Magnifying God’s Majesty
Revelation 4:1-3,5a
Part I
Purpose: To display Christ in His proper glory.
Aim: I want the listener to have a deeper and more profound worship of Christ.
INTRODUCTION: Revelation is the "Throne Book". The word throne is used 46 times in Revelation and only 15 times in the rest of the New Testament.In this chapter alone it is used 14 tines.
➽Chapters 1-3 Christ enthroned over the churches
➽Chapters 4-5 Christ enthroned in heaven
➽Chapters 6-20 Christ enthroned on earth
➽Chapters 21-22 Christ enthroned in the new creation
When John received this vision he was imprisoned on the island of Patmos. He has the ocean for bars. As he stands on the shore of Patmos and gazes over a seemingly endless sea surrounding him, he can’t help but think of fellow believers beyond that sea who are suffering greatly under the cruel hand of Domitian, the Roman ruler.
One of these believers was the third pastor of the church at Antioch, Syria who was Ignatius, a disciple of the apostle John. During the time that Revelation was being written, Ignatius was tenderly shepherding his church through the persecution. Ignatius survived Domitian’s persecution, but a few years later in A.D. 111, after Emperor Trajan came to power he was arrested for refusing to offer sacrifices to Trajan and the Roman gods. He was brought before Trajan. Ignatius declared that he was a Christian because Christ lived inside of him. Trajan then replied, "Do we not then seem to you to have the gods in our mind, whose assistance we enjoy in fighting against our enemies?"
Ignatius boldly answered, "Thou art in error when thou callest the demons of the nations gods. For there is but one God, who made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that are in them; and one Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, whose kingdom may I enjoy."
Trajan lost patience with Ignatius and sentenced him to be carried to Rome where he was to be devoured by lions, "for the gratification of the people." When Ignatius heard the sentence he cried out loudly, "I thank Thee, 0 Lord, that Thou has vouchsafed [graciously granted) to honor me with a perfect love towards Thee, and hast made me to be bound with iron chains like Thy Apostle Paul." With tears he prayed for his church and gave his people into the care of the Lord.
When he was delivered to the governor in Rome by the soldiers he was kept in prison for several days until a Roman feast day called Saturnalia. This feast was in honor of Saturn, the god of the harvest. Ignatius was brought into the amphitheater. They tried to get him to renounce Christ with many different kinds of tortures, but his faith only got stronger, and he refused to offer any heathen sacrifices. The governor then called for the lions. As soon as Ignatius heard that he said, "0 ye Romans, all you who have come to witness with your own eyes this combat; know ye, that this punishment has not been laid upon me on account of any misdeed or crime; for such I have no wise committed, but that I may come to God, of whom I long, and whom to enjoy is my insatiable desire." With that, two ferocious lions were released and they instantly tore and devoured him. Ignatius then found himself in the presence of his beloved God.[Adapted from an article in "Christianity Yesterday" Vol.2, No.1 Jan-Feb 1995 p.18]
It has often been said, "When the outlook is bad try the up look." That is what we see here in chapter 4. There were “doors” of persecution all around, but now John sees an open door in heaven. This was not just a door into heaven; this was a doorway into reality. The Devil would love for us to think that what we see on earth is eternal. The reality is that everything we see and touch is very temporary. Lasting reality is only found in God. When we focus on the things of this world, we are chasing soap bubbles. The world can be attractive, but it is not lasting.
This is what Paul was explaining to us when he said, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (NAU)
Let’s take a look at what is eternal.
REVIEW:
1:1-20 I. John’s Vision of the Past “the things which you have seen”
2:1-5:14 II. Christ’s Vision of the Present “the things which are”
2:1-3:22 A. The testimony of the church on earth
LESSON:
➽4:1-5:14 B. The throne of God in heaven
➽4:1-11 1. God’s unchallenged authority
Verse one says, “what must take place after these things” this corresponds to the third part of the outline given to us in Revelation 1:19 “Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things. (NAU)
In my outline I don’t start the third part of this book until chapter 6 because I believe that that is where we begin to learn about the future as the seals are opened. Christ is already enthroned in heaven! That is not future, although the presence of the 24 elders may be (and that would explain why these two chapters are considered future).
In chapters 4 & 5 John writes what he saw when God gave him a vision of the very throne room of God. There are five things that John sees in the throne room of God. Today we will look at one.
➽Vs.1-3,5a a. The sovereign One
When Isaiah saw a vision of heaven he saw the Lord … sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. (Isaiah 6:1 NAU)
When Ezekiel saw a vision of God he said … I fell on my face…. (Ezekiel 1:28 NAU)
➽Vs.1 (1) God’s will is inevitable “what must take place”
This does NOT say, “Might take place”, but “MUST take place.” Once the wrath of God begins, no one will escape.
This is the same voice that spoke to John in chapter one (see 1:19). John describes the voice as sounding like a trumpet, this lets us know that the voice was loud, clear, beautiful and unmistakable. When God speaks, there is no question whether He spoke or not.
This reminds me of the power of the Gospel. Paul said, I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes… (Romans 1:16 NAU) When the Gospel is spoken into your life, it brings powerful changes.
➽Vs.2a (2) God’s rule is fixed “a throne was standing”
I believe the phrase “in the Spirit” means that John was actually translated into the spirit realm. He was no longer constrained by time; he was with God in His eternal present.
The fact that the throne is “standing” shows that God’s throne is unmovable. The same word STANDING is used in 1 Corinthians 3:11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is LAID, which is Jesus Christ. (NAU) Jesus Christ is the eternal, unmovable, foundation of the universe.
Psalm 11:4-5 4 The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. 5 The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates. (NAU)
Psalm 45:6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. (NAU)
➽Vs.2b (3) God’s work is finished “One sitting on the throne”
Sitting down declares that the work is finished. In Christ’s case it is the work of salvation. Hebrews 1:3 And He [Jesus] is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, (NAU)
Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins only once. Jesus, does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. (Hebrews 7:27 NAU). This is why Jesus is NOT being sacrificed, as the Roman church claims, each time we take communion.
Hebrews 9:12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. (NAU)
➽Vs.3a (4) God’s nature is holy “like a jasper stone”
There is no way we could describe the appearance of God with words, but words are all we have for now so here goes.
Scholars aren’t sure exactly what a jasper stone is, but most commentators believe that it was pure white, much like a diamond, because of what we read in Revelation 21:11 having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper. (NAU) So, this could represent God’s holiness.
Psalm 47:8 God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne. (NAU)
Psalm 104:1-2 1 …O Lord my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering Yourself with light as with a cloak … (NAU)
➽Vs.3b (5) God’s judgment is right “sardius in appearance”
This is a blood red stone that was first discovered near Sardis, hence its name. It could symbolize Christ’s shed blood, but this is a picture of God the Father, not Jesus. Red is also used to picture God’s wrath against sin: Revelation 6:4 And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him. (NAU)
Isaiah 27:1-2 1 In that day the Lord will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, With His fierce and great and mighty sword, Even Leviathan the twisted serpent; And He will kill the dragon who lives in the sea. 2 In that day, “A vineyard of wine, sing of it! (NAU)
Isaiah 63:2-3 2 Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press? 3 “I have trodden the wine trough alone, And from the peoples there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger And trampled them in My wrath; And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My raiment. (NAU)
We do not have the option of agreeing or disagreeing with God’s will, even when it comes to judgment. We must be careful that we don’t act as if God is wrong in anything that He does. Even if we have to suffer sickness or persecution, God is still right, or just, in what He does.
Psalm 18:30 As for God, His way is blameless... (NAU)
Psalm 9:7 But the Lord abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment, (NAU)
➽Vs.3c (6) God’s promises are certain “a rainbow around the throne”
The rainbow takes us back to God’s promise to Noah in Genesis 9:9-13 9 “Now behold, I Myself do establish My covenant with you, and with your descendants after you; 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that comes out of the ark, even every beast of the earth. 11 “I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; 13 I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. (NAU)
God will never again use water to judge the earth. The next time God will use fire. 2 Peter 3:5-7 5 … the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6 through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. 7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. (NAU)
The rainbow that Noah saw and the rainbows that we see are only partial. The rainbow that is above God’s throne is a complete circle. Like all of God’s promises, we can only see them partially, but one day we will see them completely when we are before God’s throne.
As we move through the judgments that God will pour out in the book of Revelation it is good to know that God will never forget the promises that He has made to His own children.
➽Vs.5a (7) God’s presence is powerful “flashes of lightening and sounds and peals of thunder”
This is very much like to scene at Mt. Sinai when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. Exodus 19:16 So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. (NAU)
Psalm 77:18 The sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; The lightnings lit up the world; The earth trembled and shook. (NAU) Psalm 145:3 Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised, And His greatness is unsearchable. (NAU)
Lightning and thunder often precede a storm! Psalm 18:13-14 13 The Lord also thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire. 14 He sent out His arrows, and scattered them, And lightning flashes in abundance, and routed them. (NAU)
CONCLUSION: Ignatius lived and died for what was eternally real. Do you love what is temporary or what is eternal? 1 John 2:15-17 15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. (NAU)
➽“Ignatius experienced the wrath of man but he had praise from God. Most people who have praise from man will experience the wrath of God.”
What is more important to you: the approval of God or the approval of man?
