Part 3/8
Series: Revelation | Will the Church Be on the Right Side of History?
Read: Revelation 4-5 , John 1:1-18, Matthew 21:33-46
Heaven has captured the world’s imagination from the beginning of time. Books written about it have topped the bestselling charts ever since they started tracking that sort of thing. I have to admit, however, that I was not excited about heaven in my youth. The idea of going to a 24 hour worship service in the sky, seven days a week, didn’t quite inspire me. Perhaps I hadn’t attended enough funerals yet, but more realistically, I wanted a few things to happen in this life before I met my demise. I think I was more afraid about Jesus returning before I had the chance to live my life than I was worried about dying. It’s not the most spiritual response, but it’s the truth.
Part of the reason I was underwhelmed was by the way I heard preachers describe the imagery in the Book or Revelation. They would sermonize and speculate over the finest detail described in John’s vision without ever stepping back and explaining what it meant or why it all mattered. This vision in heaven is more than the eye can see or words can describe and the ultimate picture it creates is greater than the sum of its parts.
A Vision of Heaven
First, we see an open door. This is significant because it was already mentioned to the Church in Philadelphia that they have a door set before them which cannot be shut. That doesn’t mean that you have to pass through Pennsylvania before you can go to heaven, but it tells us that they have been given unlimited access to God. Remember that before Jesus died on the cross, a priest could only enter the holy of holies in the temple once a year, and only if he was pure. They would tie a rope around his ankle, just in case he had unconfessed sin and was struck dead when confronted with the Ark of the Covenant.
This Ark was called the “Mercy Seat” where the glory of God rested amongst His people. It was flanked by two Cherubim, angels with a rather unique description in the Old Testament. In it were contained the reminders of God’s law, provision, redemption, and power. There is a great deal of significant symbolism here.
When Jesus died on the cross, the veil that covered the doorway was ripped in two. This is the most important detail in this illustration because it shows how we can have access to God, not through a curtain, but through a person, Christ Himself.
Worthy is the Creator
As John is brought into the throne room, he sees the glory of God described in the color and brilliance of precious gems. 24 elders dressed in white robes and gold crowns surrounded the throne. This is likely representing the Old Testament and New Testament saints.
There is a sea before the throne, but it is so calm that it looks like glass. This signifies the peacefulness of heaven, but it is not all peaceful. God is described as being a raging storm with thunder and lightning. He is fierce and frightening.
There are four living creatures with different face like that of a lion, an ox, a human, and an eagle. Scholars have debated what this means. It could be that they represent the four different realms of created creatures, the unique differences of the four gospels, the cherubim on the Ark of the Covenant, the prophets who preceded Jesus, etc. The list goes on. But what is significant is what they do. They were continually worshiping God on His throne and leading the 24 elders to lay down their crowns at His feet.
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
They are worshipping God because He is the creator of all that exists. This is significant because it is true. We belong to God because He created us. We would not exist without Him. This alone is worthy of our worship, and yet it does not elicit our devotion.
Worthy is the Lamb
In the next scene, John sees God holding a scroll with seven seals in His right hand. This requires a bit of explanation. This is likely a symbol of the deed to all creation. He owns all that He has made, and this is His will and testament. But who can open the scroll? No one is worthy to claim what belongs to God alone. This causes John to weep because he realizes the loneliness of God in His holiness and that there is no one who can inherit His treasure.
Then John sees Jesus as the Lion of Judah. This is the way the Messiah was described throughout the Old Testament. He would be a King who would drive out their oppressors and take His rightful throne. But Jesus was not born in a castle, he came by way of a manger. He didn’t ride into the city on a white stallion, but on a donkey. He didn’t lead a rebellion against the Romans, but died on a Roman cross. This is not the way they pictured the Messiah fulfilling prophecy.
Jesus told a story in the Gospels of a landowner who planted a vineyard and rented it out to local farmers. When he sent his servants to collect the rent, they beat them and sent them packing. So the landowner sent his son, and they killed him, thinking they could steal his inheritance. So Jesus asks, what do you think the landowner will do when he comes? He will destroy them.
Then, John looks again at the Lion of Judah and now he sees Him as a lamb who was slain. And immediately there is a new song being sung in heaven.
“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign[b] on the earth.” And, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” And, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”
Jesus is being worshipped because He has purchased back what is already His. Everything belongs to Him as the creator, and it is His inheritance as the Son of God. But He did not come in fury and rage, but in mercy and grace. He paid for creation with His blood. He didn’t have to do this, but He loved us so much that He was willing to die in our place and bear the weight of God’s stormy wrath that we saw in the previous chapter.
But the blessing doesn’t end there. We are only given access to God through Jesus. That is why the door is open. We do not approach God as peasants, awaiting His judgement and hoping that He will be gracious. We walk into the throne room as His children. We are adopted. We are made joint heirs with Christ. Not only is God’s righteousness imputed to our account, but we are given authority over all of creation. His inheritance is our inheritance.
It is one thing to worship God because He is our creator and it is appropriate to do so. But it is another thing entirely to worship God when we realize how much He has loved us and what He has given us when we didn’t deserve it. Remembering the gospel ought to elicit the purest of praise because He has ransomed us back to God through the shedding of His own blood.
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain!
Adam Miller is the president and host of Songtime Radio and serves as the pastor of South Chatham Community Church. This article is a condensed version of one of his sermons.