Contents
II. God's Purpose in History (4:1-8:1)
A. Setting: The Throne of God
| 4:1 | 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. | II. God's Purposes in History
(4:1-8:1)
Introduction and Setting A. The setting (4:1-5:14) - Standing Before the Heavenly Throne of God 4:1-8a The Throne of God Vs. 1: "The first voice" - Christ (as in 1:10). John sees an open door and is invited to enter. |
| 4:2 | And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. | Vs. 2-3 The description of the throne -- a) the throne of God is a HUGE theme; the Lord's Kingship & rule. b) note that no attempt is made at direct description. John sees only the splendor of light surrounding the throne which he compares to that of precious stones (jasper and cornelian - diamond and ruby) seen through an emerald green rainbow. Now where have we seen a rainbow before? God's covenant of life with Noah! The wreath of color in this description is a way of trying to express the inexpressible. In this vision, the "unseen background of World history is unveiled." The Lord of the Universe is surrounded by divine glory. |
| 4:3 | 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. | |
| 4:4 | 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. | Vs. 4: The 24 Elders a council of angels. Some suggest this represents the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles, thus combining all of God's people in history. |
| 4:5 | 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. | Vs. 5: "flashes of lightening"
"voices" = signs of God's divine power and majesty "peals of thunder" |
| 4:6 | 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. | Vs. 6a: "the 7 torches of fire" = the
7 planetary gods of popular astrology who are shown to be the 7 spirits
of God (the archangels of 1:4 & 3:1)
who belong to Christ and are not gods themselves.
the sea of glass" - this image increases the radiance of the scene as the "7 torches" are reflected in it. In these verses, John is trying to do the impossible: use human language to describe that which is completely different from anything on earth. Vs. 6b: "The 4 living creatures full of eyes in front and behind = the Cherubim (see Isaiah 6). Could John be referring to the animal figures associated with the 4 Gospel writers, the lion = Mark the ox = Luke the man = Matthew the eagle = John But unfortunately, people can never become Cherubim. |
| 4:7 | And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. | * |
| 4:8 | And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. | Vs. 8a: "eyes within" = eyes on the under
side of the wings. The many eyes = a symbol of all-seeing intelligence
of these creatures (Ezekiel
1:4-12).
4:8b-11: The Song of the Cherubim and the
Elders
|
| 4:9 | And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, | Vs. 9: "glory, honor and thanks" = a
summary of the praise of the living creatures.
"worthy art Thou, our Lord and God" = a phrase that was taken from the political language of the day. Every time the Emperor entered a city in triumph the populace would cry "Worthy art Thou". "Our Lord and God" was a way the emperor Domition demanded that his subjects address him. ("Deus ad Dominus noster") He also demanded to be worshipped. Even this glorious hymn suggests that the conflict between the church and Rome was inevitable because it is two gods who have come into conflict with each other. The result can only be conflict. |
| 4:10 | The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, | * |
| 4:11 | Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. | * |
| 5:1 | And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. | 5:1-7 The Vision of
the Sealed Book and the Lamb
Vs. 1: The Scroll = The book of future human destiny mentioned in Isa. 29:11, Dan. 8:26, Ezek. 2:9-10. This is the book that is kept sealed (with the perfect number of seals) in order to keep its contents secret until the time revelation should come. |
| 5:2 | And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? | Vs. 2: "strong angel" - this angel is strong because its voice must penetrate all of heaven, earth, and Hades (under the earth). |
| 5:3 | And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. | * |
| 5:4 | And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. | Vs. 4: John wept - because no one in all of God's creation has the right to open the scroll and so the promise to John of a revelation won' t come true. |
| 5:5 | And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. | Vs. 5: Lion of the tribe of Judah (Gen.
49:9)
The Root of David (Isaiah 11:1, 10) = Jesus Christ |
| 5:6 | And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. | Vs. 6: "The Lamb" another name of the risen
Christ (This is John's characteristic title for the heavenly Lord.... used
29 times. The Lamb in Rev. is understood in a way different from the Lamb
in John.)
Note: This Lamb is NEVER meek or gentle. Ch. 5: The Lamb is worshipped by the heavenly host Ch. 6: The Lamb opens the scroll Ch. 7: The Lamb is enthroned with God Ch. 13: The Lamb is in charge of the book of life Ch. 14: The Lamb stands with the redeemed Ch. 17: The Lamb defeats the armies of the Antichrist Ch. 19: The Lamb marries the glorified Church Ch. 21: God and the Lamb = the temple and the Lamb illuminates the city Ch. 22: The water of the river of life comes from the throne of God and the Lamb "The Lamb" = a) The conquering and triumphant Christ b) The Christ with the marks of slaughter on him (see Isa. 53:6-7) "The seven horns and seven eyes" = full and complete power, (the horns), full and complete knowledge (the eyes). All this is combined with the thought that Christ's self-sacrifice on the cross is the avenue to that full power and knowledge. (see Rom. 1:3-5; Phil. 2:5-11) |
| 5:7 | And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. | * |
| 5:8 | 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. | 5:8-14: Hymn to the Lamb
Vs. 8: "harp" = the instrument of praise (Psalm 33:2) "golden bowls of incense" = the prayers of the saints (Psalm 141:2) |
| 5:9 | 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; | Vs. 9: "a new song" - (Psalm
33:3)
The Lamb is worthy to open the scroll because his death purchased people for God from all races. |
| 5:10 | And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. | Vs. 10: "a kingdom of priests" = faithful people set aside to serve God |
| 5:11 | 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; | |
| 5:12 | 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. | Vs. 12 & 13: Where have you
heard this song sung before?
Conclusion: It is against this glorious setting that the sealed scroll will be opened. The message sage is clear: Since the Lamb is the goal and center and purpose of all the course of human events, how can we be afraid of what the future will bring? Never forget this context as the scroll is opened! |
| 5:13 | 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. | |
| 5:14 | And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever. | * |
| 6:1 | And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. | B. The opening of the 7
Seals (6:1-8:1)
Introduction Scene 1: A White Horse and Its Rider (6:1-2) Vs. 1: "come" - a command to begin the ride |
| 6:2 | And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. | Vs. 2: color? White
weapon? bow (The Parthians were a constant threat to the Romans on the eastern front. They were the most famous mounted bowmen in the world. In those days EVERYBODY knew the bow symbolized the Parthians.) function? "went out to conquer" - WAR among nations. Note: This is NOT the white rider in Rev. 19:11. This rider in white is bent on destruction. |
| 6:3 | And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. | Scene 2:
A red Horse and its Rider (6:3-4)
color? bright red weapon? large sword function? to take peace away so that neighbor would kill neighbor; civil strife |
| 6:4 | And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. | |
| 6:5 | And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. | Scene 3: A Black Horse
and its Rider (6:5-6)
color? black weapon? a scale for weighing agricultural produce function? famine |
| 6:6 | And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. | Vs. 6 "a quart of wheat" - food for 1
person for 1 day
"denarius" -- one days wages "do not harm oil and wine" (oil = healing, James 5:14; wine = Eucharist) |
| 6:7 | And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. | Scene 4: A Pale Horse
and its Rider (6:7-8)
color? pale weapon? Death by plague (human misery that follows war and famine) function? power to kill 1/4 of the earth (not all; a limited power) |
| 6:8 | And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. | * |
| 6:9 | And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: | Scene 5: The Martyrs
Prayer (6:9-11)
Vs. 9: this entire verse calls attention to the time of persecution, "those who had been slain". Notice where they are.... "under the throne". |
| 6:10 | And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? | Vs. 10: "How long, O Lord?" Have we been martyred in vain? |
| 6:11 | And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. | Vs. 11: "a white robe" - symbol of victory,
purity, bliss. Perhaps.
Note: You may be wondering how the martyrs could be in heaven since the Resurrection of the Dead hasn't happened yet. This verse reflects the ancient belief that God takes the souls of the righteous to be with Him immediately on their death and keeps them with Him to wait for the Resurrection of the dead. "rest a little longer... should be complete" - the number of martyrs must be complete before God will complete his purpose. This verse is a reminder to all of us that to be a Christian offers absolutely no guarantee against suffering. The consolation offered in Vs. 11 is that even though Christians are suffering, God is holding all of history firmly in His hands and has determined what the final outcome will be. The martyrs are not forgotten. |
| 6:12 | And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; | Scene 6:
The events that happen at the End of Time.
Part I: The Shaking of the Universe (6:12-17) In this section, people wake up to their utter helplessness as the very foundations of their existence disappear. Vs.12-14: "great earthquake..... like blood" - Don't think for a minute that this is any "ordinary" earthquake or eclipse. This earthquake shakes heaven and the underworld as well as the earth, "putting out" the sun, making the moon turn red, shaking the stars out of the sky, and rolling up the sky as if it were a parchment scroll. To say "the sky vanished like a rolled up scroll" is to say that the roof of the world simply disappears. (Joel 2:30-31) |
| 6:13 | And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. | |
| 6:14 | And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. | |
| 6:15 | And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; | Vs.15: people react with utter terror...no one can hide. |
| 6:16 | And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: | Vs .16: "The wrath of the Lamb" - this
wrath is directed against the earth which has rejected the redemption offered
in Christ.
There is no other phrase in scripture that shows so clearly that Christ is not simply benign, gentle and permissive in his love for people. Notice however, who it is who is afraid of the Lamb! The first part of this vision is a vision of terror ruling the earth. |
| 6:17 | For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? | * |
| 7:1 | And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. | Part 2 The sealing of
the Martyrs
In the midst of terror and confusion on earth something solemn and impressive is happening. In light of 6:12-17, everyone is asking "who can stand it?" (Inc1uding Christians) In these verses (7:1-8) the answer is given: "those in the Church will be able to pass through these terrors because their union with Christ will never be interrupted. Throughout the terrors of the end of the earth the believers can remain conf ident because they have God's stamp on them which will bring them safely through the terrors of the End, protecting them from evil." Vs. 1: A halt is called whichholds back the angels of the 4 winds. Note: These angels also had names which the people of that day would have known: 1. Mellkiel, 2. Helemmelek, 3. Melejal, 4. Narel That angels are holding back the winds of destruction is further assurance that God is controlling what happens. "the rising of the Sun" = the East |
| 7:2 | And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, | Vs. 2: "the seal of the living God" =
God's signet.
Back in those days a person's signet ring was their major form of personal identification (like a driver's license) |
| 7:3 | Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. | Vs. 3: "sealed the servants of our God" = put God's stamp or brand on His people (like branding animals or slaves were branded so people could know whose property they were). |
| 7:4 | And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. | Vs. 4: "144,000" - 144,000 = 12 x 12 x 1000. Therefore this ~ a symbolic number meaning "the complete and perfect number of God's people". (Remember the symbolic use of numbers!) Instead of "limiting" the number of those saved (as Jehovah's Witnesses do) this passage expands it to ALL believers! |
| 7:5 | Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. | Vs. 5-8: "Israel" - "the
people of God"
Remember, the Church thought itself to be the True Israel, the New Israel. the list of the 12 tribes Note: The tribe of Judah is mentioned first (the tribe of David, and therefore of Christ as well). In the O.T. the tribe of Judah is never mentioned first. This would be a clue to the early readers that John is talking about the New Israel (the Church) rather than the Old Israel (Judaism). Those "144,000 of Israel" = those Christians who face martyrdom still on earth, known as "the Church militant". In the next part we see the "Church triumphant", namely, those martyrs already in heaven. |
| 7:6 | Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nephthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. | |
| 7:7 | Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. | |
| 7:8 | Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand. | |
| 7:9 | After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; | Part 3: The Martyrs in
Heaven (7:9-17)
Vs. 9: while those still on earth are being sealed, John sees "a great multitude which can't be counted" already in heaven. (So much for the thought that only 144,000 will be saved.) "White robes" = (washed white in the blood of the Lamb) "palm branches" = symbols of thankfulness and victory (see John 12:13) |
| 7:10 | And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. | Vs. 10: "Salvation belongs to God and the Lamb" = it is God who saved them, not they themselves. |
| 7:11 | And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, | Vs. 11 & 12: Angels in the throne room join the song of the martyrs |
| 7:12 | Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. | * |
| 7:13 | And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? | * |
| 7:14 | And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. | Vs. 14: "the great tribulation" = the time of persecution and martyrdom |
| 7:15 | Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. | Vs. 15: "serve him... within his temple"
- prior to the Resurrection of the Dead and the day of the New Heaven and
New Earth there is a temple in heaven. In this temple, the martyrs now
are priests.
At the time of the New Heaven and New Earth there will be no temple. (see Rev. 21:22) |
| 7:16 | They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. | Vs. 16 & 17: a comfort that makes the worst of persecutions worthwhile (Isa. 49:10) (John 10) |
| 7:17 | For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. | * |