In case you haven’t noticed, we’ve slightly changed the order of service this morning; and it’s not by accident. This morning, we’re going to do things a little different from the way we usually do, and so I ask you to bear with me.
It is good to be in the house of God this Sabbath day. I stand before you this morning, and I look out at this congregation, and I am blessed by this assembly of God’s people who have come to worship here today. At the same time, however, I look at this congregation, and I am sad for many of you. I’m sad for many of you here this morning, because you haven’t been to our Wednesday evening prayer meeting and Bible study. You see, each Wednesday night since about mid-November we have been meeting to pray and to study the book of Revelation. And I must say that I’m sorry for those of you who haven’t been with us, because let me tell you, you have missed out!
God has given those of us who get together such a tremendous blessing in the study of His Word that I really do – I feel sad for those who aren’t there. You don’t know what you’ve been missing. I mean, I thought I knew the book of Revelation; but I have gained so much from our Wednesday night gatherings that what I thought I knew pales in comparison to what I have learned. Never has my relationship with God been so challenged, and at the same time so uplifted, so increased, so inspired, as it has each Wednesday night. I have seen God come alive for me in ways I never have before – I’ve seen a picture of Him that is so beautiful my mind can hardly grasp it. (Would those of you attending agree with me?) In fact, now that we’re coming to the end of the study, one of the ladies was saying that once we’re done, we should go back and start all over again – that’s how great a blessing it’s been.
Yes friends, I can say that it has been thus far a tremendous – at times an overwhelming blessing to study the book of Revelation. In fact, God promised just such a blessing for the study of this particular book of the Bible. I’d invite you to turn with me, please, to the very first few verses of Revelation. Revelation, chapter one, starting at verse one (read vv. 1-3)….
The first thing we notice about this book is that it is called a “revelation”. Why is it called a revelation? It is called a revelation, because, more than in any other place in the Bible, in this book God has something special He wants to reveal to us.
And what is it He wants to reveal to us? Revelation 1, verse 1 tells us that this is a revelation of Whom? – of Jesus Christ! In other words, in giving us the book of Revelation, God wanted to reveal Jesus Christ to His followers in a way that no other book of the Bible can. The word “Revelation” comes from the Greek word apokalupsis, which literally means to bring out of hiding, out of obscurity. What this means then, is that what the rest of the Bible only hints at about Jesus, the book of Revelation makes completely clear; what the other books of the Bible shroud in mystery surrounding Jesus Christ, the book of Revelation makes unmistakeably visible. What it means, friends, is that if you want to get to know Jesus in a way you never have before, you’ve got to get into this particular book of the Bible.
But it also means something else. Notice where this revelation comes from: we are told that this revelation of Jesus Christ was given by Whom? – by God. You know, I have read a lot of commentaries on the book of Revelation, which state that it is impossible to correctly interpret and understand what Revelation is all about. Many scholars who have interpreted the Bible come to Revelation and throw up their hands, declaring that it can’t be deciphered. And you know what – they’re absolutely right. Despite the fact that this book is declared to be a crystal-clear picture of Jesus Christ, there are things in this book that none of us will ever understand, unless God Himself personally intervenes and makes us understand.
Friends, there is such a powerful message in this book, there are such tremendous blessings to be gained from this book, that God didn’t want us to take it lightly. And so He has made it clear, that if we are to gain the blessing this message offers, we have got to go to Him first. Yes, we can interpret certain prophetic timelines on our own, and we can explain certain symbols without much help; but if we want to see Jesus as He’s never been seen before – that’s something that can only happen as we let God lead.
Do you want to see Jesus like you’ve never seen Him before? Do you want to experience Jesus in a way that you have never before experienced Him? Shall we pray for God’s leading, then, as we begin to study some of the great themes of this book….
Thus far, we have taken time to study each of the seven churches of Revelation, which are found in chapters 2 and 3. And so it would make sense, then, to take a few minutes this morning, and read what comes next.
Now, today is a day where we’re doing things a little differently, and so instead of reading along with me, I invite you to close your eyes as I read, and in your minds, picture the images being described by the prophet; let yourself be surrounded by the scenes as they unfold.
(Read Revelation chapters 4 & 5)
Now, open your eyes and come back to earth.
There was a reason that I read that passage in your hearing, instead of having you read along with me. You see, when it comes to the book of Revelation, it seems we have a funny habit of reading a few verses, only to get hung up on a word or a phrase. Then we start decoding the symbolism and cross-referencing the prophetic meanings, and so on and so on. I know from my Wednesday night study notes that we took two or three meetings to go through and interpret the two chapters just read. But I believe that we miss out on something significant, particularly with these two chapters, if we are too quick to pick them apart. You see, if we are too quick to break the passage down to decode it, what we end up doing is fractioning the overall picture God desires to show us. We miss seeing the forest for the trees, as it were. As a result, we can have a handful of correct prophetic interpretations, but we will have missed the message of the vision entirely.
So let’s take some time, then, to catch just what the point of the vision really is. Turn to Revelation chapter 4, and this time follow along with me in your Bibles starting at verse 1….
Now, here we read that John is called to receive a vision about what? – about the things that must shortly come to pass. In other words, he’s being summoned by God to receive a prophecy about the future. But what happens after that? In verse 2, we are told, he is immediately taken to the throne room of heaven. Then for the rest of chapter 4, and the whole of chapter 5, we are given a vividly detailed account of what happened in the throne room. That’s what you just envisioned in your mind a few moments ago. And it is only after this scene that John is actually given the prophecy about the future, beginning in chapter 6 and carrying on through the rest of the book.
Looking at this sequence of events from a strictly prophetic standpoint, you could cut out pretty much everything between Revelation 4:2 and Revelation 5:14, and it wouldn’t really affect the rest of Revelation would it? No; the prophecy itself would remain virtually intact. To look at it, then, it seems as though this scene of the heavenly throne room is kind of a distraction from the main prophecy.
So if it really doesn’t have anything to do with the rest of the prophecy directly, the question becomes, Why include it? Or even more specifically, Why start with it? What exactly is God trying to say to us through this vision?
To answer that question, let’s ask another one: What do the rest of Revelation’s prophecies deal with? Well, on one level, they deal with the Great Controversy between Christ and Satan; but even more than that, the prophecies of Revelation have to do with Satan’s attacks against God’s people – against the Church of God. From the opening of the first seal to the final attack against New Jerusalem, the book of Revelation portrays the forces of evil in their assault against God and His church. It is God’s people who are driven out into the wilderness; it is God’s people who are persecuted and threatened with death. It is the blood of God’s people that is shed; it is God’s church that comes under volley after volley of fire from the enemies of God. It is the church of God militant that is engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the forces of darkness. It is only at the end that we see the church of God triumphant; until that time, the people of God are attacked on every side, beaten, and slaughtered.
Not a pretty picture, is it? Kind of makes you want to give up, doesn’t it. It seems so hopeless; and even though victory is assured in the end, it seems so far away, so unattainable, that many might give up before then.
In light of what the rest of the prophecy of Revelation is about, it becomes abundantly clear why the very first thing God wants His followers to see is His throne in heaven. You see, in giving us this vision of His throne in heaven, God is setting the tone for what the attitude of His people should be as they go through the trials and tribulations described throughout the rest of the prophecy.
Still not sure what I’m getting at? Let me put it to you this way: what is the main action happening around the throne? Worship: the adoration, praise, and glorifying of God. This theme is set here, and is carried throughout the rest of the book. In fact, at several key points later on in the book of Revelation, John hears the sky burst with the praises of the heavenly host as they pour out over the earth.
The worship of God plays a very important role in heaven – a role God wanted His followers to be aware of as they went to face what was coming. In giving us this scene of worship, friends, God has given us what we need if the church militant is to become the church triumphant. What we need, church, is an attitude of worship in all that we face, in all that we do, in all that we go through.
In heaven, night and day, the four living creatures have one role: to sing the praises of God. The twenty-four elders who dwell in the presence of God bow down, casting their crowns in worship of the Creator of all things, singing praises to the Lamb who has redeemed them from throughout the earth. Angels – ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands – fill the courts of heaven with praise to the Lamb who is worthy. All of creation cries out in adoration “to Him who sits on the throne, and unto the Lamb.”
For a brief moment, just before the trials and tribulations are revealed with the breaking of the first seal, the entire universe has as its sole focal point, the Lamb of God and the Lord God Almighty. And friends, God put this scene here in the book of Revelation to teach us where our focus ought to be in life. Our focus, in all circumstances, needs to be concentrated on the Great God of the Universe, for it is only as our focus is centred on Him in praise and worship that we can be certain of our triumph. As we worship, we lose sight of the persecutions, we lose sight of the trials and tribulations. As we live in an attitude of worship, our focus shifts from our hopelessness and our despair to Almighty God, who has all the majesty and power to lift us up and see us through to victory.
You know, I once heard someone say that if you woke up this morning and you stubbed your toe, you should praise God because you can still walk and aren’t stuck in a wheelchair; and if you’re stuck in a wheelchair, you can praise God because you aren’t bedridden; and if you’re bedridden, you can praise God because you’re in a bed and not in a coffin; and even if you’re in a coffin, God should still be praised, because Jesus has the power to call you back to life again. Oh, friends, in everything life throws at us, God wants us to keep Him at the centre, to remember that He is the One – the only One – who can and will see us through. The words of Jesus speak to us from John 16, verse 33: “In this world, you will have trouble… but take heart, for I have overcome the world.” In praising Jesus, we take heart in the sure and certain victory that is ours through Him.
Do you want to see a clearer picture of Jesus today church? The only way is to look constantly on Him. The more you look on Him, the more you worship and adore Him, the more you sing His praises, the closer you’ll be drawn to Him, and the clearer you’ll see Him.
And so, we’re going to do things a little differently today. Normally we have our praise and worship in song before the sermon. But lately, I’ve heard a lot of talk about how we have too much singing in church – song service is too long. And so I wanted to put this message before any singing, to remind us of the importance placed by God on worship and praise. Friends, right now in heaven, all they’re doing is singing praises to God and to the Lamb. And in Revelation chapter 15, we are told that at the end of time, when it’s all said and done, the church of God triumphant will stand before Him and sing songs of praise and adoration. So church, if heaven is all about singing praises to Jesus, and when we get there, we’re going to be singing praise to Jesus throughout eternity, then I for one think we can’t get enough of it here and now.
And so, would you stand with me please, as we lift our voices in praise to God and to the Lamb. For He alone is worthy.
(Song service, appeal & benediction)
