Lesson 8
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
Chapter Four - The Vision of Heaven and the Throne
Introduction:
1. Chapter 4-5 form an introduction to the
Tribulation that really begins in chapter 6.
- 2 main points God wants us to focus on
in these 2 chapters.
#1 Throne in heaven -
chapter 4 (4:2)
#2 Chapter 5; the focus is on a
book/scroll that is in heaven; the question will be asked, "who is qualified to open it?"
2. Rev ch-4 introduces the third part of the book, the revelation of the
future. Outline was given in
#1. The things that you have seen; covered in the
vision of Christ in chapter 1.
#2. The things
which are; chapter 2-3, the churches.
#3. The things
which shall take place; the future ch4-22.
Verse One begins: "After
these things" this tells us that John is very
interested in sequence;
- It separates the events of ch 2-3, the church; from the tribulation. This is very important. The Church is not
here at all from this time on.
3.
There is a complete change in perspective at this point!
- ch
2-3 views events on the earth.
- ch
4-5 views events in heaven.
- ch
6ff. views events from heaven that are directed to earth.
- In ch 2-3 we have the churches
on earth
- with ch
4-5 the perspective shifts to heaven; to a throne and a book;
- then in
ch 6 we will begin to see interplay between heaven
and earth; with judgments (wrath) coming out of heaven directed at the earth.
4. Ch 4-5 then introduce or really sets the
scene for the rest of the book; all that will happen.
5. All the events of ch 4-22 were future to
John and they are still future to us today!
6. What we can expect! Summarize
the prophetic content from this point basically in 3 phases, to describe the
closing events of human history. [gives us a broad
overview]
#1 Coming period of God's wrath
#2 followed by the return of Christ - as judge.
#3 followed by the reign of Christ - as king.
This sequence is not new!
John is not the first to teach this!
Daniel taught this; Jesus taught this also.
Daniel
2,7
How about by Jesus himself?
- Wrath
Mt 24:21-22
- Return
Mt 24:29-31
- Reign
Mt 25:31ff.
John also follows this same pattern in Rev.
- Outpouring of God's wrath;
- First pictures it as opening of 7 seals in ch 6.
- In Ch 8-9 have trumpets blown by angels announcing
wrath.
- In ch 16 have wrath pictured
as pouring out of "bowls".
- The return of Christ in 19:11f
- His reign in ch 20:4,6
7. Therefore we can conclude that Scripture
is consistent.
8. When this wrath is poured out there will be certain world conditions,
events that occur, people who will rise to power, attitudes that will
prevail. (will
have attitudes, people and events)
What we must be careful not to do, if we are to get a good handle on what scripture teaches related to this
period of wrath is to think of it in curtain down and curtain up!
- This is also seen in the
progression of nations in the time of the Gentiles which culminates in the
greatest rule of man apart from God in the Tribulation under the GWD. Its a progression of
events and attitudes, revolt against God, rejection of truth over generations
that leads to this.
9. Converging conditions.
- attitudes;
mystery of lawlessness, apostasy leads
to moving away from the faith, secularization of the culture
- Conditions: Mt 24:4-8 Jesus
gives a few; vs:9
begins specifics of Tribulation.
These things will be observed before but will reach their maturation in the Tribulation.
<4:1-2> The
Invitation
"After these
things (C/A) I looked, and
behold, a door standing open in heaven,..."
- the door standing open
indicates access to heaven.
"...and the
first voice which I heard, like a trumpet, speaking with me said,..."
Content = an
Invitation; "..Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things." (some important
truths here)
1. Revelation of truth comes from the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. The things that Christ reveals are things that must
take place.
3. Any understanding of the course
of world events must be based on a Heavenly
perspective of those events; from God's vpt, not man's.
4. What follows (ch 4-19) is a description of the "hour of
testing/persecution that hour which is about to come upon the whole
world."
<4:2a> The Scene Introduced
1. Immediately, right after
hearing the voice commanding him to come up here, something happened; "I was in the Spirit"
2. What John saw first, one thing totally dominated the
scene!
3. Is what John is viewing here real or is this just some mystical vision; that is only designed to teach some aspects of what heaven is about?