Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

I.

A Complete Salvation (vs. 1)

II.

A Commendable Settlement (vs.

2)

III.

A Concluded Sedition (vs. 3)

IV.

A Comprehensive Sovereignty (vs.

4-6)

I want you to keep in mind from our previous chapters in this great book some of the characters that are represented here in verse 4.

The text speaks of the 24 elders.

Now, since it has been a while, allow me to briefly remind you of some key points about these guys.

We were first introduced to these guys back in Chapter 4 verse 4.

Remember that I told when we were first introduced to the 24 elders, that there was some confusion and disagreement among people as to their identity.

Part of the disagreement as to the identity of these guys comes to bear in the doctrine of what is called Pre-Tribulation Rapture.

That is to say that the Church will be raptured mid way through the Tribulation.

Part of the basis for that is a misunderstanding about who the 24 elders are.

I told you when we were in chapter 4 that some say that the 24 elders represent the nation of Israel.

And I told you that the problem with that view is the fact that Israel, at this point of the Tribulation, has not been saved yet.

So these 24 elders could not represent Israel.

Probably the most popular held view is that the 24 elders represent angels.

That these are just holy angels in heaven worshipping and praising God.

Now, remember that I told you that there were a couple of problems with these guys being angels.

First there is never a time in the Scripture, in their celestial state, where angles are seen as sitting.

In the Scriptures holy angels are always seen as standing.

And if these are holy angels, then this would the only time where they are seen as sitting.

But these are not holy angels.

Not only for this reason but for another reason.

The text in Chapter 4 says that these elders are wearing crowns upon their heads.

We told you then and we remind you now that there is not a place in the Scripture where angels are seen as wearing crowns.

Particularly, this crown.

The Greek word for this crown is the “στέφανος” crown, or the victors crown.

Now, understand that this crown is only seen as being worn by four people.

The AntiChrist, during his fake victory.

The demons that come out of the bottomless pit

Jesus Christ.

Believers

But never holy angels

Now, since we know that these elders do not represent Israel.

And we know that these elders do not represent angels.

We conclude that based on these evidences that the 24 elders represent the Church or believers.

Now, obviously this is a representative number and not an actual number.

Therefore, since it seems clear that these elders represent the Church and since these elders are seen in heaven in chapter 4, then the church is in heaven BEFORE the tribulation begins, the tribulation beginning in Chapter 6.

Then John records that he saw the four beasts or as has been previously called, the four living creature that are around the throne of God.

And we told you when we first saw these guys, that they are the Cherubim; as class of holy angles that represent the holiness of God.

And the text tells us:

Believers and the Cherubim fall down and worships God, who sits on the throne.

“Throne” is “θρόνος” and speaks about supreme power.

The person who sits on the throne has all the authority to do whatever he wills to do.

And since the one that sits on the throne has all the authority and since it is God that sits on the throne, the four area that brings worship in heaven is the fact that God is completely sovereign.

Now, let’s begin pretty basic by just defining what is meant by the fact that God is sovereign.

sovereignty of God.

God’s absolute rule and authority over all things.

God, sovereignty of.

God’s supremacy and meticulous control over all that occurs.

We first must understand that in the realm of God’s Sovereignty, that there is nothing that He does not control and have the total decree.

The sovereignty of God is strongly emphasized in Scripture.

He is represented as the Creator, and His will as the cause of all things.

In virtue of His creative work heaven and earth and all that they contain belong to Him.

He is clothed with absolute authority over the hosts of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth.

He upholds all things with His almighty power, and determines the ends which they are destined to serve.

He rules as King in the most absolute sense of the word, and all things are dependent on Him and subservient to Him.

The Doctrine of the Sovereignty of God is not just a NT teaching or something that was invented during the Reformation, it can be seen all the way back to the first book of the Bible and then all the way through.

Genesis

So, we see that from Genesis to Revelation, the Scriptures attribute to God sovereignty.

To what degree is God Sovereign?

You say, “Well, obviously, He is sovereign over everything”.

And that is true.

But is there anything that God is not sovereign?

I think that it is very key to our understanding that we are clear on the fact that the terms decree and sovereignty do not equate to approval.

Some people have the misconception that everything that God decrees that automatically means that He approves of it.

Such is not the the Biblical Doctrine of the Sovereignty of God.

You say, “Well, that does not make any sense that God would decree something to happen and He not approve of it”.

That line of thinking is because of our fallenness and we try and put the attributes of God on the same level as ours.

Big mistake

In fact, in the Scriptures there are three areas that are said to be the will of God.

The decretive will of God.

This is the sovereign, efficacious will of God that cannot be resisted.

The Perceptive Will of God.

Those are the commands of God, they can be resisted.

Do people kill?

Yes, because that is the Will of God is the Preceptive sense.

Those are the commands of God.

And they can be and are, in fact, resisted everyday.

The Will of Disposition.

That is the will that brings God pleasure and delight.

Ezekial 33:11

And while it brings delight to God to save sinners, because He by His nature is a Saviour and He is not a cosmic monster, but because He is also a righteous judge, He will and has already condemned sinners.

So we need to understand that in the Scriptures there are three different “wills” of God.

And when we speak regarding His sovereignty or decrees, we have more understanding in the fact that just because it is a divine decree, does not mean that it receives divine approval.

So while we understand that God is sovereign over all things in general, what are some of things that He is sovereign in specific.

Next time.