E05: The Throne Room (Revelation 4–5)

A shift to heaven reveals the throne of God and the worthiness of the Lamb. These chapters anchor the entire book in worship, God’s ultimate authority, and the example of conquering as the Lamb conquered.

Transcript

Michael Berry: Well, I hope by now you have listened to what I'm calling the supplemental sessions. Those are the sessions where we're not marching through the scripture of Revelation. And I hope you've listened to that supplemental session on the rapture. I wanted you to have listened to that by this section, chapter four, which we're about to dive into, because those who hold to the view of the rapture place it happening at this point in the book, the first two verses of chapter four. So I wanted to give you that portion about the rapture before we jumped into this. if you have listened to that, ⁓ which I'm assuming you have, I'd like to know, ⁓ is my view on the rapture disappointing or is it helpful for you? And I'd like to also know if you've switched your view on the rapture because of that session, what in particular helped change your view? I'd love to ⁓ Take that and and kind of ⁓ Fine-tune that ⁓ that that section on the rapture so Feel free to reach out to me. I'd appreciate that and just let me know So with that being said at this point, we're going to jump into chapter 4 and 5 you have been patient with me We haven't touched a ton of scripture just yet in Revelation, but from here on out, ⁓ we're going to be in it. ⁓ And it's going to be magnificent, it's going to be heavy, it's going to be a lot to take in, and I recognize that. But I think it's going to be so ⁓ so valuable for you and so ⁓ worth your time. Now, remember the... previous two chapters, chapters two and three, demanded that the church conquer. And so the question becomes, how are we supposed to do that? Because I can take that word, conquer, and I can turn it into whatever I want, and I can turn it into how I want to enact that word. But what Revelation does is make the call for the churches to conquer, and then show the model for what that looks like. And as all good teachings do, it points to Jesus as the model. And so the way Revelation is going to do that is to take us to a place that is so otherworldly you can you can tell that it's almost difficult for John to even describe. And it's difficult for him to help us that he's struggling to help us wrap our our minds around it. Yet it is a place of such deep significance, not only for what comes later in the book, but for what you and I here today have the opportunity to rest in and recognize this reality that is going on and it is ever present. And so the invitation is for us to recognize and to lean into that reality. today. And it's almost as if we should pause here and cleanse ourselves in some way, shape, or form because what John is going to do is he is going to escort us into the throne room of God. And this only happens four times in all of scripture. In Isaiah, in Ezekiel, in Daniel, and then here in Revelation. And John does his best to describe it. He really does. But even then it seems like it's just out of our grasp and out of our comprehension. It's almost as if he were here describing that he would be like, guys, like, I don't even know. was just so magnificent. And so what we're going to see is Revelation 4 sets the scene and then Revelation 5 comes in and describes the action. So let's jump in. chapter 4 verse 1, after this I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven and the first voice which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, come up here and I will show you what must take place after this. At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne, and he who sat there had the appearance of Jasper and Cornelian. And around the throne there was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald." And so here we go. John is describing God sitting on his throne. And it's like... I don't know how to describe this other than the most beautiful jewels that I've ever seen. The appearance of Jasper in Carnelian and the appearance of an emerald. He's describing God sitting on his throne. And around the throne there were 24 thrones and seated on the thrones were 24 elders clothed in white garments with golden crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God. And before the throne there was, as it were, a sea of glass like crystal. So I want you to make note of this because this is one of the main themes in Revelation. This door being opened that ⁓ John gets to walk through is is a way of saying that heaven is not far from you. It's just on the other side of what you're able to see and perceive, but it is no less real. And so we have the stage being set. Of course, God on his throne, around the throne were 24 elders and there was these flashes of lightning and rumblings, peals of thunder, and then the seven spirits of God. ⁓ are present in front of the throne. And so we have God the Father, we have the Spirit here ⁓ in this picture. He goes on in verse six. And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. The first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings are full of eyes all around and within and day and night. They never cease to say, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. And so here in these with these living creatures, ⁓ each one of these living creatures represents the pinnacle of their domain. We've got a lion, an ox, a man and an eagle. A lion is the pinnacle of the wilderness animals. He's the pinnacle. Like we even call the lion the king of the jungle, right? He is the pinnacle of that domain. The ox is the pinnacle of domesticated animals. It is the most useful, it is the most powerful that ⁓ was used in a farming culture. Of course, man is the pinnacle of all creation. as the top of the food chain, you could say. And then an eagle is the pinnacle of the birds of the air. And all of this is a link back to Ezekiel. You're gonna get tired of me saying Ezekiel throughout Revelation because all of it is a link back to Ezekiel chapter one ⁓ and verse 10. And I need to pause here because this is the first time the imagery of Ezekiel is so stark. And what we have to understand when when a New Testament book does something like this, ⁓ where it pulls imagery out of the Old Testament, the purpose isn't just to to say, ⁓ yeah, think of remember that here's this. Now, the purpose is to take that idea from which that context is that that verse or that the imagery to take that from the context and place that into your mind. and place that context into your mind. And if we have that in our minds, then we'll get the point of what the writer is trying to teach. And if we were to go back to Ezekiel chapter one, I do encourage you to go back and read it. This is a vision of God in all of his glory and brilliance. And the whole purpose of Ezekiel, it is the story of how the glory of God is with his people in the beginning. but because of their rebellion and their rebelliousness, the glory of God is removed, or He removes Himself from the people, and those people are thrown into exile. But, like all prophetic books, there is a call to repentance, a restoration of the people who repent, and a reestablishment of the glory of God with His people by the end of the book. And so what Jesus is going to do in Revelation is to take that structure, take that backbone, and actually that even extends back to Exodus as well, but to take that backbone and expand it and apply it to the world as a whole. Because God was with his people in the beginning. They rebelled and are currently in exile. And if this is a prophecy, then this book is going to involve that story with a call to repentance and a reestablishment of God with his people in the end. So when a New Testament writer pulls imagery out of the Old Testament, it is wise to go back and understand the context from which it comes, because it will help you understand the point in the New Testament book. So I think that clears that up. think that I'd always struggled with that whenever like a professor or a preacher would say, this is like, this is a reference back to Exodus or reference back to Isaiah or reference. I was like, okay, so what? Well, the point is that if you pull that context, you understand more of what's going on and what the writer is trying to portray and trying to get across to the reader. And so here we have around the throne these elders, we have the four living creatures, and we have them never ceasing. They're crying out, holy, holy, holy is Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come. And then verse nine comes in, and whatever the living creatures give glory to and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne who lives forever. The twenty four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, worthy are you, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power for you created all things and by your will they existed and were created. And so here, this is the point of this section here. We have the creator. God on his throne surrounded by his creation and being worshipped by his creation. And so the scene is set. All of creation is here. 24 thrones are filled. The spirit is there in totality. God is in his rightful place on the throne. Everything is in order and as it should be. But there is one person missing. And that's where chapter five comes in. says, chapter five, verse one, then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne, a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And this scroll is one of great significance, obviously. It becomes kind of the center of the narrative at this point, and it's sealed with seven seals. So think ⁓ a wax drops and a signet ring pressed in. That's kind of the idea that you can have in your mind. And the question is, well, what's written on this scroll? And of course, there's a lot of debate and proposals all run through ⁓ seven of these ⁓ and ⁓ touch on the ones that I think kind of are the most likely. So the first option is that it is his book of life that is later mentioned in Revelation. The second option is that it's a message of judgment and vindication. or it can be a symbol of Christ's authority. That's the third option here. The fourth is that it's a prophetic message or revelation similar to Ezekiel's scroll. The sixth option is that it is God's plan for how history will end. And the seventh option is that it's God's plan to set the world right. ⁓ And so, I tend to think of this as a mixture of four and seven. It's the prophetic message or revelation similar to Ezekiel's scroll, and it is God's plan to set the world right. Whatever it may be, and it may be parts of each one of those, but whatever it may be, if it can just be opened and read, it will show us how God is going to set things right. And if you know that you can persevere, you can Conquer. And it is the focus at this point. Verse two says, and I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals? And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it. And I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or look into it. And I pictured John at this point on his knees. Nobody. Nobody weeps standing up. That is a shattering word and it's it's devoid of hope and and having complete sadness. And so John is just broken because this this plan of God can't be recognized. And then an elder comes over and I picture the text doesn't say this but I picture just the elder putting his hand on his back. And in this moment hope is reintroduced. Verse five and And one of the elders said to me, weep no more. Behold the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David has, there's that word, conquered so that he can open the scroll in its seven seals. He did what? He conquered. That's what I'm supposed to be doing, right? That's from chapter two and three. That's what I'm supposed to be doing. And here is this lion that's going to show me how to do it. And so because he is worthy, he can open the scroll and it seals. And when we think of conquering, we think of kind of the way a lion would do it, right? With violence, with strength, with power and with ruthlessness. But here's one of those moments, just like in chapter one, and it's gonna be a motif throughout this whole book, where John hears one thing, then he looks to see Another thing and that other thing completes the picture it deepens the understanding so he hears lion Then he looks and what does he see? Says in between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a lamb standing as though it had been slain now if you and I were in a room together and Someone came into that room with like a lion on a leash, you and I would fight each other to get out of that room as fast as we could because that's terrifying, that's scary, that's destruction in a beast, right? But if that person walked in with a lamb on a leash, a lamb garners a different response, doesn't it? There's gentleness, there's peace, there's... innocence, there's goodness, there's this ⁓ willingness to draw close. And all of a sudden, the modeling of conquering becomes crystal clear. The question is, well, how did Jesus conquer as the lamb? And when I taught this one time and I just asked that question, how did Jesus conquer? If we were to look at his life, how did he conquer? And just had people shout out the answers. I got love and joy. He spoke truth. He healed people. He gave grace. He loved his enemies. He gave up his life. He served others. He spent time with outcasts. I got things like He was kind. He had goodness. He was gentle. He declared God's kingdom. These are all the ways that he showed in his life on earth how he conquered. And so the question for me and for you is if this is how Jesus conquered, why do you and I think we're going to conquer in a different way in our lives? Why do I think I'm going to get the job if I have the loudest mouth? Why do I think I'm going to build up that relationship by showing them all the ways they're wrong? Why do I think if I'm just pushy enough, I can really accomplish great things for my family or my company or my church? Why do I think I'm going to win doing it differently than Jesus? And this is so important to the rest of the book of Revelation because conquering continues to come up. You will see how the worldview is conquering by power and worship of that power or subjugation to that power. And you're going to see how God views conquering like the lamp. and we cannot get confused. And so just a simple question for you to think about today. Is there a way you've been going about winning that may not be the way Jesus would have done? Maybe you and I need to be less like a lion and more like the lamb. So John hears lion, he sees lamb. And while we can't do it, these two seemingly opposites, we can't act like the lion and the lamb, right? We need to choose to be more like the lamb. But these two seemingly opposites, they come together perfectly in one person of Jesus. And that is the reality of Jesus. He is both. And my guess is that you have seen that in your life. You've seen him show up as a lion, where he's solved a circumstance, he's cured a sickness, he's healed a relationship. Maybe he pays the bill or he comes through in some sort of ⁓ mighty way. I'm guessing you've also seen him show up as a lamb, where he brings you peace. He brings you comfort. He maybe shows you gentleness when you deserve wrath. And he chooses to be near to you when his presence is exactly what you need. And if you're anything like me, my guess is that this is where you struggle with Jesus at times. As when we pray for the lion. but all we hear is the bleating of a lamp. No, no, no, Jesus. No, no, no. I need power. I need you to solve this. I need you to perform. I need you to roar. But he just gets closer. And maybe you're struggling with that right now. I wanna encourage you, however Jesus is choosing to show up in your life. Trust that he knows what you need more than you do. You know, maybe you don't need that project to come through right now. Maybe you need to develop perseverance when you're not in control. Maybe you don't need your kids to stop being kids. Maybe you need to develop joy and kindness. Maybe you don't need a financial burden lifted. Maybe you need to develop self-control or trust in Jesus as your provider. And here's what I've found as a practical way to lean into this. Instead of praying for your circumstances to change, the opportunity is to pray for our character to change through the circumstance. But however he chooses to act in your life, lean into it. Because whether he acts like a lion or acts like a lamb, that's not the most important aspect of who he is. The most important aspect of who Jesus is is what allowed him to walk into the throne room and take that scroll from the hand of God. It's not about him showing up as lion or lamb. It's that he shows up as worthy. worthy of your praise, worthy of your worship, worthy of your love, worthy of your trust, worthy of your hope. He's worthy of your life and he is worthy because 2,000 years ago on a hill outside of Jerusalem, the lion chose to become a lamb so that we can draw close and be with him. And when we draw close, something magnificent happens. Chapter five, verse seven. Continues he says and he went and he took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne and When he had taken the scroll the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense which are the prayers of the Saints and they sang a new song saying Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals for you were slain and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every, there's four of these, every tribe, language, people and nation. We know that four is, it stands for, it gives us the context, the idea of all of creation. So every tribe, language, people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests, keys, that's the key, that's such a big part of this whole thing, kingdom and priests, that Israel language, that. that language of the people of God. You have made them kingdom and priests to our God and they shall reign on the earth. Then I looked and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders and the voice of many angels numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands saying with a loud voice, worthy is the lamb who was slain and he's worthy to receive and there are seven of these. Power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing. Remember seven is that idea of completion or totality. And this is not some future sense of of reigning on the earth that we'll see in Revelation 21 or 22. But he died in the past to save a present people to experience a spiritual reality here and now on earth. If we can learn to conquer like Jesus conquered. See, Jesus is worthy because he was slain. And because he was slain, he ransomed the people for God. And he ransomed the people for God so that we can join in the song and share our testimony. And it goes on, verse 13, and I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea and all that is in them saying to him who sits on the throne and to the lamb, be blessing and honor and glory. and might forever and ever and the four living creatures said amen and the elders fell down and worshiped. When we can do that, when we can learn to conquer like Jesus conquered. although the world may not look like it. We will experience the throne room of God in our hearts and in our minds and in our spirits where everything is in order as it should be. we will get glimpses here on earth of that sea of glass like crystal. get glimpses of heaven in our world today. It seems like it's just out of our reach, just on the other side of what we can perceive and what we can see. But it is no less real. And the invitation is to recognize that reality. live by it.