Series: Victorious!
“Worship God Selflessly”
Revelation 4 and 5
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Welcome to everyone here today. I’m glad that you’ve joined us today. We’re in a message series through the book of Revelation titled Victorious! We’re approaching this book of the Bible not like an art critic who counts brush strokes in a painting. We’re stepping back and looking at the big picture.
In the very first message in this series, we said that we’re going to use three important tools of interpretation. These tools are important to understanding any book in the Bible but they’re especially important in understanding the message of Revelation.
The first tool is the setting of the book. Last week, we talked about the AIM – the authors intended meaning. We can’t understand what the book means today if we don’t understand what it meant to its original audience.
The second tool is the style of writing. The book of Revelation is what is called apocalyptic writing. That means it’s intended to reveal something.
If you were to go see a play in a theater, you would only see what happens from your seat in the theater – an intentionally limited view. If you went backstage, you would see a flurry of activity: The propmaster making sure the props are set for the scene. The stage manager directing the stage hands in scenery changes and assuring that the actors that are supposed to go onto the stage are ready to do just that. You would see actors bustling about to make costume changes and standing behind the curtain waiting to make their entrances. But out in the audience, you only see what lies in the vision field from the seats in the theater. Revelation reveals what is behind the curtain – what is backstage in the spiritual realm that we don’t readily see.
The first tool: the setting. The second tool: the style. The third tool is the symbols used in the book. There are two types of symbols in Revelation. The first type deals with numbers. The numbers used are important in understanding the message.
Take the number seven. It plays a prominent role so far. In Chapt 1, there are seven lampstands, seven stars, and seven spirits of God. In Chapts. 2 and 3, we see those same sets of seven things but add seven churches to the list. In our message today, you will see the number seven repeated over and over. Some people today see the number seven as being lucky but to the first century believers for whom the book of Revelation was originally written, the number seven represented completion and perfection.
The second type of symbol has to do with images. The book of Revelation is like a picture book. More than any other book in the Bible, it utilizes images to communicate its message. Lampstands, stars, precious jewels, and creatures figure prominently in the first five chapters.
My goal in this series is to encourage you in difficult times that no matter what is happening all around you, no matter what everyone else is doing, you still have victory in Jesus Christ. As we learned in Chapt. 1, he is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. He is the one who died and is alive again. He is the ruler of the kings of the earth.
We are in the fourth message of this series. Take your Bibles and turn to the 4th chapter of the book of Revelation. We’re going to look at chapters 4 and 5.
By a show of hands, how many of you here this morning like to spend time with selfish people? Don’t raise your hands on this one but how many of you would describe yourself as being selfish?
Here are some indicators that you might be a selfish person:
1. You have a lifetime subscription to “Self” magazine .
2. You rush to be the first in line at a funeral procession.
3. Your favorite picture at home is the mirror.
4. You’re on a date and say, “Enough talk about me. Let’s talk about what you think of
me.”
5. You pick up the last piece of chicken, take a bite out of it, hold it up and say, “Does
anybody want this?”
While you probably don’t quite fit the indicators I just mentioned, there may be one area where you are unaware of selfishness. It has to do with the Sunday morning worship service.
Many of us come to church for what we can get out of it. If we don’t get what we want, we tend to be dissatisfied and critical. If we don’t have a warm fuzzy feeling when we leave, then something was wrong with the church service. The preacher’s message was too long. I’ve got more important things to do than hang around here. The song leader didn’t pick out songs I like to sing. The announcements didn’t cover anything I was interested in.
The biblical idea of corporate worship is not so much focused on what you get out of the experience. It deals more with what you give. Did you offer God the very essence of yourself?
When we focus inward, we cannot by definition, worship. Worship is always upward, not inward. It always has as its object and subject the person of God. Today, we’re going to focus on worshipping God selflessly.
The Throne Room
Rev. 4:1-11 – 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.”
John, the apostle and writer is in exile on the rocky little island of Patmos because he is a leader in and a preacher to Christianity. The Roman emperor Domitian is adamant that his subjects worship him as a god. Elaborate temples have been built across the empire. Every subject under his domain is required to enter one of these temples, offer a small amount of incense on the altar to Caesar, and declare that Caesar is Lord. Easy for some but not if you recognize Jesus as Lord.
John’s concern during his exile is that he would still faithfully serve Jesus and for all the others Christians being persecuted. It’s at this point during his exile on Patmos tht John is invited to peek behind the curtain. Standing on the earthly side, he’s invited to see the heavenly side.
John walks through the door that’s been opened and finds himself in a magnificent throne room – God’s throne room. It’s so obvious who is on the throne that John doesn’t give a mention a name. Instead, he gives a description.
John describes what he sees as being the essence of jasper and rubies. We don’t use jasper very often anymore in jewelry but this stone had significance in the ancient world. It was important to royalty. A king’s ring was used as a seal on wax on official letters and documents. This ring was made of gold and jasper. It was a symbol of his power. Jasper here in Revelation 4 demonstrates that God is all powerful.
Today, we consider the diamond to be the most precious of the gem stones. To the ancient world, it was the ruby. It represented knowledge and wisdom. It’s presence at the heavenly throne demonstrates that God is all knowing.
Surrounding the throne is an emerald colored rainbow. When you hear about a rainbow, what Old Testament figure comes immediately to your mind? Yeah, Noah. God gave the rainbow following the great flood as a sign to the end of time that he would never destroy the earth by water again. It’s presence at the heavenly throne room demonstrates that God is always faithful.
The throne of God is set in the center of this throne room. Encircled around him are lesser thrones occupied by 24 elders. People have been speculating about the identity of these 24 elders for almost 20 centuries. Everyone recognizes that the number 24 is significant, but they disagree as to what it means.
Most people, though – myself included, believe that these 24 elders stand in as representatives for the complete people of God. Take 12 for the tribes of Israel in the Old Testament, then take another 12 for the apostles in the New Testament, add them together and these 24 elders represent all of God’s faithful people.
The imagery of these representatives of all God’s faithful people sitting on thrones demonstrates that God is restoring his original intention for creation back in Genesis 1 where he shares his dominion over creation with his people.
These elders are clothed in white robes. In the book of Revelation white symbolizes purity and moral perfection. How did they get white robes? We‘re told in Rev. 7:15 – They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb. This is what is prophesied in Is. 1:18 – “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”
The third description is the crown of gold on their heads. Crowns like this were worn by four types of people in the 1st century. First, released slaves...and it symbolized their new found freedom. Second, athletes…and it indicated their victory in the Olympic-style games. Third, soldiers…and it represented their triumph in battle. Fourth, the Emperor….and it stood for his great wealth and prestige. It was a sign of freedom, victory, and honor.
This is the crown that God promises to give his people if they are faithful and overcome.
John also mentions the presence of four strange-looking creatures. They have three sets of wings – six in all. Having six wings, they never get tired.
They are covered with eyes in front and in back – even under their wings. At first that seems kind of confusing, but when I was growing up, my friends and I always said that our moms had eyes in the back of their head. My mom could be in the kitchen and I could be in the backyard, getting into trouble, and she would know about it before it happened! To have “eyes all around” means that they see everything, that nothing is hidden from their sight.
The first creature has the appearance of a lion, the second like an ox, the third like a man, and the fourth like an eagle. The lion is the most powerful of all the wild animals. The ox is the most powerful of all the domesticated animals. The eagle is the most powerful of all the flying animals. They represent the entire spectrum of creation.
What do these four creatures do all day and all night? They worship their Creator. That is what all of creation was designed to do.
And what do the 24 elders do? They lay their crowns before the throne of God and worship along with the four creatures.
If any book of the Bible speaks to living out our faith in contemporary America, it’s the book of Revelation. Domitian claimed to be all-powerful and all-knowing. Every knee had to bow and every tongue had to confess that Domitian was lord and God. Because of their refusal to bow down to Caesar, Rome called Christians “atheists.” Because of that, Christians were ostracized and persecuted.
Through this vision, John is reminding the church even though Caesar sits on A throne, he does not sit on THE throne. We as Christians in the United States need to remember one crucial thing: Even though we are governed by a President, a Congress, and a Supreme Court, no matter how things appear on earth, what is true in Heaven is the ultimate reality.
The Lamb on the Throne
Rev. 5:1-14 – 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.
The imagery here in Chapt. 5 is breathtaking. A scroll appears in the hand of the one on the throne. This is a unique scroll because it has writing on both sides. Typically, documents in the ancient world were only written on one side of the parchment, Why does God’s scroll have writing on both sides? Because he has something to say and it must be significant!
This scroll is sealed with seven seals. In the Roman world, this was the way a person sealed their will. A will is a dying man’s wishes, it is his plan, it is his way of sharing what he owns with others.
John is extremely upset because there is no one worthy enough to open the scroll. God’s plans seem to be at a standstill. So John weeps and continues weeping until the angel says, “Do not weep, behold, (open your eyes and wipe the tears away) the Lion of the tribe of Judah (that’s the messianic prophesy in Genesis 49), the Root of David (that’s the messianic prophesy in Isaiah 11, he has triumphed. The Lion of Judah, the Root of David, is the Lamb of God.
John the Baptist described Jesus in Jn. 1:29 as “The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” The reference to the appearance of the Lamb as having been slain would have brought to the minds of the original audience the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins. They would have associated the word “slain” in the original language as the term used to refer to sacrificial animals. As Jesus declared about himself in Revelation Chapt, 1, he is the one who has died and is now alive forevermore.
This Lamb has seven horns which symbolize his complete and perfect power. He has seven eyes that symbolize his complete and perfect knowledge. When the Lamb opens the scroll, a whole new wave of worship is unleashed.
What we see in Chapt. 5 is that the focus of worship in heaven is on Jesus. The book of Revelation is all about Jesus. It starts with Jesus, focuses on Jesus, and ends with Jesus.
This is the building of a crescendo and the choirs of heaven have all stood to their feet. The song began with the four creatures and then the 24 elders begin to sing. Before long, all the angels of heavens join the chorus – thousands upon thousands and ten thousands upon ten thousands.
The Essence of Worship
What is it that we learn about corporate worship here in Revelation Chapts. 4 and 5? First,
we worship what we find to be worthy. Our word “worship” is a contraction from the Old English word “worthship.” Jesus said in Matt. 6:21 – “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” So I have to ask myself this question: Do I worship the he who created all things or do I worship all things he has created? The elders say, “You alone are worthy.”
Second, you don’t improve worship very much by talking about worship. If you want to have better worship, you talk about God and the Lamb that was slain. Because when you see this God and you see this Lamb described in the book of Revelation, I dare you not to worship.
Third, what happens in worship is real and what happens in the world is phony. People think you come to church for an hour and then go home to the real world. Revelation shows us that what happens on the earthly plane is not all there is. There is a spiritual plane behind the curtain. If you’re going to depend on anything, depend on God and the Lamb that was slain. If you don’t believe that then you’re not going to be able to do the hard things out there
Number four, worship is when we empty ourselves of ourselves. We refill ourselves not with our identity but with his. We get off of our throne and allow him to have his rightful place on his throne. How can we give ourselves to another when we are so full of ourselves? Worship is not about who I am or what I’ve done. It’s about who he is, what he has done, what he is doing right now, and what he will do in the future.
Number five, worship is all about celebrating that God is on our side. Do you see what these worship texts here in Revelation Chapts. 4 and 5 are saying? Almighty God, who created the heavens and the earth, who destroyed the world by flood, who was so sensitive about his ark of the covenant that he knocked Uzzah dead for touching it, who destroyed the host of Egypt in the Red Sea, who didn’t spare his own people but sent them into exile for their sin, this God is on our side. This fearsome warrior God is on our side.
I repeat what I said earlier. The book of Revelation is all about Jesus. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not that God so loved the world that he sent WW III. The gospel is that God so loved the world that he sent his son as the crucified lamb. The whole point of the book of Revelation is that the crucified Lamb will overcome all of his opponents and God intends not to win the world with the power of Rome but with relentless self-giving love. God wins this war and he’s never going to fire a shot. That’s the way God chose to do it. He does it with the Lamb.
Revelation is a deeply political text. This book is about politics. It’s all about who is Lord. Is it Caesar or is it the Christ? How are you going to live in a world that Caesar seems to dominate?
I recognize that Lamb power is really hard to believe in when Caesar is doing his thing.
There are probably some days when you get up and watch the news and you’re in despair. But that’s why we come together and we worship. Because when all of that stuff has passed away this God is on our side. And so we come together to tell each other: Yes, it’s all still true. That’s why the writer of Hebrews says in Heb. 10:24-25 – And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Close
King Canute was once ruler of England. His advisors and members of his court continually flattered by telling him that he was the greatest man who ever lived, that he was the most powerful king of all, and that there was nothing in this world that would dare disobey him.
Canute grew tired of such foolish talk. One day as he was walking by the seashore, he decided to teach them a lesson. He sent for his advisors and the members of his court. He ordered that his throne be placed at the water’s edge.
The King sat down and looked out at the ocean. “I notice the tide is coming in. Do you think it will stop if I give the command?” His entourage cried out, “Give the order, O great king, and it will obey,” cried his entourage
King Canute sat on his throne as the tide began to come in. The water began to lap at his feet. He stayed seated until the water was up to the seat of the throne.
Finally the king turned to his advisors and court and said, “It seems I do not have quite so much power as you would have me believe. Perhaps now you will remember there is only one King who is all-powerful, and it is he who rules the sea, and holds the ocean in the hollow of his hand. I suggest you reserve your praises for him.”
Randy Harris, professor at Abilene Christian University gives a three sentence summary of Revelation: God’s team wins. Pick a team. Don’t be stupid.
(This series is developed from a variety of resources. The primary resource is “Victorious – A Devotional Study of Revelation” by Matt Proctor. Other resources include “Revelation for Everyone’ by N.T. Wright, “Breaking the Code” by Bruce Metzger, “The Book of Revelation – An Introduction and Commentary” by Homer Hailey, “Worthy is the lamb” by Ray Summers, and “Reversed Thunder” by Eugene Peterson.)
