Before He Delivers

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 4

After this I looked, and there in heaven was an open door. The first voice that 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 Immediately I was in the Spirit, and there was a throne in heaven and someone was seated on it. 3 The one seated there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian stone. A rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald surrounded the throne.

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 4

After this I looked, and there in heaven was an open door. The first voice that 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 Immediately I was in the Spirit, and there was a throne in heaven and someone was seated on it. 3 The one seated there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian stone. A rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald surrounded the throne.

4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones sat twenty-four elders dressed in white clothes, with golden crowns on their heads.

Context: John was living in a time where many of the other apostles had been martyred. Peter was crucified upside down, Andrew was crucified on an “x”, James , the brother of Jesus, had been beheaded. All the followers of Christ either had been killed or would be. John hadn’t been immune to suffering. He himself had banished to the rock quarry island of Patmos.

If that wasn’t bad enough the Lord was about to show him what was about to happen to the earth. The earth was going to experience plagues, wars, natural disaster, and death as a result of divine judgment. Things were bad and it seemed they were about to get much worse.

If I am John, I would had been overwhelmed.

This is not the first time the Apostle had experienced this type of dread. On a Sunday some years ago Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey. As he entered the city people threw palm branches in front of Him and shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!" While this sounds amazing it was the tipping point of the jewish religious leaders of that day. They put in motion a plan that would arrest Jesus and ultimately after beating and humiliating Him they would crucify Him. This Sunday pointed to Jesus’ first step that week to His death.

That week John would see this plan executed. His leader, his teacher, his Lord, and his friend would be arrested, beaten, put on trial, and killed. However something amazing would happen three days after Jesus died on the cross and was buried; He would rise from death to life and walked out of His grave leaving his death clothes behind. John knew this because Jesus would find his disciples and showed them that everything he said would happen, such as His resurrection, has happen.

This is not the first time Apostle had experienced this type of dread. On a Sunday some years ago Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey. As he entered the city people threw palm branches in front of Him and shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!"

You may ask why would all the disciples/apostles be willing to die such horrible deaths, why John would continue to preach even when being threaten to the island of Patmos and with death, why the church would continue to meet and worship the Lord? Because the worse thing that they ever saw happen turn to be the best thing that ever happen.

Life Application: We are in a period of time where things are not as difficult as what John is seeing but our life is still greatly disrupted. All kids are being home schooled while parents are still trying to work, the economy is struggling (especially the small businesses), our life as we knew it has halted and there is still the dread of this disease.

God has not left us/you

God is speaking to His people

Calling His people

Using His people

We are not meant for this world

God has something better for us that we were meant to yearn for.

A place where He is on the throne

A place that is indescribable

A place of worship

It is only accessible through Jesus

There are going to be somethings we will not understand but we can still trust God.

We can trust He will give us the victors crown

We will get through this victorious

We can trust He will dress us in white robes

He will purify us through this, make us holy

Before God Delivers

God is over his life: Following Him

-How can you still follow Him, how can you still be fishers of men?

God is central to his life: Worshiping Him

-How can you still worship Him? How can you prepare you family to worship Him on Easter?