So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy; you be holy. [1 Peter 1:13-16]
So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy; you be holy. [1 Peter 1:13-16]
I have a slightly different setup this morning. I've got so much message that I need two of these. Actually. I've got so much message I'm going to need two Sundays, but I need some assistance reading. And, and before we get to that spot though, um, Karen will be coming up and doing this. I want to specifically remind you or to inform you about three things in the reading. I want you to notice because there's a lot here in this reading and it's so big that I'll have to do some today about the throne. And next week we'll talk about the lamb even though they're both in this text, it's really just too much to talk about. But, but as you hear this text wash over you, one of the things I want you to recognize is, because what we're going to do is we're going to read Isaiah six and revelation four and five, sort of like gears working together like this. And I want you to notice in the old testament now what's what happened between the Old Testament and the new testament. Can anybody tell me Jesus happened? And and so so that's not a little deal, but also the amount of information as you get there. This is the same scene, the throne room of heaven, but the amount of revelation given in the Old Testament is really sparse next to what we have in the new testament because that was Jesus's role to open up and actually explain what was going on and bring more detail. So I want you to notice that that that Isaiah six is a powerful, powerful picture but it doesn't have near the detail because that's what Jesus does is he brings detail to our understanding of who God is and, and the last thing is that I want you to notice this, that there is a throne in the center of everything. And as we talk about it, everything is located or the directions are given about everything happening about where they are in relation to the throne. The throne is never, it's never said for instance, the throne is over there by the piano. It would and our terminology, I would say the piano is over there next to the throne. The throne is the center of everything. In heaven. All right. Are you ready? Buckle up. Here we go. Are you ready? Karen? I needed an extra reader so that whenever Karen's reading, that's Isaiah six and when I'm reading I'm from the corresponding parts of revelation four. Perfect. That's okay. Are you on? Yes. Yes, yes there is. The mics were perfect. It was the year King Uzziah died. I saw the Lord. Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, come up here and I will show you what must happen after this, and instantly I was in the spirit and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. He was sitting on a lofty throne and the train of his robe filled the temple. The ones sitting on the throne was as brilliant as a gemstones like Jasper and Carnelian and the glow of the emeralds and circled as thrown like a rainbow. 24 Thrones surrounded him and 24 elders sat on those Thrones. They were all closed in white and had gold crowns on their head. From the throne came flashes of lightening and a rumble of thunder and in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. This is the sevenfold spirit of God in front of the throne. There was a shiny sea of glass sparkling like crystal attending him where mighty Saraf him each having six wings with two wings. They covered their faces with two they covered their feet and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other. Holy, Holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven's armies. The whole earth is filled with his glory in the center and around the throne were four living beings each covered with eyes front and back. The first of these living beings was like a lion and the second was like an ox. The third had a human face and the fourth was like an eagle in flight. Each of these living beings had six wings and their wings were covered with eyes inside and out day after day and night after night. They kept on saying, holy, Holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. The one who was who is and it was still to come. Their voices shook the temple to its foundations and the entire building was filled with smoke. Whenever the living beings were give, gave glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne throne, the one who lives forever and ever. The 24 elders fall down and worship the ones sitting on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever and they lay their crowns before the throne and say, you are worthy. Oh Lord our God to receive glory and honor and you were created for all things and they exist because you created what pleased you. Then I said, it's all over. I am doomed for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the king, the Lord of Heaven's armies. Then I saw scroll and the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne and there was writing on the inside and the outside of the scroll and it was sealed with seven seals and I saw a strong angel who shouted with a loud voice, who is worthy to break the seals on the scroll and open it, but no one in heaven or earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or read it, and then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it. Then one of the Seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it and said, see, this call has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed and your sins are forgiven, but one of the 24 elders said to me, stop weeping, wrote the lion of the tribe of Judah. The heir to the throne of David has won the victory and he is able and worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals. Then I heard the Lord asking, whom should I send as messenger to this people who will go for us? I said, here I am, send me. And he said, yes, go and say to this, people listen carefully but do not understand. Watched closely, but learn nothing. Harden the hearts of these people, plug their ears and shut their eyes that way they will not see with their eyes nor hear with their ears nor understand with their hearts and turned to me for healing. And then I saw land that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings. And among the 24 elders, he had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the seven fold spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth. And he stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the ones sitting on the throne. And when he took the scroll, the four living beings in the 24 elders fell down before the lamb. Each one had a harp and they had held gold bowls and just filled with incense, which are the prayers of the people have gone and they sang a new song with these words, you are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it for you were slaughtered and your blood as ransom people for God and every tribe and language of people and nation, and you have caused them to become a kingdom of priests for your God, and they will reign on earth. Then I looked again and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and the living beings and the elders and they sang mighty chorus worthy is the lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth in the, in the cease. And they sang blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the ones sitting on the throne and to the lamb forever and ever. And the four living being said, amen. And the 24 elders fell down and worshiped the Lord. Thank you. It's a lot to take in, isn't it? Do you see the difference in the amount of detail going on like this? Okay, so before I get too much further here, I want to, I want to make sure that you know that this scroll, what the seven seals that you, not that you don't forget. A couple of things going on with numbers that we've talked about in the book of revelation, remembered the lamb was seven eyes and seven horns isn't deformed. It has perfect vision because that's what eyes are and it has perfect power because horns are a sense of power in the Old Testament. So sevenfold spirit of God is the complete spirit of God, right? We just finished seven letters to the churches. So if you're thinking about that were those were seven individual churches. Yes, but in the num numerology of the Bible, that's to the whole church. Seven churches, the complete church. So seven is the completeness. Anybody give me a guess about what 24 might mean in there. Anybody do any math in their head going, what's 24 elders mean? Anybody? Okay. How many tribes of ancient Israel of where their trials, how many apostles were there? 12 plus 12 is 24 the whole people of God represented the whole people of God. Now you might say to yourself, but I'm kind of like the Old Testament. I just, you know, I'm, I'm going to go out here and I'm going to, I'm going to witness for God and it just never seems to work and it actually sounds a little bit, it feels a little bit like this Isaiah comment when he says, here I am, send me, and he says, yes, go tell the, tell the people and say this and this is what's going to happen. You're going to say, look at the Lord and they're going to go, Huh, I don't get it. And you're so listen for the Lord and they're go, I don't hear anything. That's what it means. Listen carefully, but do not understand. Watch the learn nothing that their hearts will be hard. All this, and I know it's feels like that sometimes to talk about God or to serve him in the world, doesn't it? The world just looks at you go, Huh? I don't get it. I don't get it. You're kind of odd, aren't ya? Just own that oddness by the way. I tried to it anyway, so here we go. I want to make sure that you hear this, that this is what it feels like, but what is the scroll? I really need to talk to you about the scroll for a second because there's more from Isaiah. This is from Isaiah 29 1110 and 11 I think. 11 and 12 sorry, 29 if you've got a Pew Bible that is on page six 23 if you want to read along. Should I wait? Are you there yet? Do you want me to say wait for me? Okay. And the vision of all this had become too, like the words in a book that is sealed and when men gave it to one who can read saying, read this, he says, I cannot read it for it's sealed. And when they gave the book to the one who cannot read, it's saying, read this. He says, I cannot read. Do you get that? So it's all sealed up. Even the people that read can't read a sealed thing. Do we have a sealed scroll in this text? Here is another thing. This is from acts eight this is acts eight 30 31 this is after the risen Lord has come, a disciple has walking along the road and there's an Ethiopian eunuch reading the scripture in this, in, in the story on the road and his, he's reading it going by in a cart and the disciple says, I ready. Do you understand what you're reading? And he says, how can I, unless I have someone to guide me? And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. And now the passage was that he was reading was as a sheep that was led to the slaughter or a lamb before it. Shearers is dumb. So he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation, justice was denied him who can describe his generation for his life was taken up from the earth. This is what it means to have the scroll opened. So I just need you to hear this for a second. If you're out there and you're thinking, how can I open up people's hearts and minds for God's word and all this stuff, you don't, who does for one who is worthy because you needed it open for you to just like that. Now you can go up there and you can do this and and so on. Pause for a second. Does it seem like I've made a connection here that maybe you'd never connected before? Do you know how that happens? Well, sometimes you just spend so much time with your head, you know, you fall asleep on the book. No, I mean sometimes you, if you read this and I started to read it and I'm reading and I'm going, I've read this before, haven't die. God can you, can you help me? And, and, and when you do that for long enough, you start out your Bible time with Lord, help me understand what I'm reading. And then you keep up the habit of both things. Not just asking for help, but actually reading brand. It's cause he can help you understand what you read. But if you're not reading, it's really hard for him to help you understand what you're reading. And if you're reading but you're not asking him for help, you might not get the help. So it's the habit of both. And so I'm not making a connection here that's just odd. But when I start to do and I'm reading stuff, I'm going, this seems familiar to me. God help, help. And sometimes it's a while before you make those connections, but she's still keep on asking for help. Now are we ready for the throne? Are you ready? Lowered, help us understand these two texts together. In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. So what happens when a king dies? What's on the throne? Who's on the throne? When the king dies? Nobody. The throne is empty. That's part of the problem with earth is our Thrones that we make aren't the real Thrones and they get empty. Sometimes. Even when people sit on them, they leave to go do other things or something like that. They do that. And so in the year that King Uzziah died, there's a throne was empty on earth. Now I want to talk to you just a little bit about this because you've probably heard this story about how in your heart there's like a throne in your heart and you need to get off the throne in your heart and let God sit on that throne. And I'm telling you, there's no stinking throne in your heart. Stop at, there's only one thrown that matters and it's the one in heaven. But if I've got to thrown in my heart that decentralizes where I'm focused on on God. So let me say that there's 45 or 50 people in this room right now, and if each one of us had a throne, how will we ever be unified? But if there's one thrown, we can all be located near it and facing it and unified even if we're uniquely different. There's one thrown on in heaven, on Earth as it is in heaven. Let me say that. We said that in a prayer today, right on earth as it is in heaven on earth as it is in heaven. But in the year that King Uzziah, I had died, the earthly throne is vacated. But when you look at this and this, I saw a door standing open in heaven. By the way, we just finished the seven letters to the seven churches and the very end of it was behold, I stand at the door and knock, and if you open the door, you, I will come in to you and you'll come in to me and we'll be together. And then the very next thing is I saw a door standing open in heaven. Come on up, come on and see you get to come see. And, and I'm not making this up a little bit. Do you remember the, when in the Isaiah tax, there's these four living creatures and they've got six wings and what are they doing with the first two wings there? Right? See No evil, right? They're not covering their ears. They're their eyes and they're covering their feet. Be careful where you walk. Be careful what you do. That's what the feet mean. Castle, which is, see, do you remember what's going on with a six living creatures and all or the four living creatures in revelation, they are covered with eyes. Now that's not some grotesque vision. What it means is come and see. Look, everything is for your benefit. If you understand what's going on, God will open it up to you. Come and look, come on in, come and see. Come and see. And there's so much detail before you got the four living creatures and you can't really see them and they're kind of scary cause they're all covered hub. Now they're a lion, an ox one who has the face of a human and one is like an eagle in flight. What does that mean? What does the lion, me noble, right? Don't we think of lions is no line. I know that in the, in the real wild kingdom, we don't actually think of lions is more noble than something else, but isn't it the overall symbol of kingdom in our world is a lion, right? The lion of Judah, the whole thing, right? Noble Oxys, oxys do right? The oxen is slow, but the earth has patient, right? They don't. The oxen shape the earth. That's how strong they are. They shape wherever they are. They're strong. And of course now this one's up for a little bit of a debate, right? The face of a man, the wisest, the wisest of all that. Yeah. I know it's, it's a reach for some of us to look at humans as wise, but that's what they symbolize at that moment or this fastest is the Eagle in flight. Now I know they didn't really say it. It just is a little harder to say Peregrine Falcon in that spot and then describe that they're actually faster or anything. But the eagle is a symbol of speed. So the why is this the strongest? The most noble in the fastest are all there circled around the throne. Can you imagine that being part of the y being invited in to see all of creation worshiping the Lord circled around the thing and they're full of eyes. Come and see he is on the throne. By the way on earth as it is in heaven is the correct way to understand that the the pattern of heaven, Lord, please bring that into earth. But, but sometimes in our understandings we go the other way, don't we? We kind of, if we don't have full understanding of what God is like on the throne through Jesus, then we get an understanding of well you know on the throne is this really judgemental God and he's always sitting there and he passes judgment and that's but that's what human kings do when they don't act like God but they pretend to act like God or what they think God should be like. And so in that case we have imported are incorrect view of what a king is into a view of what God should be like, right? God should be like a king and our kings do this. That is the wrong way around. Do you understand what I'm getting at? Here's another one. Are you ready? The watchmaker view of Deism of God. God just built the earth and he set it in motion and he's kind of hands off like like a watchmaker. If you ever heard that story. And then if we make a watch and then we give it to somebody, we are kind of hands off. But God, his word holds creation together. He is involved. He is sitting on the throne. By the way, he doesn't even have to leave the throne to use the restroom. He's always there and charge, never disengaged. The watchmaker idea is in heaven as on earth. Now that's the wrong way round. Okay, I'm sorry, I got, I got an energy for this. You should have seen it in the first thing when in the first service when Lloyd was reading Isaiah six and he started crying in the middle of it. And, and uh, and, and the memory of it almost had me lose it as well. In reading revelation, this is what worship means. So let's talk about the imagery just for a second. In the year that King Uzziah died, there's this throne and it's the center of everything. And we got the 24 elders and they're on their things. So that's the Old Testament and the new testament people. Look, the Old Testament people didn't have Jesus, but they had the revelation that they had and they did the best they could. Would you go there with me with that? They did the best they could. They didn't have Jesus and some of them believed and trusted God even though they didn't know Jesus. But man, how much easier is it to trust God when you see Jesus and he explains God, they did the best they could with what they have. You done the best you can with what you've got.
Speaker 2:Okay,
Speaker 1:no, there's a fod. Have you done the best you can with what you've got? You've got way more than the Prophet Isaiah dead. That's a comeuppance, isn't it? You all you. All you have to do is come to God and say, I need help. And the Holy Spirit comes into you and the Holy Spirit's job is say, don't look at me. Look at them. Oh, and by the way, this is what they look like and let me help you out and let me help you understand and explain you and lead you into everything that Jesus, I'm sorry. I'm going really fast because this is exciting stuff.
Speaker 2:Okay,
Speaker 1:the Glassy Sea, let me talk about the glass cc for a second. And the Old Testament, there is a big brass basin or bronze basin there was filled with water that symbolized the cleansing water that that, that, that we needed. We needed to be cleansed and there was this c s e a, this bronze see like this, but in, in heaven it's not this manmade thing that's only this size. It is this crystal pure. See that sits in front of the throne. What's that mean? Forgiveness and cleansing and purity.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:It's not that hard. It's not rocket science. Right? So when was the last time you saw a rainbow that glowed green like emeralds? What we're talking about here is splendor of the Lord God Almighty and he is on the throne. There's only one thrown. Get that idea of that throne in your heart. I understand it's a really good image, but it falls apart in this one thing. And it's, and, and we as Christians have begun to sort of seek our own way all the time. There is one thrown and we owe allegiance to that thrown in. It's not an empty throne. It's not empty. It's not empty. It's not empty.
Speaker 2:Hallelujah.
Speaker 1:He's so in charge of our lives. I uh, I just want to do one more thing before I finish today and next week is part B of this. Okay. Cause we got to talk about the lamb who was slaughtered, but right at the end of this, the four living creatures said Amen. Do you remember what I said a man means in the book of revelation? Do you remember what that said? That men, that's the way it is. That's the way it is. I need us to get to the spot where we understand that the throne is filled with God's presence is there on the throne. Amen. That's the way it is. And it's so fabulous that even the things that we do, that our crowning glory, right? We get to wear white and a heaven because God made it all white and we get these crowns for doing stuff and they mean nothing to us. As soon as we get there and we see the glory and we say, you're right, I don't need it. It's nothing. May we live our lives and do the best we can with what we've got, which is the creator of the universe on our side, actually in, let me say that different, the creator of the universe letting us be on his side.
Speaker 2:Will you pray with me, Lord Jesus?
Speaker 1:Open the scroll and pour that into our hearts that we might be your people, that we might make connections that then we might be able to listen and understand that we be as people with eyes that don't see or ears that don't hear, that we would be able to understand.
Speaker 2:Okay?
Speaker 1:And then we would turn our eyes to you and come and see.
Speaker 2:Amen.