Part 3
Revelation • 3 min. read • grade level: 10
THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST—HEAVEN AND EARTH AT THE END OF THE BIBLE Ephesians closed with a state of war between the heavenly man and principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places Eph. 6:1212For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12). The Christian was exhorted to put on the whole armor of God and stand firm against the fiery darts of the wicked one. The universe is really a battlefield, and the contending forces are good and evil, the throne of God and the throne of Satan.
There can be no resolution to this conflict until God Himself intervenes in judgment on the earth. The trigger to His judgments, so to speak, is the second coming of Christ. We are given a picture of this in Rev. 4:1, 21After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. 2And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. (Revelation 4:1‑2) "after this I looked and behold a door was opened in heaven, and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me which said come up here and I will show you things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit, and behold a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne." Once the throne is set up in heaven, we are given a new, judgmental vista of heavenly things. The 24 elders who surround the throne acknowledge the Lord as the Creator of all things, who is worthy to receive glory and honor and power. In the next chapter the Lamb takes the book sealed with seven seals out of the right hand of Him who sits on the throne. This book symbolizes the Lamb's title to the world He created, but the ownership of which Satan contests. As soon as He does this the 24 elders sing a new song "Thou art worthy to take the book and to open its seals, for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred and tongue, and people and nation" Rev. 5:99And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; (Revelation 5:9). The appearance of the throne in heaven is symbolical. It tells us that God is now about to judge the world.
The elders know this. They are intelligent as to God's mind. They acknowledge God as Creator 4:11 and Redeemer 5:9 the two ways in which we know God. This is a confession that the throne of judgment is occupied by the Man to whom God has given authority over all flesh. They fall down and worship Him who lives forever and ever. Their worship is the signal for the Lamb to open one of the seals 6:1 in other words to begin divine judgments on the world. Why? Because all heaven has bowed to the Lamb's rights, but in the world below they have been trampled on or ignored. The people on whom the judgments will fall are termed in Revelation "those who dwell on the earth." They are the class of people who have heard the clarion call of the gospel for 2000 years, summoning them from earth to heaven. They spurned it, like the people in Luke 14:16-2416Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: 17And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. 18And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. 19And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. 20And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. 21So that servant came, and showed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. 22And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. 23And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper. (Luke 14:16‑24), making this world their home instead.
Part 3 of this book flows out of these considerations. Chapter 3:1 is an overview of the 21 judgments in Revelation. It was written as the inlet to Chapter 3:2 on the Holy City' Jerusalem, so unveiling the great thought in Revelation. This great thought is that when Christ overthrows Satan's power in the earth, He gives the world, purified by judgment, to His Bride the Church as an inheritance. It is His inheritance rightly, but we share it by grace. Thus John at the end of the Bible amplifies Paul's statement of this in principle in Eph. 1:9-119Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 10That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 11In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: (Ephesians 1:9‑11) "having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself for the administration of the fullness of times to head up all things in the Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth in Him in whom we have also obtained an inheritance.”