Scripture: Revelation 4:1-11 Text: Revelation 4:1
Title: “A Foretaste of Glory”
When you read the book of Revelation you need to understand that it is apocalyptic literature. In other words it is literature written in symbolic forms to describe end times. Not only is it apocalyptic, it is also eschatological. That is to say it is a study of the last things or the end of the world and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
There are four theological schools thought on the purpose of the book of revelation:
1) There is a futuristic school that says that the book was written to describe events to come in the future.
2) There is a historistic school that says that the book was written to describe events that have happen in the past.
3) There is an idealistic school which says that though symbols the book describes the struggle between good and evil.
4) There is a preteristic school which says that the book was written to provide hope to the exiles by given them assurances of God’s power and purpose so that they would have hope and faith in salvation and judgment.
I subscribe to the preteristic school of thought for I believe that The Book of Revelation tells us that God is sovereign and in control of human destiny. That his victory is already manifested in heaven and is guaranteed in the work of Christ and will triumph on the earth.
In others words, God will be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven.
The key to the reading of the book of Revelation is to understand the John was exiled on the island of Patmos. With the scorpions, lizards and God lifted him up and he was taken up to Heaven in the spirit.
Let me stop here and tell you that Revelation means – Re velatio- to uncover that which had been previously hidden.
This is what John does as he begins describe Jesus in anthropomorphic terms. He gives human qualities to spiritual things. His hair is like wool. His eyes as fire. His feet like fine brass. His voice like the many waters.
That’s good news! It’s good to know that even though we serve God in spirit and in truth; that he has hands that will hold you in the comfort of his care.
It’s good to know that “Just when you need him most.” He will walk with you and talk with you and tell you that he is your own and the joy you share as you tarry there none other will ever know.”
He does all this to give us “A Foretaste of Glory.” Foretaste means not yet/ but already.
It a theological concept that describes the Kingdom of God. It’s not yet, but it is already.
Let me explain it this way. My mother would make some of the most delicious yellow cake with chocolate icing. She would take two days to prepare the cake. She would lay out all the ingredients on the table. Sure enough, she would give me the spoon to lick and the left over batter in the bowl. I would lick the spoon and eat the remaining batter. I can tell you that the cake was not yet ready, but it was already good.
Foretaste – not yet, but already.
In the 4th Chapter of Revelation, John writes what the Lord is revealing to him.
He says he sees a throne – means the ultimate authority of God and he begins to describe what he sees sitting on the throne.
He says that it looked like jasper. Jasper is a stone, which is clear and brilliant. It’s more brilliant and clearer than a diamond. In fact the closer you get to it the better it looks. John was trying to tell us that Jesus is the only one that the closer you get the better he looks.
Unlike people, in life you’ll find that Prince Charming will lose his charm; that Cinderella will lose her golden slipper. People have warts and pimples and bruises. The closer you get to people; sometimes you’ll find the worse they become.
Jesus is the only one that the closer you get, the better he looks. That why Jesus is always saying come unto me you who are heavy laden for I will give you rest.
John sees a sardine stone, which is a stone, that is reddish in color and the gemnologists cuts facets on every side. Such that when you whatever angle you look at it you will see a reflection.
In other words, He is saying that Jesus will be what you want him to be when you want him to be. When you are sick – He’s a doctor. When you are lonely – He’s a friend that stickiest closer than a brother. When in trouble – He’s a lawyer.
He is saying that Jesus will be what you want him to be when you want him to be.
The rainbow reflects that he is the Alpha and Omega. It reflects his love and illustrates that it is never ending and that because of its many colors it includes everybody.
The emerald is a greenish precious stone. Green is the color that illustrates God’s grace and mercy. That’s what David understood would follow you all the days of your life.
You know the five stages of grace:
prevenient grace,
amazing grace,
sustaining grace,
saving grace,
sanctifying grace.
Round about the throne were four and twenty elders. Remember the throne was sitting in the middle. That’s to let you know that at the center of our religious understanding must be a Christology – an understanding of the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Too many doctrines have influenced the church and caused confusion among the people. Different theological perspectives have found their way into the church. Some will say we are a Word church, but they recite the Word and they peopled don’t live the word. Some say they have a liberation theology, feminism theology, a theology of suffering, and empowerment theology. All these can be confusing.
I’m here to tell you that in the Church of the Living God. Jesus Christ must be at the center of your theology. Jesus Christ is the example we must live by and who we must lift up. For Jesus says if I be lifted up, I’ll draw all men unto me.
John sees Jesus in the proper place with authority and seated in the middle of four and twenty elders. That is to say there were twelve on the left and twelve on the right. Those on the left represent the twelve tribes of Judah of the Old Testament. Those on the right represent the twelve apostles of the New Testament.
There is Jesus in the middle of the old and new dispensation. Bringing unity and coherency to the Old and New Testament. Joining them together.
John goes on to describe four breasts.
1. One with a face like a lion that is to say that Jesus is the strongest force in heaven and on earth. A story is told of an Admiral Rickover who was sailing the seas in a battle ship. One night he looks out in the water a sees a light in the distance. He has a signalman signal the light. Move three degrees to the left. A signal comes from the lighthouse; you move three degrees to the left. Admiral Rickover became angry. Signal man tell them Admiral Rickover says move three degrees to the left. A signal comes from afar that says you move three degrees to the left this is the lighthouse. Jesus is the lighthouse. No matter if you are in the doghouse, the whitehouse, or the jailhouse. As long as Jesus is in the lighthouse, you can make it home. Jesus is the strongest force in heaven and on earth.
2. One with a face like a calf that is to say that Jesus is the kindest force in heaven and on earth. His kindest is such that he feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, heals the sick, and gives sight to the blind. He’s kind to the widow and the children. He’s a balm in Gilead to heal the sin sick soul. Jesus is the kindest force in heaven and on earth.
3. One with a face like a man, which is to say that Jesus, is the wisest force in heaven and on earth. You can call on him and he will answer. Not with what you want, but he’ll answer with what you need. Jesus is the wisest force in heaven and on earth.
4. One with a face like an eagle, which is to say the Jesus, is the swiftest force in heaven and on earth. He so swift that you can pray to him in time, the one who is above time, will step into time and he will answer right on time. He’s an on time God, yes he is. Jesus is the swiftest force in heaven and on earth.
But what is most important is when the four and twenty elders who are sitting with their white robes on which means that they were washed by the blood of the lamb.
And they realize that they have on golden crowns, which means that their works speak for them.
After they look at the beasts give glory, honor and thanks.
The beast represents the outcasts. The despised. Those who look funny. Those who don’t sing like us, don’t praise like us. Those who don’t come to church for form our fashion. They are the ones, who stand on the corner, but one day something thugs at the strings of their heart and tell them that momma may have, and poppa may have, but God bless the child that has his own.
And the elders, that the people in the church. Who have always been in the church, but the church has never really got into them. They are the ones who think they have earned their position. They are the ones who sometimes think they are doing God a favor. They are the ones who look down on others who are not of the faith.
When they realize that they are sitting in the presence of the Lord. They unfold their arms, uncross their legs because they know it was nothing but the blood of Jesus that saved them because these are they who have come out of great tribulation and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
When they realize that he was wounded for their transgressions. He was bruised for their iniquities. The chastisement of his peace was upon them and by his strips they were healed.
Jesus was the propitiation for their sins. Propitiation means that Jesus death and resurrection hides your sins and throws them into the sin of forgetfulness.
To hide means to cover, to contain and to conceal.
It was the blood. It was the blood. Nothing but the blood that saved me. When the elders realize that they throw off their crowns and fall on their knees and join in the praise:
Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty heaven and earth are full of your glory.
I’m here to tell you don’t stop praising God. God is a good God. God is a mighty God. God is the Lilly of the valley. God is the bright and morning star. Don’t stop praising God. Because praising God is not an action, it’s a state of being. It’s a mind set. It’s a heart condition. It means that His praises will continuously be in your mouth, in your heart, and in your hand.
Don’t stop praising God. Praise can add years to your life. Come here King Hezekiah. Hezekiah was a faithful king.
He trusted in the Lord and followed the commandments. One day Hezekiah was sick unto death. The prophet came to him and said, Set thine house in order; for thou shall die, and not live. Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and reminded the Lord that he walked in truth and with a perfect heart. He wanted to say that he couldn’t praise him from the grave. The Lord told Hezekiah. I heard your prayer, I have seen your praise. I’ll add fifteen more years to your life. I here to tell you Praise can add years to your life.
My father this time last year was very sick. He was disoriented. It was unable to relieve himself. We took him to the hospital. He didn’t want to go. But we could see that something was terrible wrong. I begged him to go. My sister begged him to go. Finally my daughter, his granddaughter who he truly loved, talked to him and got him to go. They wheel him into the emergency room. We heard the bad news. Dad is seriously sick. His kidneys are failing. His heart is weak. My father was 85 years old and had not been to the doctor in the last 55 years. My father was sick. His prostrate was enlarged and they feared that it was cancerous. His blood pressure was low. Every doctor that came in to see him told us that he was seriously sick. We were depressed, but not discouraged. We knew a doctor. He had served faithfully in his church and my father loved the Lord. I can’t remember a day in my life when he wasn’t in church on a Sunday. My father as he was hooked up to the machine, said for us not to worry. He had seen his son grow up to become the Pastor of the oldest church in Baltimore City. A church with over 75 employees, a budget of over $5 million dollars, people of prominence attending his church and seeking his son’s counsel, a strong fellowship of families where within the congregation over 65% have college degrees or better. He saw his daughter become a successful business woman with a Master’s degree in Education. He saw his grandson graduate from college with a dual degree and Electrical and Computer Engineering and than continue in school and double major in graduate school in a program to earn his MBA/JD. He watched is granddaughter, the one he loves, graduate from Morgan State University with a bachelor’s degree and continue to earn her Master’s degree. He reminded us that God has been good to him and that he had promised God that I would serve him until I die. Today with just a little medicine, he is living on his own, riding the bus wherever his wishes to go, on Sunday he visits his own church at 8:00 a.m. in the morning and comes to my church at 11:00 a.m.
God restored him because he loved God and God loved him. I here to tell you that praise can extend your life. Don’t stop praising God.
Don’t stop praising God. Praise with the organ. Praise Him with song. Praise Him with your hands. Praise Him with your feet. Praise Him with your voice.
Blessed Assurance Jesus is mine on what a Foretaste of Glory Divine.
Heir of salvation.
Purchased of God.
Borne of His spirit washed in His blood.
This is my story.
This is my song.
Praising my Savior.
All the day long.
