A Multitude of Saints Worshiping Around the Throne
Can you imagine a vision more wonderful than to see a multitude of the greatest saints of all the ages gathered together and worshiping around God’s majestic throne?
Their attention in chapter five is the praise and honor they are giving to the Lamb of God because He was worthy to take the sealed book out of His Father’s hand. The Father’s throne is before them and the Seven Sealed Book is in the Son’s possession. Shortly He will begin the process of opening the seals.
But first the great “Lamb of God” must receive the honor due His name and victory. “And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And 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 5:7-9) This song will be the highest praise that has ever been sung by the redeemed saints of God.
When you view the Son of God now called by His redemptive title, “The Lamb of God,” there will be no limits to the Hallelujah that springs from the lips of the redeemed. Angels must be silent while these saints with redeemed bodies show the glory of the New Life they have inherited. There will not be a sour note that arises from these lips of perfection. Shouts and acclamation will know no end for the hours this song must proceed.
You must see the “golden vials” of prayers that they have brought with them to this celebration. Every Holy Ghost prayer that a saint of God has ever offered will be present in these heavenly vials. We may think our prayers are forgotten but the Father and the Son know every prayer we have offered, often in great stress and with a heart rending burden. But know they have triumphed as we know they will and we watch as they are filled with the perfume of the Divine and waft their way up to the highest praise. Great is our God, saints, and our glory is awaiting His finishing hours.
This is the action of His multitude of saints that have triumphed over the world, the devil, and their own flesh to be ready for His rewards. They do not forget in this song that they will soon possess the earth and reign with Him. “And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.” (Revelation 5:10-14) We should live every day of our Christian life with this scene in our hearts.
Woe to the man or woman that rejects the literal futuristic vision that God our Father gave to the Apostle John. He saw one great scene after another, each, so perfectly visible that he could paint a picture with words. As the future section of this Masterpiece opened before the Revelator, he saw the Father on His Throne. In the first verse of this Book, the Holy Spirit said, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him…” (Revelation 1:1) The Father gave this vision to His Son and the Son gave it to the Apostle John. I’m saying to all that read and warning you, “Woe to the person that would dare call the Father‘s Revelation to His Son anything less than literal and glorious.” The Father is the author of this, “Masterpiece and I tremble before this Infallible truth”.
The future sections starts in Chapter Four and here is how the drama opened: “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 hither, and I will shew thee 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. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.” (Revelation 4:1-3) This vision of God the Father on His Throne is majestic beyond words or human description. The excellency of jewels of the rarest quality is employed by John to give us a glimpse into this glory. John did not see the face of God because he could not live with a full view of such Divinity. The splendor of this scene leaves us with unfailing reverence for our Creator and His future plans. The Father was preparing John to understand a perfectly designed ending of redemption. Everything from this point had to be given to the Church so we would never despair for the future.
The great Jehovah God is seated on His throne in the celestial heavens and is fully prepared for the heavenly court. Over six thousand years have passed since a serpent possessed by Lucifer walked into the garden and deceived God’s perfect couple, Adam and Eve. From the venom of lies in the garden, sin has touched every offspring of Adam. The upheaval of the earth by the Noahic flood left its scars on a sin-cursed earth. There is not one element of the created world unspoiled by the flood of evil, and it’s now time for redemption. The celestial city of Jerusalem, now in heaven, and its inhabitants are the only untouched geography in the cosmos, and the court will be held in its temple. David must have had a slight view of this seven-year session. “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge.” (Psalms 48:1-3)
I’m reminded of the words of Apostle Paul when he sought to excite us of God’s love for us: “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.” (I Corinthians 2:9-11)
We know this drama before John had to be seen as future because the saints are here gathered around the throne of God. They are seated on lesser thrones than the Father’s but in positions of heavenly authority. To add to their authority is the description of them, not as saints, but Elders. Look at the perfect wording. “And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold”. (Revelation 4:4)
Understand that these twenty four elders cannot be limited in number but rather seen as the church triumphant. The First Testament church is always described with the term “The Twelve Tribes,” or “The Twelve Patriarchs”. The New Testament Church is seen as “The Twelve Apostles, or Disciples” of our Jesus Christ. Together, the twenty-four elders are the Raptured Saints prepared for their role in every event from the Rapture until they inherit the city of New Jerusalem. The city will reflect the same twenty Four elders with the Apostles name on the twelve foundations and the twelve Tribes of Israel on the twelve Gates of Pearl leading into the city. Everything about this scene of our Father on His Throne is future and cannot be imagined in the present church world. Listen and look as John describes what he saw: “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 glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.” (Revelation 4:5-6)
Reading the details of this picture before John is awesome and designed to fill us with the fear of God. Not a fear of dread but the emotion of sweet reverence that causes us to want to be there. Revelation was never meant to be scary or intimidating. Our Father is Sovereign and Omnipotent, but tender and merciful. His longing for us is far greater than we are capable of longing for Him.
The most powerful subject in Holy Scripture is, “YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN”. Yet it is so reduced in today’s Church that the majority of Church members do not know the transformation that occurs. If a person is “BORN AGAIN” they are “New Creatures In Christ”. Please take time to listen to the Sermons I am preaching on this subject. “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” (I Corinthians 1:21) God’s plan for saving souls is the preaching of the Gospel and there is no backup plan.
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