The Throne Room Pt. 2
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Tonight, we are going to pick right up where we left off this morning…We have been exploring the throne room!
3 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.
4 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.
5 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.
Revelation 4:6 (KJV 1900)
6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: ...
This morning we looked into the rainbow, the 24 elders, the lightnings and thunderings, the seven lamps, and the sea of glass…look at verse 6 where we find the next sight in our exploration of the throne room:
The Beasts
The Beasts
Revelation 4:6–7 (KJV 1900)
6 ...and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
7 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.
The word beast means “living creature” - These creatures are similar to the seraphim found in Isaiah 6...
1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: The whole earth is full of his glory.
These four living creatures were perceptive.
Herbert Lockyer wrote, “They are described as having fullness of intelligence … Both foresight and hindsight are theirs. The past and future are open to them as a scroll.”
God has given these angels special wisdom, endued them with strength and honor, and bestowed upon them vision to see all! There is nothing that gets by these angels. They are before the throne of God, in the midst of the throne, and around the throne of God! They are pictured as being the closest to God and His throne! These living creatures are holy, privileged, and give honor and glory to the Lord!
There are several ideas about these creatures…Some feel they are the leaders of the realm they depict…This gets really interesting, ya’ll listen right here:
* The Lion—the leader of wild beasts.
* The Calf—the leader of domestic animals.
* The Man—the pinnacle of God’s creation.
* The Eagle—the leader of the fowls of the air.
Others feel these four creatures represent the four Gospels in which Christ was portrayed to mankind.
* Matthew depicted Christ as King of Kings (the lion, the ruler).
* Mark depicted Christ as the Suffering Servant (the calf, the beast of burden)
* Luke depicted Christ as the Son of Man (the man)
* John depicted Christ as the Son of God (the eagle, the creature of the heavens)
Let’s move on to the next thing we see in the throne room…Look at what these seraphim are doing:
The Worship
The Worship
These creatures gave glory, honor, and worship to the Lord and those around the throne worship the Lord too. The word “worship” means “to ascribe worth.”
We will feel unworthy to wear our crowns in the presence of Christ and will cast them at His feet.
All that we think we have accomplished will seem so insignificant when we see our Lord.
8 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.
John describes the continual worship service that is going on in heaven.
These four living creatures worship the Lord continually.
The Bible says that they do not rest day or night.
This tells me that they do not take a break, they do not slow down, they do not lose focus, they do not give up or give out; they just press on and praise on! They are continually praising the Lord. Too many of us rest from worship all the time.
Heaven is continually filled with praise for King Jesus! We should praise His Holy name continually!
15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
As I was studying this the other night, I was listening to a song called “Behold Our God” - Let me tell you something, it got on in my little study…The song says:
Who has held the oceans in His hands?
Who has numbered every grain of sand?
Kings and nations tremble at His voice
All creation rises to rejoice
Who has given counsel to the Lord?
Who can question any of His words?
Who can teach the One Who knows all things?
Who can fathom all His wondrous deeds?
Who has felt the nails upon His hands
Bearing all the guilt of sinful man?
God eternal humbled to the grave
Jesus, Savior risen now to reign!
Behold our God seated on His throne!
Hallelujah! You know what’s happening right now in Heaven around the throne of God!
There is worship, there is praise!
They are saying, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.” They never rest!
Hey, behold our God! Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come!
1 I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: The humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
3 O magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt his name together.
David Levy said that the four living creatures “acknowledged His purity, singing, “Holy, holy, holy.” They acknowledged God’s power by singing “Lord God Almighty.” They acknowledged His perpetuity: “Who was and is, and is to come.” He is the eternal God who stands above time and space, having no beginning or end, no past or future—everything is in the present tense to Him.”
If we look on, we find the Church!
9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Looking this wondrous scene, we learn how to worship the living God!
Man is nothing and Christ is everything.
We give all glory to the Father, our covenant-keeping God, to the Son, our divine Redeemer, and to the Spirit, our blessed Comforter.
We give God the glory because he is God, because of his covenant mercy and grace bestowed upon us (Eph. 1:3–14), and because of the salvation he has accomplished for poor sinners in Christ.
The twenty-four elders fell down before him that sat on the throne. Notice, that is the posture of faith. It humbles itself before the throne of God’s awesome majesty and worships him.
These glorified saints, as they worshipped God, ‘cast their crowns before the throne’.
Don Fortner wrote, “It is not possible for a bowed head to wear a crown.”
When we cast our crowns before the throne, we are declaring that we are what we are by the grace of God…Any crown we receive is because the grace of God! It’s nothing of us, but all of Him!
It is not possible to worship Christ, it is not possible to trust him, until he is acknowledged as Lord.
The beginning of faith is voluntary submission to his sovereign dominion.
All who bow before God’s throne worship him and cast their crowns before his throne; they delight to give him the glory and honour due unto his name, saying, ‘Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.’
Conclusion
Conclusion
Isaac Watts wrote,
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
The everlasting praise of the triune God is a well-deserved praise.
He is the Creator of all things and the end of all things (Prov. 16:4; Rom. 11:36).
This great God, the Creator, Sustainer and the one who disposes of all things, to whom all worship is due, is none other than Jesus Christ, our Saviour (Col. 1:16–17).
Behold our God!