The Revelation of the Lamb's Victory, Part 2: Revelation 5:1-14

Last week we began a journey that we did not finish, considering the first of what I called three ramifications of the Lamb’s victory in Revelation 5:1-14.  Just as the fall in Genesis 3 had universal ramifications, so did the victory of Jesus Christ on the cross, which is what I am referring to as “the Lamb’s victory” (His being “slain” and what that has accomplished). It bears repeating again that Revelation 4-5 is, as Greg Beale put it, the theological heart of the book of Revelation.  That is because the truths found here are meant to stir up the people of God to face anything for the glory of their King.  They are meant to give God’s people everything they need to endure in the face of any temptation or persecution. We must saturate our hearts and minds with these ramifications of Christ’s victory if we are going to endure temptation and persecution.  May God stir up our hearts with these truths today so that we may endure anything for the glory of our King! 

      [5:1] 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. [2] And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” [3] And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, [4] and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. [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.”

      [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. [7] And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. [8] And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. [9] And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, [10] and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

      [11] Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, [12] saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”

      [13] And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” [14] And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped. (Revelation 5:1-11 ESV)

I.              The Lamb will Finish His Story (5:1-7)

      History is His-story, God’s story that is.  One thing that is clear in this chapter is that Jesus, by virtue of His victory on the cross, has earned the right to finish history.  Because He has conquered, He is worthy to take “the scroll of destiny”[1](called such because it contains what God has determined to be the destiny of the world) and execute its contents.  As we will see, God’s plan for history includes both redemption (for His people) and judgment (for His enemies), but the big idea here is that the destiny of the world is now in the hands of the Lamb who was slain. 

      Because the destiny of the world is in the hands of the Lamb, I can trust that whatever befalls me (because I am part of that story) is part of His good and wise plan.  God’s plan for History includes working all things together for my good as one of His followers (Romans 8:28).  No temptation or trial is meaningless.  They are all God approved to make me more like His Son.    

II.            The Lamb will Have His People (5:8-10)

      What we also see in this chapter is that Jesus, by virtue of His victory on the cross, has ransomed a people for God.  Once the Lamb takes the scroll, there are three consecutive songs sung to the Lamb.  The first song is sung by the heavenly council that we saw in Revelation 4:1-11.  They are further described as “each having a golden harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints” (8a).  In response to the Lamb taking the scroll, they sing a “new song” that explains the nature of the Lamb’s victory.  This is how He “conquered”: He was “slain,” and in being slain, His BLOOD “ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation” and He “made them a kingdom and priests to our God” who “shall reign on the earth.”  The Lamb’s victory has purchased a multi-ethnic people to be the subjects in God’s kingdom. 

      God has always desired a people, or a kingdom, to be His treasured possession.  When God first created man and woman, His desire was that they would “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion” (Genesis 1:26-28).  Instead of filling up the earth with a kingdom for God, they rebelled against their Creator and filled the earth up with rebels and sinners as subjects of Satan’s kingdom instead.  God, however, still desired a people to be His treasured possession.  He chose a man named Abraham to be the father of this kingdom and promised to make his offspring into a great nation and to bless all nations with salvation through the coming Messiah (Genesis 12:1-3).  He kept this first promise by delivering the Israelites from slavery in Egypt through the blood of the Passover Lamb and after defeating the armies of Pharaoh, God expressed His heart’ desire for this people in Exodus 19:5-6: “[5] Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; [6] and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”  We see the same Exodus imagery being alluded to here in Revelation 5.

      The Israelites, however, would fail to be this kingdom of priests because even though they were free from slavery to the Egyptians, they were still slaves to sin, just like you and me.  There would have to be a greater Passover Lamb who would ransom people from their greater bondage.  This is what we see being celebrated in Revelation 5:8-10: a greater Lamb (Jesus Christ) effecting a greater deliverance, ransoming a people for God.  But this is not just an Israelite people that are being ransomed.  The blood of the Lamb who was slain has ransomed and secured a multi-ethnic multitude for God from “every tribe and language, and people and nation.”  His victory has accomplished everything necessary to purchase these subjects and secure their place in God’s kingdom.  These people are the people of God’s new covenant, who are God’s new creations and will dwell in God’s new heaven and new earth.  That is why the song about them is called a “new song.” 

      There are several applications that flow out of the certainty that the Lamb will have His people.  First, in order to be a part of this people, or kingdom of God, a person must be ransomed by the blood of the Lamb.  We do not become part of God’s people by anything that we do, but by what He has done.  Being a member of a church doesn’t make you a member of God’s kingdom; being ransomed by the blood of the Lamb does.

      Second, if we have been ransomed by the blood of the Lamb, we are and will be made into priests to our God.  That we are priests implies that we have a job to do.  We exist to serve God and take His saving message to the nations.  If we really believe that the Lamb will have His people, then we should have all the confidence we need to count any cost to take this gospel to the ends of the earth.  The success of the church is not in question.  Jesus will build His church.  His sheep will hear His voice.  If this is true, then what are we waiting for?  Also, the truth that we will be made priests is a great encouragement to believers who are struggling with sin and suffering.  We may struggle and fall, but in the end, sin will not win!  The victory of the Lamb has secured your destiny as a child of God.  He who has begun a good work in you will be faithful to bring it to completion (Philippians 1:6).  Notice also that the golden bowls of incense, “which are the prayers of the saints,” are “full.”  Every prayer that His people have uttered in their trials and temptations are accounted for and have been heard.  In Revelation, these are normally prayers for vindication and relief from suffering.  This picture reminds believers that God has heard their prayers and will see them through. 

      Thirdly, if churches are the outposts of God’s coming kingdom in this world, then churches should be marked by great diversity.  This people are a multi-ethnic multitude from all over the world.  If we are going to show a world that needs this ransom how God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven then we should pursue becoming a diverse bunch of people who learn to unite around the gospel.  Worship will not be segregated in heaven, and it should not be on earth. 

      Finally, if we have been ransomed by the blood of the Lamb, then our ransom should amaze us at least as much as it does the angelic hosts.  They are amazed at our ransom.  Are you?  Am I?  If we were honest, many of us live like the work of Christ on the cross means very little to us.  To many of us, His work on the cross is nothing more than “eternity insurance” that we once signed up for and now don’t have to think about that much.  This should not be so. 

     

III.         The Lamb will Have His Glory (5:8-14)

      The final ramification of the Lamb’s victory that we see in this chapter is that Jesus, by virtue of His victory on the cross, will have the glory that He deserves.  “When” the Lamb takes the scroll, it initiates an awesome time of worship in heaven.  Heaven goes nuts!  As I said, verses 8-14 contain 3 songs to the Lamb (the last song being to both the Lamb and the One on the throne), with each song being sung by an expanded audience in order to amplify the reality of the Lamb’s worth.  First there is the song of the four living creatures & the twenty-four elders (8-10).  All four living creatures and twenty-four elders fall down (what they did before the One on the throne in chapter 4) and sing a new song.  They give the Lamb glory because He has conquered on the cross.

      Then there is the song of the angelic multitude (11-12).  The audience is now expanded by “the voice of many angels” (11).  How many?  They number “myriads of myriads” and “thousands of thousands.”  It is an innumerable host.  Their song is a seven-fold ascription of worth to the Lamb who was slain.  They too give the Lamb glory because He has conquered on the cross.

      Finally, there is the song of the universe (13-14).  The vision is now expanded to include all of creation.  There is a great significance that all creation is singing this song.  All creation has been “in bondage” and has been “groaning” under the curse (Romans 8:18-23) since Genesis 3.  But just as the fall had universal ramifications, so does the victory of the Lamb!  The victory of the Lamb will crush the power of the curse over creation!  This song is to both to “Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb” and is a four-fold ascription of worth that should be theirs forever and ever.  Putting this together with chapter 4, we see that the Father is worthy because He created everything and the Lamb is worthy because He redeemed everything!  We could say that the Father is praised for His work of creation and the Son is praised for His work of new creation.  At this song, the four living creatures shout “Amen!” and the twenty-four elders once again fall down and worship.

      Don’t we celebrate when championships and wars are won?  The victory celebrated in Revelation 5 is the greatest victory in the universe.  May we celebrate what the Lamb has accomplished as well.  He will have His-story; He will have His people; and He will have His glory.  None of these certainties are in question.  My question for you today is this: is the Lamb receiving glory from your life right now?  1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”  You exist for the glory of God.  It’s what you were made for.  That truth isn’t meant to keep you from having a life, it’s meant to help you truly live!  Know that the Lamb will have His glory in your live, one way or another.  He will have it sooner or later.  Every knee will bow before Him and every tongue will confess Him as Lord (Philippians 2:9-11).  Give Him glory by surrendering your life to Him today for your eternal good.  He is worthy of it because He has borne all of your sins on the cross and has ransomed your for God by His death.  As His priests, let us take the good news of His kingdom to this broken world! 

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[1] Robert Mounce, The Book of Revelation: NICNT, 116

The Revelation of the Lamb's Victory, Part 1: Revelation 5:1-14

Have you ever been going through a really rough time and had God use a sermon, a song, or a word from a friend to completely lift your spirits?  I want to start out by reminding you today that the function of Revelation 4-5 is to do just that.  These chapters are meant to give God’s people everything they need to endure in the face of anything, whether that be temptation or persecution.  They are, as Greg Beale put it, the theological heart of the book of Revelation.  That is because the truths found here are meant to stir up the people of God to face anything for the glory of their King.  

      Last time, we saw three ultimate realities that were meant to encourage believers to persevere: the beauty, sovereignty, and worth of God.  Today, we are going to see one more: the ultimate reality of the Lamb’s victory.  Just as the fall in Genesis 3 had universal ramifications, so did the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  In Revelation 5:1-14, John pulled the curtain back to reveal the ramifications of the Lamb’s victory, giving believers another ultimate reality to help them endure anything.  We too must saturate our hearts and minds with these ramifications of Christ’s victory if we are going to endure temptation and persecution.  My prayer today is that God would stir up our hearts with these truths so that we may endure anything for the glory of our King! 

      [5:1] 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. [2] And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” [3] And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, [4] and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. [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.”

      [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. [7] And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. [8] And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. [9] And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, [10] and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

      [11] Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, [12] saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”

      [13] And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” [14] And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped. (Revelation 5:1-11 ESV) What are these ramifications of Christ’s victory that help us to face anything? 

I.              The Lamb will Finish His Story (5:1-7)

      Let me first give you a summary of this point and then try to show you how I arrived at it in the passage.  What I mean by the Lamb finishing His story is that Jesus, by virtue of His victory on the cross, has earned the right to finish history.  Chapter 5 begins with the search for one worthy to open the scroll (1-5).  Continuing the vision that began in chapter 4, John now sees in the right hand of the One seated on heaven’s throne “a scroll” with writing on both sides.  What is this scroll?  Robert Mounce, in his commentary on Revelation, calls it “the scroll of destiny.”[1]  Remember that when John was called up to heaven in Revelation 4:1, what was stated was that he was going to be shown “what must take place after this.”  As the seals on this scroll are opened, we see epic, historic events begin to transpire on earth and once opened, we see God’s swift judgment as He brings history to its end and ushers in His eternal kingdom (Revelation 6-22).  So calling this scroll “the scroll of desity” is a fitting title because it looks like it contains what God has determined will be the destiny of the world.  This is also an allusion to Ezekiel 2:9-10, where Ezekiel is given a scroll with writing on both sides.  There the scroll is said to contain, “words of lamentation and mourning and woe.”  In other words, it is a message of judgment, which is precisely what we see in the Book of Revelation: judgment upon Satan and the world as God brings History to a close.  The point of the scroll is that God has a good and sovereign plan for history, because history is ultimately His-story.  

      This explains a lot that we see here.  As this scroll is opened, its contents are executed.  So the question of who can open it is not only a question of availability, but of power, authority, and ultimately of worth.  Who is worthy to end history?  The answer given by this passage is that no one in creation is “worthy to open the scroll or to look into it” (3-4).  This also explains why John reacts the way He does.  When no one steps forward, John begins to “weep loudly” (4).  He’s not weeping because he is extraordinarily curious.  There is something tragic about this document not being opened.  If this is the scroll of destiny, then if it is not opened, God’s plan for the universe will be thwarted.  His kingdom will never come.  The world will never be made right.  So John’s weeping reveals a heart that bleeds for God’s kingdom to come and for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.  What about you? 

      At the height of this chapter’s tension, John is told to “weep no more” (5)!  There is One Worthy to open the scroll (6-7).  Who is He?  In short, He is Jesus Christ, but He has three important descriptions in this chapter.  First, He is “the Lion of tribe of Judah” (5a).  This alludes to Genesis 49:8-12, which is a messianic passage concerning God’s coming Messiah and the kingdom that He will bring: “[9] Judah is a lion's cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? [10] The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.”  It was a promise that not only would the kingly line come from Judah in Israel’s history, but that one day a “lion” would arise from Judah’s line who would be both the King and the bringer of God’s kingdom. 

      He is also called the “Root of David” (5b).  This alludes to another messianic passage in Isaiah 11:1-10, where the Messiah is described as both “a shoot from the stump of Jesse” (He will come from David’s line) and “root of Jesse.”  This is also a promise about God’s coming kingdom to this world and the King who will bring it.  [10] In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. (Isaiah 11:10 ESV)

      Finally, He is described as “a Lamb” who “had been slain,” but is now “standing” (6).  It becomes pretty clear that this is a reference to Jesus, who in Revelation 1:18 was said to be the “living One” who had “died,” but is not “alive forevermore.”  Do you remember what John the Baptist said when he laid eyes on Jesus?  He said, “Behold, the LAMB OF GOD, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). 

      The way this Lamb is described is very important.  We first see that He has been mortally wounded.  He has “been slain.”  This alludes to both the Passover Lamb of Exodus 12, where a lamb was to be slaughtered in place of the first born son in order to avoid God’s judgment (which event marked their deliverance from the Egyptians), and the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53:4-7, Who “like a lamb” was “led to the slaughter” for His people.  This Lamb was not only mortally wounded though.  He was also powerfully resurrected!  He is now “standing”!  He also has “seven horns” and “seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth” (6).  This is a picture of perfect power (omnipotent) and perfect knowledge (omniscience).  He has the power to end history and the knowledge and wisdom to do so in such a way that no decision could be called into question.  Do you believe this? 

      But here is the best part.  Why can the Lamb open the scroll and bring history to its end?  He can do so because He “has conquered.”  If Revelation 4-5 is the theological heart of the book, then this passage is the theological heart of these chapters!  Notice the past tense: this conquering has already happened.  How has He conquered?  Verse 9-10 describes this victory: He conquered by being slain.  Now that sounds a lot like a paradox: Jesus conquered being slaughtered.  But this is the beauty of the cross.  If God is going to have His story (a kingdom of worshippers) in a fallen world full of rebels, something had to be done to redeem them and the world they live in.  Something would have to be done to destroy the sin and Satan forever.  Without the finished work of the Lamb, “the scroll of destiny” cannot be executed.  We would have to be executed instead. 

      Notice one more thing before we close.  In verse 7, Jesus takes this scroll.  We’ll see what all happens when He does next week, but for now, notice what does not happen.  The One on the throne (God the Father) doesn’t object.  His silence and handing over of the scroll implies the He is pleased with the finish work of His Son and is glad to have Him finish history.  Like a parent whose heart is filled with joy at their child’s recital, God the Father is overjoyed and wants to showcase the accomplishments of His Son. 

      So here it is again: Jesus by virtue of His finished work on the cross, has earned the right to end history.  The Lamb will have His story.  I’d like to close with a few applications from what we’ve seen today.  First, is your heart and life anchored in the sovereign rule of God?  History has been written by its King and you are a part of it.  That means that God brought you here today to hear about the victory of His Son and become a part of this kingdom that is to come.  If you are a part of it, this should radically change the way you view the trials that you face.  Every trial and temptation you will face has been God approved and none of them are meaningless.  They are part of God’s story for you, meant to conform you more and more into the image of His Son. 

      Second, notice that God doesn’t define victory and heroism in all the ways that we do.  Jesus conquered by dying.  The heroic, kingly Lion became a Lamb and in doing so, won the greatest victory in history.  When we read the Bible, it becomes clear that the way to victory that Jesus chose is the same way to victory we are to choose.  We too conquer by dying.  We save our life by losing it.  We conquer this world by becoming crucified to it.  Have you learned to die daily in order to live victoriously?  The reason that many people struggle so poorly with sin is because they have not learned to die. 

      Finally, where is your heart rooted?  Are you in love with this world and the things in it or are you so in love with God and the world to come that you would weep as John does at the prospect of its delay?  I’ve shared with you the story of David Livingstone before, whose heart was cut out and buried in Africa when he died before his body was shipped home for burial.  It was a picture of where his heart was.  Where would we bury your heart today?  Does your heart bleed for God’s kingdom to come and for His will do be done on earth as it is in heaven?  I pray that it does.  I also pray that if it doesn’t come today, that you will ask God to show His kingdom and His will to this world through your own life.  That can only happen in the life of a person who has been ransomed by the Lamb and made a part of the kingdom.  Will you come to Him today? 

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[1] Robert Mounce, The Book of Revelation: NICNT, 116

Ultimate Reality: Revelation 4:1-11

  To listen to this sermon, click here: http://www.drycreekbaptist.org/resources/sermons/

  Revelation chapters 4-5 are some of the loftiest chapters in the entire Bible.  Greg Beale, who is a very well known and respected New Testament scholar, calls Revelation 4-5 the theological heart of the book of Revelation.  That is because these two chapters put everything into perspective for believers who were under attack from both inside and outside of the church.  These two chapters pull back the curtain to reveal the universe’s ultimate reality to God’s people and give them all they need to endure in the face anything.  That is the function of these two chapters.  They are meant to stir up the people of God to face anything for the glory of their King.  So what are these ultimate realities that give a believer all they need to endure anything?  Let’s look at them this morning in Revelation 4:1-11. 

  [4:1] 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.” (Revelation 4:1-11 ESV)  My prayer today is that God would give us eyes to see, as He did Elisha’s servant in 2 Kings 6:17, three ultimate realities in this chapter that will motivate us to endure anything for the glory of God. 

I.              The Beauty of God (1-3)

The first ultimate reality that we come face to face with in this chapter is that of the beauty of God.  The vision of chapter 4 takes place “after” the initial vision of Christ and His address to the seven churches in 1:9-3:22.  After that, John, in some visionary experience, immediately finds himself “in heaven” (1-2).  What I want you to notice is that the first thing to capture’s John’s attention is “a throne” and the “one seated on the throne.”  He is not captivated first by the lightning, the thunder, the sea of glass, the twenty-four elders, or the four living and very interesting creature, but by the beauty of the “one seated on the throne.”  This is because heaven’s main attraction is God Himself! 

The beauty of God is also highlighted in the way John describes the One seated on “the throne” (3).  The One sitting on the throne has the “appearance of jasper and carnelian” and there is “a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald” around His throne.   What I believe John is trying to describe is the radiance of God’s glory.  I come to that conclusion from two texts mainly.  The first is Revelation 21:10-11, where New Jerusalem is said to have “the glory of God,” which is described as the “radiance” of “a most rare jewel, like a jasper.”  The second text is Ezekiel 1:26-28, which contains another “throne vision” that is being alluded to here in Revelation 4.  In that passage, “the throne” and the One on the throne are described as being like a rare jewel (sapphire in that case) and the “brightness” around the throne is said to be like a “rainbow.”  Ezekiel calls this “the likeness of the glory of the LORD.”   That is why I say John is trying to describe the radiance of God’s glory. 

Basically, the mental image being given is the radiance or brightness of God (because He is light, dwells in unapproachable light, and clothes Himself with light as with a garment: Psalm 104:2, 1 Timothy 6:16, 1 John 1:5) being put on display as if it were bursting through or being refracted by precious jewels, with a rainbow-like halo around it.  It would be the most beautiful thing that you have ever seen.  The point is that God is more beautiful than anything in the universe.  The radiance of His glory surpasses anything in creation and all of heaven recognizes that reality by falling down before Him in worship. 

So how does this reality help a Christian endure temptation and persecution?  I want to remind you of a quote that we read together this past summer in our Battling Unbelief study: “Sin is what you do when your heart is not satisfied with God.  No one sins out of duty.  We sin because it holds out some promise of happiness.  That promise enslaves us until we believe that God is to be more desired than life itself (Psalm 63:3), which means that the power of sin’s promise is broken by the power of God’s.  All that God promises to be for us in Jesus stands over against what sin promises to be for us without him.”[1] Temptation is the attempt to get you to believe the lie that God is insufficient or unattractive when compared to whatever it is that you are being tempted with.  Persecution is the attempt to make you believe the lie that suffering is too high a price to pay in comparison to the joy of the beauty that we will behold in God’s presence forever.  With the curtain pulled back in this chapter, we see that there is no comparison!  You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11 ESV)  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18 ESV) Ask God to open your eyes to His beauty.  If you will begin to treasure the beauty of God the way that those in heaven do, you will find a potent remedy for temptation and a potent fuel for enduring suffering! 

II.            The Sovereignty of God (1-11)

The second ultimate reality that we come face to face with in this passage is the sovereignty of God.  To say that God is sovereign means that God has ultimate rule over His creation and that He exercises that rule over all of creation forever.  It means that He is the King of the Universe.  This chapter reminds believers that regardless of what Rome may do, regardless of what local Jews may do, and regardless of what Satan and his demons may do, God is still on His throne. 

The sovereignty of God is seen all over this chapter.  First, notice that what John is going to be shown is “what must take place after this” (1).  It doesn’t say what might take place or what may take place, but what “must take place.”  What this means is that what will take place on earth is settled in heaven, because God is sovereign over the future.  Second, did you notice how many times the word “throne” or “thrones” appears in this chapter?  The word “throne” or “thrones” appears fourteen times in chapter 4 alone!  The message is clear: GOD RULES!  Thirdly, the “flashes of lighting” and “rumblings and peals of thunder” that come from God’s throne (5) leave not doubt about the awesomeness of His power.  This is no wimp sitting on heaven’s throne!  Fourth, notice the “a sea of glass, like crystal” that is before His throne (6).  With all of the lightning, thunder, and commotion of this scene, you would not expect this sea to be as smooth as glass, but it is under His feet. 

Finally, notice the relationship between the “twenty-four elders,” the “four living creatures” and the “one seated on the throne.”  It’s not exactly clear who the “twenty-four elders” are.  I believe they are a group of angelic beings because they seem to be a group of beings that is different from God’s people in the book of Revelation.  Also, an angelic court is consistent with other “throne visions” and passages in the Old Testament (Psalm 89:7, 1 Kings 22:19).  The “four living creatures” are an allusion to both the Seraphim of Isaiah 6, the Cherubim of Ezekiel 1, as well as the throne scene in Daniel 7, indicating that they too are angelic beings.  In Revelation they are the guardians of “the throne,” the heavenly worship leaders, and also carry out various commands for God.  The most important point in this chapter is not who these two groups are but WHO THEY pay homage to!  They bow and prostrate themselves before God in worship and cast their crowns before Him, which is not only a submission to God’s authority but also a recognition that their authority has been delegated to them by God because it ultimately belongs to Him.

So how does this second reality help a Christian endure temptation and persecution?  It helps me face suffering by reminding me that I will never face anything that hasn’t been approved by God as being the wisest and best thing for me.  And if the One who sits on heaven’s throne is for me, who can be against me?  Do you trust the sovereign rule of the One who sits on heaven’s throne?  When my heart becomes saturated by the reality of God’s sovereignty, my heart can become a peaceful as the still waters under His feet.  Temptation is an attempt to get me to commit cosmic treason and act as the ruler of my own life.  This reality reminds me that the centerpiece of heaven is supposed to be the centerpiece of my heart.  Does the One who sits on the throne of heaven sit on the throne of your heart? 

III.         The Worth of God (8-11)

The final ultimate reality that we come face to face with in this chapter is that of the worth of God.  God is worthy of all worship (glory, honor, thanks, and power) forever.  The word “worship” comes from the Saxon word, “worth-ship.”[2]  Worship is our declaring, magnifying, and rejoicing in the worth of God.  This passage gives us two reasons why God is worthy of all worship forever.  First, God is worthy of all worship forever because He is holy (8).  To say that God is holy means that He is absolutely separate from and above all creation.  There is no one and no thing that can compare to Him.  His rule is like no other’s, which is why He alone is call “the Lord God” and why the incredible beings bow down and cast their crowns before Him.  His power is like no other’s, which is why He alone is called the “Almighty.”  God alone is omnipotent.  His being is like no other’s.  He alone enjoys totally self-sufficient and eternal existence, which is why He is called the One “who was and is and is to come” and “who lives forever and ever.”  God is Holy.    

The second reason that God is worthy of all worship forever is because of His creative work (11).  The reason given in verse 11 as to why God is worthy “to receive glory and honor and power” is because He “created all things.”  By His will they “existed and were created.”  Those who have a good theology of creation understand what creation implies: that they exist for and belong to their Creator.  The truth is that whether you believe it or not God is the creator of all things, including you.  You exist because God wants you to and if He didn’t, you wouldn’t.  Also, you exist for God.  He owns you and you will one day give an account to your Creator. 

Again we must ask the question, how does this reality help a Christian endure temptation and persecution?  When your heart and mind is riveted by the reality that God is holy, holy, holy and that you are not your own, but belong to your Creator, who is worthy of all that you are, you will find yourself resisting temptation and enduring suffering.  Do you ceaselessly worship God?  What is God worth to you and what realities inform that value? 

Jesus taught His disciple to pray that God’s will would be done on earth as it is in heaven.  This chapter pulls the curtain back on how God’s will is done in heaven.  The world was like that in the beginning, but the human race rebelled against their Creator, this one upon the throne, and chose to sit upon the throne of their hearts instead.  That’s the source of all the messes in your life: you want to live for you instead of God.  This is the bad news, but the good news is that God would not leave us to our rebellion.  Since we would not step down from our throne, God stepped down from His, became one of us, and died in our place for our rebellion.  However, He did not stay dead!  He rose victoriously from death and sits again on His throne and commands humanity to make Him the King of their hearts and lives.  This is what it really means to become a Christian, to surrender to Jesus as King.  Will you surrender to the King of heaven as the King of your heart today? 

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[1] John Piper, Future Grace, 1

[2] Donald Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, 81