WHICH ARE TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE”
IMMEDIATELY
I WAS IN THE SPIRIT
4:1 After these things I saw, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I
heard like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take
place after this.”
- The preparation made for the apostle’s having this vision: (MH)
1. A door was opened in heaven. We can know nothing of future events but what God is pleased to discover to us;
they are within the veil, until God opens the door
2. A trumpet was sounded and he was called up into heaven
3. He was in the Spirit – under a divine influence
- At the beginning of Chapter 4, John is called up to heaven. Now the Book departs from normal history and John is shown
what is gong on in heaven and what will happen in the future. From Chapter 4 on, it is all future. This section divides into
three parts: the first scene is in heaven, then on earth, and then the new heaven and the new earth. In heaven he sees
that things are all right up there. Before we know that tragedies will happen, we get the picture that God is in peace and
is in total control. He sits on His throne. When disasters happen we have to say immediately that God is in control. (DP)
- The difference between the vision in chapters 1-3 and this vision is the change of scene. The first vision was on earth
and had a geographical and historical background, but now the scene has moved to heaven (TB)
- In OT prophecy only those can learn the divine purpose who are admitted to ‘the council of the Lord to see or hear his
word’; then they are in a position to proclaim confidently what He will do (Z)
- After this – marking the opening of the next vision in the succession (JFB)
- Come up here – the heavenly ascent is a well-marked feature of prophetic ecstasy (Z)
- I saw – I looked – saw is the best translation (JFB)
- God is orchestrating all the events that John will record. The world is not spinning out of control … we are shown heaven
before being shown earth so we will not be frightened by future events (LB)
- Big Picture:
- The Open Door
- To worship in spirit and in truth
- A door stands open
- God’s people to peer into this and experience by Holy Spirit this even by logos
- Voice of a trumpet
- John saw a literal open door
- The truth of the open door spoken by Jesus in Revelation 3:8 – an open door in spiritual realm and I will
make opportunity for you to see new dimensions of Me
- A divine invitation to participate in certain aspects of the glory of God
- John 10 “I am the door”
- Revelation 3:8 “I have the key to open the door”
- Many dimensions of God He doesn’t reveal now but will in ages to come. There is an opportunity to know
- Knock at that door – a moment before He was knocking – now he sees He will open if we knock
- John is 90 and says “I want more”
- In the Spirit – cannot enter in without help of the Holy Spirit
- Benny Hinn had a book “Good Morning Holy Spirit”; Paul Cain had a word saying it would be better if we
said “Good Morning unquenched Holy Spirit”
- If live in agreement there are many things to be opened to
- It takes God to reveal God
- It takes a Holy Spirit escort – more than intellect
- Takes more than academic research – search things out
- If He doesn’t show, the research leaves us empty. Research is important but it comes up short
- When God reveals God to the human spirit – when the human spirit is in agreement with the Holy Spirit –
- Put a big bull’s eye on chest – make yourself vulnerable to Holy Spirit. Live in a way doing what you’re
supposed to do so right in the way of Good so when the fire is released it hits the target and the door is opened
- Revelation 4:1 – a door standing open – relates to door of Chapter 3:8 – a door of opportunity in the natural and also
a door of anointing in the spirit or a door of oppression negatively against the people of God – there is a natural and a
supernatural dimension to the door and to close it relating to the key of David.
- A door opened – standing open – not as though John saw it in the act of being opened. But in those visions the
heavens opened, disclosing the visions to those below on earth. Whereas here, heaven, the temple of God, remains
closed to those on earth, but John is transported in vision through an open door up into heaven, where he can see things
passing on earth or in heaven, according as the scenes of the several visions require. (JFB)
- This door opens suddenly to John and the question of scholars is what is it a door to. Is it a door to chapter 4, a door
to rest of Revelation, or a door to the heavenly symphony? I believe it relates to all. There is a door when we begin to
encounter the throne – then and only then do many other things fall into line.
- The door opens and the first thing John sees is “Behold a Throne” – he runs right into the throne in heaven – the
throne set in the realm of the Spirit – the realm of eternity. “The Throne” is the throne we must encounter if we are to
enter into all the other things God has and to learn in fullness. Yes, this door is key to heavenly symphony but also the
passageway of the Father’s revelation of the Son as the Bridegroom, King, and Judge. We cannot understand about this
unless we understand about the throne.
- When we learn and familiarize – the mental familiarity begins to be set in place. Doesn’t move our hearts yet. The
beauty doesn’t stun us yet – but it begins that way. We use it mentally and it begins to bring us to more reality. Then it
touches the language of our heart and becomes natural and has a different look to us. We’re not flippant with the
Bridegroom. We don’t enter into counterfeit view of the Bridegroom. When encounter it settles our spirit -- the door
to the deeper life with God.
- There is a beauty realm. It is real. The Throne defines you and me and the more reasonable it becomes to live our
lives in view of the Throne. The issue is holiness that is exuberant to give up things to abandonment to God – our
propensity to slander and blame – a heart touched by love -- the beauty of holiness. God will have a church filled with
holiness. Though John was transported to Throne – literally he went up – Ezekiel 11 – this dimension happens to many
believers today – many – not most.
- A door in spiritual and natural – not limited – we want to be throne gazers – endless boundary of understanding.
Go deep – search out – 10-15-30 years. The realm of beauty revealed in the Bible doesn’t begin to touch the whole realm
of beauty. The realm revealed is so stunning to us it is enough.
- First voice – same voice – the same that John had heard before (LB)
- “I’ve pointed to the realm of beauty and the throne from Genesis to Revelation and My people aren’t interested.” It is
the doorway to understanding the Bridegroom, King, and Judge -- the doorway to making holiness beautiful and comely.
There is a big problem that vexes the human race and it’s the issue of irrelevancy. Most people feel like our lives really
don’t matter – really, really, really? It is a real lie dimension of the devil. You cannot go wrong putting priority time gazing
out the beauty of the Lord.
- John the Baptist did it – called the greatest man born of a woman. Mary of Bethany gazed upon the face of Jesus
and He said, “Leave her alone – this one thing she does…” This one thing is most needful. David was a man of one thing.
- We cannot go wrong if they found themselves gazing, we do well to do this. It makes our heart happy in holiness.
- The Spirit says don’t wait until the day you die to have an ecstatic experience – even now through the living word of
God begin to gaze by the divine hints given from God
- Jesus has been glorified, walking among churches in chapters 1-3 – then what happens? In 4:1 the new vision --
no longer is Jesus walking among churches but John transported to Father’s court – stunning. We will all be there
forever. Suddenly he’s in the Father’s court. We will interact with the throne for billions of years.
- The glory of the Father over all the earth becomes the central theme and Jesus set forth as slain Lamb in
Chapters 5 and 6 – He appears to John. Through that grid we understand Jesus and the beauty of holiness. So much
harder to be abandoned through the idea of holiness but when we touch the throne the holiness becomes more natural.
Get a little tremble inside and things are different.
- God uses not just the power of Creator but the vast wisdom there is and the free will of man over generations and
ends up just right over with a multitude of lovers in the last days who have never been violated in there free will and God’s
character has never been violated and the word of God has never been broken – not one promise in it has ever been
broken or compromised. The Character of God, the promises of God in the covenant, and the free will of the human
spirit – nothing has been violated. Its brought to this crescendo that is so stunning in Revelation 19 – when the Bride is
there, the 24 elders, the four living creatures are awe struck – they see the Bride – the voluntary lover – before the
Father – here they are – not just a promise – its reality. They fall completely awestruck that the Father was able to pull
this off without violating His own divine nature, without breaking one single shade of a promise in the Logos – the written
word – and without violating the free will of one person and the God who is going to do this is the Father’s Son, Christ
Jesus. He’s a human – fully God and fully man – when He takes the scroll He’s not only taking the ownership, the
leadership, He’s taking the responsibility to enact the Father’s will into the human natural order in order to bring forth this
desired result: it’s called the mystery of God – the hidden plan of God from ages past. And it all begins right here – the
door way begins right here. We have to study this realm.
- There isn’t one wasted detail of the multitudes of tens of thousands that God could have revealed – or of the tens
of thousands God could have established around the throne. He chose only ones He chose and He only revealed a small
number of them because those would impact our heart if we studied them out. There is not one insignificant fact. I don’t
believe we could face the turbulence of the end of natural history without having some meaningful interaction in our spirit with
the Throne of God. When I say the Throne, I mean the majesty, splendor, mystery realm of who God is -- the majesty of the
God of burning love who dwells in transcendent beauty. We have to interact with that God and His Son, Christ Jesus, who will
enact the Father’s will. You see the Son is loosing the judgments. You see throughout the Book of Revelation the staggering
part that will set the church back a step is the fact that the Son of God is loosing the judgments – not the devil who has great
rage. But the rage of the devil doesn’t compare to the wrath of the Lamb. The devil’s rage is measured; he is a finite being;
he is very limited in his power and he is hemmed in by his own finite power. God has infinite power and He’s not hemmed in by
anything but His own decrees not to violate love and not to violate the free will of man. He’s hemmed Himself in with these.
Glorious boundary lines we rejoice in. He’s the one who looses the judgments because human history will not come to to its
God-ordained completion, it will never happen, if a human doesn’t take it into his hands to complete it. God doesn’t want God
to complete it – God wants a human who is God to complete it. God could complete it Himself but he says He has a plan bigger
than that. He has a human who will undo the seals and unfold the scroll -- all the symphony of understanding of human
experience.
- Father, who are you? Who would have thought of such a plan? Who would have thought of such an idea?
- Because He thought of the idea before there were ever any humans, he thought of the idea of the human race. Then He
thought of a human unfolding the scroll and completing it – One that felt the plight and pressure of human pain Himself –
as a human. It’s expedient that we don’t get angry with Him because it’s so masterful. What He’s doing and we can’t be
angry with Him and be flippant with His power or to have the counterfeit superficial dimension of the gospel – the passion
of the Bridegroom. We don’t need to that way. There’s a transcendent God and it’s more important. He’s more important
than our flesh.
- I’m not against human entertainment. I do it. But divine entertainment begins at this open door – in the realm of
beauty – the realm of fascination.
- When the throne begins to touch us our prayer will take on another focus. Our songs will take on another focus. We are
under limitations – but we won’t always be new at this. 5 years – 10 years – we will have trained intercessors. Holiness and
the fasted lifestyle will seem reasonable. And it won’t seem like we’re wasting our lives – we’ll be like the seraphim who gaze
on God who don’t think it’s a waste of time. John the Baptist didn’t think it was a waste. This is really good – and we’re
breaking the lie that we’re wasting our time!
- It’s all about desire. We’ll come in and out of a life of prayer. Come as a priest and gaze on the beauty – an
indwelling spirit at the end of the age. We have more within our reach than King David. We’re have a living and revelatory
spirit in our hearts -- transformation through fascination. Then go out as kings and defeat the enemies of God. Our spirits
are made for this. It is the wisest way to spend our life. We’re all called to gaze and be fascinated – awestruck and stunned.
- A door is open – through this Throne a Person – One who has the plan – to bring forth voluntary lovers without violating
free will, promises, or the word of God.
- So Revelation 4 and 5 is the entry point -- the scene around the throne when God the Father presents His scroll
to His Son. The scroll represents the plan of God to have voluntary lovers at the end of natural history. They are
children/sons of God as pertaining to the Father and the bride of Christ as pertaining to the Son. But in one sentence they
are voluntary lovers.
- God’s glory, wrath, and judgment flow out of the same heart. His glory empowers His people and His judgments
remove everything that hinders love. Chapters 6-22 are the release of His glory and His judgments. It is the release of
His glory to those who will receive Him and His wrath to those who will resist Him. In order to understand the glory and the
judgments that are coming that are at the heart of the forerunner ministry, God introduces us to the heavenly courtroom –
the heavenly symphony – in Revelation 4 and 5. We have to be rooted in Revelation 4 and 5 or we end up misunder-
standing God’s judgments and false ideas lead us to offense and negative conclusions and misunderstandings even
in God’s people.
- Revelation 4 and 5 – John receiving this tremendous amount of beauty before he is to announce the news that will
shake all of human history. This pattern of revealing the beauty to equip to reveal judgments is found in a number of places in
Scripture. God takes the prophet – He reveals His beauty to them – as the condition that equips and sustains to unfold the
message of judgment. No document in history has surpassed Revelation 4 and 5. It all comes together right here. John the
one who saw His beauty second to nobody was entrusted with the judgment message second to nobody. John goes beyond
Isaiah. It is not only that the beauty of the Lord equips John, it equips him to present it to the masses. One of the great things
that will be created in the body of Christ - there are more and more judgment preachers – something of tremendous
consequences is about to touch planet earth and more and more are being raised up. The message of judgment unrelated
to the beauty of God is an unsafe message that leads to somewhere else other than abandonment.
- Bible study really is good and important. But power comes when preach with a fascinated heart.
- The message of God’s judgments separated from the message of God’s beauty can set back God’s people. Some
in the body – due to judgments – only vent a lot of anger and personal disappointments to the body – it doesn’t turn the
hearts of the multitudes to the love of God. It doesn’t produce radical believers.
- Ezekiel is really intense. Ezekiel 1-3 – he’s 25 years old – receives the beauty of God and it launches him into the
prophetic ministry of judgment. It is not an accident that he confronted the beauty of the Lord first because it gave him
courage as a prophet and it gave him tenderness as a communicator to God’s people as an equipper of those that say yes
to God to equip them in a way they can receive.
- Isaiah 6 – the same thing happened. John is the only one who would have exceeded him in terms of revelation.
Isaiah 6 – he is being ordained and commissioned as a prophet and he sees this revelation of the beauty of the Lord as it
prepares him to make it known to the people and it gives him courage as a prophet of God. Same thing happens to Daniel in
Daniel 7 on the beauty of God.
- Isaiah 33:17 – “and then your eyes will see the beauty of the King” There is a time when the eyes of our heart will
be opened – and one day our natural eyes – but even before the Lord appears on the last day, the people of God will
perceive the man Christ Jesus as a beautiful King – awe struck by His beauty. He’ll give us beauty for ashes. He will reveal
God’s beauty and then reveal it to that person. He will make the redeemed beautiful by the grace of God – it’s the beauty
realm God gives the broken ones
- John presented with a view of earthly happenings from the perspective of Him who sits on the throne
- John must prophesy, as did Ezekiel, the displacement of the old sinful order by that of the perfect order of the new
- creation.
- The great battle is over the gaze of man. Isaiah 40:6-8 … Get eyes off man … Behold Your God … look at Him …
He will come … Behold Him
- The reason John was given this vision was because God wanted him to be sure that everything was alright in heaven
– that God was still in complete control – that the earth was not out of His control – that heaven is still heaven and God is still
God – and the sovereignty still invested in His Son is still as strong as ever it was. When we face terrible difficulties and
disasters in the world, this is what you need to be absolutely sure of. If you only look at what is happening in the world, you
will be disturbed and your heart will be troubled. You need always constantly to be recapturing the picture that John had here:
God is still on the throne, power is still in His hands, no one can do anything down here without God’s permission – even the
devil has to have God’s permission before he touches a single human being (Job). (DP)
References: Ezekiel 1:1 (Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives
by the River Chebar, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God); Revelation 1:10 (I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard
behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet); Matthew 3:16; Acts 7:36; 10:11; Jeremiah 23:18 (For who has stood in the counsel of the Lord, and has
perceived and heard His word? Who has marked His word and heard it?); 23:22 (But if they had stood in My counsel, and had caused My people
to hear My words, then they would have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings)
4:2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.
- I was in the Spirit and I saw the issues of the universe
- I was – I became in – completely rapt in vision into the heavenly world (JFB)
- In the Spirit – the Holy Spirit was giving him a vision – showing him situations and events he could not see with mere
human eyes. All true prophecy comes from God through the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20, 21) (LB)
- Was set – not was placed – but was situated; lit., “lay” (JFB)
- John’s state of spiritual receptiveness (NCBC)
- Revelation 4 and 5 portrays what the Throne of God looks like. The fact that God reveals this to us is staggering.
He has been dwelling in the fullness of the Trinity in eternity – billions and billions of years – and He has a burning desire in
His heart to create human beings and to bring humans into the fellowship of the Trinity – into the fascination and beauty of
eternity – into fellowship with Him. I call it the “heavenly symphony”.
- The scene is changed from earth to heaven (JFB)
- God on His throne as the covenant God of His church (JFB)
- The one on the throne is the Eternal Father – The Creator. When the Son is introduced in 5:5-9, there is a distinction
between the Sitter on the throne and the Lamb (JFB)
- A throne is the seat of honor, authority, and judgment (MH)
- Key word (so often there is a key word in each chapter/book). The key word here in Chapters 4 and 5 appears 16
times: “throne” is the key word. That is where the whole universe is controlled from. In the olden days if there was trouble in
some remote area in the Roman empire, the emperor would send his son and give him an army and say go and defeat that
enemy. And the son would set off as a general with an army behind him and if he was victorious when he returned there would
be a triumphant procession in Rome to honor him. The hero would appear first on his horse riding, behind him would be the
army that helped win the victory, and then the prisoners in chains, and then slaves would come carrying the booty. The
emperor would sit on high throne watching his son and gifts would be given to everyone. Then the emperor would say to his
son, “Son, you have conquered. You have upheld the rule. Come and sit at my right hand.” And occasionally the emperor
went further and said, “Son, because of your victory, you may now take my place, I give you the throne of the empire.” And
he would abdicate and the conquering son would take over. This is exactly what happened when Jesus ascended to heaven.
“When Jesus ascended on high, He lead prisoners captive and gave gifts to men.” It is the day that God, the Father, handed
over authority on heaven and earth to His Son who returned from the terrible battle with the devil. (DP)
- Why is it that this feature exists? What we see is what God allows us to see. God is beginning with a blank canvas and
could list anything – there could be 960 horses. Every feature revealed is profoundly significant.
- Why specifically did He reveal these 25-40 things? There are 10,000 not mentioned. Why were these things revealed?
It must:
- Have a meaning to us in this age
- God pulled out a dimension/small percentage – this will lead you somewhere if you meditate on it
- Each feature leads to a mystery
- What impact will this have to me in this age? Because that is why they are here
- God hides so much of His mystery and majesty
- Psalm 145:5 “I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works”
- The 30-40 aspects God reveals are in contrast to the 10,000 He doesn’t reveal
30-40 revealed vs. 10,000 unrevealed
- Every feature could be book
- When we actually see it, we will say, “There’s so much you didn’t tell us”. And He will have a big grin and say, “Aren’t
you fascinated by this?”
- We are going to live forever in the proximity to this scene – the Heavenly Symphony. It is absolutely “good news”.
- A Ministry to God Focus:
- You don’t want to take this for granted at all
- Immediately I was in the Spirit and behold a throne
- First thing – that when I pray – when not rambling – in a focus – focus on the Throne and not praying into the air. That is
significant to making prayer relative and dynamic
- Praying to One who sits upon the throne. Locking into this concept of being before the Throne and in the presence of
the holy angels. Here we are ... 1 Corinthians 14:2 … speaking in tongues – speaks mysteries – mysteries unfold when spirit
prays – an unveiling of God to the spirit – speak to God in tongues – charges up the spiritual battery – speak in tongues to God
- When we pray to the air, we don’t get what is there. But when locked in – Behold a Throne – when this drops in our
spirit: freshness and vitality increase. We’re not praying for people to listen but praying in context to beholding the throne.
- Daniel 7:9 and 10 – the throne ablaze with fire.
- Both engulfed in brilliant, dazzling, light and color – engulfed in fire – can’t see the Father’s face – but radiant fire and
He is saying, “I like you. I like you. Talk to Me.”
- Daniel 7:10 – a river of fire – not a complete picture – 1/10th of 1% of what exists
- Psalm 104:2 “Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, who stretch out the heavens like a curtain”
- So there is radiant light engulfed in flaming fire
- 1 Timothy 6:16 – God dwells in unapproachable light
- The Bridegroom becomes a sensual imitation if we don’t have the Father’s throne in the equation of our understanding.
Jesus the King releasing the harvest through the splendor of the Throne – we touch the throne with fear and trembling instead
of glibly like today when we encounter the Throne.
- There is an established throne.
- God the Father is totally in charge and He has a mysterious plan in His heart. The plan is:
- Give His Kingdom to His Beloved Son (Daniel 7:13-14)
- He wants His Son to reign with His bride (Daniel 7:18 & 27)
- The Father allows history to end with world leader/an enemy that has to be defeated/overcome. History will end in
4. The evil empire will make war and prevail/overcome (martyrdom) for a seasons
- God prepares His bride and makes her worthy
- She will be equally yoked and worthy
- Martyrdom is the training – purifies and refines
- To go deep in anything you have to become familiar with it. You can’t speak in romance in a language unless you l
earn the language ahead of time. What we’re doing now we are learning the language of the Throne. The highway into other
realms of God’s activities goes right through the door into the Throne of God.
- We try to get the furniture arranged. The lamps arranged – divine entertainment at its best. Be a throne gazer – not
just meditate – I want to look into the throne and see Jesus and The Father as I interact – lead me to a trembling, rejoicing,
kissing realm. Little things look little and deep things become real, big things seem real. If go through the door to the throne
big things will see more real. Why there is a blessing to anybody who will read. Read Revelation regularly – it does something
to your spirit.
- The pastoral purpose of the Book of Revelation is to assure the suffering church that the Father and Son know
everything that is happening in their experience. God gave it to John because they were suffering persecution. He wanted
them to know that the rampant flow evil did not escape the notice of the Father and the Son. But God would use this evil and
triumph over it and produce voluntary lovers at the end of natural history. He would release His glory and judgments to meet
this evil. He vindicates righteousness and removes all sin.
- Psalm 84 – “How lovely is your dwelling place” and the ultimate manifestation is in Revelation 4 and 5. Psalm 27:4 –
one thing – the beauty of the Lord has its highest expression/manifestation in Revelation 4 and 5. The realm of beauty David
wanted to gaze on. Every single detail is strategic and when meditated and developed on will lead our hearts to fascination.
It has to be more than curiosity, but specific divine revelation to prepare us. It’s the beauty realm and the beauty of God most
revealed here. There is a three-fold foundation of revelation. Every verse has a trilogy. But in terms of life in the natural, it
begins with verse 4:2 “immediately” – a three-fold paradigm of life.
- First thing we encounter is people in the natural realm. We must be a people who hunger for the realm of the Holy
Spirit. The entire man energized in the inner man through the Spirit. We must not be content to live outside of the realm of
the Spirit. Our natural man blinded by unbelief and darkness of heart. Ephesians 3:16 – view life through lens of the Spirit.
- The first thing John encounters is a realm we can only encounter by the Holy Spirit. Our quest to be people of the Spirit
is to radically feed our spirits on the word of God. A little on the run will never make us people who see in the Spirit -- then a
lifestyle of obedience – a life of meditation on the word. Also need to pray in the Spirit. Praying in the Spirit gives us spiritual
revelation – you speak mysteries. Pray much in Spirit – truth and reality break forth. A lifestyle of fasting causes us to receive
more, faster and deeper.
1. Men and women pursuing a life of revelation.
2. Behold a throne – circumstances cloud out our thinking – we are driven and shut down by fear – when we know there
is a triumphant power. One of the negatives in the church today is “behold a tragedy” in their spirit and they look at
circumstances and lose their strength and courage. We must be a people who focus on the throne.
3. It’s a person. One who sets on the throne. The most natural reaction is to look to our self as our own resource so
we panic and feel panic and rejection. But there is One who is a genius and a Living One who is the center of reality. He looks
on our life and defines what our life is about. We don’t have to live by the darkened understanding of our unrenewed mind.
- Our life is rooted around the throne and He purposely remains in obscurity. God the Father doesn’t just open Himself up
– He gives us tokens and beckons us to come and get more.
- Now one of the reasons it is so important is when we study the Book of Revelation, we see His judgments. When the
enemy comes and tempts us to think the rainbow round the throne comes up short – somewhere Go undermines mercy. God
shows John that from chapters 9-16 He never violates the mercy – it is offered to the whole human race.
- Genesis 9 – with Noah – the rainbow was the covenant of mercy. That God would make a way for weak human beings.
But it is more than a reality – it’s the fact that God desires to make a way.
- The rainbow reveals the personality of God and even before there was a human race. Ezekiel 1:28 – when Ezekiel saw
the throne He saw the rainbow he knew it was good for the human race. Not wrong thought or motive – there is goodwill in His
jasper being but the terrifying sardus – His zeal to remove for justice sake every thing that gets in the way of holiness – the
rainbow beckons the human race to come. No matter what happens, you know that the three colors come through the grid of
purity of motive and desire of goodness of God’s holiness. It comes through the grid of justice tempered by mercy. So no
matter what happens, you can understand the unfolding of God’s plan at the end of the age.
- Five verses – three each – 15 subjects – are in themselves worth months of study. Value these. Revelation of God’s
burning heart – a treasure hunt – ask Holy Spirit to take us up that mountain.
- This kind of revelation you have to have courage to preach – the Book of Revelation. As long as we try to do charts
and times and sequences, we won’t cause the devil any trouble. But when we begin to preach with living understanding it will
cause an outrage of people on the earth. We want to preach to connect others to the beauty.
- Throne – symbolizing power – occurs 14 times (TB) (7x2/twice complete)
- Let it be known, where the Lord is, there also is His throne
- Our call: to call the gaze of humanity to Him (Isaiah 40)
- The great battle is over the gaze of man…..behold your God…..look at Him……Behold Him
- He is seated on a throne. He has all authority over everything. He is called the Ancient of Days. He is our Father.
- He is totally in charge and he has a mysterious plan in His heart
References: Revelation 1:10 (I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet); Isaiah 6:1 (In the year that
King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple); Daniel 7:9-10 (I watched till thrones
were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated; his garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a
fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire; a fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; ten thousand
times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened); 2 Peter 1:20, 21 (knowing this first, that no prophecy of
Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy
Spirit); Ezekiel 1:26 (And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness
of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it)