Sermon Tone Analysis

“Between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.

And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

And they sang a new song, saying,

“‘Worthy are you to take the scroll

and to open its seals,

for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God

from every tribe and language and people and nation,

and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

and they shall reign on the earth.’”[1]

"The Me Generation” is a popular designation given to individuals born between 1943 and 1960.

This group is also referred to as part of the “Baby Boomers.”

The generation is characterised to a significant extent by a self-centred attitude.

“What’s in it for me?” is frequently asked whenever individuals within this generation are asked to sacrifice.

Told they were the centre of the universe, many of this generation believe that they are deserving of every benefit that was secured through the sacrifice of their parents’ generation.

Every conceivable comfort is their right, without any personal sacrifice expected.

Since I am included within this age group, perhaps it is not unexpected that I think in terms of benefits whenever I consider the cost of an activity.

I confess that I approached the Faith with a bit of a hardnosed attitude.

“What’s in it for me?” was a question that occurred to me frequently in the early explorations of the Faith.

I believe that I have progressed far beyond that question, however, as I have discovered the majesty of the Risen, Reigning Christ.

He is worthy of my best efforts to glorify His Name because of who He is.

However, this does not mean that there are no benefits to the Faith.

I am confident that today I would choose to be a Christian even were there no immediate benefits.

I would choose to serve God because of who He is and not for what He is able to do.

I have discovered that God is worthy of my highest praise and by best efforts to serve Him.

With Job, I have learned to say, “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him” [*Job 13:15*].

It remains that though God is gracious, we yet may well ask, “What has Jesus done for me?”

We need not fear that He will come up short, because when we ask what Jesus has done for us we will discover that God is generous in the extreme.

Though I could undoubtedly appeal to any of a number of passages that speak of God’s goodness and generosity to us who believe, I invite you to consider a passage found in the Apocalypse.

John draws back the curtain that separates time from eternity, permitting us a glimpse of the people of God at worship in heaven.

The basis for worshipping the Lamb of God is what is especially important for our meditation this day.

*The Lamb That Was Slain* — The focus of the message is Christ the Lord.

However, the text dictates that we look back to His accomplished work, rather than looking forward to His promised work.

We who are Christians presently enjoy great benefits because of our relationship to Christ the Lord.

We have forgiveness of sin.

We have peace with God.

We enjoy immediate access into His presence.

We have His authority to announce life for all who receive Him as Lord.

We are called by His Name and known as His people.

We have His Spirit living within us and empowering us to accomplish great deeds in the Name of Christ our Lord.

There is no question but that we who are saved shall enjoy great benefits throughout all eternity.

We shall dwell with God and we shall reign with Christ.

We will soon receive the adoption as sons, for we have a full inheritance by His grace and through His mercies.

We are appointed to serve Him throughout eternity, enjoying the glorified body that He has promised.

Perhaps we are disappointed on occasion because we imagine that we have not received what we want, but in our hearts we know that we have received more than we deserve and we shall yet receive rich gifts from our gracious and generous Saviour.

According to John, the praise that believers will offer in Heaven looks back to the work that our Lord performed at the cross.

Before we consider that work, we need to establish who is offering this praise.

John has introduced twenty-four elders, and in order to determine who “the twenty-four elders” are, we should review the scene that is unfolded before us.

John provides an outline of the Book of the Apocalypse in *Revelation 1:19*.

There, the glorified Saviour commands, “Write … the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this.”

That which John had seen is the subject of the first chapter.

Chapters two and three describe the things that are—in these chapters, John provides an outline of the Church Age, the present Dispensation of Grace.

Then, with chapter four, we are introduced to “those [things] that are to take place after this.”

The remainder of the book is prophetic, describing God’s plan for the ages.

John was permitted to peer into Heaven itself.

Transported in the spirit, he witnessed God’s throne and surrounding the throne were cherubim praising God and continually saying,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,

who was and is and is to come!”

[*Revelation 4:8*]

We are also introduced to “twenty-four elders” seated on twenty-four thrones [*Revelation 4:4*].

It is these elders who initiate worship of the Lamb of God in our text.

These elders cannot be angels; angels are never referred to as elders (Greek */presbutéros/*) in Scripture, the term is always used of men.

Frankly, the term would be inappropriate for angels who never age.

Moreover, angels are never described elsewhere in Scripture as being seated in the presence of God.

Always and ever when we see angels portrayed in the Word, they are active, serving Him and rushing to obey His will.

Though angels in select instances can be referred to as “thrones,” (e.g.

*Colossians 1:16*), they are never said to be seated on thrones.

However, the promise of those who are resurrected to life is that they shall be seated on thrones.

This is the promise to those who are saved.

Perhaps you will recall the promise of the Master to the Church in Laodicea—a promise that applies ultimately to all believers, “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with Me on My throne, as I also conquered and sat down with My Father on His throne” [*Revelation 3:21*].

John writes of the days immediately before the conclusion of the Millennium, “I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed… They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years… Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection!

Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with Him for a thousand years” [*Revelation 20:4, 6*].

These elders are described as clothed in white and wearing crowns [*Revelation 4:4*].

These are not regal diadems (*/diådēma/*) such as those worn by rulers, but rather they are the crowns of victors (*/stéphanos/*).

Included among the crowns will be “the crown of life” that James describes [*James 1:12*].

Undoubtedly the crown to which Paul refers as he draws his final letter to Timothy to a close is also represented here.

“Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing” [*2 Timothy 4:8*].

I would anticipate that “the unfading crown of glory” promised for faithful service in Peter’s first letter will likewise be represented here [*1 Peter 5:4*].

Though we shall indeed reign with Christ, we reign as those who have conquered through obedience to Him and by His grace.

We cannot claim that our strength will suffice to secure the honour that we shall receive from our gracious Sovereign.

These elders are clothed in white garments.

In Scripture, white garments are consistently associated with and promised to believers who overcome the flesh, the world and the devil.

Speaking to the Church in Sardis—and thus to all who are faithful before the Master whatever their circumstance, Jesus promises that those who had not soiled their garments through succumbing to sin “will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.

The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life.

I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels” [*Revelation 3:4, 5*].

Later, we read of the Bride of Christ,

“‘It was granted her to clothe herself

with fine linen, bright and pure’—

“for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints” [*Revelation 19:8*].

The Bride of Christ refers to the saved of this present age.

Before Him, she displays the righteous deeds, as though dressed in fine linen.

I conclude that these twenty-four elders represent the saved of this present dispensation.

This leaves the timing of the scene to be considered before we focus on the One who is praised.

The worship that John describes is taking place before the Great Tribulation is unleashed on the earth.

Those awful days are described in detail beginning with chapter six.

However, in the scene before us, the judgements that are to be unleashed on the earth have not begun.

Therefore, we see the saved of the Dispensation of Grace, the Church Age, gathered before the throne of God.

We realise that the Resurrection and the Rapture have already taken place and the people of God have begun to reign with Christ as He promised.

The believers see the closed book, which lies untouched in the hand of Him that is seated on the throne.

They witness the Lamb as He comes to receive that book, and they praise Him as worthy to open it.