I invite you to turn with me
tonight to the book of Revelation. The Revelation of Jesus Christ,
Chapter 5. The whole of the book of God
is the Revelation of Jesus Christ. There is no other reason for
this book to be written. It's inspired of God in great
detail from beginning to end. All of these things describing,
revealing God through His Son, Jesus Christ. This book speaks
of His deity. He's God. God come into the flesh. The eternal Word made flesh who
dwelt among us. It speaks of His deity. It speaks
of His eternal appointments. I was raised in religion, Nazarene
religion, self-righteous legalism. And in all my time in there,
no one ever mentioned, not one time, the eternal appointments
of Christ. They called him Savior. They
called him Redeemer. They called him these different
things. But nobody told me that God appointed him as Redeemer. God appointed him as our substitute. God appointed him as his mediatorial
king. This book tells us that. It informs
us as to who this man, Jesus Christ, is. Speaks of his deity,
his eternal appointments. He's the creator. Paul said your
redeemer is the creator. He tells us that on Colossians
1. He's your Creator. He's the one who gave you your
being. Tells us about His creation.
Tells us about His prophecies. Those prophets spoke of His coming. They spoke of His person. They
spoke in detail who He would be, where He would go, how He'd
be born. Tells us about His prophecies.
Tells us about His incarnation. God's going to be with us. His name's going to be Immanuel.
That's what they're going to call Him. What does that mean? That means God with us. God and
man in one glorious person. It tells us about His incarnation.
It tells us about His life. A life of obedience. A sinless
life. Everything he ministered, just
as I'm doing tonight, he stood up and ministered to people. And he was obedient. During all
that time, he was obedient. Obedient. Everything he did was
in love. Everything he did was in full
wisdom. It tells us about his life. It
tells us about his death and his burial and his resurrection
and his ascension into glory. Those apostles, and I think I've
got a little glimpse as to why they did it. They were just standing
out on that hill and the Lord was talking to them and He said,
all power is given unto me in heaven and earth. Now you go
preach my gospel. He turned right around, stepped
onto a cloud with His holy angels and ascended up into glory. And
they just stood there with their mouth open watching Him go. The angel said, what are you
doing? Why are you standing here? He's coming back. That same one
that you saw ascend on this cloud up into glory, He's going to
come in all the glory of His Father's house. Nowhere in the
book of God, this is the revelation of Jesus Christ, nowhere in this
book is He described as common. This book sets him forth in his
glory. His glory. He must condescend. He must robe himself in human
flesh. He must be born under the law
to redeem them that are under the law, that they might receive
that adoption promised to them of God, predestinated of God. This book is an inspired book. It's a book written by men who
were moved by the Holy Ghost. It is God breathed this word. Moses wasn't around when God
created the world, was he? Well, no, he didn't appear for
a long time after the world was created. Moses wasn't there when
God created the world, yet he wrote about it in such detail
that you'd think he was standing there watching it as God formed
it. I preached through Genesis, and I'm telling you, I had a
whole series on it. They called it the Creation Series,
Larry Brown did. And he was fascinated by those
things, but he wasn't any more fascinated than I was. I was
just dumbfounded by the detail that this man wrote who wasn't
born for another hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years.
And it was like he was standing there watching God create the
fish. Standing there watching the sun
being put in the sky and the moon and the stars. Inspired by God. We've got no
reason to doubt anything stated in this book. This book has its
own evidence. of deity inspiring these men
to write. Moses wasn't there when Adam
felled in the garden, but he writes about it, doesn't he?
He writes about it. And so it was with the prophets.
But instead of writing an account of the past, they wrote an account
of the future. Yes, somebody told me one time
when I first started to preach, Somebody was listening to me,
and they told me, said, well, I can believe that Christ died
for my past sins, but I can't believe he died for my future
sins. And I was talking to Brother Mahan, and he said, well, you
go ask him this. Which one of your sins was past
when Christ died? They were all future, weren't
they? People get all clogged up with this thing of time. It's
no more difficult for God to look back than it is for God
to look forward. He sees the whole thing at once.
We just get a glimpse of it as He manifests it to us. He sees
it all at once. When He purposed creation, if
you read Proverbs, you'll see in there, when He purposed creation,
He even speaks of fellowshipping before the world was ever created.
Fellowshipping with the people of God. And He hadn't even created
a world yet for men to be in. They spoke of things to come,
future things, things that must be. Peter writes an account of
these old prophets in 1 Peter 1, and he says that the salvation
we hope for is one that the prophets searched diligently of as they
prophesied of the grace that was to come. Searching what or
what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did
signify when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ. and
the glory that should follow, to whom it was revealed that
not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things
which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the
gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven,
which things the angels desire to look into." I don't know if
I'm right about this or not, but it seems to me like Scripture
indicates that every time the saints of God gather to worship,
those angels are looking on. They desire to understand these
things. They desire to look into these
things. These things must be majestic
to them. They watch the third of the heavenly
hosts cast out just because of a thought in the mind. Satan
said in his mind, oh no, I'm going to sit in the seat of the
congregation. He never did anything. He just
thought it. He was gone. Bound up in chains
under judgment. And yet these things are open
to us and preached unto us, Paul said, with those who preach the
gospel unto you. with the Holy Ghost. And it's
not more difficult for God to inspire men to write about the
past than it is for God to inspire men to write about the future.
Nor to preach those things of the past and turn right around
and preach those things of the future. The book of Holy Scripture is
a very special divinely inspired book, and its contents are without
question the Word of God. But here in chapter 5 of the
book of Revelation, the Apostle John is shown another book. He's shown another book. And
this book is in the right hand of God. The living God. The sovereign God. The God of
eternity. God Almighty, sitting upon His
throne, holding a book in His right hand, that hand of power.
Our Lord, you remember what our Lord said in John 10, nobody's
going to pluck you out of My hand. And He said, even if they
could, they couldn't pluck you out of My Father's hand. And
I and My Father are one. And here's this book. God Almighty's
holding this book. He's holding it in His right
hand. And John sees it. The Spirit of God has come upon
this man out on the Isle of Patmos on the Lord's Day, and He lifts
him up, and He takes him up, and He gives him visions of this
gospel age. And each one of these visions
has to do with Christ all the way through to the end of time.
Each one of these visions. We want to look at these things,
religion does, and talk about tribulation and talk about monsters
and flying things and I don't know what all. They get their
graphs out and they start to, this indicates this and that
and the way they go with things. And just leave me in spellbound.
But that's not what the book of Revelation is about. He tells you right up front what
it is. It is the revelation of Jesus Christ. And that's what
this book is all about. And he says this book is written
within and on the backside. No blank spaces. No blank pages
for some unforeseen thing to be filled in in time. This book
is written, everything God intends to do is written in this book. Everything. It's written in exact
detail front to back. And the book was sealed. Nobody
could look into it. Angels couldn't look into it.
Nobody can look into it. It's sealed with seven seals.
And seven is the number of perfection, and I believe what this book
is sealed with is the perfections of God's character. I think that's
what he's talking about. Anybody who takes this book is
going to have to take it and fulfill it and accomplish it
without compromise of that nature. What is this book? It's the book
of God's eternal purpose of grace. People talk about this purpose
and that purpose and something else. I'd like to know what God's
purpose is in this. Well, I can tell you what God's
purpose is. It's a purpose of grace. He's going to save a people
for the glory of His name through His Son, Jesus Christ. That's
what He's going to do. Everything else is subservient
to that. Everything else rotates around
that. That's what God's doing. Oh, what's He doing in our country
today? I just told you. He's saving a people. for the
glory of His name. This ain't the first country
to rise or fall, is it? No. No. Did it hinder God? Not one bit. He just kept right
on doing what He's been doing since the beginning of time.
This book is the book of God's eternal purpose of grace. It's
a book containing the sovereign, unchangeable, redemptive will
of God. What's God doing? Huh? It's in this book. It's in this
book. Who's God gonna save? It's in
this book. But the book's sealed. The book's
sealed. It's God's eternal counsels concerning
all things. It is the book of the revelation
of God. God's going to manifest Himself. He's going to manifest His glory. And this is how He's going to
do it. What is this book? What's in this book? All things. All things. This book contains
the eternal appointments of Christ, the predestination of all things,
the eternal election of the saints, It contains the creation of all
things, the author of creation, the providence arranged to accomplish
His end and purpose. This book speaks of the fall
of Satan and a third of the heavenly host, the fall of man in the
garden, all of the events and advents of the ancient world,
the flood of Noah, everything is in this book. And God is holding
this book and it is sealed. Nothing's been created. Nothing's
been done. It's sealed. He's holding this
book. It takes John to see it. It takes in the account of the
very perfections of God and the judgment of wicked men. It takes
in every minute of every day of every man and woman who ever
was. So vast is the scope of this
book that it's been sealed of God and hidden to all. Revelation
5, 2. And he said, I saw a strong angel. Who knows who that was? I don't
know. But he wasn't just a regular angel. He's a strong angel. And he was proclaiming with a
loud voice, who's worthy to open the book and loose the seals? Whoever takes this book and opens
its seals must be able to fulfill everything that's written within.
He has to be able to accomplish everything that's written there. Whoever takes this book, he has to be able to order all
things and accomplish all things and do so without compromising
the character of God. Whoever takes this book must
be approved by Him in whose hand the book is held. And God who can see all things
and knows all things, and before whom nothing is hid, must judge
the taker of the book and know that he is worthy. And whoever takes that book,
God trusts. to accomplish these things. Whoever
is worthy to take that book, he's going to take that book,
he's going to hold it in his hand. He's going to hold it in
his hand, and God's going to trust him. He's going to step
back, and he's going to say, here's my throne. You take this
book, and you accomplish these things. Oh, my soul. Did you know after
God created the world, It said He looked on His creation. He looked on everything and He
rested. Well, didn't He know Satan was
going to fall? Pollute this world? Come down
here and lie to folks? Deceive folks? Cause the fall
of Adam in the garden? Cause the fall of all humanity?
Didn't God know? How could God rest? Didn't He
know that every imagination of man was going to be only evil
continually? Didn't He know about Babylon? Didn't He know that they were
going to go there and try to work their way into heaven, build
them a tower, find some other way other than God? Didn't He
know that? Didn't He know that when His
Son come into this world, they were going to reject Him and
spit on Him and make fun of Him? and nailed him to a cross? How
could he rest? I can tell you how he rested.
He gave it to Christ. Here it is. All of it. Here's
my lick. Here's everything I've decreed
to do. Here it is. Oh, and this strong
angel said, who's worthy? Who can do this? Satan was the most powerful angel
in heaven, I suppose, and man, he went out like lightning, fell
to the earth, judged of God, bound up in chains of darkness,
reserved under the Day of Judgment. Who's worthy? Who's going to
take this book? And John knew what these things
were. John was a witness of Christ.
He walked with Christ. He knew what these things were.
And he carries John up, and he shows him this, and John sees
this, and he sees that nobody's worthy not in heaven, let alone
earth. And John begins to weep. He begins to weep. Oh, who's
worthy to choose our destinies? Religion says we are. Isn't that
what they're saying? We are. We can take the book.
We can unravel the mysteries. We're worthy to choose our destinies.
We can, by our determination and goodwill, exalt the law and
make it honorable. We're worthy to manifest the
character of God and make known his love to chosen sinners. We're
worthy to begat the heirs of God. We can open the seals and
accomplish the will of God. Oh, no. No, no, no. No man. Here's what it says.
You can read it for yourself right there in chapter 5. No
man in heaven, nor in earth, nor under the earth was able
to open the book or even to gaze on the contents. God didn't say, here, you can
look, but you can't have the book. No. Now it's sealed. Ain't nobody going to open this
book. Ain't nobody worthy to open it. And he said, I wept
much, because no man was found worthy to open and read the book,
neither to look there on. Oh, my friend. You ever wept
over an unrevealed future? Oh, my soul, I have. I have. Your days sealed in a book held
in the hands of a holy and sovereign God. What's my Lord going to
do with me? All this time I thought I was
able to make Jesus my Lord, and then I found out He's already
Lord. He's Lord of the dead and the living. Everybody that lives is still
the Lord. Everybody that dies, dies unto the Lord. He's the
Lord. I didn't realize that. It wasn't
what I was going to do with him. Nathan, it's what he's going
to do with me. That's why John was weeping over these things.
He was weeping about an unrevealed future. Do you ever tremble before
God, not knowing his will toward you? What's God going to do with
me? I know what he ought to do. I know what he said he'd do.
But I don't know what he's going to do. You ever wept over the future
state of your soul? When the Holy Spirit shuts you
up to a sovereign, immutable God, you'll weep till he gives
you a revelation. And that's exactly what John
did. What could he do? Nothing. Nothing but weep. Weep. And one of the elders said unto
me, verse 5, Who's these elders? That's the
church. That's the church. The beast
that he's talking about here are preachers. I'll show you
that in a minute. These elders said, don't weep.
What do you mean don't weep? Weep not. Why? Behold, the Lion of the tribe
of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book
and loose the seven seals thereof. May the Lord allow us to see
the significance of what's taking place here. When God the Holy
Spirit shuts a man up to the living God and shows him that
it's in his hands to do with what he willed, his being, his
present life, and his future all in his hands, he weeps for
some indication, some hint as to His final end, and then God
will bring that man to Christ. That's what He's going to do.
He's going to bring him to Christ. He shut him up to Jesus Christ,
His Son, the only one by God's own decree worthy to take the
book, worthy to loosen seals, and worthy to reveal to chosen
sinners those great mysteries of God. The prevailing lamb, he's called,
the lamb slain. He's the root of David. He's
the lion of the tribe of Judah. Revelation 5, 6, And I beheld
it low in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in
the midst of the elders stood a lamb, a lamb as it had been
slain, having seven horns, all power, perfect power, and seven
eyes. all seeing, which are the seven
Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth." Jesus Christ, that's my message
to you tonight, is the revelation of God. You're not going to find
revelation anywhere else. Nobody else is worthy to reveal
God. He's the revelation of God. He
didn't come from afar to appear before God. He was in the midst
of the throne. He wasn't way over there somewhere
and everybody's looking and all of a sudden they hear this voice,
oh, here's one. No. When John saw Him, He's already
in the midst of the throne. He's God. How long has He been
on that throne? Forever. Forever. He's always been there. He's
always been God. He that thought it not robbery
to be equal with God, huh? Oh, took upon Him the form of
a servant. I can't imagine. How'd He get there? He was always
there. He was always there. In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This Lamb came from within the
throne. In John's first general epistle,
he tells us in 1 John 5.20, here's what John learned. He said, And
we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given to us an
understanding that we may know Him that is true, that we're
in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is
the true God and eternal life. He's the revelation of God. Now you can stand up here and
preach Calvinism until you're blue in the face, but if you
don't preach those doctrines, and they're all true, I'm not
trying to cut those things down whatsoever, but there's a way
to preach them and a way not to preach them, and the way to
preach them is in Christ. In Christ. He's the revelation
of God. And whoever these beasts and
elders are, he was in their midst too. He wasn't only in the throne,
but he's among these beasts, and he's among these elders.
And the beast, as far as I can tell, represent those called
of God to preach his gospel. They're born lower than beasts. Now, what David said, he was
like a beast. lower their beast before their
calling and conversion. And these elders represent His
church, chosen in Him, put in union with Him, discovered with
Him in the revelation of Christ. And you find these beasts and
elders singing a new song. This is why I say they were preachers,
and this is why I say this is God's redeemed. They were singing
a song of redemption to God through the blood of the Lamb. And when
a man or a woman is taken by the Spirit of God to see the
Christ of God, he'll find Him in the midst of his church and
in the midst of his preachers, where two or three are gathered
together in My Name. He said, there I'll be in their
midst. Hebrews 2 tells us, The gospel
revelation began with Christ. He's the one who first preached
the gospel, and it was confirmed by those who heard them unto
us, God also bearing them witness with miracles and wonders and
signs and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to His will. But in
Revelations 4, 7, He tells us that the first beast, now listen,
was like a lion. The first one. That's Christ,
isn't it? He was in their midst. In their
midst. So then this revelation of God
included the preaching of the gospel and His earthly assemblies
who are the pillar and ground of the truth. And so here we
are, we're weeping for one to open to us God's sovereign will
and purpose, but the book is sealed. So where do we go to
see it opened? Huh? in the midst of the throne,
in the gospel of His preachers, in the midst of His people. That's
where you're going to find this revelation. So what does the
Spirit tell us about this land? He said God will reveal Him to
whom He will. There was a lot of people on
Patmos. They didn't see any of these
things, just John. Hidden from the world. Revealed
to chosen sinners. God has hidden these things from
the wise and prudent and revealed them unto Babs. Not given to
you to understand the mysteries of the kingdom. Given to you. And then secondly, he tells this.
The Lamb that stood was the Lamb as it had been slain. Slain lambs don't stand, do they?
They do if God resurrects them. This lamb stood as it had been
slain. Slain to redeem us to God, verse
9, by His blood out of every kindred and tongue and people
and nation. And not every man, but certain
men. Not of the Jews only, Paul said,
but out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation.
Well, whose idea was that? Whose idea was that? Who decided
that he was going to save certain ones and certain ones he was
going to pass by? Who decided that he would show
grace to you and bypass the next man? Who decided that? God did. God did. Paul knew that. He said, it's
not of him that will. I tell you, I get people from
time to time, they're ready to fight you over man's will. Huh? Have you experienced that? They'll
fight you over man's will. I said, I don't even, what's
the problem? We're talking about salvation.
Yeah, but man has a free will. I said, well, before we start
arguing about man's will, let me read you something. It's not
of him that willeth. That's not the problem. God's
people shall be willing in the day of his power. They're going
to be willing. God doesn't save an unwilling man. He just makes
him willing. But man's will not free. It's
not of him that willeth. It's not of him that runneth.
I ran that race. I run as hard as I can run. It
didn't do me a bit of good. It's not of him that run it.
It's of God that showeth mercy. Cannot I do with my own what
I will? Shall the thing formed say unto
him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? Has the potter
not power of the clay to make one vessel unto honour and another
unto dishonour? Why are we upset with God? Shall
the thing form, say unto him that formed it, why hast thou
made me thus? We're going to hold court on God Almighty? He's the one who decides these
things. See, salvation, when we talk
about salvation, we're not talking about something reasonable to
sinful, depraved men. You can't reason with them. We're
talking about the revelation of Christ to chosen sinners.
He alone holds the book. Holds it in His hand. It's His.
He alone can loose the seals. He alone is approved of God. And He alone can reveal your
unknown future. All but preaching. Considering
these things. How can a man know his election
of God? How can he know what God's written
in this book that Christ holds in His hand? Because whoever's
name's written in that book, he's going to be saved. You read
the very last chapter, and you'll see. Anybody whose name's not
written in the Lamb's book of life was cast into hell. They
cast into hell. But how can a man know his election
of God? How can one know if the Spirit
of the living God is making known to him the saving revelation
of God? Turn with me to John chapter
6 and I'll show you. I'll show you how you can know
your election of God. John chapter 6. Look at verse 37. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. How do you know your election
of God? You come to Christ. You come to Him. You don't come
to the front. You don't come to a bench. You
don't come to some spiritual gibberish. You don't come to a pledge card.
You come to a person, you come to Christ. You come to Christ. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise
cast out, for, that is, because I came down from heaven, not
to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me. He came
down. What did He say when He came
down? What did He say when He came into this world? Hebrews
10 tells you, in the volume of the book, What book? That book
he took from the hand of God. In the volume of the book, it's
written of me, I come to do thy will, O God. By the which will? By the which will? We're sanctified
forever through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ. And this is the Father's will
which has sent me. that of all which he hath given
me, I should lose nothing, but raise it up at the last day.
And this is the will of him that sent me. Everyone that seeth
the sun and believeth on him may have everlasting life, and
I raise him up at the last day. No doubt about it. No doubt about
it. John was enabled to see the Son
of God, the promised Redeemer, abiding in the midst of the throne,
in the midst of His preachers and their message, and in the
midst of His people. What did he see when he saw Him?
He saw that He was worthy. And I tell you, I tell you when
you're going to trust Christ, when you see what John saw, He's
worthy. He's worthy. He alone He alone
can open that book to you. He alone. And when he saw him, as God would
have him seen, those Jews started murmuring after Christ said that,
that he came down from heaven. What's he talking about, he came
down from heaven? They started murmuring around. He said, don't
murmur. No man can come unto me unless my Father draw him. It was written way back yonder,
1,000 years ago. It's written back there, they
shall all be taught of God. Every man, therefore, that hath
heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me, cometh unto me. When they saw him as God would
have him seen, They all fell down before the Lamb, and they
began to sing a new song. Oh, my soul. He saved us sinners. I sung a new song. I didn't sing,
I'll Fly Away anymore. I didn't start singing about
meeting Mom in heaven. Will the circle be unbroken?
I didn't sing any of that anymore. I sung a new song. And here's
how the song went. Thou art worthy to take the book
and open the seals thereof, for thou was slain and hast redeemed
us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and
people and nation, and thou hast made us unto our God, kings and
priests. And we shall reign on earth."
And as he sung his new song, the heavenly host began to sing.
And here's what they said. They sang with a loud voice,
worthy is the Lamb. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor
and glory and blessing. And then after that, all creation
joined in. You see it there in the verse?
All creation began to sing. Blessing and honor and glory
and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the
land for ever and ever. Ever and ever. Isn't that something? Please God that in him should
all fullness dwell. It ought to please me. If God
can rest in him, and that's what Ephesians chapter 1 verse 11
talks about, or verse 12, He was talking about that eternal
predestination and that stewardship that I was talking to you about
the other night. And he said, we have obtained an inheritance
through Him. According to Him, He's the one
who predestinated us. According to Him, who worketh
all things after the counsel of His own will, that we should
be to the praise of His glory. Now listen, it's talking about
God. God's glory. to the praise of his glory who
first trusted in Christ. He trusted him, and they handed
him that book. They handed him that book. So what did we learn? Everything finds its solace in
the Lamb. That's right. Everything. Everything. Life on this earth, future life
in glory, everything finds its solace in the Lamb. Everyone written in that book,
all those things in that book, they're all because of the Lamb.
We find that solace in the Lamb who sits on the throne revealing
and accomplishing the redemptive will of God. And what about you? What about
me? Do we weep when we see this revelation? Do you weep over a sealed book?
Are you desperate to know the will of God concerning you? Look
to Christ. Look to Christ. He has the book. Does he still have it? He still
has it. Does he still open it? He still opens it. You know,
I first started coming to the knowledge of these things, and
I was there in an Armenian church, and I was asking the elders questions,
and they didn't have a clue what I was talking about. And I mentioned
predestination to one of them, and he said, oh, he said, the
deep things belong unto God. And I said, now wait a minute. I said, the book of Revelations,
it told John to put his pen up. The things God didn't want you
to know, he didn't let his man write. Are there deep things
that we're not? Yes, there is. But they're not
in this book. Everything in this book is for
you. This is the revelation. And that's what John saw. He
saw the revelation of God. And it's all in Christ. In His
hands. May the Lord teach us that and
give us comfort in it for Christ's sake. Thank you.