The Proper Perspective to Know God

Transcript

GRM 872
9/07/2003
The Proper Perspective to Know God
Revelation 4-5
Gil Rugh

I want to direct your attention to the book of Revelation chapter 4. We looked at some of the material on the letters to the seven churches in the book of Revelation chapters 2 & 3. The book of Revelation is sequential. It follows a timeline. Chapter 1 verse 19 John was told to “write the things which you have seen, the things which are and the things which will be after these things.” Chapter 1 was the things which he had seen, chapter 2 & 3 were the things which are, and chapters 4 and following will be the things which will be after these things. Chapters 4 & 5 form a preparation, if you will, for what is going to take place beginning in chapter 6 of the book of Revelation. With chapter 6 of the book of Revelation through the end of the book you have an unfolding of coming events that will take place on this earth. Some of those events are not only awesome, but they are also awful. We’re going to see literally billions of people die in the judgments that God is going to pour out on this world, judgments that will encompass people with the most awful and painful suffering and death; and that’s not the worst. The worst of it comes in Revelation chapter 20 after the 1000-year millenium, when Jesus Christ sits enthroned on a Great White Throne and finally for all eternity sentences men and women to endless and pain and suffering in the fires of hell. Yet through all of this awful judgment and suffering, there is a message of redemption and salvation. The book of Revelation concludes on a glorious note of celebration where the redeemed of God are enjoying the splendor of His presence, His presence so close and immediate there is no need for the sun to shine. Because the presence of His glory brings the light.

To put all of these things into perspective you have to have some understanding and appreciation of chapters 4 & 5 of Revelation. To have some understanding and awareness of what our role and responsibility and the way we are to live our lives today as those who are part of the church and the churches as they were addressed in chapters 2 & 3, we have to understand something of Revelation chapters 4 & 5. We see our world, and when I talk about our world, I’m particularly now focusing on the western world of which we are a part, more open flaunting and rejection of God. That rejection used to be more covered with a veneer of religion and religious activity. But we have become more comfortable discarding that veneer of religious activity and just becoming more open and blatant in our rejection of God and in our living our lives according to our own personal desires and wishes. That does not surprise me. It should not surprise you. But what should concern us is that we as believers do not allow ourselves to be shaped by the world or allow our church to be so shaped and patterned after the world that we begin to lose our perspective.

Martin Luther, the great reformer, almost 500 years ago now made this statement. He said that “in his day men approached God as if He were a shoe clerk’s apprentice.” In other words, they treated Him just like someone who was insignificant and unimportant. One of the great Puritans, Jeremiah Burrows, wrote a wonderful book I’d recommend to your reading called Gospel Worship. It draws your attention back to the glory of worshipping God Biblically. But he said the reason why people come and worship God in a slight way is because they do not see God in His glory. I’ve read to you on a number of occasions a more recent writer, David Wells. I’m going to read you a quote again from his book, God Is a Wasteland. “The fundamental problem in the evangelical world today is not inadequate technique, insufficient organization, or antiquated music. And those who want to squander the church’s resource bandaging these scratches will do nothing to staunch the flow of blood that is spilling from its true wounds. The fundamental problem in the evangelical world today is that God rests too inconsequentially upon the church. His truth is too distant, His grace is too ordinary, His judgment is too benign, His gospel is too easy and His price is too common.”

That ought to concern us. Have we as the church of Jesus Christ lost the Biblical perspective of our God? We sometimes despair over what is taking place in the world. You’ll hear me talking about this in future studies. But you know the world has turned away from God in an open and defiant way. Sometimes we as Christians despair about how are we going to live in this world, how are we going to function, how are we going to raise our kids and our grandkids. You know, the Ten Commandments are being removed, and just where are we going? There is no true morality, there are no standards. Soon we as Christians begin to despair. You know what that’s a sign of? We have lost the Biblical perspective on our God. Our eyes have gotten blurred, and we are no longer seeing clearly who He is. When I have my perspective proper concerning my God everything else that is taking place fits in its proper place. That’s what Revelation chapters 4 & 5 do. Look at Revelation chapter 4 verse 1, “After these things I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven. The first voice which I heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me said, come up here and I will show you what must take place after these things. So, you see there is an order, an unfolding sequence through the book of Revelation. If you remember that when you study Revelation, you have a little help to keep things proper. Some people jump back and forth and mix things up in Revelation. Just remember you are following a timeline. We had chapter 1 and then you had the issue of the churches in chapters 2 & 3, and those churches as we talked about were not only literal, historical churches, but they are representative of the church down through history; and here we are, still in the time of the churches. Now we’re going to look at what is going to take place after the time of the churches and after the church is removed from the earth in the Rapture.

What is going to take place on earth picks up in chapter 6 of Revelation and will run to chapter 19 where we’ll have the glorious return of Christ from heaven. Chapter 20 will be the establishing of His 1000-year kingdom. The end of chapter 20 with the final judgment of the wicked at the Great White Throne. Chapters 21 & 22 we are in the eternal dimension of the kingdom. But to put all things into perspective, to help us understand how could a God of love, a God who is merciful bring such awful pain and suffering on millions and billions of people. How could a God of love and mercy ever condemn people to hell, to sufferings and pain of fiery torment forever and ever. How could God ever bring salvation to lost sinners. You have to have a perspective given to us in Revelation chapters 4 & 5.

The reason people say oh I don’t believe in hell, my God, a God of love, would never sentence people to torment day and night forever and ever. The reason they say those kind of things is they don’t understand Revelation 4 & 5. They haven’t seen God as He has revealed Himself and made Himself known. This is important for John the beloved disciple so that he is prepared in heart and mind for what God is about to reveal to him and is part of God’s preparation for us.

So here is what will take place after the church. The rapture of the church, I take it, fits between chapters 3 & 4. Some take John as representative of the church in being called up to heaven. That may not be the case here, there may not be any indication John is also representing the church. But the fact of the matter is this is where the rapture of the church takes place. Where all believers will be removed from the earth and caught into God’s presence. Several indications of this, because we’re doing an overview we won’t be going into details. When we get to the 24 elders, I believe the 24 elders are representative of the church, an indication the church is in heaven, has stood before the Bema Seat, has been given their rewards and awards by Christ. So indicative of the fact the church is here. We’ll see that in a moment.

I want to show you what’s going to take place. But before we get to those details, let’s put things into perspective. “I was in the spirit and behold a throne was standing in heaven and one sitting on the throne.” John is caught up to heaven. One thing I want you to keep in mind, and then you’ll see it as we move through the chapters, the total focus of what takes place in heaven is on God. We’re going to see other creatures, we’re going to see the four living creatures, we’re going to see the 24 elders, we’re going to see ten thousands of ten thousand assembled in heaven. But everybody’s attention is in one place—on God, particularly God the Father and God the Son. God the Spirit will be mentioned also. It’s a reminder, puts things in perspective. You know when we begin to wring our hands, you know when we begin to seemingly lose our balance? It’s when we forget where our eyes ought to be. Who is the one who absorbs us and is at the center of everything? We see what is going on in heaven and we’re going to see the worship of heaven which is indicative of what our worship ought to be. But our worship, for example, as we come together at a time like this, is simply to be a reflection of how our lives are lived. Because our lives are to be lived as a pattern of worship, what we do with our lips, what we say, and so on, what we do. Even our material possessions are an expression of worship in how they are used.

Here he sees as he is transported by the Spirit and in the Spirit to heaven itself. He sees one sitting on a throne and you ought to note in these chapters, John sees a visible manifestation of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I used to think when I got to heaven, I would only see God the Son. We would never see God the Father. He is a spirit, and we would never be able to see Him and the same with the Holy Spirit. But you know here I am in the book of Revelation, and you know what? John got to heaven and what’s the first thing he sees? God the Father sitting on a throne, and shortly he’s going to see the right hand of God the Father on the throne holding a scroll and passing it on to God the Son. The one on the throne here is not Jesus Christ. Because shortly Jesus Christ is going to come and take something from the hand of His Father on the throne. The picture here is like Daniel chapter 7, where Daniel was also given a vision of a heavenly scene. “And he saw God the Father enthroned, and he saw the Son of God come before the Father to receive a kingdom.” Same picture is given here.

Glorious description. He is like a jasper stone, verse 3, and a sardius in appearance. Very difficult to draw this out. Some of the artistic representations help us to picture it, but even though it’s described it’s hard to give an artistic rendition in some of the details here. A jasper stone is a clear stone like a diamond. Usually, we take it here to represent the holiness of God, a transparent purity. The sardius is a blood-red precious stone, often taken to represent God’s judgment, as the penalty for sin is death. The throne, the one sitting on the throne, something of His character removed.

Then you come to 24 elders. We’re not going through all the details here because I want to overview these 2 chapters with you. The 24 elders, again, I can only highlight some things. We’ve done a detailed study and if you want to work through the details of that you can get the tapes from Sound Words. I would understand that the 24 elders represent the church. They don’t represent the church and Israel, because Israel has not been resurrected yet. Remember the book of Revelation unfolds God’s program sequentially. Israel will not be resurrected from the dead until we get down to Revelation chapter 20. But we have 24 elders here, and they are sitting clothed in white garments, golden crowns on their heads. They’re sitting on thrones. These represent the church. In the Old Testament Israel had a priesthood and there were many, many priests of the family of Aaron. They were divided into 24 courses or divisions, and each of these had a head, a representative. When the 24 representatives met, they represented the whole priesthood. Here you have those who have been made priests of God, members of the church, and the 24 elders enthroned represent the church here. Presence of the church.

They are in white garments. White garments in the book of Revelation are the clothing of the saints. Chapter 3 of Revelation verse 5 and verse 18 spoke of this. Chapter 19 verses 7-9 speak of the saints coming in glory, clothed in white garments, which are the righteousness’s of the saints, indicating that they have been awarded for their faithful service. The church already stood at the Bema Seat. They are enthroned and we are appointed to rule and reign with Christ. So, they are enthroned. You are in glory and in anticipation of reigning with Him in the kingdom that will be established in chapter 20 of Revelation.

They have crowns. In Greek you have two basic words for crown. You have the diadem, which is the crown of a ruler. You have the stephanos, which is the crown given to someone who accomplishes something, who is the victor, who wins a contest. Jesus Christ wears both crowns. He has the diadem; He is the ruler by virtue of who He is. He is also the victor, having accomplished our redemption. That will be brought out in chapter 5 of Revelation. These elders wear the stephanos crown, promised to believers in the church for their faithfulness. Another indication we’re talking about the church and the church has been judged here, stood at the Bema Seat and given their rewards. These are some of the reasons I believe we’re talking about the church being represented with the 24 elders.

Out from the throne there are flashes of lightning, peals of thunder, there are seven lamps of fire that John sees before the throne. What are the seven lamps of fire? They are the seven spirits of God, to the description drawn from Isaiah and Zechariah in the Old Testament. If you read, for example, Isaiah chapter 11 you’ll see the seven-fold description of the Spirit of God, the spirit of wisdom, the spirit of justice, and so on. Here John sees a visible manifestation and representation of the Spirit’s presence. Then before the throne there is this sea of glass. We’re not told why this sea of glass would be here. Most likely it represents the fact that there is a separation between God and His creation. There are two aspects that we need to keep in mind when we’re talking about God. We’ve talked about this often. The transcendence of God and the eminence of God, words we use to convey a theological truth. The transcendence of God indicates that He is separate and apart from His creation. This crystal sea may represent that. The eminence of God represents His closeness and involvement with His creation. You have to be careful not to emphasize one aspect of God’s character at the expense of the other. It is true God is eminent, He is present with us. He is not like the old deist used to say, He created things and then removed Himself. They emphasized His transcendence to the point that He was no longer part of what He created. Most people today emphasize the eminence of God. You know, God is something personal to them. That’s where pretty soon He’s reduced just to another good friend who is there to use when you need Him. That’s an abuse of His transcendence. We have a relationship of intimacy and oneness with God as His children that is closer than anything that can be described. But in that relationship of oneness, Father, Son and so on, we must never lose sight of the fact that He is God, and we are not. We must never lose that recognition and awe, reverence and respect that He is God, and I must bow before Him in humility and respect.

It’s an awesome scene. Here is John, called into the presence of God in glory. It is not just everybody sitting there with their arms around one another like they’ve come into the presence of this grandfatherly figure. They’re in the presence of God in glory and He is enthroned. There is a crystal sea around His throne. There is thunder and lightning flashing from the throne, and around the throne there are four living creatures, I take it representative of God’s work of creation. They are described in verse 7. Verse 8 tells us “Each one had six wings. Day and night they do not cease to say, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was, who is and who is to come.” What an awesome scene. It is not new to us because if you read Isaiah chapter 6 there you have the seraphim and they cried, holy, holy, holy just as these angelic beings are doing. I take it they are the same creatures. You’ll note the focus of heaven. Four living creatures aren’t there saying, and now here is our good friend, God. Let’s all relax and have a Coke. Yet often that’s the way we’ve reduced God, isn’t it? I don’t want to minimize in any way the precious truth of the closeness and intimacy of relationship which we have with God. Understand when we go into the very presence of God in heaven, He is God and the creatures closest to the throne of God in glory have as a prime responsibility to declare what? Holy. You know what the root meaning of the word translated holy is? Separate, separate, separate is God. It’s a key idea of the word holy. God is separate from sin. Same basic word we have translated saint in the word sanctify. Because saints are those who have been separated from sin to God. We are sanctified, we are separated from sin. God is perfectly holy. You’ll note the attribute that was declared hundreds of years earlier by the seraphim as Isaiah was transported, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God the Almighty.

Here we are at the basic problem of the church, I’d say the world, but the world lives separated from God. We come together saying we have come to worship the one who is separate, separate, separate. He is the Lord God the Almighty. That must be the truth first and foremost fixed in my mind. We’re going to talk about His redemption and how that has impacted us in chapter 5 but first get fixed in your mind, separate, separate, separate. Holy, holy, holy. He is the Lord God the Almighty. The word is used, the Almighty, a number of times in Revelation, only one other time in the New Testament. Means one who is all powerful, almighty. He is the one who has all power, all might. Now you’ll note here, He is the Lord God, the sovereign God. He is separate from all else because He has created everything outside Himself. He has all power. Don’t lose perspective on that when we start chapter 6, and you see men, women and children dying terrible deaths under the judgment of God. Famines and pain and sickness eating their bodies and you say oh how could a God of love do this? You remember holy, holy, holy. He is the Lord God and He is almighty. He is God, we are not.

As Jeremiah used the analogy and Paul picks it up in Romans, He is the potter, and we are the clay. The clay doesn’t ask the potter. What arrogance that man does not know his position so we don’t tremble to say, I could not love a God that would do that. I could not worship a God who would send people to hell and just who are you? Who am I? When we come to the very throne room of God and we find the creatures created closest to His throne are declaring, separate, separate, separate, we understand. Even the closeness of the relationship we have with Him as those who belong to Him, He is God, and we are not. Through all eternity there will be a separation between God and us. An intimate closeness beyond any intimacy or closeness we have ever experienced, but a very real separation because He is God. He is the Almighty, He can do as He wills, and He always does. That helps put things in perspective. I don’t have to start chapter 6 of the book of Revelation to decide whether I agree. I start chapter 6 of Revelation to be informed, to learn more of what the God who is all powerful and separate from me is going to do. When we have that perspective of God, it puts our lives in proper perspective.

When it says He is the one who was and who is and who is to come we might think well that’s the way you describe Christ. Existed in eternity past, and then He came to this earth and then He’s coming again, but it’s expressing the eternality of God the Father as well. He’s the one who was, who is and He is to come. He is God, He is eternal.

“After the four living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne,” you’ll note what they do. We say I’d like to know more about the four living creatures. You’ll note what the purpose is. What’s their role? To give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever. What does that do? That just leads the chorus, because now the 24 elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne. They’ll worship Him who lives forever and ever, they will cast their crowns before the throne. You’ll note the act here expressing that total humiliation, that recognition they are nothing and He is everything. They fall down before Him, they worship Him. That word translated worship means to bow before someone, to prostrate yourself before……. They fall down and they are giving Him honor, and they cast their crowns. Oh my, I thought I’m working, I’m being faithful so I can parade around heaven, and everybody can see. Yes, that’s cause for self-esteem, folks. Think of that crown, I’ll be someone in heaven. People preaching that kind of theology, I don’t think got it from Revelation chapter 4, do you? Where is that crown going? Cast before the throne. What is it saying? It’s to His glory, it’s to His honor, it’s because of Him. He is everything. There is no false humility here, a genuine recognition of who God is and who I am. All adoration goes to Him and that’s what happens. You know we’re given that proper perspective of God and immediately we’re humbled. What happened to Isaiah? He’s given that vision of God. “Woe is me, I’m a man of unclean lips, I live among unclean people.” What happened to the beloved disciple, John, in Revelation chapter 1 when he was given the revelation and a vision of the resurrected Christ? I fell at His feet as a dead man.

Yet we claim that we come to worship the living God and we want to decide whether we like it, whether we enjoy it, whether it met my needs. Now when we come, we go away frustrated, and we wonder why. Because worship is not about me, it’s about Him. Worship is not about how important I am, but how important He is. Worship is not about whether I am pleased, it’s about whether He is pleased. That tells me what my life is to be about, doesn’t it? Because as we come together to worship the living God it’s to be an expression of what? The worship we offer to Him day by day as Hebrews 13 talks about. The words that come out of our mouths and the gifts we give and so on. Lives lived pleasing to Him, lives that revolve around Him, lives not taken up with how important we are, but how wonderful He is. Lives that can never come to grips with how this awesome God could, worthy of all glory and all honor stoop to love me a sinner. Puts everything in perspective.

So, what do the elders declare? Worthy are you, our Lord and our God. You’ll note it’s not about them again. What’s the focus on the elders here? Just that they are creatures, what? Giving all the glory to God. You are worthy, our Lord and our God to receive glory and honor and power, everything should come to you. You created all things, and because of your will they existed. Puts it in perspective. You know we constantly have a battle going on in this country, other places, but I’m concerned with this county since this is where God placed me, over creation and evolution, most of which is an absolute waste of time. We think oh if only we marshaled more scientific evidence, if we only would get scientists together who have maybe four Ph.Ds. in science areas from four different universities, and they could prove beyond a doubt that God created the world. People would have no option but to acknowledge Him. That is a fantasy. It’s stupidity. You know what the book of Romans says? They already know it, but they suppress the truth in unrighteousness. You know what the issue is? The issue is not science, the issue is will I acknowledge God as the one before whom I must bow. Will I acknowledge the one true, living God as the one that I must worship? Will I acknowledge that I am nothing, but a filthy, hell-deserving sinner and He is a God of great holiness, and I am unworthy of anything? I desire to be a recipient of mercy and grace. No, so the battle goes on.

You created all things. I thought if we dealt with…. explained away the opening chapter of Genesis and dealt with the genre of creation literature. Well, when you understand different kinds of creation literature you understand they didn’t mean literally God created. But now I find out they want to get rid of the opening parts of the Bible I gotta’ get rid of the closing parts of the Bible. Here we have a serious error because you know what’s going on in heaven? They’re proclaiming that God created everything. They haven’t studied creation literature in heaven. Now what are we going to do? Problem is not science; problem is not lack of evidence. Only a person of inestimable stupidity would think the complexity of creation just happened out of a big explosion. Come on. We’ll give you all the dynamite you want, when you’re all done, I want to see what kind of watch you’ve created, what kind of car you made, what kind of piano you created. How many explosions will it take? You know what’s going to happen? It’s going to get worse, because every time you blow it up it’s going to have more pieces, more confusion. Right? The problem is not lack of scientific evidence.

We stopped at the Grand Canyon and some other places as we returned from the west coast these past weeks. What kind of fool believes that everything evolves? Look at the complexity of the animals and their different characteristics. Look at the birds soaring and the squirrels wandering around. Squirrels. Marilyn and I got a scone, we’re on the rim of the Grand Canyon and I’m hungry. I get a scone, we get a cup of coffee, we sit down and break the scone in fourths so I can eat three-fourths and she can eat one. I lay a little quarter piece of the scone down between us, we’re only sitting about this far apart, we’re drinking our coffee. You know a little squirrel comes down there and helped himself and took off with Marilyn’s quarter. You know what, I don’t think oh man there’s one of my ancestors. Yup, I can see me in him, he’s after that scone, too. No. What kind of fool would that be?

But here I read Revelation. You created all things. Because of your will they existed and were created, so what? You are worthy, our Lord and our God, to receive glory, honor and power for you created all things. Wait a minute, wait a minute. If I acknowledge God created all things, I would have to give Him glory and honor and power. That’s the rub, that’s the conflict, that’s why they suppress the truth in unrighteousness, that’s why they will not acknowledge the truth of God. But you see what all heaven is doing. Now we put things in perspective. The troubles of the world that are about to be unfolded as they are revealed to John, keep in mind, there is a God who is holy, holy, holy. It’s the Lord God, the Almighty. Everything is working according to His plan.

Come to chapter 5. The emphasis in chapter 4 has been on God the Father. The emphasis in chapter 5 is on God the Son. “I saw the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.” God manifest Himself in a visible form for John and the host of heaven to see. Here He has a scroll rolled up, a book. It would be like this piece of paper, and what they did with a scroll, they wrote on it, then they rolled it, then they took their wax seal, and they sealed in on the end so it wouldn’t unroll farther than that. Then they wrote on the next portion, then they rolled it, then they put a seal on the end. Then they wrote on the next portion, and they had this long scroll, and they’d keep rolling it. Then when you had it all rolled up you could break the first seal and you could unroll it that far and read it. Then you could break the second seal and unroll it. That’s what’s going on in the book of Revelation. Starting in chapter 6 we’re going to break the first of seven seals. Everything is contained in these seven seals. This seven-seal scroll unfolds the completion of God’s plan for His creation, both in judgment and redemption.

A strong angel proclaims with a loud voice, who’s worthy to open the scroll, to break its seals? And you know what? They can’t find anybody who is worthy, in heaven, on earth or under the earth. John is overwhelmed and he weeps greatly. You can see something of the tragedy. Then one of the elders tells him, John stop weeping. One is worthy.

“Behold,” verse 5, “the lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals. And I saw between the throne with the four living creatures and the elders a Lamb standing as if having been slain.” Now here He is. Remember when John first would have been exposed. John the Baptist introduced Him to the nation and said behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and here He is, the Lamb of God. Has been slain. Remember at the end of the Gospel of John He still has the marks in His hands, His feet, His side of His execution. But He is alive, and He comes and takes the book out of the right hand of His Father. Heaven, if you will, erupts. The four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb. Now note here, they not only prostrate themselves before the Father on the throne, they prostrate themselves before the Lamb. If He is anything less than God, it would be an act of blasphemy that in God’s heaven you would worship someone other than God. No, they fall down before the Lamb.

“Each one has a harp and golden bowls full of incense which are the prayers of the saints.” You know what giving this scroll and the completion of God’s plan will be? It will be the answer to all the prayers of God’s people. Oh Lord come, oh Lord deliver us, oh Lord – you fill in. Here now, we thought oh I thought they were lost. No, they’ve been stored up to be answered according to God’s good pleasure in God’s good time.

“They sang a new song saying you are worthy.”” Now, God was worthy, God the Father was worthy in chapter 4 verse 11. Now you have God the Son is worthy. “You are worthy to take the book, to break its seals. For you were slain and you purchase for God with your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” There is a glorious salvation provided by the Lamb that enables God’s plan for His creation to be successfully completed. Without the work of the Lamb all there would be, would be the awful dark cloud of impending doom and judgment until redemption. But God’s plan for His creation will be successfully completed. Even though billions of people will experience the awful judgment of God, there is mercy and grace. The Lamb has taken the book.

“You have made them,” verse 10, “to be a kingdom and priests to our God. They will reign upon the earth.” You’ll note it’s because He was slain. That’s it. It’s settled in the courts of heaven. We are reminded of it here. There is salvation only through the Lamb of God. Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.” There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. That’s it. “There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.” There is celebration here because there is redemption. Note that redemption is inclusive. At the end of verse 9, “people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” It is exclusive and it is inclusive. It is exclusive in that it excludes anyone who does not come through Jesus Christ. But it is inclusive in that it includes everyone who comes to Jesus Christ. Not limited to one nationality, one race, one language. No. There will be all kinds of people, from all places. But you have it settled on the authority of the one who is holy, holy, holy, the Lord God, the Almighty. There will be no salvation, no forgiveness outside of Jesus Christ. “He that has the Son has life, he that does not have the Son of God will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” You can believe it, or you can not believe it. But you cannot change it. It will happen as God has said.

Verse 11, “I looked and heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and the living creatures and the elders.” Now note here, we’ve had some numbers, four living creatures, 24 elders. But now we find out there are a lot more people here. The number of them was myriads of myriads, and ten thousands of ten thousands, and thousands of thousands. You just can’t count them. The four living creatures and the 24 elders have been involved in leading this worship, but the whole host of heaven now joins in. What do they say? “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” You see where the focus is? He is everything.

Why do I get concerned with how I am treated? That I get the proper respect, that I get the proper honor, that I – fill in the blank. Who am I? I am one who is privileged to give honor to the one worthy of all honor. I am one privileged to serve the one who is worthy to be served with my best and my all. The Lamb is worthy, He is the Lamb that was slain. “And every created thing in heaven, on the earth, under the earth, on the sea, all things, I heard them saying, to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.” I cannot understand how anybody cannot believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, who claims to believe anything about the Bible. You’re going to say, “to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, together, blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.” You know what happens? The four living creatures kept saying amen, the elders fall down again on their face to worship. Now you have that perspective, we’re ready for chapter 6, what awaits this earth.

Put it all in perspective. There is a God who is sovereign over all, who is separate from His creation. There is a Lamb who has been a sacrifice, and He has provided salvation and redemption. These deserve all the honor and all the glory. As we go through the trouble and the turmoil that’s going to overtake this world, remember there is a sovereign God and there is a redeemer. These coming under the awful judgment of God have chosen not to receive the gift of His love in the salvation provided by His Son. That’s why the book of Revelation will say, they are worthy. God the Father and the Lamb are worthy of honor and praise and blessing. Sinful men and women are worthy of judgment for their unwillingness to bow before Him. People are going to be saved during that awful period of time leading up to the Second Coming of Christ. Multitudes of people will be saved in the midst of the worst time the world has ever seen. You see the most awful situations, the most horrifying things taking place in various parts of the world as they are flashed to us on the news, and you realize the tribulation is going to be worse, of a greater magnitude than this. But you know what? Those who come to know God shouldn’t be wringing their hands.

I wonder what has happened to our perspective. Christians are coming unglued because the Ten Commandments are being taken out of the courthouse, and you know, homosexual weddings are happening. What in the world are we coming to, what’s this world coming to? What are we going to do? Do I want my grandkids to watch me see the news and wring my hands and despair? In it all I know holy, holy, holy is the Lord God the Almighty, and the Lamb will bring to completion His program and He has provided redemption. Do we think God’s throne is pottery? You know, wow, does God know how bad it’s getting? He may slip off the throne. You say I don’t even like you to talk like that, it’s not right. No, it’s not. Why would we live like that, why would we think like that? We’ve already read the last chapter, I love it. You know if you’ve been here long enough, I like to read the last chapter first. I love the book of Revelation. I keep coming back to it because it’s the last chapter, and I’m living one of the chapters back here. If I begin to lose my perspective or get confused or get concerned, you know what I have to do? I go and read chapters 4 and 5. Then I read chapters 20 and 21 and 22 and I think it’s all alright because God is in charge, He’s on the throne.

Do you know this God? Is He the center of your life really? All you are and all you do; all you live for revolves around Him? Do you know the wonder of His forgiveness and cleansing? That this God who is separate from us, He is the one who has chosen to redeem us for Himself. To come and take up residence within us so that our bodies become His temple. To call us His children, to promise us eternal blessings in the presence of His glory. He says it’s a free gift, I’ll give it to you. Turn from your sin and bow before me, believing my Son died for you. I’ll give you life, I’ll give you forgiveness, I’ll give you eternity with me. Isn’t it amazing that there is not a line 10 miles long waiting to hear more about this free gift? People go about their lives unconcerned. One thing we’re privileged to do, we as God’s people are privileged to live before a watching world the truth which we have studied.

Let’s pray together. Thank you, Lord, for the greatness of your grace. Lord, every one of us needs to be reminded that you are holy, holy, holy. You are the Lord God, you are the Almighty, you are worthy of all our honor, all our praise, all our adoration, our worship, for you created everything. The marvel of it all, in our rebellion, you intervened to rescue us. Your Son became the Lamb that was slain that He might take away the sin of the world. Thank you, Lord, for our redemption. Lord, may we be truly humble before you. May we never lose that sense of awe and adoration. Lord, I pray for any who are here who have yet to receive the gift of your life. May this be a day of salvation for them by your grace. We pray in Christ’s name. Amen.