I like to think about things
that some folks find difficult to think about. I like to think
about death and dying. I like to think about heaven
and eternity. Tonight, I want to show you some
things seen in heaven. When you open the book of Revelation,
you're confronted with seven visions that the Apostle John
was given when he was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day while
he was in exile on the Isle of Patmos. And these visions are
recorded by divine inspiration to show us things that must come
to pass. These seven visions, sadly, are
terribly confusing to some because of the terrible, poor instruction
and false instruction many have given about the Book of Revelation.
These visions are not to be mixed together. So many times people
trying to interpret this book think, well, I'll take this part
of this and this part of that and we'll put them together.
That's kind of like taking negatives of seven different pictures and
trying to put those negatives all together. And what you get
is a blur of nothing, just a blur. These seven visions are themselves
seven demonstrations. given by God the Holy Spirit
of that which God Almighty will accomplish, is determined to
accomplish before this world is done. They take us from the
beginning of the gospel age to the end of the gospel age. Each
vision takes us from the beginning when Christ Jesus said, Lo, I
come in the volume of the book it is written to me. I delight
to do thy will, O my God, to the end. when the son has delivered
up the kingdom to the father and God shall be all in all.
Each vision shows us one thing. It shows us the sure triumph
of Christ and his church by the gospel. The sure triumph of Christ
and his church by the gospel. We will prevail in our redeeming. We will win this battle. We will see Satan under our heels. As God created Adam to be Lord
over his creation, so God has in the man Christ Jesus put all
things under the feet of the man, our second Adam, the Lord
from heaven, the last Adam, Our Creator and Him in whom we are
new creatures and all things shall soon be put under our feet. All things. All right, let's
look at Revelation chapters 4 and 5 tonight. Revelation chapters
4 and 5, some things seen in heaven. After this I looked and
behold a door. was opened in heaven. Thank God
for the door. I am the door, our master said. I am the door. You know what
a door is, don't you? That's simple enough. You go
in at a door, don't you? And you go out by the door. The
only way to go into God is by Christ Jesus the door. The only
way to go in and out in communion with God by Christ Jesus the
door the only way sinners can enter into heaven is by the door
Christ Jesus the Lord I am the door our master said behold a
door was opened opened in heaven opened in heaven for God's people
opened in heaven for us and the first voice which I heard was
as it were of a trumpet talking with me a trumpet It gives a
loud sound. A trumpet is an instrument of
alertness. A trumpet is an instrument by
which people are called to battle and a trumpet is an instrument
by which people are given a tune to rally around. A trumpet talking
with me which said, come up hither and I will show thee things which
must be hereafter. Not things which might be. Not
things which we hope will ultimately be, things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the
Spirit. And behold, a throne. There you go. What is it that
a man sees when he sees God? What is it that a man sees? The
first thing he sees when he comes to know God. The first thing
he sees is a throne. Folks talk about folks knowing
God who don't see Him on His throne. No. The first thing you
see when you come to know God is God's on the throne. A throne. Now look at this. It's a throne
was set. A throne fixed. A throne established. Thy throne is in the heavens. A throne set in heaven. And one sat on the throne. You will go through this book
and read. Mark how often the scriptures speak of him that
sat or him that sitteth on the throne. Sitting, sitting. When I'm uneasy, I can't sit. When I'm uneasy, I get up in
pace. When I'm uneasy or something's
disturbing me, I have to get up and see about it. God Almighty
sits on his throne. He sits in the blessed serenity
of absolute sovereignty, absolutely ruling, absolutely in control
so that nothing ever disturbs him. Nothing ever is beyond his
control. Nothing is ever out of control. He's sitting on his throne. A
throne was set in the heaven and one sat on the throne. And
he that sat on the throne was to look upon like a jasper. and
a sardine stone and there was a rainbow. First thing you see
in heaven is a throne and God sitting on the throne and the
next thing is a rainbow. A rainbow round about the throne. You remember when Noah got off
his boat and God made his pledge to Noah that he would never again
destroy the world with the flood of water as he had destroyed
in Noah's day. He said, Behold, I set my bow
in the heavens. And Noah had that bow given as
God's token of his covenant, a rainbow. Several years ago,
I was out in Montana, first time I'd been there, Brother John
Mitchell, pastors in Great Falls, Montana, and we went on a floating
trip down the Missouri River, right up almost at the head of
the Missouri River. And it was drizzling rain all
day long, a miserably cold day. But we had a good time, just
floating down the Missouri River, beautiful, fishing a little bit,
and talking a little. And when we started home in the
evening, I saw something I had never seen before in my life.
I saw a full-spectrum rainbow. And that rainbow looked like
it reached from one side of the earth to the other, and we just
drove right through that thing. And I couldn't help but think
of this text of Scripture. the rainbow round about the throne. Hear me, my brothers and sisters,
nothing comes to pass from God's throne except according to that
bow that encircles His throne, that bow representing His covenant,
the covenant of His free grace given us in Christ Jesus before
the world began. He said, I saw a rainbow Round
about the throne, completely encircling the throne, in sight
like unto an emerald, majestic and rich. 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. As you read the Scriptures, you
will find that God's Israel is almost always represented in
multiples of 12. God's elect numbered by the 12
tribes of Israel with the names of the 12 tribes on Aaron's breastplate,
the foundations of the city of 12, all the way through scripture,
they're represented in multiples of 12, 140 and 4,000 and so on. These 24 elders represent the
whole host of God's elect. I saw 24 seats and there were
23 elders sitting Now that heaven was made for
these the Israel of God and every seat is filled and everyone sitting
in his seat around the throne accepted of God has on his head
a crown, a crown of pure gold, these crowns, crowns given to
those who prevail. crowns given to those who endure,
crowns given to those who are triumphant, crowns given to those
who are faithful unto death, crowns of pure gold. But you'll
notice that every one of them has a crown on his head. Every
one of them has the same crown on his head. Every one of them
has on his head a crown of pure gold. because the crown, the
diadem upon which gives us glory and honor is Jesus Christ our
Redeemer who is to his people a diadem of beauty and a crown
of glory. And they are clothed with white
raiment, clothed in the white raiment of Christ's perfect righteousness. And out of the throne proceeded
lightnings and thunders and voices, dark, heavy, mysterious things. And there were seven lamps of
fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of
God. You mean there are seven Holy Spirits? No. The number
seven is used throughout the Scriptures to represent that
which is perfect and complete. It's talking about the perfect
spirit of God and the perfect knowledge of God by which all
things are dispensed and ruled in this world. perfect and complete
but out of this throne not only you see this rainbow and and
these precious stones things like emerald and jasper and so
on but lightnings and thunders and voices and burning out of
this throne things that scare you things that terrify you my
little grandson he uh He would be embarrassed to hear me tell
you this in public, but he would frequently, when the storm come
up, he'd say to Nana or to me, he'd say, is that thunder? When he was little, that thunder?
God made the thunder. I'm not scared of the thunder.
Hold me, Nana. Hold me. I'm not scared. God made it.
I'm not scared. Hold me. And we're often that way. We're
often that way. Things that come to pass, we
recognize God did it, and yet we stand often afraid. Beseech
Him to hold you by His grace. Snuggle up close to Him in times
of trouble. Verse six, and before the throne
was a sea of glass like unto crystal. All the nations of the
earth spread before this throne, all the ages of time. And in
the midst of the throne and round about the throne were four beasts
full of eyes before and behind. Four living creatures, these
four beasts. The picture that we have here
is the very same thing that Isaiah saw in Isaiah chapter 6. It's
the very same thing that was given when Moses was given a
pattern to build the tabernacle. It was the very same thing that
was seen by Ezekiel. This vision of God on His throne
is God on the mercy seat and over the mercy seat are those
cherubim facing one another by which they are continually looking
down on the throne, but they are continually looking on the
mercy seat and they have wings with which they cover their faces.
cover their feet and fly swiftly to do God's will. Isaiah sees
these cherubs called seraphim in Isaiah chapter 6 and he cried
woe is me for I am undone I'm a man of unclean lips and I dwell
in the midst of a people of unclean lips and one of the seraphim
took tongs and reached under the altar and took a live coal
and flew swiftly to Isaiah and laid that hot white hot coal
on his lips and said, Lo, thine iniquity is taken away. Speaking
of the sacrifice of our Redeemer, that seraphim, the cherubim,
these living creatures represent gospel preachers, those by whom
God carries the message of His grace to His people. And these
stand here before the 24 elders, before the throne, these four
beasts full of eyes, before and behind, instructed and taught,
men who are given understanding, understanding the times, men
of knowledge and understanding being taught of God. What's this
talking about? A man who is called of God to
preach the gospel. Man who's called of God to preach
the gospel understands this book. He understands this book. I don't
mean he understands things in this book. I mean he understands
this book. There are many things in this
book that I don't yet understand. There are many passages I come
to and I keep praying, God, teach me what this statement or this
phrase or this chapter means. But I understand this book. I
know what this book teaches. I know the doctrine of this book. God's servants see things before
and behind. They understand the message of
God to men. It is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Not that we understand this part
or that part, this section or that section. God's servants
are given a universal understanding of the book as we experience
his grace gifted of God to understand the word then communicating the
message to his people they have eyes before and behind and the
first beast was like a lion like a lion just let the thing go
that's alright like a lion raging powerful fearless like a lion
the second beast was like a calf, a young ox, strong. And the third beast had, as it
were, a face as a man, tender, compassionate, understanding. The fourth beast was like a flying
eagle, soaring as in the heavens. And so God's servants are men
as bold as a lion. as strong as a calf, as tender
as a loving father, and given wisdom from heaven as an eagle. These living creatures, ministering
to God's people, pastors after God's own heart with knowledge
and understanding that God gives. And the four beasts had each
of them six wings about him, and they were full of eyes within.
and they rest not. They never rest. Day and night,
they rest not. One of our men, very observant
medical doctor, relating to me what I have to
be aware of, he said, what you have as a result of your surgery
are stress ulcers. The shock to my system gives
you stress ulcers. And he said, stress aggravates
them. He said, when do you start thinking
about what you're going to preach? And I said, well, when I open
my eyes. When do you stop? Well, I don't. He said, you have to be aware
you're always under stress, always under stress, never a time. Thank God. I thank God. I thank God that never a time
when I'm at rest. in this business of preaching
the gospel. Never a time when I don't have those folks in Danville
on my mind and you, God's people, scattered other places, on my
heart, the preaching, the writing, never a time when I'm not constantly
seeking from God what's needed for His church. Thank God that's
so. They rest not. These men who
are called and gifted of God for this work, they don't rest
in the daytime and they don't rest at night. They're constantly
saying, Holy, holy, sanctified, sanctified, sanctified, hallowed,
hallowed, hallowed is the Lord God Almighty, which was and is
and is to come, the eternal, unchanging One. And when those
beasts give glory and honor and thanks to Him that sat on the
throne who liveth forever and ever, These four living creatures,
they lead the whole of God's elect in the worship of God.
The four and 20 elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne
and worship Him that liveth forever and ever, and cast their crowns
before Him, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord. Their crowns,
they take from their heads and cast them at His feet, acknowledging
that the crowns we have are crowns you gave. They're not crowns
we've earned, but crowns you've given. And they cast them at
his feet and say, thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and
honor and power, for thou hast created all things. Now watch
this. For thy pleasure they are and
were created. But the chapter doesn't end there.
These chapter divisions sometimes are awkward. This one is not
a good division. The next word is and. We're continuing
the same thing. And I saw in the right hand of
him that sat on the throne, a book, a book written within and on
the backside, sealed with seven seals. God said, I saw a door open in
heaven and I saw a throne set. I saw one sitting on a throne,
rainbow round about the throne and I saw all God's elect All
the servants of God round about the throne proclaiming this message
concerning the redemption of our souls and the clowns are
on their head. And then I saw a book, a book
chained to the throne, written completely. And on the backside,
everywhere I looked, it was writing on that book. But it was sealed,
sealed with seven seals, perfectly sealed. with seals of God himself. Now watch this. And no man in
heaven nor in the earth, neither under the earth, was able to
open the book, neither to look thereon. What is this book? What is this book? Turn over
to chapter 10. I'll show you. And I saw another mighty angel
come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud, and a rainbow was
upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet
were pillars of fire, and he had in his hand a little book
open. And his right foot he set on
the sea, and his left foot was on the earth. And he cried as
a lion roareth. And when he cried, seven thunders
uttered their voices. There stands our Redeemer, as
it were, over the whole earth with a book open, and He's turning
the pages. This book is the book of God's
decrees, the book of God's purpose, the book of God's will, that
mystery, that seal that no man can look on, that no man can
pry into. And I wept because no man was
found worthy to open the book and to read the book, neither
to look thereof. And one of the elders, one of
these worshiping ones, saith unto me, Weep not. There's no
need to cry. Behold the lion of the tribe
of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book
and to loose the seven seals thereof. This lion of the tribe
of Judah, of course, is our Lord Jesus, that same angel we just
read about in Revelation 10. He's prevailed to open the book.
But notice this lion of the tribe of Judah prevailed to open the
book before the book was opened. John's seeing that which is eternal,
that which was from the beginning. He had already prevailed. He's
called the lion of the tribe of Judah. You remember when Joseph's
brethren sold him into slavery and the time came to bring his
brethren down to Egypt to take care of the whole family of Israel.
Judah begged of his father that he would send Benjamin down and
let him go down with us because the man said we couldn't come
back if we didn't bring Benjamin. And Jacob said, all right, take
Benjamin. Judah said, I'll be surety for
him. If you go back up just a few verses, Reuben had already offered
the very same thing. Reuben had said, let him go with
me. I will be surety for him. And
if I don't come back, I'll bear the responsibility. Jacob wouldn't
send him with Reuben. Our Lord Jesus was not the lion
of the tribe of Reuben He was the lion of the tribe of Judah
and Judah goes down Representing the Lord Jesus as surety for
his people and here is the same man Judah the lion of the tribe
of Judah the root of David the one from whom David came and
the one who came from David he hath prevailed to open the book
and to loose the seven seals thereof If you begin in chapter
6, you'll see the seals being opened one after the other. All
right, look at verse 6 here, Revelation 5. And I beheld, and
lo, in the midst of the throne, and the four beasts, and in the
midst of the elders stood a Lamb. John said, I saw the throne set,
and one sitting on the throne, and I saw the rainbow about the
throne, and I saw this book chained to the throne, and I saw the
lion of the tribe of Judah prevailing and he seems to ascend right
up out of the middle of the throne, takes his place right in the
middle of the mercy seat, right in the middle of the cherubs,
right in the middle of the 24 elders, right in the middle of
the living creatures as that one who is prominent above all,
that one exalted above all, that one with preeminence above all.
He's as a lamb as it had been slain. Now watch this. Having
seven horns. Seven horns. I'm not a farm boy,
but I've lived in the country a long time. And I've lived in
the country long enough to discover something. Animals with horns
about always get their way. Horns represent power. Seven
horns represent perfect power. Omnipotence this lion of the
tribe of Judah our Lord Jesus who was slain for us has all
power over all things in seven eyes eyes of complete wisdom
and omniscience Which are the seven spirits of God sent forth
into all the world by which all the world is ruled and he came
Look at this and took the book He didn't ask for it. He took
it not impudently not sassily He took it because he's the one
who wrote it. He took it because he's the one who earned the right
to open it. He took it because he's the lion
who prevailed. He took the book out of the right
hand of him that sat on the throne. And when he had taken the book,
the four beasts and the four and twenty elders, all God's
servants and all God's people fell down before the Lamb, having
every one of them hearts. And golden vials full of colors
are full of odors, which are the prayers of the saints. Hold
your hands here. Turn back to Matthew chapter
six, the prayers of the saints. You remember our Lord's disciples
ask him to teach us to pray as John taught his disciples to
pray. And the Lord Jesus gives us a
lesson in prayer. He said in Matthew chapter 6,
beginning at verse 9, I think it is. Yeah. After this manner,
therefore, pray ye. That is, pray like this. What
are the prayers of God's people? Most of you have heard me say
this many times, and I don't say it lightly. My heart breaks
to acknowledge that it's so. Most of my prayers are well described
by James. You lust and have not. Most of my prayers about my children
and my wife and my family and not yours. And they're expressions
of what Don Fortner wants. And I must beg God to forgive
me my prayers because my prayers are my lust expressed Well, isn't it right to pray for our
children? It is. It is indeed. But the fact is we have so much
difficulty separating our personal lust from our earnest groans
as God's people that it's impossible for us to pray aright, to know
what we ought to pray for aright. But when all is said and done,
this is what God's people seek in this world. Our Master teaches
us constantly to pray this way. Our Father, which art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name. That is, our God, honor yourself. I want that more than anything
in the world. God, get glory to yourself. Sanctify
yourself. Thy kingdom come, save your people. Build your kingdom. Thy will
be done. Do what you purpose to do. Thy
will be done in earth exactly like it is in heaven. And give
me grace to walk before you with contentment. Give us this day
our daily bread. God, give me what I need. Give
me every day what I need. Just as much sweetness as I need
and just as much bitterness. Just as much pleasure and just
as much pain. Just as much joy and just as
much sorrow. These things constitute our daily
bread. Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our debts. Forgive us our trespasses as
we forgive our debtors. God, forgive me. And lead us
not into temptation. Lord, I'm weak and sinful. Deliver
us from evil. Keep us from the evil one. For
thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen. These are the prayers of the
saints. Verse 9. And these saints have been praying these things.
These saints who've been wanting these things now see them accomplished. God's will's done. His kingdom's
come. God's sanctified. God's honored
by everything. And they sung a new song saying,
thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof.
And here's the reason. We say that Christ is worthy,
for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God. You died in our stead and you
delivered us to God by thy blood. Now watch this, not along with,
but out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation.
And hast made us, not you're going to, you have made us Kings
and priests. Kings and priests. Has he made us kings? Kings are
people who rule. Kings are people who subdue. God's people are made kings so
that by his grace we rule the world around us. It doesn't rule
us. By His grace, we no longer walk
after the lust of our flesh, but those things are subdued
by His Spirit reigning within us. So that by His grace, we
are not prevailed upon by the world, but we prevail over this
world. Kings and priests, priest, priestess
Christi, priest, priest live in the holy place. Priests do
business constantly in the holy place. Priests live upon the
holy place. Priests live with God. Priests walk with God. Priests
have access to God. Priests live upon the things
of God. They live upon the sacrifice
of God. Thou hast made us kings and priests
and we shall reign on the earth. Verse 11, And I beheld, and I
heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the
beast, and the elders. And the number of them was ten
thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, a
great multitude that no man can number. And this is what they
said, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain. to receive power, and riches,
and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in
heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as
are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying,
blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth
on the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever." Every creature. Every creature, every creature
in heaven, earth and hell, in the sea and in all deep places
shall bring forth praise to God our Savior. Everything shall
show forth His honor and His glory. And the four beasts said,
Amen. And the four and twenty elders
fell down and worshiped Him that liveth forever and ever. Amen. Oh God, our Father, will you
be pleased to give us grace that we may walk in the confidence
of your grace, in the confidence of your purpose, in the confidence
of your will all the days of our lives and use us for your
glory. Oh God, use us for your glory. Magnify your name. and make us
instruments by which your name is praised while we live on this
earth and instruments by which your name shall be praised to
eternity. Grant your blessings upon this
assembly. God, encourage them. Give them grace to encourage
one another, to strengthen one another's hands, to minister
to one another and with one another in this place, in this generation,
For the saving of your people and the glory of your name, I
ask for Christ's sake. Amen. Thank you so much for your
love, your attention, for your intercessions on our behalf.
Thank God for you. And I want so very much his blessings
upon you. We pray to that end. Thank you,
Pastor.