I'd like to turn your attention
this morning, please, to the fourth chapter in Revelation,
to the commencement of this, the second vision in the book
of Revelation. And we'll read to begin with
the first two verses of chapter four, Revelation chapter four,
verses one and two. John says, 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. Behold, a throne was set in heaven,
and one sat on the throne. Here we have the commencement
of the second of seven visions which John was given and which
he has set down in the book of Revelation. Seven parallel visions
each regarding the same time, the same span of time from the
ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ until the coming again of Christ.
We've looked previously at the first of the visions from chapters
one through chapter three. That first vision which commenced
with the wonderful view of Christ in the midst of the candlesticks
and continues with the seven letters which John is asked to
write, write down to the angels of the seven churches. that view
of Christ in the seven candlesticks, the view of the judge of all
the earth who's described in seven aspects and then continuing
with his judgment of that church, of his church as it is seen in
the earth in seven churches, seven assemblies representative
of the whole of his church through the whole of time. And in that
first vision we saw the view of the one church and of its
enemies within. And Christ's total victory over
those enemies as he purifies his church and as he sees that
church as gold. We notice that progression of
a turning away from the one in the midst of the golden candlesticks.
That progression from the church at Ephesus which had begun to
fall away, which had fallen away from that love of the unity which
it had once known. right through to the church at
Laodicea, which was now lukewarm. We've read of one church which
has a name to live and yet was dead, but at Laodicea. They had
grown so apathetic to the truth, that they were neither hot nor
cold, but were lukewarm. So we saw a progression, a gradual
turning away, step by step, as it were through time, from the
beginning of the gospel age following Christ's ascension, through to
the end of the age when Christ should return, a progression
towards apostasy. Of course, through the seven
letters, not everything which is described is bad. There are
those commendations. There are indeed, out of the
seven letters, there are two which have no direct condemnation
made of them. The second of the letters and
the second to last of the letters, Smyrna and Philadelphia have
no direct condemnation other than this which is common to
both interestingly. The second of the letters and
the second to last has a very similar description about the
blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not, but which
are of the synagogue of Satan. And yet around those two, the
second and the second to last are these other five in which
there is a definite progression from the subtle turning away
from the truth at Ephesus to the complete apathy and apostasy
which comes in by the time we near the end of time and by the
time we've reached Laodicea. As time races towards the end,
the people And the professing church is then indeed the church
as it is overcome by the world as many false brethren come into
its midst and when the love of many grow cold, apostasy comes
in. We look around in our own day
and we have to say, how apostate has the Gentile church become? It is little different to the
Jewish church, to the Jews of old at the time of the coming
of Christ. How near must Christ's coming
be? Do you look? Do you look up into the heavens?
Do you look in expectation for His coming? Do you look at the
signs around about you in expectancy of His coming? When you look
around, you may ask, where is faith today? Where are the faithful? Where are those that are faithful
to the Lord and to His gospel? Where are those who look into
the heavens and behold? Where are those like John who
are in the Spirit? How many remain faithful to the
end? How many endure? How many overcome? Fewer and fewer. Oh come Lord
Jesus, even so come. For you see in this first of
the visions there's this constant call to the people of God to
endure to the end, to overcome. to persevere. Why? Because the trials which will
surely come upon the church, upon those who follow Christ
in this world, will multiply into the last days. They will
be tried in the fire. The people of God will be tried
in the fire. They will pass through fiery
trials. They will know persecution and
opposition. Why do such trials come? Because
that gold, which is Christ's, must surely be tried in the fire.
The dross will be burnt off, and Christ's church will be brought
forth as gold, pure gold. Seven golden candlesticks, a
perfect church, which will be tried, and tried by fire, and
such a trial must be endured. Such persecution must be overcome. and all who overcome, all who
endure, will be saved. And as we saw that their overcoming
won't be by their own strength, won't be by their own might or
their own power, but the people of God will overcome because
of the strength of Him who stands in the midst of the seven candlesticks. Their endurance stands in being
granted that vision, that constant vision which John was given of
him who stands in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.
And being granted that vision of the purity of the church,
of those candlesticks which Christ stands in the midst of. Their
endurance, their overcoming doesn't come simply by their having a
biblical framework simply by their being in the midst of churches
which are Bible-based, or New Testament pattern. Their faithfulness
is not in faithfulness in the letter, in the form, but it is
in being granted that heavenly vision, that sight of Christ,
that vision of Christ, that union with Christ. You need more than
simply a knowledge and a vision in the letter. You need more
than just the form. You need the vision, the heavenly
vision. And you need to be not disobedient
to that vision, like Paul, who was not disobedient to the heavenly
vision. If we're to endure to the end,
we need both the vision and we need the Lord's grace to keep
us obedient to that vision, to keep our gaze upon Christ in
the midst of his churches. to see the church as gold, to
bring us forth through the trials, through the fires, as gold, enduring
to the end. Well, so it was, and so it forever
will be. The church will be tried, but
the church will be brought forth, pure as gold. Well, that was
the first of the visions. This wonderful vision into the
heavens of Christ, and this wonderful revelation of the heavenly judgment
of Christ upon his church upon this earth. It spanned the ages
until the second coming. But here in chapter 4 we begin
another vision. This is the commencement of an
entirely new section within this book, an entirely new vision. It returns again to the beginning
of the age, at the ascension of Christ. Here we see the commencement
of another vision as John writes, after this I looked. After this, after these things,
after this first vision, after this I looked and behold a door
was opened in heaven. Yes here we return to the same
point in time at which the first of the visions commenced. Here
we return back to the point of time when Christ has ascended. And he looks into heaven and
he sees a door opened in heaven. Here in this vision as he sees
this door opened in heaven, as he looks into heaven through
this door which is opened and he sees, as he is in the Spirit,
he sees a throne set in heaven. One sat upon the throne. He sees
various things around about the throne. He sees four and twenty
elders. He sees four beasts and the four
and twenty elders and the beasts worship the Lord. He looks on
and he sees a book and he sees an angel asking who is worthy
to open the book and to loose the seals thereof. And he sees
the entrance of the Lamb, the root of David, who alone is worthy. And he opens the book, he opens
the seals. And in the opening of the seals,
as the last day comes, the judgment of God is poured out upon this
earth. This is the second of the visions
which John sees. And in this vision, we see the
judgment of God throughout all the earth, the creation. We see
Christ's conquest over his enemies in the earth. and in the creation. These are his enemies without
in the earth. As we've seen it opens with this
view of the Lord God upon the throne. A view of God upon his
throne just prior to the ascension. And as the vision proceeds we
see the entrance of the Lamb of God. He returns as it were
as the Lamb which had been slain. He returns back into heaven,
back to the throne of the Lord God Almighty, back to this scene
that we see in heaven, to take of that book. and to open the
seals and to bring about his judgment upon all the creation
and all the earth and all his enemies in the earth as a consequence
of that work which he did upon the cross when he came into this
earth to lay down his life for the sheep, for his people. But
the vision commences with a door John says, 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. After this I looked, John says,
He continued to look. He continued to behold in the
heavens. He looked. He'd been granted
this first vision. He'd been granted this amazing
vision of the Son of Man in the midst of the candlesticks. And
after that vision, he continued to look. Well, do you look? Where's your gaze? Are you looking
where John was looking? Is your gaze set heavenward? Or is it set upon the things
of this earth? You'll never see what John saw
and you'll never behold what John saw. You'll never hear the
things which John heard whilst your gaze is upon this earth.
John looked. Do you look? Do you wait for
God? Do you look, look, look again? Do you wait for His voice? Do you look up to Him and wait
in faith for Him to speak and Him to reveal Himself unto you? You see, John didn't get up and
wander off after the first of these visions. He didn't say,
that's enough for me. He didn't think I can ponder
on these things for many days to come. He didn't go off in
awe, but he continued to look. Whilst the Lord was there, he
remained where he was. He continued to pray, he continued
to look. He waited for the Lord, and he
waited for the Lord's vision. He pressed on, he continued.
And as he looked, Behold, a door was opened in heaven. A door. A door into heaven. How do you see in heaven? How
do you enter heaven? How can any of heaven's glories
be shown unto us? One way. A door must be opened. Behold a door. was opened in
heaven. What door was opened in heaven?
What is this door? How may we behold heaven's glory? How may any enter into heaven
except this door be opened? Then what is this door? The door
is Christ. I am the door, Christ says. John
chapter 10, he speaks of the sheepfold. Verily, verily, I
say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold,
but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
To him the porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice, and
he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. Then said Jesus unto them again,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me
are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
I am the door. By me, if any man enter in, he
shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture. Yes, Christ is the door of the
sheepfold, And as such, he is the door of heaven. The sheep's
entrance into heaven, into that eternal fold of the sheep, where
the sheep will dwell forevermore, is through Christ and through
Christ alone. If any seek to enter heaven by
any other way, they will be cast out. There's only one way to
enter in, and that's through the door, and that door is Christ. Have you entered in? If you have,
which way have you come? Have you entered in through a
narrow door, a narrow way, that narrow way which is through the
cross, and through Christ, and through his blood shed for his
own, and only his own. John looked and behold a door
was opened in heaven Behold he beheld In the scriptures when
we hear of those who behold This is not a mere glance This is
not just looking around and suddenly something catches your eye But
this is a standing still This is a fall into the knees. This
is a looking in awe and wonder. This is a contemplation. John
beheld. Behold, a door was opened in
heaven. Do you look? Do you see? Have you beheld this door, Christ? an open door for his people to
enter in. You see this door is seen, but
this door is not only seen. John writes, the 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. Yes, he saw a door, but he also
heard a voice, and that voice summoned him. And when he was
summoned, he ascended, and he came up hither to see things
which must be hereafter. It's a door is seen, and a voice
is heard, and that voice cries out, come up hither. And John
ascended. Have you seen? Inwardly, in the
Spirit, by revelation, have you seen? Has the door been opened
unto you? Have you heard a voice? As of
a trumpet, a mighty voice, a powerful voice, a voice which you cannot
fail to hear when it's sounded, have you heard? And has that
voice come unto you in particular? telling you to come up hither. Have you gone up? Have you ascended? Like Paul can you say I was not
disobedient to the heavenly vision? Or are you? Have you seen it? Have you heard it? Have you obeyed
it? John writes, and immediately
I was in the spirits, 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. There's a throne
in heaven, a throne, When John in the Spirit beheld, he beheld
a throne set in heaven and one that sat on the throne. What
do you know of this throne in heaven? A glorious throne. What throne is this? Well, it's
not the throne of grace, which we read of in Hebrews. It's another
throne from that. This is not a throne of intercession. For if it were, we wouldn't go
on to read of the Lord's people sat around about the throne.
For the time of intercession was seen in the first of the
visions when we read of the church in its pilgrimage upon this world
and of the trials and oppositions which came upon it. At that time,
they needed to come unto a throne of grace where one stood to intercede
for them. But here we see things in another
light. We see four and twenty elders
sat around this throne. We see the people of God in figure
sat around the throne glorified. And this is another throne from
the throne of grace. Nor is it the great white throne
of the last day which we read of in Revelation 19 and verse
11. That throne of judgment which
on the last day God will sit upon and judge all the world,
and mete out his judgments and penalties, where he will divide
the sheep from the goats and send those who have rebelled
against him, and who have no redemption in the blood of the
Saviour, he will condemn them to everlasting fire, to the second
death. This isn't that throne, this
is another throne, This is the throne of the Lord God Almighty. God the Father, God in three
persons, the Lord God's throne. That throne upon which he sits
and unto which the Lamb approaches in chapter five. Here we see
the Lord God Almighty sat upon a throne. Oh, what a throne this
is. A throne of sovereign power,
sovereign dominion, authority and rule. The throne upon which
the Lord God Almighty sits, from everlasting unto everlasting. Yes, there's a throne in heaven,
and this throne is there now. And there's one sat upon this
throne now, who rules over all. who has almighty power and dominion,
might, authority and rule over everything at this very instant. Nothing is done, nothing is said,
which is not in relation and not subservient to the One that
sits upon this throne. Oh, what a sight of a throne!
Have you ever seen this throne? Do you know that there's a throne
in heaven? You may walk in your pilgrimage
upon this earth into trials of which we've read about in the
first three chapters. But look up through this door
to this site of a throne, for there is nothing which can come
upon you in this earth. which is not under the almighty
power and dominion and sovereignty of the one that sits upon this
throne. The one that doest all things
well. The one that worketh out all
things according to his eternal purpose and decree. This is a throne in heaven from
which one rules over all things. not just over his church, but
over all things, over all powers and dominions, all mights, all
kings and queens, all presidents and rulers upon this earth. All
the nations are as a drop in a bucket. when brought to the
light of this throne and this dominion and this ruler and the
one that sits upon this throne. Yes, all is in relation to this
throne in this vision. Nothing else matters in the light
of this. Everything is so inconsequential
when brought into the light of this throne. and the one that
sits upon it. Yes, behold, a throne set in
heaven, and one sat on the throne. This throne is there now, now. So I want you to see this wasn't
just a vision which John had 2,000 years ago. It's not just
a vision of a throne at the time, 2,000 years or so ago. But this throne is still there
now, and the one that sat upon it 2,000 years ago is the same
one that sits upon it now. It's the same one that sat upon
it from everlasting, and the same one that will sit upon it
unto everlasting. Thy throne, O God, is from ever
and ever. He sits upon his throne. It's unto everlasting. All earthly
thrones and authorities came in after this throne ever existed
and all earthly thrones and authorities will be wiped away after which
this throne will ever exist. It was before then and it will
be after then. Yes, there's a throne set in
heaven and one sat upon the throne Yes, there is one on this throne
at this very moment, at this very hour. There is one who sits
upon this throne. It isn't vacant. It's not vacant
for a moment. There is one who sits and rules
upon this throne. God Almighty sits on his throne. right now, at this hour, in sovereign
power and majesty, ruling over every doing, every motion, every
activity, every event, every day, every hour, every month,
every year, all the passing of time, every raising up of a nation,
every casting down of a nation, every war, every settlement of
war, all the earthquakes, all the famines, all the passing
of laws, all the activities of this world, all is under the
dominion of the one who sits upon the throne. He's not sat
idle. When the heathen rage against
him, He sits in power upon his throne. As we read in Psalm 2,
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together
against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us
break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens
shall laugh, The Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall
he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare
the decree. The Lord hath said unto me, Thou
art my son, this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I will give
thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the
earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a
rod of iron, thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's
vessel. Be wise now, therefore, O ye kings, be instructed, ye
judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and
rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry
and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. No, the one
that sits upon the throne is not idle. The heathen in their
folly may rage. They may seek to cast his bands
asunder. They may take the word of God
and trample it underfoot. They may despise the church of
Christ in this world. They may despise those who follow
Christ. They may despise the truth of
God. They may turn from his ways.
They may turn from his worship. They may multiply their iniquity. They may cast aside his laws
and pass evil laws and set these evil statutes up in their place,
but nations come and nations go. And he that sitteth in the
heavens shall laugh, and have them in derision, for he sits
in almighty power and dominion upon his throne, and his truth
shall stand for evermore. Not one jot nor one tittle shall
pass away from his law until all be fulfilled. His truth stands
sure, his glory stands sure, his purpose stands sure. Man
may change, The nations may change, the world may change, the seas
may come and sweep left and right upon the dry lands. The people
may come and go, but God doesn't. He sits upon his throne in almighty
power. Consider the one that sits upon
his throne. Consider his appearance. He that
sat was to look upon like a jasper in a sardine stone. and there
was a rainbow round about the throne in sight like unto an
emerald. He was to look upon like a jasper
in a sardine stone and there was a rainbow round about the
throne in sight like unto an emerald. Here we read great figurative
language. Many of the things we're going
to read of in this and the subsequent chapters are allegorical. Figurative languages use, as
we've seen, the number seven is often repeated. Seven indicating
perfection. And many pictures and types and
figures are used here to describe realities which cannot be understood
in earthly terms except that they are likened unto earthly
figures. So the one that is sat upon the
throne is described as to look upon like a jasper and a sardine
stone. Not literally of course, but
these things describe in figure his glory. The jasper stone which
we read of in Revelation 21, is a clear stone like a crystal. It radiates light like a diamond
does. Light shines through it and shines
out of it. The sardine stone is a red stone,
red, bright red. The jasper here is indicative
of the glory and the holiness of God. It shines through it
clear as crystal, as pure, the light shines forth. God is light
and in him is no darkness at all. He dwelleth in light unapproachable. And as he sits upon his throne,
he sits as the one who is light. And his light shines forth, there's
not one spot or blemish to darken it. Nothing prevents the shining
forth of his light, as he sits in purity and holiness, in pure
glory. Yes, he is light, pure, glorious. As I said, this is not the throne
of judgment. This is the throne of God, the
throne of His glory. And here we see the picture of
Him sat in glory, that throne from which His light radiates. God in His ineffable holiness,
His glory, His majesty, His justice, His righteousness, His sovereignty,
His authority, His rule. He's pure. and he is like a sardine
stone, red. What is this but the wrath, the
justice and the righteousness of God, red. Red indicating the
wrath of God. The pouring out of blood in his
wrath against unholiness. His judgment and his justice
which is foundational to his character as God. He's a righteous
God, a just God. a just God, he never ever sets
aside his holiness and his justice, he's just, therefore he is likened
unto a sardine stone, red, just, righteous, one from whom his
wrath and his judgment pours out against anything which is
contrary to such justice and righteousness. Justice and judgment
and righteousness are foundational to this throne. He rules in justice,
he rules in righteousness. All is done according to his
eternal purpose and for his glory and according to righteousness.
And yet, praise God, justice is not at the expense of mercy. And here in this site of the
throne, We read that there was a rainbow round about the throne,
in sight like unto an emerald. A rainbow. A rainbow, where we
read of the rainbow in scriptures is of course at that time when
Noah was brought through the flood. When the wrath and the
justice of God was brought to rain down upon the wicked. when
man rose up in wickedness upon the earth which God had created.
And God, in a figure and type of that one judgment which would
come at the end of time, at the consummation of all things in
the judgment of this world, he sent a judgment, an awful judgment
upon this world, to tell man, to warn man, that he is a just
God who will judge sin and judge it exactly according to righteousness. He will not spare his judgment
and his wrath. And he sent an awful judgment
upon the wickedness of man, where he washed away the wicked in
the flood. and yet at the same time he delivered
the people unto whom he showed grace and mercy in sparing them
that judgment as they were put inside an ark that ark being
the figure of his own son the Lord Jesus Christ who delivered
a people in himself by washing them in his own blood and having
delivered Noah through the judgments of God's wrath in the waters
which he sent down from heaven. God gave a sign unto man that
he would never send such judgment again until the last day. He
gave a sign unto man of his covenant, that covenant between him and
his son and his people that he would give his son to save a
people, to show mercy unto a people, to deliver a people from his
wrath. And as a sign of that covenant
to Noah, he gave that picture of the rainbow, the rainbow,
which indicates his mercy. And here round about the throne
of God, that throne, which shows forth his character as the pure
holy God. as a just God, nevertheless round
about the throne is a rainbow in sight like unto an emerald,
a rainbow where he reminds us of his mercy and his love and
his grace under his people. As we read in Psalm 85, mercy
and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Yes, mercy and truth are met,
righteousness and peace have kissed God is just, he is a just
God and a saviour. And yet his salvation is not
at the expense of justice. And yet his justice is not without
the showing of mercy. This rainbow is in sight like
unto an emerald, green, pleasing to the eye, indicative of the
creation upon which God sent such a judgement in the time
of Noah. and out of which he will save
a people whom he has chosen in Christ. Yes, he will save a people
from the first creation to bring them into that new creation.
Briefly, before the throne, after the throne proceeded lightnings
and thunders and voices and there were seven lamps of fire burning
before the throne which are the seven spirits of God. This picture
of the spirit of God which makes known the Lord God upon his throne
to his people, who makes known the gospel, who brings forth
the sound of the truth out of heaven into the earth, of God's
eternal purpose to save a people, of his purpose to send his Son,
the Lamb, into the earth to redeem a people. Yes, before the throne
of the seven spirits of God, which are sent into the world,
the spirit goes to seek out that people to seek and to save that
which is lost. 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. This sea of glass
like unto crystal before the throne of God is pictured in
the Old Testament in the altar and the mercy seat which is pictorial
of this throne Before the altar, there was a laver, a pool of
water, which the priest had to wash in before offering the sacrifice. And before you can come unto
such a holy throne, there must be a washing. There must be a
washing to approach unto the throne of God. And this washing
is indicative of the washing in the blood of Christ. as Christ's
people are brought before his throne. Yes, there's a door in
heaven, but that door is Christ, and that door was opened when
he shed his blood for his people, that he might wash them, and
make them pure, and wash away every spot and blemish, that
he might wash them in his own blood, and bring them as it were,
through a sea of glass, unto the throne of his Father. Around
about the throne, 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. Four-and-twenty elders. These are pictorial of all the
elect of God, all those whom he would save. The twelve patriarchs
of the Old Testament, and the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Twelve indicative of all God's people from before the time of
the coming of Christ in the Old Testament, and indicative of
all his people in the New Testament. Twelve from the old, twelve from
the new, twenty-four elders. All the elect of God are seen
here as seated around the throne of God. Seated. All Christ's church from both
the Old and the New Covenant are seated around his throne.
It says in the AV translation that they are sat upon seats,
but the word here in the Greek is exactly the same as that used
for throne, of God's throne. It's thronos, it's the same.
They are actually sat upon 24 thrones. God's elect are seen
here as already glorified, already sat around the throne of God
in glory. before Christ enters, before
the Lamb of God enters, victorious, ascending from His work upon
earth, in the eyes of God, in the mind of God, in the counsels
of God, all His people are already sat down in glory around the
throne, already. Oh, can you see the throne in
heaven? Can you see where you are, believer? Yes, in the first vision we've
seen the pilgrimage, you may have compared yourselves with
the state of the churches, you may see much dross in your heart,
but here in this second vision is an altogether different sight
of things. It covers the same time, the
same time, and yet here we see all God's people already sat
down. already glorified, already redeemed,
already saved, sat down at rest, at peace, around the throne of
God, in glory, saved with an everlasting salvation, washed
in the blood of Christ, delivered from all which was against them.
Nothing will take them away. They're sat down, while they
sat on thrones, Because as we read in chapter one and verse
six, verse five and six, Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness
and first begotten of the dead and the prince of the kings of
the earth, loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood. And he has made us the four and
20 elders, his people, his elect, he has made them. Kings and priests
unto God and His Father. To Him be glory and dominion
forever and ever. Yes, these people are sat down
on thrones because they rule. They rule with their master. They have been made kings and
priests. Yes, there's mighty nations in
this world. They might seek to trample you
underfoot, believer. But in God's sight you are a
king and a priest over them. You rule over them with him. You conquer them. You are already
glorified. For Christ has finished the work. He has finished the work. And he will redeem all that he
has purposed to redeem from all his creation. He will deliver
His people and He will deliver all that was good of His creation
to bring it into a new creation. Yes, there's a throne in heaven,
a throne. And everything we see both here
in chapter 4 and in the subsequent chapters is in relation to this
throne and in relation to the victory that the Lamb of God
has wrought and has brought in for that people whom God elected
from all eternity, who even now sit around about that throne,
and who as one people cry out to the one who sits upon that
throne in glory now, thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory
and honour and power, for thou has created all things. and for
thy pleasure they are and were created. Amen.