Book of Revelation (11)
Notes
Transcript
Handout
The book of Revelation is broken up into 3 sections
Things seen: Ch 1 -Jesus
Those that are- The seven churches
After this— chapter 4 and on.
We went through the seven churches we are on about week 10 of your revelation study. We embarked on the journey to see what John initially saw in ch1 which was his vision of the Son of Man
We talked about the 7 churches and how they are all applicable to us today. The dangers and snares of church life and being comfortable. Now we are going to discuss the things to come. As I stated in the beginning I don’t get caught up in much of the what ifs Revelation brings. It’s easy to be an expert in what hasn’t happened yet. Sometimes it’s nice to discuss what Heaven will be like and the things that will be to come, but for this study we are focusing on the practical applications of the book of Revelation.
So keeping with the number 3
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.”
Contains 3 things we need to look at
1-After this—Up to this point Some argue that John was more on the outskirts of Heaven where he met Jesus. Jesus was giving John the messages he wanted the 7 churches to have. We discussed that though those 7 churches were in fact a place that it is highly likely that those 7 churches are 7 categories a church will fall into.
John is marking a transition from the conclusion of one vision to another. Kind of like a chapter too a book. The main idea isn’t lost, but chapters show a distinct stopping place and a new beginning place. This being the future or things yet to come.
2. Door is open. This is where I believe some make Christianity harder than it is. There isn’t anything standing in the way between us and God except the acceptance of Jesus Christ. To this point John was talking to Jesus. We know that Jesus symbolizes the door because if we go into the symbolism Jesus used he called himself the door to Heaven many times. One of the most famous is no one can get to the father except through the Son. Nothing stands between us and God. God has opened the door between the Spiritual and physical.
It’s why we are told whatever is loosed in heaven is loosed on earth and whatever is bound in heaven is bound on earth. We, as humans are often stuck in a one world view seeing only the natural. We talk about heaven as though it’s a place astronaughts pass on their way to the moon, but Heaven is happening all around us. There are things happening in the Spiritual Realm right not, right next to you that you aren’t aware of.
3. God’s voice= a trumpet- a trumpet symbolizes a call to attention and to war and were used in certain acts of Worship, exodus ch 19 and 20 use the sound of a trumpet for God’s voice upon Mount Sinai.
The command God issues is for John to come to Him. This symbolizes not only oneness, but shows us that this vision is a joint effort. God is clueing us in on what is going to happen so that we can clue others and help set up precautions.
At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.
Throne- It’s the first thing John sees. The symbol of God’s throne is power and suthority. It’s no surprise that it caught his attention. It symbolizes power in this present darkness.
The idea of a throne, weather good or bad, depends solely on the one who sits on it.
A throne is like money. It is neither good nor evil, but rather all depends on the hands in which it rests upon.
The second thing John sees is the one who sits on the throne.
Before we get into the description what might this mean in today’s context. Why is it such a powerful symbol that God is sitting on his thrown?
Simply put- it doesn’t matter who is in charge here on Earth-God is on the thrown and the ultimate seat of Judgement. Everything-Even satan has to defer back to the Throne and the one who sits on it.
There are 6 things about the one seated on the throne.
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.
1) Precious stones
It was the most expensive and rare Jewel of that day. It’s the only thing John could use to compare God to and yet is still incomparable.
Also think of the purest diamond you have ever seen-this ties into the next discripter-a rainbow emerges
2) Rainbow-When putting the two together it gives a vision of the rainbow physically coming out of God-As if God is the source of the rainbow.
When we think of a rainbow-What do we think of?
The rainbow was given as a promise to Noah and is a sign of the new covenant between God and man. Rainbow signifies God’s mercy and peace after judgement-but also God’s promises coming to fulfillment.
It’s fitting that this rainbow derives from God as it signifies the security and faithfulness of al God’s promises.
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.
3) We see 24 thrones. Think- The one who sits on His throne wants to share his power and authority with his creation. This speaks of God’s humility and graciousness.
4) The Elders-there is a lot of conjecture about who these elders are. The most promising I have seen where the rulers of the twelve tripes of Israel and the 12 disciples signifying the blend of the Old and New Testament promises.
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,
Flasing and rumbling phrase used 3 more times in Revelation-Signifies God’s perfect Justice. It’s next to be seen at the end of the three sets of seals
5) 7 Spirits- many theologians think that it’s the Holy Spirit as 7 is the symbolization of completion which mixed with the seven tources-fire is the symbol of purification agan 7 meaning completion so it’s showing the completing work of the Holy Spirit in us which brings us closer to christ in behavior and attitude.
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:
The sea is a very specific illustration in John’s day.
Sea=Chaos, uncertainty, and death. The Sea symbolized everything wrong with the world. Imagery kind of like hell. There are creatures we have no business disturbing in the sea. It’s not a place for humans.
Interestingly enough In chapter 21 V1 of Rev John tells us that the sea had passed away. It is believed in both cases that this isn’t actually a physical body of water that we see, but rather it’s John’s way of describing a place with no chaos, everything in absolute harmony and peace and void of death.
The fact that the sea was like signifies that all that is unknown is known. one of the biggest issues I have with the Ocean is that you simply cannot see what lies beneath. All may look calm, but there could be a shark you never seen. Or in the video I recently watched a whale chasing fishing and accidently eating someones row boat. Its the idea that there is order to chaos.
john is speaking peace to a church in that day who has only known of death and chaos.
In v6 we go from describing God to describing what is around God and the response of those around him.
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.
4 living creatues- Here you have the totality of creation
The predator, the prey, man, and birds all living in unity and among each-other.
What is their response to God?
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!”
We talked about this two weeks ago-This isn’t a harmoney of worship that we think it is. It is a bellowing cry of Holiness as though sin had just been washed away from the foulest of sinners.
It’s sad to think-These creatures are crying out of the Holiness of God’s grace, but we as receptors of that grace do not worship with such purity and power. The animals aren’t forced to worship. They are driven to worship simply by who God is-not what he has or hasn’t done. We need to understand first that this worship isn’t puff up God’s ego, but rather worship isn’t for God. He is ful and complete without our worship. But rather as we worship it opens our eyes to who God really is.
That’s why it is said that the creatures have so many eyes, because it’s impossible to take in the totality of God’s beauty, grace, and mercy.
And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
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,
“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 crowns are likely the incorruptible crowns-The badge of finishing the race as Paul had talked about.
Casting them down is symbolizing their surrender and understanding that nothing is done apart from God—even reciving our crown was only because God allowed it. That it’s truly his. It’s an act of worship. Many talk about the treasures in heaven. Its thought the crown is the symbol of the treasure and that even the treasure pales in comparison with being in the presence of God.