Jesus led me all the way. We don't always trust Him to
do that, I'm afraid, and we don't always recognize that He does
that, but He does. And in that day that we just
read about in Revelation 21, when we're all gathered, When
all of his sheep are gathered with their great shepherd in
one fold, we'll be then able to look back and truly sing,
all the way, my Savior led me. He did everything well. He did
everything for his glory and for my good. Looking again in
Revelation 21, I want to take our text, our message from verse
5, these words primarily. I think there's enough in these
words to take up what time we'll be here. Verse 5, and he that sat upon
the throne, he that sat upon the throne, In the reading, we included the
last few verses of chapter 20. We turn from that terrible, terrible
scene, yet true, of judgment, certain damnation, those who
refuse to bow to the Son of God, those who are judged rightly,
by their works, and we're told, cast into the lake of fire. We
turn from that to chapter 21. Now there opens up before us
a scene in which there's no darkness. It's all light. No sorrow. It's all joy. Because there's
no sin. No sin. Note first of all in
verse 5 where Christ is. Everything depends upon this. Where Christ is, where it is
we find him. Where we read of him being, we're
told he that sat upon the throne. Upon the throne, the throne of
universal dominion. I mean as God, as God. He always sat upon the throne. As David said to his enemies,
those mockers, that asked, where is your God now, David? He said,
our God is in the heavens. He hath done whatsoever he hath
pleased. Those two things go hand in hand,
do they not? If God is in the heavens, if
he sits upon a throne, if he's everlastingly God, then it just,
so to speak, goes hand in hand that he does whatsoever he hath
pleased. He must, if he's God, and David
says, that's where he is. And Christ, as God, has universal
dominion. But also as our exalted Redeemer,
as our surety, He has all things put under His feet by God the
Father. Turn, if you will, to Ephesians
chapter 1. We read that here. Many places. Yes, He has universal dominion
as God, but also as the God-man. The Father had highly exalted
Him as our glorious substitute, as our Redeemer in surety. Here
in Ephesians chapter 1 is what Paul's telling us, verse 20.
Speaking of God the Father, it says in verse 20 of Ephesians
1, which he, that is God, wrought in Christ when he raised him
from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly
places. far above all principality and
power and might and dominion above all that, all that's beneath
him and every name that is named not only in this world but also
in that which is to come and has put all things under his
feet that doesn't exclude anything, does it? had put all things under
his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to his
church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth
all in all." I think it was last Sunday before service, Louis
was telling me about a book This O'Reilly fellow, this news commentator
on Fox wrote about Christ, about the Lord Jesus Christ. And if
I remember right, I asked Louis, well, what do you think of it?
He said, well, in that book, this man said that Christ didn't
know the things that were before him. He wasn't aware of it. Not much of a savior is it? Oh
no, that's not the one we just read of. In Revelation 5, he
that sat upon the throne, under whose feet God has put everything
and every body, as he himself said, he earned that place of
universal dominion. He earned that place at the right
hand of the Father. As he himself said in John 17,
Father, you've given me power You know He didn't say over some
flesh, over willing flesh, over saved flesh. Oh no, you've given
me power over all flesh. He's the King's King and Lord
of all lords. And because redemption is finished,
because he did that for which the Father sent him into this
world to be done. This is why God exalted him and
gave him that name above all others' names. And it's only
this name to which all mankind, even those we read of in Revelation
chapter 20, the last few verses, even they will bow before him
before he says, depart from me cast them into outer darkness,
they'll bow before Him and acknowledge that God's glory, that He's the
Lord of all and blessed evermore. Yes, God has highly exalted Him. It was absolutely so. When He
who sits upon the throne, and we'll get into what He said here
in just a moment, But it was absolutely true. Oh, I'm so thankful. What I'm about to say, where
I spend eternity depends on this. Whether God accepts me or rejects
me depends on this. When he bows his head upon the
cross and cries, it is finished, It was. When he said, not as
a defeated martyr, but as our glorious Savior, he cried before
he gave up the ghost, knowing all things were accomplished,
we read, he cried, it is finished. It's done. It being this, it
including this. What did he mean by it is finished? The putting away of all the sins
of all his people. That's what he came into the
world to do. He either succeeded or he failed. And he said, I've
succeeded. It's done. It is finished. That's
why he was given the name, that glorious name Jesus. It means
the salvation of the Lord or Jehovah is salvation. Why are
we going to call him that, Gabriel? Why is Mary and Joseph instructed
to give him that name? Because it describes his mission. It describes what he's coming
into this world to do. This is why God, God, great mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. He that was essentially God and
eternally God and he never ceased being God. I hear me talk about
what he laid aside his Godhead. No, he didn't. No, he didn't. It was veiled, but he never ceased
being God and that eternal, everlasting God. that John said created everything
that is made. He was made flesh, my soul. He was made flesh and dwelt among
us. Why? In order to save his people
from their sins. And in regards to that, he said
it's finished. To redeem his people. It also means bringing in a perfect
righteousness. But our Lord's life and death,
he enables God to be absolutely just, no infringement upon his
holy, just character when he forgives a sinner. It's as much
a matter of justice as it is of mercy. That's why John wrote,
he's faithful and just to forgive us of our sins. Why? What's justice
got to do with it? Oh, everything. Because Christ
bore our sins in his own body on the tree. We don't bear them. We'll never bear them. Christ
bore them away. That was included in the word,
it, that our Lord referred to when he said, it's finished.
It also means this. When he said it is finished,
it included this, that then and there, once, forever, God made
him to be sin for us. God made him sin is how it reads. God made him sin. Explain that. I can't. I can't. I wouldn't
begin to attempt to. But I believe it. I rest on it. I rejoice in it. God made him
sin for us, but that's not the entire verse, is it? In 2 Corinthians
5 and 21, God had made him sin for us that we might be made
the righteousness of God in him. Both those things are true. If
he was made sin, all those he was made sin for shall be made
the righteousness of God in him." And Paul says that's exactly
so. God has made him to be unto us
wisdom and righteousness and justification and redemption. And what is here said in verse
5 of Revelation 21 is true now. He that sat upon the throne,
much of what John saw was yet to happen. Oh, but this is always
true. He's always on the throne, isn't
He, Lord? All the time. Everything we read
that's to take place is dependent upon Him. Every glorious promise
of this place, a new heaven and a new earth, where we'll be and
how we'll be in verse 2. All that God shall do for all
those that are in the Lord Jesus Christ, everything, it depends
upon him. When we read that he that sat
upon the throne, then we can be sure that all that he speaks
shall come to pass. It'll be realized. Why not? Why not? No reason why not. All the reason
why it should be. Ask those who may war with the
Lamb, who's mighty, who sets upon the throne. Ask those. Turn
if you will back a page or two to Revelation chapter 17. These
are our Lord's enemies. Whoever they are, they're not
very smart. Because we read that these shall
make war with the Lamb in verse 14 of Revelation 17. These shall
make war with the Lamb. And the Lamb shall overcome them.
Of course He will. Why? For He is Lord of lords
and King of kings. And they that are with Him are
called and chosen and faithful, even as enemies. Find out that
he's king of kings and lord of lords. He can't be defeated.
He can't be overcome. And all the multitude of the
redeemed, that number that no man can number, they happily
confess that he is those things. Look, if you will, in chapter
19. Now we have a picture of the redeemed. In Revelation 19. included in their song of praise
to him that sets upon the throne in verse 6. And I heard, as it
were, the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters,
and as the voice of mighty thundering, saying, Hallelujah, for the Lord
God omnipotent reigneth. You mean they rejoice in that?
They don't have a problem with that. Oh no. No, they're thankful. The Lord
God omnipotent reigneth. The only ones that have a problem
with that are like those ones that make war with the Lamb.
The only ones that have a problem with that are rebels. For the
child of God to be told that we're in his hand? and none can
pluck us out. Oh, that gives us comfort. To
be told that he has power over all flesh, that gives us comfort. Not so with the rebel. Oh, but
the redeemed, they cry hallelujah for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice. and
give honor to him. For the marriage of the Lamb
is come, and his wife had made herself ready. Now look back,
if you will, in chapter 21. Look at verse 1. We read, and I saw a new heaven
and a new earth. For the first heaven and the
first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea. Who did that? We look out on
this creation. And it is indeed a marvel. It
is indeed a marvel. But it's a mere reflection of
Him who created it. Men stopped short, as Paul said
in Romans 1, and worshipped a creature, their creation, and yet remained
blind to that One who created it. The heavens and the earth,
God created. And when he's done with it, he'll
lay them aside and he'll create a new heaven and a new earth.
Who can do that? Who has such power, such majesty? It can only be that one that
sats upon the throne. He who was in the beginning with
God and is himself God, he who created all things that are created
and for his pleasure they were created. Look at verse 2. John says, and I, John, saw the
holy city. What's he describing here? The
church. The church, the Lamb's wife.
And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from
God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. A bride. The Lamb's wife. Oh, she must be perfect, must
be spotless, to be presented back to the Father by the Lamb.
by her bridegroom? Oh, there can't be a flaw in
her. There can't be any trace of sin. She must be pure, chaste,
holy, blameless. And so she is. Who's responsible
for that? The Lamb that sat upon the throne
and none else. This bride The Lamb's wife is
without blemish and without spot. Turn if you will to Ephesians
chapter 5. This is exactly what Paul was
telling us here. As we see her coming down from
God out of heaven, Paul says exactly the same thing here in
Ephesians 5, verse 25. Paul uses the relationship between
husband and wife. And he says in verse 25 of Ephesians
5, husbands love your wives, just like you do every other
woman. No, no. Husbands love your wives even
as Christ also loved the church. How was that? Especially, particularly,
like no one else. electing, redeeming, calling
by his grace love, a special love. Husbands, love your wives,
even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. He loved us and gave himself
for us, that he might sanctify it and cleanse it with the washing
of water by the word, that he might present it to himself,
a glorious church That's what John saw coming down out of heaven,
the Lamb's wife, a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or
any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. Look down at verse 30 of Ephesians
5. Now Paul tells us what he's talking
about. For we are members of his body,
that is Christ's body, of his flesh and of his bones. For this call shall a man leave
his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and
they too shall be one flesh." This is a great mystery. But
Paul says, I speak concerning Christ and the church. You know, those words that Paul
quoted there in Ephesians 5, those were the words that Adam
said. in Genesis chapter 2. That's
what Adam said when God brought Eve to Adam. Those were his words. Listen, if you will, in Genesis
chapter 2. And the rib which the Lord God
had taken from man made he a woman and brought her to the man. This
is a picture of what we read of in Ephesians 5. Paul referred
to it, didn't he? And Adam said, this is now bone
of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman because
she was taken out of man. Therefore shall a man leave his
father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife and they
shall be one flesh. One flesh. This is what John
saw coming down out of heaven from God. Oh, the bride of Jesus
Christ, just as Eve was given to Adam, created from Adam, taken
from Adam, we were chosen in Christ by God the Father before
the foundation of the world. We were in him. And in the fullness
of time, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the
law, to redeem them that were under the law, to redeem his
fallen bride. Remember when Eve ate the forbidden
fruit? And of course she fell, fell
from God, fell from grace. I don't know how long a time
there was between her eating the fruit and giving it to Adam.
I don't know. Don't know. But until Adam took
the fruit, they were separated. He's yet in the image of God
and she's fallen. And Paul in writing to Timothy
said, Adam was not deceived. Adam was not deceived. He said
the woman was deceived, but Adam was not deceived. Then why did
he do it? Why did he take that forbidden
fruit if he wasn't doing it because he was deceived like Eve? He
did it, I think, out of his love for her. Yes, he disobeyed God,
and yes, God held him accountable, but he did it out of love for
her. Christ, in obedience, Paul said. Not like the first Adam,
in disobedience, but in obedience, he took the forbidden fruit. He was made sin for us that He
might redeem His fallen bride and present it back to the Father
that gave Him the bride without a spot or a wrinkle or any such
thing. He that sat upon the throne is
the only one that can perform that glorious work, is it not? Oh, who can accomplish that other
than the King of kings and Lord of lords? Jude said, now unto
him that is able to keep you from falling. Now, I've often
said this, but it's still true. It's as true as it was the last
time I said it. That is some work, is it not? That is some gigantic task that
can keep this sinner from falling. Only my great God and Savior
can do that. To Him that is able to keep you
from falling and to present you faultless, that's what it says,
faultless before the throne of God, to the only wise God. Be
glory and majesty both now and forever. And notice what our
Lord says. He that sat upon the throne says,
Behold. Behold, child of God, I make
all things new. I make all things new. Yes, He
makes us by His Spirit and grace new creatures in Christ. He makes
John says, a new heaven and a new earth. A prepared place for a
prepared people. In heaven, in glory, in this
new heaven and earth, where the Lamb's wife shall be with her
Redeemer. Throughout eternity, there'll never be heard not even
one time, not even one time. From not even one among that
multitude that John said he couldn't number, the multitude of the
redeemed, never will there be heard one time throughout eternity
a cry like this, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver
me? That'll never be heard. It's
heard now. It's hurt now. All God's children
cry out with the Apostle Paul, who shall deliver me? But he
answered his question, didn't he? I thank God through Jesus
Christ, my Lord, and now we're delivered without sin, without
blemish before the throne of God. And not only that, there'll
never be, I'll never, in that place with my Redeemer ever have
an undivided heart. Never have anything other than
an undivided heart, I meant to say, for him. My love will always
be aflame. My love will always be constant. I'll never be lukewarm. Isn't that something? Isn't that
glorious? Think of that. I'll never be lukewarm. I'll love Him with an undivided
heart. He'll have all my attention,
all of my heart. All of my gratitude, all of my
adoration, all of my worship, I'll cry sincerely and truthfully,
worthy is the Lamb, and I'll mean it. I'll mean it like I've
never meant it before. Oh, can that really be? Can that
really be? No sin. No sin in that city. No evidence
of the slime of the serpent's tail. No. No trail. No trail of sin. None in me. Christ knew that that might be
hard for you and I to believe yet in this wilderness. So notice
what he says in verse 5, and he said unto me, Write. Write,
John. Don't doubt. Write. For these
words are true and faithful. Everything you've seen, everything I've told you, it's
true. Write it down. As true as he
who spoke them is true, who said, I am the truth. As faithful as
he himself is faithful, then it must be so. The elder said
to John in chapter 4 of Revelation, come up hither and I'll show
thee things that must be hereafter. That must be hereafter. not might
be hereafter or maybe he'll be hereafter, but must be hereafter. The only way that these glorious
truths won't be realized is if he that sets upon the throne
is dethroned. That's the only way, Lester.
Unless he's dethroned, unless there's someone mightier than
the mighty God, unless there's someone greater than the Prince
of Peace and King of Kings. And of course, that's utter nonsense. Therefore, when we read that
this Word and this promise is made by Him who sits upon the
throne, then it's certain. It's certain. In that day, He
shall present us back to the Father, having lost none. He shall be satisfied. He'll
bring them all back to the throne of God. I like that hymn. I often quote it. I find comfort
in it. And this text reminds me of it.
Dear dying lamb, thy precious blood shall never lose its power
till all the ransomed church of God be saved to sin no more. Turn back if you will to chapter
7 of Revelation, this glorious vision that John was blessed
to see. Revelation chapter 7, look at what we read at verse
9, and after this I beheld in lo a great multitude which no
man can number of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues. Stood before the throne and before
the Lamb, clothed with white robes and palms in their hands.
And this is not a fairy tale. And cried with a loud voice,
saying, Salvation to our God, which setteth upon the throne.
It's always on the throne. And unto the Lamb. Look in chapter 14, if you will. We referred to it a moment ago,
but we didn't read it. Chapter 14. Verse 4. These are they which
were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are
they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. Wherever he goeth. These were
redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and
to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found
no guile, for they are without fault before the throne of God. The psalmist said in Psalm 84,
every one of them in Zion appeareth before God. None are lost. Now look again,
if you will, back in Revelation 21 at verse 3. John saw, and then John also
heard this, and I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold,
behold. Here's another wonder, John.
Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell
with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall
be with them, and be their God." My, so imagine that. God himself shall be with them.
He shall dwell among them. John said, the Word was made
flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory. And we're
told here that the God-man shall dwell with them. Dwell. That word doesn't mean sometimes,
but all the time. We'll live with Him. We'll live
together. with the Lord Jesus Christ forever. Andrew, one of John the Baptist's
disciples, him and another disciple of John's, stood one day and
the Lord walked by and John said, Behold the Lamb of God. Now,
you all need to leave me and follow him. And they did. And the Lord turned and said,
What do you want? They said, Master, where dwellest
thou? And he said, Come and see. Come and see, or we shall dwell
with him, and he with us forever. Dwell, turn back if you will
for a moment to chapter 7 again. John tells us this same thing
here concerning the multitude before the throne. In chapter
7, verse 16, they shall hunger no
more, neither thirst any more, Neither shall the sun light on
them nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the
midst of the throne shall feed them, and He shall lead them
unto living fountains of waters, and God shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes. He that sits upon the throne
shall dwell among them and lead them." He steps off His throne
to welcome us home. Oh, the other night when I drove
back from my daughters in Florida. Pretty long drive. And I was
glad to be home. It was good to get home. But
at the same time, there was a part of me still there, thinking about
her, missing her. Oh, in heaven, in heaven with
Christ, I won't miss anything, Lord. Won't miss anything. I'll have all that I ever wanted. All that I'll ever need, I'll
have. I'll be with Christ. I'm going
to be dwelling with Him. And He with me. And I'll have
no regrets. Last of all, did you notice when
we were reading here in Revelation 21, all the shalls of verses
3 and 4? They shall be His people. And God Himself shall be with
them and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes. That makes it certain, doesn't
it? Because God does it. The hand of our Heavenly Father.
When our children were little, we would tell them sometimes,
don't cry, don't cry, come here, come here. Let me wipe your tears
away. It'll be alright. God, our Heavenly
Father, we're told shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. And when He does it, they'll
be gone forever. Forever. We weep now, and we can't wipe them away. Our own or others, we see one
another Paul said, weep with those that weep. We're part of
the same body. Blessed be that tithe that binds.
And we see one of our fellow pilgrims, servants of God, hurting
and suffering. We hurt with them. We cry with
them. And we can't wipe their tears away. Oh, but God shall,
won't he? All their tears, all their tears. The reason being, I think, that
there'll be no tears in heaven because God removes every reason they ever had to
cry. It won't be there any longer. Look what it says, and there
shall be no more death. Oh, how often we've left the
graves, sighing, crying. There'll be no more death, so
we won't cry over that. Neither sorrow nor crying, neither
shall there be any more pain. For the former things are passed
away. All that we ever wept over will
be no more. They're former things. And we're
told he makes all things new. No former things will exist to
make us weep anymore. The psalmist said weeping may
endure through the night, but there'll be no night there. No
night in glory. The city will never be dark.
because the Lamb, the Light, will always be there. Judaestus
used to sing an old hymn sometimes in the church in Danville entitled,
There'll Be No Dark Valley. There'll be no dark valley when
Jesus comes to gather his loved ones home. No dark valley. Look at verse 6. We'll wrap this
up. And he said unto me, It is done. It is done. He that sat upon the throne says,
it is done. That sounds familiar, doesn't
it? I've heard that before from the
lips of my Redeemer. We referred to it earlier. John
17, Father, I finished the work that you gave me to do. And then on the cross again,
knowing all things were accomplished, he cried, it is finished. It's done. Not partly done, not
half done, all done. All the work of our redemption
finished, forever completed, and final. When he had by himself,
bless his name, when he had by himself purged our sins, he sat
down at the right hand of the majesty on high. And that's where
we see him here. He that sat upon the throne.
We love to sing of Christ, our King, and crown Him, blessed
Jesus. We sing of Him now. Oh, but then
we shall see Him as He is. And after He wipes away all tears,
and we hear Him say, It is done, Alpha and Omega, the beginning
and the end, so shall we ever. be with the Lord. Let me read
you a couple of verses from Isaiah and we'll be done. Isaiah chapter
55, listen to this. For as the rain cometh down from
heaven and the snow from heaven, and runneth not thither, but
watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth in bud, that it
may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater. So shall
my word be, that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not
return unto me void, but it shall accomplish I like that. It shall accomplish that which
I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereunto I sent
it. For you shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace. The mountains and the hills shall
break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field
shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorns shall come
up the fir tree, and instead of the briars shall come up the
myrtle tree, and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an
everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. He that sat upon
the throne says, Behold, I'll make all things new. God bless you.