Reversed Thunder, Revelation Chapters 8 and 9

Too many Christians feel they are failures because they fall short of the ideal of faith.

They lose a job and feel anxious; they go through health trouble and are afraid.  They are betrayed and they feel angry; a relationship fails and they feel depressed.

Christians often think that faith should keep them from all anxiety, fear, anger and depression.

Isn’t that what the Bible teaches?  We aren’t to worry about tomorrow. Matthew 6:25

We know that love destroys fear. I John 4:18

Faithful people are never depresses (except for Elijah in I Kings 19) right?

Of course, faith is not a stoicism that accepts whatever comes without complaint or concern.  No, sometimes faith is tying a knot in the rope at the end of hope and just hanging on!

Faith is never easy and it is usually not neat; in fact, faith can get very messy! Just ask the Christians who lived under the Domitian holocaust at the end of the 1^st century.

They believed in a God who reigns and in a Christ who died on a cross to save them.  That was their story, and they were sticking to it… and it was killing them.

They struggled for their faith in the midst of a messy world.  Hear the Martyrs in Revelation 6:10 “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

These early Christians were holding onto faith by their fingernails while they waited for their God to act.

Today we are in Revelation 8 and 9.  The seventh seal is opened which means the blowing of the 7 trumpets.

How we are going to work this is to look at the trumpets of chapter 8 and 9 first, and then move back into chapter 8 to understand what God wanted them to know, and for us to know from these symbols.

1.  The Seven Trumpets: What John Saw

The imagery of trumpets makes us think of other trumpets in the Bible.  Remember Jericho in Joshua 6?  There were seven priests who blew seven trumpets, and the pagan city fell before the people of God.

Trumpets are found other places in the Bible.

The trumpets called Israel to war and to remind them of God’s deliverance.  Numbers 10:9

The trumpets were blown to begin the Year of Jubilee and to announce freedom to captives.  Leviticus 25:8.

The “Trumpet call of God” will announce the second coming of Christ. I Thess. 4:16

The trumpets of wrath from heaven here in Revelation pronounce woes upon the earth.

First: hail mixed with fire and blood that burns a third of the earth.

Second: a burning mountain that turns a third of the sea to blood.

Third: a star falls into fresh water and turns a third of the water bitter and deadly.

Fourth: the sun, moon and stars are struck and a third of the earth is darkened.

Fifth: a star falls and opens the Abyss to release a darkening smoke.

Sixth: the sound releases 4 angels that had been restrained at the Euphrates river.  They gather up others and kill a third of all mankind.

Seventh: we won’t hear it until chapter 11, but when it blows it is too late to repent.

What does all of this mean?

First, this is symbolic language depicting God’s judgment on the wicked.

Second, only a third of the earth is affected; this suggests that this is all God’s warning, not literal devastation.  The partial destruction here indicates God’s warning and a call to repentance.

Third, God’s call to repentance is ignored—Rome does not repent. Read Revelation 9:20-21. **

Do you know of people who refuse to take warnings seriously?  Rome did not take these warnings seriously and perished.

A little over 30 years ago Mt. Saint Helens belched gray plumes hundreds of feet into the sky.  It was obvious from scientific evidence that the volcano would soon explode. Warnings went out and people began to leave.

Harry though refused to budge.  Harry was the caretaker of the Spirit Lake recreation lodge, just five miles north of Mount Saint Helen.  The rangers warned him, neighbors begged him to leave with them. Harry’s sister called to try to talk some sense into his head.  Harry ignored them all.

On May 18, 1980, as the boiling gases beneath the mountain’s surface bulged and buckled the earth, Harry cooked his eggs and bacon, fed his sixteen cats the scraps, and began to plant petunias around the border of his freshly-mowed lawn.  At 8:31 am, the mountain blew up.

The volcano erupted with a force five hundred times greater than the nuclear bomb that leveled Hiroshima.  Millions of tons of rock disintegrated and disappeared into a cloud reaching ten miles into the sky.  Shock waves flattened everything for 150 square miles.  A wall of mud and ash fifty feet high flowed down the mountain side.

In the corner of Washington where he once lived, balladeers now sing about Harry, the stubborn old man who refused to heed the warnings.

1. The Seven Trumpets: What We Missed

Let’s backup to get the rest of the story.

In Chapters 4 and 5 we witnessed the dramatic throne room scene where the hosts of heaven were worshipping God. This worship reaches a crescendo when the Lamb takes the scroll to open it.

Read 5:8 “And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”

Before the throne of God are bowls of incense that represent Christian prayers. Why is that important?

Look at the rest of the story, or the first of the story in Revelation 8:1-6.  (Read)

The importance of preparation is a keynote of Revelation 8:1-6.  God uses this section to prepare our minds for the blowing of the seven trumpets; in the same way, we need to prepare for every worthwhile task.

A powerful message on prayer is also imbedded in the passage. This text teaches that when Christians pray, not only does heaven listen, not only is heaven pleased, but heaven responds.

God answers our prayers.  Jesus said “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Mt. 7:7).  James wrote “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much”.  (James 5:16.

Revelation 8:1-6 prompted these comments on prayer by a variety of writers:

(Prayer is the Christian’s) one form of direct participation in the rule of God. (D. T. Niles)

The most powerful influence on earth is that of prayer; and there are no significant events of earth that do not sustain some relationship to Christian prayers, whether observable by men or not.” (Coffman)

(In the battle with evil,) the Christian’s secret weapon (is) the diving response to the prayer of faith. (Hailey)

(When trouble comes,) prayer…is the most practical thing anyone can do. (Peterson)

King David: from Psalm 55:2-6 “Attend to me, and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and I moan, because of the noise of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked. For they drop trouble upon me, and in anger they bear a grudge against me. My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me. And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest;”

 

Have you ever felt like David, completely overwhelmed by life?  What was David’s conclusion later in the Psalm?  “Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.”

 

David understood the basic truths of our text: When God’s people pray, heaven listens, heaven is pleased, and heaven responds.

 

Accepting these truths will affect our lives.  One result will be that we will pray more.  Another result should be that we will examine our lives to make sure our relationship with God is right.

 

This is exactly what they needed to know.  This is exactly what we need to know.

 

Imagine how this war between Caesar and Christ looked to first century historians.  It seemed one-sided; Domitian made all the rules and the Christians did all of the dying.

 

But unseen by human eyes, the prayer of the saints went up to God as sweet incense.

 

Ok, but what good is prayer against the sword of a gladiator or the fangs of a lion?  We don’t read of any miraculous arena rescues; but what we do read about is how calmly Christians faced death!

 

Prayer was the power to face death.  One day, the thunder that was coming down on the saints reversed itself and began to fall on Rome.  God mixed the incense of prayer with His fire and poured His thunder upon the earth and Rome was destroyed.  .

 

Summary:

Revelation is a drama played out in two acts—one is seen by those on earth and the other is seen by those in heaven.

 

Much of the book contrasts what appears to be true on earth and what is really true in heaven.

 

These ragged Christians who faced death in the Coliseum looked weak and feeble.  But day after day the arena crowds were puzzled over two things even as they cheered the Christians to death.

 

First, why did Christians face death with not just courage, but peace and joy?

Second, why did these Christians go to their deaths on their knees in prayer?

 

What looked to the world like a futile and final act was in reality an act of power.  Their prayers would mix with God’s power to pour back upon Rome. The Ruins of Rome remind us not to underestimate the power of righteous prayer!

 

Our lives are also played out in two acts—one seen by earth and the other seen by heaven.

 

When the world sees our faith, we seem to be puny and powerless.  We don’t really have any political power, nor are we necessarily prominent.  Our values are devalued; our faith is said to be too narrow and intolerant.

 

But the rest of the story is still the best of the story.  We live and die on our knees.

 

The prayers of the saints still rise before God to be mixed with His grace, justice and power.  And those prayers are hurled back to earth to change things and make things better.

 

No, God doesn’t do all that we ask—just as He didn’t free the martyrs.  But just as He worked through them to change the world, so He can work in us.

 

Let us not despair that we are not making any difference in the world at all.  Maybe we don’t have all of the material resources available to us, maybe we don’t have all the power here on earth.

 

But when we go down on our knees and humble prayers go up to God, something happens.

 

God mixes our pleas and our petitions with power, and returns them with reversed thunder.

 

 

 

 

The Five Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Revelation Chapter 6-7  (To get a better understanding of what has been written here, it would be best if you stop and read over these two chapters)

Introduction: Martin Rinkhart was a Luteran pastor in Eilenburg, Germany during the Thirty Years War.  The town of Eilenburg was walled, and refugees fled there during the fightings.  Many died from the war, and many more of the disease that ravaged cities like Eilenburg.

In 1637, Rinkhart conducted some 4,480 funerals, 40 to 50 a day, including that of his wife.  By the end of the year refugees were buried in mass graves, basically long trenches.  But in 1636 he wrote the hymn “Now Thank We All Our God.”  This is the first verse…

Now thank we all our God,
With hearts and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done
In whom this world rejoices;

Who, from our mother’s arms,
Has blest us on our way
With countless gifts of love,
And still is ours today.

In the darkest of times for both himself and for his people, he writes a song of praise.  When many would give into complaint and bitterness, he is driven to give worship.  Rinkhart’s faith led him to sing about the sovereignty of God.  Even in the midst of war, sickness and death, it is God who still reigns over all.

The book of Revelation was written to people who were living through their own dark and difficult times. They weren’t just facing the storms of life, but the gale winds of disaster that was blowing their world apart.

The church of John’s Apocalypse was asking the questions, “What’s going on here?”

We like they need to remember the phrase in Revelation 17:14 “They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

This proclaims the absolute sovereign reign of Christ and His victory over all.  It also promises that Satan will continually fight against Christ and His people.

Today we are in Revelation chapters 6 and 7.  Here the sealed scroll is opened, followed by 7 trumpets and 7 bowls.

The first four seals unleash Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

The Fifth seal shows martyrs under an alter asking “What is going on?”

The Sixth seal shakes the world, darkens the sun and there’s a bad moon on the rise.

This is dramatic and apocalyptic imagery for the worst of times.  And as the people of God were going through the worst of times, they needed to know some things about their God and their Savior Jesus Christ.

 The Five Horsemen of the Apocalypse-Chapter 6 Read verses 1-8

As the first four seals are opened, each of the four living creatures says, “Come!” And in response to this command, four riders on four strange horses ride into the drama.

One rider is on a white horse; he has a bow and crown-he is a conqueror set on conquest.

One rider is on a red horse and carries a sword; he has the power to take peace from the earth.

One rider is on a black horse and uses scales to measure grain that is sold for an excessive price.

One rider is on a pale horse; this is Death and Hades follows.  He has the power to kill.

The four riders represent a natural progression—from conqueror to war to famine to death.  This is what has happened throughout history when man gives into his lust for power.

This is not so much a picture of what will take place.  Nor is this what did take place.  This is a description of what always takes place. (Mark Moore, How to Dodge a Dragon)

There are always conquerors that bring war; and that war always brings famine and death.  And so a question arises—one that surely arose in John’s day as well “Why does God allow them to ride?”  God does nothing without a purpose.  What was the Lord trying to communicate in the vision of the four riders?

1.  One truth God wants us to know is that, as far as this world is concerned, the future will always be filled with tragedy.  The first four seals emphatically proclaim that a golden age will never occur.  The troubles surrounding us are evidence that we live in a sinful world.  The first sin (Genesis 3:16-19) brought the curse of thorns and thistles, sweat and suffering.  Man’s persistent sinfulness has continued to plague the earth.
2. God also wants us to understand that, even if we are faithful, we will still have to face trials.  Turmoil, trials, and tribulations are the lot of all men, but Christians receive a double portion: Not only are followers of Jesus subject to the normal hardships of life, but they are also misunderstood and often persecuted for their faith.  The vision of the four horsemen is added proof that it is not easy to be a follower of Jesus.
3. The main truth God wants Christians to learn from the first four seals is that He will always favor His troubled children.  Most of us already know that this world is filled with problems and that some of those problems are bound to spill over into our own lives.  What we need to remember is that God does not abandon us when problems come.

If we are not careful, when serious troubles come our way, we can become so absorbed in them that we lose sight of everything else: We can lose sight of the good in life, of other people who also have needs, and even of our God who loves us.

The language of 6:1-8 stresses that God is in control and is carrying out His plans and purposes.  At the heart of His plans and purposes is the desire to bless His people.  God loves us; He is on our side.

Long ago, God said to Moses, “I have certainly seen the oppression of My people…and have heard their groans, and I have come down to rescue them” Acts 7:34.  God had that same sentiment in the first century, and He still has it today.

The Horsemen of the Apocalypse Today

There is a powerful message here for the church of today that we should not miss.  We need to be reminded of how powerful God is.

We must never think that God somehow retired from active involvement today.  God still rules over the four horsemen, and sometimes He rules through them.  He was God during Domitian’s holocaust; He was God during war and terrorist threats in our day.  God is still God even if our economy continues to fail and we fail as a country.

The Apocalypse tells the church then and now, “What a mighty God we serve.”

We look at the world like the first century Christians and say, “What is going on here?”

The persecutions of Rome were caused by an evil man who was following Satan; wars and rumors of war today are caused by human rebellion against God. And at times, God’s people will become the target of the four horseman’s attacks.

Read 1 Peter 4:12-13.  Here Peter warns the church not to be surprised when difficulties come. We should not be surprised when the four horsemen attack today.

The Rest of the Story Revelation Chapter 7

The events in Chapter 7 may or may not be in chronological order following chapter 6.

But here is what I want you to get from chapter 7.  After the tragedy portrayed in chapter 6—especially the graphic (symbolic) destruction of the universe—a natural response of John’s readers would be “But what about Christians?  What will happen to us when these things take place?”

God has promised to intervene personally and actively in behalf of His people.  He has promised us added inner strength (Eph. 3:20).  He has promised that our trials will never be more than we are able to handle (I Cor. 10:13).  He has promised to govern everything that happens so that it works together for our good (Rom. 8:28).  The difference between being lifted up and being let down by the problems of life is often a matter of attitude.  The Christian who believes the promises just listed can survive the storms of life; the man who does not believe them can be swallowed by the same storms.

Here is the bottom line. “If we stay on God’s side, we win!”

As a Christian you are special to God.  As a child of the King, you are never overlooked; you have been sealed.  God knows you inside and out.  He knows your strengths and your weaknesses. He knows your needs before you ask. (Matthew 6:8).  He knows you so intimately that He even knows how many hairs you have on your head.

Again, chapter 7 summarized, “If we stay on God’s side, we win!”  “You are special to the Lord.”

Summary:

The galloping of the Four Horseman of Apocalypse always circle and threaten us.

Conquest:  This world is filled with people who seek control, power and rule.

 War: There will be a spiritual war going on all the time.

Disease: Satan uses disease as a weapon against us.

Death: We struggle as we look at a freshly turned grave, and we wonder how we can go forth.

And so we kneel.  We kneel to a God who has sealed us, a God who knows our strengths and weaknesses.  The cross reminds us of a central truth: God is working today through His people to give victory and justice.  Ultimately, He will return to destroy his enemies and reign with his people forever.

And so we hold up the cross and proclaim to the world “What a mighty God we serve!”

Being a faithful Christian in an unfaithful church.

Revelation (3) Revelation 2:8-3:6

The New Testament definitely portrays the church as God’s spiritual family.  We have been adopted (Ephesians 1:5) and therefore we are now children of God (I John 3:1).

Because we have the same Father, we have a family relationship with each other.

Romans 12:10 “Love one another with brotherly affection.  Outdo one another in showing honor.”

Hebrews 13:1 “Let brotherly love continue.”

I Peter 1:22 “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart.”

I John 3:16 “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.”

We should view the church as a group of brothers and sisters with one Father, our Lord God.

Our culture though looks at the church and takes a very self-centered view.  To many, church is nothing more than a theater, or nothing more than a cafeteria.

In a theater you sit down to watch and listen, not to interact with others. You focus on what others are doing up front.

In a cafeteria, you pick what you want; you don’t much care about what others are choosing.

But the imagery that we are to have is that of a family, or maybe even a family meal.  At a family meal we partake of everything, even if you don’t like it (or you might hurt feelings).  Being a part of a family is most important…and that’s our model for the church. (Original idea by Jeff Walling)

We continue to look today at Revelation chapter 2 and 3.  This week we are focusing on two churches, the one at Thyatira and the other is Sardis.  Both churches have problems; both groups have a few who are faithful to Christ.  However even though there are just a few faithful, Jesus never tells them to leave the church because of the problems.  He gives them reasons to stay and do what is right in the sight of God.

Church Problems: Thyatira and Sardis

THYATIRA:  This was not a large city, but they were a center of commerce and trade.  In the book of Acts we read of “a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God.” Acts 16:14  The city was known for its wool industry and for its purple dye. The more costly purple dye was extracted drop by drop from an obscure variety of shell fish.

The church in this city was thriving—“I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.” Revelation 2:19

They also had problems, seen in false teaching and living of Jezebel. Read Revelation 2:20-22.

We believe that the name Jezebel was simply a symbol for the error taught or stood for a segment of the congregation that taught the error.

The Jezebel in Thyatira was apparently an ambitious and persuasive woman who claimed to be a prophetess.  This false prophetess claimed acces to “deep things,” profound insights available only through her.  Jesus branded her teachings as “the deep things of Satan.” Verse 24

Whatever she said and however she taught, the doctrine she spread caused Christians to commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.

It has ever been true that some… “will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3, 4

Jesus was not merely unhappy with Jezebel and her followers.  He was particularly unhappy with the church for following her to continue her seditious seduction: “you tolerate the woman.”

Jesus challenge to “hold fast until I come” was not easy for the Christians in Thyatira.  It is discouraging to be surrounded by an ungodly world, unfaithful members, and irresponsible leaders. For this reason, Jesus gave special promises to encourage any who find themselves in such a situation.

Read verses 26-29.  Jesus wanted to give them something to look forward to.  Even though it looked dark, a new day filled with hope would break on the horizon of their lives.

SARDIS:  was a busy little town.  After being destroyed in A.D. 17 by and earthquake it was rebuilt but never regained its former status.  By the time Revelation 3:1-6 were written, Sardis was a third-rate town living in the past.

The congregation had a name for being alive—a reputation in the brotherhood for spiritual vitality.  Someone has said that reputation is what people think you are, while character is what you really are.  The congregation in Sardis probably had impressive ways and from the outside they looked like a church alive for Christ.  God, however, does not see as man sees.  The Lord pronounced the church dead-dead spiritually.  Because its relationship with the Lord was not right, the church in Sardis had a reputation but not reality, form but not force.

As Chapter 3 begins we see four specific symptoms that caused Jesus to say the church in Sardis had a terminal illness:

1. Drowsiness. The church was inattentive to its responsibilities.  Jesus counseled its members to “wake up.”
2. Lethargy.  At one time the Christians in Sardis had been enthusiastic, but Jesus said, “I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of God.”
3. Apathy.  Many of the Christians in Sardis “had come to live lives indistinguishable from their pagan neighbors.”
4. Susceptibility.   They lived and worshipped in such a way so as to coexist with their pagan neighbors.  They had a nonaggression pact with sin—so the devil left them alone.

Thyatira and Sardis are different, but each had real and systemic ills.  Thyatira’s false doctrine and Sardis’ spiritual lethargy threatened their survival.

Yet, a remnant remained faithful; they were told to continue what they were doing. They were not unfaithful just because their church members were doing unfaithful things.  There were a few Christians in these churches who were spiritual.  Christ didn’t tell the faithful to leave their congregation, they were needed and their faithfulness was needed.  In fact Jesus tells them in 2:25 “hold fast what you have until I come.”

POINT: When the standards of this world deteriorate and “evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13), many throw up their hands and quit—but the faithful few always keep going.

When, in some places, the institution of marriage is crumbling and sexual sin is becoming commonplace, many reason, “Why should I even try?”—but the faithful few always answer, “Because I am a Christian; that’s why.”

When indifference and complacency fill the land, many find it easy to travel the broad way, the popular way—but the faithful few are always committed to the narrow way, the lonely way.

READ: Matthew 7:13, 14. Thank God for the faithful few!

Jesus could have told the faithful Christians in Thyatira and Sardis to do as many do.  He could have told them to find another church, one that was faithful.  He could have said to start a new church.

But what does Jesus say to faithful people who are in unfaithful churches?  Remain faithful! 

While we live in a community of faith, God judges our faithfulness individually.  Both the church in Thyatira and Sardis received stern warnings.  And to both churches Jesus lauded those faithful members who kept going.  Again verse 25 “Only hold fast what you have until I come.”

For them to leave would remove their holy influence their church needed.

Within individual congregations of the Lord’s church there are the faithful few: those who are present for worship and activity, those who give liberally of their means, and those who do the most work.

Instead of getting discouraged with those who “do not” we need to be encouraged by those who do, who “hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Mt. 5:6).  Thank God for the faithful few.

People leave churches for several of reasons. (1) They feel as if their spiritual needs are not being met. (2) They leave because they have allowed differences to become wedges that end up destroying relationships.

But when people leave to be with others who have no differences, we/they are often left with two weak churches.  Diversity is strength for as Proverbs 27:17 says “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

I know that when I am not challenged, I tend to get lazy.  If I never have to defend what I believe, I many never really know why I believe what I believe.  Diversity gives us strength and with diversity comes differing ideas, and holy influence.

 

Summary:

Have you ever heard the old expression, “Blood is thicker than water.”

That emphasizes that family ties go very deep, but there is a tie that is deeper.

In Christ Jesus, water (in baptism) becomes thicker than blood (family ties). Becoming brothers and sisters in Christ transcends differences.

Galatians 3:26-28 “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.  For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

When clothed with Christ, things like the color of our skin, social standing and gender don’t matter.  Unity is never found in our stand on issues that aren’t at the heart of the gospel.  Unity is found only in Christ; He makes us one family together with Him.

If we are committed to God and each other, then issues and practice won’t derail us.

Now we won’t always agree with what the elders decide or what the church does. What another member will say in Bible class.

You won’t agree with everything I preach.

But we must commit to God and to each other as His family under the cross.  We will never insure peace by simply not doing anything that offends anyone.

Pease is never the absence of conflict; Peace is a loving management of conflict.

To Him Who Sits on the Throne

Revelation Chapters 4 and 5

Introduction: Who is on the throne?  Try to imagine that throne room of Titus Flavius Domitianus Augustus, Caesar Domition.  Before his stand the Praetorian Guard, elite tropps who protect him and do his bidding.  Beside him are Flaviales, the priests of the emperor cult who enforce his worship. This was the most powerful force on earth; at his word, heads rolled and nations fell.

The question that the 1^st Century Christians had in mind was this.  “If God reigns, why is Domitian so powerful?”

They were stuck by a contradiction between what they believed and what they saw.  What they believe was that God ruled the universe and that Jesus was Lord and King.  But what they saw was the power of Rome and Domitian’s blasphemous claims.

But then, this contradiction between faith and sight does not end in the first century. What we believe today is that God is in control and that Jesus is Lord over all.  But what we see is a world out of control and a world which…

Airplanes become guided missiles that kill thousands in the name of God.

Perpetual unrest in the place that we call the “Holy Land” as Iran now has nuclear weapons and has vowed to destroy Israel.  We live in a world where in the not too distant future Israel may strike at their enemies before they are truly destroyed.

A world where city streets and public schools become shooting galleries and kids kill kids.

A world where the loudest and most influential voices are the ones calling evil good and good evil.

How can we believe that God rules when we see a world out of control?

That was the question being asked by the first century church, and we find our answer in the same place.

The Book of Revelation was never intended to be a blueprint for a distant end time.  No, it was meant to tell the church who was in control in an out of control world.

This book is the clearest and most dramatic in scripture in its presentation of the glory and majesty of God.

As we look inside the throne room of God this morning, we see a Lamb who was slain but who lives again.  No message was needed more in the 1^st century.  No message is needed more today in the 21^st century.

The Throne Room of God-Chapter 4

Read verses 1-11.  John records God’s glory, and he writes about this glory is the language of symbols.

There is a rainbow: this reminds us of the promise made to Noah.  We know that when deal with God, we are dealing with a God who keeps His promises.

There is a lightning and thunder.  This reminds us the light show around Mt. Sinai that shook that mountain as God delivered the Law to the Israelites.

There is only One on the Throne.  Verse 8 calls Him the “Lord God Almighty.”  There is no doubt who rules here.

There are seven Lamps: Seven is a perfect number; this is the Spirit’s perfect illumination of truth.

And before the throne are four celestial beings in the form of a terrestrial one.  To give us somewhat of an understanding of what these creatures look like John describes them with words like lion, ox, man and eagle.

They are covered with eyes, having 6 wings and they never stop praising the One who is on the Throne.  These composite creatures represent the totality of creaton that gives praise to God.

And surrounding the throne are 24 thrones and 24 elders wearing 24 crowns.  And when the four celestial beings praise God, the 24 elders worship, laying down their crowns before the “Lord God Almighty”, the “Holy, holy, holy one!”

John shifted his eyes from this world to heaven. He was empowered by the Spirit to see beyond his exile on desolate Patmos into the majestic throne room of God

Just as John saw beyond the physical surroundings we also need to lift our eyes to heaven.

Suppose a box comes in the mail.  The paper is torn and dirty.  The package looks as if it could not possible contain anything worthwhile and should be thrown away—but when it is opened, a treasure is revealed.  When our eyes are on this world, we see only the damaged wrappings of life. When our eyes shift to heaven, we see what life is all about and the heavenly treasure that can be ours.

This a drama written to our hearts as much as it is to our minds; if we miss the drama, we miss the message.

The message of this drama was unmistakable to the persecuted church—God is on The Throne!

John assures the church that it is God who is reigning in all His radiant splendor. The Spirit in His brilliant perfect self illuminates true truth before the throne.  Angelic hosts praise continually with all-seeing eyes and all-encompassing wings.

The 24 elders on their 24 thrones and wearing their 24 crowns are there to worship.  They come off their thrones to bow down and throw their crowns before the throne.  When God reigns, no one sits on a throne; when God rules, no one wears a crown.

Visually John is pointing to the One on the throne and saying, “Tell me again about the majesty of Caesar.”  Jesus points to the throne room of Caesar Domitian and says, “You call that a throne?”  Pulling back the veil of heaven Jesus declares, “Now that’s a throne!”

Burton Coffman wrote, “The most important thing that anyone can know about the universe is that there is a control center.”  (Coffman 100)  Regardless of how much confusion exists on the earth, there is order in heaven. Regardless of how much things change around us, God remains the same.  Regardless of how lonely we may feel, God has not abandoned us. The message of Revelation 4 is that God has not abdicated His throne.

The message is clear: Whether or not we understand what is happening and why, we can be assured that God is still in command and will make everything come out all right.  That is His guarantee for us.

Well, just as the church begins to get the message of the visions, it changes; the central character in this cosmic drama makes His grand appearance…

Worthy is the Lamb, Chapter 5

Read Revelation 5

First, notice where the lamb appears.  He is at the center of the throne; the glory and the majesty of the One who is on the throne is applied to the Lamb as well.

Second, the Lamb has been slain.  However, the lamb in this scene is very much alive, it was dead, but is now alive.

Third, the Lamb has seven horns and seven eyes.  This Lamb, Jesus, has perfect watchfulness (eyes) and perfect power (horn).

Only the Lamb is worthy to take the scroll, so all in the presence of the throne begin singing “Worthy is the Lamb.” The One who died and who now lives again is the centerpiece of all worship and praise.

The Redeemer is sought (1-4).  The Redeemer is described (5-7) The Redeemer is praised (8-14).

Worthy Art Thou (Sing Chorus)

Worthy of praise is Christ our Redeemer; Worthy of glory, honor and pow’r!

Worthy of all our soul’s adoration, Worthy art Thou! Worthy art Thou!

Worthy of riches, blessing and honor, Worthy of wisdom, glory and pow’r!

Worthy of earth and heaven’s thanksgiving, Worthy art Thou! Worthy art Thou!

Summary: Who Sits on Your Throne?

This message would have been unmistakable to the original readers of this book.  It changed the way they viewed their lives and they saw the future.

Domitian Caesar was not god, and he did not hold the future in his hand.  No, it was Jehovah El Shaddai, the Lord God Almighty who sits on the throne!  And it is the Lamb of God who was worthy to have dominion over the future.

This vision meant everything to those Christians suffering persecution so long ago.  They were not dying in vain but giving their lives to the One who had died for them.  Just as the Lamb had been victorious over death, so too would they be victorious.

So despite the persecution of an evil world, they did not have to be afraid—

• The might and majesty of Imperial Rome and Domitian Caesar was real.
• But it paled into insignificance before the One on the throne and risen Lamb.

Let us return to the throne room again today.

We see a world opposed to faith.

We see a thousand false kings vying for allegiance.

We see a thousand false prophets who want to enforce their own reality on us.

Let us return to the throne room again today.

We need to see the glory of God and be reminded once again that He still reigns.

We need the Sevenfold Spirit to illuminate for us what is true..and Who is true.

We need to see again the glory of the Lamb and sing His song with heavenly hosts.

Who sits on the throne of your life?  Yourself?  God?  The invitation is to come off your throne and to worship the One God Almighty and the Lamb, Jesus the Christ.