Revelation 4:1-2; 5:1-14
"Forever and Ever"
Have you heard that in Fiji, singing hymns can get you in trouble?
It's true.
About 1 million Methodists live in the south Pacific Island country, and every summer between 20,000 and 50,000 people come together in order to sing hymns.
And that's it.
They sing hymns.
But a couple of years ago the government shut them down.
There is a lot of turmoil in Fiji, and the government was afraid that the big crowd might get out of hand.
According to news reports, "Church officials said the government fears that the conference and singing contest will lead to further political instability."
Have you ever thought that the singing of Methodists could make a government nervous?
They are on to something there, though.
Christians worshiping the Lord really are dangerous--although perhaps not in the way those officials feared.
Worshiping God in Christ upsets world systems.
It is revolutionary, subversive.
It brings another kingdom into view.
Have you ever been in a worship experience where you thought to yourself: this must be just a little taste of what heaven is like?
Have you ever been so focused on the love and majesty of God that you felt, almost as if, you had been transported to the very throne room of God?
At the beginning of chapter 4, John sees a door open in heaven.
And a voice calls to him, inviting him to take a look at what is going on "behind the scenes," so to speak.
John writes, "Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne."
John looks around and sees the throne of God surrounded by 24 elders with golden crowns on their heads...
...which are reminders of the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles of Jesus.
Revelation Chapters 4 and 5 introduce a whole bunch of prophecies that take the reader all the way through the rest of the book.
But at another level, they are an introduction to the first of the sequences of prophecies, the "seven seals" that must be broken open if the "scroll" of God's purposes is going to be unrolled.
And eventually, what must take place--in the scroll--leads to the unveiling of God's plan which is the New Jerusalem--where heaven and earth will be finally joined forever and ever.
So, what we are seeing in Chapters 4 and 5 is not the final resting place of God's Kingdom--it is rather what's happening at this moment in history.
And John is called to the Throne Room of God because, like the Israelite prophets of old, he is privileged to stand in God's counsel chamber in order to then report what he sees back to the people on earth--people like you and me.
And what John sees is astounding to say the least!!!
So, these seven seals must be broken if the scroll of God's future--and our future is going to be unrolled.
But what happens next is an emotional roller coaster.
John writes in verse 2 of Chapter 5, "Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, 'Who is worthy to open the scroll and loose its seals?'
And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.
So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it."
And why is there no one worthy?
It is because there is a deep-rooted problem which has not only affected the whole human race, but all of creation as well.
And that problem is sin, rebellion, imperfection--the results of the Fall.
And so, there is no one who is good enough to open the scroll to God's future.
And John weeps at the reality of the results of sin.
And weep is a very strong word for a very strong emotion.
Have you ever wept because of the results of sin?
Whether we realize it or not, I believe everyone has.
Who in America and in many other places around the world did not weep while watching those planes purposely fly into the buildings of the World Trade Center?
Who did not weep as the shocking news came out about the mass shooting in that elementary school in Connecticut?
Who doesn't weep at the graveside of a loved one, at the deathbed of a mother, father, son or daughter?
Life is filled, filled with tears.
Even Jesus wept.
And so here we see that John is weeping.
John is weeping because of the plight of humankind and of creation.
John is weeping because no one is worthy to open up God's future.
John is weeping a flood of tears because it appears that nothing can be done, things will never change, there is no hope, no bright future; there is no savior...
...but wait...
...already, the plan to wipe away all tears from all eyes has begun!!!
"Don't weep," says one of the elders.
And John writes, "And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain..."
Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God.
He is the Perfect Lamb of God without spot or defect.
He is the Innocent Lamb of God Who was sacrificed as the atonement for the sins of the world!!!
And because of His sacrifice, because of His love, because of what He has done--God's glorious future is open wide--for all who worship and believe!!!
There is hope after-all.
In the end, this life is not just some cruel hoax where we are the punch lines.
The devil doesn't win.
Evil will, indeed, one day come to an end.
There will be a time when there is no more crying, no more pain, no more despair, no more misery...
...and it's all because of the Lamb Who was slain--the Lamb Who was and is and is forever more!!!
And so, is it any wonder that when the Lamb took the scroll out of the right hand of God the Father Who sat on the throne...
...is it any wonder that all of heaven "fell down before the Lamb..."
Is it any wonder that we are told about the "golden bowls of incense, which are the prayers of the saints," at this point?
For the prayers have been answered!!!
They were like incense to the nostrils of Almighty God!!!
Is it any surprise that in heaven there was a new song:
"You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; for You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation..."
Is it any wonder that John looked and "heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice:
'Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!'"?
Is it any wonder that John heard "every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea...saying:
'Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!'"?
God came to earth in human form and was willingly sacrificed so that we may have a glorious future...
...so that those who believe might have hope...
...so that things like the Holocaust, famines, wars, rumors of wars, earth quakes, mass murders, shootings at elementary schools, human trafficking, disease, hatred and everything else that stinks of sin and evil will not have the FINAL WORD!!!!!
There will be a new heaven and a new earth.
And as we are told in Revelation Chapter 21: "there will be no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple."
Nor will there be any need of a sun or a moon for "The Lamb is its light.
And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light..."
... "And there shall be no more curse...
...and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads...And they shall reign forever and ever."
I have a habit, a strange one I know, but when I am especially rejoicing and think no one else can see me, I get down on all fours and pray this hymn/this prayer: "Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!
Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne And to the Lamb, forever and ever!"
It is a powerful prayer to memorize; it is a powerful prayer of devotion and love, and it comes straight from the mouths of those worshiping God in Heaven!!!
That's right; I said "worshiping"!!!
Worship fills the Book of Revelation.
Revelation has been referred to as the book of worship in the Bible.
Some passages get a lot of attention because they speak of the battle between good and evil.
But the dominant theme that ties together all the parts of Revelation is worship!!!
Have you ever thought of Revelation in this way?
The main reason for this is that heaven is about worship.
And if we are washed by the blood of the Lamb--worship is the future to which we are headed!!!
And it's not going to be some dull thing written down on a bulletin or something--it will be spontaneous, it will be natural, it will be the only thing we want to do!!!
For then we shall see face to face.
Then we will know fully even as we are now fully known!!!
And we will be able to comprehend, "with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height...of...the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge"...and so be "filled with all the fullness of God."
In scenes like the one in Revelation Chapters 4 and 5 we are given a new vision of worship, we come to value worship more, understand more its meaning and come to know more and more why it is so very important that we do it now, here on earth, in the assembly of believers and at all times in our lives!!!
Because when we worship we are living in God's now and God's future.
We are part of what is taking place in the very throne room of God!!!
Is that big or what?
Makes coming to church a bit less mundane, does it not?
Puts things into perspective a bit.
And notice that the praise and worship which takes place in heaven is a direct and reflexive response to the saving action of God, through the Perfect Lamb Who was slain, and thus sets us free from sin, death and hell!!!
This is why we thank God:
"Look at what God has done for us.
Look how much God loves us.
And we love God because God has shown God's love for us in this: 'While we were still sinners, Christ died for us'"!!!!
Heaven is praising, falling down prostrate in front of the Lamb!!!
Heaven is being in love with God, adoring God, basking in God's love and grace, and beauty!!!
It is being in the bosom of the One Who created us and died for us, and living forever with God.
So, as we worship God.
As we allow the adrenaline to flow through us as the Only One Who is Worthy to open up the future takes ahold of the scroll...
...as we celebrate the fact that the future is in God's hands, and that we are in God's hands--God's Kingdom comes into view.
And our weeping turns to rejoicing, our tears become tears of joy and we celebrate!!!
"Worthy is the Lamb!!!"
"Then the four living creatures said, 'Amen!'
And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever."
