Chapter 4:1-3 Session 1

1Mastering “…the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”

LTS

CHAPTER 4:1-3SESSION 1

May 30, 2009

The Throne Room of the

Universe


The Throne

Roomof the

Universe

REVELATION 4


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 show thee

things which must be hereafter.”

Revelation 4:1

Meta tauta, after these things


Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

Revelation 19:7

The Marriage Supper


YHWH Would be Married to Israel• The Bible likens efei to a bridegroom and Israel

to His bride Isaiah 54:5, 6; 62:5

• Efei said Israel would call Him Husband Hosea 2:16• Hellenistic Jews consider Song of Solomon an allegory

about the love of efei for His bride• 10 times in Scripture Israel is alluded to as “the bride”


Two Stages of the Jewish Wedding• The Ketubah (betrothal) stage

– The betrothal contract is called a Ketubah (three steps)1. The contract is given to the bride…this contract was the

Torah (first five books of the Bible)………..Exodus 19:52. Israel accepted the contract…………………..Exodus 19:7-83. The bride was sanctified/washed…………..Exodus 19:10-11

• The Huppah (formal ceremony) stage– This is the canopy where bride and groom meet to make the

marriage public/official– Efei came down in a cloud (huppah) and met with Moses and

led Israel through the desert for 38 years Deuteronomy 33:2


The Wedding Banquet• In Matthew 22:1-14, Messiah gave a parable of a

wedding banquet in which there was a king’s son about to be married. Those invited did not show up, and the king was very angry and ordered that others be invited. One man tried to get in without the proper wedding garment and was escorted out – the outer darkness

• The Hebrew people were sent the prophets and other righteous people and they stoned them


The Jewish Wedding• The Ketubah, Betrothal

– Payment of the purchase price– Set apart (sanctified)

• Bridegroom departs to Father’s House– Prepares room addition– Bride prepares for his imminent return

• Surprise gathering– Huppah, Wedding

• Seven day Marriage supper

Isa 61:10; Judges 14:10-11; Jer 2:32; Isa 49:18; Psa 45:8-15

Jer 7:34; 16:9; 25:10;Psa 45:8-15; Matt 25:1-13

Judges 14:12; Matt 9:15; 22:11-14; John 2:1


The Marriage Fulfilled• Covenant established: 1 Cor 11:25

• Purchase price: 1 Cor 6:19-20

• Bride set apart: Eph 5:25-27; 1 Cor 1:2; 6:11; Heb 10:10; 13:12

• Reminded of the covenant: 1 Cor 11:25-26

• Bridegroom left for the Father’s house…• Escort to accompany Him upon His return

to gather His Bride 1 Thess 4:16-17


The

Process1ST THESSALONIANS

4:13-18


For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

Job 19:25-27


But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede them which are asleep.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-15


For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18


The Jewish Wedding• Began with a public ceremony in which the

couple announced intentions to get married

• The betrothal lasted approximately a year


The Jewish Wedding• Meanwhile, the bride prepared herself

• Finally, at a day and hour not known to her, the bridegroom would return with a blowing of the shofar and the ceremony would begin

• The feast would last for seven days


The Vision of the Bride And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

Revelation 21:9-10


The Vision of the Bride

Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

Revelation 21:11-12


The Vision of the Bride Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 1Jn 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

1st John 3:2-3


A Friend of the Bridegroom Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.

1st John 3:2-3


A Friend of the Bridegroom For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

2nd Corinthians 11:2-3


Messiah and the Church That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Ephesians 5:27


Messiah and the Church

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

Isaiah 61:10


Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Revelation 19:7-8

Eternity’s Crowning Event


And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

Revelation 19:9

Eternity’s Crowning Event


Eternity’s Crowning Event• All of heaven’s hosts rejoiced on the

occasion of the Lamb’s wedding• The bride was already with the bridegroom

at the Wedding Supper• The bride had made herself ready• The wedding gown she wore was “the

righteousness of the saints”


Eternity’s Crowning Event• Those who were called to the marriage

supper of the Lamb were also blessed• All the details of this story are accurate• They are the “true sayings of God”


JOHN 14The

Promise


Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

John 14:1


Who is the Messiah?

KnewDidn’t Know

Was God

Wasn’t God Liar

Lord!

Lunatic

X


The

OpeningREVELATION 4:1-3


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.

Revelation 4:1

The Throne Room of Heaven


• The scene now shifts from God the Son writing to the churches to the throne room

• A door is opened– In the original, it is perfect tense– “a door already having been opened”– There are many parallels…



• Ezekiel did not mention a door, but said “the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.”

Ezekiel 1:1• The “heavens were opened” at Messiah’s

baptism Matthew 3:16; Luke 3:21• The stoning of Stephen Acts 7:56• Peter’s vision of unclean animals Acts 10:11• The second coming of Messiah

Revelation 19:11




Revelation 4:1



• The voice is probably better translated “The first voice I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said…”

• This is the voice John heard at the first, on the Lord’s Day, which sounded like a trumpet Revelation 1:10




Revelation 4:1



• This is the primary purpose of the Revelation

• The scenes typically follow a pattern of a heavenly setting being described by an earthly setting




Revelation 4:1



• Meta Tauta – these are things which are sure to take place for they must take place

• God’s prophetic word cannot be brokenJohn 10:35

• This is why the sword extends from the mouth of Messiah – the will of God, once spoken, is unstoppable

Revelation 1:16; 19:15



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 4:2-3



• Once again, John is in the SpiritRevelation 1:10

• Ezekiel described something similar as the hand of the Lord being upon him

Ezekiel 1:3; 3:14• Later, he records “the Spirit lifted me up

between earth and heaven, and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem.”

Ezekiel 8:3



• He was once again taken to ChaldeaEzekiel 11:24

• He was taken to the valley of dry bonesEzekiel 37:1




Revelation 4:2-3



• Isaiah had a similar visionIsaiah 6:1

• This is where Messiah is presented to the “Ancient of Days” to receive His kingdom

Daniel 7:9-14• In Ezekiel’s vision, “on the likeness of a

throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man”

Ezekiel 1:26



• The one sitting is God the Father, not God the Son, for Messiah comes to the throne to receive the scroll with the seven seals

Revelation 5:1-7• This is One whose wrath, along with that of

the Lamb, is poured out upon the earth dwellers

Revelation 6:16-17



• He is on the throne, signifying His ultimate rule and control of all that transpires in the book

Revelation 4:5, 9, 10; 5:1, 6, 7, 13; 6:16; 7:10, 15; 16:17; 19:4; 20:11-15; 21:5

• Even the final manifestation of evil is dependent upon permission being granted from the Father Revelation 3:21; 6:4; 7:2; 13:7, 14, 15



And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.

Ezekiel 1:26



And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.

Ezekiel 1:27



As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.

Ezekiel 1:28



• Did you notice something missing in John’s actions?– There is no mention of John collapsing under

the vision of God’s glory as occurs so frequently elsewhere

Isaiah 6:5; Ezekiel 1:28; 3:23; Daniel 10:8; Matthew 17:6; Mark 9:6; Acts 9:4; Revelation 1:17



–Perhaps this is because John had already been strengthened by Messiah following his earlier collapse at the revelation of the risen Messiah

Revelation 1:17



• What John saw was a real, material place


Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

Luke 24:39



Revelation 4:2-3



For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

2nd Peter 3:5-7



?

Chapter 4:1-3 Session 1

Documents

Transcript of Chapter 4:1-3 Session 1