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Comment on the first couple of verses of chapter 4 of Revelation yesterday. But I would suggest perhaps we read the whole chapter again and then, Lord willing, tomorrow we could read the 5th chapter. That would be acceptable, brethren.
Rainbow round about the throne, insight like unto an emerald, And round about the throne were four and 20 seats, and upon the seats I saw four and 20 elders sitting clothed in white Raymond. And they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings, and voices. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glance like unto crystal, in the midst of the throne, round about the throne with four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
And the first beast would like a lion, the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face of the man, and a fourth beast feels like a flying eagle. The 4th beast had each of them six wings about him, and they were full of eyes with them. They rest not day and night, saying, holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was and is and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to him, and sat on the throne who liveth forever and ever.
The four and 20 elders fall down before him. They sat on the throne.
And worship him that liveth forever and ever, and cancer towns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, that thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
I think it's very beautiful, isn't it brethren, To realize as this scene unfolds that here we have a scene where the redeemed are now beyond everything that bothers all the confusion of this world, everything that enters in now to distract us. And as they see this scene opens in Revelation 4 and five. Now we find that the Saints are above all and beyond all that. Now we find 2 when we go to the end of this book.
And he describes the church as the city in her millennial glory and having an administrative part in the Kingdom. She comes down from God out of heaven. But we find that there's nothing enters into her that defiles as far as what goes on on the earth. That's a different scene. But this is the scene in heaven. This is from God's perspective. And even when we come forth in that day to reign with him, there's nothing going to enter in that. The files were going to be beyond all that.
And I think this is a great comfort, brother. There's so many problems in our own personal lives, sometimes in the family life, often in the assembly problems in the world. We see the breakdown of everything, governments and everything. We see natural disasters perhaps like we've never seen or experienced this close to home before. But to take comfort from the fact that we're going on to this scene, and as the scene opens here, there's a throne in heaven.
The throne would speak to us of stability. By throne, O God is forever and ever, He says to the Son, as we have in in Hebrews chapter one. And so it speaks of stability. And as the judgments later on begin to be poured out on this earth, it might seem like utter chaos, and from Earth's perspective it will be. But to look the above that and see that all there's a, there's a scene all above that.
A scene of undisturbed repose and can't we take confidence now, brethren, as we look around at conditions of things? And sometimes perhaps we are overwhelmed, as we heard in the afternoon meeting. But can't we take comfort from the fact that even now there's a scene and one who's above it all. There's no surprises with him. There isn't anything allowed in our lives around the world stage that isn't ordered from his good hand.
Well, I say this gives us comfort and courage to go on knowing that he's in control now and knowing that we're going on to a scene where everything is going to be bliss and joy.
Nothing's going to happen in the world today that surprises God.
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There are going to be things that happen in this world today that.
Bewildering to people.
Very distressing.
In God's presence at His throne today, absolutely nothing is going to happen That's going to be a surprise to God and require him to alter his plans or his programs in any sense at all. Because God's throne is eternal and it's never ruffled by the events of man. The purposes are never frustrating and consequently God says his work. Come up with me and sit down with me in spirit. Even now we have that.
Privilege in spirit to enjoy with God.
His.
Philippians 4 and verses 6 and seven. The seven first says and the peace of God.
Now the peace of God is what is his forever, always has been. But you've just been saying, John, and the peace of God Garrison or keep your hearts.
The peace of God, as you say. When? And I've heard men say well, what happened in the Garden of Eden, God got caught short all the way to No, he didn't. He's never been caught short, and that's what that means in Philippians 4 The peace of God, a constant, unruffled, settled feast.
I believe that's what it says here in the.
6th Verse and before the throne there was a sea of glass fixed, a fixed situation. There were there were no waves on that seat. It was perfect calm. And that's what the presence of God results in. If we really depend on if we really cast ourselves upon him, we have that peace. Let's notice the verse, brother Dave in that connection back in John's gospel.
Chapter 13.
Next you must the Lord Jesus. Here what is our portion to of course, in John 13.
And verse 3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he was come from God and went to God, he rises from supper. Now I think this is a tremendous statement to consider because consider the fact that as the Lord Jesus was here on this occasion, the betrayer was still amongst them. Judas was there. The Lord Jesus knew that Judas was going to be tray him.
Peter was going to deny him three times with those and curses. The Lord Jesus knew that the hearts of the disciples were troubled on this occasion. He knew that later on they were all going to forsake him and flee. More than this he knew the cross was before him. And how could the Lord Jesus as a man in perfect calmness, rise from supper, lay aside his garment and calmly go on and wash the disciples feet and encourage them as to the resources.
That he was made for them in anticipation of his absence. Well, it was to realize that all things had been given into his hand. Nothing was out of control here. And his brother Dawn said there were no surprises to the Lord Jesus. The disciples were surprised to find that there was a betrayer amongst them, so surprised that they looked at each other and said, is it I? Is it I? There were some surprises coming for the disciples, things they didn't understand and enter into, but there was no surprises to the Lord Jesus.
All had been committed into his hand. He had come from God. He was going back to God. Was anything going to change that perfect time table? Was anything going to upset that? Not one thing was going to upset. All the failure in man, even in his own, wasn't going to upset that wasn't going to change God's perfect timetable. Sometimes my plans and my timetable are upset. I like things laid out. I like an itinerary and I like to know what I'm going to be doing today and tomorrow and next week.
But sometimes things come in to change those plans and purposes, and we have to learn to accept that. But he knew that all things had been committed into his hand. And brethren, if we realize that everything is in His hand, that it's all ordered from His throne. He sat down on his Father's throne. As we get in the verses just prior to this, in connection with the overcomer and Laodicea, he's there, seated now everything is working out according to the council of his own will.
According to his purposes and his timetable, And if we can just realize that nothing is going to frustrate that, then I believe, as you say, we're going to have confidence to go on. Not that we'll see the removal of the difficulties, but we're going to have confidence to go on through those difficulties. And like one of all who could say, by my God, have I run through a truth, by my God, have I leaped over a wall.
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Yesterday the comment was made about our not going through the tribulation, which is very well documented in the third chapter and here in the first verse is documented again at the end of the first verse that says which must be after these. After these of what happened in the first part of Revelation, the 1St 3 chapters after these means it's it's that's gone with something new is now going to come into effect.
And so that's not the only place. There's other places that we can turn to that tell us that we're not going to go through the tribulation. One thought in regards to that would a man, I'm speaking on earthly things right now, would a man that is just going to get married to a beautiful bride pass her through some horrible circumstance? Why no. Is God going to do that to his bride, to the bride of his son? Is he going to pass?
The bride of his son through the tribulation, Why of course not, no. And those that think that way, they're completely out in left field. And you know, it's only pride of man that does that because I've heard a man say, well, the church is going to, because of their faithfulness and their duty, are going to bring in the Millennium. That's not true at all.
Not true, no. It's the faithfulness and justness and the glory of the person of Christ that's going to bring in the Millennium. Not his church, not his thing.
In the last reading of Paul, he talks about the.
Heavenly Kingdom. You can see that in Second Timothy 4.
And 18 the last book that Paul wrote, he says in this 18th verse, the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto this heavenly Kingdom to be glory forever. Peter in his last words of the.
2nd Epistle of Peter and the first chapter, he says.
In verse 16 verse 10.
Wherefore, the rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure, that's sure unto yourself, I think. For if we do these things, we shall never pull, for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now I have difficulty talking about heaven and earth connected with the Millennium. I can't understand very much about heaven.
But after the rapture will never be connected with the earth, or living on the earth will always be an eternity, will always be in heaven.
How do you figure these things out about heaven and earth in the Millennium?
I haven't got much to say on.
Understand it. There's going to be heavenly, that's going to be everlasting. That's not going to be persecution or iniquity or anything else.
Those former things are done away.
But we'll be able to, as it were, be with God in the sense that there's time right now and God's dealing with it. Even though God lives outside of it and inhabits eternity, He still has to do with time. He sent his Son to this world in time and accomplished the work. And when we go to heaven, we will, you might say, be with God to inhabit eternity with him, but we will still have to do with time.
Until the new heaven and the new earth that is the Millennium will still have to do with time on earth and we will still be connected with the affairs of it. Just like God is connected with the earth's affairs today, but He He inhabits eternity but today he's connected with the affairs of earth in a providential way behind the scenes, whereas what we have from verse from chapter 4 on in the Book of Revelation.
He is going to intervene directly into the affairs of men. He's going to say basically you've had your day, This is man's day that we live in.
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And it gets more and more confusing all the time.
So the day of the Lord which begins at the end of the tribulation, with the coming of the Lord Jesus in power and glory, to take the Kingdom.
Is when the day of the Lord begins. It will be the end of man's day. It will be the end of the times of the Gentiles of gentile dominion and the Lord Jesus comes back to directly intervene.
Take the governments of this world, the whole system, the political system that we know today will be totally replaced. It's hard for us to even imagine that. But the Lord Jesus is going to intervene directly into the affairs of men. And that's why it's so appropriate that in chapters 4 and five we get in both chapters of the throne mentioned Again, I mentioned it is the first thing he sees when he is taken up.
In the Spirit, into heaven is a throne set in heaven. And then it says, and one sat on the road. Because the throne is the basis upon which God will take the control of this world. Again, on what grounds? And of course, as we mentioned yesterday, the grounds in chapter 4 is that he is Creator.
Five, that he is Redeemer. He has every right to take the throne of this world again, and he will. Oh brethren, that should be such a consolation to us to realize we don't have to straighten out this world.
There is going to be a time, and I don't think it's very far off, when God himself, who has his man already appointed for the job, is going to come back and then we'll be the straightening out time. Not now.
Interesting too that they're around this throne is this rainbow, like unto an emerald. When we see a rainbow there, it's multi colored and usually we only see the art, the one art of the rainbow.
We see that both because, as the Lord promised Noah, he would put his bow in the cloud as a promise that he would never again judge this world by a deluge, by a flood. But it's interesting here that it's not just an ark, it's a it's a circle. It's round about the throne. I don't have a particular thought, except that I have wondered if it's the realization that now we don't understand God's full purposes.
We see a little bit of it. We've been Speaking of it a little bit as to what is revealed to us from the pages of this word in the power of the Spirit. But there, when the redeemed are gathered around the Lord Jesus in that day, they're going to see this rainbow and it's going to be, I suggest, a complete circle, because we will see completely. God's purposes will no longer understand in part, and prophecy in part. We'll see it from His perspective.
And notice too it's not multi colored like when we see a rainbow, but it's like unto an emerald.
And so Green would speak to us of God's purposes in connection with this earth. And isn't it beautiful to realize, brethren, that before the judgments begin to be meted out on this earth, it's just as if with this rainbow round about the throne, God is looking on beyond the judgments to the ultimate blessing that is going to result sometimes said that God never allows one ounce of judgment more to fall.
Than is absolutely necessary to accomplish not only his purposes, but his purposes for blessing. And so the judgments in the next chapters, starting with Chapter 6, they're poured out and everything may seem like it's out of control. It may seem like it's utter chaos, looks like there's going to be utter devastation. And we know that unless the days were shortened and so on, there would be. But there isn't. I say 1 oz. More of judgment allowed to fall.
But to accomplish his purposes, I think that's one reason why when the final, the last of the judgments are poured out, they're called the vial or the bold judgments. Let's just picture for a moment going into a laboratory and everything in that laboratory that's put in those vials for that experiment. Everything is carefully weighed and measured. And if it's not, then the experiment is going to fail. And so there's a few drops of this in a certain weight of that.
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And a certain amount of another thing, and I say everything is placed in the vial in the proper order. And as to the proper measurement. And to me, it's just as if he measures out those judgments very, very carefully before he pours them out so that there is only enough judgment as is absolutely necessary. Because even in judgment, Brethren, his ultimate purpose is to bring about blessing, and he's going to accomplish it on this earth.
He is going to, in the end, bring about blessing. There's going to be a scene, a millennial scene in the end that's going to be beyond anything this world has ever known since the fall of man, or perhaps ever known even before the fall of men, when that righteous king comes forth with healing in his wings and so on.
I think this is very beautiful to see. Now if I could just make it very practical for us. Let's bring it down to us today, you say. Seems like there's been a lot of things meted out in my life. Just seems like the Lord sometimes lays His hand pretty heavily upon me. But be comforted, brother. Be comforted, sister. To realize that just as things are carefully measured in connection with the earth in the coming days, so everything in our lives, whether it's in His.
Chastisement. Whether it's in trials to prepare us for things. Whether it's in his school to teach us lessons.
And so on. Everything in our lives is carefully needed out. He doesn't allow anything in your life and mine that isn't ultimately, if we're exercised by it for our good and blessing.
Bob has referred to the day of the Lord.
At least I heard that and the day of God, but.
Today is man's day if we would look at First Corinthians 4.
You have that.
We're living in what is man's day, In effect, that is, God is allowed man to go on uninterruptedly in most things, doing what man wants to do.
Paul talks about that in connection with himself.
In the trouble he was having a court in the third verse.
1St Corinthians 4 Three with me. It is a very small thing that I should be judged of you.
Or of man's judgment. Man's death is the mercy.
It's man's day, and this goes on. This goes on, as far as I understand, to the Rapture.
And then we go to second Peter, He tells us about.
The day of the Lord.
In the 10th verse.
I'll read the night so you can see what's leading up to it.
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is long-suffering to us word that men down here not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Well, they don't all come to repentance. Then it says the 10th, 10th verse, But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in the wish.
The heavens shall pass away with a great noise, the elements shall melt with a perfect heat, and the earth also in the works that are therein, shall be burned out, Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved. What manner person don't eat a bean, All holy conversation and godliness looking for in hasty of the coming of the day of God. This is when the element shall melt with her deep sore.
Well.
When we're raptured to heaven, we'll be in there. We won't. We won't. We'll be in eternity.
We won't be on in time anymore. That's so Dawn will be an eternity.
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It's a wonderful thing, what you said about that time in eternity.
Time does not cease in our in the book we hold in our hands till Revelation 21 and only in the 1St 8 verses.
Revelation 21. Eight, first eight verses. They're really, except for the comments just read in Peter and maybe a few intimations and other scriptures is the only evidence we have of eternity. And so we really don't know much about it, do we? We do know that it's going to be a day of perfection.
During the Millennium, righteousness reigns.
Not so in eternity. Righteousness is going to dwell. There'll be no need for reigning, there'll be no need for correction, there'll be no need for anything of that nature, because sin will be gone forever.
The eternal state. But as you say, Clem, once we are raptured out of this scene into the presence of the Lord Jesus, that state will for us have begun. Righteousness will dwell for us from that moment on.
Like to think of the rainbow about the throne is that when God judged this world, and it was a universal judgment at the flood, after he gave a sign and a promise that he would no longer judge this world and all flesh with water. And so as judgment begins, God doesn't forget his promises and he will not judge.
Destroy all flesh with a flood again. And so here's the reminder. There's a rainbow about the throne, because it's from the throne. Notice in verse five that proceed lightnings and thunderings and voices.
So it's from that throne that basis upon which God has every right to intervene in the affairs of this world.
That the judgment emanates, but he will do it with the full acknowledgement of the promise he made.
In the in the book of Genesis.
Like to make a contrast between the character of the throne in Revelation 4 and its character today?
In Revelation 4, it is God. It's a throne of glory. It's a throne in which God's divine righteousness is to be maintained and upheld. And consequently we see even those that are present there ourselves. You and I will have on a crown of glory that we will have a crown of gold, because it is that which identifies with the righteousness of God and our spirits. Our attitudes will be.
In conformity, so that we will say in chapter five, true and righteous are thy judgments because God is going to act in in according to his glory and his righteousness. I say that in contrast to the day, because today we go out of Hebrews chapter 4, for example, and we come before what? A throne of glory? No, it's not presented there that way. It's a throne of grace, because today God is acting in the world in grace.
He is showing man what is in his heart of love toward man, and he is expressing it there and at the throne of grace. What role does the Lord Jesus have?
He's the high priest for us. He is there to intercede with God on our behalf and the difficulties of life's way, and to give us mercy when we need it. And so today we enjoy our God in that throne is a throne of His grace and of mercy.
But we enjoy the love side, if you will, and the mercy side, the grace side. But when we're in heaven, and at this point in time, we need to recognize that in chapter one, the Lord Jesus puts on the ropes of righteousness as a righteous judge. And so he girds up the loins of his love, and he sits on the throne to judge and with power.
And sometimes we, if we don't enter into that in the Revelation, we start to mix up two things in our minds, get confused, and we start to say, well, why is God doing all these serious things with the earth? Why didn't he do them before? And it's because God in his ways today is dealing with man in grace and mercy. But when we get to the Revelation in chapter four and five and what follows, it's a throne of glory in God's light and holiness.
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And righteousness and righteousness are what is being upheld.
And being expressed to the world. And thankfully we won't have mixed thoughts. Then we won't be saying to God, are you really loving enough or are you doing it right? No, we will say God's glory demands what's going to happen on the earth. True and righteous are thy judgments. And I say that, brethren, because I to myself in the tsunami I guess of last year and what's happened in New Orleans and so on. To me it's a little bit like the tower of Siloam in.
And Luke 17 is it where we see a little anticipation of the holiness of God being expressed in his ways with the earth? And today, when we see a little bit of a foretaste, if you will, or a warning, a forewarning of the holy character of God being expressed in the earth, our hearts are sometimes taken up with the human side of it, to the point where we say, Why did God do that?
Why did God do that? Because he has restrained himself in his grace when he does warn man.
In His Holiness and allow something that is just a little glimpse of what the awfulness that is to come. Perhaps in In that sense, sometimes we need to anticipate the Lord's coming is at hand and realize that just as it will be in the tribulation, you start to see the four running.
Holiness of God being expressed in his ways with respect to this earth. I think that's helpful because I get a lot of.
Statements sometimes from When going to the prisons, Why? If God is a God of love, why does he allow such awful suffering and injustice and war and killing? God is a God of love.
And I think if we if you understand that it's the character which God is showing now he's the God of grace, doesn't mean that he won't judge. But that's not the character he's acting in now. And sometimes I say to people, if you want God.
To act righteously, be careful.
Because you want to exempt yourself and you want him to judge that other person.
But if he's going to start judging righteously, he's going to go all across the board and nobody's going to escape, not even you. So be careful what you say in criticizing what God allows. And I think we need to realize that. I don't think we grasp the way government will be in the millennial day. He's going to reign with a rod of iron. I mean, you do not.
Bend a rod of iron.
Way or another, it's going to be perfect judgment, perfect righteousness. Somebody in the millennial day sins. They will do it because Satan is bound, not deceived. They will do it knowing that they are doing it in open rebellion against God. The next morning, White, they're out of the way. They're gone. That's it.
When Thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
And they will learn little by little. We better not do that.
It's going to be a totally different way of life in this world and that millennial Kingdom, and it's just so different than what we are used to here. People take their liberties, they do things they know are not right, and yet they want God to judge. Those people over there. God's going to judge.
But the character he's acting in in this present dispensation is Grace, and he gives warning, like Dunn says.
So that men will come to repentance.
A good example of that.
What you say, Bob, is when the children of Israel made the golden cough, and the Lord says, stand aside to Moses. Stand aside and I'll wipe them up.
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Well, that would have been righteous. When that would have been correct, Moses steps in and says no, don't.
Wipe me out.
Well, that's a picture of God's righteousness and the imposition of the Lord into the breach to stop that righteousness. And that's what's going on today. As you already said, it's the day of grace, and only because of the work of Christ on Calvary that man isn't wiped out. Beautiful picture of it, Brother Buchanan mentioned about the man's day, the day of the Lord and the day of God.
And perhaps most of us have some idea as to how that is delineated in Scripture. But just perhaps, to put it in perspective, man's day is a day when man asserts his rights on the earth. And isn't that what's going on today, brother? Is there ever been a day when human rights are glorified like the day in which we live? Rebellion against authority today is not just practiced in the world, it's been practiced ever since the Garden of Eden down.
But rebellion against authority today is preached and glorified. I've sometimes told this little story, but I'll repeat it. My youngest daughter went off to kindergarten at five years of age, and about two weeks after she'd been in school, she sat down at the dinner table one evening, and with a very triumphant look on her face, she announced to her father and mother, You know you're not allowed to spank little girls, I thought, well, they weren't long conveying that.
This is a day when man's rights are glorified and nobody's to tell us what to do. We assert our rights and man don't. Man doesn't want to own the rights of God and the rights of the Lord. And you know, brethren, just as a side, we need to be very careful that we don't fall into the spirit of the age. Things affect us. The spirit of the age affects us. We want to be very careful. But man's day is the day, I say, in which man is asserting his rights. But the day of the Lord is a day when his rights will be publicly asserted.
This earth. Now he wants that place in the hearts of his own. Now we sometimes sing that hymn rain thou within our hearts alone, but he does not have that place publicly yet He has it in heaven. But now we see not yet all things put under him. And I trust that there's no thought in corners of our hearts, brethren, as to this being the reigning time. Now there are those who teach that, but this is still man's day, this brother Buchanan said. But there's a day coming called the day of the Lord.
And it's interesting, as we read in Peter, it's coming as a thief in the night. Now, whenever you read about the Lord coming as a thief in the night, it's not the rapture. Because a thief comes unexpected and unwanted for us. We ought to be watching and waiting. We ought to be anticipating his return. We want him to come. Every believer, I believe, is cold and as different as they get in their souls, when they hear the Lord's coming, there's a response there.
And we want the Lord to come. We're looking for him, I trust. And so that's a little key. These things are helps when you go through the word of God, but it speaks about the Lord coming as a thief in the night, as it does in Matthew and Luke and other places. It's always in connection with the day of the Lord, his coming to reign and righteousness and to assert his rights and so on, pour out the judgments and so on. But then you say, why is eternity called the day of God?
What's the difference? Why is it the day of the Lord in connection with the execution of righteous judgment and his reign and so on, And then it's the day of God. Well, the key is in First Corinthians. We could quote it, but maybe we better read it in First Corinthians 15.
First Corinthians chapter 15 and I'll begin reading at verse 24. Then come at the end, when he shall have delivered, delivered up the Kingdom of God to God, even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power, for he must reign to the earth, Put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. Priya put all things under his feet.
But when he said, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is expected, accepted, which did put all things under him. Now get this. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be All in all. I think this is one of the most tremendous statements of Scripture.
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After the Lord Jesus has executed righteous judgment, and after he has reigned for 1000 years as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and there is nothing else to be subdued or ruled over, because that's what the thought of a Kingdom is. But after everything is brought into complete order and the last enemy is destroyed, which is death, then think of it rather as a man, the Lord Jesus delivers up the Kingdom to the Father.
That God may be All in all. And so that's why when you come to Peter and to the end of Revelation, it's called the day of God and God tabernacles with man, and God shall dwell with them, and he shall be their God. Because the sun as a man has delivered up the Kingdom that God may be All in all. Why does he do that? Well, just this little simple thought. It's a man. He delivers up the Kingdom.
So they can devote his full time to his bride and he will lavish on her, his love and his company for all eternity. And you and I are going to be there when that eternal scene is brought before us in Revel at the end of Revelation. One thing that is for sure, there's the bride right there with him. We don't know a lot, as Dave said about the eternal state, the day of God, but one thing we know is going to share it with his bride for all eternity.
And he's going to Tabernacle with men. Well, I think this is helpful to get these things delineated. Clearly in our minds, the day of man we live in, that we see man asserting his rights. The day of the Lord that's coming, do we love His appearing to think he's going to have his rightful place and his rights are going to be asserted on the earth? And then the day of God, we're going to dwell with him for all eternity. The Lord Jesus and the Bride are going to be there, nothing to come between and nothing else that needs to be ruled over or put down.
I'd like to make another comment in connection with the day of God. In Second Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 17 we have a statement about new creation.
We are already part of new creation, brethren, but these bodies that we live in are part of the first creation, and we got constant reminders of that. But look at verse 17. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is as an italics. You'll notice New translation says there is a new creation, old things are passed away.
Behold, all things are become new and notice the first line of chapter verse 18 and all things are of God. Now go over to Revelation chapter 21 and it really directly connects.
And he says in verse five, as was mentioned the 1St 8 verses of the 21St chapter of Revelation are the eternal states, eternal day, verse 5. And he said he that sat upon the throne said, behold, I make all things new. So the day of God when is when all things are of God.
Is that the creation of God? Is that what blade is? He is mentioned the creation of God.
Delayed us here.
The reward to lay to see you.
The beginning of the creation of God. The beginning of the creation. Which verse is it? That's the 14th verse.
The Lord Jesus in resurrection is the head of a new creationism.
And we are part of that new creation. And that that day of God is when you have that in its full development. Mary was the first one to see that new creation when she saw Jesus standing.
He said to go go to my brethren and say to them I ascended to my father and your Father, to my God and your God. And he says touch me not, that's the creation of God. Sometimes people wonder why he said touch me. Not that it was because Mary wanted to have him back as she had known him before. And the Lord Jesus basically said, Mary, you're not going to have me as you knew me in life.
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That you're going to have me in a far fuller way now in new creation.
That's basically what he was saying. So the new heaven and the new earth and the day of God will never be penetrated or spoiled by sin. All chains of sin shall be removed, all evil done away, and we shall dwell with God's beloved through God's eternal day, the first creation sin entered and it spoiled it. But God has invited us to a scene where sin will never come, but going back to our chapter in connection with these elders that are around the throne now.
Before we speak, perhaps, of their typical teaching, I thought of something when our brother Dawn was speaking this afternoon because he mentioned how that when we get to heaven, the family of God will be complete. Now, I'm not talking now about the significance of the number of elders and the significance of the fact they're sitting on Thrones and that they are elders and so on. But what has comforted my heart, brethren, is that sometimes I look around the meeting room at home.
Or even on an occasion like this, and I see a lot of empty seats, the empty seats of those that we once enjoyed happy fellowship with. Some of them are safe home, absent from the body, and present with the Lord. Some perhaps have chosen another path, and we miss them. We see those empty seats. But here, brother, we find there are 4 and 20 elders, and four and 26 are Thrones rather than there's a scene coming, and it ought to rejoice our hearts to think.
That when we look around in that day, there's going to be no empty places there. There's going to be no empty seats. Every redeemed child of God from Adam down to the completion of the church is going to be there. We miss our brother now for one reason or another. But to think that we're going on to this scene, oh, say this thought to give us the courage to go on. We feel so few at times. You say the little assembly where I come from, there's just a few of us I can remember in my home assembly in Smith Falls.
Just 30 years ago, the room was so packed on a Sunday night that we wondered where we were going to see people or even on Wednesday morning. Now we're just a handful, a lot of empty chairs and we seems like sad to say. We keep taking another row out and stacking them in another room and we still have lots of empty chairs. To further, there's a day coming when there's going to be no empty seats there around the Lord Jesus at that meeting in the air, the Lord Jesus.
In one of his parables in Luke's Gospel, Matthew is a little different. But in Luke's Gospel, he sends out his servant and he says to him go out into the highways and the hedges and compel them to come in that my house might be full. And there's absolutely no question, as Jim has said, there's no question at all.
As to whether the house will be full or not, it's going to be full, and everyone that's going to be there will be paid for and bought by the precious blood of Christ. And that's something that we ought to remember.
You know, I don't think it's a wise thing. And I don't think God delights in hearing us disparage our brethren from other areas and in other things. I don't think so. Every blood thought St. of God is precious in His sight and that house is going to be full. And as you were speaking Jim, you know not only will the house be full, but every heart will be full.
And everyone.
Completely conformed to His purpose, His eternal purpose.
There's 24, and it's interesting that scripture interprets scripture. You look for the #24. You'll find in the Old Testament that there were 24 courses of the priests of the priests in the Old Testament service. So this is the priestly company in heaven, but it is all the redeemed of all times that form that priestly company.
You'll get the 24 elders mentioned through the Book of Revelation until you get to the 19th chapter when you get to the marriage supper of the land, and from there on you do not have the 24 elders mentioned because.
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The Bride of the Lamb, which is the church, is part of that company, the Old Testament believers.
Are not included. They are Maybe what we could say are those that are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. They are those that are referred to in John chapter 3 as the friends of the Bridegroom. John the Baptist included himself in that number as he spoke of the bridegroom and the joy he had of hearing the bridegroom's voice. But he will not be part of that.
Number the bride, but he is part of the heavenly company, and so there are different families.
In the heavenly company. But this, the 24 elders, is the whole priestly company in the in heaven in that day. I think it is helpful to see that scripture itself interprets scripture.
And Ezekiel.
The prophet is shown by the spirit of God to look in the temple, and he sees 25 men, and they have their backs to the temple of the Lord, and they're facing the sun and they're worshipping the sun. And you get the 24 courses of the priesthood. They're all fallen into idolatry, but 25 are mentioned because the high priest was included with them. So we have 24 horses of the priesthood, all that heavenly company complete, but there's a 25th, and he's in the midst. That's the Lord himself.
And he is the one that's going to lead the singing in that day. Going to rejoice with singing. And he's going to burst into that song. And we're going to join in the song of the redeemed for all eternity. But notice too, connection with these elders. They're sitting. That speaks of rest. Our path of faith and service is going to be over. We're going to sit down in his presence, perfectly comfortable, perfectly at rest. How often my wife and I take comfort from that verse that says.
There remaineth therefore rest to the people of God.
Not our rest here. This is the time of service for Christ. This is the path of faith. This is the race that we often speak about. But there is a day when it says he's going to make us to sit down and come forth and serve us. Then they're clothed in white raiment. All is purity there. We're perfectly suited to that sphere. Again, as we said earlier, nothing enters there. The files. That's all gone now. We've left that all behind when we've left earth and been raptured.
To the glory. And then notice they had on their heads crowns of gold. Now, as the heavenly scene opens here we find that immediately the redeemed have their crowns, those rewards that are given for faithfulness, that the judgment seat of Christ. And we don't have time. But if we were to go back to various portions of the New Testament, we would find those crowns taken up in various ways. Paul refers to it as a incorruptible crown in contrast to a corruptible crown.
Someone was Speaking of those crown jewels. John was Speaking of those crown jewels that he saw, and I've seen them too, there at the Tower of London. It's a dazzling display of crown jewels, but at best they're corruptible crowns. They're connected with this world, and empires and kingdoms come and go in this world. But if we're pressing on in the path of faith, we're going to receive an incorruptible crown. It's called a crown of life, in contrast to those who lay down their lives for Christ in one way or another.
It's called a crown of righteousness for those who seek to live righteously in an unrighteous world.
But it's also called a crown of righteousness because it has to do with our position.
During the righteous reign of Christ. But what I want to point out here is that I believe, I would suggest rather that on a couple of accounts that the judgment seat of Christ will take place very quickly after we get home to glory. It's not the judgment seat of Christ that we have here, but simply the statement that on their heads were crowns of gold. I believe that there are three things that the judgment seat of Christ will do, and for this reason it needs to take place quickly after we get home.
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The first thing is the judgment seat of Christ will give us a sense and appreciation of grace like we've never had before. When our lives are unfolded there and he commends for that which was for His glory, we're going to just marvel at His grace. Perhaps we'll finally have a true sense of what it says when it says, what it means when it says.
It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Maybe I can illustrate it this way. If you give a cup of water in the Lords name, which the Lord said would not lose its reward, when you stand at the judgment seat of Christ, you're going to realize first of all that he provided the cup of water. Secondly, he provided the opportunity to give it. Thirdly, he put the desire in your heart to give it. Well isn't that just been to magnify the grace of God?
No wonder the redeemed take those crowns and cast them back at his feet and give him all the glory. So it magnifies and gives us an appreciation of the grace of God. It also shows us the perfection of all his ways with us here.
As we look back in retrospect and we see and understand things that we didn't see here, we didn't, we don't always see the end of the story or God's ways with us here. We say, I don't know why the Lord really allowed that in my life. I just, I don't understand. I might have some appreciation, but I just don't see the whole picture clearly. Brethren, is anything going to be blurred there? No. And I know again, it's just a little application, but later on, in connection with the heavenly city, the millennial city, it says twice.
Uses the expression clear as crystal. Now we say, well, things weren't clear rather than there's a day coming when everything is going to be clear as crystal and we're going to see it from his perspective. I say the perfection of his ways and it'll be like Israel when their journey, wilderness journey, was rehearsed in the 106th and 7th Psalm. I think it is 105th and 6th. It says he led them by the right way. That's not what they said when they were in the wilderness.
They said why did you lead us this way and that way? To kill us with hunger and we're thirsty and we've got children and we've got cattle that need to be taken care of. But brethren, aren't we just going to bow before him when we see it all in perspective and retrospect and say he led us by the right way? And the other thing it will do is it will establish our place in the Kingdom. That's one reason why it's called a crown of righteousness. Be that over 5 cities.
Over 10 cities according to our faithfulness. Now by His grace then we are going to be rewarded and have a place in the Kingdom. But of course, as I said, as they realize all these things and that it's only His grace that has provided all this, then they take those crowns and they cast them back at His feet and they give him all the glory and all the worship. It will also give us God's viewpoint of everything.
And I think that is so beautiful. As you go through the Book of Revelation, John often has questions. What does this mean? And often it is one of the elders that steps up to instruct him what this means. And I think that is so beautiful to see. Notice a verse in Revelation 18, brethren in this connection.
In verse 20. I'm going to read it in the new translation because.
It's quite a bit different and but I think it shows this. It's in connection with the destruction of the.
Babylon the Great, it says in verse 20 of chapter 18. Rejoice over her heaven, and ye Saints and apostles and prophets, this part for God has judged your judgment upon her.
Their thinking, their perspective was so in line that God actually says God has judged your judgment upon her so that will be done at the judgment seat of Christ wanted.
But we need to get on with our chapter rather, and I hope we can get through some of these things that are so beautiful, the four beasts or the four living creatures.
Seraphims. I guess they are in other parts of the scriptures.
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6 Wings.
We need to talk about these four living creatures.
The seraphims are the garters of God's glory. But perhaps here maybe we have cherubims, which are pretty closely related, and they're the executors of God's judgment.
They show the characteristics in which God will execute judgment, don't they? One had the face of a lion.
Says in the book of Proverbs, the lion is chief amongst the beasts, and does not turn aside for any when he begins his judgments in the earth, nothing will turn him aside. He will go straightforward, the beast who is one who has such power in the earth that they will say.
Who is likened to the beast, and who can make war with her? And the Lord Jesus, when he comes out of heaven, will not turn aside for any. And so one of the characteristics of those righteous judgments He has the face of a lion. The second beast was like a calf, and it's been said that that is stability.
Very difficult to knock it over. You will not be able to unearth.
An animal like that, Very easily. Well, governments come and they go in the world that we live in. But when the Lord Jesus comes back to govern, there will be absolute stability. Perfect government. That's right.
3rd beast is a face of a man Intelligence. Man is known in creation for his intelligence.
And the 4th beast was like a flying eagle.
Swiftness.
When the judgments fall, he's going to make swift work of it. He's waited in patience in the day of His grace for nearly 2000 years, since he was rejected and crucified.
But when he begins his judgment, it will be swift work. So it's a flying eagle. I suggest that maybe some other has thoughts on this too.
In Ezekiel, you get those same beasts, and there there's a picture to us of the government of God, and there's wheels underneath them. And they go straightforward, because the government of God is going to go straightforward and his purposes will be accomplished. But there is one difference there. Instead of a calf, that's an ox, as you mentioned, the characteristic of an ox is its stability. It flows on.
And it goes forward, and there's not much that's going to get in its way or stop it. So there are wonderful animals to pull a plow on a straight furrow. So will the government of God steadily go forward. But now here's the time and the scene is at that. Those judgments that have been long pending are about to be executed. And so now it's a calf. Well, you know, if you take the children into a barn, the cows are interesting, but the calves are a lot more interesting because they're active.
And so it has that character of the ox, but it's a young one. It's a cat. That's restless energy, and the judgments are just about to be poured out.
They're trying to establish government in various countries in the Middle East, trying to establish democracy in Iraq. Is it working under man's summits and peace pacts and negotiations and forces and troops they send in? No, it's not working. The plan is not going ahead as they had once hoped, and it's only perhaps even becoming more muddy and chaotic. But as Brother Steve said, there's a day coming when these beasts.
Which represent God's governmental ways in the earth. They're going to be prevalent and nothing is going to stop what it got. God's purpose. Nothing is going to stop the establishment of government, righteous government here on the earth. And brethren, we need to take heart. Maybe sometimes we get this heart and we say what's going to happen on the world stage? Things seem to be out of control. Things seem to be getting worse and worse, and we're even seeing.
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The breakdown of democracy as govern as biblical principles and.
God fearing men are no longer at the basis of it. We see the crumble of these things. We see the crumble of.
Of kingdoms and so on. But all let's take heart. There's a day coming when he's going to push forward, as Steve said, and nothing is going to stand in his way. United States and the allied forces, they try to push forward. Something comes in and they have to be driven back. They they set a deadline for the establishment of democracy. They set a deadline for pulling out troops out of certain areas, anticipating there's going to be stability.
Does it work? No. They have to keep readjusting those timetables. They have to keep convincing the Western world that we are on track, but we we need a little more time. Is is God going to need more time in that day? No, his timetable. The wheels are going to turn at the right speed and according to his purpose, rather than you say what's going to happen in the world, this is what's going to happen. The Christian who's reading his Bible is more intelligent as to what is happening and what is going to happen.
Why? Men in power today who are not reading their Bibles, They're concerned, and rightly so. They're overwhelmed and rightly so. They don't know where things are going to go if they're honest with themselves. But we know God's government is going to be afoot in the earth, and as Bob says, it's going to be in strength and firmness and intelligence and swiftness. On top of all this, we should not forget that God is still here. The Holy Spirit is still here.
And greater Jesus within you than he that's in the world.
And all the wickedness of the world can't prevail over that. That truck protects our brethren as they go over there and preach the gospel, these places. Oh greater is he that in you than he that's in the world of power and presence of the Holy Spirit. We ought to be extra thankful for it. And on top of that, Brother Buchanan, the most high rule in the kingdoms of men that's now, and setteth up whomsoever he will in the kingdoms of men. And I think that's a comfort too. It is man's day, as we've been saying.
Even if it sets up over the basis of men. That's right and he is in control behind the scenes. Even today it is man's day. Man is asserting his rights. But let's take comfort from the fact that God behind the springs is pulling or behind the scenes is pulling the strings and only allowing men in power as he places them there.
These four beasts, it says in verse 6.
Are full of eyes before and behind verse 8.
They were full of eyes within.
Perfect intelligence. Nothing escapes them. Absolutely nothing. Remember you talking one time.
Brother Clem, about the Watchers in Daniel chapter 4. What could you go? Could you comment on that please, The Watchers? I can't think that fast backwards. Thank you.
But nothing escapes God's eye, does it? Absolutely everything. And sometimes we think, boy, that person sure got away with murder.
Nobody gets away with anything. Everything is going to be accounted for. Never forget that.
So they own the holiness of God. Holy, holy, Holy. Is it the Trinity?
Well, Ronnie, yes, we certainly have the Trinity here. Don't wait holy, holy, holy. I think so it's one God, but three persons. And I was thinking too that as Brother Steve said, I believe here it's more of the character of the Cherubims, because the Cherubims seem to be, as Steve said, God acting in in righteous judgment with the seraphim in the 6th chapter of Isaiah. It has to do more with God acting in grace.
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And though there you find to the seraphim says, holy, holy, holy. But God then finds a way to come out in grace, and he flies with in grace with the hot coal and puts it on his lips and there's a there's a way of blessing the seraphim. I say I I suggest, is God acting in grace, although not at the expense of His Holiness. And so whether God acts in the seraphim character or the cherubim character, which.
I appreciated what Steve said about this corresponding to what you have in Ezekiel 1.
But whether it's in His grace or in His judgment, there's the recognition by those that are used as God's instruments to recognize His Holiness. And rather, we ought to recognize His Holiness too. Even now, you know, I believe this is a day when we've lost the OR that we're in the danger of losing if we're not careful, the sense of the holiness of God and the holiness of the Lord Jesus. You know, this is a day when.
It's an amoral society. I was going to say it's an immoral day, but it's really an amoral society. There are no morals and there are various instruments that Satan has cleverly used to desensitize us as to sin. Not just men of the world, but if we allow these things, they're going to desensitize us to sin and to the holiness of the Lord Jesus. That's why David said take not the spirit of holiness from me. Mr. Darby's translation.
What does that mean? It means don't let me get used to sin. You know, in a day of lowering standards, we can get used to sin. And perhaps we very little realize what sin is in the sight of a holy God. When you read of some of the brethren of past generations, what? And they talk about sin and what they felt were things not acceptable amongst the Lord's people. Why, There may be things that we look at very lightly today of lowering standards, but let's remember He's holy.
And so I just say again whether he acts in grace or whether he acts in judgment.
He is holy, holy, holy. Nothing changes that.
They're going to take up God's government in this earth, and I just like to connect it. If you can bear with me a little bit with Second Thessalonians Chapter 2.
2nd Thessalonians.
Chapter 2 speaks of the man of sin being revealed in this world. And there is that which prevents the full revelation of the first man and all his sin and wickedness and iniquity in this world.
And so the apostle, after Speaking of the man of sin being revealed, says in verse six of Second Thessalonians 2 And now you know.
What withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time for the mystery of iniquity that already worked? Only he who now letteth or prevents will prevent until he be taken out of the way. Then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.
God instituted government in this world with Noah for the restraint of evil.
And he.
Is the one who is the authority behind every government in this world. Whether we appreciate those governments or not, they're ordained of God. We read in Romans and.
They bear not the sword in vain, and they're a terror to evil works and not good. And God has put government in this world for the restraint of evil. The Lord himself owned it.
When he stood before Pilate, and he said, Thou could have no power over me, except it were given to thee. From above there was a wicked man, but he was a representative of a divinely established government in this world, and the Lord owns that his power comes from above.
But when the tribulation unfolds and everything that is stable in this world crumbles, there comes an end.
Of God ordained government in this world. And what comes up the beast comes up out of the pit and for the first time this world sees a government in place that is not ordained of God.
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And so when we read them Thessalonians.
That ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
It is God ordained government in this world that he is instituted for the restraint of evil. Now it's only called heath. There's no name given because if the name was given, it would defer our hope. If it wasn't George Bush, if I can use that name, then we'd say, well, we have to wait for that government to come on the scene before we know which is the last one to be here for the restraint of evil.
Before the wicked one is revealed.
God has instituted government in this world for the restraint of evil, and until the apple of his eye is taken out of this scene, the Church of God, he is going to maintain government in this world for the restraining evil. But when she's gone, if I can say it that way, he has no more interest in that any longer. But isn't this really the Holy Spirit in the Christians that's holding back this evil?
Well, I would.
And the reason I bring it up is because I think that thought in a certain census gotten out amongst us. But I don't think it's the full thought. The church has been put here as light, and the church is the believers are the salt of the earth. It's a preserving character and it's a revealing character life makes manifest. But the Christian was never put here to restrain evil.
But the Holy Spirit is, but the Holy Spirit is. But who he uses is government, and I just would refer that. I found that very helpful in the synopsis of Mr. Darby Drinks it out at night. That and I thought it.
To bring it out in connection with the cherubim. Once God ordained government has ceased in this world, and the government of the beast comes into place not ordained of God, then he's going to take it up through that angelic means of those four beasts to execute his government in this world for the complete putting down of evil. I think it's both things personally. God uses government to restrain evil, and there's no question about it.
And somebody has pointed out there in 2nd Thessalonians 6 and verse six, it's what withholdeth that's government but then in verse.
Seven, it says. Only he who now Hindereth will hinder. That's the Holy Spirit of God. I don't think you can.
Deny either one or a very definite restraint to evil in this world.
So I like to think of these here in Revelation 4. They are Seraphim. So even though it may be more in the sense of executing judgment, but it is those that maintain that holiness, that absolute intrinsic holiness of God, in whatever way he may act.
That is in grace like you say Jim, or in government. These are the executors. They have 6 wings just like in Isaiah 6. They are 6 wings creatures, they in Isaiah 6 it says with 22 of the wings he covered his eyes. With two of the wings he covered his feet with the two of the wings they flew.
But solemn thing it is to deal with God. Complete intrinsic holiness. He cannot act in any other way. These creatures, these living creatures, as those that maintain that. I think that's such an important thing. I'd like to comment too in verse 10, since maybe on the next chapter next time it's the expression.
Concerning the four and 20 elders, he says they fell down and worshiped him today.
We have particularly before our hearts.