I'd like to turn your attention
again this morning to the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
And again to the second vision which is granted unto John, which
we begin to read of in chapter four. So Revelation chapter four
and verse one through to verse eight reads as follows. 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 thee
things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the
spirit. And behold, a throne was set
in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to
look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone. And there was a rainbow
round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. 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. And out of the throne
proceeded lightnings, and thunderings, and voices. And there were seven
lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven
spirits of God. And before the throne there was
a sea of glass like unto crystal. And in the midst of the throne
and round 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 had each
of them six wings about him, and they were 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. Consider John's situation here,
as he's given this revelation. Consider where he is. As we read
in chapter one and verse nine, when he introduces, he says,
I, John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation
and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle
that is called Patmos, for the word of God and for the testimony
of Jesus Christ. Consider his situation, he's
here in Patmos, exiled by the Romans to Patmos. in tribulation
because he had sought to preach the gospel of God's free grace. As a result of his preaching
of Christ and his gospel, he'd been arrested and put in exile,
set apart from his brethren, divided from the church at that
time, put in exile on a lonely island in Patmos, oppressed,
alone, isolated. How would you feel in such a
situation? How would you feel if you were
there in exile like John? Would you feel dejected, lonely,
miserable, cut off, in despair, at an end of things, Everything
that you'd sought to do, everything that you'd longed to do, to witness
to Christ, to preach the Word of God, to bear testimony to
Jesus Christ, everything that you sought to do is taken out
of your hands. You're, as it were, prevented
from doing that which is your heart's desire. Exiled. Think how John must have felt.
What good could he do on his own? You may have thought. Who is there to hear his preaching?
How is the kingdom of God to be furthered through this circumstance? Well, it's in this very circumstance,
in this very context, at this very place, when things may,
outwardly, humanly speaking, have seemed to be at their worst,
when John may have been at his lowest, if the thoughts of the
flesh were allowed to arise in his mind, when he might have
wondered where things were headed. It's in such a circumstance that
the Lord granted him these wonderful seven visions. which were then
written down in the book of the revelation of Jesus Christ, which
has been left on record for Christ's ecclesia ever since. It's from such circumstances
arose such a blessing. As John was granted these visions,
this revelation of Jesus Christ, and he was granted these visions
partly to lift him up, and to lift all those who will read
his testimony and his record up, to lift him up, to show him
things as they are, beyond what he could see with the sight,
beyond the outward circumstances. There is a reality unseen by
the natural eye. There is realities in the heavens,
in spiritual realms, in spiritual dimensions, which are not seen
with the visible sight. for which are presented here
to the gaze of faith. Yes, he's lifted up, he's encouraged
by being shown just how sure and certain God's eternal purposes
are. That despite the might of man
at the time in which John lived, that despite the power of the
empire of Rome, that despite the great persecution which those
who testified to Christ were put under, that though many were
murdered, that though many were put to death, that though many
were sawn asunder, as we read of in the book of Hebrews, that
though many came to such an end because of their testimony of
Christ, nevertheless, behind the outward circumstances, God's
eternal purpose is to save a people, to build His church, to gather
a people into his eternal kingdom are sure and are certain. And everything is going according
to his eternal purposes and plans. So despite these things, despite
the situation of John, nothing will prevent the work of God,
nothing will prevent God's will. And here John is granted these
visions. And here in chapter four he's
granted this wonderful vision. of the throne of God in the heavens,
an almighty, powerful throne of dominion, of the sovereign
rule and authority, the might and the power of the eternal,
the one true, the living God. We've seen the description of
this throne, we've seen the description of the one who sits upon that
throne, how great, how glorious, how powerful, He is. And this morning I would like
to draw your attention somewhat to this further vision which
we're granted in chapter four of those things which we see
around the throne. Those things which we see before
the throne, proceeding out of the throne, in the midst of the
throne. Yes, all those things which are
set in this chapter in relation the throne of God for everything
truly has its situation in relation to the throne of God. Consider what is around the throne
or is before the throne. The context in this chapter is
the creation, the creation of God and God's right in creation,
his rights to what he created, his rights to all his thoughts
and intentions in creating this world and bringing life into
this world and his eternal purposes beyond that creation. The context
is his creation and his redemption of a people from that creation
and his deliverance of all those things in that creation which
he wills and purposes to deliver out of the old creation in order
to bring in a new creation. Yes the context is creation that
is made clear in verse 11 of chapter 4 where we read the praise
of the 4 and 20 elders of the one who sits upon the throne
when they cry out, 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 thou has created all things and for
thy pleasure they are and were created yes the context is the
creation and God's rights in that creation and his victory
over all the enemies in the earth which would seek to usurp his
rights but over whom he is ultimately victorious. For the earth is
his and the fullness thereof and it always was and it will
never be taken from him. Consider what is around the throne.
We read in verse four, and round about the throne were four and
twenty seats, or more literally, four and twenty thrones. For
the word translated seats here is the very word which is translated
throne in verse two, the same word as the throne which is said
in heaven. And round about the throne were
four and twenty thrones. And upon the thrones I saw four
and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment, And they had
on their heads crowns of gold. Yes, they sat round about the
throne. Out of the throne we read of
the lightnings and thunderings and voices which proceed. Before
the throne we read of the seven spirits of God. Again before
the throne there's a sea of glass like under crystal. in the midst
of the throne and round about the throne there are four beasts
full of eyes before and behind round about before out of and
in the midst of all in relation to the throne but round about
the throne in verse four are these 24 thrones. And upon the
24 thrones I saw 24 elders sitting, clothed in white raiment, and
they had on their heads crowns of gold. 24 elders. Well, as we've seen before, who
are these 24 elders? They're representative of all
God's people throughout all time. All that people elected and chosen
unto salvation in Christ from before the foundations of the
world. 24, why 24? Because 24 encompasses the 12
patriarchs in the Old Testament, the 12 tribes of Israel. And
it encompasses the 12 apostles of the Lamb in the New Testament.
It takes in all God's people from the Old Testament and all
God's people in the New Testament. 12 and 12, 24, both covenants,
all his people throughout all time, all sat around the throne
upon 24 thrones, all sat down, all in glory, all in heaven with
him, all seated. Why are they sat? And why are
they sat on thrones? Well they're sat and they're
sat on thrones because his people as saved by his son, as redeemed
by the Lamb of God, as delivered from earth and brought in glorious
into heaven, as saved with an everlasting salvation, his people
those poor vile sinners, those beggars who once sat upon the
dung heap, those rebels, those wayward children of wrath, who
once shook their fist at their maker, who once lived for self
and selfish gain, that people, that rebellious people, that
undeserving people, that people like you and me, that people
whom God loved with an everlasting love that people whom God chose
in his son undeserved but chosen out of his good pleasure unto
an eternal salvation that people beggars who sat upon dungheaps
that people he has chosen to redeem, to wash from head to
toe in his blood, to make clean, to make perfect, to make righteous,
to make them as princes and kings of the earth. That people are
the people of whom he speaks in chapter 1 and verse 5, that
they are those whom he loved and whom he washed from their
sins in his own blood, and whom he has made kings and priests
unto God and his Father. And as kings and priests, they
sit and they reign with the King of kings and the Lord of lords. They reign upon thrones and they
sit around the eternal throne of the Lord God Almighty. Can you fathom that? All God's
people, if you are one of his today, if you've been given ears
to hear the gospel, if your eyes have been opened to see the one
that died in your place and washed away your sins, if you're one
of his, if you're one of those beggars whom he took off at Dunghill,
Where you are sat in the councils of God at this very moment is
upon a throne, one of the 24 thrones, sat around the throne
of God, from which you reign as a king and a priest unto God. In Matthew 19, when Christ spoke
to the disciples there, he spoke of this. In verse 27 we read
that then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have
forsaken all and followed thee. What shall we have therefore? You may understand Peter's sentiment
here. Christ has come to them, he's
met them in their circumstances in this world. He came unto Peter,
a poor fisherman, He called him to follow him. Peter, a rough,
poor fisherman, a sinner, a base sinner like you and me. And yet
one unto whom the Lord, at a time appointed, walked past and called
out unto him and said unto him, follow me. And Peter left all. He left all his earthly gain. He left his occupation. He left
all that he might have been seeking to do. in this world. He left
all the glitter and riches of this world that this world may
have promised. He left Korea, he left family,
he left all and he followed Christ. And in following, he'd given
up everything in this world. He'd given up all hope of esteem,
all hope of glory. He'd given up all hope of riches,
all hope of pleasure in this world. He'd taken upon him the
outpouring of people's scorn, the same scorn which they would
pour upon the Lord and Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. In following
Christ, he would have to suffer that which Christ suffered. Men
would spit at him, men would rail upon him, men would despise
him. He'd be one of that poor few
company that had left all in this world to follow this man
from Nazareth, Jesus. And so Peter asked the Lord,
we've forsaken all and followed thee, what shall we have therefore? What will be our end? And Jesus
saith unto him, verily I say unto you, that ye which have
followed me in the regeneration, when the son of man shall sit
in the throne of his glory, ye also, shall sit upon twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Oh, what a glory there is set
before them! What an end in sight! Christ
promises to these twelve disciples, as is true of the twelve patriarchs,
that they too will sit upon thrones with the Son of Man in His glory. and they shall judge over the
12 tribes of Israel, they shall judge, they shall rule as kings
and priests in the kingdom of God. Likewise, in the three letters
we read of in the earlier vision in the Revelation, we read of
those that overcame. In chapter three and verse 21,
at the very end of the letters, it is promised, to him that overcometh,
Will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame,
and I'm sat down with my Father in his throne. Ye that have an
ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Yes,
round about the throne there are four and twenty thrones,
and upon those four and twenty thrones are sat the four and
twenty elders, all the people of God. all those chosen, all
those who by the grace of God will overcome because he keeps
them to the end, all those like the disciples who have forsaken
all and followed Christ, left all in this world and yet who
will inherit all in eternity to come. and here we see them
sat down upon thrones clothed in white raiment and on their
heads crowns of gold sat down now you see in this site in chapter
four we have this sight of heaven just prior to the christ entrance
just prior to the entrance of the lamb the lamb has entered
the world The Lamb has been slain upon the tree, His blood has
been shed for that people whom the Father gave Him from all
eternity, and having shed His blood, having redeemed them with
a sure and eternal redemption, He enters into glory, He enters
into the throne room, and He enters as the Lamb of God, the
Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, He enters as that
One, who is worthy to open the seals of the book of which we
read in chapter 5. He enters all victorious and
he enters into that place where his people sit down with him,
around about his throne, as he sits in the midst of the throne,
there already because of that eternal redemption which he has
wrought upon the tree, which was purpose from all eternity. that lamb who was as it were
slain from the foundation of the world and yet at a certain
point in time was slain that lamb enters and he enters into
a company who in God's sight are already redeemed and already
sat down. they are elect from all eternity,
chosen in Him from before the foundations of the world, and
seen here in glory now, sat down, sat down victorious. Consider
chapters 2 and 3 in Revelation, in that light we read of the
church in its state upon the earth, and we saw all the troubles
and and all the failings of that church and its pilgrimage in
this earth. And what a poor record much of
it seems to be. What temptations there are to
turn to the left hand and the right hand. And yet despite that,
that church is described as gold. And here we see why. Because
from all eternity, God looks upon all that people whom he
has chosen, all that church, those seven golden candlesticks,
here they are, sat down in glory upon four and twenty thrones,
from which the people rule as kings and priests, and on which
they sit clothed in white raiment, and upon their heads there are
crowns of gold. They're there already now. Child
of God, if you're in Christ, you are there already now. Perfect, righteous, clothed in
white raiment. You may say, well, I don't feel
to be clothed in white raiment. What I can see is the sin of
my own heart. What I see is my daily failings,
my daily grumblings, my daily unthankfulness, my daily rebellion,
my daily doubts and fears. And yet be encouraged for in
God's sight you are clothed in white raiment and you are saved
already and you have already sat down around the throne. Look up look beyond what you
see here, look beyond what is set before you, look beyond what
you see with natural sight, look with the eyes of faith, look
up to a throne in heaven and see yourself sat down. As we
read in Ephesians in chapter 2 of our state, you have he quickened
who were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in time past ye
walked according to the course of this world, according to the
prints of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in
the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our
conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling
the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature
the children of wrath, even as others we all were. children of wrath, even you believer,
you were as others a child of wrath, but what makes the difference? What makes you any different
to any other, any other child of wrath, any other child of
disobedience? What's made you any different? Your works, your strength, your
will, has it? Be honest, what's made you any
different? This is what's made you different,
if you're in Christ. But God, who is rich in mercy,
for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were
dead in sins, even then, God, who is rich in mercy, have quickened
us together with Christ. He's quickened us together with
Christ. By grace you are saved. And as a consequence, he has
raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places
in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the
exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through
Christ Jesus, for by grace are ye saved through faith, and that
not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest
any man should boast. Yes, he's quickened us, and he's
raised us up together, and he's made us sit together in heavenly
places in Christ Jesus upon thrones. Is that where you are? Is that
where you are? Whoever you may be, I ask you,
is that where you are? Can you say it with a certainty?
Are you sat on a throne in glory at rest? Are you sat? Have you entered into that rest? Have you? Or are you still working
and laboring to enter in? Would you seek to enter into
heaven some other way? Or can you say that you had come
to an end of self and there came a time when Christ came unto
you as he did with Philip and said unto you, follow me. There
came a time when you would come to an end of your own efforts
and strength, when you could do no more. and when it took
God to quicken you and to raise you up and to seat you down in
heavenly places is that you is that where you are at rest have
you entered into rest and are you sat upon a throne clothed
in white raiment and on your head a crown of gold. For here's a people who are sat
on thrones, clothed in white raiment, clothed in righteousness,
pure and perfect in their Saviour, washed of every sin, washed of
every blemish, nothing upon which God's anger might pour, not a
speck, not a spot, white and perfect, and on their heads a
crown of gold, a crown, crowns for kings and princes, a crown
for those who reign, crowns of life, crowns of righteousness,
crowns of glory, crowns of gold. Oh what God has done for his
people, oh what he's done to take a people out of this earth,
out of this creation, and bring them into glory, bring them into
a new creation, to deliver a people, a fallen people, a wicked and
a wayward people, to clothe them and crown them thus. Oh what
grace! Oh what mercy! Is that you? Consider further, out of the
throne proceed lightnings and thunderings and voices. And there
were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne which are the
seven spirits of God. That picture of the spirit of
God who brings the sound of the gospel from the throne of God
into this earth, into this wicked dark place below to bring the
light of the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ unto
that people whom he has redeemed. to bring the sound of the gospel
to those sheep who are lost, to those sinners who are in darkness,
to those beggars who sit on the downhill, to bring the gospel
into their ears. And before the throne there was
a sea of glass like under crystal, and in the midst of the throne
and round about the throne were four beasts full of eyes before
and behind, 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 had
each of them six wings about him, and they were 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. What are these four beasts? Who
are these four beasts? Why four beasts? Well firstly
the translation of beasts would be better translated perhaps
as living creatures. We hear of similar vision, a
similar vision to this of four living creatures in the book
of Ezekiel in chapter 1, where they are described as living
creatures. There are four living creatures around about and in
the midst of the throne here. Four living creatures, Zoa is
the word, living creatures. Why four? And why living creatures? And what are they a picture of?
Well, like I said, when I introduced this vision, this vision is with
respect to the creation, to the earth. to God's victory over
all his enemies in his earth, to reclaim, to deliver, to redeem
all that he would have redeemed out of creation. To assert his
rights and reclaim his rights out of creation. As shown in
verse 11, when we read that, thou hast created all things
and for thy pleasure they are and were created. The context
is the creation. And these four beasts are representative
of that creation. They represent all God's living
creatures, all the creatures and the creation which he made
at the beginning, which before the fall he said of, it is good. It is good. It is good. There are four because there
are four corners of the earth. As such it speaks of the four
corners of the earth of the creation. And they are living creatures
as representative of the range of the living creatures which
God created upon the earth when he made the original creation.
We see them described in different regards. One is a lion, the king
of the beasts, the king of the living creatures. The greatest,
often pictured throughout the scriptures as the king of the
beasts, the lion. We read Christ likened to a lion,
the lion of the tribe of Judah, the king of the beast, the one
in whom is great might and power. We read also of the calf, representative
of the domestic creatures, those who would serve, those who serve
the Lord, those who serve man. The third, of course, is man.
The third beast here has a face as a man. God's highest creation,
mankind upon the earth. And then lastly, we read of a
flying eagle, his creation in the heavens. So we read of the
creation here encompassing those creatures which are upon the
earth, including man, and that which comes down from the heavens. Now the commentators interpret
these four creatures in Many different ways, there are many
different interpretations of them. As I've said, they represent
the four corners of the earth and all God's thoughts in creation. But others have likened these
in other regards. Some likened them in four regards
to the four Gospels. Where in Matthew, we read of
Christ in one light as the Messiah. And they likened the lion here,
the beast, the lion to Christ as the Messiah, as the king,
the king of the beast, the king. And they likened the second beast
here, the calf, as being that sort of beast that serves. And
in Mark's gospel, we read of Christ as the servant. The third
beast is likened to a man, and we read of Christ in Luke's gospel
as the savior, as the son of man. And finally in the fourth
gospel we read of the Son of God who comes down from heaven.
And so they've likened the eagle here, the flying eagle as that
beast which comes down from heaven, as that living creature from
heaven. So you can see that there is a reasonable likening to the
four pictures of Christ as given in the gospels. But really the
context here is creation. And God's thoughts in creation
and his rights over creation. he will reassert his rights over
creation. These are not actual angelic
beings that they have spoken of here, nor are they actually
men. For those whom Christ will redeem
from all the earth are represented by the four and twenty elders
who represent all his people. So these four beasts are something
apart from that. These are a visionary picture
of God's force, his rights in creation. Each beast has six
wings, six wings, and they each have eyes which look backwards,
forwards and within, all seeing. They rest not. They constantly
look unto the Lord. They rest not day and night.
They constantly praise the Lord's name. They're set upon the Lord. Now the representation of them
with six wings is a similar description of the cherubims and the seraphims
which we read of in various places. And this is intentional to draw
our attention to those pictures of the cherubim throughout the
scriptures and the relation and placing of those cherubim as
they have to do with God's creation and his claims of right upon
that creation and his purposes in redeeming that creation. We read from Genesis chapter
three, and we turn again to Genesis chapter three and the end there
in verse 22. Because in Genesis chapter three,
when man falls and when man rebels against God, he is thrown out
of the paradise of God. When sin enters this world and
man rebels against God, God throws him out of the creation as it
originally was. He's condemned. When God created
the world and put a garden in the east of Eden, that world
was perfect. That world was a paradise. And the world in which man was
created and placed in was a paradise. It represented all God's thoughts
in creation. Not so much as they would remain
in this world as we see it now, but in what they would be brought
into fulfillment in the new heavens and the new earth, when this
world which is now tinted and destroyed and spoiled and condemned
by sin is at the last burnt up and a new heaven and a new earth
is brought in. and God's original thoughts and
rights in his creation originally, will be maintained and will be
brought back in that new heavens and that new earth, in which
all those who were chosen, not in the first Adam, but in the
last Adam, not in the first man, but in the second man, not in
man, natural man, but in the Lord Jesus Christ, all those
who are in Christ, all the offspring of that man, that man who is
Christ, that man who is the Son of God, the eternal Son of God,
the eternally begotten, that man of whom Adam was but a figure,
of that man who is described as the last Adam, when all his
people who were chosen in him are saved and are brought into
that new heavens and that new earth, that new creation, then
all God's thoughts and all God's rights in creation will be brought
in and will be reasserted and that is what is pictured by these
four beasts who describe the creation and the four corners
of the earth but why do they have six wings? they have six
wings to remind us of the cherubim and the cherubim are first mentioned
in genesis in chapter 3 when mankind fell and when having
sinned god thrust him out of the garden he thrust him out
from that access onto the tree of life which was in the midst
of the garden and he set a flaming sword at the entrance to that
garden and cherubim to guard the way Cherubim was to guard
the way, to assert the rights of God to his creation and to
prevent man from claiming that creation until such a time as
God would redeem a people out of man, redeem a people chosen
in Christ and bring them into that new paradise wherein dwelleth
the tree of life. So in Genesis in chapter three
and verse 22 we read, and the Lord God said, Behold the man
is become as one of us to know good and evil. And now lest he
put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and
live forever. Therefore the Lord God sent him
forth from the garden of Eden to till the ground from whence
he was taken. So he drove out the man and he
placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubims and a flaming
sword which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of
life. Yes, there were cherubims which
kept the way. Man could not get back to that
creation as it originally was until God should allow him. And
he set cherubims there to prevent the way, to guard the way. Cherubims. We read again of the cherubims,
in the holy of holies upon the mercy seat of God. Upon that
place, that picture of the redemption of God. In that holy of holies
where the priest would have to shed a sacrifice, would have
to shed the blood of a sacrifice before he could enter into the
holy place of God. He would come in having slain
a lamb, and he would carry the blood of the lamb, and he would
sprinkle it before the mercy seat, and he would walk upon
the blood-sprinkled ground unto that mercy seat, upon which he
would sprinkle the blood, and over which gold mercy seat were
cherubims, which guarded the way unto God, which guarded the
way unto the tree of life. And the only way unto the mercy
seat was a blood-sprinkled way. And the only way back to the
paradise of God is a blood-sprinkled way. And the only way unto the
creation of God, the new creation of God, the paradise wherein
dwelleth the tree of life, is a blood-sprinkled way. At the gate of Eden, God set
a flaming sword, a flaming sword, around which were cherubim. Upon
the mercy seat there were cherubim, at the place where a sacrifice
had been slain, and blood was sprinkled. And here at the entrance
to glory, here where a door is opened in heaven, and where we
see the throne of God in glory, And the people of God sat down. We see four beasts with six wings,
representative of creation. All the living creatures, all
that God would bring into the paradise of God for eternity.
All his rights in creation. And this reminder of the cherubims,
which prevent, which guard the way into such a place. How did those four and twenty
elders enter? How did they get into that paradise
of God? How were they sat down upon four
and twenty seats? How did they become clothed in
white raiment? How were they crowned? Only one
way. Only one way. Because one entered
before them. Because one went to a place where
there was a flaming sword, a fiery sword of justice. Because a lamb
went to an altar where a fiery sword of justice was taken up
in the hand of the Lord God Almighty. And when the Lord God Almighty
took that fiery sword, He slew that lamb. He drove the sword
through that lamb. and he slew him, he poured out
his wrath upon him, he looked upon that people whom he had
chosen in his son, and he saw their sin, and he saw their sins,
and he said their sins will be judged, and their sin must be
consumed and burnt up under the wrath of God, under my fiery
wrath and he took that flaming fiery sword and he took it under
his son and he slew his son and he drove that sword through his
son he drove it through him and that sword slew him and that
sword burnt him for this is no normal sword this sword is a
fiery sword it doesn't just cut it burns And it burnt up our
sin, the sin of His people, the sin of all God's people, it burnt
it up. And it burnt it up in His only
begotten Son. He burnt it up in Christ. It
was burnt up in the Lamb, whose blood was shed upon the tree,
whose blood was shed, that that blood might be sprinkled upon
that mercy seat over which were cherubim which guarded the way
and which guarded the way and guarded the rights of God to
his creation. Yes, a lamb came, a lamb was
slain and a lamb redeemed a people unto God. And in redeeming the
people unto God, God reasserted all his rights over all his creation. and he brought in a new heavens
and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness, and wherein all
his faults in creation are preserved. All his wondrous creation, all
the beauties of nature, all the beauties of the animal kind,
all the beauties of man, all the glory in creation from the
least to the greatest were preserved. O man sought to usurp the rights
when he fell, The serpent sought to take the rights of God when
he beguiled man, but he was never able to take those rights of
God. They were always firmly held
by God, and God in Christ comes to reclaim them and make his
claim known forevermore. Yes, there is a way into eternity. Yes, there is a way into the
paradise of God. And yes, God has reclaimed. all
His rights over all His creation. For all that creation was created
by Him, of whom it is said, Thou hast created all things, and
for Thy pleasure they are and were created. And for Thy pleasure
they will be forevermore. For there is a paradise of God
into which all that overcome will enter. and they will enter
into that paradise of God. And they will be given to eat
of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise
of God. Yes, all is in relation to the
tree of life. Man was thrown out of the garden
when he sinned and barred from the way of the tree of life.
But in Christ, because of the one who was slain by that fiery
sword, They are brought into that paradise and they are brought
to eat of the tree of life forevermore. For as it is written, I have
not seen nor ear heard, neither have it entered into the heart
of man, the things which God have prepared for them that love
him. What things are these? We read
of them in Revelation chapter 22. And he showed me a pure river
of water of life clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne
of God and of the Lamb, in the midst of the street of it, and
on either side of the river was there the tree of life, which
bared twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree were
for the healing of the nations, and there shall be no more curse,
but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and
his servant shall serve him, and they shall see his face,
and his name shall be in their foreheads, and there shall be
no night there, and they need no candle, neither the light
of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall
reign forever and ever. Amen.