Jesus: Creator, Savior, Lord and King #79 Jesus’ Thone Room Revelation 4

 

JCSLK 79 Jesus’ Thone Room

Revelation 4

Introduction: A Joke about Heaven:

 An 85-year-old couple, having been married almost 60 years, had died in a car crash. The last 10 years of life the wife had been real concerned about their health and they ate only low-fat, low-carb, low-calorie healthy meals under wife’s constant supervision and not a just a little bit of nagging.      

      When they reached the pearly gates, St. Peter took them to their mansion which was decked out with a beautiful kitchen and master bath suite and Jacuzzi.

      As they "oohed and aahed" the old man asked Peter how much all this was going to cost.     

      "It's free," Peter replied, "this is Heaven."

      Next, they went out back to survey the championship golf course that the home backed up to. They would have golfing privileges everyday and each week the course changed to a new one representing the great golf courses on earth.     

      The old man asked, "what are the green fees?"     

      Peter's reply, "This is heaven, you play for free."     

      Next, they went to the club house and saw the lavish buffet lunch with the cuisines of the world laid out.     

      "How much to eat?" asked the old man.     

      "Please, understand. This is heaven, it is free!" Peter replied with some exasperation.     

      "Well, where are the low fat and low cholesterol tables?" the old man asked timidly.     

      Peter lectured, "That's the best part...you can eat as much as you like of whatever you like and you never get fat and you never get sick. This is Heaven."     

      With that the old man went into a fit of anger, throwing down his hat and stomping on it, and shrieking wildly.     

      Peter and his wife both tried to calm him down, asking him what was wrong. The old man looked at his wife and said, "This is all your fault. If it weren't for all them bran muffins and rice cakes, I could have been here ten years ago!"

Well, that is one idea of what heaven is like, but the Bible gives a better picture.

John’s vision of Heaven sent to the Churches.

The church at the time of John’s book of Revelation was at a time of crises. The sign miracles like tongues, word of wisdom, word of knowledge were finished or fading. There had been no new word from God, revelation and no more apostles’ writings in over a generation. The Pagan Roman empire and the Jewish religious authorities were arresting and killing the leaders of the churches. And now John, the last apostle, has been arrested, tortured and was now exiled to the island prison of Patmos, by a Domitian, aRoman Emperor who called himself, Lord God Almighty and demanded Christian’s worship. He tortures John the last apostle and then exiles him to die on the isle of Patmos far away from the Christians and churches he has led and loved.

In the midst of this dark, dark time, a light is seen. It comes as a letter brought by a messenger from the aged apostle. John, now near 100 years old writes and says “I have seen the Lord and He has given me His epistle to you. He says to tell you, “I am coming back!”

The Book of Revelation, the Apocalypse, this Epistle of Jesus was written because Jesus knew his people needed hope in that dark age and as we read it today, it still has that same purpose. To those who name the name of Christ, it gives us hope in the blackness of sin’s night. Listen Jesus still tells us, “I am coming again!”

So, listen now in Revelation chapter 4, as John takes us up with him through the door of heaven and into the throne room of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Listen and then remember this vision, remember this place, remember this event because when our world grows dark and our way seems hopeless, know that one day a door will be opened in heaven for us and we will stand in the throne room of Heaven and behold the glory of the One who sits on the throne.

The Throne of Heaven - Revelation 4:1-2

1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. 2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

John Is Summoned

John has seen the vision of the Son of Man, Jesus standing with His churches in the opening chapter. He has recorded the Lord’s warnings and encouragement to the seven churches in Asia but the experience of John was only just beginning.

Now, John is summoned by “the first voice I heard” which is Jesus speaking with a voice loud as a trumpet, and He tells John, “Revelation 4:1 Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” And when he heard that summons, his spirit went by vision into Jesus’ throne room. Jesus called and John was caught up to heaven.

Then John says in Revelation 4:2 2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

Everything in chapters 4 and 5 takes place in Jesus’ throne room and everything centers on and draws our focus to the throne and to the One who sits on the throne. Here is God the Father, the Creator, the only true Almighty God. He is Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient, holy, just and righteous.

God’s glory has been glimpsed many times before. By Moses in Exodus 33:21-23 And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: 22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: 23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen. 

by Isaiah in Isaiah 6: 1-3 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

and by Ezekiel in Ezekiel 1:26-28 26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. 27 And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. 28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.

And now in John’s vision, here the actual holiest of holies we see with John, the Glory of God revealed in detail as it has never been before. In all the Bible, this is the ultimate vision of the throne room of heaven and it will not be superseded until we all, like John, stand there.

In the Old Testament, the Tabernacle and the Temple were built as models of Heaven. Three distinct areas, the outer court, the holy place and the most holy place, where God’s presence would be seen above the mercy seat. These models were meant to tell the worshippers of God something of Heaven.

The outer court represented the heavens of the sky above earth. The inner court was the heaven of the stars, to the Jews this was the heaven of the angelic host, and the most holy place represented the throne room where God’s presence dwelt. Moses built the Tabernacle, Solomon built the Temple and when God’s people worshipped, they were reminded of God who sits far above the earth in the heavenlies, in the most holy place.

But now this time, the Temple is gone. John had seen the Temple in Jerusalem destroyed by the Roman Army, torn down stone by stone until nothing was left but rubble. It has been 30 years since that terrible event and there was no Temple to remind the people of God of the throne room in Heaven but then one day John sees a door and hears an invitation, “Come up here and from the throne room of God, you will see the return of the King.”

Summoned: a symbol of the Rapture

Many see in Revelation 4:1 a symbol for the rapture of the saints. John says, “a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet..; which said, Come up.” The rapture of course is the taking away, the taking up of God’s people from the earth. When God issues that summons, even death itself will not be able to hold us back. When God calls his children home, we will all go home.

Now Revelation 4:1 isn’t definitive as a proof of a pretribulational rapture, but it sure come close. A pretribulational rapture means that God’s people will be taken up before the tribulation of chapters 6 – 19 begins. So even though Revelation 4:1 can’t be used as a proof text but it sure fits the timeline, so very nicely.

First, heaven is opened, 2nd, there is a voice like a trumpet, 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

 Third, John’s calling into heaven is sudden, unexpected; (4) it comes at the end of the letters to the churches, they are not again mentioned after chapter 3, the “church age” is finished and the last week of Daniel 9 is started; (5) John enters the throne room of heaven; (6) and it is the final event before God’s judgment on the world begins. All of this is just like the pre-tribulation rapture.- Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament.

And while we are here, let me make this point about the views concerning the rapture. I and most Baptists are pretribulation, the taking up of the Christians is before the judgment of God upon the earth, but there are many good, conscientious, Bible believing, Bible scholars and preachers who are midtribulationalists, meaning the they see the rapture taking place in the middle of the tribulation at the 3 ½ year mark of the 7 year time of Jacobs trouble. They like to call it the  pre-wrath tribulation. And there are some who even believe in a posttribulationist view, that the Christians alive when the tribulation starts will have to go through the entire 7-years of the most horrific, world-wide suffering that has ever been recorded or imagined. I really don’t think they are right. I can’t see how the church and the Christians fit into the “Time of Jacob’s Trouble” as the tribulation is called in the Old Testament. But they can believe that and still be okay, not right but okay, What we all must believe, or we won’t be okay, is that the Jesus is coming back and He is coming back as the avenging Lion of Judah not just the sacrificial lamb of God.

John told those suffering Christians, “Jesus is coming, in power, glory and victory. And He will reign over all the earth!” They needed to hear it and believe it then, and we need to hear it and believe it now.

 The Uppertaker

Let me add to this quote I used last week. “The apostolic church thought more about the Second coming of Jesus Christ than about death or and heaven. The early Christians were looking not for a cleft in the ground called a grave but for a cleavage in the sky called Glory. There were watching not for the undertaker but for the uppertaker.” - Alexander MacLaren

And that should be us not looking forward to the undertaker who will put our bodies in the ground, but for the uppertaker, Jesus Christ who will raise that body and take it to heaven. That’s how we should live every minute of every day, looking for Jesus our uppertaker.

Now our focus changes from John being caught up into heaven to the scene that opens before him as he passes through the portal and steps into the throne room of God.

 The Throne of God - Revelation 4:3–7

3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

God Seated On His Thone

The key word in this chapter and chapter 5 is throne; it is used fourteen times. In fact, this is a key word in the entire book, appearing forty-six times. Here we see the throne for the first time and in John’s vision the throne is a place of the glory, judgment and mercy of God the Father.

The One seated upon the throne is God the Father. John sees God in His glory and describes what he sees as light seen filtered through jewels. What John is seeing is not the gemstone but the color of the light as it would shine through that gem.

Other passages speak of the glory of God, Psalm 104:1-3 Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:

1 Timothy 6:16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen

These jeweled hues of light shining from the throne, symbolize the attributes of God

A Throne of Holiness - Jasper is a clear stone, so this color speaks of God’s purity, His holiness;

A Throne of Judgment - sardine is red like a blood red ruby and it speaks of God’s wrath and judgment.

A Throne of Mercy - The color of light refracting though an emerald is green and that is a color associated with grace and mercy.

A Place of Mercy and Grace - John also sees an emerald-colored rainbow, that completely surrounds the throne, not an arc but a full halo, I imagine it would be like a sunburst, caused by the light of God’s glory. The rainbow that was the sign of God’s covenant back in Genesis 9:11–17, after the flood, is now a full rainbow shows God’s complete and finished mercy and grace to those who are His own.

This mercy and grace are also seen in the 24 elders who sit around the throne of God. These 24 are representative of all of God’s people Old Testament and New Testament who have found His grace. There were 12 tribes in the OT and 12 apostles in the New and so this number represents all the saved, all the believers, all of God’s children of all time.

These 24 are clothed in white raiment symbolizing their holiness imparted to them through grace and they wear golden crowns which symbolize rewards for their service which was empowered in God’s grace.

Victor’s Crowns - These crowns that the elder are wearing are “victor’s crowns, crowns of life” as we first heard promised in Revelation 2:10 …be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

The word crown is the Greek word στέφανος, stephanos, where we get the names Stephen and Stephani, a crown. It comes from a word that means to twine or wreathe. So, these crowns are not the ones that a king or queen would wear but instead these are the crowns that athletes would wear after winning a race, these are the crowns of champions, the champions of Jesus Christ, the overcomers, the victors, the believers.

The Throne Room also shows us a Time of Judgment and Wrath: Then John sees and hears lightning, thunder and voices emanating from the throne. He also sees seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which he identifies as the seven Spirits of God, which is symbol for the full and complete power of the Holy Spirit. All these symbols show that not only is this a throne of glory and grace, but it is also a throne of judgment and wrath. Lighting was the fire from heaven that God unleashed upon the prophets of Baal and thunder is always a warning of an approaching storm. Here also the Holy Spirit is not seen as a dove like He was at Jesus baptism, but now as seven burning fires, showing full and complete judgement.

The Throne Room is also a Place of Eternal Cleansing: John now in his vision sees a sea of glass like crystal. This sea was once symbolized by the brazen laver or basin in the tabernacle and in the Temple. It represents cleansing for all who now stand in the throne room.

The Throne Room Shows us the Godhead, The Trinity

The Father is on the Thone. The seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which he identifies as the seven Spirits of God, the full and complete power of the Holy Spirit and the Son will be seen entering to open the 7 sealed book in chapter 5.

But now, John sees four living creatures, these creatures were created to sing praise for all eternity to the Father, Son and Spirit. The KJV calls them beasts, but they are not wild animals but living creations of God, created for the purpose of praise.

Revelation 4:6-7 …in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts (creatures) full of eyes before and behind. 7  And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

These living creatures have four faces and we have seen them before if we read Ezekiel’s vision of the wheel in a wheel in Ezekiel 1:10-14 10  As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.

Isaiah’s Vision: The Seraphim in Isaiah 6:2 called them the seraphims, “Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

There are differences between these visions, but I think that is due to the perspective of Ezekiel, Isaiah and John. I also believe John sees much more because he has experienced the fulfillment of the Old Testament Messianic prophecies. So, he is allowed to see more, because he could understand more.

Firstly, the Seraphim are symbols of God as the creator of all living creatures but in more detail we can see that are symbols of the Son of God in his roles as the King who was also the Servant and God who was also Man. The four faces of the lion, the man, the ox and the eagle. These show Jesus as the King symbolized by the lion, Jesus as the servant symbolized by the ox, Jesus as God symbolized by the eagle and Jesus as man in the face of the man on the seraphim.

Our Seat In The Throne Room

As I think about this scene taking place in John’s vision, this incredible, glorious representation of what the throne room of heaven will be like and all the amazing, unbelievable things we see, I can’t help but think of the most amazing thing of all, One day we will be there in person as John was now in vision.

We will see the blinding radiance of God on His throne, we will be awed in His holiness, swept away by His mercy and so thankful that we will not experience His wrath. We will see Our Father seated on the throne, the symbol of His authority and power. We will hear and see the living creatures, surrounding the throne but then wonder of wonders, we are seated among those 24 elders . We have seats of honor  reserved for us the children of God. Yet, it shouldn’t surprise us because who else would the Father want beside him but his own children.

John writes to Gaius in 3rd John and says, “I have no great joy than to know that my children walk in truth.” That is a sentiment that every parent understands. There is no greater joy, no greater sense of pride than in your children’s achievements, their good works. We have that sentiment in our hearts because it comes from our heavenly Father. When we get heaven we will have a seat beside the throne of our Father, because part of his glory in that throne room will be us, His children.

Ephesians 1:12-14 12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Our faith, our trust, our redemption and the life of service that follows our salvation, are those things which bring praise to God’s glory. We are God’s trophies of grace and the throne room of heaven is His mantle place where those trophies will sit surrounding the throne, shining in and being a part of His glory.

Are you ready for that? Wouldn’t it be terrible to miss this? To not experience such an event. Oh, I could tell you about how eternally horrific Hell is going to be, but can you imagine missing heaven and not seeing this event, but not in a vision like John, but in person, not recorded in the Bible but in real time, not virtually, but literally, not through the eyes of faith but through the eyes of our resurrected, sinless, body. And you know what, you won’t need any corrective lenses to behold this glorious day, though you may wish for some heavenly sunglasses because, Child of God, it is going to be bright. Its okay to get excited, this is our day. This is the day we see God!

The final aspect of the Throne Room, I want us to see is the most beautiful because this is also

A Throne of Praise and Worship - Revelation 4:8–11

 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

God’s Songs Of Praise

In Revelation 4:8 we hear the first of 20 hymns and songs of praise that are sung in the book of Revelation. In chapters 4 and 5 we have the first 5 hymns, sung to the Father as Creator and to the Son as Redeemer.

Jesus had John witness this and then send it to the persecuted churches. This worship scene foretold in Revelation 4 and 5 meant that their pain would be be changed into praise.

The hymns, these doxologies are sung like a concert, a concert that is so vast it fills all of creation. The praise begins with the 4 Seraphim singing “Holy, Holy Holy, Lord God Almighty.” The Bible says this of their praise, it is not just a song to God, but the giving of glory and honor and thanks to God.

When they finish, then the 24 elders, that represent us, the Old and New Testament children of God, fall down before God and our song breaks forth. “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for you have created all things and for thy pleasure they exist and were created.”

This concert of heaven begins from the 16 mouths of the four living creatures and then is taken up and amplified by the 24 elders around the throne. In chapter 5, when the Lamb slain as from the beginning takes the book, now the praise is sung by both the elders and the living creatures, Revelation 5:8-9 8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. 9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof… and then Revelation 5:11 I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;. And they join the song of praise.

And finally, Revelation 5:13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

All of heaven and earth lift their voices in pure joyous, glorious, beautiful, perfect praise. (Oh, there will not be a missed note, not a single unharmonious chord in all that vast choir of the Universe.)

First Time Hearing The  Messiah.

I know I’ve shared this story before but the first time my wife, LeeOra, and I went to a performance of the Messiah was at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Symphony. Understand, LeeOra and I grew up in a small mining town in Arizona, bout 1000 people when we lived there. We had never heard or attended a symphony. We had no idea what to expect. The college choir director told us to dress like we were going to church and that was about it. We got there and were in awa of the music and the singing of Handel’s Messiah, every word taken from the King James Bible and sung by the best trained professional singer in Dallas.

And we thought this is really nice, Then the symphony came to the movement called the Hallelujah Concert. And the orchestra played and the singers on the stage sang, “For the Lord God Omnipotent Reigneth. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!” It powerful, it was beautiful but then all around the concert hall and we were in the cheap seats, I see people start to stand up, at first I thought the concert was over and they were leaving, but it seemed like and odd time to exit, just as we were getting to this part of the concert. All over the concert hall people are standing up but they aren’t leaving no, they are singing! They are singing along with that professional choir and those highly talented lead singers on the stage. Wow, no one told me it was a sing along. Luckily the words were pretty straightforward, it was pretty easy to remember, Hallelujah.

This standing was a tradition, legend says, started by the King of England when Handel first presented the symphony in London. When the King heard he stood in respect to the One was the greater King, the risen Lord, Jesus. When the King stands then all those in attendance also had to stand. From that day on anytime the Messiah is performed and the Hallelujah chorus begins, everyone stands and many times join in the singing. That first time we heard it, over 3000 people stood and began to sing. I had never been in a place able to hold 3000 people and I had never heard 3000 people sing praises to my Creator, Savior, Lord and King. Well quite literally, the hairs on my neck and arm stood up, my skin prickled and my tears began to fall. And as best we could we joined in the singing, Hallelujah. Hallelujah, Hallelujah! I remember thinking that was a very small sense of what John heard and saw in that concert of praise in the throne room of heaven.

One day all of God’s children, all the redeemed of the world and time, will join in concert with the seraphim round the throne and all the host of heaven, praising the One upon the throne and the Lamb slain for the salvation of our souls. It will be the most incredible concert that has ever been performed. All the music that has ever been played, all the symphonies that have ever been written and perform, every opera that has ever been sung will sound like nursery rhymes in the mouth of a child in comparison to that concert in heaven.

Conclusion

One day, I’m going to experience in person what John saw in vision. Because I’m His child, because I’ve accepted God’s gift of grace, through Jesus Christ death on the cross, because one day God will call all His family home, I’m going to be there. I’m going to be there and hear the Seraphim song and then fall to my knees and join my praise with theirs. I will place my victor’s crown, the sum total of my life’s work for my God and Savior, at the foot of the throne. There it will join the crowns of all the redeemed of all eternity cast at the feet of Him who is worthy.

To sing with all the host of heaven, Revelation 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Wouldn’t it be a tragedy to miss such a day? It would be eternally, the most regretful thing that could ever happen to a soul created by God, but who missed the summons of their Creator to “Come up here.” and hear, “I will show you great things.”

Don’t miss it, the invitation remains open, the door to salvation stands open and the voice of Jesus still calls, “Come to the throne of mercy and grace.”