

And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow.

5 From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder.

And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames.

This is the sevenfold Spirit of God.

6a In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal.

The first thing that John sees, and that he wants us to behold, is that there is a throne and it is occupied.

The throne represents what all thrones represent: a place of power, authority, and dominion.

A place from which the one who occupies the throne can rule from.

And what is the person like?

The best words John can find is they are like jasper and carnelian (sometimes called sardius - similar to a ruby).

These gemstones show us that the one on the throne is beautiful, precious, and /or radiant.

That’s why the Psalmist can declare:

Psalm 27:4 (NIV)

4 One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.

The passage also says that from the throne are flashes of lightening and rumbles of thunder.

This opens our eyes to the power and the sheer awesomeness of God.

And by awesomeness, I don’t mean it like Crush the turtle from Finding Nemo (Awesome, bro!).

I mean awesome in the sense of God is bigger than we could ever imagine, more powerful than we can dream of and being in his presence drops us to our knees.

It reminds me of Isaiah’s vision of the Lord and his response to being in God’s presence

Isaiah 6:5 (NIV)

5 “Woe to me!” I cried.

“I am ruined!

For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

Next in our imagery is a rainbow coming from around the throne.

The rainbow should trigger in our minds the promise of God to never again destroy the earth by flood.

The rainbow therefore is a symbol of God’s mercy and faithfulness.

And that is some good news for us because that means the throne of God is surrounded by and emanating mercy.

The rainbow declares that the holy One welcomes the unholy like you and I.

It says, “It is safe to come.”

God’s judgments of his people are merciful and his mercy towards us is just and we can therefore approach the throne without fear.

There are two other images we need to look at for the throne room.

First, there are seven lamps of fire burning in front of the throne.

The passage interprets them as the “seven spirits of God” or the “sevenfold Spirit of God.” Since the number seven always symbolizes completeness or fullness, this is just a way to say the fullness or completeness of the Holy Spirit.

What I found fascinating is that the lamps are lit.

The Holy Spirit is there and he is active.

He isn’t dormant.

And since fire represents purifying, he is actively working at purifying us, at shaping us to be more like Jesus.

What good news!

The last image from the throne room to look at is the sea that is like glass.

While there are many views as to what John means, one view worth looking at is that the sea represents chaos and evil.

The world was chaotic and formless and the Spirit hovered over the waters before creation, and then God shaped it and gave it order.

Later in Revelations, the beast comes out sea and causes chaos for God’s people.

But what is key in this is that the sea is as still as glass.

The chaos and evil that would keep us from God is stilled in his presence and at the end of the book, it says,

Revelation 21:1 (NLT)

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared.

And the sea was also gone.

Chaos and evil will be fully eliminated when God makes all things new and until then, although they rage around us here, in God’s presence they are stilled.

So that gives us some perspectives on the throne room.

Now, let’s turn our attention to the worshipers that are present in this vision.

2. The Worshipers

Revelation 4:4–11 (NLT)

4 Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them.

They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads.

6b In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back.

7 The first of these living beings was like a lion; the second was like an ox; the third had a human face; and the fourth was like an eagle in flight.

8 Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out.

Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty— the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.” 9 Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever), 10 the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever).

And they lay their crowns before the throne and say, 11 “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power.

For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.”

Let’s start by talking about the elders.

There are 24 of them and they sit on 24 thrones.

Most likely, these represent the 12 tribes of Israel from the OT and the 12 apostles of Jesus in the NT, signifying the entirety of God’s redeemed people.

They are on thrones because God’s people have authority and reign with Jesus as co-heirs with Him.

Talking about suing other Christians, the apostle Paul says,

1 Corinthians 6:2 (NLT)

2 Don’t you realize that someday we believers will judge the world?

And since you are going to judge the world, can’t you decide even these little things among yourselves?

And John, in chapter 5 says,