Rev CH4-5
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I. INTRO
A. Last Week
B. This Week
C. Video (symbols)
D. Your Observations:
a. What stuck out to you about ch 1-3?
II. Video
A. What stuck out to you?
CH 4 inaugurates the revealing of things from heaven’s perspective illustrated by a doorway!
& it really sets the stage
What’s the 1st thing John sees? - throne
Jn is seeing symbols alluding 2 Ezek, Isa, & Dan
all these symbols point 2 God’s glory, authority, & majesty
The point: God created everything, He’s got authority over everything, He Sustains everything, & has the power to enact all that he promises
What’s up w/the 24 elder?
why 24? I believe it encompasses the unity o God’s people 12 tribes o Isr. in OT & 12 Apostles o NT Church
What do these elders do?
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.”
Rev 4:9
They dethrone themselves in worship
cast off their authority in submission to God
declare that their glory, honor & power exists to honor God
Does God’s power, for ex, increase as we give ours to him? NOPE
We don’t give God anything…what we do is make much of God & less o ourselves in how we live our life
Next we see a scroll in God’s powerful Right hand
What’s the Scroll?
The God’s Mission & Vision
1 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals.
Ch 5:1-
problem is, it’s perfectly sealed (7seals)
& no 1 is worthy o opening it!
no 1 is perfect enough, powerful enough/divine enough 2 open & enact God’s mission & vision
no 1, not 1 created person/thing can do it
& this is perfectly illustrated throughout the OT where we find every “savior” that has raised up in the OT fails & is sinful (Noah, Moses, David, Solomon)
Recognizing that the fate of God’s church hangs in the balance w/no hope John says,...
4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.
Rev 5:
Then we are let in on a conversation:
5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Rev 5:5
clear sign o the Messiah described in the OT
what makes him worthy to open the scroll?
Upon this description, what would you expect 2 see when u turn 2 look?
What DOES Jn see?
6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
Who’s the lamb?
what makes him worthy to open the scroll?
How was it that Jesus conquered?
did he conquer through might (vanquishing all who opposed him); strategy, politics?
sacrificial & obedient death on the cross
the very thing that marks defeat (death) God used as the means by which all nations could come in2 the KOG!
What makes a person valuable in God’s Kingdom is on it’s face opposite 2 what we c in the world:
might makes right
cunning wins the day
history is written by those who have hung heroes
instead, it’s faithfulness, humility, sacrifice, love, & obedience that marks true heroism
This is how Jesus conquered, this is how the early church conquered (Stephen, describe)
This is how all of Jesus’ followers will conquer.
remember the prophecy 2 the 7churches & the questions that hung in the air?
How can the church conquer through faithfulness?
Will they/we inherit the new Kingdom God is going to build?