Back to sermon search

Full transcript

Now, yesterday we began our short study of the book of the Revelation by making ourselves a simple table of contents. To do that, we employed thought flow, asking ourselves where the story begins, where it ends, where the first story begins, where the first story ends, where the climaxes are, the minor climaxes and the major climaxes. As we did that, we came up with the idea that there are six major sections to the book of the Revelation. We noticed also, as we, uh, did that, that there was emerging a pattern in front of our eyes. The first major section of the book, of course, is the first three chapters, because they are one and the same vision. The vision of the Son of Man standing surrounded by seven golden lampstands. When in chapter one the details of the imagery are explained, then the lampstands are said to be figures of the, of seven churches, and the stars in the right hand of the Lord are the angels of the seven churches. John is bidden to write for as our Lord dictates seven letters in succession, one each to these seven churches. So chapter one is the initial vision plus John's, uh, commissioning. Chapters two and three uh, continue as those letters are dictated and written down. When, of course, the last letter is written to the last church, then that first major section of the book concludes. We notice then that each of the succeeding major sections of the book, uh, is opened, uh, it begins with something opened in heaven. Section two, a door opened in heaven. Section three, the seventh seal is opened as the Lamb takes the book and opens the seals, and in the beginning of the third section, he opens the final seal. In section four, the temple of God in heaven is opened. Section five, the temple of tabernacle of testimony in heaven is opened. And section six, heaven itself open. We notice also the emerging pattern that as something is opened in heaven, in sections two through five we are given a vision of some part of the heavenly tabernacle. In section two, the throne, and then the twenty four thrones around it. Section three, the big altar first, then the golden altar of incense, with smoke arising from the incense. Section four, the Ark of God's covenant. Section five, the temple is filled with smoke from God's glory and power, as the angels come out from the innermost part of the, uh, temple, and the glory of God that filled the holy place, the most holy place, now fills the whole temple with smoke, and none can stand until the, um, until the, uh, plagues the, of the bowls are finished. Then we noticed another pattern emerging, that each of the sections 2 till 6 through six end with a comment by someone or other, quite an extensive comment. Section two, the comment is by one of the elders. Section three, it is ca- the comment by all twenty four elders. Section four, the comment is given in the form of the song by the victors over the beast. Section five, in the form of a response by the great multitude, and at the end of the book itself, the comment by the threefold testifying of Jesus. Thought flow then, and pattern so far. I want now to make, uh, a few more suggestions to put them into the pool, the very extensive pool, of your thinking. You'll see. We should not be able to cover the book, of course, nor expound every detail, obviously. And my job is to resist all at all temptation to preach, uh, to make suggestions to you. Some will be known to you already and used by you, some may not, I don't know. But, uh, ways and means of coming at this book for ourselves. So I want to say something on the rationality of the sections. How are the sections related to each other? And you will remember, I hope, my little analogy of the hand. It's not enough to say that a hand has a square bit in the middle and four bits at the top and one out of the side. To describe a hand, you must be able to describe and explain the functional relationship of each of the members of the hand. Why the bit sticks out at the side and there are four at the top, how they are functionally related to do their job. And similarly with the book like this, it's not enough just to divide it into sections and to see the author's plan of those sections. We need to go further and inquire what is the functional relationship between the sections themselves. So notice now, if you care to, the functional relationship between section two and section three of the book. Section two and section three, as four and five, begin with showing John some feature of the heavenly tabernacle. And the imagery, of course, is taken from the tabernacle of Moses, the building of which is described in the book of Exodus. It is an enormous help for the understanding of the revelation if you have at your fingertips your knowledge of the tabernacle in the book of Exodus. The tabernacle, might I say in passing, is not quite the old-fashioned s- uh, doctrine that some modern Christians imagine it to be nowadays, you'll see. It is one of those fundamental images, and it's ju- uh, that God gives us in his word, and it is meant as a thought pattern so that it will help us analyze the deep things of God. And so it is used here in the book of the Revelation. And let's look at the, uh, features of the tabernacle that we find here at the beginning of section two and section three. So here for you is a little modern art. Its very simplicity puts the price up, of course, as in all modern art. You'll see, and that's a side view of the tabernacle, as you know. The entrance is here, you're coming in here, and this is the holy place, and this is the most holy place, yes. And as you know, in the tabernacle, in the most holy place, was the ark with the cherubim on it. This formed the throne of God, or as some rabbis preferred to think, it was the footstool of God's throne. The divine presence was said to rest here between the cherubim that are upon the mercy seat, that are upon the ark. There will I meet thee. Or, as the book of Chronicles expressed it, God sits enthroned upon the cherubim. Here then is the throne of God, his divine presence. In here are the tables of the law that are the expression of his own character, uh, the expression of the fundamental principles of his law and covenant. Standing outside, uh, excuse the wrong perspective thing, on this side was the table, on this side was the lampstand, but they are not, uh, presented in these two visions. What is presented is the little altar of incense here and the smoke of the incense, uh, going up before God. Those two vessels then had the veil between them. But as the priest stood here, functioning at this altar and offering the incense at the time of prayer, his altar was placed here because it had this functional relationship with the ark. For the priest standing here, offering the prayers of his people along with the incense at the time of prayer, like Zechariah in the temple in Luke chapter one, was addressing himself to God, who, as he believed, presenced himself and sat enthroned upon the cherubim. So throne and incense altar had a functional relationship. It is no accident that chapter two begins with a vision of the throne, and, uh, I'm sorry, section two begins with a vision of the throne, and section three begins with a vision of the incense altar. They are functionally related. And in the book of the Je- uh, of the Revelation, these two things then heading their particular sections are not only reminding us of the functional relationship, but of the theological relationship between the two of them. There are two beautiful seats here right at the front, reserved for you. They're reserved for late comers, and you're very welcome to come. It's like Saul coming to the banquet, you know, we knew you were coming, and we have reserved these places. Section two of the Revelation, therefore, sets about telling us that there is a throne in the heavens. You can sense the drama of it, can't you, says John? I heard a voice behind me, uh, as of a trumpet, and a door was open in heaven, and the voice summoned me up there, and I got into heaven. What would be the first thing you look for when you get to heaven? Uh, uh, uh, oh, what's on here? Oh, I saw a throne. Yeah, number one. There was a throne set. You might find it difficult to believe as you survey this chaotic earth, many people do, but the fact is there is a throne in the heavens. And number one, and this, ladies and gentlemen, is a gospel to be preached, though I mustn't preach it now. It is sheer gospel, isn't it, in this chaotic world, to be assured that there is a throne in the heavens, and the throne is not vacant, but it is occupied. That's a magnificent gospel message. I mustn't preach it now, do you see? Mm. We shall later be inquiring what the nature of that throne is, because presently you are going to see in the book of the Revelation judgments proceeding from that throne, and some of them so severe that human beings shall gnaw their very tongues for pain. What kind of a throne is it that would emit such judgments on mere flesh and bone? We shall want to know that, and therefore we shall find this throne is described in great detail. It is perhaps the major thing that we need to get hold of when we emerge into section two and then go through the sections. We shall see, as I say, the judgments proceeding from this throne. What kind of a throne is it? What kind of a government? What kind of a ruler is it sits on that throne that will be responsible for these judgments? There's a throne in the heaven, therefore, and it will issue judgments. Mm. But to many thoughtful people, that raises a second question, and if you're talking to them in your personal witness, sooner or later they'll, they'll, they'll put it to you. You say there's a throne in heaven? That's how they used to talk to us during the war in Britain. You believe in a God? Well, why doesn't he stop Hitler then? Why doesn't he put down evil? How long does he allow the slaughter of an ethnic cleansing to go on in Yugoslavia, and you try to tell me there's a God in heaven? Isn't that curious? There are two sides to this question. Hmm. Some people don't want there to be a throne in heaven. Why not? Because they fear its judgments, and they prefer to think there isn't one. But then if you prove to them that there is one, then they take the opposite side and say, not why does he judge, but why doesn't he judge? Isn't that funny how human nature is? But of course, they are the problems involved in the matter. And therefore, this, uh, second section here, the third section, I mean, in the book of the Revelation, will concentrate our mind not simply on the throne, but on the incense altar. And there the section begins with a very dramatic silence in heaven. As the seventh seal is opened, there's silence in heaven for half an hour. Now the commentators debate the matter, don't they? What, what, what, what about this silence in heaven? One of the more recent suggestions I heard is simp- it was that simply, uh, the interval between two um, acts of the play. It's just saying one is finished, we're not quite ready to start the next one. So, so take a breather, you know, get your morning coffee or something. Uh, it can't be there, can it? Why is there a silence for half an hour in heaven? But one answer that to that would be to ask, in the drama of the book, what was it that broke the silence? I don't know if you have a remembrance day over here for those who fell in the two world wars. You'll see, but we do, less and less than we did, but still we do, and it's a two-minute silence. And if ever you've been in a large congregation and, uh, experienced the two-minute silence, it seems eternity, doesn't it? Two minutes seems to go on and on and on. It's all the way different when you're running to catch a train or something, but when you're just standing there and it's silent. You just imagine being in heaven, my good sirs and ladies, with thousands of thousands and ten thousands times ten thousands and thousands of thousands and angels conquipped with trumpets, I don't know what have you, and a silence. Don't know if they have clocks in heaven, but one minute, five minutes, fifteen minutes. When, when, when, when is this silence going to end? Hmm. That's John standing irreverently, of course. Gabriel about to do anything? Why doesn't somebody blow a trumpet or do something? Twenty minutes? When's it going to end? Wonder what it is that will end it. What will break the silence? Oh, that's tremendous drama, isn't it? You, you know, if you want to enjoy the revelation, you have to picture it in your mind. John saw it, didn't he? It's helpful to see it like John saw it, as a great drama going on in front of you. What, uh, broke the silence? Well, let's read it in, uh, the words of chapter eight. and, uh, it says... There were seven angels, and they were given unto them seven trumpets, but before they had the chance to blow the trumpets, another angel came and stood over the altar, having a golden censer, and there was given unto him much incense that he should add it unto the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints went up before God out of the angel's hand. And the angel taketh the censer, and he filled it with the fire of the altar and cast it upon the earth, and there followed thunders and voices and lightnings and an earthquake. There came a big sound to end the silence. And what initiated it? What broke the silence? The prayers of the saints coming up before God, now at long last to be answered. And in that simple piece of drama, there are centuries of heartache, centuries of prayer, with a problem that has vexed not merely the ungodly, but has vexed the people of God for many long generations. Listen to the psalmist. This is Psalm um ninety four. O Lord, thou God to whom vengeance belongeth, thou God to whom vengeance belongeth, shine forth. Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth. Render to the proud their desert. Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph? They prate, they speak arrogantly, and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves. They break in pieces thy people, O Lord, and afflict thine heritage. They slay the widow and the stranger and murder the fatherless. And they say the Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob consider. Oh Lord, how long? From the slaves of Israel in Egypt under the taskmaster's lash, to the captives carried away by Assyria, to Rachel weeping for her children because they are not, to the mothers in Bethlehem mourning their little babes slaughtered by Herod, for the Christians being thrown to the lions, for Jews who genuinely believe in God, though they be not Christians, in the concentration camps under Hitler, to many of our fellow believers at this present moment. And a cry goes out of their heart, oh Lord, how long? Lord, you're supposed to care for justice. Why don't you intervene? How long, oh Lord? You see, the two subjects are intimately bound together, aren't they? You can't believe there's a throne that cares for justice without the cry coming for your heart. Well, then, if you care for justice, Lord, when are you going to intervene, intervene and put down evil? Do you see my very simple point, but it's important, that the sectioning of the book of the Revelation is not arbitrary, is not a question of a railway timetable merely. It comes to the very heart of the human problem. And sections two and three stand side by side because they are functionally related and thematically related, and the, in the end, theologically related. I shall have to pause here to justify my ways before men. You will read some commentaries that will say that now in chapter eight, of course, you are in altogether a different dispensation, because here the saints are heard to be crying for God to take vengeance. And that's not a thing Christians ought to do. Christians have to follow the example of our Lord, who prayed, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. But that Jews of a later dispensation will be allowed to behave in an unchristian manner and pray to God for vengeance. That is a, that is a proposition that I think needs examination a bit more closely. Our Lord Jesus, according to Luke chapter eighteen, told a parable, and he said that men ought always to pray and not to give up praying. I pause. Would you suppose that applies to Christians, or are we exempt from that? Are we expected to go on praying, uh, and not give up? I imagine so. Pray about what? Well, our Lord gave a parable now next, in the next few verses, to illustrate the point at issue, why we must pray and why we might on times be tempted to give up praying. He said there was in a certain city, uh, a good w- widow woman, you'll see. There happened to be also a judge. And the widow woman came to the judge, you'll see. Why? Because the businessmen in town were oppressing her and robbing her according to the best business ethical standards. And she came to the judge, you'll see, and pleaded with the judge. She wasn't asking for revenge. What was she was asking for was simple justice. Avenge me of those that are oppressing me. That's a different thing from revenge, isn't it? If the insurance people have have swindled you of ten thousand pounds, don't you try and get some redress, gentlemen? You're not asking for revenge, that the manager of the insurance company should be decapitated next week. That might indeed stop some of their practices, but, uh, that you'll say you're asking for avenging, that is simply for justice, that's all. And the dear widow woman came to the judge, you'll see, and, uh, uh, asked to be avenged of her enemies. But he was a rascal, cared neither for God nor man, and anyway, he played golf with the businessmen aforementioned, and he did nothing about it. Judge though he was, he wasn't interested in justice, and the case would have looked hopeless, but widow, this widow being what some widows are, she wasn't for giving up, you see. She came, and she came, and she came, and she came, and uh, to use our Lord's colorful word, she sort of beat him black and blue. Some women have that uh facility, don't they? They do that. And uh the judge in the end got exasperated, and he said, this woman, um, if I don't give in and do something, she'll, she'll be the end of me. So, pushed by her constant coming and entreaties, he got up and gave her the justice she required. Unprincipled judge though he was. It's a good job she didn't leave off praying, wasn't it? She might have said to herself, well, this chap is so unprincipled, it's no good. I shall just have to put up with the injustice. No, she persisted, and in the end was avenged. And shall not God's elect cry, who cry unto him day and night, shall God not eventually get up and give them justice? I tell you, said our Lord, he most certainly will. Even though he is long suffering over the meaning, he takes a long while, he will take a long while before he rises up and judges, but he'll do it. And until he rises up to judge, then his people must continue praying. Why must we continue praying? Because if we leave off praying, it is casting an aspersion on the character of God. To leave off praying is to suggest that God himself is a worse judge, less interested in justice than that old rascal who lived in the town where the woman was. What is your estimate of the character of God? Does he care for justice? Will he one day exert his divine justice and avenge his people? Well, of course he will. Is it right for us to pray so? Well, you haven't got any option. I point out to you, you're commanded to. Men are always to pray and not to faint. It's hard going, isn't it? Well, perhaps you don't find it hard. It can be hard going for believers under persecution to, after all, believe that there is a God in heaven who cares for justice. Their faith in the character of God is under trial and test. We must pray, says Christ. How be it, he added, when the Son of Man eventually comes and comes to execute that justice, shall he find faith on the earth, or will people have given up? Will even his people have decided it's not worth praying? Hm. We'll say, but it isn't Christian, is it? I thought our Lord Jesus, he didn't pray for God to rise up and do justice, did he? Did he not pray, Father, forgive them? He did pray that for the soldiers who were putting the nails through his hands. On what ground? On the ground that they, the soldiers, didn't know what they were doing. They didn't, did they? They were just Roman Tommies doing their job. They didn't know what was involved in it. And he prayed explicitly on that ground, Father, forgive them because they don't know what they're doing. It will make a difference if people do know what they're doing. But as for our Lord's attitude to God and his justice and his execution of justice, listen to our Lord on the way to Calvary, when the women of Jerusalem come around him and weep for him with compassion and yet firmness, he says, don't weep for me, dry those tears do. It's not I that's got the wrong end of the stick here, it's you, my dears. For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in a dry? The day is coming when they shall call to the mountains to cover them. Mm. And Peter adds in his epistle, one Peter chapter two, the observation to comfort and encourage fellow believers that were being maltreated either as slaves by their taskmasters or about to be persecuted by the government. He bids them follow the example of the Lord Jesus and not to retaliate, saying he left us an example that we should follow his steps who did no sin, ni- neither was guile found in his mouth. For when he was reviled, he reviled not again, and when he suffered, he threatened not, but, but, ah, committed himself to him that judges righteously. What an insight into our Lord's thoughts and hearts as he trod that road up to Calvary and talked to the women about the coming judgments of God. He didn't retaliate, no, for he loved even his enemies and would give them time to repent so that even his sufferings might bring in them the rising of repentance, that they might pass away from sin and live to righteousness. But he found his strength to do that because he believed with unshakable certainty and faith that there was a God in heaven who cares for justice, and that one day that God would see that justice is done. He committed himself to him that judges righteously. John is writing an epistle, himself already for a while incarcerated on the Isle of Patmos, writing to believers that are about to pass through an exceedingly fiery time of persecution. He asks them to remember there is a throne in the heaven, and that one day their prayers shall be answered, and the throne in heaven shall rise up and see that justice is done. And that I'm not, uh, pushing things further than perhaps John or the inspiring Lord intended. Let's just look again at the climax to that section three. How does it end? The climax comes in chapter eleven. when the seventh angel sounded. eleven fifteen, and the seventh angel sounded, and there followed great voices in heaven, and they said, the kingdom, that is the rule, the kingdom of the world is become that of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever. And the four and twenty elders which sit before God on their thrones. Ladies and gentlemen, there is no unnecessary repetition. When here once more we're reminded that the, uh, the elders sit upon their thrones before God, we're reminded of their function. They, in their part, share the government with God. And as elders responsible for government and sitting on real thrones, oh, how grateful their, their praise rises to the central throne when at last they see justice done and the name of the throne vindicated throughout the universe. And they say, we give thee thanks as they worship God, O Lord God the Almighty, which art and which wast, because thou hast taken thy great power and didst reign, that's an aorist, uh, and it indicates the initiative of the action. Thou hast begun to reign. And the nations were wroth, and thy wroth came, and the time of the dead to be judged, and the time to give their reward to thy servants, the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear thy name, the small and the great, and to destroy them that destroy the earth. That's the great climax. And the prayers of the saints that rise up and start the process here in this third section come to their climax. When God does rise up, the time has at last come. Do you notice the time element? There was silence for half an hour to begin with, broken by the prayers of the saints. How long, O Lord? How long? At last the Lord comes to judge the earth, as Psalm ninety four and ninety six and ninety seven promise he will. And when he rises up, the time is come to see that justice is done, to give reward to thy saints and thy servants and the prophets, and to destroy them who destroyed the earth. Of course, it is timetable. Of course, in the end, it will involve dispensations, but it is good to start from what you may call the thematic arrangement of the book of the Revelation. So now, just let's cast an eye and notice a tiny little thing, cast an eye on our sheet of table of contents. In section two, a vision of the throne of God. Section three, beginning with a vision of the golden altar of incense, which is before the throne, and the smoke from the incense, as the chapter notices explicitly, the smoke of the incense with the prayers of saints went up before God out of the angel's hand. Move along to section four, and there you not only have the beginning, uh, uh, the beginning with the, the Ark of God's covenant, another name for the throne of God, but in this section four you are going to read of another throne. Chapter thirteen, verse two: And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion, and the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. So section four is going to tell you about the throne of the beast, the alternative throne, the throne in opposition, set up and inspired by Satan and occupied by the beast. Look now at section five. It begins with a vision of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven open, and here is God now rising up to judge. Ha. And we're told, uh, chapter fifteen eight, and the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power. Smoke again in the heavenly tabernacle. But whereas in three it was smoke from the incense and the prayers of the saints, now in five it is smoke of the glory of God, his personal glory, and the expression of his character as he rises up to see that justice is done and commissions the angels to take out the seven bowls of the seven plagues. Even those small details of the description, throne in two, the opposite throne in five, the smoke in three, and uh, sorry, the opposite throne in four, smoke in three, and the smoke in five. Even tiny details like that are not actually pla- accidentally placed in this great tapestry. The thing is done, of course, with divine precision. It was a vision given to God, given to John by God. Right. Let that suffice for a moment at looking at some of the patterns in these sections and some of the great themes to which they point. We shall come back to the question of thematic arrangement a little later on. Got to hear a sign writer, put up your hand at once and confess the reality. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Oh. Well, if you won't, I shall have to. And here we come now to chapter four, Because in the second vision, we are first introduced to the throne itself, then to the lamb, taking the book from the hand of him that sit- sat on the throne, chapter five, and Then in chapter six, what happens when the Lamb undoes the seals of that book? And then chapter seven, the results. Right, in chapter four, the throne itself is described. Let's read the description. There's one that sat upon the throne like an emerald. But notice three, this particular thing. And there was a rainbow, Greek says the rainbow, round about the throne. Hm. And verse four, and round about the throne, thrones. I hope your English translation does the Greek justice. Hm. Let me repeat that pattern, will you? There was the rainbow round about the throne, like an emerald to look upon, and round about the throne, same preposition, round about. And round about the th- uh, the uh, the uh, the throne were thrones, says the Greek, twenty four of them. And upon the thrones I saw four and twenty elders sitting, arrayed in white garments, and on their heads crowns of gold. So two things that are said to be round about. And the description is given, as the literary men would say, in a chiasm, the rainbow round about and round about thrones. That's a chiasm. Don't take it hard. And, uh, then verse, uh, five, a different geometrical preposition. And out of the throne proceed lightnings and voices and thunders. And that stands by itself. Now another pair. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. And before the throne, as it were a glassy sea like unto crystal. That's another chiasm, if you can bear it. Did you see that? There were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, and before the throne, a glassy sea like unto crystal. Another cut pair in chiastic order. And then, and in the midst of the throne and round about the throne, four living creatures full of eyes before and behind. One observation, one thing, with its geometrical preposition, and it's a double thing, a Hebrew way of saying they were in the midst, their hindquarters were underneath the throne, and yet their faces were outwards, and they were round about the throne. They were in the midst and round about, like the oxen under the sea, the laver in Solomon's temple. Their hindquarters were underneath the big bowl, and their heads poked out the side, yeah, and they supported it. And these living creatures were in the midst of the throne, and yet round about the throne, they carried the throne. If you want a similar situation, read Ezekiel's description of the throne and the cherubim in Ezekiel chapter one. But you see now, I have to say, I didn't invent it. I wish I didn't have to say it. It's a pattern, ladies and gentlemen. They're terrible, but there you are, you have to admit it. Uh, it's the best I can do, uh, for the throne, you see. And it is now being described, and it is being described with geometrical patterns. And the first two are, there is a rainbow, the rainbow right around, presumably full circle. And presumably in the manner of rainbows, at least that's how they are in our country, it is vertical. The rainbow round about the throne and round about the throne, same preposition, thrones. But they're not vertical, we hope. They must be horizontal, mustn't they? There they are, all the way round. Thrones. They make one pair. Out of the throne, voices and lightnings and so forth and so on. Now the next pair, seven lamps of fire. They were torches, not oil lamps, torches. There were seven of them. Seven lamps of fire burning, seven of them before the throne. And before the throne, sea like crystal. I better write there because you wouldn't recognize that's a sea. You see. And then in the midst of and round about, may the living creatures have mercy on me, but I don't know how to draw a, a living creature when it gets behind the throne. I, I, my art doesn't, but there was one. You'll take my meaning, won't you? With the hindquarters inward, their heads outward, in the midst and round about the throne, the four living creatures, geometrically done. And we have to make up our mind. What is this description meant to do for us? Shall we say it has any meaning, or is it simply impressionism, like real modern art? Splashes of color here, another splash of color there, and some funny grotesque shape, not, not recognizable as being anything in earth or heaven or elsewhere, and it's modern art, and it's there to make an impression. But it's no good you're trying to analyze the impression because it wasn't meant for analysis, it was meant just for impression. Is this description in chapter four of The Throne, like that? Here is a throne, and it's the throne of God, and therefore passes all understanding. All you could get was the sort of the vaguest impression of it, and he uses this geometrical stuff to, to, to create a kind of mood, and you mustn't try and analyze it. It's impressionism. Who would vote for that? Well, you may be obliged to, one of these days, but, uh, it could perhaps be meaningful, couldn't it? Let's go on the hunt and see if it could be meaningful. And if we come up with absurdities and nonsenses and excessive fancy, well, then we can scrub it all out and revert to the Impressionist theory, can't we? But there's a little thing going in my mind that before we end this section two, uh uh, uh, in fact, as we come to its climax, we're going to meet one of these geometrical prepositions again, and there there is no doubt, uh, what it means. Just you, uh, look down the page to chapter seven, and here is the great multitude coming, palms in their hands, saying, salvation unto our God which sits on the throne. And the elder, one of the elders, asked John, these that are arrayed in white robes, verse thirteen, who are they, and whence came they? And I say unto him, my lord, thou knowest. And he said to me, these are they which come out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they, what are they? Ah, before the throne. Oh, ladies and gentlemen, that's not impressionism, not mere impressionism anyway. That is the statement of your glorious salvation. They are before the throne. You say, what does that mean? They're all lined up in battalions? Well, not that. It starts with a geometrical thing, doesn't it? It's local, they're before the throne. Ah, but then the preposition, the local preposition, begins to take on tremendous meaning, doesn't it? What does it mean, old chap, to stand before the throne? Listen to Ephesians. He predestined us that we should be before him. Oh, glorious preposition that is, isn't it? What a ton of theology is in that preposition. That you and I, as feeble as frail and sinners as well, and rebels against the throne, deserve to stand amongst that throng who, at the end of chapter six, as they see the vision of the throne, call to the very rocks to fall on them, to hide them from the face of him that sits on the throne. And yet there shall be a vast multitude, and they stand before the throne in peace and security. How can it be done? Of course, a colossal gospel voice. Here I am preaching. I'll stop it in a minute. But, uh, you'll see they are before the throne. Why are they? How are they? Because, says the writer, Jules, the elder, you see, hmm, they, uh, washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, they are before the throne. And if they're the preposition is more than just local, geometric, if it's more than impressionism, but is expressive of some fundamental truth of the gospel, it might be a hint that it might be worth our trying, mightn't it, to make sense of these prepositions when they are used to describe the throne and, of course, the nature of the throne. That means the nature of the government. It's an idea to work on anyway, wouldn't it be? And before we do that, let's have our coffee.