Chapters four and five of Revelation reveal the glories of heaven, beginning with a vision of God's throne, described with precious stones symbolizing His glory and wrath, yet surrounded by a rainbow of mercy. The sermon then describes the twenty-four elders, representing all redeemed saints, crowned and seated around God's throne, signifying the rapture and coronation of believers before God's judgments. Finally, it highlights the four living creatures, embodying God's perfect attributes and supporting His throne, and the central glory of the Lamb slain, who alone is worthy to open the sealed book of God's purposes and execute His judgments. The message concludes with an urgent plea for listeners to trust in the Lamb's atoning sacrifice for salvation, ensuring their presence in heaven's glories.
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Beloved radio friends, we greet you in the everworthy and the precious name of our beloved Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. We welcome you to the Bible study, very brief outlines that we are taking from the book of the Revelation. We have noted the first two divisions of the book very briefly. Chapter one, the vision of the Son of Man, who is the coming judge. Chapters two and three. relative to the condition as well as the responsibility of the members of his church upon the earth during this present age. We go to number three in our lesson study, where in chapters four and five we have the commencement of the unfolding of the rest of the book in future prophecy.
Chapters four and five we see the glories of heaven. In chapter four, the opening of the chapter a door opens in heaven. John hears a voice saying, Come of heaven, which is the divine summons to see from heaven above God's unfolding of the future. And this chapter commences the third division of the book, the things which must be how come to pass thereafter. It is not unreasonable to assume that in the Apostles' rapture to heaven in the vision, we see a figure of that wonderful rapture of the saints recorded in First Thessalonians chapter four. For after chapter three, the church is never again referred to as being upon the earth, for it is removed from earth to heaven, before the final judgments of an angry God will be poured out upon this world.
The first glory that John sees in heaven is the glory of God's throne. Immediately a throne was set in heaven, and the context reveals it is the throne of the eternal God. God's judicial actions upon a sinful world are soon to commence. The only description of the occupant of the throne is the resemblance of a jasper and a sardine stone. It is humanly impossible for human intelligence to define the glory of God, hence the limited description of the throne's occupant and his eternal glory. The jasper, a precious stone, is the symbol of the glory of God.
The sardis, a fiery red in appearance, perhaps symbolical of divine anger, and punitive righteousness which God is about to pour out from heaven upon the earth below. His infinite glory and his judicial wrath, they are connected with his throne of judgment. Yet surrounding that throne is an emerald and rainbow, reminding us that though vengeance is about to be visited upon the earth, Grace and mercy are still divine attributes of his blessed being, for even in wrath God remembers mercy. The second glory of heaven that John beholds is the glory of the elders.
Four and twenty elders occupying thrones round about the central throne of God. The elders wearing glistening white garments and crowns of gold upon their heads. They are to be clearly distinguished from the living creatures. and the angelic beings. For since they are enthroned and crowned, and they also sing of redemption, their experiences are such that angels could never enjoy. But these elders are a perfect type of all the redeemed saints. The Old Testament saints are well represented in Scripture by the twelve patriarchs. The New Testament saints by the twelve apostles, indicating that these twenty-four elders, can represent the whole body of redeemed saints from both periods.
Their long pilgrimage on the earth is done. They sit in heavenly glory. The fact that they are crowned indicates that the resurrection and the coronation of saints has taken place. Another blessed proof that the rapture of the saints will occur before the final judgments of God begin. Yet we see that lightnings and voices and thunders come out from the throne. warning a guilty world of impending disaster. God's throne today is the throne of grace, but in that coming day and very soon it will turn to be a throne of judgment. And the Holy Spirit is typified by the seven lamps of fire, burning before that throne. In omnipotence and omniscience, He too will search out the guilty and bring them to judgment.
Then the third great glory we have is the glory of the living creatures. The pavement before the throne is likened to a crystalline sea, representing the purposes of God, which contrary in character, to the unprincipled purposes of man, God's purposes allow nothing to disturb or even ruffle the tranquility of his presence in heaven. And these four living creatures with multiplicity of eyes, limitless in their discernment, they support the throne. These mysterious beings, someone encouraged to cherubim and seraphim, yet they are consistently associated with the judicial authority of God's throne.
One of them, the first, is described as a lion, serving God with great power. The second is a knock, serving with patient obedience. The third is a man, serves with intelligence and reason. The fourth is an eagle. serves with rapidity of action, coupled with keen sight and penetration of vision, but in their character as the upholders of the thrones, they declare and they defend the wholeness of God and its universal claim of being the supreme ruler of the universe. Then you have in the remaining part of chapter four the universal worship of the Almighty, as the whole universe pours its worship at the feet of Almighty God.
The living creatures pay homage to the infinite one sitting on his throne. The twenty-four elders prostrate themselves in adoration, acknowledging God to be the source, the creator, and the sustainer of the universe. Such are the scenes of glory into which John enters into the celestial courts of heaven above, as the saints in the coming day will too. But in chapter five, the book and the land, For in the right hand of the occupant of the throne, John beholds the book, a parchment scroll covered with writing, sealed with seven seals. The subsequent chapters indicate the book contains God's counsels and purposes concerning, listen carefully, the book contains the counsels of God and his purposes concerning the fate of the world and his principles of judicial action which he's about to commence.
Immediately there is a strong angel, challenging the celestial, the terrestrial, and even the infernal realms, demanding that someone be produced. Where did you open the book and loose the seals? No one is able to do it. John begins to weep, and an elder speaks words of comfort to him, saying, Weep not. Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, to loose the seven seals thereon. And as John beholds, It is no richly clad monarch that he sees. But instead of a lion, he notes a little lamb, with the marks of sacrifice upon him as a lamb, as it had been slain.
Here is the mighty conqueror, the lion of the true tribe of Judah, the only one who is worthy to open the book. And in the presentation of a little lamb, how paradoxical. The lion is the lamb and the lamb is the lion, yes. It is the lowly man of Calvary who is the victor of the universe. Through death, humiliation and shame born upon the cross, he proves himself alone to be the worthy one to execute the judgments of God, for God has committed all judgment unto the Son. And God delights thus to give the glory to the Lamb.
and such is the joy of God over its sacrificial work of Calvary. The twenty-eight times in the book of the Revelation the title of the Lamb is ascribed to the Son of God. God cherishes his Son as the one who was the Lamb of Calvary, do we? But ah, you have the universal adoration of the Lamb of God seen. With the loss of Calvary upon him he approaches the throne to be the executor of God's judgment. And upon receiving the book from the hand of God, he is the object of universal acclaim. The living creatures, the elders, prostrate themselves and sing his praises.
Myriads of angelic beings shout his glory. Every inanimate creature in the heavens, upon the earth and in the sea, loudly proclaim his matchless words. And the redeemed saints acknowledge the death of the Lamb. as the basis of all their eternal blessings. He has provided for them a kingdom and made them priests, to share with him his glorious reign. And there is a sevenfold dopsology, which is unsurpassed in his description to Christ, proclaiming him worthy to receive power, riches, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing. The universe is to be laid at his feet for he's worthy.
The Lamb's sovereignty is acknowledged in every sphere, and the living creatures cry aloud, Amen, while the redeemed saints again bow down low before him in adoration and in praise. My beloved, we have but very briefly, perhaps even hurriedly, mentioned in outline the chapters before us four and five, where we have the glories of heaven revealed. Let me repeat them in outline again. the glory of the eternal throne of God, the glory of the elders or the redeemed and glorified saints, the glory of the living creatures, strange creatures they may be, and they are to you and to me, as well as we see in chapter four, the central glory of all heaven will be the land that was slain to redeem us unto God by his precious blood.
Now, beloved, please let me raise a question. My beloved listener, will you be among that great number of saints who will be in heaven and see Christ beginning to enter into his glory? If he is your Savior and he is your Lord, you will be there. But if you are still out of Christ, this will never be your portion if you die in such a way. We plead with you that while it is time, you would follow the blessed, pierced feet of our Savior. Acknowledge him. Trust this precious redeeming blood as the only basis of your soul's salvation to forgive your sins and to present you thoughtless to God through his merit.
Receive him as your own person of Savior and Lord, we would humbly pray. Again we say, before John even begins by the Spirit who described those terrible judgments that come upon the earth. By the Holy Spirit He gives us a view of those things in heaven, which will be the portion of the raptured saints. Again we ask you very bluntly, Will you be in heaven? Only the precious blood of Jesus can make you white and cleanse and wash your sins away to present you thoughtlessly before God in the robe of Christ's righteousness.
Sinner friend, trust the Savior now. Oh, blessed Father, right upon the hearts and the consciences of thy people, the glories of heaven. May we get into them and be blessed in our hearts. Most of all, we pray for our sins, sinner friends who are not saved. May they come to Christ. In Jesus' name we ask. Amen.