Part 22: He Will Reign Forever - Part 1

Introduction

Revelation 1:7–8 “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Yes, amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.””

Revelation 2:26–27 “‘And he who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also have received authority from My Father;”

Revelation 3:21 “‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”

Daniel 7:27 “‘Then the reign, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.’”

The One Sitting on the Throne

Revelation 4 “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.”

“After these things” - the things pertaining to the letters to the seven churches (Revelation 2-3). The angelic guide specifies that the things John was about to see are things yet to come to pass in history - most likely, following the Rapture of the Church.

This underscores the necessity that we interpret Revelation as futuristic prophetic literature, and Christ’s enthronement as also future (and connected with the apocalyptic events to be described later in the book).

Immediately I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and upon those thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads. And out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. And the first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within, and day and night they do not cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.”

Cf Ezekiel’s vision of the Father’s throne and the heavenly creatures (lion, bull, man, eagle) - Ezekiel 1.

Cf Daniel 7:9–10 ““I kept looking Until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His clothing was like white snow And the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with fire, Its wheels were a burning fire. “A river of fire was flowing And coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court sat, And the books were opened.”

And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.””

The focus of the elders’ praise is God’s worthiness, and the basis for that worthiness is God’s status as creator. This underscores the idea that creation is not merely the stage upon which redemption takes place, but rather is the God’s means of revealing his own glory and nature.

The Sealed Scroll

Revelation 5 “Then I saw in the right hand of Him who sits on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals.

The scroll is the catalyst for the apocalyptic events that we associate with the book of Revelation. It is also the subject of much controversy and disagreement among Christian interpreters (as is the case with most of the book). Rather than speculate possible identities and contents for the scroll, we should pay attention to its function within the narrative and the book as a whole.

Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it.

Then I was crying greatly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.

John’s reaction gives us reason to pause. The preceding scene showed us Heaven in all its glory, beauty, and perfection. The

And one of the elders said to me, “Stop crying! Behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

The Worthy Lamb

Then I saw in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.

And He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sits on the throne.

And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain and purchased for God with Your blood people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. “And You made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon the earth.”

Heaven’s Cry

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.”

And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be the blessing and the honor and the glory and the might forever and ever.” And the four living creatures kept saying, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped.”