One of the most blessed, most
comforting, most delightful books in this book, when it is properly
read and understood, is the last book, the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation, please
understand, is not a book about prophecy. It is not a book about
prophecy. It is called in the first verse
of the first chapter of the book, the revelation of Jesus Christ. The book of Revelation is God's
final word in the written volume of Holy Scripture concerning
the person and work and accomplishments and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. I love to meditate upon read
and study this book. The book of Revelation gives
us seven visions of the person and work of our blessed Savior. The Lord God showed John this
book in seven visions, seven pictures Now, when you read the
pictures, don't try to mix them together. You read commentaries
and hear fellows talking about the book of Revelation, and it'd
be almost like taking seven pictures, cutting them in little shreds,
and then trying to fit them all together and look at them. So
try to mix everything together. That's not the way you look at
pictures. You see each vision standing on its own. You certainly
see their connection and see how each vision is of the same
person and of the same events. But it is each picture to be
looked at individually. In these seven pictures, John
tells us continually, or John was told continually, and relates
to us one blessed fact. Christ is triumphant. Christ is triumphant. Jesus Christ sits on his throne
and reigns everywhere absolutely all the time. He always has his
way. He is always saving his people. Therefore, we are more than conquerors
through him that loved us. We shall at last prevail over
all evil. We shall at last prevail over
the world, the flesh, and the devil, because Christ our Redeemer
has prevailed over, and is prevailing over, and shall prevail over
all evil, and the world, the flesh, and the devil. So that
everything is subservient to Christ's glory, and Christ's
glory is the salvation of his people. Now get hold of that, my soul,
and rejoice. Everything is subservient to
the glory of Jesus Christ. And the glory of Jesus Christ
is the salvation of my soul. In these seven visions that take
up the book of Revelation, John saw Christ in the midst of the
seven churches. seven churches representing the
churches of God throughout the ages, the whole body of God's
elect in all ages of time. Christ is in their midst and
he holds the angels, the stars of the churches, the pastors
in his hands, constantly guiding and protecting them. Then in
verses chapters four, five, six and seven, We see this vision
of Christ opening and fulfilling the seven sealed book of God's
sovereign eternal purpose. In chapters 8 through 11, we
see the trumpet judgments being fulfilled. The trumpet judgments
on this earth. But John begins having this vision
open to him first by understanding that God's judgments upon the
earth are God's answers to the prayers of his people. The trumpet
judgments, then, are God avenging his elect in the various acts
of his providence in this world, answering their prayers, vindicating
them in the execution of judgments. And then the fourth vision, chapters
12, 13, and 14, pictures the warfare. the warfare that's been going
on since before the world itself. had any being when Satan himself
took war against the throne of Christ, our Redeemer, the war
between Christ and the Lamb and Satan, Lucifer, the Prince of
Darkness, the war that goes on through every age of time and
continues now until at last Christ Jesus prevails over Satan victoriously
in the end. The fifth vision, chapters 15
and 16, shows our Lord sending his angels to pour out the seven
vials of his wrath upon the earth. The sixth vision, in chapters
17, 18, and 19, pictures Christ's triumphant over Babylon, that
is, over all false freewill works religion, over all the religion
of satanic confusion, over the beast and the false prophet,
And then the final vision speaks of our Lord's dominion over and
destruction of Satan and the glory of the new Jerusalem. But
each vision begins with the first advent of our Redeemer and continues
through this whole gospel age to the second coming of our Savior.
And each vision is given to tell us one thing. They've given to
tell us all that Christ has done. is doing and shall hereafter
do for the salvation of his people." The use of the word seven in
this book is remarkable. Seven, you'll remember, is the
number of perfection. It's the number of completion.
It's the number of satisfaction. The number of the beast is six,
six, six. Ah, isn't that good? Six, six,
six. That's nothing to be afraid of.
Six is the number of frustration. Six is the number of man. Six
is the number of incompletion. Six is the number of failure.
The number of the beast. Six, six, six. He shall fail. He is frustrated. He shall never complete his designs,
never. Our Lord uses the number seven,
perfection, completion, satisfaction, throughout this book to describe
his work and his people. There are seven churches, seven
golden candlesticks, seven stars, seven seals, seven trumpets,
seven angels, seven vials, The Lord God, our Savior, is telling
us in all things His purpose is sure. He has prevailed. He is prevailing and He shall
prevail. What does all that mean, Pastor?
When your soul is heavy, when your life is filled with chaos,
When darkness blackens your sky, when everything in your life
seems to be turning upside down, confusion seizes your very soul,
your plans are all turned inside out, then lift up your eyes unto
the hills and hope in God who sits on his throne and be easy. Be easy, O my soul. Be easy, O my soul. The Lord God omnipotent reigneth. He who loved me and gave himself
for me sits on the throne of the universe and he has his way
all the time. All right, now let's look together
at Revelation chapters four and five. I've tried my best to give
exposition to these two chapters numerous times. I'll take another
stab at it this morning. And when I get done, there'll
be plenty more to be said. My subject this morning is worthy
is the Lamb. Worthy is the Lamb. I want you to be convinced. I want my soul to be convinced
by God, the Holy Spirit, who alone can so convince us that
Jesus Christ is worthy of our trust. Jesus Christ is worthy
of our trust, implicit, unwavering, universal trust. He is worthy
of our confidence in Him, worthy of praise in Him, indescribably
better confidence, indescribably better praise, indescribably
better trust than we can ever give Him. You who are yet without
faith, oh may God be pleased to reveal Christ in you and make
you to see this day that he who is worthy of all wisdom and honor
and power and blessing and praise and dominion is worthy of your
faith. Revelation chapter 1 verse 4,
after this, after this, after John had received Christ's message
for his seven churches, his warnings and his reproofs and his calls,
His church who often leaves her first love. He calls her to be faithful unto
death. His church that is often darkened
with the counsel of Balaam and the Nicolaitans. His church who
often, like Thyatira, is influenced by Jezebel, the depths of Satan,
that is, of works, religion. He says to you, that which you
have already hold fast till I come, keep my works. Keep my works. When the world around you, when
the religion around you tries to get you to find comfort in
your works, when men point you to your works, when your own
wicked heart seeks to find peace and comfort in your works, the
Lord Jesus says, you keep my works. Keep my works. Lean all
your soul on my doing. Lean all your soul on my dying. Lean all your soul on my righteousness. Lean all your soul on my redemption. You have nothing on which to
lean your soul. He says to us as he did to Sardis,
you have a name to live, but you're dead, so be watchful.
Strengthen that which remains. Remember what I've done for you.
He says to us, hold fast that which you have so that no man
takes your crown and be careful. Oh, be careful. Be careful to
avoid that horrible, horrible plague of lukewarmness and indifference
that so easily steals over your souls. After this, the Lord God
speaks to John. He gives a counsel. Chapter 3,
verse 18, look at it. He says, I counsel thee to buy
of me gold, the gold of my grace tried in fire, that thou mayest
be rich in white raiment, that is perfect righteousness. Get
these things from me, that thou mayest be clothed, that the shame
of thy nakedness do not appear, and anoint thine eyes with the
eyesalve, the eyesalve of the gospel that thou mayest see.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice
and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him
and he with me. And he makes this promise, to
him that overcometh, will I grant to sit with me in my father's
throne. To him that overcometh, will
I grant to sit with me in my father's throne. even as I also
overcame and am set down with my father in his throne." What
on earth can that mean? What in heaven can that mean?
To him that overcometh, the Lord Jesus says, I will grant to sit
with me, to sit with me in my throne, a throne By which everything is ruled
from which everything came to which everything goes you can
sit with me in that throne Just exactly as I overcame as a man
and sat down with my father in his throne So real, so sure,
so blessed is the union of our souls with our Redeemer, that
we are one with Him as He is one with God. And in heaven's
glory, we shall enjoy the very glory that He possesses as the
God-man, our mediator. All right, back in Revelation
chapter 4, verse 1. After this, I looked, and behold,
a door. John knew what that meant. John
knew what that meant. He knew his Bible. He read it. In Ezekiel chapter 1, when a
door is opened in heaven, he said, must have said to himself,
Ezekiel saw visions of God. He saw visions of God because
a door was opened. John saw a door opened in heaven. and he must have stood back with
astonishment, with wide-eyed wonder, what am I about to see? A door opened in heaven. That
door, of course, is Christ Jesus the Lord. The only door of access
sinners have to God is Jesus Christ. Will you hear me? You who are far off from God,
you who do not know my Savior, He stands as a door open in heaven. There's a door open in heaven
by which sinners have access to God. You can come through the door
if you wish. It's open. It's open. I have never had any
hesitancy in my life, anywhere I've ever been, about walking
through an open door. Have you? Now if I come up on
a door that's closed, I may knock. I may even be afraid to knock.
I may presume it's closed specifically against me. But if I walk up
and the door's open, I figure it's alright to go in. Will you
hear me? There's a door open in heaven
for sinners. A door standing wide open and
that door is Christ Jesus the Lord. We come to God by faith
in Jesus Christ in the initial blessed experience of grace,
trusting his blood, his righteousness, which is our access to God. He
is able to save to the uttermost all them that come to God by
him. He's a door open. The door opened
by His obedience. The door opened by His blood.
The door opened by His death. A door by which God Almighty
gladly receives sinners into union with Himself. A door open
in heaven. This is the door by which we
will immediately leave this world when we close our eyes in physical
death and we will immediately be in the presence of the Lord.
In the last day, in resurrection glory, Christ is that door by
which we shall enter into heaven. But the only door by which sinful
men can enter is Christ Jesus. The doors opened to heaven and
the Lord said to John, come up hither and I will show thee things,
now watch this, which must be hereafter. I'll show thee things
which must be hereafter. This is not talking about another
dispensation in time. This is not talking about a future
tribulation period. This is not talking about future
millennial reign on the earth. It's not talking about some time
when God's going to revert back to Judaism and he's going to
receive Jewish sacrifices and accept Jewish priests and all
that nonsense. No, no, no, no. It's talking
about things that must come to pass. Things that God has decreed. Things that God has ordained.
Things that God has purposed. Those things must come to pass. These are things that we shall
see accomplished. John himself tells us in 1 John
chapter 2 that the time in which we're living is the last time. That is, this is the last tick
of the clock. So those people who would have
you, to be looking for another age, or have you looking for
another dispensation, have you looking for another time, they
speak in direct violation of Holy Scripture. In direct violation
of Scripture. The Scripture speaks of this
gospel age, and this is the last time. And when God's done in
this time, there are some things that must be accomplished. Look
at verse 2. And immediately, Immediately
when the Lord spoke and said, come up hither, I was in the
spirit. Suddenly, John ceased to see. With his carnal eyes and he ceased
to hear with his carnal ears and he saw with the eyes of his
soul and he heard with the ears of his heart. I was in the spirit,
in the spirit. Brother Don, aren't we always
in the spirit? I get so weary of people trying to defend some doctrinal
position and ignore the obvious. A fellow said, well, I pray for
forgiveness of sins. Our sins already have been forgiven.
God will forgive you for praying for it. It'll be all right. Yes,
our sins have been forgiven. There's nuts to think you shouldn't
pray for forgiveness. Are we always in the Spirit?
Well, we live in the Spirit. We walk in the Spirit, yes. But
there's being in the Spirit, being in the Spirit. There's
being in the Spirit and being consciously aware that God's
doing something for you inside. That God's working something
in you inside. so that you hear and see as otherwise
you couldn't. We come here sometimes and the
Lord lets us worship in the spirit. And sometimes, Merle, we come
and we're here and glad to hear what we heard, but not anything
about being in the spirit in it. John said, I was in the spirit
when God called. Oh, son of God. Will you call
us this day up to heaven, that we may in the Spirit hear you? And in the Spirit behold the
things he revealed. Immediately I was in the Spirit. And behold, a throne was set
in heaven. And one sat on the throne. Now, there's just not anything
any better in the world to see than what John saw when the Lord
God spoke to him on the Isle of Patmos. He said, behold, a
throne set, the throne is the very same thing that Isaiah saw
in Isaiah 6 when he saw the Lord high and lifted up sitting on
a throne. It is the mercy seat. It is the
throne of grace. It is that from which God Almighty
controls the universe in all aspects of it. This is not really
just a vision of things in heaven, but rather it is a vision of
the entire universe from heaven's perspective. And what John sees
here is that everything centers in, comes from, and returns to
this throne and He who sits upon it. Will you hear me? Everything in God's universe
centers in, comes from, and returns to God our Savior who sits on
His throne. everything. From heaven's vantage
point, there are only two things that matter. Just two things. God's throne and God's people. That's all that matters. That's
all that matters. Nothing matters to God but the
glory of his throne and the salvation of his people. That's the object
for which he made the world. That's the goal for which he
created the heavens and the earth. That's the design of all things
that come to pass in time. The glory of God on his throne
and the salvation of his people for the praise of the glory of
his grace. This throne is set. Fixed, fixed from everlasting,
fixed eternally. That means that the throne is
unshakable. It's unmovable. It's immutable. God sits on his throne in absolute
serenity, never disturbed by anything. Never shaken, never shaken. And Bob, if I could trust him,
that's just how I'd live. If I could trust him, never shaken,
never disturbed, because God always has his way. He sat on
the throne. He sat on the throne. roared against God and he said,
I will ascend to the throne of God. I will be as the most high. I'll take over the world. And
the Lord responds by saying, this is the purpose that is purposed
in the whole earth. Nothing's changed. God's throne's
unshaken, God's undisturbed. He sits in the peace and serenity
of absolute dominion. Oh, my soul, let me thus be serene
before him. He sits upon the throne. He was to look upon like a jasper
and a sardine stone. I looked that up several times,
always do. I want to say sardine. I'm told
it's pronounced sardine, sardine stone. The jasper is a transparent
stone. It offers a variety of vivid
colors, signifying something perhaps of the glorious perfections
of God. The sardine stone is blood red,
representing the justice of God. The Lord God will never give
up his holiness. His justice and His truth. He's
gloriously just in the government of the world, both in the saving
of His elect and in the damnation of the wicked. He is a just God
and a Savior. Verse 3, And he that sat was
to look upon like Jasper in a sardine stone, and there was a rainbow round about the throne. Incite
like unto an emerald. Rainbow. Not just your typical
rainbow. A rainbow, at best, is just a
arch. At best, just an arch. A beautiful
arch, but just an arch. Here is a rainbow that completely
encircles the throne. What can that signify? Well,
you know what God did when Noah came off the ark. Noah came off
the ark and after they had a good barbecue and he had burned up
all the wood on that ark. Well, brother, don't you think
they might find that lost ark? No. There's not a chance in the
world it'd been gone a long time. If any fool found it, they'd
make crosses out of it and sell them for $100,000. No, that ark
gone a long time ago. Well, Noah burned up the last
board on the ark, last marshmallow roast, and suddenly a cloud comes
in the sky. And he's terrified. He's terrified. I would have been. I'd have been
shaking in my boots, running just as high as I could to the
highest ground around. And the Lord spoke to Noah after
the old shower came, and he said, Noah, look up in the sky. He
said, Bo, That bow is my covenant with you. Everything's all right. I'll never again destroy the
earth with the flood of water as I have on this occasion. You can be sure of it. Because
when it rains, I'll put my bow in the sky. And you remember
I said this. This rainbow is an arch in the
sky to testify to you that I have satisfied my wrath. Justice is
satisfied. And now I'm at peace. Now, listen
to me. That was just a symbol. Here
is the real thing. There is encircling the throne
of God, the rainbow of covenant mercy. Covenant mercy. And no matter
how things may appear, no matter how black the sky gets, no matter
how the earth may shake and tremble beneath your feet, no matter
how your heart quakes within, there's a covenant. made between
God Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with our covenant
surety, Jesus Christ the Lord, and thus made with us, in which
God Almighty swears Himself to do us good and nothing but good. Now, the rainbow encircles the
throne. That means, Larry Chris, nothing
comes out of that throne to you but by that covenant. And nothing
gets to that throne but by that covenant. The only thing that
happens in this world, the only thing that transpires in time
is what God arranged according to the covenant. That covenant
ordered in all things and sure which is all our salvation and
all our desire. That covenant in which Christ
was accepted as our mediator and we were accepted in the beloved.
That covenant in which the Lamb slain from the foundation of
the world was received by God as our sacrifice and we were
blessed of God with all spiritual blessings in Him. Read on. Verse
4. And round about the throne were
four and twenty seats. And upon the seats I saw four
and twenty elders sitting, clothed with white raiment, and they
had on their heads crowns of gold. Who were these people? The twenty-four elders represent
the whole Church of God. As the 12 patriarchs represented
the whole church of the Old Testament and the 12 apostles represented
the whole church of the New Testament. These 24 elders represent all
God's elect, the whole hundred and forty four thousand of the
Israel of God, the whole number of the chosen. And there are
several things that are here stated clearly. There are 24 seats and Well, isn't that remarkable?
There's somebody sitting in every seat. Isn't that strange? Somebody sitting in every seat.
You mean there's no empty seats in glory? Looks like it. Looks like it. A seat made for each one. Each one made for the seat. A place prepared for each of
God's elect. God's elect prepared for his
place. 24 elders filled with the 20
or 24 seats filled with the 24 elders. These redeemed ones seated
around the throne are all wearing garments of salvation. They're
clothed in the white raiment of Christ's righteousness. Every
one of them is wearing crown of victory. A crown of pure gold
sitting on their heads. They're clothed in the garments
of the priest and they're wearing the crown of a king. Because
God's elect are all made kings and priests unto God in Christ
Jesus. These redeemed ones are from
every corner of the earth. But they, sitting here before
the throne of God, clothed in the righteousness of Christ and
crowned as kings and priests before God, they do nothing to
detract from the glory of Him who sits on the throne, but rather
their presence is the enhancement of His glory. They draw no praise
to themselves, but rather their praise to Him who sits on the
throne leads the angels and the rest of creation to give praise
to Him and to Him alone. There are crowns sitting on their heads. I just
have to say something about them. I realize that most everybody
teaches that you earn crowns. Will there be any stars in my
crown? No, there won't be any that you
put there. No. Well, Brother Don, don't
you think we're going to have rewards for our works? I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll
sit down and let you preach, man or woman, anybody here who
dares Lift your head and tell me you got something you think
God's gonna reward you for. Dare. Well, this is our doctrine. If
it is, stand up and brag to God about your good works. No, no. Well, what about the
crown of life promised to those who are faithful? God's people
are called faithful people. What about the crown of righteousness
promised to those who love Christ in His appearing? Can you imagine
a believer not loving Christ in His appearing? What about
the crown of rejoicing that awaits those who seek God's salvation?
The crown of glory that's the reward of our union with Christ.
That incorruptible crown that adorns the brow of all those
who are raised in incorruption. All of these crowns spoken of
in scripture are one crown. Isaiah puts it this way. In that
day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory and for
a diadem of beauty unto the residue of his people. Christ is our
crown. Christ is the prize we seek.
Christ is the reward of his people. Well, I don't know. I'd like to have more than that. It's just that silly, isn't it? Is Christ all? What? Did somebody say, is Christ
all? Can you imagine greater reward,
greater glory, than union with the Son of God? Sitting with him in his throne
as he sits with the father in his throne verse 5 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 that is the perfection of God
the Holy Spirit This is what Isaiah must have referred to
when he said the Lord's train filled the temple in the pillars
of the house shook before him Proceeding from the throne of
God, we see the lightning bolts of divine justice in the thunderous
sound of his holy law. And at the same time, the sweet,
tender voices of mercy, love and grace in the gospel. Verse
six. And before the throne, there
was a sea of glass like a crystal. And in the midst of the throne,
around about the throne were four beasts full of eyes. before
and behind, and the first beast was like a lion, and the second
beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and
the fourth beast was like a flying eagle, and the four beasts, these
four beasts, that is, living creatures, had each of them six
wings about him. They were full of eyes within,
and they rest not day and night, saying, Hold there, hold there,
Lord God Almighty, which was and is and is to come. These
four beasts, these four living creatures are gospel preachers. Had no question about this message.
Well, I thought they were angels. In chapter five, they're described
as those who are redeemed. Angels weren't redeemed. These
beasts are living creatures. They're gospel preachers. There
are four of them. Because God's servants are sent
to preach the gospel for the gathering of his elect from the
four corners of the earth. And God always has his preachers
where he gathers his elect. They're living creatures. They
have been made alive by the grace of God in regeneration. They
are beasts, or these beasts, these living creatures stand
between God on his throne and the 24 elders, but not as priests,
not as priests. They stand between them as men
who lead the people of God in the knowledge and worship of
God as God's ambassadors. And these living creatures are
full of eyes before and behind and within. They look into the
word of God and discern its meaning. And they observe how that all
the The things in the past, all the Old Testament sacrifices
and all the Old Testament prophets point to the Lord Jesus and the
accomplishment of redemption by Him. They have eyes before
them to lead God's people in the path He would have for them.
And they have eyes within by which they continually, continually
examine themselves. And they rest not day nor night. They rest not. They had the features
of a lion. Bold. Bold. God's servants aren't timid wimps. They're bold men. The second
living creature is like a calf, an animal of labor. And faithful
gospel preachers labored diligently in the work of the ministry.
The third beast had the face of a man. Like the Lord Jesus,
gospel preachers are men, tempted and tried just as you are, in
all points like you are, just as sinful as you are. And they learn to preach to you, wearing your dirty shoes. with some understanding that
you and I are just flesh. Just flesh. What do you expect from men? Not much. I expect sin. Inconsistency. Failure. Disappointment. Frustration. Because that's what I find in
me. I reprove it. I point it out
in me and in you that we may find refuge for our souls in
Christ and beg God's mercy and grace to correct the evil that's
in us. But you come here, you're not
going to get beat to death. I'm not going to tie you to a
whipping post and take the whip out. And I'm not going to threaten
you with law. And I'm not going to belittle
you by enticing you with rewards. I want to simply preach Christ
to you and pray God will give you eyes to see and ears to hear
and a heart to love him and believe him. and that he'll do the same
for me. And each of these gospel messengers
had six wings or had wings like an eagle. He had six wings to
cover his face and to cover his feet and to fly swiftly to do
God's will. Constantly engaged in the work. They go about doing the work
God sent them to do. are God's promise and God's gift
to his church. I will give you pastors according
to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. Chapter four, verse nine. And when those beasts give glory
and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth
forever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before
him that sat on the throne and worship him that liveth forever
and ever and cast their crowns before the throne. Saying thou
art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for
thou has created all things and for thy pleasure they are and
were created. No sooner shall the Lord God
place crowns on our heads. Then we will willingly, gladly
take them off our heads and bow before the feet of God, our Savior,
casting our crowns before him, saying, not unto us, O Lord,
not unto us, but unto thy name, give glory for thy mercy and
for thy truth's sake, for thou art worthy. Christ alone is worthy
of glory. The word is magnificence. Christ alone is worthy of honor.
That word, Alan, is value. He alone is worthy of magnificence. He alone worthy to be valued. He alone worthy Nobody has the right to power
except the Son of God. Nobody is worthy to hold power
in his hands except the Lord Jesus. Yes, we'll cast our crown before
his throne because when we see him as he is, we'll have a deep,
deep, deep sense of gratitude to him. and mansions of glory
and endless delight. I'll ever adore thee in heaven
so bright. I'll sing as I cast down the
crown from my brow. If ever I love thee, my Jesus,
it is now. Amen.