Okay, well, we're continuing
in Revelation and we come to chapter 4 today. Of course, a
lot more could have been said about all those letters, but
I've preached on them not too long ago, a couple of years back
as well, just as individual letters there in chapters 2 and 3. But
now we come to chapter 4. The main theme of the book of
Revelation is God's kingdom triumphant over Satan's kingdom. That's
why I entitled the book I wrote on the last series of these in
2015-2016, The Kingdom of God Triumphant. That's the theme
of the book, God's kingdom triumphant over Satan's kingdom. Because
the world in which we live, the universe in which we live, the
creation in which we live, We see their opposing forces. We see on the one hand the forces
of Satan, of evil, of rebellion against God, of his Antichrist,
of his beast, his false prophet. We see there Babylon and Gog
and Magog and all of these forces that are against the forces of
God, and they're set against Almighty God. Almighty God who
is manifest to His people in Christ. God who is manifest as
the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of His people in this
world. the realm of angels who were
faithful to God, and the redeemed church, the people of God, called
out of darkness into His marvellous light, the realm of that new
creation which God will accomplish. Those forces oppose each other.
And this revelation was given, we read in the very first verse
of the book, it was given to Christ. It's a manifestation. Christ is the manifestation of
the hidden God. God, who is unseen and cannot
be seen, gave it to Christ, who is the manifestation of the hidden
God. And that message was sent by
Christ's angel in symbolism to John, the apostle, the oldest
apostle. in AD 95 on the Isle of Patmos
in the Aegean Sea, which is there now, you can visit it today.
And the reason it was given is clear. It was to show God's servants
how things must unfold. And if they must unfold, they
must unfold. It's because God has decreed
that they will unfold that way. And nothing can thwart the eternal
purposes of God. The book of Revelation is seven
visions. in 22 chapters, but basically
it's two parts. And the first part we finished
at the end of chapter 3. It's the church in the world,
chapters 1 to 3, the first vision, is the church in the world, now,
in the days in which we live, ever since he returned to glory
and until he comes again. and it's with the living Christ
walking in the midst. However perilous the times in
which we live, we are assured that He is in the midst, guiding
us on the narrow way to the celestial city, to heavenly glory. And then the rest of it, the
remaining six of the seven visions in chapters 4 to 22, are the
view from heaven. all that opposes God being overcome
and eternally defeated. That's the picture of chapters
4 to 22, the remaining six visions. So the church here and now with
Christ walking in the midst of the seven candlesticks which
are the churches, symbolical of all the churches in all ages
from Christ's return to glory to when he comes again, behold
he cometh with clouds. And then chapters 4 to 22 showing
the heavenly view of how that triumph of the kingdom of God
will be accomplished. Now why now? Why do we need to
look at it now? Why did I think it was a good
message for the times in which we're living? There's great anguish
all around. If you're alert to the things
that are going on, the news that's being presented, there's anguish. of all people who have a taste
for the things of God. You know, there are people who
totally reject and hate the idea of God, but there are people
who have a taste for the things of God. Those who love the Lord
Jesus Christ, who love His salvation, who love His revelation. All
who have a taste for the things of God and for His truth and
for His righteousness, have anguish when we look at the increasing
deception and the evil of the world in which we live. Every
day it grows more evil. Every day it grows as if the
powers that be, the powers, the godless powers of this world,
are doing more and more and more to try to get their own way.
And it causes anguish, that right is wrong and wrong is right.
Everything is turned upside down. The moral compass of the world
in which we live is 180 degrees turned around from the moral
compass of the world that people of my age grew up in. We grew
up in a world where people generally feared God, and walked in the
fear of God and the knowledge that there was a God. Even if
they weren't true believers, they walked in a knowledge of
the fear of God. That has completely turned over. And the things that
were morally regarded as reprehensible and vile and perverse, when I
was growing up as a young man, are now regarded as the morally
superior position. What a lovely position to be
in. And anybody who thinks like I was brought up to think is
a hateful, nasty person in this evil world. And it's easy for
believers to be filled with anguish at it. But the thing is, whatever
battles there are with this sin-cursed creation, all is well. Believe us, if you believe the
Lord Jesus Christ, all is well. The triumph of God's kingdom
is assured. It's not like we don't know,
you know, the great sporting events. A great sporting event
yesterday in Ireland of the Ireland rugby team playing the England
rugby team. And you start, and you don't
know what the end of it's going to be, apart from the fact that
most people on form thought that Ireland would win, and they did
win. But the thing is, with this, There's no doubt. The triumph
is absolutely assured. You servants of God, those of
you who believed Christ, those of you who have committed your
life to Christ, those of you who have heard His voice calling
you, take courage. Keep trusting, as he says again
and again to his people in this world. Fear not. Don't be afraid. Watch and wait. You know, you
see pictures throughout the scriptures. The scripture is all the revelation
of the Holy Spirit of God to the people of God. This is what
it's about. It's not to teach society in
general how to live. It gives the standard of God,
but it's to teach the people of God to know who is in control. And when Moses led the Israelites
out of bondage in Egypt, led them out to cross the Red Sea,
and they got to the Red Sea having finally been let go by Pharaoh,
Pharaoh would not let them go. And then, of course, God brought
the 10th plague, which was the slaughter of the firstborn. And
then they drove out the Israelites. They drove them out. Get them
out of here. They drove them out. But before
long, his heart was hardened and he came, Pharaoh and his
army, chasing after the Israelites. And they got to the shore of
the Red Sea and the people were terrified that the Egyptians
were going to come and kill them. even though their God had brought
them out exactly as he said he would, with a strong arm. And
what did Moses say? Exodus 14 verse 13. What did he say to the Israelites
standing there in fear and trepidation on the bank of the Red Sea with
the furious Egyptian army coming after them? He said, fear ye
not. Stand still. Just stand still. Don't take up arms. Stand still. and see the salvation of the
Lord. He says that to us today. You
see all these evil things going on and it's good to be aware
of them, but fear ye not. stand still and see the salvation
of the Lord. So chapter 4 shows us a vision
of the triumphant kingdom of God whilst we're still here on
this earth. Look at 2nd Corinthians chapter
4 just for a moment, 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 in verse 8. Paul says this to the Corinthians,
and is this not true? We are troubled. Believers in
this world, we are troubled on every side, yet not distressed. We are perplexed. We don't know
the answer to everything, but not in despair. Verse nine, we
are persecuted, but not forsaken. We're cast down, but not destroyed. Verse 17, for our light affliction,
the troubles we have in this world, the troubles of persecution,
of people condemning us for what we believe. The physical trials
that we have, our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh
for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we look not at the things
which are seen, the things that we're suffering now, the things
all around us, but at the things which are not seen. For the things
which are seen are temporal, they're temporary, they're just
for a little while. but the things which are not seen with physical
eyes are the things which are eternal. So then, Revelation
chapter 4 and verse 1. We have a new vision opening
up. After this I looked and behold,
a door was opened in heaven and the first voice which I heard
was as it were of a trumpet talking with me which said, come up hither
and I will show you things which must be hereafter. Having seen
the glorified Christ in the first three chapters, walking amidst
his church, and having had letters dictated to him, John scribed
the letters, wrote the letters down, that vision is now ended. In verse 22 of chapter 3, that
vision is ended. That's the state of the church
in this world. Christ is walking in the midst of the churches,
and now John How long there was between the end of the first
vision and the second vision, I don't know. But it was on the
Isle of Patmos and it seems that it was very close together. But
he now looks and he sees an open door. A door is a way of entrance. He sees a door open in heaven,
a way into heaven from this earthly life. He sees that which you
cannot do naturally in this world. You cannot see into heaven. We're earthbound. We're bound
by gravity, but we're bound by the state of things. Our physical
senses cannot see into heaven. unless God opens the door into
heaven. And that's what happened to John
and thereby to us because these things were given to John to
show his servants, are you his servant? To show his servants
things which must shortly come to pass. And he's summoned up
to be shown the eternal state of God's kingdom, the eternal
state of it. must, which must be here, must. It's the will of God. It cannot
fail. It cannot change. And he was
in the Spirit, verse 2. Immediately I was in the Spirit.
He was in the Spirit, like in chapter 1 and verse 10. I was
in the Spirit on the Lord's day on the Isle of Patmos. I was
in the Spirit and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet.
Now again, he's in the Spirit. He's tuned in by the revelation
of God, by the Spirit of God coming to him. He's tuned in
to heavenly reality. And he's given eyes to see, spiritual
eyes to see. And ears, spiritual ears, to
hear things that the natural sight and hearing cannot detect. These are things that, as Paul
told the Athenians in Acts 17, these are not far from each of
us, but they're hidden from physical senses. But they're conveyed
to us. How are they conveyed to us today?
How are they conveyed to believers today? By words written on a
page, and applied by the Spirit of God in the soul. We have seen
and believed that Christ is in our midst in this world. That's
the message of the first three chapters, that as we meet here,
as we go about our business in this world, if you're a child
of God, if you're a member of his body, of his church, Christ
is in the midst. Christ is walking amongst his
candlesticks. He sees everything. He looks,
he guides, he directs. He is the Lamb of God, who in
Revelation 14 verse 1 is pictured as being with his 144,000 in
this world on Mount Zion. His family, taken out of this
evil world on Mount Zion. We're in it, but we're not of
it. We're in it because we have to live in it, we breathe its
air, we eat its food, we use its resources. But where are
we in reality? We're on Mount Zion with the
Lamb of God. So now let's see heaven's perspective. Let's see, you know, what's the
perspective? Us here now, Christ in the midst,
but what's the perspective of heaven? Verse 2, immediately
I was in the Spirit and behold, this is what he saw, a throne
was set in heaven and one sat on the throne. A throne was in
heaven. A throne is a picture of supreme
power, of sovereignty. The sovereign is the one who
holds all the power. The sovereign, supreme power
and sovereignty. Now, As we live and breathe,
there is divine power exercised over all things. Over. those evil current world powers,
over those globalist organizations. They are all subject to this
throne, because this is the supreme power. This is the power of God,
the eternal God, the source of all things. Supreme power. But also, what we see here is
the final eternal state. This is God's kingdom triumphant. This is God's kingdom unchallenged. We read chapter 4 earlier, there
is no hint there of there being any sin in that place. God is
unchallenged. All of his people are settled
for eternity. They're sitting, they're sitting
around his throne. Satan and Antichrist and the
empires are powerless to challenge this. Are you a citizen of God's
kingdom? Do you know how you are? You're
a citizen of God's kingdom by faith. If God has given you faith
to believe, by grace are you saved through faith and that
not of yourselves, it's a gift of God. Are you a citizen of
God's kingdom? Has he given you eyes to see
what he is and what you are as a sinner and to call on his name,
to call upon him to save you from your sins, to save you from
the just condemnation that you deserve? Is God for you? Because
if God is for you, and if you're his child, he is for you. If
God is for you, Romans 8, 31, who can be against you? Satan? Antichrist? The things of this
world? The globalist organizations?
All of the corruption, the lies, the cheating, the deceit? No. If God is for you, who can be
against you? Power doesn't reside in you or
me, little flock. but in that heavenly throne,
and in the One sitting on it. And as a child of God, with the
Spirit in your heart, and with the mind of Christ to see, and
the words indelibly written upon the page, revealed by God and
His Spirit, here we see it. There's a throne in heaven that
is above all things, even now. But this is the final eternal
state. This is the end of the match. We know what the score is. We
know what the score of that rugby match yesterday was. We know
it. It's over. It can't be redone because it
was played and it's finished. We know now. This world in which
we live with the opposing forces of good and evil, the end of
it is God triumphant in his kingdom, in heaven, with his people around
about him. And here we have a revelation
that God is there in heaven. We've seen God in Christ walking
amongst His churches. We've seen these visions, these
pictures, these symbols of what He is like in His glory. We've
seen the expressions of words that are not literal but the
best that human words can do to describe this divine being,
in the end of chapter 1, head and hair as white as wool, and
white as snow, and eyes as a flame of fire, and feet as brass, and
so on. All of those things, we've seen all of those things, of
God manifest to His church in this world, walking among His
church. But God is in heaven. God is in heaven. You say, that's
contradictory. I know, I know. I'm not trying
to give you anything which logically fits together according to human
logic. But this is the revelation of God. God is in heaven. God is revealed in heaven. Look
at verse 3. He that sat on this throne was
to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone, a sardius stone. And there was a rainbow round
about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. You can tell,
can't you, that the economy of words here to convey the inexpressible,
the unfathomable truth of God. This is inexpressible, heavenly,
divine truth, expressed in signification, as it says in verse 1 of Revelation,
given to John, signified by his angel to John. It's images. It's metaphors. You know, a metaphor
is not the thing, it's a description. You might understand what the
metaphor is referring to, and thereby understand something
of that which is inexpressible. Images, metaphors. The language
of space and time is limited, but here, in these images, it
signifies the reality of divine eternity. It isn't literal, but
it is symbolical. What did John see in the symbol
on the throne of heaven? The one to look upon was like
a jasper and a sardine stone, and there was a rainbow round
about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. You know God
had said to Moses back in Exodus 33, he'd said, no man shall see
me and live. No man shall see me and live
and yet we know that people did look upon God. Was it Gideon's
parents knew that they had looked upon God and they were terrified
that they would die because God had said no man shall see me
and live. John tells us, John the writer of this revelation
in his Gospel. John chapter 1 verse 18 says,
no man has seen God at any time. No, you haven't. You haven't
seen the essential essence of God at any time. But the only
begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared
Him. He has manifested Him. He has
made Him known. as I often quote, Philip saying,
show us the Father to Jesus. Show us the Father and that will
suffice. Teach us things of God that we cannot see. Show us the
Father and that will suffice. Philip, have I been so long with
you and you have not seen me? He who has seen me has seen the
Father. To see the Father that no man
can see, we must look on the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what
was portrayed to the spiritual sight of John, was our glorified
God in His triune glory, manifested in His Son, conveyed by His Spirit,
the inexpressible Godhead revealed He was to look upon like a jasper
and a sardine stone. These are precious stones, you
see them again and again in the instructions for the tabernacle
in the wilderness wandering, all the precious stones that
the Egyptians were persuaded by God to give to the Israelites
the night that they left. that captivity. And all of these
precious stones were in their possession. And you see it in
Revelation, throughout Revelation, these precious stones. A jasper
stone is a gleaming white righteousness stone. gleaming white in righteousness
and purity. And a sardius stone, a sardine
stone, is blood red with the fire of the holiness and wrath
of God against sin. Speaking of the absolute purity
of God, His inherent purity, the whiteness, jasper, and His
opposition to all that contradicts His holiness, the sardine stone,
the blood red of His holiness and wrath against sin. But look,
it's all surrounded. All that throne is surrounded
with a rainbow, which in Scripture, I know this modern world has
distorted it to mean something different. We don't take what
this world says it is. This is the grace of God. This
is the grace of God around that pure holiness that we can never
attain to, around that Fierceness of wrath against all that opposes
him is grace for the sinner, so that the sinner who can never
himself attain to that jasper purity, who can never satisfy
that sardine opposition to sin, yet in grace in the blood of
His Son, that grace is shown so that sinners, because He was
made sin, He who knew no sin, are made the righteousness of
God in Him. Here is the grace of God, a rainbow
around the throne, and it's a green rainbow. You say, doesn't it
have all the colors of the rainbow? Well, this is why, it's symbolism,
it isn't literal. But in sight it's like unto an
emerald. An emerald is green. What is
green speaking of? We're in spring in the northern
hemisphere, it's just starting, and everything is, all around
our garden you can see little new shoots beginning to come
from the roots, from the root ball down at the bottom. New
life, new life. Budding green with new life. You read all about this, as I
said, in Exodus 28. Stones on the high priest's robe,
symbolical of the divine attributes covering God's people. those
He set His love on before the beginning of time, those that
He redeemed from sin's curse in time, those taken to be with
God forever. Their names are engraved on the
stones. My name, there's that hymn, it
says, My name from the palms of His hands eternity will not
erase. Where does he get that idea from?
Isaiah 49. Isaiah 49 verse 16, behold, he
says to the people of his choice, the people that he chose in Christ
before the foundation of the world, he says, behold, I have
graven thee upon the palms of my hands. It's permanent. It's
indelible. It's particular. It's for a particular
people. Thy walls are continually before
me. God says to the people he loved with an everlasting love,
I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands. Does God engrave
on his palms the names of people who in time might decide not
to choose him, to accept his offer? Of course not. This is
sovereign grace. This is electing grace. You say
I find it unfair. Read Romans 9. There's no injustice
with God. Who are you to answer against
God? He is the potter, we are the clay. Bow to him. Bow to
what he has said. So, there is God. A picture of God on his throne,
on the throne of the universe, absolutely sovereign, but he's
surrounded by his redeemed church. Look at verse 4. And 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. 20, what's that all
about? 24, why 24? 24 is 12 plus 12,
isn't it? 12 patriarchs, the sons of Jacob,
the patriarchs of Israel, the church in the Old Testament.
Twelve in the New Testament? Apostles. When Judas Iscariot,
who betrayed him, was replaced with the Apostle Paul, there
were twelve apostles. Twelve plus twelve is symbolical
of the Church of God throughout the ages. It's what Galatians
6 verse 16 calls the Israel of God. The twelve and the twelve
that make up the twenty-four are divided between those who
were before the time that Christ came and those who came after
him, because as Galatians 4 verse 4 tells us, when the fullness
of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman,
made under the law, to redeem those that are under the law,
that we might receive the adoption of sons, whereby we cry, Abba,
Father. He is 24, 12 plus 12, the Church
of God, the Israel of God, throughout the ages, surrounding the throne
of God in eternity. They're there. All of them are
there. They're redeemed from the curse of the law. They're
redeemed from their sin. They're made the righteousness
of God in Christ and therefore they're qualified. They're made
meat to be around that throne. They're resting from their labours
for they're sitting. They're sitting. They're not
shown working. They're sitting. They're resting. They're Elders are shown here, elders.
It doesn't mean office bearers in a church, I don't think. It
means older saints who are symbolical of those who have gone before
us, here and now, into eternity. But really, it's all of the Church
of God. We're sitting there amongst these
24 elders. We're there, right now. How do
I know that? Ephesians 2 verse 6. God has
raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places
in Christ Jesus. That's what Paul the Apostle,
by divine inspiration, said was the state of the Church of God
now. Sit speaks of a finished work. With God, they're there
in perfect fellowship. Again and again throughout the
Old Testament, and then into the New Testament, starting with
Leviticus. Leviticus 26 verse 12, God says,
I will walk among you and will be your God. Ah, yes, Revelation
1 to 3, Christ walking amongst the churches. I will walk among
you and be your God, and ye shall be my people. And there are many
other references saying the same thing. God's, God's, eternal
purpose was a people that he loved from before the beginning
of time, that he chose in Christ, that he united with Christ in
eternity, for Christ to come and accomplish their redemption
from the law's curse, from sin's curse. And he united them with
his Son, and so that everything that the Son did The people did,
in Him. So when Christ died, I am crucified
with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not
I, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live
in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved
me and gave Himself for me. United with Christ and fitted
for heaven. And here it is, fulfilled in
eternity. Here it is, this picture that
were there, as he says in Revelation 19 verse 1, and I looked and
I saw much people in heaven. If you're a believer, if I'm
a believer, that's you and me in heaven, in eternity, outside
of this realm of time. Those who were sinners in time,
in eternity, look at them, they're clothed in white raiment, they're
sitting clothed in white raiment, and crowns of gold on their head.
Where was that promised? Look at the letters. Look at
the letters. Chapters one to three. Christ's promises to the
church on earth fulfilled. Revelation two and verse 10. Fear none of those things which
thou shalt suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast some of you
into prison and you may be tried. And you shall have tribulation
10 days. Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a
crown of life. Oh, there he is. Here's the end
story. They're in heaven with crowns of gold. Revelation 3
verse 5, He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in
white raiment, and I will not plot out his name out of the
book of life, but confess his name before my Father and before
his angels. Here they are, clothed in Revelation
4 verse 4, in white raiment, exactly as Christ promised them
in this world. Verse 21, and we could go into
more detail obviously with this. But to him that overcometh will
I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame
and am set down with my father in his throne. Sitting, sitting
down. You see, it's promised there.
And verse five, moving on. Verse five, lightnings, thunderings,
voices. That's all speaking of the majesty
of God and the utter opposition of the nature and being of God
against sin. It's a picture that was sounded
forth from Mount Sinai when the law was given with the Israelites
when they crossed that Red Sea and went into Sinai and they
came to the Mount of God and there, the law was given and
God, they were terrified because of what was portrayed there. but it's always mediated to the
church by there were seven lamps of fire. Why seven lamps of fire? There's one spirit of God, but
there's that one spirit of God is manifested to all symbolic
seven of the church of Christ in this world. That's why there
were seven lamps of fire burning. The presence and the being and
the glory of God is mediated to the church by the seven spirits
of God. One spirit but one per church,
if you like, if I can put it that way, one per symbolical
church of the one Spirit. Wherever we are, wherever we
are, in whatever time, in whatever age, in whichever location, that
one Spirit of God, there's a manifestation of God by that. That's what's
pictured in this seven Spirits of God. And then moving on into
verses six to nine, and I'll be quick. Before the throne there
was a sea of glass like unto crystal, and in the midst of
the throne and around about the throne were four beasts full
of eyes before and behind, the first like a lion, the second
like a calf, the third as the face of a man, the fourth as
a flying eagle, and the fourth beasts each had them six wings
about him, and they were full of eyes within full of eyes within
and they rest not day and night saying holy holy holy Lord God
Almighty Which was and is and is to come and when those beasts
give glory and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne
for who liveth forever and ever What's this speaking about? This
is a vision of the Kingdom of God triumphant. Chapter 4 is
a vision, before all the other detail of how we're going to
get there is given, is a vision of the end. This is the settled,
finished Kingdom of God triumphant in eternal glory. A vision of
God's Kingdom. As in Revelation 21 verse 1,
John looked and saw the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven. There
was a new heavens and a new earth. The old ones were passed away.
This old creation of sin was passed away. A new creation,
reflecting the glory of God. I think that's what, I mean,
you can take different views, but to me, and it may not be
exactly as I thought it was the first time around, but I'm strongly
persuaded that this is a picture of the new creation, the heaven
of God, to which he's taking his people. The mentions that
he's preparing, here is great... a great sea of glass like unto
crystal, reflecting the glory of God all around. And the four
beasts, I think, are representing creation. You know, we tend to
underplay creation, the physical creation that God has made. Again
and again, the very first words of the Bible, in the beginning,
God created the heaven and the earth. The four beasts represent
that creation. Four is the number of creation. We talk about the four winds
of the world, the four corners of the earth. The six wings that
each of these four beasts had speak of the six days of creation
before the seventh day of God's rest at the end of creation.
Creation is the canvas on which God has painted, God has revealed
His saving grace to those who are His natural enemies. Creation
displaying the strength of a lion. Creation displaying the service
of a calf, you know, the usefulness, the service. Creation incorporating
the intelligence of a man, man made in the image of God, man
made in the image of Christ, the first Adam made in the image
of the second Adam. And creation displaying an eagle,
the agility, the speed, the swift flying of an eagle. What is creation
for? What is creation for? This creation
even. What is creation for? Colossians
chapter one. Verse 16, speaking about Christ,
in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness
of sins. He, Christ, who is the image of the invisible God, the
firstborn of every creature, for by Him, by who? By Christ,
were all things created that are in heaven. and that are in
earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions,
or principalities, or powers, all things were created by Him
and for Him. And He is before all things,
and by Him all things consist. This is our Lord Jesus Christ.
He is the creator. It says in John's gospel, chapter
one, verse one, in the beginning was the word and the word was
with God and the word was God. He created all things. By him,
there was nothing made that was made. He made all things. for
thy pleasure. Look at verse 11 of our chapter.
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive honour, glory, honour, and power,
for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are
and were created. It all serves God's purpose of
glory. The church on earth today, living
in perilous times, come up to heaven, and see eternal reality,
see God seated and his people seated with him, clothed in white,
crowns of gold in the New Jerusalem, having triumphed over Satan,
reflecting the majesty of God in his accomplished salvation
in the middle of the multitude that he loved with everlasting
love. And the response of it is praise.
Verses 8 to 11. They rest not night and day,
saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. And verse
10. The four and twenty elders fall
down before him that sat on the throne and worship him, that
liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the
throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and
honour and power. For thou hast created all things,
and for thy pleasure they are and were created." This new creation
praises God. That is the theme of this new
creation. In Romans 8, We find that this
creation is groaning, verse 18, I reckon the sufferings of this
present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which
shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of
the creation, I think that means, waiteth for the manifestation
of the sons of God. For this creation was made subject
to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who has subjected
the same in hope. Because the creature, creation
itself, also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption
into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know
that the whole creation, this creation, groans and travails
in pain together until now, waiting for the new creation. That new
creation has come in this vision of chapter 4. There it is, I
think, in that sea of crystal. Having replaced this sin-cursed
creation, which groans for the new one to come, and the redeemed
church praises. Don't despair at this world.
Don't take up arms to fight. Jesus said, my kingdom's not
of this world. If it were, my servants would take up arms and
fight, but they don't because it isn't. Look at the vision
of God's triumphant kingdom and praise him that your names are
written in the Lamb's book of life, if so be that they are. Are they? Are they? For whom?
Read the articles in the bulletin. Whosoever shall call on the name
of the Lord shall be saved. What? Is that all I need to do?
That's what it says. Whosoever shall call on the name
of the Lord shall be saved. Ask God to show you his name. What does he mean, call on his
name? Ask God to show you his name, to show you your sin. A sinner is a sacred thing. The
Holy Ghost has made him so. Ask him to show you his saving
grace in the redemption that Christ has accomplished. And
seeing all that which his name signifies, Call on the name of
the Lord. Lord, be merciful to me. Whilst on others thou art calling,
do not pass me by.