3-17-2019 Larger Than Life Revelation 4
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Introduction:
Each year newspapers report a tragically high number of cases of abused and neglected children. Reading these stories—where children are treated like an afterthought at best, an obstacle at worst—can cause us to simultaneously weep and rage, “How could anyone do this to a child? How could anyone love a drug more than a baby? How could anyone have such fundamentally messed-up priorities?”
At the very heart of these questions is a sense that it is a great evil to devalue the most valuable things in the world—people. To care more for a night out of lust-filled diversion or an illegal substance than the life of a child is a terrible thing.
Yet how often have we failed to treasure and value the Lord? How often do we elevate unworthy objects of worship over the God of the universe?
The worship happens in surprising places - we sometimes elevate sports:
In the fall of 2011, the Arkansas Razorbacks traveled to play the Louisiana State University Tigers with a possible trip to the national championship game on the line. Louisiana’s home stadium, often called “Death Valley,” is a tough place for visiting teams to play because of the enthusiasm and passion of the crowd. At this particular game, one announcer spoke more truth than he knew when he said, “Make no mistake, worship happens here.” We worship many things in our culture, but there is only one true God who alone is worthy of worship.
Only God, the Creator and Ruler of the universe, is worthy of worship
Transition:
Some of us have probably heard the saying: “those who are heavenly minded are of no earthly good.” But chapter 4 of Revelation shows us that just the opposite is true.
Jesus has just finished giving the seven messages to the seven churches and now John is transported spiritually into the presence of God, where he is given a vision. Here’s how John describes his experience:
Scripture Reading:
Revelation 4:1–11
1 After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”
2 At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.
3 And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.
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!”
9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
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,
11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
This chapter is a clear division from what preceded and what will come.
And before we go further, we should be reminded of the general three fold division of the book as it appeared in Rev 1:19
Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this.
“The things that you have seen”—the vision of the glorified Christ in chapter 1.
“Those [things] that are”—the conditions of the Church(es) on earth possibly to include from Pentecost to the Rapture as seen in the letters to the seven churches in chapters 2 and 3.
“Those [things] that are to take place after”—the future events to take place after the Church has apparently been taken out of the picture as recorded in chapters 4 through 22.
In chapters 2 and 3 we saw the Risen Christ walking amidst His churches upon earth. Now the scene changes to the courts of heaven. With this passage, John’s writing transition’s from the letters to the churches to the vision of heaven. He begins with a vision of YHWH Himself.
Today we are leaving “Those [things] that are” and beginning “Those [things] that are to take place after”
From 4:1 to the end of the book all the events very likely follow the rapture of the Church. How do I know? Because Jesus spent the last two chapters talking directly to the churches and now starts a conspicuous silence about the church. Also, by this time God will have completed His purpose for His Church and the Church will have completed her mission on earth. In fact, the word “church” does not appear again in the book until the end, where the glorified Lord speaks to the churches in Chapter 22:16. If the rest is what the church is to endure, it is odd that not another mention of the church would be made. We are now living somewhere toward the close of the second period designated by the phrase, “the things which are,” awaiting our Lord’s coming to rapture the Church to Himself. Thus we are about to view the thrilling panorama of wonders which are to take place after the church’s mission on earth has ended and she is caught up to being with Christ, “Those [things] that are to take place after this”
YHWH has never relinquished His sovereignty and majesty, thus we are reminded of God’s power and authority of which the throne is a symbol. Presently, during this Age of grace, God’s throne is one of grace and mercy where sinners and saints may come boldly to “obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). But the throne in Revelation 4 appears to become a fierce throne of Judgement. This would make sense after the rapture of the saints, when the present dispensation has ended and a new dispensation of judgment will begin.
Transition:
The very first thing that John sees in his vision will become the focus of the developing prophetic revelation that is about to be played out in the rest of the book:
I. Who YHWH Is (vv. 1-2)
I. Who YHWH Is (vv. 1-2)
As John sits there in exile on a rock pile called Patmos, Jesus opens up his eyes and allows John to see what is occurring right there and then in another dimension which is every bit as real as his physical surroundings.
After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”
John begins with the phrase “after this”. It is a clue and phrase that he will use five more times in Revelation. Although he uses that phrase to indicate what he is shown next in his visions, it does not necessarily indicate that the events he is about to describe occur next chronologically—which is also key to grasping proper interpretation.
Jesus is the ONE who opens heaven’s doors and leads us in, YHWH is up there waiting patiently for us.
At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.
“and behold, a throne stood in heaven”
The throne will become the focus of the rest of the book. According to one commentator, John refers to the throne directly 47 times and uses other related terms 77 times. Certainly everything in this vision revolves around that throne.
The great danger that we face from this point forward in Revelation is that we’ll take our focus off the throne and get distracted with all that is going on around the throne. That is a danger that we must guard against even this morning as we look at some of the details of John’s vision.
There are obviously many things in the Book of Revelation that remain at least somewhat of a mystery and about which there is far from universal agreement concerning what those things represent and their significance. My commitment to you is that I will strive to never draw conclusions that go beyond what the Bible text itself reveals to us. But that certainly doesn’t insure that we might not still disagree about some of the details. In fact, I would expect that to occur from time to time since I certainly don’t claim to have all the answers. However, the important thing is that we don’t focus on any such differences to the point that they distract us from the main message of the book as a whole and of the passage we study each week. So I ask you to join me in keeping our main focus on the throne and the One and only One who sits on it — YHWH.
Not only is there a throne, but there is…
At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.
“One seated on the throne”
Although it may not be evident from what we observe in this world there is a sovereign God seated on His throne – a fact that we can only know for sure by looking through the glasses of this chapter. And in this chapter, we are given a beautiful picture of the majesty and glory of YHWH.
Transition:
So, as John is basking in the majesty of YHWH, he then moves to the Glory of YHWH’s appearance
II. What YHWH Looks Like (vv. 3-7)
II. What YHWH Looks Like (vv. 3-7)
YHWH is described here is interesting!
And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.
You will notice that John described God as having the appearance of jasper and carnelian.
This brilliant picture of the glory of God, one we’ll see again from John near the end of Revelation when the New Jerusalem is described, also uses the picture of jewels and even jasper again:
[[Revelation 21:11]]
having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.
It is interesting that John does not describe God using human characteristics, but rather pictures Him using precious stones that were known for their ability to reflect and magnify light. We’re reminded here of how the Psalmist describes God:
Psalm 104:2
covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent.
And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.
“around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald”
what?? how does a rainbow look like an emerald?
We need to keep in mind here that John, in his vision, is seeing things that are completely unlike anything he has ever seen before. So he must describe the indescribable using the best pictures that he can think of. So we need to be careful not to try to make too much of the details here, which will tend to draw us away from the grandeur and majesty of what John is describing for us.
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.
That's wonderful! who are the twenty-four elders, and why do they have their own throne in heaven? good questions! I’m glad you asked!
Angels or Angelic beings that represent all the saints?
Old Testament saints?
The 12 patriarchs representing the Old Testament saints plus the 12 apostles representing the New Testament saints!
Representatives of the church?
I can’t tell you with absolute certainty who these 24 elders are, but I think that what we can do is to explore the text itself and let the text allow us to make some valid conclusions about their identity.
First, at least up to this point in Revelation, whenever some object or person is intended to be a symbolic representation of something else, it is clearly identified as a symbol. For instance, Jesus identified the seven lampstands as symbolizing the seven churches and the seven stars as representing the seven angels of the churches. Since the elders are never identified as representing anything else, it seems unlikely that they would be representative of the church - either Old Testament or New Testament saints or some combination thereof. In fact, when we get to Revelation 7, we’ll clearly see that the 24 elders and the redeemed saints are two separate groups.
Secondly, it seems unlikely that the 12 apostles were part of the group of 24 elders since John would have been among them and would have recognized the other 11, There is no indication at all that this is the case here.
Thirdly, as we’ll see later in Revelation, individual elders function apart from the group and address John in both chapters 5 and 7. In chapter 7, John even addresses the elder as “Lord” and is not rebuked, which indicates that the elders had some authoritative role. We’ll address that in more detail in the coming weeks.
Finally, we know numbers are very significant in the Book of Revelation. The number 12 in the Bible is almost always associated with divine government. There were 12 tribes of Israel and 12 apostles. Doubling the number to 24 merely amplifies that number. And we do in fact have an example in the Scriptures of ruling bodies of 24 that is relevant to the identification of the 24 elders here.
In 1 Chronicles chapters 24-26, we see how David organized the priests into 24 divisions and continued divisions of 24s progress in order to facilitate their service, worship, and designate gatekeepers for the tabernacle.
We’ll see these same 24 elders again in Revelation again in chapters 5, 7, 11, 14, 19. And in every single case they are pictured falling on their faces and worshipping God. In addition to the white garments and golden crowns pictured here, we will see the elders with harps, singing songs and holding golden bowls which represent the prayers of the saints – all evidence of their priestly function before God.
So it seems best to say: they are 24 elders who serve in the presence of God as gatekeepers and who are responsible for overseeing and guarding the worship around the throne.
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,
This imagery is used it is a picture of the awesome power and holiness of God. It declares God’s right to judge and His power to carry out that judgment.
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:
Since the sea plays such an important role in the rest of the book, I suspect that the sea of glass may have some significance. For John the sea is connected with things that opposes God. It is out of the sea that the first beast arises, for instance. The sea is also picture of turmoil and chaos. But perhaps here it is that chaos has been subdued by YHWH. It is under His control and it is now as calm as glass. So it seems that the sea of glass might be a reminder that nothing and no one can overcome the One who is on the throne.
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.
Again you will note that John is trying the best that he can to describe that which is indescribable the very best that he can. Thus you note that each creature is “like” a lion or ox or man or eagle. These four living creatures share characteristics with both the cherubim in Ezekiel’s vision in Ezekiel 1 and the seraphim in Isaiah’s vision in Isaiah 6, but they don’t totally match either of those descriptions. So although it is not possible to be dogmatic, these four living creatures appear to be some kind of angelic beings who surround the throne and lead in the heavenly worship.
We will see these creatures again later in the book of Revelation.
Transition:
Seeing with John now who YHWH is, and what YHWH looks like, we are compelled to react.
III. How We are to Respond (vv. 8-10)
III. How We are to Respond (vv. 8-10)
If you are to grasp some of this immense glory that John is experiencing at the time of his writing, you would have similar reactions of worship that the elders and creatures are having—you would be overwhelmed which would force you into worship.
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!”
In the first of several heavenly songs that we’ll see in chapters 4 and 5, the four living creatures begin by focusing on the holiness of God, which is consistent with Isaiah’s vision of the throne room of God in Isaiah 6. There, the angels proclaimed the exact same words – “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord…”
9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 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,
The actions of these living beings picture complete worship and submission to God. The one who lives forever and ever emphasizes God’s eternality (see 5:14; 10:6; 15:7). God is far more worthy of worship than any person because he lives forever (see Psalms 45:6; 102:27). His throne symbolizes his power and authority (see also 4:2–3). As the living beings praise God, the twenty-four elders fall down and worship. That they “fall down” refers to lying prostrate in a position of submission and adoration. Their worship means giving God all glory and honor and thanks.
So What? (v.11)
So What? (v.11)
So now the elders join the living creatures in praising YHWH for the second song. YHWH is specifically worshiped as Creator (4:11).
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
The one who created this world is also its rightful Ruler.
There is so much more that we could apply from this passage, but let me just address a couple of the more significant applications:
1. Although we can’t see it physically, heaven is a present reality that is close at hand – therefore we must view everything through the lens of Scripture
Things are not as they seem. Even though things in this world often seem to be completely out of control and they don’t make sense, there is a throne with a sovereign God seated on it. But we can’t see that unless we put on the right glasses and look at the events around us through the lens of Scripture.
Far too often, we view heaven as this far off place where we will go one day when we die that has no impact on our daily lives right now. But the message of Revelation 4 is that heaven is a present reality that is close at hand. And it is that knowledge that equips us to patiently endure until the end so that we can receive the rewards that Jesus has waiting for His faithful followers. And the only way that we can experience the present reality of heaven right here and now is to immerse our lives in the Word of God and view the events going on around us in light of what we learn there.
2. When we worship, we are entering into a worship service that is already in progress
Pastor Darrell Johnson writes that he often uses these words when leading public worship:
Worship does not begin with us and it will not end with us. When we gather to worship we step into a worship service that has been going on for a very long time!
We must focus on the throne and the continuous, magnificent worship service that is going on in heaven right now. And even if you don’t understand all the details or even if you have some disagreements about my conclusions, your main focus is on what you can do personally to improve your own personal worship and become a more active participant in that ongoing worship. You’ve put on your spiritual glasses that allow you to see things from the perspective of heaven and your gaze is so fixed on that throne and upon the sovereign YHWH who is seated there that all those other minor things really don’t matter. You’re so heavenly minded and it is that focus that results in you being of earthly good.
Conclusion:
Let’s now center Christ in our worship through communion.