End Times #4 Tomorrow in the Paw of the Lion
We’ve been asking the question: Are these the end times?
Are we living in the last days?
Will the world as we know it soon come to an end?
I think we all naturally ask those questions when we are facing tough times.
You do realize that eventually we will answer that question.
I promise I will give you a definitive answer, but not today.
We have to go looking for more clues in the book of Revelation.
In Chapter 4 we will be transported to the very throne room of God.
Chapter 5 reveals to us an incredible picture of Jesus.
We are going to discover how Jesus wins the ultimate victory
If you have a question, or need clarification, please do not hesitate to raise a hand.
I don’t what anyone lost.
If you have missed a message, you can catch them online on our
website www.hbcc.org. You can find both the audio and
unedited manuscripts of the previous talks.
Revelation 4:1-2 (NIV)
After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.
Thrones reoccur throughout the book.
They are a symbol for Majesty, and Ruling Authority
(1Ki 22:19). (Ps 47:8). (Isa 6:1).
The One sitting on the throne can only be described by brilliant light.
Radiating brilliance is a description of the shekinah glory of
God (Ladd p 73)
Recall that glory often refers to a physical manifestation
of God that we can comprehend.
On the Ark of the Covenant, between the two cherubim,
In the holy of holies of the Temple.
The shekinah rested.
A visible sign of the presence of God.
Here upon the throne clothed in the brilliance of a billion suns.
The Creator, sits.
1 Timothy 6:13-16 (NIV)
I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time--God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.
This is the very throne room of God.
As John looks around he sees that the center throne is surrounded by 24 elders also
seated on thrones.
There is a lot of speculation as to who these elders are.
John doesn’t tell us, which means it was probably common
knowledge to his original readers.
There are some things that we are apparent.
The number 12 is a number that represents the people of God.
24 is a multiple of 12,
12 and its multiples always will be some reference
to the church.
The way I have come to understand the two 12’s
is that they are some sort of angelic beings who minister
before God on behalf of the saints of the Old
Testament and the saints of the New.
(Ladd p75)
They have golden crowns on their heads and they are adorned
in white robes.
Symbols of authority and purity.
We know that the 24 elders are in complete submission to the
Creator.
That’s what verse 10 indicates by their laying
down of the crowns before his throne.
We know that they worship God, saying
Revelation 4:11 (NIV)
You are
worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being."
The 24 Elders worship the Creator of all things.
Three more things in this vision of God’s throne room capture our curiosity.
The seven spirits of God in verse 5
The sea of glass in verse 6
The four living creatures in verses 6-8
The seven blazing lamps which are the seven spirits of God.
The lampstands are imagery from the wilderness tabernacle days in the Old
Testament (Exodus 25:37 Numbers 8:2 2Chronicles 13:11)
Remember in Chapter 2 the lampstands represented the churches.
The number 7 means perfection or completeness.
The seven spirits of God seems to be a reference to the Holy Spirit.
It’s possible that the prophet Isaiah is the source of this image of God the
Holy Spirit.
Notice the 7 Spirits as we read this Messianic prophecy.
Isaiah 11:1-3 (NIV)
A shoot will
come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
(1)The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him--
(2) the Spirit of wisdom and (3) of understanding,
(4) the Spirit of counsel and (5) of power,
(6) the Spirit of knowledge and (7) of the fear of the LORD--
and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.
What we get from this is a picture of the Holy Spirit very much identified with the
people of God.
The scholars tell me that the sentence “sea of glass”
Is best translated "as it were a sea of glass."
It symbolizes preciousness, dazzling purity& immense distance.
Loaning to the grandeur of the scene.
Finally we get to the four living creatures.
Again there is no great consensus among the experts,
so I’ll throw in my own opinion.
This is not the first time four living creatures in the throne room of
God are mentioned.
In Isaiah chapter 6 we have a description of seraphs in the throne
room of God calling out to one another
Isaiah 6:3 (NIV)
"Holy, holy,
holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory."
In Ezekiel chapter 10 the prophet describes cherubim in the
throne room of God. (Ezek 10:20)
Seraphim and Cherubim are angelic beings of the highest order.
They serve God, they do his bidding.
For instance it is a cherub who is sent to guard the entrance to Eden.
(Gen 3:24)
Let’s read what these angelic beings are calling out:
Revelation 4:8 (NIV)
Day and night
they never stop saying:
"Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,
who was, and is, and is to come."
There is that title I told you to pay close attention to.
We first came across it in Chapter 1 verse 8
Who was, who is and who is to come.
That title is going to change,
And it will signify something wonderful to us.
The imagery of chapter four is a combination of the Temple and a Royal Palace.
It is an awe inspiring sight.
The Throne room of the God.
A symbol for the place from which the universe is ruled.
Now my favorite chapter in the book of Revelation, chapter 5.
We are introduced to a scroll with 7 seals.
The scroll is in the right hand of the One who sits on the throne.
The scroll represents tomorrow, particularly the end state.
Revelation 5:1 (NIV)
Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.
“Where is the world headed?
How are things supposed to come out?
What is the purpose of all that has happened?” (Eller p. 77)
"Where will it all end?"
"What does it all mean?"
"What is the significance of this point of time within that total
sequence?" (Eller p. 77)
"What should be happening in this moment,
and what should I be doing?" (Eller p. 77)
It is only from a revealing of the telos, the end state, that the question of
"Who are we, and who am I?" (Eller p. 77)
Can be answered.
You can’t make sense of the story until you know how it ends.
The scroll reveals the end state,
Not how we get there,
That’s our story now being written,
The scroll reveals the culmination of all things,
And from it vantage, everything else makes sense.
The scroll does “not mean that everything is settled long ago and that we are in the
grip of an inescapable fate.
What it does mean is that God has a plan for the universe;
and that the purpose of God will be in the end be worked out.”
(Eller p 77)
The scroll is in the right hand of God.
The hand of protection.
At first no one is found worthy to open the scroll.
And John weeps because if no one can open the scroll all of life is
meaningless.
Revelation 5:5 (NIV)
Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."
The Lion has triumphed.
(lion roar?)
John’s readers knew that the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David is a
messianic title for Jesus. (2Esdr 12:31).
“The strength of the lion and his undoubted place as king of beasts
make him a fitting emblem of the all-powerful Messiah whom
the Jews awaited.
The warrior king who will vanquish Israel’s
enemies and return the nation to worldly prominence.
1 Kings 13:24-26; 1 Kings
20:35-36; 2 Kings 17:24-26; Prov. 30:30; Amos 3:8; Hos. 11:10
The Lion is a symbol of regality and kingship,
of courage, strength, and ferocity.” (Eller p. 78)
You don’t mess around with lions.
The title the Root of David is drawn from the prophet Isaiah chapter
11:1 & 10
Isaiah 11:1-5 (NIV)
A shoot will
come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him--
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of power,
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD--
and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
Righteousness will be his belt
and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
Finally in the throne room of God, enters the Lion.
Who is worthy to break the 7 seals and open the scroll revealing to us the
meaning of it all.
Revelation 5:5 (NIV)
“…the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed..
Not will triumph but has triumphed.
Not will be victorious but is victorious.
Not will win, but declared the winner.
(lion roar?)
Revelation 5:6-7 (NIV)
Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.
Wait.
Has there been some mistake?
Weren’t we expecting a Lion?
What we get is a Lamb.
This is an incredible Revelation of Jesus.
Let’s dig into it.
In the Greek the word translated Lamb is arnion.
Arnion refers to a lambkin.
The image here is of a little lamb.
Not only has the Lion turned out to be a little lamb,
It looks like it has been slain.
It’s had its neck slit.
It looks like what happens to the Passover lambs that are
sacrificed in the Temple.
[The Lamb still bears the marks of having been slain.
Here we have the picture of the sacrifice of Christ,
still visible in the heavenly places.
Even in the heavenly places Jesus Christ is the one who loved us and gave himself for us.]
—Barclay's Daily Study Bible (NT)
The Lamb, is a Lion?
What John reveals to us is Jesus method of operation,
his modus operandi,
how Jesus does business.
How Jesus won the ultimate victory.
The Lamb is an image of defenselessness,
Yet in God’s economy
Jesus' love, that lead him to be slain on Calvary’s Cross,
is a ferocious and victorious love. (Eller p. 80)
It is a love that has lion-like strength (Eller p. 80)
It is a love that has lion-like results.
Jesus method is being like a Lamb,
In order to win the Lion’s victory. (Eller p. 80)
What a complete flip of what we would expect.
Have we not learned that “the race goes to the swift,”
The “victory to the strong,”
“The power to the rich?”
Have we not learned that “might makes right,”
“Peace through superior firepower?”
Jesus turns that whole concept upside down and says no—
Its sacrificial love that wins in the end.
It says to us that God vindicates the lover.
It says love is the greatest power in the universe.
The way Jesus does business is the way His followers are to do business.
Not by might, nor by power, but my Spirit— (Zechariah 4:6)
The spirit of Christ, who loves even through death to meet our need.
As followers of Jesus we win the victory by following His lead.
We love those in need to bring them the kingdom.
We love our enemies to bring them the kingdom.
Love is how we win a Lion’s Share of the victory.
The Lamb that has won the Lion’s share of the victory is standing in the middle of
the throne which symbolizes His unity with the One who sits on the throne.
The Lamb has 7 horns and 7 eyes,
symbols for perfect power (horns) perfect wisdom (eyes) (Mounce p145)
One thing more about the 7 eyes,
Earlier we identified the 7 eyes with the 7 Spirits which we
determined to be a reference to the Holy Spirit.
[the Maccabees-- represented as horned lambs (I Enoch 90:9). —Barclay's Daily Study Bible (NT)]
So here we see Jesus’ absolute identification with both the Father,
and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus takes the scroll and the 24 elders and the 4 living creatures fall down before
Him and the begin to sing. They sing a new song:
[ The significance of the song being new is that Jesus Christ brings into life a quality which has never existed before, new joy, new thrill, new strength, new peace.—Barclay's Daily Study Bible (NT)]
Revelation 5:9-10 (NIV)
"You are
worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased men for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth."
Look at what this reveals to us about Jesus—
Jesus death was sacrificial,
There was purpose to all that transpired during the time Jesus walked
the earth with his twelve disciples.
Jesus death achieved the purpose of God to
Reconcile the estrangement of His Creation.
Jesus leads us out of sin
John puts it in a language we can understand,
With the precious currency of Love,
One’s own blood,
Jesus makes it possible for
Everyone to be reconciled to God.
It is through Jesus that our sin issues are dealt with.
He leads us out of an old way of life into a new way of life.
Empowering us to live holy.
Transforming us in His image as we abide in Him.
And those who are reconciled Jesus makes to be a people,
A new tribe under the sun,
A new people with the purpose of being priests.
Priests are servants. mediators,
Priests are the bridges between God and
Human kind.
Priests bring the kingdom to others.
One more thing about Priests.
In the Old Testament it was only the priests who were
allowed to enter the holy of holies,
to present themselves before the glory of
God
But now Jesus has made it possible for all who abide in
Him to enter in.
Here’s a subtle point often missed
Those reconciled will reign on the earth.
Not in some heavenly existence,
But here.
That’s a promise of things to come.
The Elders and the Living Creatures are singing a new song to the Lamp
Then all of the angels of heaven joins in:
(1 Chronicles 29:10-12: 1 Corinthians 1:24; 2 Cor 8:9; Luke 11:22; Philippians 2:11 & John 1:140
Revelation 5:11-12 (NIV)
Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.
In a loud
voice they sang:
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!"
Finally all the rest of creation joins in:
Revelation 5:13 (NIV)
Then I heard
every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and
all that is in them, singing:
"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!"
The major message of this chapter is
“Because of what Jesus did in the past His deed has given Him the status in
the present Sufficient to guarantee our future.” (Eller p. 81)
The Lamb has won the Lion’s victory.
Rev 5:14 (NIV)
The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Here’s what I want you to take away with you today:
Jesus is the Lion because He chose the way of the Lamb.
As a believer, this is our model.
It is ferocious love that wins in the end.
The Apostle Paul tells us that the weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the
world.
2 Corinthians 10:4 (MSG)
The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture.
The most powerful weapon in our arsenal is love.
Do you have a kind of love;
That says no to selfish wants in order to say yes to your God?
Do you have the ferocious love.
That inconveniences self to bring the kingdom to others?
Do you have that victorious love;
that when put to the test will die for those in need?
End Times #4
Revelation 4:1-2 (NIV)
After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.
Thrones are a symbol for Majesty, and Ruling Authority
1 Timothy 6:13-16 (NIV)
I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time--God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.
This is the very throne room of God.
24 Elders
The number 12 is a number that represents the people of God. 24 is a multiple of 12,
12 and its multiples always will be some reference to the church.
golden crowns & white robes: symbols of authority and purity.
Revelation 4:11 (NIV)
You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being."
The seven blazing lamps which are the seven spirits of God.
the lampstands represented the churches.
7 means perfection or completeness.
The seven spirits of God seems to be a reference to the Holy Spirit.
Isaiah 11:1-3 (NIV)
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
(1)The Spirit of the LORD will
rest on him--
(2) the Spirit of wisdom and (3) of understanding,
(4) the Spirit of counsel and (5) of power,
(6) the Spirit of knowledge and (7) of the fear of the LORD--
and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.
sea of glass, "as it were a sea of glass."
It symbolizes preciousness, dazzling purity& immense distance.
the four living creatures.
seraphs
Isaiah 6:3 (NIV)
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory."
cherubim (Ezek 10:20)
Revelation 4:8 (NIV)
Day and night they never stop saying:
"Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,
who was, and is, and is to come."
The imagery of chapter four is a combination of the Temple and a Royal Palace.
Revelation, chapter 5.
Revelation 5:1 (NIV)
Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.
You can’t make sense of the story until you know how it ends.
The scroll is in the right hand of God. The hand of protection.
Revelation 5:5 (NIV)
Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."
John’s readers knew that the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David is a messianic title for Jesus. (2Esdr 12:31).
The Lion is a symbol of regality and kingship, of courage, strength, and ferocity. (Eller p. 78)
The title the Root of David is drawn from the prophet Isaiah chapter 11:1 & 10
Isaiah 11:1-5 (NIV)
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him--
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of power,
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD--
and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
Righteousness will be his belt
and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
Who is worthy to break the 7 seals and open the scroll revealing to us the meaning of it all.
Revelation 5:5 (NIV)
“…the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed..
Revelation 5:6-7 (NIV)
Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.
Has there been some mistake?
In the Greek the word translated Lamb is arnion. The image here is of a little lamb.
It looks like it has been slain. It looks like what happens to the Passover lambs that are sacrificed in the Temple.
Jesus' love, that lead him to be slain on Calvary’s Cross, is a ferocious and victorious love. (Eller p. 80)
It is a love that has lion-like results.
Jesus method is being like a Lamb, in order to win the Lion’s victory. (Eller p. 80)
The Lamb that has won the Lion’s share of the victory is standing in the middle of
the throne which symbolizes His unity with the One who sits on the throne.
The Lamb has 7 horns and 7 eyes,
symbols for perfect power (horns) perfect wisdom (eyes) (Mounce p145)
we see Jesus’ absolute identification with both the Father,
and the Holy Spirit.
Revelation 5:9-10 (NIV)
"You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased men for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth."
Jesus death was sacrificial,
There was purpose to all that transpired during the time Jesus walked
the earth with his twelve disciples.
Jesus leads us out of sin
those who are reconciled Jesus makes them to be a people, a new people with the purpose of being priests.
Then all of the angels of heaven joins in:
(1 Chronicles 29:10-12: 1 Corinthians 1:24; 2 Cor 8:9; Luke 11:22; Philippians 2:11 & John 1:140
Revelation 5:11-12 (NIV)
Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.
In a loud voice they sang:
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!"
Finally all the rest of creation joins in:
Revelation 5:13 (NIV)
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on
earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!"
The major message of this chapter is
“Because of what Jesus did in the past His deed has given Him the status in
the present Sufficient to guarantee our future.” (Eller p. 81)
The Lamb has won the Lion’s victory.
Rev 5:14 (NIV)
The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Jesus is the Lion because He chose the way of the Lamb. As a believer, this is our model.
2 Corinthians 10:4 (MSG)
The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture.
Do you have that victorious love that when put to the test will die for those in need?
End Times #4
Revelation 4:1-2 (NIV)
Thrones are a symbol for Majesty, and Ruling ______________
1 Timothy 6:13-16 (NIV)
24 Elders
The number 12 is a number that represents the people of God. 24 is a multiple of 12,
12 and its multiples always will be some reference to the ______________.
Golden crowns & white robes: symbols of authority and ______________.
Revelation 4:11 (NIV)
“The seven blazing lamps which are the seven spirits of God.”
the lampstands represented the ______________.
7 means ______________ or completeness.
The seven spirits of God seems to be a reference to the ______________ ______________.
Isaiah 11:1-3 (NIV)
Sea of Glass, "as it were a sea of glass." It symbolizes ______________, dazzling purity& immense distance.
The Four Living Creatures.
______________ Isaiah 6:3 (NIV)
______________ (Ezek 10:20)
Revelation 4:8 (NIV)
The imagery of chapter four is a combination of the ______________ and a Royal ______________.
Revelation 5
Revelation 5:1 (NIV)
You can’t make sense of the story until you know how it ______________.
The scroll is in the right hand of God. The hand of ______________.
Revelation 5:5 (NIV)
John’s readers knew that the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David is a messianic title for ___________.
The ______________ is a symbol of regality and kingship, of courage, strength, and ferocity
The title the ______________ of David is drawn from the prophet Isaiah chapter 11:1 & 10
Isaiah 11:1-5 (NIV)
Who is worthy to break the 7 seals and open the scroll revealing to us the meaning of it all?
Revelation 5:5 (NIV)
Revelation 5:6-7 (NIV)
Has there been some mistake?
In the Greek the word translated Lamb is ______________. The image here is of a little lamb.
It looks like it has been ______________. It looks like what happens to the Passover lambs that are sacrificed in the Temple.
Jesus' ______________, that lead him to be slain on Calvary’s Cross, is a ferocious and victorious love.
It is a love that has ______________ -like results.
Jesus method is being like a ______________, in order to win the ______________ victory.
The Lamb that has won the Lion’s share of the victory is standing in the middle of
the throne which symbolizes His ______________ with the One who sits on the throne.
The Lamb has 7 horns and 7 eyes, symbols for perfect ______________ (horns) perfect _____________ (eyes)
We see Jesus’ absolute ______________ with both the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Revelation 5:9-10 (NIV)
Jesus death was ______________,
Jesus leads us out of ______________
Those who are reconciled Jesus makes them to be a ______________,
a new people with the purpose of being ______________.
Then all of the angels of heaven joins in:
Revelation 5:11-12 (NIV)
Finally all the rest of creation joins in:
Revelation 5:13 (NIV)
The major message of this chapter is
“Because of what Jesus did in the ______________ His deed has given Him the status in
the ______________ Sufficient to guarantee our ______________.”
The ______________ has won the ______________ victory.
Rev 5:14 (NIV)
The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Jesus is the Lion because He chose the way of the Lamb. As a believer, this is our model.
2 Corinthians 10:4 (MSG)
The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture.
Do you have that victorious love that when put to the test will die for those in need?