Revelation 4“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.” Revelation 4:11
Revelation is a “Throne Book,” the word being used some 45-times, as compared with only 15-times in the entire New Testament.
At this point in Revelation, the “Church,” after being addressed some nineteen times from Chapters 1-3, now completely drops from the pages of the book until the end of the tribulation in Chapter 19.
Summary of Revelation 4
The Voice from Heaven - 4:1
The Throne and He Who Sat on the Throne - 4:2
The Twenty-four Elders - 4:4
The Four Living Forms - 4:6
Their Cry Night and Day - 4:8
The Doxology of the Twenty-four Elders - 4:11
John records the Heavenly sight he saw in verses 1-7. Then, he records the Heavenly songs he heard in verses 8-11.
The Voice from Heaven - the same voice that he heard in 1:10 “I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,"
The Throne and He who sat on the Throne - The person whom John saw sitting upon His throne (4:2): God the Father in royal majesty, whose power and glory was represented by the resemblance of precious stones, particularly by the jasper and sardine (4:3);
Jasper - A white stone; symbolizing God’s glory, His splendor, and holiness.
Sardine - A fiery red stone; symbolizing God’s judgment, and grace---where He who sits on the throne has an appearance of fire.
John now becomes the second of two recorded human beings who are allowed a glimpse of that dazzling Kingdom in the sky - called Heaven!
Jasper and Sardine, were the first and the last stones among the twelve that the Old Testament high priest bore upon his breastplate. These twelve stones represented the twelve tribes of Israel, arranged according to the births of the twelve sons of Jacob (Exodus 28).
Reuben was the first tribe, which name meant - “Behold a Son.”
Benjamin was the last tribe, which name meant - “Son of my Right Hand.”
John saw a rainbow round about the throne (4:3b), in sight like unto an emerald; this was very comforting, for the rainbow was of old a token of God's covenant, Genesis 9:12-17, that he would never more drown the world by water.
This rainbow was round about the throne; a reminder of His covenant and promise; and the color of this rainbow was like an emerald, that is, a greenness which was pleasant and delightful: Blessed be God, that as He sitteth upon the throne of judgment, He has a rainbow about him, giving full assurance, that for his covenant-sake, the floods of his wrath shall not overwhelm his children, when his enemies are swept away with the deluge of destruction.
The Twenty-Four Elders - the central throne was encompassed by the lesser 24-thrones.
1. They were clothes in white - victory and purity
2. On their heads were gold crowns - honor
3. Their design - to represent the whole church in every land and every age of the world.
The Four Living Forms - By the four beasts here, we understand they represent the four evangelists, and all gospel ministers in general, who went forth to preach the word in all the quarters of the world: and here we have a most stately emblem of true gospel ministers; they have the courage of the lion, the strength of the ox, the loftiness of the eagle, the face, that is, the prudence and discretion of a man.
Their Cry Day and Night - This was represented to John, as the perpetual employment and work of heaven; namely, incessantly to admire, love and praise, and the holiness of God. They rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty.
Praising and celebrating Holy God is not just the incessant work of glorified saints and angels in heaven, but a very great part of the work and duty of the faithful ministers of God here on earth.
He is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever, without variation and shadow of changing.
“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Hebrews 13:8
The Doxology of the Twenty Four Elders - The sum of their speech: that all glory must be given to God: the reason, because he is the eternal beginning of all things, from whose only will they have their being, and are governed.
The only godly group Satan can find to torment during the tribulation, is the nation Israel.
Personal Observation
Jesus did not tell us to watch for a certain prophetic event, He tells us to be watchful concerning His return.
1. The rapture of the Church is the first part of the hereafter. All the prophetic events of the tribulation begin immediately following the catching away. If you miss the rapture you will indeed be around to see the Christ - the antichrist, that is.
2. The one startling event that separates the final church age from the events of the tribulation period is the catching away of the Church. The rapture signals the beginning of the future portion of the Book of Revelation. The rapture is the first part of the hereafter.
3. Right now in heaven there is an open door. We may not see that door, but only because our view of the spiritual realm is obscured.
Our view of heaven is obscured by the events of our everyday lives and the hardship and heartaches involved with living in this old world. But we know the door is opened because the resurrected Jesus ascended this earth and entered that heavenly shore through it.
The door of revival is opened, because Jesus told the restored apostolic church He had set before them an opened door. No one can close a door that Jesus has opened. But the opposite is also true. When Jesus closes a door, no one may open it.
We owe our existence to God’s will. Whenever I look to see the greatness or goodness in the works of creation, I regard it as a faint expression of what exists, essentially in the Creator. Can you imagine what Heaven will be like?
All my present privileges and future hopes, I ascribe to the eternal and most Holy God. Prior to trusting Christ as my Personal Saviour, I was not eternal; not self-existent; furthermore, I was formed from nothing.
The door of revival and the door of heaven are opened today to whosoever desires to enter. But someday there will be those who desire to enter those doors and will find them closed. If you are not serving God in the way you know you should, the only door that is closed today is the door of your heart.
Do you hear the Lord Jesus knocking at the door of your heart? Do you hear His voice calling to you to open that door? Would you respond right now?
Today, my heart is filled with conviction; the study of Revelation is an exercise that I have fully embraced with a resolve to understand, and be a recipient of the special blessing promised in Chapter 1.
Not understanding the entirety of its content (and, the greatest scholar will not fully understand until God reveals its contents at the end); God’s word is piercing my heart, and opening my eyes to my own spiritual condition.
“Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.” Jeremiah 20:9
I feel pressed in the spirit to do my Father’s will.
I told my husband this afternoon; "I uttered a fresh prayer" - a conversation I will continue each day: that in my mind, and in my feelings, my love for Christ be so great, and His conviction of the truth be so strong, that I will labor to make known to all whose path I divinely cross, and whom I have influence on - the truth that Jesus is the Messiah and He IS coming again!
I Love You,
Deborah
No comments:
Post a Comment