Note: I used many sources to study this book, one of my favorites is Revelation: God’s Word for the Biblically-Inept by Daymond Duck and some out of different study bibles.
Title: Worship of the Creator
Text: Rev 4
Why is there a break? and why we believe the rapture happened.
1. The church is no longer seen in the world. The word church is not mentioned again until chapter 21 in reference to concluding testimony of the world's day as ended
2. The scene shifts to heaven as we see in chapter 4
3. The church is not a name but a people who trust Christ.
4. The judgments happen in chapter 6 and Christ said that those who are of the
church would be able to avoid it.
5. Mainly because of the natural division.
Revelation 1:19 Write the things which thou hast seen(ch. 1), and the things which are(ch. 2-3), and the things which shall be hereafter;(ch. 4-22)
First vision chapter 4-5
ch. 4 Worship of God as creator
ch.5 Worship of Christ as redeemer
Revelation 4:1. After this I looked, and, behold, a door [was] opened in heaven:
This actually means that a door was already open. It was not opening before John.
Four doors in the book of Revelation
1. (3:8) Door of opportunity.
2. (3:20) Door to our heart
3. (4:1) Door to God through Christ.
John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
4. (19:11) Door that Christ will come at His second coming.
and the first voice which I heard [was] as it were of a trumpet talking with me;
John heard the voice of Jesus calling.
1Thessalonians 4:16 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.
which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
1John 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship [is] with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
John knew because he saw. To be an apostle one of the qualifications was that one must have seen Christ.
2 And immediately (at once) I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and [one] sat on the throne.
immediately-in the twinkling of an eye 1/60th of a second. What happened? He was in the Spirit. This is a good place to be. When you are in the spirit you are open to the leading of Christ. You are open to his visions. You are open to his work.
In the spirit in John’s sense means that he was not in his body but his soul was taken to heaven. Why could his body not go? It was not yet glorified
What do you think the throne represents? the universal sovereignty and rulership of God. God is in control. The headquarters of this universe is not in Washington, DC, or any other capital but in heaven at the throne. We will see that this throne has changed. At one time it was a throne of grace. God pulling back his full judgment. But we will see soon that it is a throne of judgment. God's justice to be done.
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.
Description of Jesus as our high priest jasper-stone of Benjamin-treasured son(white flashing light-purity) sardine(carelian)-stone of Reuben-first born (red flashing light-blood)
these were the first and the last stones on the breast plate of the high priest.
Jesus who sits on the throne is our high priest.
rainbow-around the throne
What was the purpose of the rainbow? What about here? maybe a reminder of the fact that God would not destroy the earth, the grace of God
Emerald-green is the symbol of life eternal
Can you describe God? this would be a good start. 4 And round about the throne [were] four and twenty seats (thrones): and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting,
Who are these four and twenty elders? we know that elders are leaders. It was the same term used for the early church leaders. So we know that the early church is represented. What about the number? Some have suggested 12 from OT and 12 from the NT. 12 tribes and 12 apostles. Or 12 patriarches and 12 apostles.
Israel at one time was represented by 24 priests, maybe these will represent the overcomers
clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
white raiment-righteousness of Christ
crowns-rulership, given as rewards
notice again that this is before the tribulation period. Someone has received their crowns and robes of righteousness, could this represent the church?
5 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.
lightening and thunderings maybe means judgment or a symbol of the coming judgement of the tribulation period. God’s grace has been laid aside and the Holy Spirit will step back and allow the world to be the World. voices-God's voice Seven lamps, Seven spirits of God fire is judgment
seven virtues of the Holy Spirit
Isaiah 11:2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, 1) the spirit of wisdom and 2) understanding, 3) the spirit of counsel and 4) might, 5) the spirit of knowledge and of the 6) fear of the LORD; 7) And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
John 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
6 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.
Sea of glass-before the throne of God, represents holiness and righteousness, purity, notice that it is calm. All is calm before the throne of God
1) the word, 2) the multitude of the church (as sea)
also similar to the brazen laver in the temple.
The mirrors in Bible times were brass.
four beasts-Greek word zoa, which is actually "living creatures". So it is not as wild beast we think of today. They are as the seraphim and cherubim of Is 6:1-3, Ez 1 & 10 speaks of creatures
eyes before and behind-alert and looking
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.
Interpretations of beasts
a) four gospels b) all creation c) four standards of Israel by which they camped, in the middle was the Schechinah glory in the temple of the living God
1) like a lion a) gospel of Matthew (2:2,21:5,27:11), Jesus is represented as king, he came from the nation of Judah and was to reign b) wild animals c) east Judah
2) like a calf (ox) servant a) gospel of Mark (10:45), Jesus represented as servant b) domesticated animals c) west Ephraim
3) face as a man- a)gospel of Luke (5:24,6:5,7:34), Jesus represented as a man b) man c) south Reuben
4) like a flying eagle a) gospel of John (1:3), Jesus represented as deity b) birds c) north Dan
8. 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.(Christ as Alpha and Omega)
six wings
Isaiah 6:1. 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.
Praise for his 1) holiness 2) omnipotence (Lord Almighty) 3) Everlasting
Day and night: Ps 121:4
9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, 10 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,
here we see a combination of things. First the creates would give the praise unto Jesus. They would cry out glory, and honour and thanks to him. He is worth of our praise. He is eternal. Then the four and twenty elders, as we have said are leaders, would show their true leadership and fall down and worship him. Not standing but in humility. They would show their true trust and worship. Then they would give all they have and have earned to the Lord. Here is the job for all creation is to worship God. If people don't like to worship or even take time to worship because it is boring wait till they get to heaven
saying, 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.
thy pleasure-thy will.
Why is he worthy, he created all and it has a purpose only because of Him.
