03 - John Sees Heaven 2009

Last time we looked at the 7 churches to which John initially addresses His Revelation to.

LIST the 7 “L’s”

Now we come to Chapter 4 and the rapture of John into the throne room of God.

Revelation 4:1-2 - “1Then 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.” 2 And instantly I was in the Spirit…”

Notice: Verse 1 tells us that what John is about to see and hear is prophetic in nature: “I will show you what must happen after this.”

In chapters 4 and 5, an incredible drama unfolds before John’s eyes. It has to do with (1) the absolute sovereign God in the affairs of men, (2) the Absolute earthly Authority of Jesus the Messiah, (3) and, the Providence of God in the coming World Tribulation. John is left totally speechless by what he witnesses!

First, God is seen as a King on a throne.

Revelation 4:3 “The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and Sardius. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow.”

Jasper: clear crystal stone—pictures purity

Sardius: Blood red stone—no doubt picturing the blood of the Lamb

Emerald: Light green stone—majesty and royalty

Revelation 4:4 “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.”

The best explanation for the 24 elders is that they represent the Redeemed believers worshipping before God. In the O.T., the priesthood was divided into 24 divisions. In this church age, each believer is a priest before God.

They are all dressed in white, a picture of redemption. The crowns they wear are a picture of rewards and authority.

Since this is future, and they are in heaven worshipping God, we can draw the conclusion that the church is in heaven just prior to the Tribulation about to break forth on the earth.

Revelation 4:5 “From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder.”

The Lightning and Thunder John experienced represents the awesome Judgment and Righteousness of the presence of God.

Revelation 4:6 “In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal.”

The SEA OF GLASS represented eternity. One of the most permanent substances to the ancients was glass. Everything else rusted, fell apart or eroded. God’s sovereign throne room is eternal!

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.”

The angelic beings John sees each have varied personalities.

LION: authority

CALF: meekness

MAN: intelligence

FLYING EAGLE: transcendent strength

SIX WINGS: moving swiftly, they are God’s couriers doing His bidding and will.

Interestingly, in:

Matthew: Christ is the Lion of Judah

Mark: He is the humble servant

Luke: He is the Perfect Man

John: His deity is stressed, symbolized by the flying eagle in John’s vision

Revelation 4: 9-11 - “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,

“11You 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.”

Chapter 4 concludes with a huge worship session. Everything in heaven is praising God. And whatever men and angels have or receive from God, they will ultimately cast at His feet in praise!

WORTHY IS THE LAMB

As the awesome descriptions of heavenly scenes continue, John records:

Revelation 5:1 “Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne. There was writing on the inside and the outside of the scroll, and it was sealed with SEVEN SEALS.”

But a predicament arises. There is no one found worthy to open the book and seals. Not one person in the universe can be found worthy!

Revelation 5:2-4 “2And I saw a strong angel, who shouted with a loud voice: “Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and open it?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it. 4 Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it.”

John is overwhelmed with the fact that no one is clean enough, pure enough, holy enough to open the book. But then one of the 24 elders—a representative of the Redeemed Church—steps forward and says:

Revelation 5:5 “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

APPLICATION: Only Christ Jesus is qualified to supervise the end time judgments found in the mysterious scroll. Christ appears, not as the Lion, but as the Lamb of God, and takes the book.

The Lamb is described as having, “…seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth.”

7 HORNS: a symbol of power and strength

7 SPIRITS: the 7 manifestations of the God’s wisdom in order that He might accurately judge

7 EYES: represent complete wisdom

Within the scroll are 7 seals. This is the beginning of God’s awesome judgments on a Christ-rejecting world, and it begins in Chapter 6.

As with Chapter 4, Chapter 5 ends with an incredible worship session.

Revelation 5:8-14 – “8 And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. 9 And they sang a new song with these words:

   “You are worthy to take the scroll      and break its seals and open it.For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 And you have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth.”

 11 Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions (literally, a vast angelic choir of one hundred million with thousands of thousands more) of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. 12 And they sang in a mighty (sevenfold acclamation of praise to the Lamb) chorus:

   “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—      to receive power and riches   and wisdom and strength      and honor and glory and blessing.”

 13 And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang:

   “Blessing and honor and glory and power      belong to the one sitting on the throne      and to the Lamb forever and ever.”

 14 And the four living beings said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb.

Chapter 5 has ended. Next, God’s awesome judgments begin.

CHAPTER 6

“THE 7 SEALS ARE OPENED”

Chapters 6-19 vividly describe and predict the Great Tribulation. The Tribulation occupies 14 of the 22 chapters of the book.

The Tribulation is also called “The Day of the Lord” in the O.T. It is the climactic era in God’s plan for the ages. As with so much else in Rev.’s, the Tribulation is marked with a 7—it will last exactly 7 years.

We will see that Satan, under God’s permissive hand, is allowed to bring his evil forces to the earth, with the restraining hand of God no longer withholding his efforts.

Paul predicted this very thing:

2 Thes. 2:3-6 - “2Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. 4 He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.

 5Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you? 6 And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes.”

THE 4 HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE

Revelation 6:1 “As I watched, the Lamb broke the first of the seven seals on the scroll. Then I heard one of the four living beings say with a voice like thunder, “Come!”

Remember the four living creatures around God’s throne with the attributes of a lion, calf, man and eagle? The first beast that is lion-like has just cried out, “COME!” John says:

Revelation 6:2 “I looked up and saw a white horse standing there. Its rider carried a bow, and a crown was placed on his head. He rode out to win many battles and gain the victory.”

WHITE HORSE: Roman general rode white horses. Most scholars believe this is the Antichrist. He will have authority depicted by the crown, but will conquer as the “good guy” at first.

Arnold Toynbee said something worth quoting: “By forcing on mankind more and more lethal weapons and at the same time making the whole world more and more interdependent economically, technology has brought mankind to such a degree of stress that we are ripe for deifying any new Caesar that might succeed in giving the world unity and peace.”

Revelation 6:3 “After the LAMB breaks the second seal the second living creature with the attributes of a calf cried out, “COME!”

Revelation 6:4 “Then another horse appeared, a red one. Its rider was given a mighty sword and the authority to take peace from the earth. And there was war and slaughter everywhere.”

RED HORSE: The horse that follows testifies to the fact that Anitchrist’s peace is only temporary, for the next horse is the fiery red horse of war.

During the 20th century two major world ward engulfed the globe, involving dozens of nations and resulting in the deaths of millions. After the Rapture the world will be plunged into a conflict without parallel.

With the release of this horse, the greatest war in the history of mankind will take place. It will culminate in the battle of Armageddon which, if not stopped by the return of Christ, would leave no flesh alive.

21For then there will be great tribulation (affliction, distress, and oppression) such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now--no, and never will be [again]. 22And if those days had not been shortened, no human being would endure and survive, but for the sake of the elect (God's chosen ones) those days will be shortened.”

Revelation 6:5-6 – “5 When the Lamb broke the third seal, I heard the third living being (with attributes of a man) say, “Come!” I looked up and saw a black horse, and its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice from among the four living beings say, “A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a day’s pay. And don’t waste the olive oil and wine.”

BLACK HORSE: The black horse represents famine.

Clearly, massive inflation is suggested here if one must work an entire day to pay for loaf of bread.

OIL AND WINE: Oil and wine are luxuries, not necessities. Oil would represent our toiletries, beauty aids and body conditioners. The wine corresponds to the liquor that will be in abundance.

It is possible that John is describing the total breakdown of a middle class. There will be a few rich, with the vast majority stricken with famine.

Today, one-percent of the American population has accumulated over 40% of the nation’s wealth. This is a sign of the last times.

Even now more than a billion people are on the brink of starvation. The reality is that out of 180 or so nations around the world, only 4—the U.S., Canada, France, and Argentina

But after such a horrific war, famine will be even worse. When the red horse rides, the black horse of famine will be right on his heels.

Then finally, John sees the FOURTH SEAL broken:

Revelatio 6:7 “When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living being (with attributes of an eagle) say, “Come!” 8 I looked up and saw a horse whose color was pale green. Its rider was named Death, and his companion was the Grave. These two were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals.”

PALE HORSE: The fourth horseman is called DEATH, and rides a pale horse. The Greek reads, HIPPOS CHLOROS—the word from which we get Cholera. The PALE HORSE is plague.

John saw a stunning catastrophe. When this 4th horse rides, one-fourth of the earth’s population will be wiped out in quick succession. This will happen with the sword (WAR), and with hunger (FAMINE), and with death (PESTILENCE), and with the beasts of the earth.

The worst plague in history was the Black Plague. It killed one-fourth of Europe in the 14th century. Over 25 million died. But two-thirds of the infected lived! It stopped after around a century.

But John predicts that a plague will come that will wipe out one-fourth of, not just Europe, but the entire world!

It’s possible that the pestilence will take the form of germ or biological warfare. We don’t know, only that it does indeed take place.

During the release of these dreaded horsemen of the apocalypse, twenty-five percent of the earth will be destroyed. One out of every four human beings will die.