Wednesday Night Service | Revelation, The Church, and The Return of the King | Part 3

The structure and flow of the service tonight is going to be a little bit different from the kind of, I think, service you've come to expect from me. But the structure and flow of the Book of Revelation changes in chapter four. And so I'm hoping that the change in the format in tonight's service will help us shift gears. I do have the sniffles I don't want. You think I'm getting Pentecostal on y', all, and all of a sudden, you know, my nose will start to drain.

I had toyed with the idea of rolling toilet paper up and shoving it up my nose, since we are indeed family, but Mike felt that wouldn't be a good look for the social media page. And perhaps, perhaps he is right. So if you, you know, this is what this is all about. But God is good. Amen.

So we're continuing in the Book of Revelation, and we finished chapters two and three, and we saw that chapters two and three contained a lot of information, and it primarily engaged our minds and a lot of wonderful information. But chapters four and following will engage our senses and particularly sight and sound. And so there is a shift in what happens in the book. Last week, we completed discussing the letters that Jesus dictated to John to the seven churches in Asia Minor. And in those seven letters, we saw the things that any church does that pleases Jesus and the things that any church does that displeases him.

And from the letters, it became very clear that we're mindful of those things that both please and displease him, because those are the. The standards by which we'll be judged when he comes back. I mean, salvation. You can't earn our salvation. It's a free gift of God.

It's given us by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. That's not something we can earn. However, the Bible is clear that we're going to have to give an account of what we did with so great a salvation. So that is, did we do our part in expanding the kingdom of God in the hearts and minds of the people around us? A business plan, a model, a purpose to fulfill, to partner with the Lord in.

And we will be. That's going to be taken a look at, at Judgment Day. And the Bible says that we should live in a way that we will be delighted in and glad in his coming. And so that tells you that there could be a certain set of circumstances that we won't be delighted when he comes back. So I just.

I want to spare you that. I feel like in the Last quarter of my life, the things I've taught the Bible a lot of years, I've taught a lot of subjects. But everything I teach seems to come down to one point and is that you better get ready for judgment. You better get ready. And it was complaining to the Lord and not in any kind of.

I was just thinking it, actually, and I was like, you know, these people are gonna get bored. I have the same message all the time. And he said, in my heart. And it was real sweet. He goes, so did John the Baptist.

So I said, all right, he did okay. But he did lose his head. Let us not forget, you know. So anyways, it's on my heart to make sure. Part of my assignment to always ask you to please be ready to meet him and so that you're in touch with him and finding out what you're supposed to be doing for the kingdom of God.

Tonight we're going to go from the earthly realm of the church to the throne room of heaven in chapters four and five. And we're going to begin by reading through chapter four. So we're going to take full advantage of the promise that is being blessed when we hear Revelation read. I'm gonna try to unpack the portions of the chapters that are difficult to understand. Then it's movie night.

Then we're gonna see a video that is a dramatization of those chapters. And then we're going to close with doing right here what is going on right now in heaven. So this is getting a little bit different service, but I hope you'll enjoy that. All right, let's start in Revelation, chapter four, in verse one, and I will read the entire chapter to you, and it should be as well, after this. I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven.

And the voice I had heard first, speaking to me like a trumpet, said, come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this. At once I was in the spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of Jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were 24 other thrones, and seated on them were 24 elders.

They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal in the center around the throne were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes in front and in back.

The first living creature was like a lion. The second was like an ox. The third had a face like a man. The fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings.

Day and night, they never stop saying, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come. Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives forever and ever, the 24 elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say, 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. And all of God. People said, amen.

All right, so the things I'm going to point out to you in this particular chapter, may they might be better suited for Bible eggheads or Bible nerds, as it were. But I have a place I'm going, and if you stay with me, then that point will indeed emerge. So let's start right in chapter four, verse one. You know, I like to go line upon line. Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven.

And the same voice I heard spoke to me like a trumpet blast. Okay, this is an echo from chapter one. The first time John hears a voice and he has the vision or he sees Jesus standing before him. And so the question becomes, whose voice is that? Is that Jesus voice or is it another celestial being?

And I don't know that it's going to make or break your walk with the Lord to know. However, since John has just spent two chapters, right, so to speak, hearing the voice of Jesus, I don't know that he would not recognize it and it would be unidentified in this way. I think it's just another. I think in both cases it's a celestial being, but that's just a little thing. The voice said, come up here and I will show you what must happen after this.

This is another. Again, another echo from chapter one, where Jesus tells John right there, for those things you have seen and what is now and what will take place after this. The Greek phrase after this, the English phrase after this are the Greek words metahoutas, metahoutos. And I would suggest that that phrase metahoutas, after this is a structure marker in the Book of Revelation. It delineates the boundary between what we saw in chapters two and three, right, the spiritual condition of the church and what follows after that, that's the future divine action that's going to unfold in chapters really six and following the day of the Lord, as it were.

We talked about John six saying, I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day. And sometimes when we think, well, what's the Lord's day? Is it Saturday? Is it Friday? Is it Sunday?

But that a really alternative translation, and one seems to make sense, is that he was taken in the Spirit to the day of the Lord. And there's a lot in the word of God about the day of the Lord. And that is the time period when both judgment and redemption are completed. And so I think this is. That's the, the gestalt of what's happening here.

I heard that on a Frazer episode. I don't know how that came out of my mind right now.

Those who ascribe to a pre tribulation rapture, maybe talking about pre, mid and post, would link this phrasal boundary marker, metahoutas as indicating the rapture of the church. And really the word, you all know this rapture is not in the church. It's the Greek word harpaza, the taking away of the church. Paul talks about it in 1st Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15. And to be harpazoed is to be one of the definitions is to greedily grab.

Like if you have toddlers or children and you know, you put something sweet in front of them, they harpazo it, right? They greedily grab what belongs to them or just snatch away just in the nick of time. And I think we can agree on this, that whenever he comes to get his church, whenever he harpazzoes us, it's beginning mid at the end. It'll be just in the right time for us. Okay?

So no worries about that. Verse 2. And instantly I was in the Spirit and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. Now things are about to get real in John's world. On one hand, the imagery that is about to unfold in these subsequent chapters of Revelation is so supernatural and so otherworldly that we can be tempted to think that it's just merely symbolic or it doesn't exist.

And in fact, there are Christian denominations that approach to the apostle, apocalyptic material in that way, that revelation is simply symbolism or it's already taken place, what is captured there. So I mean, that's the thing in the Christian community. But with regard to it being too supernatural to believe. Let me ask you this, what part of our faith isn't supernatural? Tell me one thing that we believe that's not supernatural.

Everything we believe is supernatural. And so I don't know why it is so hard to connect the dots on Earth. I would argue that our existence on the earth, right, the realm that we interact with, with our human senses, it's far more transitory, far more assimilation than the unseen realm. And I've never seen this movie in its entirety. But do you ever notice, like certain movies, if you're going through, you happen to see the same scene over and over again?

So I never seen that movie. But it's that guy, it's Keanu Reeves and he's in an all white room. I think his name is Neo. What's that movie? The Matrix, right?

And he finds out nothing around him is real. And so, you know, everything that we see and everything around us right now, it's gonna all burn up and be gone. So what's real and eternal and what you can wrap your mind and heart around is those things that are unseen. And the Lord goes to great trouble. I don't say trouble, but he does a lot to make it plain to us about how real he is.

And those things that are unseen and for us to be so we can put our faith in them. Right? Let me just tell you this. Although the supernatural realm is quite real, I would caution you to be careful between what is supernatural and what is merely fanciful. You know, something that comes from the imagination.

Today the Lord still gives people dreams and visions. That is a thing, okay? And I have heard, been blessed by dreams and, or visions that friends of mine have had. But I want you to be careful that just because somebody has something that's supernatural or describes a supernatural encounter, I will tell you this. If it's.

It will always be tethered some way to the word of God. Okay? And really that's how you can tell what is supernatural. And then, you know, sometimes I get all excited and make stuff up. No, I don't.

But you know how kids are. You know, sometimes people just get excited. But remember, whatever is supernatural is also tethered to the word of God. It's not something outside of what the Lord has already written or said. And that's a safe place for you to be.

Okay? So again, on one hand you have the description of the throne room that's so otherworldly that we can be tempted to believe it doesn't exist. But on the other hand, an Earthly replica of the throne room was constructed 3,470 six years ago, the foot of Mount Sinai, with the express instructions of Yahweh, supervised by Moses. 1450 BC was when the first tabernacle was built. Then it was duplicated in the form of the tabernacle.

Was not stationary, was portable, right. Because it moved with them. Then that model was duplicated by David 500 years later in the building of the actual temple in Jerusalem. So although we see this, hear this, about this supernatural place, it has already come down to earth. And we know from the word of God that the earthly tabernacle and then temple was built to mirror a heavenly place.

And I would encourage you all to read all of Hebrews chapter 9. Cause it details that very specifically and thoroughly. But I just wanna read one verse to you from the book of Hebrews, chapter 9, verse 23. This is why the tabernacle and everything in it, which were copies of the things in heaven had to be purified by the blood of animals. But the real things in heaven had to be purified with a far better, with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals.

And that's a whole nother teaching that makes, that makes my mind go tilt a little bit.

But the Lord had a purpose for the temple, and he didn't keep it a secret. You could see the instructions for building the temple are in Exodus chapters 25 through 40. In chapter 25, he tells him why he wants them to build the temple. Exodus 25:8. He says, Let them make a sanctuary for me so that I may dwell among them.

The Lord God wanted to come down and dwell among his people. And he gave them instructions to build a tabernacle that was a facsimile of what is in heaven 3,470 six years ago. So none of this is shocking. And I do wanna show you a picture of the tabernacle. There's so many pictures and I never know which one to take.

But that's the basic frame of it. Where you see the guys, the laver and you see the altar for the thing, for the burnt offering and so forth. That's the outer court. What's covered with like the big old carpet over there. You have two rooms in there.

One is the holy place and the other one is the holy of Holies. And the Holy of Holies was where the Ark of the Covenant is. See that? That cloud, smoke, that's the presence of God. He would come and sit, and the Ark of the Covenant was as if it were his throne.

And so we're going to see that the parts of the tabernacle will mirror what John sees.

All right, let's skip down to verse four. In chapter four, 24 thrones surrounded him and 24 elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their head. Now, you know the conventional commentary or thoughts about these 24 elders is that they, each of them represent one of the 12 tribes, right? The 12 sons of Jacob and the 12 apostles.

And that's super duper convenient. Cause 12 plus 12 equals 24. And you know what, it's totally possible. But if I like to connect it with the Old Testament. And can I say that in keeping with the theme of the earthly tabernacle being a model of the heavenly throne room, the strongest Old Testament reference for those 24 elders comes from King David's organization of the priests and Levites in taking care of the tabernacle while he was king.

And so the descendants of Aaron, who was a Levite, were divided into 24 groups, and they were on a rotating basis to perform functions. Remember that light had a candle, had to be lit. 24, seven things had to be done. I mean, they're just incense had to be kept. They're just stuff that.

And so they were on a 24 hour rotating basis. Aaron's descendants of taking care of the temple. And we know, even when we are introduced to John the Baptist's dad, Zechariah, what's he doing? He's doing this. Luke 1, verse 8.

So it was that while he was serving Zechariah as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense. When he went into the temple of the Lord, that's when he had the visitation from the angel and they told him about his son. So Zechariah was assigned to burn the incense. Yeah. And we find that these elders have what, bowls of incense.

And so the bottom line is that I'm inclined to suppose that these 24 elders in the throne room served as the model for the 24 families of Aaron that served in the tabernacle. Let's skip to verse six. And here's where things are gonna get a little complicated. So stay with me, but I got a big finish for you. So hold on.

Chapter four, verse six. Before the throne, there was a sea of glass like crystal at that water thing, right before going into the most holy place. And in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back, the first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like an ox. The third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. All right, so very common interpretation of what those eagles represent, the eagles those creatures represent is that they are representative of the content in the four Gospels.

Okay, so for example, Matthew focuses on Jesus as being from the kingly line of David and Judah. So Matthew is the lion. Mark focused on everything Jesus did. Therefore, Mark as the carrier of the work is the ox. All right, Luke focused on Jesus, humanity, he came from Adam.

So the man there represents Luke's Gospel. And finally John is the one about his focus is Jesus is not from here. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. And the Word was God. And he was with God in the beginning up there.

So he is the eagle that is flying. And personally, I like all of that, but personally, I'm not convinced that the original hearers of the book of Revelation would have connected the dots in that way, because at that time, their Bible was still the Old Testament. So the combining of Mark, Matthew, Luke and John as the Gospels, I don't know that it would make sense to them. And I'm still inclined to think that what happened here wasn't duplicated there, but it's what happens. What's going on here is going to be duplicated down on the earth.

There's something interesting, something else interesting in the Old Testament that in keeping with the theme of those earthly creatures being connected to the Old Testament. And many of you I know know that. And that is Ezekiel's vision, right? Ezekiel has some crazy vision. And for sure, the description of the beings, creatures, I don't particularly like the word creatures, the beings that John sees and describes would have resonated with the folks who were familiar with the Book of Ezekiel.

Ezekiel has a vision in Ezekiel 10:14. Ezekiel describes these beings in this way. Each of the four cherubim had four faces. The first was the face of an ox. The second was a human face.

The third, the first. The third was the face of a lion. And the fourth was the face of an eagle. And I have a picture up there. I wanted to get a picture that would represent all of what Ezekiel saw.

Because these creatures were on this wheel, within a wheel thing, chariot, ish, and they were actually transporting the throne of God. But every image that had that, the faces were too small. And I think you could see what it was. But anyways, that's somebody's idea of what those Creatures look like. The difference being that Ezekiel saw four creatures, each with four faces, while John saw four beings each with one face.

And that would be the difference. Now, how are these connected to the tabernacle? Well, not only did the Lord give specific instructions about how to construct the Tabernacle, he gave specific instructions about how the Israelite population, the people, should camp around the tabernacle. Now, start here in Numbers, chapter 2. Just read verses 1 and 2.

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, the Israelites are to camp around the tent of meeting, some distance from it, each of them under their standard and holding the banners, their family, each under their standard and holding the banners of their family. And the Lord continues in the rest of Numbers with a bunch of list of names about who goes where. It is the verses that when you're reading through your Bible, you skip, because it's just names. You can't pronounce them anyway. And who cares, really?

Oh, wait, no, that's me. So never again. Because these things are extremely significant. Let me tell you about this. So the total population of Israel was divided into 12 separate families, each family representing one of Jacob's son, okay?

And being all the descendants of that son. So if Pastor J was. He was the big kahuna to God. He was, you know, Jacob. And he would have his four tribes, four families would come out of him, and they would be named Hailey, Cole, Eclay, Cole, and Caden.

So these four families, these four tribes had the names of their original ancestor, one of the sons of Jacob. Each family had a colored banner that represented their family. And you remember on the high priest, on his breastplate, what did he have? He had 12 different colored gemstones that matched that represented each family. When the Lord gave instructions about where the Israelites should pitch their tents.

And this is with the exception of the Levites. And I'll talk about that later. He positioned them in this way. I want these people to the north of the tent, I want this group at the south, I want this group at the east, and I want this group at the west. Very, very specific.

And so the 12 families were further divided into four groups of three. Three families camped to the north of the tabernacle, three to the south, three to the east, and three to the west. Now, those of you in here who have a high C personality have already done the math and said, hey, wait a minute, that's only 12. I mean, that's only 11. Because Levi.

Levi doesn't camp around the tabernacle. Levi camps. All those people camp inside the tabernacle. But we get the 13 because there's no tribe of Joseph. What is the tribe of Joseph, though?

Manasseh and Ephraim. So because he has those two, then we get to 12, just like it should be. Everything's all good and sweet. So this is the way they were told to camp. And can we pull up the image of just the one that looks like the cross?

So somebody figured out the numbers, because there's the exact numbers of how many men were in each family where they were to camp. And then if you kind of extrapolate those numbers and multiply them by 2.3. If you count for family and children and wives and children. If you did an aerial of what that camp looked like. But you see what I see?

Kind of cool, right? The longest group being the group from Judah. But you see the cross. It all comes to the cross. Right.

But that's not the point I want to make to. You put up the other image. And so you see the way these are arranged in the middle? You have the purple. Yeah, that's the tent.

And then Merari, Gershom and Kohath, those are the Levite families that are camped inside the drapes. You know how they had those sheepskin walls, so to speak, to the north. And the Lord was extremely specific about this. To the north, he said, here's why I want camp. To the north, Dan, Naphtali and Asher.

To the south, I want Reuben, Simeon and Gad. To the east, I want Judah, Zebulun and Issachar. And to the west, I want Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin. And remember, the instructions with the Lord was that each had a banner and there was a standard. Another word for standard is insignia.

So when the people camped and they were just stationary, their tents had to be in that exact order. They had to be with their family in the direction they were supposed to be in. And he had instructions about them when they decamped. Specific instructions about when they decamped. When they decamped, the first tribe to go first, group of three, was the ones to the east.

And the leader of that group, what do you think? Judah. Judah would go first. So the family of Judah would go first. And Judah would have their own colored banner.

But Judah would also carry the insignia for that group. So Judah would pull out, followed by Zebulun and then Issachar. And the second group to be released would be the southern group, led by Reuben. The family of Reuben and Reuben's family would have their colored banner, but it would also have the insignia for Those three families, Reuben would go, then Simeon, then Gad. And you know who'd go next?

The Levites. Because the Levites had to travel in the middle of all of the Israelites. Then next, you guessed it would be Ephraim. He would lead out with their family's banner and the group's insignia. Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin.

And last but certainly not least would be the northern tribes, which would be Dan. Dan was the leader of that. I find that interesting because in the list of the tribes from which the 144,000 are chosen coming up later on in the Book of Revelation, Dan is not in there. Dan the man is not there. So we'll look at that when we get there.

But then it would be Dan, Naphtali, and Asher. They would be the last to go. Okay, so that's all in the Bible. That's biblical. Here's what's disappointing.

The identification of the four insignias are not anywhere in the Scripture. And they are, however, identified in this book called the Mishnah. Any of you familiar with the Mishnah? Okay, the Mishnah is the rabbinic commentary on the Old Testament, okay. And it was put together around 200 AD, so it's super old, which means it's super good.

And in the Mishnah, that commentary they write record what the various standards insignias were for the groups of three. And in the Misha, Mishnah, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun's insignia was a lion. This is 200 A.D. okay, Reuben, Simeon, and Gad's insignia was a man, Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin's insignia was an ox. Dan Naphtali's and Asher's insignia was a flying eagle with a snake in its claws. And in the commentary, it also goes on to explain why each insignia was given to each tribe.

And some of them are relatively easy to figure out, right? Jesus came from the tribe of Judah. He was a lion from the tribe of Judah. When Reuben was born, it was said, behold, I have a man. So you could make some of those connections.

And if that is the case, and I have no doubt, you know, I don't like crazy, speculative stuff, you know, but if that is the case, if those were the insignias, then Ezekiel's vision in chapter four had those cherubim. They were called cherubim in Ezekiel, not chapter four, chapter ten, surrounding the throne of God, Transporting the throne of God. And John seeing four similar creatures around the throne of God makes sense because these tribes, the lion, the man, the ox, and the eagle. They surrounded the throne of God. And so all of that comes together, I think, in a rather intriguing way.

Now, remember I told you in the beginning that all this info would lead to a particular point? Well, here it is. Fasten your seatbelts.

All those very loud and public voices who profess Christianity but loathe all things Israel are going to be really unhappy when they get to heaven. Because you know what? It's super Jewish.

I'm just saying.

Their pattern, their models, it's God stuff.

I feel bad for them if they go. I don't know if they're going. That's not me. But all I'm saying is they're going to be like, get me out of here. Where are the Christians?

That's where they're gonna wanna be. Or they are. All right, I'm just gonna look at one more component of these two chapters and I'll discuss them, or maybe two, and then we'll be done. I'm gonna just read chapter five to you. I didn't print it out, but let's read Revelation, chapter five in its entirety.

This one's super cool. Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne. There was writing on the ins, and it was sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel who shouted with a loud voice, who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and open it? But no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it.

Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it. But One of the 24 elders said to me, stop weeping. Look. The lion of the tribe of Judah, the angel heir to David's throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.

Then I saw a lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings among the 24 elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represented the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth. He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. And then he took the scroll. And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb.

Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God's people. And they sang a new song with these words, you are worthy to take the scroll and break itself. Seals and open it. For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And you have caused them to become a kingdom of priests for our God.

And they will reign on the Earth. Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus, worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, they sang blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever. And the four living beings said, Amen.

And the 24 elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb. Glory be to God. Well, I would say it's sufficient in this group to just make mention that Jesus is the Lamb. And I think most of you already know that, but in case someone is here who would not understand that connection. But what is that scroll?

Right? Jesus sees that scroll. It's written on both sides, and it's sealed with seven seals. I'm not gonna put that slide up, Emmy. I'm just gonna talk through it.

Here's the thing. We don't have another example of a seven sealed scroll in the word of God. But we do know from history that during that time period, okay, the seven sealed scrolls were common for two particular things. They were land deeds. A scroll sealed seven times was a land deed, or it was someone's last will and testament.

They were sealed seven times. And so the seven seals indicated that the document had seven different witnesses that could attest to its authenticity. And that's why those seven seals were at an were on an ancient scroll.

The point of the seven seals, in any case, was to preserve the integrity of whatever was written in that scroll and to ensure that the only one who was authorized was the one that opened it. And that would have been common knowledge to the hearers of Revelation, the original hearers. It is significant that it's written on both sides. There's not consensus about why, but at that time period, they made paper out of papyrus. And the process used to make the paper would leave just one side of it smooth, and the backside would be very rough.

So you could write on one side that you rolled up with the backside. So the fact that it was written on both sides of the is noteworthy. And so some say there was just so much there they had to use both sides there's another school of thought, and I lean here, but I don't think it matters that it was written on there the qualifications of the one who would be worthy to open. So there'd be no question about who was worthy to open that document. So what is in those scrolls?

I don't think it's a big mystery. I think it's what happens in chapters six through 22. That's what's in those scrolls, right? He opens the first scroll in chapter six come, and the first horse comes. And so, yeah, I don't think that's a mystery.

I think it's the unfolding plan of God. I found this. I found this description of what's in the seals in an online commentary. It wasn't cited by who wrote it. I don't like to.

I like to give credit where credit is due, but I thought it was beautiful. I thought there was nothing I could come up who said this as well as this source said it. The scroll is sealed with seven seals to signify a divinely perfect, legally binding, utterly secure document that contains God's comprehensive plan of judgment and redemption. Seven seals authenticate its authority, protect its contents, and reserve the right of execution for the one person qualified Jesus Christ, the risen lamb, who alone can unveil and fulfill the decreed consummation of all things. And William R. Newell, I just discovered him.

He actually died the year I was born. Has a commentary on Revelation about the seals and the scroll and why John wept so bitterly. He said, why John wept so bitterly. It was as if sin and Satan were to go on forever in the usurped control of affairs in this world. The apostle was brokenhearted about this.

The Greek word wept is the same as that for Christ weeping over Jerusalem. And so when John realized that no one is worthy to open the scroll, he knew the mess that is planet Earth was just going to keep on going. And it broke his heart the same way broke Jesus heart when he looked at Jerusalem and knew what was going to happen in 70 AD. They wept bitterly. Let's close with me reading this portion from Revelation again.

Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and the living beings and the elders. And they sang a mighty chorus. Worthy is the lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory. And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to The Lamb forever and ever.

And the four living beings said Amen. And the 24 elders fell down and worshiped the lamb. You know when we talked last week about the person who was giving one talent or bag of silver and they didn't do anything with it being thrown into outer darkness where there's weeping and gnashing of teeth. And I put before you the thought that it was to talk about a great celebration. And the closest you got to the person being celebrated or the honoree, the lighter it was.

And the further away you got from the honoree, the darker it was. You couldn't see what was going on. I would say suggest that where the throne is, is great light and people who are permitted to approach the throne, who will hear, well done, thy good and faithful servant, come and enjoy my master's happiness with me. I believe that we're going to be able to go closer to the light. And those who have not put to use what God, God has given them, I don't think putting in outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, I can't make a biblical connection for that with hell.

I think it is that place far, far, far, far, far from everything that's going on. And they are gonna be bitterly sad and angry at themselves. And you might say, no, no, no, Janet, because when we get to heaven, God's gonna wipe away every tear. And. But, yes, but I have some biblical bad news for you that doesn't come till after the thousand year millennium and after the complete defeat of Satan.

So I don't know how else to tell you, to beg you. You don't wanna be crying and wishing you were with him. It'll be bad.

All right. For those of you who are imagination impaired, as am I, I found an animated dramatization of these two chapters and I thought you might enjoy it. Roll the movie, folks. You know, until that scroll is open, the restoration of God's, you know, a worship team can come up. The restoration of God's creation cannot begin.

But the restoration is coming. And it will begin with the breaking of the first seal and the scroll in chapter six. But for now, until it does begin here, we do what we know to do. And for the final moments that we have left, let's participate with what's going on in heaven right now. Why don't you go ahead and stand and let's just give him the praise he's due for being so worthy.