Worship in Spirit and Truth (5)
Worship In Spirit and Truth • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 35:18
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· 16 viewsMorning 9 March 25
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The Worshipping Church
The Worshipping Church
8 They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression. 9 They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth. 10 Therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them. 11 And they say, “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?” 12 Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches. 13 All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. 14 For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning. 15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,” I would have betrayed the generation of your children.
4 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. 5 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, 6 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: 7 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. 8 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!”
Introduction
As we consider the manner in which we are to worship we continue to seek to learn from the vision we are given of worship in heaven. There can be no better place to look and seek to inculcate how we are to worship and fulfil the command of Christ as we are given an insight into how the church worships in heaven. The experience is different but the principles are the same. It is not a vision of those involved in the so called ‘Secret Rapture’.
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1. Twenty Four Elders v4
1. Twenty Four Elders v4
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4 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.
In the canonical Scriptures the term twenty-four appears only in the Apocalypse and refers to either thrones or elders (4:4, 10; 5:8; 11:16; 19:4). Kistemaker
10 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,
8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
16 And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshipped God,
4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!”
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a. Who Are They?
a. Who Are They?
4 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.
1. Christ in the Midst of the Lampstands – Chapters 1-3
2. The Vision of Heaven and the Seals – Chapters 4-7
3. The Seven Trumpets - Chapters – 8-11
4. The Persecuting Dragon – Chapters 12-14
5. The Seven Bowls – Chapters 15-16
6. The Fall of Babylon – Chapters 17-19
7. The Great Consummation – Chapters 20-22
We must always remember that the Book of Revelation uses symbols and in particular numbers.
The traditional interpretation of the twenty-four elders is that this number is the total of twelve times two, namely, twelve Old Testament patriarchs and twelve New Testament apostles, the representatives of those redeemed by Christ. Kistemaker
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b. Thrones
b. Thrones
4 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.
Thrones indicate the place of judgement.
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21 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.
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4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshipped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
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2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!
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c. White Garments
c. White Garments
4 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.
Angels often appear in white garments.
12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.
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4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.
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9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
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13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
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d. Golden Crowns
d. Golden Crowns
4 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.
...crowns symbolise authority to rule with Christ (3:21; 5:10; 20:4, 6; 22:5; 2 Tim. 2:12); this is a privilege granted not to angels but to the saints.
4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed.
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5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
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10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11 The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.
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12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
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2. The Throne v5-6a
2. The Throne v5-6a
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5 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, 6 and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.
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a. Totally Awesome v5a
a. Totally Awesome v5a
5 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,
Rumblings - Powerful voice
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We must read this passage symbolically, because the throne of God is so awesome that John can portray it only with natural phenomena such as lightning, rumblings, and crashes of thunder. These phenomena are symbols that in nature display God’s grandeur, power, and might. Kistemaker .
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13 The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire. 14 And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and routed them. 15 Then the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
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3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters. 4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. 5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
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16 On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled.
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18 Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off
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b. The Seven Spirits of God v5b
b. The Seven Spirits of God v5b
5 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,
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“And seven flaming torches were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.” Once again, the symbolism of this text is now expressed in the number seven, which occurs twice. It is the number of completeness and fullness. The seven torches represent an abundance of light at God’s throne, and the seven spirits are a representation of the Holy Spirit’s fullness. Kistemaker
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9 “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. 10 A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgement, and the books were opened.
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c. The Sea of Glass v6a
c. The Sea of Glass v6a
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6 and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.
“And before the throne was, as it were, a sea of glass like crystal.” John qualifies what he observed by indicating that an area in front of the throne resembled a sea of glass similar to crystal. Crystal has the quality of perspicuity, so that everyone can see through it. This means that the saints in heaven are able to see God’s wisdom in action. It is clear and yet profound (Exod. 24:9–10). Kistemaker
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9 Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, 10 and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness.
Perhaps we do well to pay attention to the comparatives “as it were” and “like.” Glass in ancient times was opaque, while crystal was clear. The emphasis appears to be on perspicuity to indicate God’s infinite understanding and insight (see also 15:2). Kistemaker
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3. The Four Living Creatures v6b-8
3. The Four Living Creatures v6b-8
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6 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: 7 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. 8 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 in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and back.” The imagery comes from the prophecy of Ezekiel, “in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was that of a man, but each of them had four faces and four wings” (Ezek. 1:5–6; compare Isa. 6:2).
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5 And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness, 6 but each had four faces, and each of them had four wings.
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2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
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24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.
a. Their Form v6-8
a. Their Form v6-8
6 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: 7 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. 8 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!”
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i. Their Eyes v6, v8
i. Their Eyes v6, v8
6 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:
8 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!”
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ii. Appearance v7
ii. Appearance v7
7 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.
The Lamb Is All the Glory: The Book of Revelation 2. The Song John Heard
Of them, Dr Hendriksen remarks that they are ‘in strength like the lion, in ability to render service like the ox, in intelligence like man … and in swiftness like the eagle’. They appear in this present vision, no doubt, in order to enhance further the significance and glory of the throne of God.
iii. Their Wings v8
iii. Their Wings v8
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8 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!”
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iv. Their Praise v8
iv. Their Praise v8
8 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!”
Conclusion
30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
