Gooding, David: 4 - A Door opened in Heaven

Very good evening to you, and the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus be with you. This is the fourth in this short series of studies on the book of the Revelation, and we make you welcome once more, very welcome indeed. Tonight, uh, and tomorrow, the meetings are, as you see, at eight o'clock. Then on Saturday, let me just emphasize that because this was suddenly arranged in the course of this week. On Saturday, there will be, God willing, another session here in these studies, and that will be at half past seven. On Sunday evening, we shall still be talking of the gospel, uh, of the book of the Revelation, but there we shall be speaking particularly to those who are not yet believers, and we shall be talking about that solemn subject of the final judgment of God. That meeting is at seven. Then on Monday and Tuesday, we come to the last two of our sessions of study on the revelation, and they will revert to the time of eight o'clock at night. I was surprised myself I got all those figures right, you see, but you would might be well to check with the head teachers before you go. Let's sing the hymn together, shall we? Just let me say at this stage, if you have access to, uh, one of these papers and can have it near you in the course of our study, that will help both me and you. Now then, let us join to sing together the hymn thirty one, and we shall rise to sing it. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, early in the morning our song shall rise to thee. Holy, holy, holy, all the saints adore thee, casting down their golden crowns round the mercy sea. Hero Jeromim be man's and Seraphim terror. falling down before thee, grace worth and love and evermore shall be. Early, early, holy, though the darkness hide thee, though the eye of sinful man my glory may not see. Only thou art holy, there is none beside thee, perfect in love, in love and purity. Holy, holy, all thy world almighty, all thy work shall praise thy name in earth, sky, and sea. Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty, God in three paths on desert. Now shall we speak to God in prayer? Holy Father, encouraged by thy dear Son, by that entrance that he has inaugurated for us, we now come before thee as thy children and as thy redeemed people. For this book that thy dear Son has given to us to study. This evening bids us come boldly to the throne of grace and to contemplate the throne of thy majesty. Prepare our hearts, we do beseech thee. Strengthen us in our feebleness of frame, our feebleness of mind and weakness of spirit. That by thy grace we may catch glimpse tonight of all the wonder of thy person. Teach us, we pray, thy ways, that we may walk in them. Show us above all, we beseech thee, thy glory, that we may know thee and love thee and worship thee. This had we no hope to do, apart from thy dear Son, for whom now we thank thee from our hearts. For remember thy word, God no man has seen at any time, but the only begotten who is in the bosom of the Father, he has told him out. Oh, how we bless thee for thy dear Son, and for thy grace and mercy and condescension in giving him to us, that we might see in human form that we can understand the full telling out of all thine infinite glory. Now, therefore, we pray the grace of thy Holy Spirit in these meditations. Keep our thoughts from anything false or displeasing to thee. Grant, Lord, thou will give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of thee. And thine shall be the glory and ours the endless profit, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Tonight, in the goodness of God, we come in our study to the second major section of the book of the Revelation. As we tried to demonstrate on our first study, the book of the Revelation consists, as a whole, of six major sections. The first section, in these last two nights we covered all too superficially, I fear, brought us face to face with our blessed Lord, dictating seven letters to seven churches, and as we read those letters, we found our Lord Jesus was engaged in assessing his people, in praising their good works, in calling attention and criticizing their bad works, and encourage them all to repent, holding out before them the glittering prizes and fruits of overcoming. It was fitting, we thought, that that, uh, section came first, Christ's judgment of the church, because as Peter reminds us in First Peter chapter four, the time has come that judgment must first begin at the house of God. And if it first begin with us, what shall the end be of the ungodly? Now that we have gone through section one, we come to section two. In the course of this section, we shall s- see the judgments of God beginning to fall on a world that has far gone in its rebellion against God and will eventually reap his wrath. But this second section has for its dominant theme the throne of God. That throne is vividly presented to us at the beginning of chapter four, And once our eyes are set upon it, we shall find that theme continues prominently through all four sets- chapters of this section. Let's make our reading confirm that, uh, to our eyes and ears. This topic of the throne that spreads throughout these four chapters. And we begin to read in chapter four and verse one. And after these things I saw, and behold, a door opened in heaven. And the first voice which I heard, a voice as of a trumpet speaking with me, one saying, come up hither, and I will show thee the things which must come to pass hereafter. Straightway I was in the spirit, and behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and one sitting upon the throne, and he that sat was to look upon like a jasper stone and a sardius. There was a rainbow round about the throne, like an emerald to look upon, and round about the throne were four and twenty thrones. And upon the thrones I fought four and twenty elders sitting, arrayed in white garments, and on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceed lightnings and voices and thunders, 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. And in the midst of the throne and round about the throne, four living creatures, full of eyes before and behind. And the first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face as of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, having each one of them six wings, are full of eyes round about and within. And they have no rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, which was and which is and which is to come. When the living creatures shall give glory and honor and thanks to him that sitteth on the throne, to him that liveth for ever and ever. Four and twenty elders shall fall down before him that sitteth on the throne, and shall worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and shall cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Worthy art thou, our Lord and our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power for thou didst create all things, and because of thy will they were and were created. So much then for the description of the throne, but that simply sets the scene. Now watch the action begin. And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the back, close sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice, who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof? No one in the heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look thereon. And I wept much because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, weep not. Behold, the lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath overcome to open the book and the seven seals thereon. I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders. Let me pause to point out that that is a Hebraic way of talking. What we would presumably say in English is, I saw between the throne and and the four living creatures on the one side, between that and the elders, between the two groups, I saw a lamb standing as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came, and he taketh out of the right hand, taketh it out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. When he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sing a new song, saying, Worthy art thou to take the book and to open the seals thereof, for thou wast slain and didst purchase unto God with thy blood men of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and made us them to be unto our God a kingdom and priests, and they reign upon the earth. I saw and I heard a voice of many angels round about the throne, and the living creatures and the elders, and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands, saying with a great voice, worthy is the Lamb that has been slain to receive the power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing. And every created thing which is in the heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea and all things that are in them, heard I saying unto him that sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb be the blessing and the honor and the glory and the dominion forever and ever. The four living creatures said, Amen. The elders fell down and worshiped. So much for the activity as the Lamb comes and takes the book out of the hand of him that sits upon the throne, shown worthy to open it and its seals. But chapter six continues the action, as you see. For he says, I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals. John describes in the following verses what happened as each seal was broken. And comes at last to the climax with the sixth seal in verse twelve of chapter six. And I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the whole moon became as blood, and the stars of the heaven fell unto the earth as a fig tree gusteth her unripe figs when she is shaken of a great wind. And the heaven was removed as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the princes, and the chief captains, and the rich and the strong, and every bondman and free man hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains. And they say to the mountains and to the rocks, fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath is come, and who is able to stand? So now you see at the opening of this sixth seal, the sixth seal, the throne that hitherto has been invisible to men on earth now becomes visible as the veil that hides the unseen world from the seen world is drawn aside, and guilty, unrepentant men catch a glimpse of that throne and cry in their terror for the rocks to fall on them and hide them from the face of him whom they can now see sitting on the throne. Chapter seven follows the theme. Although the judgments of God fall, chapter seven tells us, describes for us two groups of people. The first group, one hundred and forty four thousand after the tribes of Israel, and their particular feature is that they are sealed and thus preserved from the effects of these worldwide judgments. And then, after these things, from verse nine to the end, John shows us another company, this time out of every kindred, tribe, people, and nation, a number beyond all counting. And he tells us in verse nine, they're standing before the throne and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes and palms in their hands. And we shall read the verses to show how the theme of the throne continues throughout this fi- these final verses of this section. They are before the throne and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes and palms in their hands, and they cry with a great voice, salvation unto our God who sits on the throne. I can see him, of course. And unto the Lamb. And all the angels were standing round about the throne and about the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell before the throne on their faces and worshiped God, saying, Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be unto our God forever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, These which are arrayed in white robes, who are they, and whence came they? And I say unto him, My Lord, thou knowest. 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 before the throne of God, and they serve him day and night in his temple, and he that sitteth on the throne shall spread his tabernacle over them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore, neither shall the sun strike upon them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall be their shepherd and shall guide them unto fountains of waters of life. God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes. God bless his holy and inspired word to us all. So then we come tonight, by God's help, to consider and to contemplate the throne of God's majesty. And I suppose the first thing we ought to notice about this throne is that when John saw it, it was occupied. Oh, thank God. There is a throne in the heaven, and thank God that throne is occupied. Let the world's distress and chaos be what it will, God is still on the throne and has not vacated it all these long centuries of the universe's history. But the next question I suppose we ought to ask is, how are we quite to take the descriptions that are given of us here in chapter four of the Revelation of these thrones? You know, those flaming torches and that rainbow and the circle of thrones and these living creatures and thus. What do they tell us, if anything? We ought, I suppose, eh, in respect of some, uh, commentators, to ask the question, is this just impressionistic? You say, what do you mean by that? Well, sir, you go into some friend's house, you'll see, and you, madam, and you're ushered into the sitting room, and oh, your eyes caught at once. Ooh, what a lovely color scheme it is, Juicy. Perhaps it's blue and various shades of blue. There might even be setting it off a beautiful, beautiful gold leaf somewhere, you know how it is with French, uh, furniture and all that. And you say, what a beautiful effect. It's stunning, isn't it? It is impressionistic. It's made an impression on you. But if we were to say, what does it symbolize and what does it teach? Uh, no, that's a silly question. It wasn't meant to teach anything. It was just meant to look beautiful and wonderful and elegant and to impress you with feelings of appreciation for the loveliness of it all. Is it so with this description of God's throne that it is simply impressionistic? We would have no reason for to complain if it were so, would we? For to catch sight of his majestic throne in all its awesomeness and wonder, that is a very necessary thing for our spiritual and emotional health. But surely it is more than simply impressionistic. These are symbols conveying messages, telling us in a word what that throne is like. And when we say what the throne is like, we're not thinking so much of some great heavenly chair, august as that might appear. We're thinking of the throne not simply as a seat upon which the majesty sits. We're thinking of the throne as the symbol and elm- emblem of the government of God. So this description shall not only tell us how majestic is it, but it will tell us the nature of the government that stems from this throne. And that will bring us into, uh, appreciating the very character of the divine king who sits there enthroned. We may take a little example from the Old Testament. When Solomon, uh, began to reign, eventually he built himself a throne. No ordinary throne, this. It was made of ivory. Some expense he spent on it. Anyone can tell how rich he was for making a throne like that, you see. There was more than riches to it, for on the steps that led up to the throne and held there by stays at the side of the throne, there were lions, an abundance of lions, and I dare say they were made as impressionist as they could be. They weren't Pekaneses by any chance, they were lions made to look as fierce as it could possibly look, although they were about made of the same stuff as the chair itself. They were meant to impress anybody that came up to that throne, not merely with the wealth of it or the artistry of it. The lions were there to show something of the power of that king. That people might come worthily to him and in the right frame of mind. So, when John was given to see this throne, he notices some of the particulars, and they're not just impressionistic details, are they? Symbols. For instance, there's the rainbow round about the throne. Not by one, the one, the rainbow. And all of us will know from our Sunday school days that the rainbow has a message to preach. And then, of course, those lamps of fire, blazing torches of light in front of the throne. They are, we are told, represent the seven spirits of God. All these things are symbols that are meant to convey messages and meaning to us, if only God gives us the grace to understand them. Would you notice how carefully they are described? This throne is described with geometrical precision. There's, first of all, a pair of things. It says here in chapter four, uh, you'll see that, um, verse four, verse three, and there was a rainbow round about the throne, like an emerald to look upon, and round about the throne were four and twenty thrones, and on the twenty four thrones elders sitting. You'll notice, if you'll allow me to read it too in the order of the Greek words, and there was a rainbow round about the throne, and round about the throne, thrones, twenty four of them. That's a very carefully stated, uh, sentence. I repeat it. The rainbow round about the throne, and round about the throne, thrones twenty four. What the grammarians call a chiasm. And, uh, we're told that both these circles went full circle round the throne. The rainbow going full circle round the throne, kuklothen, says the Greek, right circle right round the throne, was presumably going in the vertical plane, wasn't it? Suppose this chunk of plastic, just pity my simplicity, but suppose this chunk of plastic here, uh, represents the throne. Then how do you imagine the rainbow is going? It's going right round it, isn't it? All the way round in the vertical sphere. Beautiful green, predominantly green rainbow, full circle round the throne. And then full circle round the throne, thrones, twenty four of them with elders sitting on. What plane do you suppose they were on? I don't think they were like, uh, uh, hurdy-gurdy, were they? They weren't, um, uh, going in the vertical plane. If they were elders sitting on thrones round the throne, presumably they went in the horizontal plane. Two full circles around that throne, one in the vertical, one in the horizontal plane. And as you see them, they, so to speak, forgive me the word for a moment, don't throw me out for heresy forthwith till you've heard me speak, um, they put a boundary. They put a limit, not against God's will, for he put them there. Two limits, one in the hor- uh, uh, vertical and one in the horizontal plane, so that anything coming out of that throne, so to speak, has to pass by those two boundaries and limits. You say, why do you use that word limit? Well, because I can't help remembering what God said when he first put the bow in the cloud, or at least the first time he gave it significance. Behold, said he to Noah, as Noah had come out of the flood. When the storm cloud arises again, and perhaps when he saw such a storm cloud, Noah's knees would begin to shake and tremble. He'd seen enough storm. Then, in God's kindness, says God, now watch the bow in the cloud. It's a covenant I make with you, Noah, and with all flesh, that I will not d- drown the world completely again with water and destroy all flesh. No, I won't. At the flood, of course, he did destroy all flesh, didn't he? The end of man has come before me. There were only a tiny, tiny few eight people saved. The entire human race was blotted out. I'll never do it again, says God. I will not thus destroy the earth with water and thus destroy all flesh. The rainbow set in the cloud, that's what I mean, that's all I mean by limit, is God himself, the occupant of the throne, setting the limit to his judgment. Oh, my dear friend, shout hallelujah in your heart to such a God. For we are to read of judgments that are about to come, some of them so awful that when men and women like us, flesh and blood, suffer them, they will gnaw their tongues of any pla- pain and blaspheme the God of heaven, who has the power over such things. What kind of a God is he? That will send such things? A God that delights to judge. Some sadist God. Oh no, my brothers, no, no, no. Look at this throne from which those judgments will come, and see him who sits on it, and see the nature of his government. It's a God who, before his judgments start, has put a limit on them. Green, the rainbow now predominantly green, peaceful color, going full circle round the throne. In thy judgments, remember mercy. Of course, we are now looking forward into the, the, the distant future, aren't we? To another age, when God's grace will be giving place now to his judgments. But we have reason ourselves personally, have we not, to thank God for the limit of his judgment. Haven't we, dear sir, and you ma'am? Oh, for we were once sinners, defiled in his sight, and had we our worth, had we our merit, even to this day, we must perish, root and branch. For we have sinned in the past, and the holiest of us at this moment must admit we still do come short. Oh, if we stood before God in this moment simply on the ground of our merit, what should become of us? If we stood simply on the grounds of his righteous law, what must happen? Oh, how we bless God for what he has shown us, that through the sacrifice of our blessed Lord and the judgment executed on him, our great ark of salvation. There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. Amen, amen, I tell you, says Christ, he who hears my word and believes on him that sent me cometh not into condemnation. Marvelous, isn't it? So will it ever be in God's m- uh, in God's wrath to come, when it is poured out on a guilty world, as we shall see in the last part of our chapter, of our section. There will come a vast multitude out of the great tribulation, if you please, crying salvation to our God. They've washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb, therefore are they before the throne and unafraid. But not only a full circle of the rainbow going vertically, this is other very interesting feature. Did you, did you notice it? Have you been able sort of to take it in? I mean, not just the fact, but the significance of it. Around about the throne, thrones. How can't we get it? I mean, is he not the sole God, the I am that I am? There is none beside me. How can there be anything more than just one throne? Thought you were all monotheists. Believe in a lot of gods, do you or something? You say the Almighty, uh, is sharing the government with... Well, with who then? This is interesting stuff, isn't it? Um, you said, that's right, Mr. Preacher, now you've been long while getting around to it, like preachers are. Why didn't you come to the point and tell us who these elders are? Well, I'll leave that question to you. I'll answer the first one, what they are, if you don't mind. It's always a good thing in the revelation, you know, to ask first what things are and what people are, rather than demanding first to know who they are. You'll see. Don't know that it tells you, do you? Yeah. So that does tell you what they are, so I'm going to say that. You'll see, they are elders. You say, so what? Well, they must be creatures, mustn't they, to start with. They don't talk of God as an elder. When Daniel in his vision saw him, he said, called him the ancient of days. His title is absolute, referring to his endless eternity, the ancient. You don't compare him with others and say he's a bit older than someone else. That would be absolutely inappropriate. He is the ancient. These are elders, they must be creatures. That deepens the, that deepens the mystery, doesn't it? What the Almighty God, the one true God, the sole king, has got creatures on thrones around his. You solved that one. You say perhaps they're angels then. Well, some people thought so. But then, I don't think you'd call angels elders either, would you? How old are angels, if you know? Are some older than others, would you say? Oh, this is a junior angel. He's not learned his job yet. You can see the way he behaves. Uh, he'll learn when he gets older. Now, you don't talk like that about angels, do you? They belong to that eternal, timeless realm. But these are elders, comparative age. It seems to me inescapable that they must be human. Uh, could that be so? But God Almighty share his throne with humans. Oh yes, yes, of course so. I remember, of course. There is one human, he's not a creature, of course, but he's human. Verily God yet become truly human. Oh, this is a heart ravishing story, this. The marvel of the government of the universe. That the supreme ruler says, according to his dear son Jesus Christ, the Father judges no man, but has given all judgment to the Son. Why is that? He's given him to judge also because he is, you say the Son of God. No, no. Because he is the Son of man. Which is a magnificent God, you know. When it comes to the judgment of mankind, it will not be the Father as such that does the judging. He's committed all judgment to one who is a man. What the lawyers call judgment by peer. You'll see, were it not so, you can imagine an impenitent before the throne of divine majesty being condemned for his sin, and were he allowed to answer, he might well say, but how do you know what it feels like to be a human, to be beset with sin and all its temptations and its pressures? You condemn me, but you never knew what it was like to be human. It won't happen. Oh, it won't happen. He who will execute the judgment of God knows exactly what it's like to be human. Sin apart, of course. All judgments committed to him because he is the son of man. Yes, but you say that's getting away. You've wandered like you normally do. You've got away from the point that there are 24 elders. You can't say the whole twenty four elders represent Christ, can you? No, no, that wouldn't make sense, would it? I must look further afield. But you know there's a marvelous secret written in scripture, there is indeed, how that others will be associated with Christ in the government. In the Gospel of Matthew, it is said by the Lord himself that one the Son of Man comes in his glory, then he shall sit on the throne of his glory. Yes? And, uh, you also, he said to the apostles, you'll sit on thrones as well, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Yes. Shared government. And to broaden things out a bit, the second epistle of Paul to Timothy says that if we endure, we shall reign with him. Indeed, in the very next chapter five of the book of the Revelation, it is said explicitly, of these that have been redeemed, they shall reign. These elders and all the rest shall reign upon the earth. Oh, it would take a big pair of lungs to to be able to contain the joy, wouldn't it? The wonder, the sheer wonder of the character of God. Who raised that wondrous thought? Oh, who did it suggest? I brought saints to glory, brought with us, should with the Son be blessed? Why, had he let us just into the back door of heaven and said, sit there? That would have been marvelous grace, wouldn't it? Where did the idea come from that we should be elevated and share Christ's reign with him and with the central throne. Father, we say, Father, the word thought was thine. We didn't suggest it, never would have dreamed of it. This is God. What a magnificent God he is. Let me ask you a question. These thrones then, and they're, they're in white robes, these elders, and they've got golden crowns. The Greek word means a wreath, a wreath, a chaplet around their heads, you see. Like, uh, people that had conquered in the games or conquered in the fight would be given a, a, a wreath to wear around them. Or a magistrate, in honor of his position, would wear, in the ancient world, uh, a chaplet, a wreath around his head. These are made of gold. Looks as if they have. They have indeed. They have overcome. Like their Lord overcame. Did we not hear the promises? To him that overcometh, I will give to sit with me on my throne, as I also overcame and am sat down on his throne. I will give you authority over the nations. You shall dash them in pieces with a rod of iron. Tell me, are these twenty four elders, do you imagine they're all yes men? You say, what do you mean? Well, you know, in some governments, I'm told, I wouldn't know, but I'm told some of the present MPs in Parliament, uh, they'll agree with anything that Tony Blair says because they're so glad that they got there. They never would have got there without him. It doesn't matter what he suggests, I'll never vote against him. I'll always vote with him, you see, there are a lot of yes men. You suppose these elders are yes men? Wait a minute. They all agree with God. Of course, that would be wicked not to agree with God. Yes, of course it would be. But why do they agree? Ah. Because, not because God has removed their self-will, their their free will, is it? And turned them into machines. So they have a free will. And being now human and perfected with a perfect personal righteousness, look at their robes. And victors themselves in the fight. They willingly, with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength, agree with God's decisions. Uh, if the judgments come out, holy humans would agree with it. And out of that throne comes now these voices and thunders and lightning. The judgments of God are about to begin. God is now going to talk to the nations. Very solemn language, much of it will be. Ah, but here come another pair, and uh, it says that there were seven lamps, that is torches, not lamps like the golden lampstand in in a tabernacle, torches such as armies would take as they went out into the dark, or anybody w- w- traveling in the dark would take a torch with a blazing flame at the top of it. Seven uh, blazing torches bef- uh, before the throne, not round about it this time, and before the throne, a sea of glass, like crystal. Two things now, the same grammatical way of putting it, seven blazing torches before the throne, and before the throne, a sea of glass, as it were, crystal. What does that tell us about the fire? Not its divinely put limits, but its power, surely. For these, uh, seven torches are said to represent the seven spirits of God. It doesn't mean that there are seven Holy Spirits. This is a biblical way of talking of the plenitude of the Holy Spirit, a phrase that occurs again in chapter five, the seven spirits of God that are sent out into all the earth. You'll see. This is the Holy Spirit in the plenitude of his executive power. The throne puts forth his power. We needn't, uh, uh, say more about it, need we? For herein is the operative power of that throne. But we can say this. What's the point of the symbol? You have a torch, don't you, blazing with fire to dispel the gloom and the darknesses that are all around. The Holy Spirit is a spirit of light. The very opposite of darkness. That's an important feature about the throne of God. We once, ladies and gentlemen, the whole lot of us, were in the power of darkness, weren't we? Not physical darkness, but moral darkness and spiritual darkness. Deceived and being deceived. That is Satan's method of keeping people loyal to him and to his side. He uses darkness, lies, deceptions, not God. He rules by enlightening. Yes. He's brought us out of darkness into his most marvelous light. I love that, you know. Of course, for us particularly as Christians, he's given us the word of God, a light to our lamp, and our blessed Lord, who's the light of this world. That's God, you know. In the medieval times, Christendom's church, and then the government, tried to keep the people under under their control by forbidding them to use the Bible. Afraid the people might read the Bible and come to the wrong conclusion, they say. What they were afraid of is that people should read the Bible and find out that they themselves were wrong. You see? So you rule them by keeping them in the dark. So have totalitarian governments generally acted to keep the people in the dark. Not God. We must be careful, of course, lest we become pride in, proud in our imagination. God never wants to keep you ignorant, you know. Take the intellectual level of life. Some believers are afraid their children will go to school and learn too much science. Whatever for? God's world, isn't it? Do check the difference between real science and atheistic science when you're at it. But God doesn't mind how much you find out, so long as it's a genuine, uh, discovery in, in, in nature. God is a God of light. He made it anyway. He wants us to know. Same is true of morality and spiritually. God rules by light. And then see the other eh eh eh eh eh symbol of his power. Look at that sea like crystal. Ooh. The ancients, the ancient psalmists admired God for this. Thou stillest the roaring of the waves when they ra- the sea, when they roar against us. Or again, the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, its endless motion tears up dirt and filth. In front of God there's a sea, calm and pure as crystal. The power of purity. Oh, I could picture some, I mustn't do that because the time is running away with me. There were, was one other major feature in this room, and that are what are called four living creatures. The older translations say beasts. That's a little unfortunate, that is. I'm not sure that the aforesaid beasts would rather like that term. They're better the living ones, we'll say. That's what the word means. These are the living ones, cherubim, if you like. They're called in Ezekiel in verse elsewhere where the living ones, and in scripture constantly associated with the throne of God in one way or the other. You say, that's right, Mr. Preacher, you s- you ducked out of it the last time, you're not going to duck out this time. Now tell us who these living creatures are. You are a difficult crowd. You're always asking to be told what scripture doesn't say, aren't you? I'm not going to tell you. I'll tell you what they are, expert at that. They are living ones. They are the cherubim. And how are they placed? Well, they are, it sounds funny in English, it's good Hebrew, they are in the midst of and round about the throne. I suspect they were, if this is one of them, with his hindquarters inwards and the head sticking out. So they were in the midst, and they were all round on all four sides, carrying the throne like they're seen to do in the book of Ezekiel chapter one. We'll say. They carry the throne. They're living creatures. And one had the face of an ox, and one a lion, and one an eagle, and one a man. Just enjoy that a moment, won't you? But what they were. They are some days I'd like to be a cherub, or not just one cherub, but four cherubs in one, really, you'll see. In some places they're pictured as having four heads on one lot of shoulders, aren't they? Because of the life. Look at all the forms of life. Oh, there's an eagle. What life eagles have. I wish I were like it sometimes. There's me, so pedestrian, plod hopping around the earth, and here goes a legal, legal, oh, marvelous, I wish I could fly like that. I don't have that kind of life, you see. Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, and then, uh, there's a lion, and me like a mouse getting out of bed, uh, with arthritis in the morning, and I think of a lion roaring cool, power, majesty, majesty, you see. And there's the ox applauding along, fatal old workhorse he is. I wish I had the energy to get up instead of lolling in my s- on my knee and get to work like him, and all the energy. And then there's a man. Human power, human life. Oh. Well, it's better than all the others, isn't it, even if it doesn't have some of their advantages. But all kinds of life. For you see, this is the throne of the living God. Says Paul to Timothy, I write this so you might know what you, how you have to behave in the church, uh, in in the house of God, which is the church of the living God. Throne rests on life in all its various forms. That's, of course, how God rules, isn't it? Have you pondered that? How does God get the creation around to to do his bidding? Apple trees, for instance, how does he get them to to grow apples? You suppose he sends a letter down from heaven, eh, every springtime and say, now apples, you, I like you this year, please, to grow apples. No, that. Well, how then? Well, he he's put apple life in the old apple tree, you see, and it has its own laws. And when the time comes, here comes the life. Marvelous. You see. Yeah, h- h- h- how... how does he get human beings to behave? You say he's given them human life. What's gone wrong then? Well, human life had its own free will and choice, therefore, chose to go against the creator. It has marred humanity, hasn't it, seriously? Mm. You say, how does God then get the- these one-time sinners to do his will and get them back going straight as they should? Well, how, how about you? How does he get you to do it? Not just by trying to keep a law, does he? Have you noticed the way? He gave you new life. You were born again of the seed of God, given a divine nature to develop. That is the secret of our growing, we hope it's growing, ability to see that the righteousness demands of the law is fulfilled in us, not simply because we're trying to keep law, but because we are led by the spirit of God, the very life of God with it. This then is the throne of God. Seeing he's the living God and the source of all life, then the heavenly beings worship him, and the elders in particular, and they spell out the worthiness of the central figure of the throne to receive the w- the praise, the honor, the worship, the riches, the glory, the power, the might, the dominion. Whereon stands his right. They proclaim his right as a creator. For thy will they were and were created. The universe was not made first and foremost to satisfy us. The universe was made for him, of him, through him, to him are all things. Here is the sad description of what has gone wrong. It isn't that men and women get involved in unnatural vice every hour of the day, but that is bad enough. The root cause is this, that all we, like sheep, have gone astray. Returned everyone to his own way, and it's made a chaos of our planet. And God has waited patiently down the centuries. God has his plans for the redevelopment of Earth, and he's not going to wait forever for the redevelopment. One day, the judgments must begin that will eventually liberate this world from man's rebellion and its fruits, clear the way for the great restoration of all things. Now the question, the first question is, how shall it be done? And if to do it means now delegering the world with judgments, who can do it? Notice the claim at the beginning of chapter five is not merely who can do it, but who is worthy to do it. The book in the hand of him that sits on the throne is a book titled Deeds of Earth because they are his by creatorial right. Who is worthy to take that book and unloose its seals, if unloosing the seals is the only way you can take the book out, out, open it and read the title deeds and then enforce them? If the very opening of the seals will set loose the judgment. The challenge is to- taken out, and first no one is able to, to, to take the book or even to look upon it. It would take a stout heart, wouldn't it? To read what is necessary to del- release this world from man's chaotic sin and bring justice. Who could even look at it? The bigger question is who is worthy to do it? And you notice that the Lamb is said not to be powerful enough to do it. He has overcome truly. But he is a human being. He's of the line of the tribe of Judah. He's more than that. He's the root of David. He had a pre-existent eternity, but he's human. And the glorious thing is that the lion of the tribe of Judah has overcome all blessed men. He said just before he went to the cross, be of good cheer. I have overcome the face of the world and the devil and all his works, unswerving obedience to the Father, you came and is worthy to open the book. For now it ceases to be a question of who's got the power to do it. We'll see, sometimes we have an infantile idea of God, that all God has got to do is to push a big button and create such an infinitely vast explosion that that will solve the lot. That would be my way of doing it. Why, if a mosquito had the impotence to alight on my lordly forehead, or on yours, uh, of an evening, you wouldn't think twice, would you? Huh! Mosquitoes don't do that to me. Bang! Without a thought, that's the end of him. If we are but drops in a bucket to Almighty, the nations all put together are nothing more than that. Just imagine the long suffering of God. Why didn't he just use his power and obliterate us long since and start again? You see, God, I say it reverently, couldn't do it. Well, he could do it by his power, but if he did it, Satan, before he was obliterated, will snarl back that you defeated God. You see, you started something, and it all went wrong, and all you could do is to destroy it. Well, that went wrong, didn't it? All powerful to create, you weren't all powerful to attract, and you've lost the human race completely, and all you can do is to destroy them. And since you made them and you didn't consult them before you made them, have you no answer but to destroy them, and they go wrong. In a question of power merely, it's worthiness, moral worthiness. And they sing with relief the great hallelujahs of heaven to the Lamb who was slain, worthy to take the book and to set loose the judgments. On what does his worthiness stand? Well, first on his redemption. He who one day will set loose the judgments. First of all, himself was slain. Notice the word, not sacrificed, it's the brutal word of slaughter. By this world. Scarcely accuse him, eh, of bringing judgments. And he was slain. You say there's a lot of us, uh, people around, and we're not as bad. Wait a minute. No, you're not like the mil- militia i- in Indonesia, are you? Of course you're not. But you who are believers would say, wouldn't you? Like I used to say to my friend Otto Goldberger the Jew, when he said that we Christians were responsible for teaching the world and that, uh, that, uh, the Jews, the wicked Jews murdered Jesus, and we were behind the Holocaust, therefore. I should say, oh, Otto, do you know who killed Jesus, Otto? No, who did then? He said, I did, Otto. Oh, what do you mean you did? Yes, I did. You see, we Christians believe that we were sinners like everybody else. And when Jesus died, he died for our sins and bore the wrath of God against our sin. I said, Otto, I should no more think you, uh, ac- accuse you of murdering Jesus, and I should do that. Because it was my sins for which he died. The Jews were but the instruments in God's hand. But you, of course, your sins too, didn't they, Otto? Caused his death. He died that we might be forgiven. Be saved from the wrath of God. Wonderful Christ. And all who will, there's no limited atonement here. All who will may benefit from that death. None need perish. You were slain and has redeemed us to God by thy blood. Brought us to God. Once we were created, now we are redeemed and brought us to God by thy blood. But not that merely, something more. And you have made us something for God. Oh, that's lovely. Christ is not content to say, well, they deserve sinners, uh, si- uh, they deserve, uh, hell. I died for them. Now they're here, a poor lot, look at them. But okay, uh, uh, uh, uh, that's the best that can happen. They're free from hell anyway. No, no, no, no. God's lovely creation is not just going to redeem it and put it there like a banged out old car put in a museum. He makes something of us. Makes us what? He makes us a kingdom to obey God. Makes us priests to learn to live for God and for our fellow men. Restores us, restores us far above where Adam lost when he sinned. Made us to do the Father's will, for, for thy will they were and were created. Thus there shall be a new world. There shall indeed. The restoration of all things shall surely come. And we're in training for it. For one day we shall reign on the earth and share the government with Christ, God's mighty triumph over Satan, that human beings redeemed shall rule even over the very angels. What for those who disobey and refuse? The Lamb opens the seals and the judgments descend. So they come to their crescendo, and men hide themselves from the face of him that sits upon the throne. Or try to, in their terror, unsaved, unprotected. How lovely it is to pass them by to chapter seven, where two examples of salvation are given, of preservation. There's the one hundred and forty four thousand out of Israel, the remnant, sealed from all the physical hurt of the judgments that shall come in that day. As the Jewish nation will not be obliterated, not by all the cataclysmic changes that must come. There shall be a remnant, the nation qua nation as a remnant shall survive. We're more interested in the large number of Gentiles. You say, what are you interested in them for, my boy? They come out of the Great Tribulation. Well, yes, I could read English like you. It says they come out of the Great Tribulation, but what about them? Ah, says the elder John, do you see them waving their palms? What is it all about? They stand there in these lovely garments, waving their palms, and look where they're standing, says the elder. They're standing before the throne. Do you know how they dare that? Yes, because they've washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. Firm on the ground of sovereign grace, they stand before Jehovah's throne. In that new world to come, he that sits on the throne shall put his canopy over them. The sun shall not hurt them by day and the moon by night. You know, my brothers, my sisters, creation has hurt many of us, hasn't it? You notice that? Born into a fallen world, some born maimed, disadvantaged, handicapped. Some volcanoes and pestilences and plagues. Some famine and thirst. All kinds of circumstances. Who of us hasn't been hurt by creation at some time or other? It's coming a day that it shall hurt us no more. He that sits upon the throne shall shed his canopy over us. He shall wipe away all tears from all eyes. And he, the Lamb that is in the throne and will have the government of the whole universe, he will lead us to life's clear fountains of pure eternal water of satisfaction. Shall we pray? Our Father, we thank thee for these lovely things that thou hast written, that we might enjoy them and thus come nearer to beginning to perceive the wonders of thy majesty, thy regal authority, and of thy grace. And for all thou hast shown us of thy purpose of redemption in Christ, and the glorious future when he comes and we reign with him, for all this, we offer thee our profound and would be unlimited affection and praise. Help us, Lord, to live in the light of it. Spur our hearts to go out and tell the world what they need to hear about it, we pray. And train us in life's circumstances, even through its pains and sorrows, for the time that we ca- that to come, that we may be ready practically to take part with thy son in the administration of the new age to be. So part us with thy blessing, we pray, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.