Kingdom of God: Into the Throne Room

The NT book of Revelation is about as different from the gospels and letters of the NT as watching the evening news and watching a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Revelation is written in a different style, a different genre, than most of the NT. Sometimes that makes it a hard book to understand.

Revelation has a dreamlike quality. You know how impossible stuff happens in your dreams? There are phantastic events recorded in Revelation as well –John’s vision shows the reality most people are blind to. The revelation from Jesus Christ gave reassurance to the Chr. facing persecution in Roman Empire.

John recorded his vision while being punished for preaching and teaching about Jesus in the city of Ephesus. City authorities silenced his preaching in Ephesus by banishing him. John was shipped off to the Island of Patmos in the Aegean.

One Sunday as John was worshipping God, he had a vision. Last week we read in II Cor., how the Apostle Paul was raised up to paradise and saw things in heaven that he wasn’t permitted speak about. John’s experience was different: John was repeatedly told “write this down” and send copies to 7 churches in Asia Minor.

In John’s day, many Chr. faced persecution, punishment, and execution for faith in Jesus. The reality is that many Chr. around the world today also face imprisonment, beatings, forced marriage, or murder for their faith. During times of great pressure, it can feel as if the kingdoms of this world are more real and powerful than the kingdom of God. The revelation to John reveals those feelings are not accurate:

no matter how powerful federal or municipal gov’ts appear,

no matter how miserable it is when the carpenters’ guild or your trade union excludes you b/c of your faith,

no matter how your family reacts to your PoF,

. . . in Revelation, Jesus reassures all Chr. that he conquered all evil powers and holds each person accountable for their deeds.

That’s the scene we read in Rev. 20. John’s vision shares images from Psalms and OT prophets of the great and terrible Day of the Lord. Judgement Day is when all people, all nations, and all rulers are held accountable before the throne of God.

Dictators, tyrants, and authorities (then and now) who think they are above the law discover they have no protection on Judgement Day. Bullies and oppressors realize they aren’t the biggest kids on the block. Great and small, the King judges all.

Who is seated on the throne?

God: The Father, the Son, the HS

And the books are opened. These books record everything people have done. Lots of evil behaviour happens behind locked doors or under the cover of darkness. Nothing, NOTHING, is hidden from God. All people are judged according to what they had done or left undone. Paul warns about accountability in 2nd letter to Chr. in Corinth:

We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. II Corinthians 5:10 (NIV)

Intimidating, wouldn’t you say?

Think of your deeds being laid bare before God in all his holiness, majesty, and righteousness. OT prophet Isaiah was overwhelmed when he stood before God’s throne.

“Woe is me!” he cried. “I am ruined!” (Is 6:5).

All who have rebelled against God, all who have fought against the Kingdom of God, all who have rebelled against God’s reign face punishment: The lake of fire is the second death. That is the place of torment day and night for ever and ever for Satan and his evil forces. The consequences for rebelling against God’s reign are serious: death and eternal punishment. B/c he is holy and just, God naturally repels and excludes sinful creatures from his presence.

You can judge your own deeds, but when I think of my deeds being described where God is enthroned in all his holiness, my reaction is like Isaiah the prophet: “Woe is me. I am ruined.”

But there’s another book that gets opened: the book of life. This book is mentioned in the OT as God’s book or the scroll of remembrance. It’s a record of God’s covenant people – those God has claimed and enabled to put their faith completely in God’s grace, generosity, and rescue plan. It's a rather important book. John writes:

Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:15 (NIV)

How do you get your name written in the Lamb’s book of life?

By faith in the Jesus.

Jesus shows up repeatedly in John’s vision. Sometimes his appearance is like a man in white robes or riding a mighty horse. Other times Jesus is seen on the throne of God as the Lamb who has been slain (yes, there are vivid images in Rev.).

Why a Lamb who has been slain?

The Lamb is an image we find in the Gospel of John. In John 1, Jesus is introduced as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

At the end of the Gospel of John, we read how Jesus was executed during the feast of the Passover. A week later, when Thomas and the others saw Jesus, he bore the marks of crucifixion:

nail marks in his hands and feet

stab wound in his side.

He’s the Lamb who had been slain.

Just like the Israelites were set free from slavery in Egypt in the OT book of Exodus b/c they butchered a lamb and put the blood on the doorframe of their homes so the angel of death passed over their home, so Jesus was crucified and the water of baptism is placed on the foreheads of believers and their children so the punishment for sin passes over us.

Baptism represents the washing away of sin and guilt and shame. Jesus’ death on the cross pays the penalty for our disobedience against God. It’s the whole purpose of God the Son coming down from the throne of heaven and becoming human. Jesus rescues his people from sin and death.

Jesus’ victory over evil powers and death and sin means life and hope for all who trust in him. When you accept God’s invitation to have Jesus rescue you from death and sin, your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life. When your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life, then Judgement Day is no longer as frightening.

In the HC, the Reformers express that confidence in bold words. If you’re able to say it with confidence, please recite the answer to HC Q 52:

Q. How does Christ’s return “to judge the living and the dead” comfort you?

A. In all distress and persecution, with uplifted head,

I confidently await the very judge

who has already offered himself

to the judgment of God in my place

and removed the whole curse from me.

Christ will cast all his enemies and mine

into everlasting condemnation,

but will take me and all his chosen ones to himself

into the joy and glory of heaven.

Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 52

So, what does the joy and glory of heaven look like?

The joy and glory are recorded in Revelation 21-22. God is making everything new! The sea passes away, not b/c there’s no sailing or deep-sea fishing in the new creation, but b/c the sea represents untamed chaos. This is a glimpse of God’s creation where Shalom has been reinstated.

What is Shalom?

Shalom: everything in perfect relationship w/ everything else.

God’s makes his dwelling among his people, just like in Garden of Eden when Adam & Eve walked w/ God in the cool of the day. It’s even better than the ancient city of Jerusalem w/ a temple in the city. Sin kept people at a distance from God. Tabernacle and temple were designed to keep people at a distance b/c of God’s holiness.

W/o sin, you can live close to God w/o fear. B/c of Jesus’ death and resurrection, the walls and curtains are torn open. W/ Jesus, you can enter the heavenly throne room w/o fear.

The OT way of stating God’s covenant promises is heard in New Jerusalem: “They will be his people and God himself will be with them and be their God.” It’s the relationship that God always planned to have with humankind.

It’s a place of healing and renewal. There is a lot of stuff that happens in our life that brings sadness and grief. Your heavenly Father doesn’t remain aloof and formal, stiffly seated on a white throne. Your heavenly Father holds his arms out to comfort you:

‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Revelation 21:4 (NIV)

THAT is what the Kingdom of God is like.