I’m one of those people that enjoys music, but doesn’t really get past listening to songs. I know basic genres, and even basic history of when those genres came about. What I don’t know, is in-depth information about any of it. If a song sounds good to me, I’ll listen; if it doesn’t sound good, I won’t, simple as that. And I like all types of genres from classical, to big band, to 50s pop, to 80s rock, to 90s punk, to country. What really draws me to a song, is not only the lyrics, but also the uniqueness of a voice or element of the song. There’s a couple of newer country songs that have caught my attention. One is called Buy Dirt, by Jordan Davis, and the other is called Up, by Luke Bryan. And I only know the names because I looked them up. These songs have good stories and some unique parts. And that’s what I like about music, with only a few chords you can make all sorts of styles.
And it’s music that brings us to our final week in our Out-Look series, where we’ll be looking at chapters 4 and 5 in the book of Revelation. So if you have your Bibles, we’ll be opening to Revelation chapter 4, starting in verse 1; and as we open up to Revelation 4:1, let’s recap the last five weeks in our series.
We started this series with a focus on the second aspect of our relationship with God, which is loving people as ourselves. Our relationship within God is two-fold, with loving him with everything on the one hand, and loving others as ourselves on the other (Mark 12:29-31). One cannot be done without the other, and when we are truly doing one, it’s because we are doing the other as well. It was here that we then talked about how the greatest way to love people is to share the Gospel with them. Taking care of physical needs is needed, but those are temporary fixes to a deeper need of knowing Jesus as Savior. And this is what God calls us to; every Christian is a minster of the Gospel, so that the world would have an opportunity to know the God who created them.
This led into the motivation as to why we share the Gospel. When we understand the holiness of God and the state humanity is in because of sin, we who have trusted Jesus as our Savior must then look to the work of God as being essential for every believer to participate in. We should not push aside the Gospel work, thinking it is for someone else to do, when it is our neighbors, friends, and family who are on the wide path to the lake of fire. God’s holiness and humanity’s sin, should motivate each of us to share the Gospel as God leads.
Then Doug Haskins spoke to us about experiencing God’s grace when we endure situations. When we step into the Gospel work, we will have plenty of opportunities to experience the eternal grace of God in new and powerful ways, because Gospel work is repleted with things that must be endured. Ridicule, gossip, discouragement, emotional and physical pain, are just a few things we might experience when it comes to Gospel work. Yet, in those experiences, we will see God’s grace abound in its potentness.
After this we began looking at the seven churches, walking away with three understandings as to what we must be aware of when engaging in God’s work. First we must be aware that tribulations and trials are a part of the package. Hard times are guaranteed to come when we walk the path that Jesus has laid out, and in that path God’s grace awaits to be experienced. Second, we must not fall into the trap of winking at sin. The flesh desires to be accepted by the world, and so it is really easy to fall into the trap where we allow sin to fester in our own lives, and the life of the church, in order that we may be praised by the world. Yet Jesus calls us away from that, to stand firm against sin, being gracious to each other as we walk through this world. Finally, last week we talked about engaging in God’s work, not in our own strength, where we can become prideful, but rather in our weakness, where God’s power may be seen clearer. The world wants us to work in our own power, because it’s easy for us. We thrive on people seeing what we have done, and receiving the glory for it. Yet glory needs to be given to God, and the best way to make sure that this happens is to fall before God recognizing our weakness and allowing the Holy Spirit to work from there.
With these weeks fresh in our minds, we now turn to what it’s all about. We started this series by getting a glimpse of Jesus in his holiness in chapter 1, and now we return to that imagery as we start in Revelation chapter 4, verse 1. But unlike in previous weeks where we read the whole text we were going to cover, I want us to just be in the moment of each of these chapters. And by no means will we be exploring every aspect of what these chapters mean, but just enough to understand them in the context of Gospel work. Let’s read.
“4:1 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first 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 there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. 4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. 6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
“In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.’
“9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: 11 ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.’”
Through John, we are brought into the throne room of God. This is the place that Isaiah was brought into, where he recognized his sin in front of the holy God (Isaiah 6). This is what Ezekiel spoke of in his vision in the opening of his book (Ezekiel 1). And this is what Paul references in 2 Corinthians 12:2-4, when he speaks of a man being caught up to the third heaven. This is the place where God sits enthroned in glory, waited upon and worshiped, though he needs neither. And we get this imagery to make our imaginations come alive, and that speaks of the greatness of God.
Jesus spoke to the church of Philadelphia and Laodicea about a door. To the Philadelphian Church, the door was wide open for them; to the Laodiceans the door had been shut. But here the door is open wide for John to enter into. Then Jesus speaks. This is the second time Jesus’ voice sounds like a trumpet. This trumpeted voice has a parallel in Jewish worship, where each blow of the trumpet meant a different part of the service. John was first trumpeted to write to the churches about their work in the Gospel. Now, he is being trumpeted to see the worship of God in heaven.
God’s splendor is on display. God is seated on a throne, a position of power and judgment. John then describes God as having the appearance of the precious stones jasper and ruby. This speaks to God’s majesty. A rainbow encircles the throne, which speaks to God’s complete fulfillment of his promises and Word. We are also told in verse 5, that flashes of lightning and sounds of thunder come from the throne, harkening back to Israel’s meeting with God at Mt. Sinai. Next, we are told that the seven spirits of God, a term to speak of the perfect work of the Holy Spirit, blaze as seven lamps before the throne. Finally, we are told about a sea of glass that is in front of the throne. Some have interpret this as the pavement of heaven; with others interpreting in Old Testament thoughts of conquered chaos, where the sea is chaotic, yet is still as glass before God.
We’re also told of what John sees surrounding God on his throne. There are twenty-four elders, who sit on their own thrones, dressed in white, with crowns upon their heads. These elders have been interpreted many different ways, with some believing they parallel the twenty-four elders at Sinai, or the twenty-four divisions of the Levitical priesthood, or that they are a representation of the redeemed through Christ. Whatever they represent, it’s their actions that concern us, and which will get to a moment.
Next, we’re told of the angels. Similar, but different from Ezekiel’s vision, we’re told that there are four, one like a lion, one like an ox, one with the face of a man, and one like an eagle. Again these have been interpreted different ways. Maybe they represent the whole of God’s creation, or maybe they represent attributes of God, or services performed to God. Again, whatever they represent, it’s their actions that are important for us today.
With the stage set, we turn our attention to the actions of those that surround the throne. The angels sing a never ending song, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” This song speaks of the eternalness of God, who has all power, and who is unlike anything there is.
And on cue with this song, the elders come off their thrones, falling prostrate before God, laying down their crowns in recognition of God’s majesty. They then speak, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” The elders recognize their position, as not comparing to God. Their crowns, their thrones, their garments all come from and all return back to God.
This is the holiness of God, that we have been speaking of through this series. This God who is enthroned in judgment, who is almighty in his works, who is eternal; he is the Creator, to whom all that is given to us, and that we earn, is truly his, and we must fall down in worship before him. This is the God to whom Isaiah confessed his sinfulness; this is the God whom John fell down as if dead before, and this is the God who we worship. Not some feeble daddy figure on a cloud, but a grand imposing being to whom our only response is to fall down worship.
But that’s not all, there’s more going on in this heavenly worship scene. Let’s move on to chapter 5 of Revelation.
“5:1 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?’ 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.’
“6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. 9 And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.’
“11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they were saying: ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”
“13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!’
14 The four living creatures said, ‘Amen,' and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Here the focus changes. With the overwhelming majesty of God, it seems that John didn’t at first see that he held a scroll in his hand. Yet, there it was, and the imagery of Jewish and Roman scrolls is on full view. The Jewish scrolls that contained the Scriptures had seals on them that would be broken before they were read. In Roman society, legal scrolls would contain several sets of seals that could only be broken for the intended person.
But alas, the mighty angel speaks, calling for a worthy one to break the seals and open the scroll. Yet, we’re told there is no one in all creation that can. John begins to weep; he knows that this scroll is important, but with no one worthy, how can it be read? This is reminiscent of our realization of our own sin. If we cannot pay the cost for our own sin, how then can anyone be saved?
Yet in both cases there is hope. An elder points John to the answer to both distresses. “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” The elder points to the mighty warrior of Judah and the heir to the Davidic Kingdom. And it would seem that the next scene is going to be of this Lion, this King, but instead, John turns to see the Lamb. But not just any lamb, this Lamb has seven horns representing complete power, and he has seven eyes, representing complete omniscience and the complete work of God through the Holy Spirit throughout the world.
It is the Lamb who takes the scroll and when he does, the four creatures and twenty-four elders fall down in worship. This time with harps in hand, and bowls representing the prayers of God’s people. And a new song erupts from their worship, “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”
Why is this Lamb worthy to take the scroll and to open it? Why is he worthy of this praise? It’s because he is the one who laid down his life. He was the perfect Passover Lamb, slaughtered for the sin of humanity. And he is the one, by his sacrifice, that paved the way for every person on this earth to have the opportunity to accept him as Savior and enter into his eternal life.
But this worship doesn’t end there. John hears the whole of heaven erupt in worship. Angels numbering in the hundreds of millions begin to join the song, singing, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” But not just them, all of creation joins with their own verse, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” From the height of heaven, to the lowest point of the physical world, all sing the song of the praise to God on the throne and Lamb who was slain. To which the four creatures call in agreement, “Amen.” And the elders fall down in worship. And we here today must call out, “Amen,” falling down in worship.
This worship of the Father on his throne in majesty, and the Son who was slain for humanity, encompasses the Gospel work that we are saved to be a part of. The holiness of God results in the sending of the Son to take the punishment of the sinner, so that they may join in the created orders’ worship.
Every time we sing words of worship, we join in this chorus. Every time God uses us to share this wonderful message, we join in the heavenly choir. Every time we obey God, choosing to follow him rather than our sin’s call, we participate in the worship that creation is giving back to its Creator.
My brothers and sisters in the Lord, this is our destiny, to be in this chorus of worship back to God, and this is only a glimpse of what that eternal destiny entails. So then, let us resolve ourselves today, to be singers in God’s choir, carry the Gospel message with us as we go about this life. That the holy God created us to be with him; yet our sin, our rebellion against his created order, has caused us to be separated from him and there’s nothing we can do to fix it. But he can, and the Father sent the Son to do just that. Jesus died in our place, taking our punishment for our sin upon himself. God was broken for his creation, yet the story doesn’t end on the cross, it goes to the empty tomb in which Jesus proved his payment was acceptable, because of his resurrection. And the story isn’t done yet; every person who trusts in Jesus as their Savior will be saved and brought into the heavenly chorus of worship back to God. This song happens everyday from the new birth of the believe and lasts into eternity.
Let’s be apart of the song, ministering the Gospel as God leads, so that all the voices that accept Jesus’ invitation to be there, will sing loud and proud.
My challenge for you this week, is to literally sing these songs of heaven. From the four creatures song, to the elders’ song, to the millions of angels, all the way to the “Amen.” Let us be a chorus of Gospel workers, who are motivated by God’s holiness, to proclaim the slain Lamb, that all who trust in him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Amen.
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