The Lord God Almighty

April 22, 2018 Background Scripture: Revelation 4 Lesson Passage: Revelation 4:1 – 6, 8 – 11 Tamela Mann sings it very well: “I can only imagine!” What will the first glimpse of God feel like to a mortal who at one time would have been instantly destroyed if he dared to look upon a holy God? I don’t believe there is any earthly experience or notion that could prepare one for such a face-to-face encounter. When John used the appearance of precious gems in an attempt to describe his encounter, we must appreciate that he is using earthly things that he was familiar with to try to describe heavenly things that were very unfamiliar to him and us. John’s descriptive language went as far as his previous exposure and experience could carry him. Today’s lesson begins with a lead-in that says: “after these things”. It is important to revisit “these things” before we proceed to look at the text for today. John is a prisoner on the island of Patmos; which is located in the Aegean Sea—an arm of the Mediterranean Sea east of Greece. John saw the risen Lord walking among seven candlesticks. He was told that the candlesticks represented the churches. It is refreshing and instructive to know that the Lord was walking among the churches and observing them. This is made even clearer by the Lord’s request. John was told to write a letter to each of the churches that contained an evaluation of the respective church by the Lord Jesus. John wrote seven short letters. Each letter was addressed to a different church as specified by the Lord. It was after “these things” that John saw an opening in the sky and heard the voice of the one he had seen walking among the candlesticks call him to come up into heaven. According to John’s account, after the invitation, he was immediately standing in the throne room of heaven. There he saw a figure sitting on the throne, twenty-four elders surrounding it, and four living creatures. John gave a dazzling description of the scene. The throne he saw in heaven appeared to be illuminated by many precious gems. (Can you imagine all of the colors of the rainbow emanating from the throne in shimmering fashion?) The throne was surrounded by twenty-four thrones that were occupied by the elders. The four living creatures praised God continuously day and night. Their praise elicited a worship response from the twenty-four elders who were arrayed in their white garments and wearing crowns. Their worship consisted of falling down before the throne and casting their crowns as an offering to the one who sat on the throne. The worship of the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures gives an indication of the awesomeness of God and what it must be like to be found in His presence where His glory has its full expression. Although the scene shifts between heaven and earth as the book continues to unfold, it should be noted that John did not mention the church on earth again until after all judgments had been rendered and a new heaven and a new earth appeared. The focus of the book from this point is on the Lord God Almighty and His judgments. Robert C. Hudson March 8, 2017