Grace Presbyterian Church, Montclair, New Jersey

I. The Vision of God’s Throne – Revelation 4:1-11

Revelation is a book of visions. These visions do not function in an exact chronological order. While the book moves toward an ultimate vision of the new creation its scenes take us back and forth from the present to an ultimate future, a vision of eternity. Chapters 2 and 3 gave us a vision of the seven churches in the present. These were actual congregations in defined areas of the Roman Empire at the time the book was written. They can serve as examples of churches throughout the ages but their specific reference is to present historical reality. The visions of chapters 4 and 5 bring us into the final reality of God’s throne. Revelation will go back and forth between the present and the future, its theme being that the future defines the present. It is because we know God’s final plan and purpose for all of creation that we can “conquer” in the present.

John is called up to God’s throne. This is a rare experience that occurs several times in Scripture. Jacob’s ladder is a vision of the “gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:17). The psalmist speaks of God opening the doors of heaven (Psalms 78:23). Jesus gives Nathaniel a picture of the ultimate end of all things described as seeing heaven opened “and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man” (John 1:51). This is the vision that John now has. Seeing God’s final end and purpose gives us the ability to understand our conflicted and uncertain present.

John before God’s throne now stands outside of history. God is timeless and eternal and this is now the framework of John’s vision (Revelation 4:1-6). He sees God upon his throne as Isaiah did earlier (Isaiah 6:1-5). God can only be described in terms of jewels and precious stones. Around the throne is the rainbow (Revelation 4:3) the symbol of the covenant that God made with the whole earth after the flood (Genesis 9:8-17). God will not destroy the world again with a flood. Yet the waters of the flood are a symbol of chaos (Genesis 1:1-2). The sea symbolizes the destructive domain of the Leviathan (Psalms 74:13-17; Isaiah 27:1). The rainbow is saying that evil and chaos will not define the creation of God. God will overcome their destructive might as symbolized by the “dragons in the waters” (Psalms 74:13).

There are twenty four elders around the throne. There are various interpretations of the number “twenty four.” Among the many that have been offered include the twelve tribes of Israel plus the twelve apostles (Israel and the church), the twenty four letters in the Hebrew alphabet or the twenty four hours in a day. In any respect they are a number of completeness (twelve being the number of a complete unit). We also have the number “seven” (seven flaming torches, seven spirits) which is the number of perfection (Revelation 4:5). Before the throne is a sea of glass like crystal. Around the throne there are “four living creatures” (Revelation 4:6). These four figures represent the totality of creation, a lion, an ox, a human and an eagle. They have also been seen as symbols of the four gospels, Matthew (lion), Mark (ox), Luke (human) and John (eagle) because of the particular emphasis each has on the image of Jesus Christ. The number “four” is often seen as a symbol of creation, the four points of the compass, the four winds or the four seasons. The source of this vision comes from Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:4-14).

The four living creatures unite in a ceaseless voice of praise to “the Lord God, the Almighty” (Revelation 4:8). The twenty four elders join the note of praise. They cast their crowns before the throne singing praise to “our Lord and God” who is the creator and sustainer of all things. No one in the time this book was written could miss the reference “Lord and God,” since this was the title of the emperor Domitian (81-96 A.D.). To deny Domitian this title was to make one vulnerable to the charge of treason (cf. John 20:28). The point here is that God can neither be praised nor served in a neutral context. To praise the one true Lord and God is to reject the false gods of this world (those whom Karl Barth calls “the lordless lords”).

II. The One Worthy to Open the Scroll – Revelation 5:1-14

The scroll mentioned here invokes the image of the scroll mentioned by Ezekiel (Ezekiel 2:9-10). The scroll reveals the purposes of God. It is sealed with seven seals, the number of perfection.  The question is asked, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” (Revelation 5:2). No one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it” (Revelation 5:3). Who indeed has this power or authority to discern the final will of God? No one in heaven, no living figure on earth or even in the dark world under the earth has such authority. This makes it plain that no one is able to interpret or define the will of God, not fortune tellers, radio preachers or anyone else for that matter.

John weeps because the scroll remains sealed. No one is worthy to open it. At this point one of the elders says to him, “Do not weep. See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and the seven seals” (Revelation 5:5). Yet this Lion is a Lamb that has been slaughtered (Revelation 5:6). The Lion of the tribe of Judah harks back to Jacob’s prophecy in Genesis 49:9-12. Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He conquers on the cross (Matthew 12:28-29; John 12:31; John 16:33; Colossians 2:15; II Timothy 1:10; I John 3:8).  Nevertheless he is also the Lamb who has been slain. He is pictured with seven horns, seven eyes, and seven spirits, all emphasizing his perfection. He takes the seal from the one who is seated on the throne, God the Father. The four living creatures and the twenty four elders holding the incense that is “the prayers of the saints” bow down before him (Revelation 5:8). They sing a new song. Jesus is worthy to open the scroll because by his blood he has ransomed saints “from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9). They have been made to be a kingdom and priests serving God (Revelation 5:10; I Peter 2:9). Through the incense of our prayers we have been given a kingdom and each of us made into a priest of God. This is beyond astounding.

The praise to the Lamb abounds. The hosts of heaven join in, “myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands” (Revelation 5:11). The Lamb is worthy to receive “power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!’ (Revelation 5:12). This establishes several key truths. Jesus through his death has conquered the powers of darkness, death and Satan. Yet this has been through his sacrifice and death. Jesus is both Lion and Lamb. This is our experience of him in this age before all things have been completed. We are between the cross and the resurrection. We have been crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:19-20). We look forward to the resurrection (I Corinthians 15:50-57; Philippians 3:9-10). Yet already the power of the resurrection is breaking in upon us (Ephesians 2:5-6; Colossians 2:12). Nevertheless in the present we are in the place of death looking forward to the resurrection (Romans 6:5). But in the place of death (the Lamb) we see also the Lion conquering the forces of death and Hades (Revelation 1:17-18). This is the paradox of the life of faith underscored throughout the Scriptures and vividly pictured here in Revelation. We walk through the valley of the shadow of death but we fear no evil. Jesus, the Lion/Lamb/Shepherd is with us (Psalms 23:4).

We are not in Paradise (Genesis 3:22-23). We are not yet in the new heaven and the new earth. We have not yet tasted the fruit of the tree of life (Revelation 22:1-2). We are in the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter. We are in Hades, the place of the dead. We cannot be surprised by the dark powers and the death we encounter there. But in the midst of this Hades into which Jesus has led us (Matthew 16:18) we see Jesus the powerful Lion of the tribe of Judah destroying death and the devil (Hebrews 2:14-15). Satan is still the ruler of this world (I John 5:19) but he has no power over Jesus (John 14:30). As we make our way through the realm of Hades we are still in the dark (I Corinthians 13:12) but when we look toward the throne of God we see the Lamb who has all power, wealth, wisdom and might. So with the apostle Paul we can say that we are dying and yet alive, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor and yet rich, as having nothing and yet possessing everything   (II Corinthians 6:1-10).

John’s vision of the throne of God ends with an image of God’s final future in which “every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea and all that is in them” will sing

  “To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever
and ever!” (Revelation 5:13).

This is the picture of God’s final reconciling of all creation (Colossians 1:20).

We are to echo the great “Amen!” This literally means “So let it be!” (Revelation 5:14).
 

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