WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:25.059 Lord willing next week. We'll be doing an overview 00:00:25.059 --> 00:00:27.559 of the book so there's not one particular verse. 00:00:28.599 --> 00:00:30.739 But let's you can go to chapter 4 if you want 00:00:30.739 --> 00:00:33.840 to begin the Revelation chapter 4 But let's ask 00:00:33.840 --> 00:00:41.240 the Lord for help as we get started Father Lord 00:00:41.240 --> 00:00:43.700 as we come to you once again Lord God asking 00:00:43.700 --> 00:00:47.020 for your help Lord this is the word of God or 00:00:47.020 --> 00:00:50.719 it is written Lord for our instruction for our 00:00:50.719 --> 00:00:53.759 growth and grace God would you help us this morning 00:00:53.759 --> 00:00:57.310 to grow to be instructed Lord to Understand more 00:00:57.310 --> 00:00:59.229 of your plan and Lord what you're doing in the 00:00:59.229 --> 00:01:02.289 world God give us faith to trust you more that 00:01:02.289 --> 00:01:05.150 Lord whatever comes Whatever trials whatever 00:01:05.150 --> 00:01:07.170 blessing comes our way Lord God that we would 00:01:07.170 --> 00:01:09.189 understand that Lord you are in control of all 00:01:09.189 --> 00:01:11.909 things Like God that what we would relinquish 00:01:11.909 --> 00:01:15.189 control, but Lord God learned to trust you Help 00:01:15.189 --> 00:01:19.450 us. We pray this in Christ's name. Amen Well, 00:01:19.450 --> 00:01:21.170 we said we're in the last Sunday, I'm so glad 00:01:21.170 --> 00:01:24.269 you decided to be here I know many are sick as 00:01:24.269 --> 00:01:26.930 flues going around and Others are traveling. 00:01:27.950 --> 00:01:30.390 But this year, this week, I guess, will be a 00:01:30.390 --> 00:01:33.150 time of reflection, as the year closes and a 00:01:33.150 --> 00:01:36.349 new one begins. I think for most of us, we could 00:01:36.349 --> 00:01:39.430 say 2025, I don't know, I think it was a rough 00:01:39.430 --> 00:01:44.469 year. It was hard. I think pastorally, of the 00:01:44.469 --> 00:01:46.329 20 years or so that I've been here, it was the 00:01:46.329 --> 00:01:49.109 hardest one, pastorally. But also personally, 00:01:49.109 --> 00:01:52.609 it was very difficult. And as a church, we had 00:01:52.609 --> 00:01:55.390 experienced a lot of heartache. It seemed like 00:01:55.390 --> 00:01:59.930 we endured a prolonged season of loss and trial, 00:02:00.769 --> 00:02:03.590 and even just this past Friday as Dave Hayes 00:02:03.590 --> 00:02:06.829 went to be adorned. But this year didn't just 00:02:06.829 --> 00:02:08.969 test our strength but also our perseverance. 00:02:10.389 --> 00:02:13.069 So we're on the cusp of the dawn of a new year. 00:02:13.689 --> 00:02:15.409 And how do we face that with a renewed sense 00:02:15.409 --> 00:02:19.819 of optimism rather than with anxiety? I remember 00:02:19.819 --> 00:02:22.900 last year, the first Sunday in 2025, saying we 00:02:22.900 --> 00:02:25.340 don't know what 2025 will hold, and I'm glad 00:02:25.340 --> 00:02:29.979 for that. And that's true for 2026. But what 00:02:29.979 --> 00:02:32.180 if it were to be the same? What if it were to 00:02:32.180 --> 00:02:35.560 be even harder? If we're gonna face the new year, 00:02:35.580 --> 00:02:38.659 we need wisdom. We need wisdom because we need 00:02:38.659 --> 00:02:41.099 to know what ultimately matters and what ultimately 00:02:41.099 --> 00:02:44.000 is important. If we're gonna face it with any 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:46.020 type of confidence, we need to have knowledge. 00:02:46.900 --> 00:02:49.659 You need to know in your bones. You need to know 00:02:49.659 --> 00:02:53.060 in your soul that God will show up and he will 00:02:53.060 --> 00:02:57.180 meet us where we are regardless of the circumstances 00:02:57.180 --> 00:03:00.800 we find ourselves in. We need the knowledge that 00:03:00.800 --> 00:03:04.219 God is doing something. Friends, you need the 00:03:04.219 --> 00:03:05.939 knowledge that if there is pain to come your 00:03:05.939 --> 00:03:10.120 way that the pain is not wasted. We need faith. 00:03:10.979 --> 00:03:13.219 Faith that knows that God is at work. Faith that 00:03:13.219 --> 00:03:15.520 trusts that God is ruling. Ruling over what? 00:03:16.480 --> 00:03:20.419 ruling over everything. In fact, one of the overarching 00:03:20.419 --> 00:03:22.259 themes of the Bible, and there are many if you 00:03:22.259 --> 00:03:24.159 want to look at the greater story, what's often 00:03:24.159 --> 00:03:26.860 called the meta -narrative, one of them is that 00:03:26.860 --> 00:03:30.340 you have God as a great king ruling over his 00:03:30.340 --> 00:03:33.500 realm. There's many ways you can divide up the 00:03:33.500 --> 00:03:36.699 scriptures. A common way you perhaps read about 00:03:36.699 --> 00:03:39.819 or you've seen, if you read much at all in theology, 00:03:40.180 --> 00:03:43.780 you have creation, fall, redemption, and then 00:03:43.780 --> 00:03:46.979 restoration or consummation. kind of four movements 00:03:46.979 --> 00:03:49.259 of scripture. And I actually think that's very 00:03:49.259 --> 00:03:52.379 helpful, like where we were, where we are, where 00:03:52.379 --> 00:03:54.780 we're going. You think about the beginning, you 00:03:54.780 --> 00:03:58.039 have creation itself, right? So we're going to 00:03:58.039 --> 00:04:01.340 see this familiar template, creation, fall, redemption, 00:04:01.580 --> 00:04:04.400 restoration. And the reason I think this is important 00:04:04.400 --> 00:04:06.860 and helpful, because if we start to see the big 00:04:06.860 --> 00:04:10.900 picture, the macro, then it will give us strength, 00:04:10.939 --> 00:04:13.900 it's going to give us wisdom in our daily lives 00:04:13.900 --> 00:04:16.959 or in the micro. So let's start with creation. 00:04:17.079 --> 00:04:18.879 We'll walk through these very quickly before 00:04:18.879 --> 00:04:21.740 we get to the scripture. In the very beginning, 00:04:21.779 --> 00:04:24.420 there was shalom. Now, if you've ever been to 00:04:24.420 --> 00:04:26.319 Israel, you know that shalom is a greeting. So 00:04:26.319 --> 00:04:27.920 when you meet people, you don't say hello. You 00:04:27.920 --> 00:04:30.060 say shalom, also when you're saying goodbye. 00:04:30.939 --> 00:04:34.199 But the translation of shalom is peace. But if 00:04:34.199 --> 00:04:37.500 you look at the definition, it means whole, complete. 00:04:38.310 --> 00:04:40.930 Nothing is lacking, but there's a great semantic 00:04:40.930 --> 00:04:43.829 use. I mean, the semantic range or the way this 00:04:43.829 --> 00:04:46.769 word can be used is very, very deep. For example, 00:04:46.810 --> 00:04:50.329 it can mean peace or harmony, but it can also 00:04:50.329 --> 00:04:54.709 mean wholeness. It can mean well -being. It can 00:04:54.709 --> 00:04:58.129 even mean flourishing. So basically, what you're 00:04:58.129 --> 00:04:59.709 talking about, when we're talking about Shalom, 00:05:00.009 --> 00:05:03.389 it means everything is working as God intended 00:05:03.389 --> 00:05:06.339 it to work. So if we go back to the beginning, 00:05:06.459 --> 00:05:10.480 at the very beginning, life was ordered. Mankind 00:05:10.480 --> 00:05:15.120 was flourishing. There was harmony in the entire 00:05:15.120 --> 00:05:19.639 cosmos. So God had created man as an image bearer 00:05:19.639 --> 00:05:22.459 who would reflect his glory, and he would also 00:05:22.459 --> 00:05:25.660 cultivate and steward this beautiful creation 00:05:25.660 --> 00:05:29.120 that God had given to him. Moreover, there was 00:05:29.120 --> 00:05:31.639 a friendship, a fellowship between God and man. 00:05:32.250 --> 00:05:35.329 Adam enjoyed this beautiful relationship, an 00:05:35.329 --> 00:05:38.250 enjoyable relationship with God in the garden 00:05:38.250 --> 00:05:42.730 paradise. So the entire earth had shalom. Everything 00:05:42.730 --> 00:05:45.750 was working and going according to God's good 00:05:45.750 --> 00:05:49.329 intentions. Life was perfect. Adam was in harmony 00:05:49.329 --> 00:05:52.490 with the creation as well as the creator. But 00:05:52.490 --> 00:05:54.050 that's just the first two chapters of the Bible. 00:05:54.970 --> 00:05:58.569 That's Genesis 1, Genesis 2. Everything changes 00:05:58.569 --> 00:06:01.350 in Genesis 3. And then we're introduced to the 00:06:01.350 --> 00:06:05.939 fall. We know one day Adam and Eve foolishly 00:06:05.939 --> 00:06:09.180 rejected God's rule over them. So in rebellion, 00:06:09.220 --> 00:06:13.079 they broke God's law, bringing sin. Now misery 00:06:13.079 --> 00:06:16.139 has entered into the world. Instead of friendship, 00:06:16.279 --> 00:06:20.300 man became God's enemy. Man was now self -autonomous. 00:06:20.300 --> 00:06:23.240 He preferred to rule over himself instead of 00:06:23.240 --> 00:06:26.560 having God rule over him. So when we consider 00:06:26.560 --> 00:06:30.120 Shalom, Shalom was fractured. No more is there 00:06:30.120 --> 00:06:34.879 harmony man was now estranged from God There 00:06:34.879 --> 00:06:38.459 was now death Spiritual death but also physical 00:06:38.459 --> 00:06:41.379 death for Adam for Eve and all their progeny 00:06:41.379 --> 00:06:44.860 even down to the current day Man's rebellion 00:06:44.860 --> 00:06:52.240 brought sin shame injustice disorder violence 00:06:52.240 --> 00:06:55.620 Death all those had come into the world where 00:06:55.620 --> 00:06:59.069 once I had never been So now you find all of 00:06:59.069 --> 00:07:02.629 humanity alienated from the life of God. That's 00:07:02.629 --> 00:07:05.850 Genesis 3. We move to the third movement. There's 00:07:05.850 --> 00:07:10.290 redemption. God was justly angry at man's rebellion. 00:07:11.329 --> 00:07:16.759 Justly angry. Angry with cause. Yet God in His 00:07:16.759 --> 00:07:19.240 mercy and grace determined to turn the evil that 00:07:19.240 --> 00:07:21.220 you and I had caused, or the Adam had caused, 00:07:21.500 --> 00:07:24.379 into a grand theater by which He would showcase 00:07:24.379 --> 00:07:27.720 His mercy and His grace that would ultimately 00:07:27.720 --> 00:07:31.720 bring Him glory. God, before the foundation of 00:07:31.720 --> 00:07:34.279 the earth, had already designed a plan to redeem 00:07:34.279 --> 00:07:37.259 not just man, but the entire cosmos. All creation 00:07:37.259 --> 00:07:39.839 will be redeemed. But He would in the meantime 00:07:39.839 --> 00:07:43.160 also rescue His people from their bondage and 00:07:43.160 --> 00:07:47.449 misery to sin. But how would he do it? Well, 00:07:47.449 --> 00:07:49.430 it began with what we just celebrated a few days 00:07:49.430 --> 00:07:53.670 ago, the incarnation of the Son of God. God the 00:07:53.670 --> 00:07:56.730 Son would become man in order to save his people 00:07:56.730 --> 00:08:01.269 and restore them back to divine favor. So no 00:08:01.269 --> 00:08:03.209 longer would they be alienated from the life 00:08:03.209 --> 00:08:07.110 of God. And this redemption story, it climaxes 00:08:07.110 --> 00:08:09.449 with the death and resurrection of the Son of 00:08:09.449 --> 00:08:13.350 God in the place of his sinful people. And then 00:08:13.350 --> 00:08:16.079 we go to the fourth movement. which is restoration, 00:08:16.459 --> 00:08:19.120 or some might refer to this as consummation. 00:08:19.420 --> 00:08:21.560 So the story did not end with just redemption. 00:08:22.899 --> 00:08:25.779 God made a promise. He would renew and restore 00:08:25.779 --> 00:08:28.240 the whole world. He would restore the entire 00:08:28.240 --> 00:08:32.700 cosmos to the shalom that it once enjoyed. Well, 00:08:32.700 --> 00:08:35.740 how's he going to do that? Christ would return, 00:08:35.840 --> 00:08:38.580 or will return, and he will vanquish sin, he 00:08:38.580 --> 00:08:41.200 will end all rebellion, and he will usher in 00:08:41.200 --> 00:08:44.710 his eternal kingdom of righteousness. and peace. 00:08:45.629 --> 00:08:48.450 So once more, we can look forward to God is going 00:08:48.450 --> 00:08:51.909 to restore this earth to its pristine beauty 00:08:51.909 --> 00:08:55.649 that it once enjoyed before sin, and then we 00:08:55.649 --> 00:08:58.950 will eternally dwell with God and His people 00:08:58.950 --> 00:09:03.190 in the newly restored creation. Now, I ask you 00:09:03.190 --> 00:09:05.889 to turn to the book of Revelation. The book of 00:09:05.889 --> 00:09:07.769 the Revelation. No, it's not. There's no S on 00:09:07.769 --> 00:09:10.809 that. This is not Revelations multiple. It's 00:09:10.809 --> 00:09:13.330 one. The book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. 00:09:13.639 --> 00:09:16.600 So Revelation is a book that points ahead and 00:09:16.600 --> 00:09:18.940 it gives us a glimpse into the final reign of 00:09:18.940 --> 00:09:22.220 Christ. Now, I will tell you, some have spilled 00:09:22.220 --> 00:09:25.240 a lot of ink trying to discern exactly how the 00:09:25.240 --> 00:09:28.019 future is going to play out. Now, don't get me 00:09:28.019 --> 00:09:30.139 wrong, this book, it does tell us plenty about 00:09:30.139 --> 00:09:32.480 the future, but the primary application of the 00:09:32.480 --> 00:09:36.259 book of Revelation is not about the future. Instead, 00:09:36.379 --> 00:09:39.620 the main message is about how God's people can 00:09:39.620 --> 00:09:42.580 rightly order their lives today as the people 00:09:42.580 --> 00:09:45.580 of God. Keep in mind, it was written to a group 00:09:45.580 --> 00:09:49.440 of people, first century believers who were suffering, 00:09:50.200 --> 00:09:52.779 who were being persecuted, and they were told 00:09:52.779 --> 00:09:56.720 to persevere even amidst great trial and struggle. 00:09:57.200 --> 00:10:00.539 That's who the book is addressed to. Now, Revelation 00:10:00.539 --> 00:10:04.360 does tell us, ultimately, God wins. And those 00:10:04.360 --> 00:10:06.360 who have placed their faith and trust in Christ 00:10:06.360 --> 00:10:09.419 will live with Him forever. So now, as we're 00:10:09.419 --> 00:10:11.179 getting ready to start, let me give you a brief 00:10:11.179 --> 00:10:13.659 background. And again, we could spend a lot of 00:10:13.659 --> 00:10:16.299 time on this that we don't have. So John, the 00:10:16.299 --> 00:10:18.039 Apostle John, the one who wrote the Gospel of 00:10:18.039 --> 00:10:20.139 John and the epistles of John, also wrote this 00:10:20.139 --> 00:10:24.879 letter. He's writing this book in exile. He's 00:10:24.879 --> 00:10:27.539 on the island of Patmos. It's around the end 00:10:27.539 --> 00:10:29.860 of the first century, so it's pretty early, about 00:10:29.860 --> 00:10:32.220 probably 1890 is probably where it's close to. 00:10:32.759 --> 00:10:35.899 Now many people had already embraced the Gospel 00:10:35.899 --> 00:10:38.549 message. Christianity was spreading. So there 00:10:38.549 --> 00:10:40.450 were many who had placed their faith in Christ, 00:10:40.750 --> 00:10:43.370 and they knew of Christ's promise to return, 00:10:43.730 --> 00:10:45.730 and they knew that Christ had promised that he 00:10:45.730 --> 00:10:48.090 would establish his kingdom that would rule over 00:10:48.090 --> 00:10:51.929 all. But that had not yet happened. Probably 00:10:51.929 --> 00:10:55.110 about six decades have already passed and wickedness 00:10:55.110 --> 00:10:57.629 throughout the Roman world or the Roman Empire 00:10:57.629 --> 00:11:01.149 continues to increase. And that little band of 00:11:01.149 --> 00:11:04.190 Christians, that fledgling band, began to be 00:11:04.190 --> 00:11:08.360 persecuted. Moreover, there were Roman emperors, 00:11:08.460 --> 00:11:11.799 the Caesars, who demanded that they be worshipped 00:11:11.799 --> 00:11:15.279 as a god. Well, Christians wouldn't do that. 00:11:15.620 --> 00:11:17.960 They would not bow the knee saying Caesar is 00:11:17.960 --> 00:11:20.659 Lord. They knew they could worship no one but 00:11:20.659 --> 00:11:23.799 the one true God. So again, they found themselves 00:11:23.799 --> 00:11:27.379 as object of suspicion, but they were also targets 00:11:27.379 --> 00:11:30.919 of persecution even unto death. And you can go 00:11:30.919 --> 00:11:32.960 back and read about the Roman emperors from Nero 00:11:32.960 --> 00:11:37.029 in Diocletian. Now some Christians then, now 00:11:37.029 --> 00:11:39.850 keep putting yourself in their shoes, they began 00:11:39.850 --> 00:11:43.730 to ask, if Jesus is Lord and Jesus is reigning 00:11:43.730 --> 00:11:47.649 and his kingdom is coming, why is evil triumphing 00:11:47.649 --> 00:11:52.490 over good? Does that sound familiar today? Many 00:11:52.490 --> 00:11:55.450 look around like, what's going on? Everything's 00:11:55.450 --> 00:11:58.470 becoming darker. So the people, the Christians 00:11:58.470 --> 00:12:02.110 began to ask, can God do anything about our suffering? 00:12:02.849 --> 00:12:07.029 And if he can, when will he do so? So you have 00:12:07.029 --> 00:12:09.929 to understand the context. This letter is written 00:12:09.929 --> 00:12:13.809 to encourage Christians to persevere amidst and 00:12:13.809 --> 00:12:17.690 give hope in the midst of great trial. It is 00:12:17.690 --> 00:12:20.909 a letter, but it's not like the other New Testament 00:12:20.909 --> 00:12:24.529 letters. Revelation is what we call apocalyptic. 00:12:25.570 --> 00:12:28.389 Apocalyptic means it's a Greek word and the apocalypsis 00:12:28.389 --> 00:12:31.519 means it's simply an unveiling. So when we talk 00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:34.779 about this letter, it is an unveiling of God's 00:12:34.779 --> 00:12:38.779 plan to bring judgment on the wicked and to preserve 00:12:38.779 --> 00:12:42.139 his people for eternal life in his kingdom. That 00:12:42.139 --> 00:12:45.159 plan is going to be revealed, revelation. It's 00:12:45.159 --> 00:12:48.600 going to be unveiled, apocalyptic. Now there's 00:12:48.600 --> 00:12:51.559 a whole lot of symbolism in this book and the 00:12:51.559 --> 00:12:54.220 symbolism mainly is taken from the Old Testament. 00:12:55.139 --> 00:13:00.019 So apocalyptic literature uses symbolic vocabulary 00:13:00.409 --> 00:13:03.509 when talking about events. So much of scripture, 00:13:03.549 --> 00:13:06.490 you have a lot of poetry like the Psalms. You 00:13:06.490 --> 00:13:08.909 could never interpret the Psalms literally or 00:13:08.909 --> 00:13:11.269 they won't make sense. You don't interpret Psalms 00:13:11.269 --> 00:13:14.309 as you would prose. For example, in the Psalms 00:13:14.309 --> 00:13:16.470 we find the mountains skipping like lambs and 00:13:16.470 --> 00:13:19.009 clapping their hands. Does anyone think mountains 00:13:19.009 --> 00:13:20.789 are going to suddenly develop hands and skip 00:13:20.789 --> 00:13:24.549 away? No, we understand that's metaphoric. We 00:13:24.549 --> 00:13:27.269 understand that's poetic. So you have apocalyptic 00:13:27.269 --> 00:13:31.009 literature. is not meant to be interpreted literally 00:13:31.009 --> 00:13:34.690 as if it were prose. So when we're talking about 00:13:34.690 --> 00:13:36.970 the events in Revelation, they are real, real 00:13:36.970 --> 00:13:40.970 events. But they are described in symbolic terms 00:13:40.970 --> 00:13:44.870 using apocalyptic language. And that's an important 00:13:44.870 --> 00:13:47.529 key. So when we're talking about this, it is 00:13:47.529 --> 00:13:49.750 a letter. It's written to seven churches that 00:13:49.750 --> 00:13:52.950 existed in the first century there in Asia Minor, 00:13:53.149 --> 00:13:55.769 which is modern -day Turkey, if you will. Now, 00:13:55.769 --> 00:13:57.529 I told you to turn to chapter four. That's where 00:13:57.529 --> 00:13:59.450 we're going to pick it up. Chapters two and three 00:13:59.450 --> 00:14:01.950 are letters to those churches. Chapter four begins 00:14:01.950 --> 00:14:05.450 future events. And we will do a faster review 00:14:05.450 --> 00:14:08.210 through this book. Chapter four, verses one and 00:14:08.210 --> 00:14:12.350 two. John moves from addressing the churches. 00:14:12.850 --> 00:14:16.370 He's called up into heaven. He's given a grand 00:14:16.370 --> 00:14:19.970 vision of Christ and his plan for the future. 00:14:20.669 --> 00:14:23.309 So chapter four, verses one and two. John writing. 00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:25.460 After these things," that's what he wrote to 00:14:25.460 --> 00:14:28.460 the churches, I looked, and behold, a door standing 00:14:28.460 --> 00:14:31.740 open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard 00:14:31.740 --> 00:14:33.779 was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, 00:14:34.279 --> 00:14:37.059 come up here, and I will show you things which 00:14:37.059 --> 00:14:40.879 may take much, excuse me, which must take place 00:14:40.879 --> 00:14:44.799 after this. Okay, so this is future. Immediately 00:14:44.799 --> 00:14:49.460 I was in the spirit, and behold, a throne set 00:14:49.460 --> 00:14:54.080 in heaven, and one sat on that throne. John is 00:14:54.080 --> 00:14:57.679 in the spirit and the very first thing he sees, 00:14:57.919 --> 00:15:01.159 the very first vision he has is of a throne with 00:15:01.159 --> 00:15:04.740 someone seated on it. This particular scene, 00:15:04.840 --> 00:15:08.059 get this, will give us the framework for understanding 00:15:08.059 --> 00:15:13.159 what is driving the rest of the book. Everything 00:15:13.159 --> 00:15:16.960 that will take place is under the direction and 00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:20.460 supervision of the one who is seated on this 00:15:20.460 --> 00:15:24.809 heavenly throne. verses three through five. And 00:15:24.809 --> 00:15:28.129 he who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius 00:15:28.129 --> 00:15:30.710 stone in appearance. And there was a rainbow 00:15:30.710 --> 00:15:32.889 around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. 00:15:33.730 --> 00:15:36.070 And around the throne were twenty -four thrones. 00:15:36.769 --> 00:15:38.809 And on the thrones I saw twenty -four elders 00:15:38.809 --> 00:15:41.690 sitting, their clothed in white robes, and they 00:15:41.690 --> 00:15:44.750 had crowns of gold on their heads. And from the 00:15:44.750 --> 00:15:46.950 throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and 00:15:46.950 --> 00:15:50.389 voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before 00:15:50.389 --> 00:15:52.629 the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. 00:15:54.009 --> 00:15:56.929 Now, the one seated on the throne is God. But 00:15:56.929 --> 00:15:58.830 God is not described directly. Rather, we get 00:15:58.830 --> 00:16:01.450 a description of His glory. It's like an emerald 00:16:01.450 --> 00:16:03.789 and a sardius stone, and there's all these colors, 00:16:04.110 --> 00:16:07.370 magnificent, brilliant colors there. We're also 00:16:07.370 --> 00:16:11.730 told there's 24 elders. Who are they? They represent 00:16:11.730 --> 00:16:14.399 the full people of God. 12 tribes representing 00:16:14.399 --> 00:16:16.539 Israel from the old covenant people. You have 00:16:16.539 --> 00:16:18.879 the 12 apostles representing the new covenant 00:16:18.879 --> 00:16:22.740 people. Together, they form the 24 elders. They 00:16:22.740 --> 00:16:25.039 are all wearing white robes. That symbolizes 00:16:25.039 --> 00:16:26.980 the righteousness which is given to them through 00:16:26.980 --> 00:16:32.519 Christ. But they're wearing crowns, golden crowns. 00:16:32.679 --> 00:16:34.879 Because just as Jesus promised the apostles, 00:16:34.960 --> 00:16:37.440 now it is coming to fruition. So he said, you 00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:41.559 will also reign with me. You will sit on thrones, 00:16:41.559 --> 00:16:43.700 he said. And this is exactly what's happening. 00:16:44.840 --> 00:16:48.340 And the 24 elders, they lay down their thrones 00:16:48.340 --> 00:16:50.700 or their crowns. They know that they're wearing 00:16:50.700 --> 00:16:53.059 a crown, but the one on the throne is the worthy 00:16:53.059 --> 00:16:55.460 one. So they take off their crowns and they lay 00:16:55.460 --> 00:16:57.779 them down. In chapter four, verse 11, we read 00:16:57.779 --> 00:17:04.000 these words. You are worthy, oh Lord. They know 00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:08.799 they're not. To receive glory and honor and power, 00:17:09.519 --> 00:17:14.099 for you created all things. And by your will, 00:17:14.980 --> 00:17:18.960 they exist and were created. Friends, at the 00:17:18.960 --> 00:17:23.000 center of the universe is a throne. And the throne, 00:17:23.319 --> 00:17:25.920 the one seated on that throne, is the sovereign 00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:31.640 God who rules over the world. And John goes on 00:17:31.640 --> 00:17:34.259 to tell us many other things about the future, 00:17:34.859 --> 00:17:37.400 but he wants us to get this one thing clear from 00:17:37.400 --> 00:17:40.609 the very beginning. At the very center of all 00:17:40.609 --> 00:17:44.390 that there is, is the throne of God, from which 00:17:44.390 --> 00:17:48.029 He's ruling over all things at all times and 00:17:48.029 --> 00:17:53.049 all people. And what's the message then? You 00:17:53.049 --> 00:17:56.069 and I are called to trust in nothing other than 00:17:56.069 --> 00:17:59.009 God. You are to trust and put your faith and 00:17:59.009 --> 00:18:01.730 hope in nothing other than the one who is seated 00:18:01.730 --> 00:18:04.490 on that throne. That means that we are not in 00:18:04.490 --> 00:18:07.289 the hand of any government or world leader. So 00:18:07.289 --> 00:18:09.650 many people, God's people, get so very vexed 00:18:09.650 --> 00:18:11.650 and worried and perplexed about all this taking 00:18:11.650 --> 00:18:14.410 place politically. Yes, it's a mess. Both sides, 00:18:14.410 --> 00:18:18.130 it's a mess. But God is ruling. He has seated 00:18:18.130 --> 00:18:20.970 on His throne. We are in the hands of the One 00:18:20.970 --> 00:18:22.990 who redeemed us through the blood of His Son. 00:18:23.750 --> 00:18:26.410 That means your life is not meaningless. It means 00:18:26.410 --> 00:18:28.529 the events of your life are not purposeless or 00:18:28.529 --> 00:18:31.410 empty. That means we are called to trust God 00:18:31.410 --> 00:18:35.529 as He perfectly rules. But John just didn't see 00:18:35.529 --> 00:18:40.960 a throne. He hears about a lion, chapter five, 00:18:41.180 --> 00:18:42.980 and all these will be on the wall behind me, 00:18:43.200 --> 00:18:46.380 chapter five, verse five. But one of the elders, 00:18:46.500 --> 00:18:49.259 remember one of the 24 said to me, because John's 00:18:49.259 --> 00:18:51.119 crying now because he had this scroll that's 00:18:51.119 --> 00:18:53.160 filled with seven scrolls and no one was found 00:18:53.160 --> 00:18:56.539 worthy to open it. But the elder said, don't 00:18:56.539 --> 00:19:00.839 weep, don't cry, stop crying, John. Behold, the 00:19:00.839 --> 00:19:05.680 lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David. 00:19:06.059 --> 00:19:08.220 That's if you were here the other night at communion. 00:19:08.220 --> 00:19:11.859 This is all Jesus Christ language has prevailed 00:19:11.859 --> 00:19:16.559 To open the scroll and to lucid seven seals So 00:19:16.559 --> 00:19:19.880 John heard about a lion who overcame who prevailed 00:19:19.880 --> 00:19:23.880 and this lion is worthy to open the scroll But 00:19:23.880 --> 00:19:26.460 this is so interesting as John turned because 00:19:26.460 --> 00:19:28.640 he heard about a lion. He turns, but he doesn't 00:19:28.640 --> 00:19:33.440 see a lion He sees a lamb very next verse and 00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:37.190 I looked and behold In the midst of the throne, 00:19:37.210 --> 00:19:40.529 that's seated there, and of the four living creatures 00:19:40.529 --> 00:19:44.769 in the midst of the elders stood a lamb as though 00:19:44.769 --> 00:19:48.130 it had been slain. Seven horns and seven eyes. 00:19:48.349 --> 00:19:50.789 That's not literal. There's not literally a lamb 00:19:50.789 --> 00:19:52.869 that has seven horns and seven eyes there on 00:19:52.869 --> 00:19:55.470 the throne of God. It's symbolic language here, 00:19:55.710 --> 00:19:58.109 which are the seven spirits of God sent out into 00:19:58.109 --> 00:20:00.549 all the earth. So John, he thinks he's going 00:20:00.549 --> 00:20:02.430 to turn and see the lion that he just heard about, 00:20:02.609 --> 00:20:04.880 the lion of the tribe of Judah. But as he turns, 00:20:05.059 --> 00:20:09.019 he sees a lamb that had been slain. In the very 00:20:09.019 --> 00:20:11.420 throne room of God, in the midst of the throne, 00:20:11.660 --> 00:20:14.420 there's a lamb who had been killed, yet it's 00:20:14.420 --> 00:20:19.460 not dead, it's living. The lamb and the lion 00:20:19.460 --> 00:20:23.700 are the same, one and the same, both referring 00:20:23.700 --> 00:20:27.759 to the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus came at his first 00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:30.920 advent as a suffering servant. He is the Lamb 00:20:30.920 --> 00:20:33.609 of God. that takes away the sin of the world. 00:20:34.390 --> 00:20:37.049 But at his second advent, when he returns, he 00:20:37.049 --> 00:20:39.410 will no longer be the suffering servant. He will 00:20:39.410 --> 00:20:43.190 return as the Lord of glory, the lion from the 00:20:43.190 --> 00:20:48.789 tribe of Judah. The lamb is on God's throne and 00:20:48.789 --> 00:20:51.950 all of heaven is worshiping this lamb as if it 00:20:51.950 --> 00:20:56.789 were God because he is God. Now this pattern, 00:20:56.849 --> 00:20:58.789 you hear one thing but when you turn you see 00:20:58.789 --> 00:21:00.970 another one, that repeats itself several times 00:21:00.970 --> 00:21:02.890 throughout the book. It's important. I want to 00:21:02.890 --> 00:21:04.789 show you one other place for the sake of time. 00:21:05.329 --> 00:21:08.849 We'll go over to chapter seven now. In chapter 00:21:08.849 --> 00:21:13.009 seven, John says, and I heard the number of those 00:21:13.009 --> 00:21:17.509 who were sealed, 144 ,000 of all the tribes of 00:21:17.509 --> 00:21:19.410 the children of Israel were sealed. And he goes 00:21:19.410 --> 00:21:21.829 on to list 12 ,000 from each of the 12 tribes. 00:21:22.450 --> 00:21:26.490 So John hears, he doesn't see, he hears 144 ,000 00:21:26.490 --> 00:21:30.029 people being sealed. Then he turns to look at 00:21:30.029 --> 00:21:35.230 them. Verse 9. And after these things I looked. 00:21:36.130 --> 00:21:41.470 He doesn't say 144 ,000. Behold a great multitude 00:21:41.470 --> 00:21:45.329 which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, 00:21:45.789 --> 00:21:48.829 peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne 00:21:48.829 --> 00:21:52.029 and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes 00:21:52.029 --> 00:21:55.710 and palm branches in their hands. Wonderful scene 00:21:55.710 --> 00:21:59.309 here. See, the 144 ,000 from the 12 tribes of 00:21:59.309 --> 00:22:02.289 Israel, that's what he hears, he turns, and when 00:22:02.289 --> 00:22:05.589 he turns to see, behold, it's the multitude from 00:22:05.589 --> 00:22:07.549 every tribe and race and people and language. 00:22:07.930 --> 00:22:13.049 The 144 ,000 turns into the great innumerable 00:22:13.049 --> 00:22:15.250 multitude of people. You can't even number them. 00:22:15.849 --> 00:22:18.609 Now, these two are one and the same, and this 00:22:18.609 --> 00:22:21.170 is so important theologically, it is so very 00:22:21.170 --> 00:22:25.500 rich, because this multi -ethnic group that John 00:22:25.500 --> 00:22:27.759 sees from every language and tribe, that's the 00:22:27.759 --> 00:22:31.839 church. That is the fulfillment of ethnic Israel. 00:22:32.200 --> 00:22:35.400 This is the new people of Israel reconstituted. 00:22:35.440 --> 00:22:39.180 As Paul said, we're grafted into that olive tree. 00:22:40.119 --> 00:22:42.779 This is the fulfillment to which the nation of 00:22:42.779 --> 00:22:46.819 Israel had always pointed. So now in chapter 00:22:46.819 --> 00:22:51.000 five, we read about that lamb. He alone is worthy 00:22:51.000 --> 00:22:54.849 to open the scroll of God. Only this lamb had 00:22:54.849 --> 00:22:57.809 the authority to fulfill judgment and complete 00:22:57.809 --> 00:23:02.650 redemption. It was this lamb alone who had redeemed 00:23:02.650 --> 00:23:06.210 this innumerable company from all tribes and 00:23:06.210 --> 00:23:09.269 nations throughout the world. That's chapters 00:23:09.269 --> 00:23:12.710 four and five. But in chapter six, a new pattern 00:23:12.710 --> 00:23:16.029 begins to emerge and it's a deadly pattern. It's 00:23:16.029 --> 00:23:19.390 one of judgment. God's judgment is going to fall. 00:23:19.950 --> 00:23:23.250 These judgments will be repeated in greater intensity. 00:23:23.390 --> 00:23:25.750 You go from seven seals to seven trumpets to 00:23:25.750 --> 00:23:29.789 seven bowls. Now only the lamb that was slain 00:23:29.789 --> 00:23:33.609 who yet is alive controls when these judgments 00:23:33.609 --> 00:23:38.690 are unleashed. Only the lamb can save and protect 00:23:38.690 --> 00:23:42.690 the redeemed from these judgments. And as you 00:23:42.690 --> 00:23:45.930 read through them, through these chapters, terrible 00:23:45.930 --> 00:23:49.299 judgments are unleashed. But don't forget chapter 00:23:49.299 --> 00:23:52.420 four, the very first vision, John Saul. The lamb 00:23:52.420 --> 00:23:56.420 is seated on the throne. God is in control. Do 00:23:56.420 --> 00:24:00.240 we need to fear? No. He will protect and work 00:24:00.240 --> 00:24:04.299 for good for those who belong to him. It is evident 00:24:04.299 --> 00:24:06.359 that God protects his own. How do you know that? 00:24:06.700 --> 00:24:10.779 You just heard about 144 ,000 saints. If you 00:24:10.779 --> 00:24:12.380 go to the end of the story, you know how many 00:24:12.380 --> 00:24:14.220 saints are standing around the throne? You have 00:24:14.220 --> 00:24:16.980 144 ,000 saints still at the end of history. 00:24:17.440 --> 00:24:22.319 All 144 ,000. 12 ,000 from 12 tribes, that number 00:24:22.319 --> 00:24:25.480 signifying completion. None of God's people have 00:24:25.480 --> 00:24:28.779 been left out. Not one of them is missing. All 00:24:28.779 --> 00:24:31.460 of God's people have been protected and sealed 00:24:31.460 --> 00:24:35.309 from the wrath of God. What does this mean? It 00:24:35.309 --> 00:24:38.670 means the lamb keeps those whom he has purchased 00:24:38.670 --> 00:24:41.710 with his blood. And this is exactly what Jesus 00:24:41.710 --> 00:24:44.890 said in John 6. He said, this is the will of 00:24:44.890 --> 00:24:47.390 the Father who sent me, that all of those he 00:24:47.390 --> 00:24:50.269 has given me, there's a group given to him, I 00:24:50.269 --> 00:24:52.390 should lose nothing. I don't lose one of them, 00:24:53.109 --> 00:24:56.650 but should raise it up at the last day. Everyone 00:24:56.650 --> 00:25:00.069 that belongs to him will be kept by him and raised 00:25:00.069 --> 00:25:03.430 up by him. This is the message of the Revelation 00:25:03.430 --> 00:25:08.410 God is in control and he can be trusted But I 00:25:08.410 --> 00:25:10.130 told you there's judgment beginning in chapter 00:25:10.130 --> 00:25:17.309 6 Chapter 6 verses 1 and 2 now I Saw when the 00:25:17.309 --> 00:25:19.910 lamb opened one of the seals and I heard one 00:25:19.910 --> 00:25:22.009 of the four living creatures saying with a voice 00:25:22.009 --> 00:25:26.390 like thunder Come and see and I looked and behold 00:25:26.390 --> 00:25:29.890 a white horse and he who sat on it had a bow 00:25:30.079 --> 00:25:33.279 and a crown was given to him, and he went out 00:25:33.279 --> 00:25:37.259 conquering and to conquer. So we have now a series 00:25:37.259 --> 00:25:39.920 of judges between chapter 6 and chapter 16. Friends, 00:25:39.940 --> 00:25:41.700 you will get very confused in this letter if 00:25:41.700 --> 00:25:44.559 you read them linear. They're not linear. They're 00:25:44.559 --> 00:25:49.200 cyclical. You have three cycles of seven that 00:25:49.200 --> 00:25:52.299 covers all of history, from the time of Jesus' 00:25:52.539 --> 00:25:55.940 ascension to the time when he returns. Each cycle 00:25:55.940 --> 00:26:00.529 gets more intense than the last. Each cycle is 00:26:00.529 --> 00:26:03.170 describing the same time period, but from a different 00:26:03.170 --> 00:26:06.410 angle. Now for the sake of time, because we don't 00:26:06.410 --> 00:26:08.470 have a lot of time, we'll look at one cycle. 00:26:09.349 --> 00:26:12.769 In chapter eight, the trumpet judgments. You 00:26:12.769 --> 00:26:14.690 already had the seven seals unleashed. Now you 00:26:14.690 --> 00:26:16.450 have the trumpets before you get to the bulls. 00:26:16.630 --> 00:26:19.869 You have seven trumpet judgments. The first trumpet 00:26:19.869 --> 00:26:22.289 sounds and it begins with the land being burned 00:26:22.289 --> 00:26:26.750 with fire and hail. Then that judgment gets progressively 00:26:26.750 --> 00:26:30.900 worse. Parts of the sea becomes blood. The rivers 00:26:30.900 --> 00:26:34.140 and the springs of water become bitter, undrinkable. 00:26:35.339 --> 00:26:37.339 We're told that one -third of the sun, the moon, 00:26:37.420 --> 00:26:40.839 and the stars become darkened. You have these 00:26:40.839 --> 00:26:43.640 locusts, and I believe they're demons, locust 00:26:43.640 --> 00:26:45.980 demons coming out of the abyss, and one -third 00:26:45.980 --> 00:26:50.259 of mankind is killed. These judgments continue 00:26:50.259 --> 00:26:56.240 until finally in chapter 11, the kingdom of this 00:26:56.240 --> 00:27:01.059 world becomes the kingdom of God. We'll look 00:27:01.059 --> 00:27:03.819 at that in just a moment. The kingdoms, all the 00:27:03.819 --> 00:27:07.440 kingdoms in this world, God apprehends them and 00:27:07.440 --> 00:27:10.539 makes them for himself. By these events, we learn 00:27:10.539 --> 00:27:13.720 something about the judgment of God. It is comprehensive. 00:27:15.099 --> 00:27:20.599 It is complete. In each series, the seals, the 00:27:20.599 --> 00:27:23.839 trumpets, the bulls, it's like a descending spiral. 00:27:23.849 --> 00:27:26.589 if you will. Sometimes we picture seven seals 00:27:26.589 --> 00:27:28.549 and we think they're just seven on one side. 00:27:28.809 --> 00:27:31.150 It's like there's a scroll with a seal, a scroll 00:27:31.150 --> 00:27:33.630 with a seal, a scroll with a seal. Does that 00:27:33.630 --> 00:27:35.789 make sense? So there's like seven of them all 00:27:35.789 --> 00:27:38.029 wrapped in. So it's not like seven on one side. 00:27:38.309 --> 00:27:40.289 And as you open them, they get increasingly more 00:27:40.289 --> 00:27:42.250 intense where you can look at it like a spiral. 00:27:42.410 --> 00:27:44.230 They're going down narrower, narrower, narrower. 00:27:44.650 --> 00:27:47.289 I don't know if that helps you. But the picture 00:27:47.289 --> 00:27:49.289 here is the final judgment of God. God's judgment 00:27:49.289 --> 00:27:52.089 is final until we come to chapter 11. Now notice, 00:27:52.349 --> 00:27:54.970 then the seventh angel sounded and there were 00:27:54.970 --> 00:27:58.150 loud voices in heaven saying, you get Handel's 00:27:58.150 --> 00:28:01.410 Messiah here, the kingdoms of this world have 00:28:01.410 --> 00:28:04.490 become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, 00:28:04.630 --> 00:28:08.049 and he shall reign forever and ever. And the 00:28:08.049 --> 00:28:11.109 message is clear. One day this current order 00:28:11.109 --> 00:28:14.089 will end. A day is coming when it's all over, 00:28:14.410 --> 00:28:17.470 friends. God's kingdom will come in its fullness. 00:28:18.490 --> 00:28:21.529 That means evil will not always be present. Darkness 00:28:21.529 --> 00:28:24.690 will not always have sway. One day, God will 00:28:24.690 --> 00:28:29.069 ensure that this evil is put to an end. And on 00:28:29.069 --> 00:28:31.910 that day, there's no escape from judgment. The 00:28:31.910 --> 00:28:33.690 severity of His judgments is clear throughout 00:28:33.690 --> 00:28:37.289 the book. It'll become so bad that men will beg 00:28:37.289 --> 00:28:40.569 to die and say death will flee from them. The 00:28:40.569 --> 00:28:43.410 judgment of the Almighty is a terrible thing. 00:28:43.950 --> 00:28:47.130 The Bible says it is a fearful thing to fall 00:28:47.130 --> 00:28:51.049 into the hands of the living God But at the end 00:28:51.049 --> 00:28:56.009 of these seven trumpets in chapter 11 We see 00:28:56.009 --> 00:28:58.549 the 24 elders remember the olden the whole people 00:28:58.549 --> 00:29:03.650 of God For praising God for his righteous judgment 00:29:03.650 --> 00:29:07.529 And the 24 elders who sat before God on their 00:29:07.529 --> 00:29:09.910 thrones fell on their faces and they worshiped 00:29:09.910 --> 00:29:13.099 God saying we give you thanks oh lord god almighty 00:29:13.099 --> 00:29:16.440 the one who was and who is the one who is and 00:29:16.440 --> 00:29:19.240 who was and who is to come why are they worshiping 00:29:19.240 --> 00:29:23.039 him because you've taken your great power and 00:29:23.039 --> 00:29:27.000 reigned the nations were angry that's Psalm 2 00:29:27.000 --> 00:29:30.380 and your wrath has come that's Psalm 2 and the 00:29:30.380 --> 00:29:32.660 time of the dead that they should be judged and 00:29:32.660 --> 00:29:34.819 that you should reward your servants the prophets 00:29:34.819 --> 00:29:37.339 and the saints and those who fear your name both 00:29:37.339 --> 00:29:40.839 small and great and should destroy those who 00:29:40.839 --> 00:29:45.960 destroy the earth. Notice all 24 elders, the 00:29:45.960 --> 00:29:49.839 people of God, they're praising God because He's 00:29:49.839 --> 00:29:53.339 reigning. You have taken your great power and 00:29:53.339 --> 00:29:56.779 reigned. Oh man, the nations of the earth are 00:29:56.779 --> 00:29:59.819 in turmoil now. They're raging against the Lord. 00:29:59.859 --> 00:30:02.640 They think they're in control. Men who have been 00:30:02.640 --> 00:30:04.900 created by God think that they are in control 00:30:04.900 --> 00:30:08.759 of destiny. God will laugh at them and hold them 00:30:08.759 --> 00:30:11.720 in derision on that day. God's judgment will 00:30:11.720 --> 00:30:14.420 vindicate his great name and therefore it is 00:30:14.420 --> 00:30:17.859 a cause to praise his name. We rejoice at that. 00:30:18.440 --> 00:30:20.359 God's people in the book of Revelation praise 00:30:20.359 --> 00:30:24.480 God when he acts in judgment. And Revelation 00:30:24.480 --> 00:30:27.380 tells us that one day all this will make sense 00:30:27.380 --> 00:30:30.480 and the goodness of God will be vindicated on 00:30:30.480 --> 00:30:34.950 that day. But thankfully, this book of Revelation 00:30:34.950 --> 00:30:38.150 does not end in judgment. After the seals, and 00:30:38.150 --> 00:30:40.349 after the trumpets, and after the bulls, you 00:30:40.349 --> 00:30:42.670 see the defeat of the beast, you see the fall 00:30:42.670 --> 00:30:44.890 of Babylon, which is this world system, and you 00:30:44.890 --> 00:30:48.490 see the triumphant reign of Christ, chapter 20, 00:30:49.289 --> 00:30:53.690 verse 11. Then I saw a great white throne, and 00:30:53.690 --> 00:30:59.130 him who sat on it, now listen, from whose face 00:30:59.130 --> 00:31:03.390 the earth and heaven fled away. Earth and heaven 00:31:03.390 --> 00:31:05.890 can't stand before him. And there was found no 00:31:05.890 --> 00:31:10.009 place for them. And I saw the dead, small and 00:31:10.009 --> 00:31:13.069 great, standing before God and books were opened. 00:31:13.970 --> 00:31:16.210 And another book was opened, which is the Book 00:31:16.210 --> 00:31:19.529 of Life. And the dead were judged according to 00:31:19.529 --> 00:31:22.190 their works by the things which were written 00:31:22.190 --> 00:31:26.670 in the books. Nothing's left out. God's an excellent 00:31:26.670 --> 00:31:30.710 record keeper. Satan and the dead, the unbelieving 00:31:30.710 --> 00:31:33.390 dead, those who are not united to Christ, they 00:31:33.390 --> 00:31:36.170 are judged before God's throne because he is 00:31:36.170 --> 00:31:38.250 sovereign over all and that includes sovereign 00:31:38.250 --> 00:31:41.789 over Satan. Satan is not the dark side of God 00:31:41.789 --> 00:31:44.529 or like the equal but only dark, like cosmic 00:31:44.529 --> 00:31:47.690 powers in Star Wars. No, Satan is a creature. 00:31:47.789 --> 00:31:50.190 God is the creator. There is no parallel to God 00:31:50.190 --> 00:31:53.490 Almighty. John, when he's writing this letter, 00:31:54.230 --> 00:31:56.769 The Caesars of Rome were demanding obedience. 00:31:56.789 --> 00:31:59.150 It was meant only for God. If you resist to them, 00:31:59.170 --> 00:32:01.809 it could mean your death. Now John was just an 00:32:01.809 --> 00:32:04.630 old man who had already been burnt alive in a 00:32:04.630 --> 00:32:07.569 vat of oil. He didn't die, so they exiled him 00:32:07.569 --> 00:32:11.470 to this island in the middle of nowhere. Now 00:32:11.470 --> 00:32:16.130 from here, this old man is proclaiming and pronouncing 00:32:16.130 --> 00:32:19.569 judgment on Rome and on all the future kingdoms 00:32:19.569 --> 00:32:22.650 that were to come. because John knew that the 00:32:22.650 --> 00:32:25.490 final word is not with any Caesar or any earthly 00:32:25.490 --> 00:32:29.009 king or any earthly ruler, but rather with Almighty 00:32:29.009 --> 00:32:32.650 God. And that brings us to the very final section 00:32:32.650 --> 00:32:37.329 of the book. Judgments past. And we get a glimpse, 00:32:37.349 --> 00:32:40.849 just a glimpse of a glorious future. All the 00:32:40.849 --> 00:32:43.690 events from Genesis 3 to Genesis 20 have been 00:32:43.690 --> 00:32:47.150 in preparation for a grand restoration greater 00:32:47.150 --> 00:32:50.690 than anything we could possibly imagine. God 00:32:50.690 --> 00:32:53.869 is preparing right now a people for Himself who 00:32:53.869 --> 00:32:57.329 will live together with Him in this grand kingdom 00:32:57.329 --> 00:33:01.089 for all eternity. Now, the Bible begins in a 00:33:01.089 --> 00:33:04.329 garden, a paradise, and it ends in a great city, 00:33:04.430 --> 00:33:07.529 a heavenly city of Revelation 21. In Revelation 00:33:07.529 --> 00:33:09.869 21, beginning in verse 1, we read these words. 00:33:11.109 --> 00:33:14.190 Now I saw a new heaven, a new earth. For the 00:33:14.190 --> 00:33:15.750 first heaven, the first earth had passed away 00:33:15.750 --> 00:33:18.170 new. It's the word kynos. It's restored, not 00:33:18.170 --> 00:33:20.740 new as though it never existed. Also, there was 00:33:20.740 --> 00:33:23.240 no more sea. I'll get to that in a moment. Then 00:33:23.240 --> 00:33:26.500 I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming 00:33:26.500 --> 00:33:29.240 down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride 00:33:29.240 --> 00:33:31.759 adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice 00:33:31.759 --> 00:33:34.359 from heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of 00:33:34.359 --> 00:33:36.700 God is with men, and he will dwell with them, 00:33:36.720 --> 00:33:39.200 and they shall be his people, and God himself 00:33:39.200 --> 00:33:43.579 will be with them and be their God. This description 00:33:43.579 --> 00:33:45.619 of the heavenly city did not begin with John 00:33:45.619 --> 00:33:47.380 in the book of Revelation. It began way back 00:33:47.380 --> 00:33:50.619 in the Old Testament. There are parallels between 00:33:50.619 --> 00:33:53.720 Revelation 21, this city, and various Old Testament 00:33:53.720 --> 00:33:55.619 passages, and I put two of them up there just 00:33:55.619 --> 00:33:58.900 so you can see. In Isaiah 65, the prophet says, 00:33:59.240 --> 00:34:01.400 for behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, 00:34:01.579 --> 00:34:03.099 and the former shall not be remembered or come 00:34:03.099 --> 00:34:05.720 to mind. John picks that up. But then you also 00:34:05.720 --> 00:34:08.460 have Ezekiel chapter 37, God speaking through 00:34:08.460 --> 00:34:11.199 that prophet. My tabernacle also shall be with 00:34:11.199 --> 00:34:13.519 them. Indeed, I will be their God, and they shall 00:34:13.519 --> 00:34:15.980 be my people. And this is what John is describing 00:34:15.980 --> 00:34:18.039 in the 21st chapter of the book of the Revelation. 00:34:19.280 --> 00:34:22.199 Throughout the entire Old Testament, you will 00:34:22.199 --> 00:34:25.159 see various descriptions of the city that John 00:34:25.159 --> 00:34:27.340 is now describing. I want you to notice what 00:34:27.340 --> 00:34:30.059 John does not see, and this is helpful. He does 00:34:30.059 --> 00:34:32.840 not see a bunch of disembodied beings inhabiting 00:34:32.840 --> 00:34:36.480 clouds, reclining in everlasting laziness. This 00:34:36.480 --> 00:34:39.099 is not what's going on here in heaven. He sees 00:34:39.099 --> 00:34:43.619 a new creation, a physical creation. Primarily, 00:34:43.639 --> 00:34:46.380 he describes it as a new city. It's the New Jerusalem. 00:34:46.440 --> 00:34:49.130 It's the city of God. This is heaven. that's 00:34:49.130 --> 00:34:51.929 coming to earth, because that's what we will 00:34:51.929 --> 00:34:55.510 live on, the new earth. Verses 23 through 25, 00:34:55.769 --> 00:34:59.489 same chapter. This city had no need of the sun 00:34:59.489 --> 00:35:02.050 or the moon to shine in it, for it didn't need 00:35:02.050 --> 00:35:05.329 it. For the glory of God illuminated. The Lamb 00:35:05.329 --> 00:35:07.230 is its light, the brightness of the glory of 00:35:07.230 --> 00:35:09.969 God. And the nations of those who are saved shall 00:35:09.969 --> 00:35:12.030 walk in its light, and the kings of the earth 00:35:12.030 --> 00:35:14.250 shall bring their glory and honor into it. Its 00:35:14.250 --> 00:35:17.780 gates shall not be shut at all by day. There 00:35:17.780 --> 00:35:22.539 shall be no night there. No need to sleep. In 00:35:22.539 --> 00:35:24.900 the city, the effects of the curse. Remember 00:35:24.900 --> 00:35:27.079 when man fell, which we looked at in the fall, 00:35:27.480 --> 00:35:29.380 all of creation was cursed. Now they're removed, 00:35:29.860 --> 00:35:32.679 starting in chapter 22. And he showed me a pure 00:35:32.679 --> 00:35:34.820 river of water of life. Water of life. We've 00:35:34.820 --> 00:35:37.000 seen that before in Genesis. Clears crystal, 00:35:37.179 --> 00:35:38.940 proceeding from the throne of God and of the 00:35:38.940 --> 00:35:42.119 Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either 00:35:42.119 --> 00:35:43.500 side of the street, there was a tree of life. 00:35:43.619 --> 00:35:44.900 Remember last time you saw the tree of life? 00:35:45.490 --> 00:35:47.730 Adam and Eve were barred from eating from it. 00:35:48.429 --> 00:35:51.269 But now there's access to it. Which bore twelve 00:35:51.269 --> 00:35:53.809 fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month, 00:35:54.070 --> 00:35:56.750 the leaves of the tree were for the healing of 00:35:56.750 --> 00:36:00.309 the nation's eternal life. And there shall be 00:36:00.309 --> 00:36:04.090 no more curse. But the throne of God and the 00:36:04.090 --> 00:36:06.949 Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve 00:36:06.949 --> 00:36:12.429 Him. Death is replaced by life. Night is replaced 00:36:12.429 --> 00:36:15.280 by everlasting light. Corruption is gone. It 00:36:15.280 --> 00:36:18.440 is all pure. Cursing is gone. It's all divine 00:36:18.440 --> 00:36:21.340 blessing. The city is one of the spectacular 00:36:21.340 --> 00:36:25.519 brilliance. But in chapter 21, verse 1, John 00:36:25.519 --> 00:36:27.400 wrote that little phrase, and there shall be 00:36:27.400 --> 00:36:30.219 no more sea. And there was no more sea. Why does 00:36:30.219 --> 00:36:33.780 he say that? Throughout the Bible, rebellion, 00:36:34.159 --> 00:36:35.699 particularly in the old covenant, in the old 00:36:35.769 --> 00:36:39.389 Testament is pictured as a raging sea, and now 00:36:39.389 --> 00:36:41.550 all rebellion has been vanquished, it's been 00:36:41.550 --> 00:36:44.449 quenched, and there is no more sea. What is it 00:36:44.449 --> 00:36:47.710 symbolizing? There is no more rebellion anywhere. 00:36:48.030 --> 00:36:50.929 Everything has been subjected to God's victorious 00:36:50.929 --> 00:36:55.110 reign. And one final thing. We're told about 00:36:55.110 --> 00:37:01.130 the shape of this peculiar city in 2116. The 00:37:01.130 --> 00:37:04.289 city is laid out as a square. Its length is as 00:37:04.289 --> 00:37:06.769 great as its breadth. And he measured the city 00:37:06.769 --> 00:37:09.230 with the reed, 12 ,000 furlongs, its length, 00:37:09.409 --> 00:37:12.909 breadth, and height are equal. It's a cube. A 00:37:12.909 --> 00:37:16.710 perfect cube, right? Why is John telling us that 00:37:16.710 --> 00:37:20.349 the heavenly city is a perfect cube? Because 00:37:20.349 --> 00:37:23.550 we're reminded of another structure in the Bible 00:37:23.550 --> 00:37:26.449 that had that same exact shape. You go back to 00:37:26.449 --> 00:37:29.989 the Old Covenant, the Holy of Holies, the most 00:37:29.989 --> 00:37:32.889 holy place within the temple where God dwelt 00:37:32.889 --> 00:37:36.710 was a perfect cube. In 1 Kings chapter 6, the 00:37:36.710 --> 00:37:38.789 inner sanctuary, this is the Holy of Holies, 00:37:39.070 --> 00:37:41.949 was 20 cubits long, 20 cubits wide, and 20 cubits 00:37:41.949 --> 00:37:44.809 high, and it was overlaid with pure gold. What's 00:37:44.809 --> 00:37:46.869 the message that Revelation is telling us? What's 00:37:46.869 --> 00:37:49.309 the message that God wants us to know? The importance 00:37:49.309 --> 00:37:51.570 of this city being shaped like a cube is that 00:37:51.570 --> 00:37:53.650 all rebellion is gone, it's all been vanquished, 00:37:53.989 --> 00:37:56.449 all of God's people are living forever with Him 00:37:56.449 --> 00:38:00.610 in the very presence of God in the heavenly Holy 00:38:00.610 --> 00:38:06.139 of Holies. There is no more barred access. In 00:38:06.139 --> 00:38:08.139 the Old Covenant, there's a thick curtain. At 00:38:08.139 --> 00:38:09.960 the death of Christ, that curtain was ripped 00:38:09.960 --> 00:38:12.739 in two. Right now, we still face through a glass 00:38:12.739 --> 00:38:15.760 darkly. We still walk by faith. But on that day, 00:38:15.800 --> 00:38:18.480 we will forever dwell with God in unhindered 00:38:18.480 --> 00:38:23.539 access. We will dwell with God. All of creation, 00:38:23.800 --> 00:38:26.739 the entire cosmos, will once again become the 00:38:26.739 --> 00:38:31.099 dwelling place of God. It's paradise restored. 00:38:32.000 --> 00:38:36.860 What began, what was lost, is now regained. So 00:38:36.860 --> 00:38:39.119 what's all this meant as we conclude in one minute? 00:38:40.760 --> 00:38:42.239 Listen, this is what I want to encourage you 00:38:42.239 --> 00:38:44.940 with at the very last Sunday in 2025 of a very 00:38:44.940 --> 00:38:49.739 difficult year for most of us. One day, those 00:38:49.739 --> 00:38:51.699 who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, 00:38:52.179 --> 00:38:55.420 you will enjoy face -to -face fellowship with 00:38:55.420 --> 00:38:58.219 God without even the possibility of sinning ever 00:38:58.219 --> 00:39:03.099 again. One day, Revelation 21 verse 4, God is 00:39:03.099 --> 00:39:05.360 going to wipe away every tear from your face 00:39:05.360 --> 00:39:09.800 and give you an eternal smile. So what do you 00:39:09.800 --> 00:39:14.940 do? You trust Him. One day God will restore and 00:39:14.940 --> 00:39:18.420 renew all things. See, the New Testament opened 00:39:18.420 --> 00:39:21.179 up with the announcement of a coming kingdom 00:39:21.179 --> 00:39:23.900 and the coming of the King. That's the Gospels. 00:39:24.739 --> 00:39:27.460 You see that kingdom expand to the ends of the 00:39:27.460 --> 00:39:30.219 earth in the book of Acts. Then you have the 00:39:30.219 --> 00:39:32.880 epistles that are written. That details how the 00:39:32.880 --> 00:39:34.699 church, which is the kingdom on earth in seed 00:39:34.699 --> 00:39:37.500 form, should be organized, who its members are, 00:39:37.719 --> 00:39:41.099 and what their life should be like. But we live 00:39:41.099 --> 00:39:46.300 right here. Those same epistles. Romans and 1st 00:39:46.300 --> 00:39:48.400 and 2nd Corinthians and Galatians and Ephesians 00:39:48.400 --> 00:39:50.000 and Philippians and you know Colossians, we could 00:39:50.000 --> 00:39:52.719 go on. These same epistles, they tell us right 00:39:52.719 --> 00:39:55.019 now, right now you and I, the saints of God, 00:39:55.280 --> 00:39:58.179 we live in this kingdom on earth and while this 00:39:58.179 --> 00:40:01.820 kingdom is on earth in seed form, not yet consummated 00:40:01.820 --> 00:40:04.840 form, we will face opposition and we will be 00:40:04.840 --> 00:40:09.320 persecuted and trials are to be expected. But 00:40:09.320 --> 00:40:12.880 the New Testament ends with the ringing declaration 00:40:12.880 --> 00:40:15.840 that the coming kingdom of God, which is established 00:40:15.840 --> 00:40:18.679 by the blood of the Lamb, will prevail, will 00:40:18.679 --> 00:40:22.380 come, and will be a reality. The King who has 00:40:22.380 --> 00:40:26.159 come as a child will come again as a conqueror, 00:40:26.440 --> 00:40:28.980 bring his kingdom in its fullness, and it will 00:40:28.980 --> 00:40:31.960 never end. So the only thing that we do is we 00:40:31.960 --> 00:40:35.099 cry out with the saints forever, even so come 00:40:35.099 --> 00:40:40.780 Lord Jesus. This is what we do. This is the hope. 00:40:41.599 --> 00:40:45.440 2026 can be... It might be worse. It might be 00:40:45.440 --> 00:40:48.300 gloriously bright, and I pray that it is. But 00:40:48.300 --> 00:40:51.019 whatever comes, it doesn't stop the reality that 00:40:51.019 --> 00:40:54.599 one day those frowns and tears will be replaced 00:40:54.599 --> 00:40:57.619 by eternal smiles and eternal hearts aflame with 00:40:57.619 --> 00:41:00.679 joy. This is what the saints of God have to look 00:41:00.679 --> 00:41:03.980 forward to. Find your comfort in this. These 00:41:03.980 --> 00:41:06.019 saints that got this book, that got this letter, 00:41:06.559 --> 00:41:08.940 many of them died. Jesus said, be faithful unto 00:41:08.940 --> 00:41:11.739 death and I'll give you the crown of life. Don't 00:41:11.739 --> 00:41:17.039 quit. Don't complain. Gird up your loins, as 00:41:17.039 --> 00:41:20.300 Paul would tell us, and persevere and run your 00:41:20.300 --> 00:41:22.579 race with joy and fight the good fight of faith, 00:41:24.059 --> 00:41:27.199 because there is a kingdom that's coming with 00:41:27.199 --> 00:41:31.179 a King who will reign forever to all those who 00:41:31.179 --> 00:41:34.880 know Christ. Praise be to God. Father, we thank 00:41:34.880 --> 00:41:37.630 you. for your word, Lord. I pray that it has 00:41:37.630 --> 00:41:39.550 been an encouragement to their hearts as it was 00:41:39.550 --> 00:41:41.630 to mine. Lord, there's so much more to unpack, 00:41:42.130 --> 00:41:44.170 and Lord, God, it's so rich and glorious. Lord, 00:41:44.250 --> 00:41:46.409 it's the word of God. Lord, it's spectacular. 00:41:46.570 --> 00:41:49.090 Lord, thank you for your word. God, help us to 00:41:49.090 --> 00:41:52.739 understand it. to live by it, to receive it as 00:41:52.739 --> 00:41:55.199 it is, not the word of man. And Father, I pray 00:41:55.199 --> 00:41:57.539 that we would be, Lord, encouraged in our walk 00:41:57.539 --> 00:42:00.960 with you, Lord. It is hard sometimes. Lord, we 00:42:00.960 --> 00:42:04.500 become discouraged and downcast and we're left 00:42:04.500 --> 00:42:06.460 to wonder why these things are happening and 00:42:06.460 --> 00:42:10.980 why now and why him or why her. Oh, God, help 00:42:10.980 --> 00:42:14.039 us as Job did to put his hand over his mouth 00:42:14.039 --> 00:42:17.480 and to trust you, Lord, to trust you. We're going 00:42:17.480 --> 00:42:20.369 to be raised. to live forever with Christ in 00:42:20.369 --> 00:42:23.909 the kingdom. Lord, I thank you for that. Lord, 00:42:23.929 --> 00:42:26.690 save sinners. If there's people here, Lord, I'm 00:42:26.690 --> 00:42:29.710 sure that there are maybe one, maybe more, Lord, 00:42:29.829 --> 00:42:34.190 who don't know Christ. Open their eyes and give 00:42:34.190 --> 00:42:36.670 them a heart to believe, Lord. Show them your 00:42:36.670 --> 00:42:39.130 glory salvation. Lead them to calvary, Lord. 00:42:39.670 --> 00:42:41.590 Help them to see the futility of a life lived 00:42:41.590 --> 00:42:43.969 apart from you. And Lord, to repent of their 00:42:43.969 --> 00:42:46.110 sin, to fall on their faces before you and turn 00:42:46.110 --> 00:42:48.260 their life over to Christ. I would ask that you 00:42:48.260 --> 00:42:50.559 do that for your glory. Lord, as we prepare for 00:42:50.559 --> 00:42:53.079 communion now, this great King who is reigning 00:42:53.079 --> 00:42:56.159 in heaven has called us to commune with him through 00:42:56.159 --> 00:42:58.159 the sacrament of the table. Lord, we look forward 00:42:58.159 --> 00:43:01.559 to it. Receive now our praise and thanks. It's 00:43:01.559 --> 00:43:05.099 in the name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Deacons, 00:43:05.219 --> 00:43:06.940 would you come to prepare the table for communion?