Revelation 4

Revelation Part II Chapters 2 – 3: Final Observations 1. Those matters censured by Christ 1) Declining affections 2) Faintheartedness 3) Worldly desires 4) Fleshly lusts 5) Indifference to true doctrine 6) Regard for human honor 7) Discouragements 8) Pride 9) Self-righteousness 10) Indifference 11) Orthodoxy waxing cold 12) Heresy 13) Showy formality 14) Spiritual death 15) Heathen idolatry 16) Jewish bigotry 17) Profound rationalism 18) Worldly association 19) Sadduceanism and Pharisaicalism 2. The Lord never so much as alludes once to any outward forms. 3. The vital need for truth and godly affections. 4. The usefulness of our knowledge of Christ’s supremacy, divine providence, and proximity to His church, seeing how necessary it is for our hope and perseverance. 5. The clarity given between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdoms of this world. 6. The distinction between the visible and invisible church: He the overcomes. “They whom God hath accepted in his Beloved, effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace; but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved. This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own freewill, but upon the immutability of the decree of election, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father; upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ; the abiding of the Spirit, and of the seed of God within them; and the nature of the covenant of grace: from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof. III. Nevertheless they may, through the temptations of Satan and of the world, the prevalency of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of the means of their preservation, fall into grievous sins; and for a time continue therein: whereby they incur God’s displeasure, and grieve his Holy Spirit; come to be deprived of some measure of their graces and comforts; have their hearts hardened, and their consciences wounded; hurt and scandalize others, and bring temporal judgments upon themselves.” 7. Form of literature and refutation of misapplication– Prophetic and allegorical Ye shall have tribulation ten days – a limited time but indefinite The hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world – a set time but a while 1) Both phrases are used in relation to the two churches enduring persecution 2) Both phrases are used to encourage the churches to hold on a bit longer 8. Use of the text to the church 1) As indicated by the boundaries of chapter one the events of this prophecy are ‘at hand.” 2) These were literal churches. 3) There is application and use to the church in all ages. 4) We must be cautious against assumptions not stated. Chapter 4 I. Observations 1. After this – the phrase directly relates to the conclusion of Christ’s dictates to the seven messengers of the seven churches, that is, what John beheld Christ dictate and what began at the end of chapter 1 with the words, write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter. Verse 2 shows us that now begins that part to be dictated to the apostle indicated as hereafter. Thus, to read otherwise into the text is indiscreet; there is no other change than John’s perspective from the here to the hereafter, as well as from what He saw to what He saw here below, Christ walking amidst the churches, to now, what he will see from above, a heavenly perspective. This is still that day which John before declared, I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, Though the perspective changes and the details to be delineated, it is merely proximate; this is no different then what Stephen had seen, only that John is taken in the spirit to observe that which must further be told. 2. Behold, a door was opened in heaven – here we see that access must be given for the apostle to behold things concealed above. The secrets of God are hidden in Him above. 3. In the spirit – the phrase is the same used by John in chapter 1. The vision is as before, a vision, a spiritual one, but the perspective changes, as does the details given. II. Doctrines 1. Prophecy 2. Hermeneutics 3. Perseverance III. Uses 1. For our examination. 2. For our wonder. 3. For our encouragement. 4. For our warning