To all members of PaRD.
Grace and peace to you from CPK001. Tonight is the second of the ten series of the book of Revelation that we are studying at Church. I have been taking notes and I am going to try and portray what I heard at Church onto here.
Here is a link to the previous topic
http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=71550713&f=119&o=0Last week was all about hearing Jesus and listening to his words. This week is all about what lies in the centre of your life.
Revelation 4-5:14 New International Version (NIV)
The Throne in Heaven
4 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.” 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. 4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits[a] of God. 6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
“‘Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,’[b]
who was, and is, and is to come.”
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
11 “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 Scroll and the Lamb
5 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. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5 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.”
6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits[c] of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. 9 And they sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign[d] on the earth.”
11 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. 12 In a loud voice they were saying:
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!”
13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”
14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
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So the basis of tonight is all about lives centred properly and what your life centres around.
We shall start with 3 of the 7 churches. The Church of Ephesus, the centre of their lives was in fact the truth. They did use the truth to protect themselves
yet in that process they became self centred. The Church of Ephesus forsake the love they had at first, they could not tolerate wicked people so they could
not tolerate anybody.
The Church of Laodicea, the centre of their lives was comfort. They had a life for Jesus but they also had to live their own lives which took priority over Jesus. Laodicea had nothing positive said about them in the previous chapter.
The Church of Thyatira had the opposite problem of the Church of Ephesus. The centre of their lives was the people but they showed no tolerance. Thyatira tolerated that woman Jezebel whose teaching mislead God's servants into sexual immorality.
We have seen the picture of the Throne in Heaven. It is a picture of majesty, royalty and power. 24 elders, 4 living creatures covered with eyes, a rainbow, thunder and lightning, a sea of glass, clear as crystal and many, many angels all encircled on a slain lamb. Reading all that for the first time is daunting but it is not impossible to understand.
24 elders may well have been the people of God who trusted Jesus. The rainbow reminds us of God's faithfulness to his promise. Thunder and lightning is an image of power and awesomeness. In Revelation 4:6 it mentions a sea of glass, as clear as crystal. What does the sea represent? The sea is a symbol of chaos, doom and death. The pirates rule the sea. The sea can be the most brutal place as the wind and waves are relentless. Yet in this picture the sea is calm. This means even the sea has fallen down at the Throne of God. Even the wind and the waves obey him! (Sound familiar?)
Revelation 4:6-7 also mentions 4 living creatures which were covered with eyes. The 4 creatures represent all creatures of the Earth. The Lion represents Nobleness, The Ox represents Strength, The Man represents Wisdom and the Eagle represents Speed. There is no secret that almost every sporting team and every country use creatures representing power.
Now imagine the entire picture as a whole, they all lay their crowns before The Throne and give praise to God as seen in 4:11. God it at the centre as he made all things. All the representations of every being are giving praise to God.
Now we move onto chapter 5 which is about the Scroll and the Lamb. The one who sat on The Throne had a scroll which had 7 seals. Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll? John wept and wept as no one was found worthy to open the scroll. One of the elders told to John not to weep as the Lion of the tribe of Judah has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its 7 seals.
We are then told that a Lamb, that looks as though it had been slain, was standing at the centre of the throne, encircled by the 4 living creatures and the elders. Then at 5:8 they all fell down before the lamb. Where do we know of a Lamb that had been slain that is at the centre of our lives? John also heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand. Easier to say a bazillion right?
At 5:13 every creature in Heaven, on Earth and under the Earth and on the sea were giving praise to the Lamb. What this means is that one day, even those who do not love Jesus, one day every man woman and child will fall down and worship God on the Throne. We will all do this by worshipping Jesus.
Now that is done. Now here are the main points to think about and/or discuss.
How do we get God centred in our lives?
Who is at the centre of your Universe, in your life?
What do you live for and where does your heart/treasure lie?
When times get tough, what do you cling onto for your hope?
Why do you cling to that thing/person for your hope?
Where do you think you will end up if you died today?