Let's take our Bibles and turn
once again to the book of Revelation. I felt that this evening I wanted
to just continue from where we were this morning. I know we've
been going through the book of Leviticus on Sunday evening, but this is where I feel I need
to be. Let's read beginning in verse
4, and I'd like to read through the first part of verse 6. Consider those verses this evening. It says, In round about the throne
were four and twenty seats. And upon the seats I saw four
and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment, and they had
on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded
lightnings and thunderings and voices. And there were seven
lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven
spirits of God. And before the throne there was
a sea of glass likened to crystal." And then, Lord willing, we'll
pick up with that last half of the sixth verse and go on from
there next time. Now this evening we begin where
we left this morning. John had beheld a door that was
opened in heaven, and the first voice that he heard was a voice
that said unto him, sounding as a trumpet, it said, Come up
hither, and I will show thee things which must be Hereafter."
Now, these things that John was to be shown to have revealed
unto him are the things that will happen to the church and
to the church's enemies. These things that must be hereafter. In the Spirit, John beheld a
throne that was set he said, in heaven. And the one that sat
on that throne was like a jasper and a sardine stone, and there
was a rainbow round about the throne like unto an emerald. We looked this morning and we
saw that the jasper stone, clear as crystal as revealed in Revelation
21, speaks of the holiness of God because those that were described
Also, as the New Jerusalem, the city of God, was arrayed like
jasper clears crystal. That is in the righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Also, the sardine stone speaks
of the justness of God. I am a just God speaking of the
Lord in His lawfulness. And also the emerald was beheld
as a rainbow that was as an emerald. This speaks of the peace that
is wrought by the Lord Jesus Christ for His own. I didn't bring this out this
morning, but I want to just say one thing about the emerald.
It was the color of green, and the color of green is the pleasing
color. the softest color to the eye. The rainbow was one color. It
was green. Here we have in our rainbow is
seven colors that make up the rainbow. And we beheld in this
color the emerald, the peace, the soothingness of Him who is
our peace. Now what John sees in this chapter,
remember, and in the next, sets the foundation of security, joy,
and comfort for the redeemed. In chapter 4 of Revelation, we
behold the throne before John. He sees it. And we are assured
in this chapter, we are assured that victory over sin and Satan
and this world is established because our God reigns. Remember, He sits on the throne. He's the Lord. He's God. He's
sovereign. What He wills, He does. Those Scriptures that we've read
and quoted so many times, He does as He will in the army of
heaven. among the inhabitants of the
earth, no man stays his hands." So the government of the earth,
the universe, is from the throne. So whatever happens after this,
no matter what, we know this, God's in control. He shall rule. He shall reign. Chapter 5, when
we get to that, we're going to see the revelation of the One
that was found worthy. There's going to be a scroll
that's going to be opened. He's going to open seven seals.
And these seals, as He opens, as He unfolds the will, the purpose
of Almighty God, we're going to behold these things that must
be hereafter. We're going to behold the One
who was found worthy to open. John thought that there was not
one found worthy. And then one stands and says,
Behold the line of the tribe of Judah. He has prevailed. He is worthy. He is worthy to
open. And we will behold the opening
of those seals by him. Then in chapter 6, the opening
of those seven seals shall be started. But before we get there,
The Lord is pleased if He tarries, if He allows us the privilege
to look into this blessed book. And I mean it is a blessed book
to be able to look. Remember this. This is not a
book that is hidden to God's people. This is the revelation,
Carl. This is the opening. This is
the unveiling. There are some things here that
we are to be taught and shown To God's people, there's a message
here. This is not a book that's hidden. It is to the world. But to God's
people, it's opened. It's shown. Well, back in chapter
4, let's just pick up where we were. Now, it says, it's round
about the throne. There were 4 and 20 seats. And upon the seats, I saw 4 and
20 elders that were sitting. Now, realizing that these 24
seats and 24 elders are representative. It's not just going to be 24
seats and elders. It's representative of something. But what does it represent? What
does it mean? Around the throne, 24 seats and
24 elders. Turn over to Revelation 21. Let me show you what the Scripture
reveals. concerning these. Revelation
chapter 21, starting in verse 9, it says,
And there came unto me one of the seven angels, which had the
seven vows, full of the seven last plagues, and talked with
me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's
wife. And he carried me away in the
Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city,
the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having
the glory of God, and her light was likened to the stone most
precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal." We
read that this morning. But let's continue, "...and had
a wall great and high, and had twelve gates. And at the gates
there were twelve angels, and names written thereon, which
are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel." And
on the east, three gates. On the north, three gates. On
the south, three gates. On the west, three gates. And
the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the
names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Now here we behold
that there were twelve gates. And when we get to that, I won't
go into the depth of it, but suffice it to say that the holy
Jerusalem, The Lord's church. The Lamb. That's what He said.
Let me show you the bride. Let me show you the Lamb. She's
represented here. It's the holy city. And it had
12 foundations and 12 walls. And on 12 of the gates, there
were written the names of the patriarchs. And on 12 of the
foundations, it was written the names of the apostles, their
representatives. Twenty-four seats were sitting
there and twenty-four elders that represent the total church. Speaking of Him who has loved
all of His people, the patriarchs and the apostles represent the
entire bride. That's what he started off saying.
He said, let me show you the Lamb. Let me show you the bride. This is who she is. Then he described
her coming out. And these were representative
of them. But I want you to notice something
that was really wonderful to me. I was reading this over just
a few minutes ago before, and there was just something that
I missed, and it was something that was most blessed. As I read
it and I thought, how did I miss that? But there was something
that I noticed. It says that the names were written
of the twelve tribes and the names of the twelve apostles,
representative of that. And the Scripture says concerning
the names, it was written on that picture or type of the bride,
the twelve patriarchs and the twelve apostles, the twenty-four
elders that were sitting around the throne. In Luke 10, 19 and
20 it says, the Lord speaking, Behold, I give unto you power
to tread on serpents, and scorpions, and over all the power of the
enemy. And nothing shall by any means
hurt you, notwithstanding." He said, in this, rejoice not that
the spirits are subject unto you, but rather rejoice because
your names are written in heaven. Now you want to know something
that's comforting. The Lord said, I go to prepare a place for you
that where I am, there you may be also." It said concerning
the bride, the church. Let me show you the Lamb. Let
me show you. And it gave those representative
people, and it says, and the names were written over the gates,
over the foundations. It is comforting to know that
our Lord has prepared a place for His people, that where He
is, there we may be. He said, this is what you rejoice
in, that your name is written in heaven, that there's a place
reserved for you. Salvation, an inheritance, incorruptible,
undefiled. But the bride here is set forth
in type and pictures, representative of all the redeemed in Christ. John said, and round about the
throne there were four and twenty seats. And I saw on the seats
four and twenty elders. They were clothed in white."
Revelation 19, verse 8 says that they were arrayed in fine linen,
clean and white, for the fine linen is the righteousness of
the saints. Another thing I noticed On those
24 seats there were 4 and 20 elders. Everybody was there. Nobody was gone. It wasn't an
empty seat. It wasn't anybody absent. All of God's people. The Lord
had told a group there, He said, other sheep I have. They're not
of this fold. must bring all that the Father
giveth me, all of them, they shall come to me. And him that
cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. All of them will be
there, twenty-four seats and twenty-four elders, representative,
the twelve patriarchs, all of God's sheep In the Old Testament
times, all of God's elect, all of God's people in the New Testament,
all of them, 24 of them, represented the total brine. They all had
on their heads, he said, crowns of gold, clothed in white raiment,
the righteousness of Christ. They had on their heads crowns
of gold. Now, that's a lot of talk going
on today about crowns, you know, crowns. How many crowns are you
going to have? Some folks think, you know, that
their crowns will be so high that they won't be able to keep
their head straight. But seriously, concerning the
crowns, what does the Scripture say concerning crowns? Well, 1 Corinthians 9.25 says
that, and I won't read all of these for the sake of time. You
want to read them? But 1 Corinthians 9.25 speaks of the crown as being
an incorruptible crown. It can't be corrupted. It cannot
be corrupted. And Paul refers to it as a crown
of righteousness, which the Lord shall give unto all that love
His appearing. Now, I noticed in that Scripture
that it wasn't earned, it's given. James in James 1.12 refers to
this crown as a crown of life, which the Lord promised to them
that love Him. And in 1 Peter 5.4, it says that
when the chief shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a crown
of glory that fadeth not away. Now in Revelation, in the chapter
that we're in, in verse 10, if you'll notice, and Lord willing,
when we get to this, we'll deal with this completely, but it
says the four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sit
on the throne and worship Him that liveth forever and ever,
casting their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy. So these thrones, are cast before
the throne." I mean, these crowns are cast before the throne, and
the cries of, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive the glory
and honor and power, for Thou hast created all things for Thy
pleasure. They are and were created. Now, these crowns that are spoken
of are not given because of what we've done to earn and meritorious
reward in heaven. In Revelation 19, verse 12, it
sets forth our Lord as having many crowns on His head. The crowns are belonging to the
Lord Jesus Christ. Many crowns, meaning the crowning
glory that is due Him in the different offices that He occupies
in the accomplishment of our salvation and our redemption. He is our surety. Crown Him. He is our representative. Crown
Him. He is our substitute. Crown Him. Our mediator, our great high
priest intercessor. He is our husband. He's our brother. He's our friend. He's our door.
He's our life. He's the way. He's the truth.
Crown Him with many crowns. That's what the song says. Crown
Him with many crowns. So these crowns that are worn
by the 24 elders are actually the crown of life because our
life is in Him. It is the crown of righteousness
because He has imputed to us righteousness, our great Lawkeeper,
the Obediencer before God's Law. And it's a crown of glory because
of Him who has glorified the Father in our redemption. They're His crowns worthy of
Him only. So they're cast before the throne
and it says, You're worthy, not me. I'm not worthy. You're worthy,
Lord, to receive all honor and glory. John sees and hears the
24 seats, 24 elders, the entire church, the bride of Christ arrayed
in white raiment and having on their heads crowns of gold, symbols
of Him who is the gold tried in the fire. And then John said
in verse 5, "...and out of the throne proceeded lightnings and
thunderings and voices." Now John's vision here was one of
promise. And it was of a promise of things
that must be, he said back in verse 1, must be hereafter. Now these lightnings and thunders
for sure. They speak of judgment upon the
earth for all who know not the Lord Jesus Christ. Thunderings
and lightnings. And as I've said before, by God's
grace, I want to try as hard as I can to, if I say something,
especially in a blessed book like this of symbols, to show
you, let's justify what I'm going to say and prove it to you as
much as I can. Turn with me to Exodus 19. Let
me show you something here that is very, very revealing concerning
these thunderings and lightnings. In Exodus chapter 19, let's just
look. Let's look at the first six verses,
and then I want to show you something after that. It said in the third
month when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land
of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.
For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of
Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness, and there Israel
camped before the mount. And Moses went up unto God, and
the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus
shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children
of Israel, Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and
how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey
my voice indeed, and keep my Then ye shall be a peculiar treasure
unto me above all people, for all the earth is mine. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom
of priest and holy nation." These are the words which thou shalt
speak unto the children of Israel. Now the Lord spoke to them and
He revealed to them how He dealt with His own in mercy, grace,
and His Son. He told them, He said in verse
4, He said, You have seen, and look at this, what I did unto
the Egyptians and how I bear you on eagles' wings and brought
you unto Myself. It was by the Deliverer that
the Lord will deal with His own and bring them to Himself by
grace. This is the message of the Gospel
to God's people. This is how God Almighty deals
with His people. This deliverance was according
to the eternal covenant. told the people. He says in verse
5, ìNow therefore if you will obey my voice indeed and keep
my covenant.î Now, the Lord had said, ìIf you will obey my voice
and keep my covenant.î Now let me ask you something. What does
it mean to obey? Now, we hear that. We obey the
Lord. What does it mean to obey Him? Do I obey? Do I obey Him? Romans 10, 16. This is a very
good Scripture in setting forth what it is to obey God. Romans 10, 16. But they have
not obeyed the Gospel. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath
believed our report?" That's what it is to obey. To obey. To believe God. That's what it
is. Do you really think that there's
something that we could do, humanly speaking? Can we read enough,
Ben, or pray enough? I mean, to obey God. It's a wonderful
thought. Spiritual. I'm going to obey
God. Wonderful. What are you going
to do? What are you going to do? After
you've done everything that you possibly could do, we're still
just unprofitable servants. You know what that means? Unprofitable
servants. It means that you add no profit
whatsoever to God's glory. That's what it means. Unprofitable
servants. You didn't add anything to Him.
What is it to obey God? It's to believe Him. Now, the
Lord spoke to the nation. He told Moses, He said, You go
tell the people. He said, You tell them this is
how I dealt with you. I brought you out of Egypt. I delivered
you. I brought you out on eagles'
wings. I did that for you. according
to My covenant. If you will obey, He said, if
you will obey My voice indeed and keep My covenant. What does
that mean? Believe Me. Believe that I did it. I alone
can do it without your help. You can do nothing without Me,
the Lord Jesus Christ said. Well, hearing the words of the
Lord from the mouth of Moses, the people You know, all the
people. They made the most presumptuous
vow that mortal lips could ever utter. Look at verse 7, Moses came and
called for the elders of the people and laid before their
faces all these words which the Lord commanded him. Now listen
to this, and all the people, verse 8, answered together and
said, all that the Lord has spoken." Now, you see these next three
words? We will do. And Moses returned
the words of the people unto the Lord. We're going to do that. I'm going to obey God. I'm going
to do this. All the words that the Lord has
said, we will do. That was a bold and a foolish
statement. This was a total abandonment
of the covenant. The Lord had promised Abraham
and his seed, I will give you the land. Canaan, a picture of
heaven. The moment that the people uttered
the words, we will do. Look at the next verse. And the
Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that
the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee forever.
And Moses told the words of the people unto the Lord." Look at
verse 12, "...and thou shalt set," God says, this is the way
it's going to be, "...thou shalt set bounds upon the people round
about." Now you remember something. In these first six verses, you
remember how he spoke. This is how God speaks. Now when
a man by His own free will. That's what we will do. We will
do all the words. Boy, that sounds spiritual, but
it's presumption, brother Scott. That's presumption. All the words
of the Lord, I will do. He didn't say, I believed Him.
I said, I'll do it. And the Lord said in verse 12,
And I shall set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take
heed to yourselves, that ye go not up up into the mountain or
touch the border of it, whosoever touches the mount shall surely
be put to death." Look at verse 16, "...it came to pass on the
third day in the morning that there were thunders and lightnings
and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet
exceeding loud, so that all the people that was in the camp trembled."
There was a voice that was in the camp. It was a voice. It
was the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. And it was the
voice of judgment. All that the Lord says, we'll
do. The Lord says, don't you come near My mountain. He is
the righteous judge. And the unrighteous shall hear. It's said right there, He says,
and there was a voice. There was thunders and lightnings
and there was a voice. The unrighteous are going to
hear one voice. One voice. What's it going to say? Wrath. It's the voice of wrath. But look back in Revelation 4.
I want you to notice something. Back in verse 5 it says, And
out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices. Voices. As judgment, is poured
out upon the earth. And all of the unrighteous hear
the voice of wrath. The redeemed of the Lord, being
in this world, but not of it, shall hear the voices of Christ
in the gospel." Now, there's a couple of different things
that I thought of in this. There's thunderings and wrath,
lightnings. Rest assured, these thunderings
and lightnings is happening right now. You say, well, I don't see. You rest assured that
the wrath of God poured out upon all that the Lord Jesus Christ
did not come to redeem. God Almighty shall leave them
to themselves. And they sit right now in buildings,
snug as a bug, thinking everything's alright, and in their heart they're
saying, all that the Lord has spoken, I will do. I will obey. I will do the will of God. I've
done all that's required. I will do. And Almighty God will
leave a man to himself under judgment. But the believer realizes
in the midst, and it's all around us, it's everywhere you look,
the lightnings and the thunderings of God's judgment, God leaving
men to themselves. And that's all He's got to do.
To allow man to go to hell, just God leave him alone. But in the
midst, there's voices. Voices. Really, two things that
I said, but really it's only one. Because it comes back to
the Lord Jesus Christ. It's voices. You remember when
John the Baptist... Remember what John said about
himself? Just a voice. Who are you? I'm just a voice. He cries in the wilderness. Who
am I? I'm just a voice. That's all.
I'm just the means. Who brought Scott? He's just
a voice. Who brought Henry Mahan coming? He's just a voice. Just
a voice. In the midst of the thunderings
and the lightnings and the judgment of God that's all around, John
said, I heard the voices. There's some voices that I've
heard. You have too. You've heard some men. There's
been some men that's been preaching. But all of these voices, who
do they speak of? The One, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Gospel is being preached
by men that God has called out to proclaim the unsearchable
riches of the grace of God. The voices. Preachers. God has
sent them. I'll give you preachers. pastors
according to my heart." But in the voices that's being spoken,
God's preachers, they hear the voices of the Lord Jesus Christ,
which is but one voice. But this is the way that we hear. We hear Him speak the voice of
His covenant love. We hear Him speak of grace. and
mercy, the voice of peace, the voice of pardon, the voice of
redemption, the voice of righteousness and everlasting life. In the
midst of the lightnings and the tribulation, John says, and I
heard the voices. Habakkuk 3.2 says, O Lord, I
have heard Thy speech and was afraid. Oh Lord, revive Thy work
in the midst of years, in the midst of years, make known in
wrath, Habakkuk says, remember mercy. Lord, would You remember
me? Lord, I know, I know the lightnings,
the thunderings of Your wrath that goes on all around here. It's not just in this place,
but it's everywhere. but in the midst of the thunderings
and the lightnings that proceeded from the throne, there were voices."
And John says, "...and there were seven lamps of fire burning
before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God." Now
here we behold the fulfillment of what the golden candlesticks
in the tabernacle picture, as we've been going through You
know, there was inside the tabernacle, not in the Holy of Holies, but
in that outer portion of the holy place, not the Holy of Holies,
but there was a candlestick that was there. And it is speaking
of the illuminating power of the Spirit of God to reveal the
Lord Jesus Christ as the sinner's only hope. Now, that golden candlestick
that was in the midst of that tabernacle, the priest would
go in and once he went inside that tabernacle, that park where
there was the altar of incense, that was just
before. There was the veil. Right on
the other side of the veil was the mercy seat, the ark. That area could only be entered
one day. a year. Right here on the outside, in
that outer portion behind the skins of that wall, it would
come in and there was that golden altar of incense that the fire
from the brazen altar, coals from the brazen altar, had to
be brought in and put. And incense was put in it. The
smoke, the incense would go before the veil. It's picturing the
prayer, the intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ. The showbread,
the table of showbread was over here, a picture of the Lord Jesus
Christ, the bread of life. There was a golden laver that
was here that they washed. The priests would wash in. And
there was a candlestick over here and it had seven sticks
that came up. You've seen it. a candlestick,
seven lights, a picture of the perfection of the illumination
of the Spirit of God that shows the people of God the person
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now in those seven lamps, we
beheld the illumination. John said, I saw before the throne
there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne. Now the moment that the priest
went inside that tabernacle, the only light that they had
came from that candlestick, those seven candlesticks. If he walked
outside the tabernacle and viewed things in the natural light,
he did not see anymore the showbread, he didn't see the golden labor,
he didn't see the altar, the golden altar of incense. He could
not see once he was outside. He didn't see the wonderful things.
The only way that he could behold the showbread and all of those
pieces of furniture that were in that tabernacle was by the
candlestick. That was the only light that
there was. Without the light of the golden candlesticks, the
mercy seat, the golden altar, the table of showbread, the laver
for cleansing disappeared. Natural light outside actually
becomes darkness to spiritual things. Christ is our light. The Lord Jesus Christ, by His
Spirit, is the illuminator. He said, I am the light. Therefore, everything that John
or any believer knows concerning Almighty God is taught by the
light. He said, here was a throne. And
I saw these 24 elders and I saw these wonderful... There was
a candlestick that was there. That's the way by which John
could see. John 8, 12, it says, "...then
spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the
world. He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall
have the light of life." And knowing that Christ is the light,
And the candlesticks are, according to Revelation 1 20, the gospel
churches in this world. That's what the Lord said to
John. He said the candlesticks, the seven stars and the seven
candlesticks. He said they are the seven churches. They're the churches of this
world in which the gospel is preached. And knowing those things,
then the light of this world is illuminated. The glorious
message of the gospel of redemption through the means of the preaching
of the gospel. So the light. So John says, out
of the throne there proceeded lightnings and thunders and voices
and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne
which of the seven spirits of God illuminated God's people. The only way that you understand
anything, anything, is by the light. of the Lord Jesus Christ
Himself. And then that last portion, beginning
that first part of verse 6, it says, And before the throne there
was a sea of glass, like unto crystal. Now, realizing the position
and the state of this sea gives us some insight as to its meaning. The Scripture says it was before
It was before the throne or in the face of. It was in the face
of the throne or the power, the throne. The sea here is a picture
of this world's religion and resentment toward Christ and
its unrest and the depth of rebellion against the Lord God Himself. Now I'll show you what I'm talking
about. The sea is a picture. The world hates the Lord's people. You know why? Because it hates
the Lord. It said concerning this sea,
now He said before the throne there was a sea of glass like
unto crystal. It wasn't the sea. but it was
like a sea of glass. Now, speaking of the sea, turn
over to Revelation 13, and I'm going to show you what is pictured
by the sea. Revelation 13, verse 1, And I
stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of
the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns
ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy." Now,
it is said before this throne there was a sea of glass like
unto crystal. The raging sea in this world
is a picture or a type of rebellion against the Lord, and it shall
be steeled. A perfect illustration is given
over in the Gospel according to Mark chapter 4. Mark chapter
4, verse 35. Mark 4, 35. The same day when
the even was come, He saith unto them, Let us pass
over unto the other side." Now I tell you this, I could stop
right there and I could show you where that statement right
there of the Lord Jesus Christ is the revelation of His will
to take His people from their state, being born in Adam, being
born in rebellion, and to take them, pass over to the other
side. The Lord had purposed to take
them to the other side. Verse 36, And when they had sent
away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship,
and there were also with him other little ships. And there
arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship,
so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part
of the ship, asleep on a pillow. And they awake him, and say unto
him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose,
and he rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be
still. And the wind ceased, and there
was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are
ye so fearful? And how is it that ye have no
faith? And they feared exceedingly,
and said one to another, What manner of man is this that even
the wind and the sea obey him? Now here we see in this picture,
in this type, back in Revelation 4, before the throne there was
a sea of glass, like unto crystal, perfectly still. The sea, this
world, its religion, rebels, before the throne or in the face
of the throne, the power shall be stilled in mercy and grace
by the blood of Christ or in judgment." The sea was calmed
by the Word of God. The Lord told His people, He
said, ìLetís go to the other side.î And while they were going
in the midst of this world, the sea was just raging. They were
fearful. And it was to the point they
thought they weren't going to make it. And they appealed to
Him. A picture of all that the Spirit
of God gives of heart, crying to the Lord, have mercy on me. Lord, You care that we perish. And He stood up and He spoke
and He said, Peace. Be still. And it was just perfect
calm. And they were fearful. What manner
of man is this that even the wind and the sea obeys Him? Perfectly
clear. Now, this illustration is also
continued in Revelation 15 as we finish up for this evening. In Revelation 15, verses 1 and
2, let me show you how what I've just said is so. John said, I
saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, and there were
seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them is
filled up the wrath of God. And I saw as it were a sea of
glass. Now when he says a sea of glass,
it's perfect, shiny, steel, a sea of glass, mingled with fire. And them that had gotten the
victory over the beast and over his image and over his mark and
over the number of his name stand on the sea of glass having the
harps of God. Now this sea of glass is a picture
that is spoken of in 2 Kings 25, 13 as the brazen sea and
Exodus 30, 18 as the laver of brass and that was The priests
were required to wash before they entered into the presence
of God. It was, as it were, a sea of
glass that was now peace, stillness, clearness before the throne. And in Revelation 15, the saints
were standing upon it. It was a sea of glass that was
mingled with fire. Fire indicates that the peace
that was established here finds its basis in God's satisfaction
for His justice. Christ Himself suffered the fire
of God's judgment for His people, finishing the work of redemption,
thereby putting away their sins. The Scripture says that the chastisement
of our peace was upon Him. Turn over to Revelation 7, verse
13 and 14. John said, I saw there was a
sea. It was a sea that was steeled. It was clear. It was like crystal
before the throne. Revelation. I said that the sea
is a picture. The raging sea is a picture of
this world. ragingness of turmoil and everything,
and against Almighty God. How is that sea to be steeled
for me? How is it? That tribulation that
I'm in now as a sinner, born in sin against, how is it going
to be steeled for me? Revelation 7, verse 13, And one
of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these that
are arrayed in white robes, and whence came they? Where did they
come from? How did they get there? And I
said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are
they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their
robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." You see,
those that had gotten the victory back in Revelation 15 over the
beast, over his image, over his mark, over the number of His
name, they stand on the sea of glass. They have the harps of
God. They're in this world, but they're
not of it. They're more than conquerors
through Him that loved us. This sea was glass before the
throne. Last verse, Matthew chapter 13. Matthew 13. The Lord spoke concerning the
kingdom of heaven, Matthew 13, verse 47 to verse 50. Again, the kingdom of heaven
is like unto a net. Now remember, in Revelation 15,
what were those that had the harps of God, what were they
doing? They were standing on top of that glass, that sea of
glass, that sea of crystal. John saw a sea that was likened
to crystal, clean, steeled before the throne of God. The kingdom
of heaven is like unto a net that was cast into the sea. Now this is where we all are.
We are in this sea. We are in this turmoil. And gathered
every kind which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and
sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad
away. So shall it be at the end of
the world. The angels shall come forth and
sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into
the furnace of fire, and there shall be wailing and gnashing
of teeth." before this throne. There were
24 seats. 24 elders. They were all arrayed in white
raiment. They had on their heads golden
crowns. And he heard lightnings and thunderings,
but there were voices that came. And there was a lamp that illuminated. He saw these things. And there
was, like as it were, a clean, stilled sea before the throne. Who are these that came out of
great tribulation? They are those that have washed
their robes white in the blood of the Lamb. And by the blood,
the sea was stilled for them.