1 00:00:00,334 --> 00:00:04,801 We'll be continuing our study in the book of Revelation this morning. 2 00:00:05,204 --> 00:00:10,473 So I encourage you to turn over to Revelation chapter five. 3 00:00:10,473 --> 00:00:13,288 We'll be there in just a moment. 4 00:00:19,712 --> 00:00:21,607 Let's begin with a word of prayer. 5 00:00:23,182 --> 00:00:32,269 Your gracious Father in heaven, we bow before your throne, grateful for the day that you've blessed us with, grateful for the life and the opportunity that we have to serve 6 00:00:32,269 --> 00:00:33,090 you. 7 00:00:33,150 --> 00:00:37,673 We're grateful for all that you do for us on a daily basis. 8 00:00:37,734 --> 00:00:43,738 We're mindful of your blessings, of your care, your guidance, your provision. 9 00:00:43,979 --> 00:00:53,038 We're grateful especially for your revelation that you have delivered to us through the work of Christ, through the message and the 10 00:00:53,038 --> 00:01:01,042 uh work of the Holy Spirit through the apostles and the prophets and the writers in the first century and all throughout ancient history. 11 00:01:01,121 --> 00:01:11,408 We pray that we might always be attentive to the things which you have written in Scripture, that we might know both how to live and how to move and how to serve you. 12 00:01:11,568 --> 00:01:23,104 Lord, we pray that you be with us as we strive diligently to follow in your footsteps, to follow in the path that Christ led us in and showed us how to live and 13 00:01:23,106 --> 00:01:25,166 how to serve you acceptably. 14 00:01:25,207 --> 00:01:34,329 Lord, when we fail to do that, when we sin and fall short of your glory, we pray and ask that you will forgive us of those things as we're willing to repent of them. 15 00:01:34,449 --> 00:01:48,673 Lord, we pray for the world and we pray for its leaders, we pray for the nations, we pray for those who are far off from your word and do not have easy access to it. 16 00:01:48,693 --> 00:01:51,244 Pray that they might diligently seek 17 00:01:51,308 --> 00:02:01,164 your word and that they might diligently seek to understand who you are and that they might have the opportunity in the life uh to be able to do so. 18 00:02:01,505 --> 00:02:11,431 We're also mindful that we have a responsibility in that regard and we pray that we might have a mind to preach the gospel and to take it to every corner of the world. 19 00:02:11,672 --> 00:02:15,434 All these things we pray and ask in Jesus' name, amen. 20 00:02:18,350 --> 00:02:25,966 Thought we would do a quick recap as we get into chapter five and some visuals might be helpful along the way. 21 00:02:25,966 --> 00:02:27,477 We open the book. 22 00:02:27,477 --> 00:02:31,551 John is there in exile on the island of Patmos. 23 00:02:31,551 --> 00:02:36,885 He is in exile for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 24 00:02:36,885 --> 00:02:43,670 As John is there on the Lord's Day worshiping, he hears a voice behind him. 25 00:02:43,714 --> 00:02:58,784 And when he turns to see the one who is speaking to him, he sees one like the Son of Man, glowing and white and surrounded by seven golden candlesticks. 26 00:02:59,185 --> 00:03:10,512 And the one who is there in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks is holding seven stars, and he tells us what the stars are, he tells us what the candlesticks are. 27 00:03:10,512 --> 00:03:11,713 So we know what they are. 28 00:03:11,713 --> 00:03:13,298 The stars are the 29 00:03:13,298 --> 00:03:17,310 angels of the seven churches, the candlesticks are the seven churches. 30 00:03:17,310 --> 00:03:25,627 Then in chapter two, he begins the messages that will go out to the seven churches of Asia Minor. 31 00:03:25,627 --> 00:03:33,552 And there's a brief map of the area where Asia Minor is and the churches located there. 32 00:03:33,612 --> 00:03:41,740 Then in chapter four, as those messages conclude, John sees in the vision and he tells us he's 33 00:03:41,740 --> 00:03:43,690 he's back in the vision. 34 00:03:43,691 --> 00:03:54,134 He sees an open door and the one who spoke to him in chapter 1 invites him to come through the door. 35 00:03:54,314 --> 00:04:01,936 So, he is called up as he goes through the door, he tells us in the vision that he sees a throne room. 36 00:04:01,977 --> 00:04:07,020 In the midst of the throne room is one who he describes only with a 37 00:04:07,020 --> 00:04:12,871 picture of color and eminence of His glory, the one who sits on the throne. 38 00:04:13,292 --> 00:04:21,894 Then before the throne, He sees 24 elders on 24 thrones surrounding the throne. 39 00:04:21,894 --> 00:04:32,477 Before the throne as well, He sees the seven spirits of God and pictured there again in the candlestick or the lampstands. 40 00:04:32,477 --> 00:04:36,754 He also sees a sea of glass that 41 00:04:36,754 --> 00:04:38,895 is surrounding the throne. 42 00:04:38,895 --> 00:04:44,356 And then lastly, he describes the four beasts that are surrounding the throne. 43 00:04:44,356 --> 00:04:52,068 And we mentioned as we closed last week that these four beasts are pulled from Ezekiel. 44 00:04:52,068 --> 00:04:55,169 Many of these pictures are Old Testament pictures. 45 00:04:55,169 --> 00:05:00,881 The sea of glass representing the nations is an Old Testament picture. 46 00:05:00,881 --> 00:05:03,432 The thrones are an Old Testament picture. 47 00:05:03,432 --> 00:05:05,450 That all of these things 48 00:05:05,450 --> 00:05:19,760 are Old Testament pictures, they're not just figments of John's imagination, and by the way, they are not intended to be a forecasting of what heaven will look like. 49 00:05:20,861 --> 00:05:23,673 That's not the point of the book of Revelation. 50 00:05:23,673 --> 00:05:32,802 As a matter of fact, it is both comforting and somewhat perhaps distressing, depending on how you look at it. 51 00:05:32,802 --> 00:05:41,087 to realize that the book of Revelation is really not intended to tell us about what heaven will be like. 52 00:05:42,268 --> 00:05:50,233 Except to say that the book of Revelation reiterates the promises that are found everywhere else in scripture. 53 00:05:50,974 --> 00:05:58,759 For instance, Jesus said, come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. 54 00:05:58,880 --> 00:05:59,790 Well, guess what? 55 00:05:59,790 --> 00:06:02,446 For the Christian who overcomes, who 56 00:06:02,446 --> 00:06:09,566 reaches eternity, God promises rest in the book of Revelation, just like He promises elsewhere in the New Testament. 57 00:06:10,206 --> 00:06:21,806 When you picture and think in your mind concerning the things that Jesus said, for instance in John chapter 14 about a house and many mansions and a place prepared, well 58 00:06:21,806 --> 00:06:29,426 certainly you see in the book of Revelation that God has preparations made for the faithful when they arrive. 59 00:06:29,566 --> 00:06:30,606 Great. 60 00:06:31,394 --> 00:06:39,836 What the point is, the visuals aren't there so we can know what heaven will be like. 61 00:06:40,557 --> 00:06:42,857 You say, Aaron, how do you know? 62 00:06:43,177 --> 00:06:51,299 Well, in 1 John chapter 3, John, the writer of the book of Revelation, tells us so. 63 00:06:52,360 --> 00:07:01,102 In order for us to grasp this continual lesson that if the book tells us what it means, 64 00:07:01,228 --> 00:07:02,821 That's what it means. 65 00:07:02,821 --> 00:07:09,181 If the text of scripture tells us how we should interpret the book, then that's how we should interpret the book. 66 00:07:09,181 --> 00:07:11,166 So turn to 1 John chapter 3. 67 00:07:15,310 --> 00:07:23,292 1 John chapter 3 verse 1, Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God. 68 00:07:23,292 --> 00:07:26,853 Therefore the world does not know us because it did not know Him. 69 00:07:26,853 --> 00:07:36,756 Beloved, now we are the children of God and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. 70 00:07:37,216 --> 00:07:43,566 But we know this, that when He is revealed we shall be like Him 71 00:07:43,566 --> 00:07:48,560 for we shall see him as he is. 72 00:07:50,486 --> 00:08:04,860 Now why would the Holy Spirit inspire through John a message to say to the Christians, don't know what we will be like, we simply know we will be like Christ when we are in 73 00:08:04,860 --> 00:08:11,186 eternity, and then turn around and inspire John to paint a picture of what we'll be like? 74 00:08:13,038 --> 00:08:14,825 The answer is because he didn't. 75 00:08:16,588 --> 00:08:21,080 This tells us what we know about what we'll be like in eternity. 76 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:23,001 Not the book of Revelation. 77 00:08:23,381 --> 00:08:33,025 Revelation is a picture of what God was doing in terms that humans can understand. 78 00:08:35,208 --> 00:08:40,621 And John tells us what we'll be like in eternity. 79 00:08:40,902 --> 00:08:47,626 It's not something that humans can understand because we'll be like him. 80 00:08:48,198 --> 00:08:52,709 And everything in the book of Revelation doesn't look like eternity. 81 00:08:52,709 --> 00:08:55,051 It looks like the earth. 82 00:08:55,051 --> 00:08:58,573 It looks like the creatures around the throne. 83 00:08:58,933 --> 00:09:00,574 What do they all look like? 84 00:09:02,198 --> 00:09:03,760 earthly creatures. 85 00:09:05,229 --> 00:09:08,638 The people who are around the throne, what do they look like? 86 00:09:11,266 --> 00:09:12,846 Human elders. 87 00:09:13,567 --> 00:09:16,188 The thrones, what do they look like? 88 00:09:16,948 --> 00:09:18,609 Thrones you'd find on the earth. 89 00:09:18,609 --> 00:09:23,611 Do you think God sits on a throne in heaven that looks like a throne on earth? 90 00:09:24,091 --> 00:09:25,692 No, I don't think so. 91 00:09:25,972 --> 00:09:29,534 The glory that emanates around it, how is it described? 92 00:09:29,534 --> 00:09:35,136 In terms of colors from gems and jewels and things that exist on the earth. 93 00:09:36,016 --> 00:09:37,227 What is this telling us? 94 00:09:37,227 --> 00:09:40,428 It's telling us that we're, God's doing 95 00:09:40,428 --> 00:09:47,745 this vision and giving this vision in a way that John can actually describe it to another human. 96 00:09:48,366 --> 00:10:00,738 Because if he gave a vision in heavenly terms with heavenly visionary elements with things that no one had seen and no one could grasp, John couldn't communicate it to anybody. 97 00:10:03,874 --> 00:10:15,081 We are not to come to the book of Revelation and open the book and say, here's what I read, now I know what heaven will be like. 98 00:10:15,622 --> 00:10:16,662 No. 99 00:10:17,363 --> 00:10:18,424 You want to know how? 100 00:10:18,424 --> 00:10:24,948 We know that because John specifically tells us that's not what he's doing. 101 00:10:25,889 --> 00:10:32,453 He's telling you what he saw in a vision and what it means. 102 00:10:33,208 --> 00:10:41,024 So in John chapter four, he sees, now you're gonna see in some of these pictures, like, wait a minute, I don't remember reading that in John chapter four, where did all these 103 00:10:41,024 --> 00:10:41,925 people come from? 104 00:10:41,925 --> 00:10:43,527 They come from the rest of the book. 105 00:10:43,527 --> 00:10:47,330 You're gonna find them later introduced into the book. 106 00:10:47,330 --> 00:10:54,536 So the multitude surrounding the throne in the picture, trust me, it's there, John just hasn't described it yet, all right? 107 00:10:54,536 --> 00:10:56,918 So then we see the elders. 108 00:10:56,918 --> 00:11:02,592 What do they do every time the four beasts cry out, holy, holy, holy? 109 00:11:02,592 --> 00:11:03,663 Lord God Almighty. 110 00:11:03,663 --> 00:11:05,084 What do the elders do? 111 00:11:05,685 --> 00:11:15,693 They take their golden crowns of overcoming of victory and they cast them before the throne and they worship the one who's on the throne. 112 00:11:15,693 --> 00:11:32,416 Now we said last week that John chapter 14 verse 3 tells us what these two chapters, chapters 4 and 5, are all about because Jesus tells his disciples, if you believe in God, 113 00:11:32,780 --> 00:11:34,570 believe also in me. 114 00:11:35,291 --> 00:11:39,951 And that message is the message of Revelation 4 and 5. 115 00:11:39,951 --> 00:11:44,994 Chapter 4 is dedicated to, here's the one who's sitting on the throne. 116 00:11:44,994 --> 00:11:47,194 Here's God the Father. 117 00:11:47,274 --> 00:11:49,374 Caesar's not on the throne. 118 00:11:49,515 --> 00:11:51,595 Rome is not on the throne. 119 00:11:51,595 --> 00:11:53,556 God is on the throne. 120 00:11:54,436 --> 00:12:01,058 And His glory is such that He can't even be described in human terms. 121 00:12:02,122 --> 00:12:15,449 Then we have the ones who surround the throne, we have the ones who are God's judgment actors who are before the throne, and they're all declaring only one God is holy. 122 00:12:16,330 --> 00:12:20,613 And only one God is worthy of worship. 123 00:12:20,613 --> 00:12:22,533 So we get to chapter five. 124 00:12:23,014 --> 00:12:30,590 In chapter five, the message is Christ is on. 125 00:12:30,902 --> 00:12:44,963 the throne, and he's going be pictured before the throne, but we're going to see him presented with the same declaration, he is holy and he is worthy. 126 00:12:44,963 --> 00:12:57,496 Okay, so chapter five, as we conclude chapter four, verse 11, you are worthy, O Lord, speaking of God the Father, to receive glory and honor and power. 127 00:12:57,496 --> 00:13:04,269 For you created all things and by your will they exist and were created. 128 00:13:04,289 --> 00:13:14,106 And I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back sealed with seven seals. 129 00:13:14,106 --> 00:13:21,478 All right, so again, I'm gonna keep using the movie picture imagery here because we're all used to movies. 130 00:13:21,478 --> 00:13:22,390 Imagine. 131 00:13:22,390 --> 00:13:28,032 John first walks in the throne room and the very first thing the camera focuses on is the throne room. 132 00:13:28,032 --> 00:13:32,073 And then it widens out and zooms out and here are these elders. 133 00:13:32,073 --> 00:13:44,897 And then John focuses on the beasts and the sea of glass and he sees these things and now chapter five opens up and he suddenly zooms in on something that's in the right hand of 134 00:13:44,897 --> 00:13:46,797 the one who's sitting on the throne. 135 00:13:48,018 --> 00:13:49,268 Now question. 136 00:13:51,116 --> 00:13:53,520 Does the eternal... 137 00:13:55,720 --> 00:14:06,706 Spirit of God who is omniscient and omnipresent and omnipotent have a physical right hand. 138 00:14:12,664 --> 00:14:18,721 but in order to communicate the vision, God is pictured with a right hand. 139 00:14:18,862 --> 00:14:25,319 Not only is God pictured with a right hand, He's pictured with a scroll in His right hand. 140 00:14:27,543 --> 00:14:28,938 Why you scroll? 141 00:14:31,190 --> 00:14:42,618 You know, with God being omniscient and omnipotent and knowing everything that would happen throughout history, why not a data center in his right hand? 142 00:14:42,618 --> 00:14:45,319 You can fit a whole lot more information in a data center. 143 00:14:46,701 --> 00:14:47,461 Why not? 144 00:14:47,461 --> 00:14:52,084 The answer is because the people there in the first century needed to be communicated with. 145 00:14:52,084 --> 00:14:54,465 And guess what they communicated on? 146 00:14:55,406 --> 00:14:56,627 Scrolls. 147 00:14:58,048 --> 00:15:01,250 Not because scrolls are eternally in heaven. 148 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:08,695 But because this is how we communicate with people, we give them a frame of reference so they understand the picture. 149 00:15:09,215 --> 00:15:16,521 So John zooms in, as it were, in the text and he sees a scroll in the right hand of the one who's sitting on the throne. 150 00:15:16,521 --> 00:15:21,003 But what is unique about the scroll? 151 00:15:22,245 --> 00:15:27,809 The scroll is written inside and on the back. 152 00:15:27,809 --> 00:15:29,489 So in other words, if you were to 153 00:15:29,489 --> 00:15:34,993 unroll a scroll, you generally have the text on the inside of the scroll. 154 00:15:34,993 --> 00:15:40,757 Except this scroll, John says the text is on the inside and the outside of the scroll. 155 00:15:40,757 --> 00:15:43,899 Front and back, it's covered. 156 00:15:44,039 --> 00:15:54,536 The message is a voluminous message of what God has for humanity, but what's the problem? 157 00:15:56,416 --> 00:15:57,006 It's sealed. 158 00:15:57,006 --> 00:16:11,317 eh Take your mind back to an ancient time and an ancient way of making sure that only the people who are authorized to view the message get to view the message. 159 00:16:11,317 --> 00:16:12,608 What would they do? 160 00:16:15,214 --> 00:16:15,894 All right? 161 00:16:15,894 --> 00:16:29,262 They'd seal it with hot wax and then the person with the authority would push their signet ring into the hot wax and that would indicate that only someone who was authorized to 162 00:16:29,262 --> 00:16:33,564 touch that signet, to break that seal, could open the scroll. 163 00:16:34,505 --> 00:16:36,425 But how many seals are there? 164 00:16:37,186 --> 00:16:38,286 Seven. 165 00:16:38,307 --> 00:16:43,169 Not only is it a scroll, it's a scroll sealed, sealed, sealed, sealed, sealed, and sealed. 166 00:16:43,169 --> 00:16:44,588 Or in other words, 167 00:16:44,588 --> 00:16:48,660 there's a progression of messages. 168 00:16:49,001 --> 00:16:53,004 So when you open the first seal, you can only see so much. 169 00:16:53,224 --> 00:16:56,046 You open the second seal, you can see a little bit more. 170 00:16:56,046 --> 00:17:01,600 The third seal, can see there's a progression of information. 171 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:02,591 Okay? 172 00:17:02,591 --> 00:17:04,025 That's why there's seven seals. 173 00:17:04,025 --> 00:17:11,116 And by the way, the rest of the book of Revelation is going to be the opening of the seven seals. 174 00:17:12,078 --> 00:17:13,278 All the way to the end. 175 00:17:14,686 --> 00:17:26,474 If you were to think about this, inside the book of Revelation there's a series of seven things and if you were to think about it in an outline form, you're going to see in 176 00:17:26,474 --> 00:17:31,412 chapter 6 seal 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 177 00:17:31,412 --> 00:17:33,866 All of them opened in chapter 6. 178 00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:43,246 And then chapter 7 there's a pause and in chapter 8 the seventh seal is opened and inside of that are seven more messages. 179 00:17:43,658 --> 00:17:45,519 inside the seventh seal. 180 00:17:45,740 --> 00:17:51,343 And inside the seventh of those messages are seven more messages. 181 00:17:52,464 --> 00:18:01,010 They're all happening inside the seventh seal, inside the scroll that's going to be introduced to us right here in chapter five. 182 00:18:01,010 --> 00:18:01,570 Okay? 183 00:18:01,570 --> 00:18:11,597 So everything that happens from now until the end of the book is happening inside the message of the scroll. 184 00:18:12,058 --> 00:18:13,038 Okay? 185 00:18:13,558 --> 00:18:19,141 Now, or not inside the message, but inside the revelation of the scroll. 186 00:18:19,141 --> 00:18:25,224 So, John sees the scroll in the right hand of the one who's sitting on the throne. 187 00:18:25,545 --> 00:18:35,670 Then I saw a strong angel proclaim with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals? 188 00:18:36,190 --> 00:18:43,370 Again, take your mind back to maybe one of those Errol Flynn movies of the good old yesteryear of Hollywood. 189 00:18:43,370 --> 00:18:53,733 and here comes the king, the king sitting on his throne, you're viewing the throne room and off to the side here comes a herald and the herald declares the message of the king. 190 00:18:54,013 --> 00:18:57,734 The herald has been sent by the king to find someone. 191 00:18:57,734 --> 00:19:02,635 They're looking for someone who's worthy to open the scroll. 192 00:19:03,175 --> 00:19:11,988 It has to be someone who has the right authority, it has to be someone who has the right power, someone who has the right significance and the herald's message is we gotta go find 193 00:19:11,988 --> 00:19:13,158 the right 194 00:19:13,250 --> 00:19:14,370 person. 195 00:19:15,211 --> 00:19:22,514 So he makes this declaration and John hears the declaration made and they begin searching. 196 00:19:22,714 --> 00:19:31,609 And verse 3 says, no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and to look at it. 197 00:19:31,609 --> 00:19:39,572 Now is John pulling forward some Greek mythology that there's a bunch of population of people living under the earth? 198 00:19:41,934 --> 00:19:42,854 No? 199 00:19:42,854 --> 00:19:45,214 Then what's John mean by under the earth? 200 00:19:46,154 --> 00:19:48,214 They're dead, right? 201 00:19:48,334 --> 00:19:56,154 Nobody in heaven, not the angels, not the heavenly beings, not the beasts that are around the throne, they're not worthy of opening the scroll. 202 00:19:56,894 --> 00:20:03,194 Not any heavenly beings, not any cherubim, not any seraphim, none of those, nope, they're not worthy. 203 00:20:03,314 --> 00:20:05,394 None of the angels, they're not worthy. 204 00:20:05,394 --> 00:20:07,874 None of the humans that are alive are worthy. 205 00:20:07,874 --> 00:20:10,370 None of the humans that are dead are worthy. 206 00:20:10,370 --> 00:20:18,197 We've gone through all history and we've interviewed everybody, the angel says, in the vision. 207 00:20:19,258 --> 00:20:21,139 There's not one who's worthy. 208 00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:24,583 Notice John's reaction, verse four. 209 00:20:24,583 --> 00:20:32,690 So I wept because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll or to look at it. 210 00:20:33,751 --> 00:20:37,314 John sees himself in the vision. 211 00:20:38,154 --> 00:20:53,543 and he sees the message from God sitting there waiting to be read, and he so desires to see and to understand the revelation of God that when he realizes, nobody's worthy to open 212 00:20:53,543 --> 00:20:54,654 the message. 213 00:20:56,728 --> 00:21:07,112 that he sees himself in the vision weeping and mourning for the absence of having access to the revelation of God. 214 00:21:09,046 --> 00:21:12,817 But one of the elders, now, what elders? 215 00:21:15,486 --> 00:21:17,366 one of the 24. 216 00:21:17,586 --> 00:21:20,146 So again, 217 00:21:22,306 --> 00:21:31,221 We're going to struggle with consistency in the vision if we take everything in the vision to be physically literal. 218 00:21:31,342 --> 00:21:33,886 Because what do the elders do all the time? 219 00:21:35,416 --> 00:21:40,388 They're all the time getting out of their chair and casting their crown down on the ground and worshiping the Lord. 220 00:21:40,388 --> 00:21:42,088 Why are they doing that all the time? 221 00:21:42,088 --> 00:21:45,409 Because the beasts are saying, holy, holy, holy, all the time. 222 00:21:45,409 --> 00:21:51,111 Well, how in the world did an elder take time out of the casting the crown down to come over and talk to John? 223 00:21:52,252 --> 00:21:59,424 The answer is because the vision gives you details, but you're not supposed to make the vision argue with itself. 224 00:22:01,324 --> 00:22:12,060 The message of this is what the elders do all of the time is they're eternally worshiping the one who sits on the throne because guess what? 225 00:22:12,060 --> 00:22:14,321 He's never getting off the throne. 226 00:22:14,641 --> 00:22:16,682 He's never being supplanted. 227 00:22:16,682 --> 00:22:18,764 He's never going to be replaced. 228 00:22:18,764 --> 00:22:21,525 He's always going to be worthy of worship. 229 00:22:21,525 --> 00:22:25,887 He's the one who is, who was, and is forevermore. 230 00:22:26,908 --> 00:22:29,630 So the elder comes over and he talks to John. 231 00:22:29,630 --> 00:22:31,040 Notice what we read. 232 00:22:31,746 --> 00:22:35,491 But one of the elders said to me, Do not weep. 233 00:22:35,652 --> 00:22:48,010 Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and elusive seven seals." 234 00:22:50,798 --> 00:23:02,618 John is mourning over the absence and the lack of access to the revelation and as he's mourning over it, one of the elders says, oh, problem solved. 235 00:23:03,398 --> 00:23:05,018 It's already done. 236 00:23:06,058 --> 00:23:08,098 He already opened it. 237 00:23:08,798 --> 00:23:11,558 You go, wait a minute, when did that happen? 238 00:23:11,978 --> 00:23:13,538 It happened in the vision. 239 00:23:14,578 --> 00:23:16,758 It happened as John was mourning. 240 00:23:16,758 --> 00:23:20,118 It happened because he was already worthy. 241 00:23:20,684 --> 00:23:29,863 because they already knew who the only one worthy was, but John had to see the failure to complete finding someone who was worthy. 242 00:23:30,124 --> 00:23:43,398 The vision's there to help us understand if you searched high or low in all eternity, everywhere in heaven and on earth, to find someone comparable to Christ, you never would. 243 00:23:45,472 --> 00:23:48,905 You won't find Mohammed comparable to Christ. 244 00:23:49,266 --> 00:23:53,090 You won't find Joseph Smith comparable to Christ. 245 00:23:53,131 --> 00:23:56,734 You won't find Buddha comparable to Christ. 246 00:23:56,735 --> 00:24:07,086 You won't find any king or any ruler or any magistrate of any nation under heaven, anytime in history, comparable to Christ. 247 00:24:10,562 --> 00:24:23,586 when the angels of heaven looked for somebody who was worthy to open the scroll and declare the message of God, there was no one found except the Lion of the tribe of Judah. 248 00:24:24,266 --> 00:24:38,626 Now again, John's message reaches back into the Old Testament and pulls out declarations and prophecies from the very end of the life of Jacob. 249 00:24:38,626 --> 00:24:45,008 concerning Judah and his line and from David and his reign. 250 00:24:45,868 --> 00:24:51,210 John doesn't need to explain all of these metaphors because they're all in the Old Testament. 251 00:24:51,230 --> 00:24:53,110 They're already there. 252 00:24:53,110 --> 00:24:59,852 There's an abundance of scriptural context to tell you exactly who this is. 253 00:24:59,852 --> 00:25:01,873 It's the line of the tribe of Judah. 254 00:25:01,873 --> 00:25:05,134 It is the one who is the root of David. 255 00:25:05,134 --> 00:25:10,594 and notice the elder says he's prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals. 256 00:25:10,914 --> 00:25:24,854 And I looked and behold in the midst of the throne and of the four creatures a lamb, sorry, in the midst of the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders stood a 257 00:25:24,854 --> 00:25:29,634 lamb as though it had been slain. 258 00:25:32,044 --> 00:25:34,537 What's the dichotomy in the picture? 259 00:25:38,648 --> 00:25:40,214 What's the paradox? 260 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:47,858 Dead animals don't stand up, excluding chickens for a short period of time. 261 00:25:51,052 --> 00:25:57,316 But lambs, when they've been slain, don't stand up. 262 00:25:58,480 --> 00:26:01,325 What does the standing tell you? 263 00:26:06,178 --> 00:26:07,336 He's alive. 264 00:26:09,324 --> 00:26:10,995 Dead creatures don't stand up. 265 00:26:10,995 --> 00:26:13,135 Living creatures stand up. 266 00:26:13,615 --> 00:26:25,898 But the visual image, if you had looked at the lamb, you would have looked at him and his appearance would have been one who had been slain. 267 00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:28,920 But he's not dead. 268 00:26:29,581 --> 00:26:31,441 He's not slain. 269 00:26:31,661 --> 00:26:32,902 He's alive. 270 00:26:32,902 --> 00:26:34,582 He's standing. 271 00:26:35,188 --> 00:26:44,562 and his proximity to the throne, if you take that imagery, you take that description, is he is right next to the throne. 272 00:26:45,182 --> 00:26:47,683 He's closer to the throne than the beast. 273 00:26:47,683 --> 00:26:50,104 He's closer to the throne than the elders. 274 00:26:50,104 --> 00:26:55,847 He's right there as if John saw all of this and there was no lamb there. 275 00:26:55,847 --> 00:27:03,424 And then John zoomed in on the scroll and suddenly there was the scroll and just showed up. 276 00:27:03,424 --> 00:27:11,302 and then John watches them go search heaven and earth and there's no one who's found who's worthy to open it and then the elder says, John, look! 277 00:27:13,134 --> 00:27:19,518 the Lamb, we found it, the one who's worthy, and he's right there next to the throne. 278 00:27:21,836 --> 00:27:38,358 when Stephen was stoned by the Jews and Stephen had the vision into heaven as his life was coming to a close, what did he see? 279 00:27:41,794 --> 00:27:47,537 He said he saw one like the Son of Man standing. 280 00:27:48,958 --> 00:27:51,759 Interesting phrase there. 281 00:27:52,180 --> 00:27:56,392 Standing at the right hand of the throne of God. 282 00:27:58,694 --> 00:28:08,686 Most of the rest of the time in the New Testament when Jesus is pictured at the right hand of the throne of God, he's pictured sitting. 283 00:28:09,969 --> 00:28:14,504 But not when Stephen's being killed and not here. 284 00:28:17,676 --> 00:28:19,775 When Jesus is sitting... 285 00:28:21,356 --> 00:28:30,146 His authority, his rule, his unchallenged, unmatched, and he is sitting in victory. 286 00:28:31,842 --> 00:28:38,655 And every time you see him pictured standing, his people are being persecuted. 287 00:28:40,416 --> 00:28:42,556 and he's going to defend them. 288 00:28:44,450 --> 00:28:57,737 So here in the text, John looks and sees the one who's next to the throne and he sees him as a lion, but he also sees him as the root of David. 289 00:28:57,938 --> 00:29:02,420 And he also sees him as a lamb all at same time. 290 00:29:02,420 --> 00:29:03,991 Are there three different things before? 291 00:29:03,991 --> 00:29:05,521 Nope, there's one. 292 00:29:05,642 --> 00:29:10,404 And all of them are pictures from the Old Testament of who Christ is. 293 00:29:11,645 --> 00:29:13,886 By the way, what does the lamb represent? 294 00:29:14,210 --> 00:29:15,569 from the Old Testament. 295 00:29:18,274 --> 00:29:21,575 the sacrificial lamb of the Day of Atonement. 296 00:29:22,615 --> 00:29:25,286 There was the lamb in the Day of Atonement. 297 00:29:25,286 --> 00:29:31,018 There was one that was let loose in the wilderness. 298 00:29:31,538 --> 00:29:34,238 And then there was one that was sacrificed. 299 00:29:34,719 --> 00:29:37,279 Also pictured, the Passover lamb. 300 00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:42,281 The lamb that was slain to bring Israel out of Egypt. 301 00:29:42,561 --> 00:29:44,821 All of these are pictures of Christ. 302 00:29:45,062 --> 00:29:46,002 Okay? 303 00:29:47,586 --> 00:29:56,560 He says, looked and behold, verse 6, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders stood a lamb as though it had been slain, having 304 00:29:56,560 --> 00:30:02,453 seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 305 00:30:03,074 --> 00:30:07,676 Now wait a minute, another picture of the Spirit of God. 306 00:30:08,476 --> 00:30:12,608 Before the Spirit of God was pictured as what before the throne? 307 00:30:14,551 --> 00:30:15,846 in Chapter 4. 308 00:30:24,056 --> 00:30:25,127 Verse five. 309 00:30:28,334 --> 00:30:29,115 All right? 310 00:30:29,115 --> 00:30:37,464 Seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. 311 00:30:37,464 --> 00:30:39,907 Now we have another picture. 312 00:30:39,907 --> 00:30:42,910 So, the spirit of God, who is that by the way? 313 00:30:45,592 --> 00:30:46,822 The Holy Spirit. 314 00:30:47,543 --> 00:30:53,064 The Holy Spirit throughout the book is not pictured in bodily form. 315 00:30:53,064 --> 00:30:56,285 He's pictured in function form. 316 00:30:56,285 --> 00:30:57,725 He's active. 317 00:30:57,725 --> 00:30:59,036 He's doing things. 318 00:30:59,036 --> 00:31:00,116 He's watching. 319 00:31:00,116 --> 00:31:01,036 He's burning. 320 00:31:01,036 --> 00:31:10,789 He is the one enacting the will of the Father and the Son in the form of revelation. 321 00:31:10,849 --> 00:31:13,690 He's delivering the message. 322 00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:16,331 Okay, that was the function of Holy Spirit. 323 00:31:16,351 --> 00:31:30,397 So, when God, the Father's pictured before the throne, or on the throne, here's the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, in the form of these seven burning lamps before the throne. 324 00:31:30,397 --> 00:31:40,621 Now when Christ is pictured, the Lamb who was slain, who's alive, and He has seven horns on His head and seven eyes, and guess what? 325 00:31:40,621 --> 00:31:42,742 The Spirit works with Him too. 326 00:31:44,524 --> 00:31:52,298 When Jesus said that He was going away, did He say He was going away and leaving the disciples alone? 327 00:31:54,806 --> 00:31:55,656 No, that's right. 328 00:31:55,656 --> 00:31:57,727 He said he would send a comforter. 329 00:31:57,727 --> 00:32:01,409 And the comforter wasn't going to speak of himself. 330 00:32:01,569 --> 00:32:07,571 He was going to speak whatever was given to him to speak. 331 00:32:08,252 --> 00:32:11,833 And he was going to guide the apostles into all truth. 332 00:32:11,833 --> 00:32:12,694 Guess what? 333 00:32:12,694 --> 00:32:19,496 When Jesus came and Jesus was on the earth, Jesus said, I don't speak of myself. 334 00:32:20,037 --> 00:32:23,498 The words that I declare to you are from the Father. 335 00:32:24,172 --> 00:32:30,585 So when the Spirit was sent, He's declaring the words of Jesus which originated with the Father. 336 00:32:30,726 --> 00:32:35,048 When Christ was here, He delivered the words of the Father. 337 00:32:35,288 --> 00:32:43,472 So all through these pictures you've got the Godhead working together in roles and functions to accomplish a mission. 338 00:32:43,913 --> 00:32:45,433 Same pictures here. 339 00:32:45,474 --> 00:32:50,396 Here's Christ, He's alive and yet He sees everything that's going on. 340 00:32:50,396 --> 00:32:51,637 How does He see everything that's going on? 341 00:32:51,637 --> 00:32:53,888 He's got seven eyes, He's got perfect vision. 342 00:32:56,076 --> 00:32:58,667 Some people harass people who have four eyes. 343 00:32:59,209 --> 00:33:00,470 Christ had seven eyes. 344 00:33:00,470 --> 00:33:02,070 He could see everything. 345 00:33:03,012 --> 00:33:04,873 He has seven eyes. 346 00:33:05,414 --> 00:33:09,037 And he sees everything that goes on in the earth. 347 00:33:09,037 --> 00:33:09,417 Why? 348 00:33:09,417 --> 00:33:14,040 Because the seven eyes are representative of the Spirit of God going throughout the earth. 349 00:33:17,994 --> 00:33:27,641 In the vision, John sees the one who's the lamb, the one who's the lion, the one who's the root of David go up to the throne and take the scroll. 350 00:33:28,223 --> 00:33:31,164 Verse 7, then he came. 351 00:33:31,235 --> 00:33:34,427 by the way, the lamb isn't an animal. 352 00:33:35,068 --> 00:33:37,430 The lion isn't an animal. 353 00:33:37,430 --> 00:33:38,791 It's a he. 354 00:33:40,052 --> 00:33:41,533 It's Christ. 355 00:33:41,874 --> 00:33:47,688 Then he came and took the scroll out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 356 00:33:48,118 --> 00:33:59,412 Now when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the lamb, uh each having a harp and golden bowl full of incense, which 357 00:33:59,412 --> 00:34:01,634 are the prayers of the saints. 358 00:34:01,750 --> 00:34:12,865 And they sang a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, for You were slain and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue 359 00:34:12,865 --> 00:34:19,878 and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign on the earth. 360 00:34:19,878 --> 00:34:29,171 And then I looked and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures and the elders, and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and 361 00:34:29,171 --> 00:34:30,638 thousands of thousands. 362 00:34:30,638 --> 00:34:41,138 saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing in every creature which is in heaven 363 00:34:41,138 --> 00:34:46,458 and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea and all that are in them. 364 00:34:46,458 --> 00:34:56,638 I heard saying blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever. 365 00:34:57,538 --> 00:34:59,446 As Christ 366 00:34:59,446 --> 00:35:09,806 goes from beside the throne to the throne and takes the scroll, John hears an eruption of praise. 367 00:35:11,446 --> 00:35:12,383 Why? 368 00:35:14,062 --> 00:35:22,708 Well, the angels and the messengers in heaven had just spent all that time, as it were, as John sees it in the vision, searching heaven and earth and under the earth, grave 369 00:35:22,708 --> 00:35:23,278 everywhere. 370 00:35:23,278 --> 00:35:25,590 There's nobody worthy to open the scroll. 371 00:35:26,771 --> 00:35:37,458 Not in all creation, not in all humanity, not in all heaven is there anyone worthy to open the scroll until here is Christ and He's worthy to take the scroll and to open it. 372 00:35:38,039 --> 00:35:42,682 And the moment He does, there's a recognition 373 00:35:43,105 --> 00:35:44,447 of who he is. 374 00:35:46,124 --> 00:35:47,995 Remember what Jesus said? 375 00:35:48,895 --> 00:35:53,697 If you believe in God, believe also in me. 376 00:35:55,018 --> 00:35:59,179 And so the message is pictured. 377 00:35:59,179 --> 00:36:05,102 The vision describes how worthy Jesus is. 378 00:36:06,522 --> 00:36:09,963 The one who's on the throne is worthy of worship. 379 00:36:10,584 --> 00:36:15,936 The one who comes and takes the scroll is so worthy of worship 380 00:36:16,642 --> 00:36:21,326 that the elders immediately fall down and declare him worthy of worship. 381 00:36:22,027 --> 00:36:25,669 And the beasts fall down and declare him worthy of worship. 382 00:36:25,710 --> 00:36:31,674 And the angels that are around the throne, which you didn't even see in chapter four, declare him worthy of worship. 383 00:36:32,135 --> 00:36:41,183 And the saints who are around the throne, who are numerous, so numerous that they're described as ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands. 384 00:36:41,704 --> 00:36:42,985 How many is that? 385 00:36:42,985 --> 00:36:44,966 It's all of them. 386 00:36:47,623 --> 00:36:49,300 Christ is worthy. 387 00:36:56,950 --> 00:36:58,877 This symbolizes. 388 00:37:01,102 --> 00:37:04,802 Well, let me answer that in the form of a yes and a no. 389 00:37:06,002 --> 00:37:12,806 This symbolizes to the church, there is exactly one person who's on the throne 390 00:37:14,294 --> 00:37:15,595 and it's Christ. 391 00:37:16,236 --> 00:37:23,021 There is exactly one power in all the universe and it is God and Christ. 392 00:37:23,904 --> 00:37:28,367 And that that hasn't changed. 393 00:37:29,069 --> 00:37:34,984 You see, as this message is beginning to be opened up, 394 00:37:36,588 --> 00:37:41,414 The first thing that Christ is going to say is, there's persecution coming. 395 00:37:44,896 --> 00:37:56,832 And when you understand there's persecution coming, your first question is, if you were to think back to all of those Old Testament Psalms, God, are you still on the throne? 396 00:37:57,833 --> 00:37:59,634 God, are you still in control? 397 00:38:00,134 --> 00:38:03,176 God, when are you going to do something about this? 398 00:38:03,516 --> 00:38:11,000 God, do you see your people and how they're suffering and how they're being betrayed and how they're being persecuted and how they're being killed? 399 00:38:11,000 --> 00:38:14,642 God, when are you going to act? 400 00:38:17,492 --> 00:38:25,208 And God's message through John is, I've always been on the throne and I never stopped acting. 401 00:38:25,849 --> 00:38:35,276 And while you might go through this, understand this, I knew this was coming long before it ever got here. 402 00:38:36,358 --> 00:38:39,620 And I'm going to deal with those who are persecuting you. 403 00:38:40,201 --> 00:38:46,806 So while the picture is as if Christ just came to the throne, 404 00:38:47,074 --> 00:38:48,945 That's really just the visionary element. 405 00:38:48,945 --> 00:38:56,340 That's John seeing the progression of the vision, not Christ initially taking authority. 406 00:38:57,221 --> 00:39:01,904 What you have here is Christ is reigning. 407 00:39:01,904 --> 00:39:04,626 He was reigning in chapter one. 408 00:39:04,626 --> 00:39:08,348 He was reigning because he said, I'm the one who holds the keys. 409 00:39:08,709 --> 00:39:13,192 He's the one who has power over heaven and earth and over death and life. 410 00:39:13,192 --> 00:39:16,620 He's the one who was, who is, and is to come. 411 00:39:16,620 --> 00:39:19,872 who died and is alive forevermore. 412 00:39:20,592 --> 00:39:27,056 So if the question were to be asked, is this the moment Christ returns having ascended into heaven? 413 00:39:27,056 --> 00:39:28,016 No. 414 00:39:28,777 --> 00:39:38,202 But is this a picture of Christ's eternal glory and power having been resurrected and ascended back into heaven? 415 00:39:38,202 --> 00:39:39,263 Yes. 416 00:39:39,443 --> 00:39:40,264 Okay. 417 00:39:40,264 --> 00:39:44,936 Turn to Daniel chapter seven and let me show you a picture here that might help. 418 00:39:50,220 --> 00:39:55,051 Daniel is going to write a series of visions. 419 00:39:55,051 --> 00:40:01,893 Many of the pictures and the imagery of the book of Daniel, you're going to find them in the book of Revelation. 420 00:40:02,113 --> 00:40:10,056 Because the book of Revelation, if I could sum it up in one sentence, is a fulfillment to the visions of Daniel. 421 00:40:10,336 --> 00:40:15,977 That's what the book of Revelation is, though it weaves in so many other prophets as well. 422 00:40:15,977 --> 00:40:18,298 But in Daniel chapter seven, 423 00:40:19,660 --> 00:40:24,933 We read beginning in verse seven, sorry, not in verse seven, in verse one. 424 00:40:24,933 --> 00:40:35,519 In the first year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed, then he wrote down the dream telling the main facts. 425 00:40:35,519 --> 00:40:42,763 Daniel spoke, saying, I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. 426 00:40:42,763 --> 00:40:45,424 Wait a minute, have we seen a great sea somewhere? 427 00:40:45,884 --> 00:40:49,070 yeah, that's right, we saw it right in front of the throne of God. 428 00:40:49,070 --> 00:40:49,950 All right? 429 00:40:49,950 --> 00:40:55,333 And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. 430 00:40:55,333 --> 00:40:59,114 The first was like a lion and had eagle's wings. 431 00:40:59,155 --> 00:41:07,559 I watched till its wings were plucked off and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man's heart was given to it. 432 00:41:07,559 --> 00:41:15,134 And suddenly another beast, a second like a bear, and it raised up on one side and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. 433 00:41:15,134 --> 00:41:20,258 And they said thus to it, arise, devour much flesh. 434 00:41:20,258 --> 00:41:25,522 After this I looked and there was another like a leopard which had on its back four wings of a bird. 435 00:41:25,522 --> 00:41:29,304 The beast also had four heads and dominion was given to it. 436 00:41:29,304 --> 00:41:36,209 After this I saw in the night visions and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. 437 00:41:36,209 --> 00:41:38,441 It had huge iron teeth. 438 00:41:38,441 --> 00:41:43,058 It was devouring, breaking in pieces and trampling the residue with its feet. 439 00:41:43,058 --> 00:41:48,781 It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. 440 00:41:48,781 --> 00:41:59,144 I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots, and there in 441 00:41:59,144 --> 00:42:04,507 this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking pompous words. 442 00:42:04,507 --> 00:42:10,730 I watched till thrones were put in place and the ancient of days was seated, his garment was white as snow. 443 00:42:10,730 --> 00:42:23,537 and his hair was hit the hair of his head was like pure wool his throne was like a fiery flame and its wheels of burning fire a fiery stream issued and came forth from before him 444 00:42:23,537 --> 00:42:34,732 a thousand thousands ministered to him ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him the court was seated and the books were open sound familiar 445 00:42:38,274 --> 00:42:42,165 we're going to keep reiterating everything in the book of Revelation borrowed. 446 00:42:43,872 --> 00:42:45,902 It's all borrowed from the Old Testament. 447 00:42:46,503 --> 00:42:48,463 It's all borrowed from the visions. 448 00:42:49,024 --> 00:42:50,504 But watch what happens. 449 00:42:50,504 --> 00:42:57,366 So, just to give you a little insight, the four beasts aren't the four beasts that are the four creatures around the throne of God. 450 00:42:57,366 --> 00:42:59,166 They're four nations. 451 00:42:59,346 --> 00:43:03,188 They happen to be the same four nations as in Daniel chapter 2. 452 00:43:03,188 --> 00:43:05,128 And we know who those were, right? 453 00:43:05,128 --> 00:43:07,309 Because Daniel 2 told us who they were. 454 00:43:07,309 --> 00:43:08,909 The first one was who? 455 00:43:09,869 --> 00:43:11,206 Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon. 456 00:43:11,206 --> 00:43:12,480 The second one was who? 457 00:43:13,814 --> 00:43:14,865 Medo-Persian Empire. 458 00:43:14,865 --> 00:43:16,276 The third one was who? 459 00:43:17,117 --> 00:43:18,158 Greece. 460 00:43:18,158 --> 00:43:19,738 The fourth one was who? 461 00:43:20,139 --> 00:43:20,860 Rome. 462 00:43:20,860 --> 00:43:22,851 You remember that indescribable beast? 463 00:43:22,851 --> 00:43:24,582 What were his teeth made of? 464 00:43:25,864 --> 00:43:26,844 Iron. 465 00:43:27,585 --> 00:43:28,845 It's Rome. 466 00:43:29,126 --> 00:43:30,187 Okay? 467 00:43:30,607 --> 00:43:39,424 So in the midst of this indescribable beast, and by the way, if you follow the rest of the vision, he's persecuting God's people. 468 00:43:41,046 --> 00:43:50,694 And in the midst of the vision, while the indescribable beast is plundering and persecuting, Daniel looks up and he sees... 469 00:43:53,042 --> 00:43:58,203 One who is described almost just like Jesus was described by John in chapter one. 470 00:43:58,624 --> 00:44:04,105 White hair, glowing appearance, except this one sitting on the throne. 471 00:44:04,866 --> 00:44:09,807 And this one has a throne with wheels around it and flames of fire. 472 00:44:09,807 --> 00:44:15,269 And this one sits down and you have a throne room picture. 473 00:44:15,269 --> 00:44:17,329 And what's surrounding the throne? 474 00:44:17,590 --> 00:44:19,470 All of God's ministers. 475 00:44:20,556 --> 00:44:23,492 And in the midst of the one sitting down on the throne, what does he do? 476 00:44:23,492 --> 00:44:24,724 He opens what? 477 00:44:26,242 --> 00:44:27,859 He opens a judgment book. 478 00:44:29,684 --> 00:44:39,481 And notice, I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking, I watched till the beast was slain and his body destroyed and given to the 479 00:44:39,481 --> 00:44:40,642 burning flame. 480 00:44:40,642 --> 00:44:47,007 As for the rest of the beast, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. 481 00:44:47,007 --> 00:44:55,944 I was watching in the night vision, and behold, one like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven, and he came to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before 482 00:44:55,944 --> 00:44:56,428 him. 483 00:44:56,428 --> 00:45:02,692 Then to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. 484 00:45:02,692 --> 00:45:13,099 His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away in his kingdom, the one which shall not be destroyed." Now most people take that text and they say, see this is 485 00:45:13,099 --> 00:45:14,270 the judgment day. 486 00:45:14,270 --> 00:45:19,114 This is when Christ takes the throne and this is when eternity begins. 487 00:45:19,114 --> 00:45:20,194 Wrong. 488 00:45:22,380 --> 00:45:24,480 The picture here is in Judgment Day. 489 00:45:24,827 --> 00:45:26,473 It's Ascension Day. 490 00:45:28,044 --> 00:45:31,167 when Christ ascends back to heaven. 491 00:45:31,167 --> 00:45:32,368 Notice the direction He's coming. 492 00:45:32,368 --> 00:45:38,122 He's not coming from the Father on the day of judgment, coming to us. 493 00:45:38,122 --> 00:45:47,840 He is going to the Father and He's taking His authority. 494 00:45:49,472 --> 00:45:55,850 and when he does, Daniel says, I saw that indescribable beast dead. 495 00:45:57,548 --> 00:46:02,398 and the book of Revelation is the fulfillment of Revelation of Daniel chapter 7. 496 00:46:02,622 --> 00:46:13,319 So, in Daniel 7 you see Christ ascend and take the throne and begin to reign and a kingdom is given to him. 497 00:46:13,319 --> 00:46:15,060 Well, what is the kingdom? 498 00:46:16,654 --> 00:46:25,374 the Church specifically, and His rule over all things, heaven and earth, generically, right? 499 00:46:25,374 --> 00:46:29,534 Jesus Christ said in Matthew chapter 28 verse 18, all what? 500 00:46:31,690 --> 00:46:38,272 all authority has been given unto me in heaven and on earth. 501 00:46:39,012 --> 00:46:40,890 Daniel 7. 502 00:46:41,033 --> 00:46:42,733 Christ takes the throne. 503 00:46:42,893 --> 00:46:44,954 Christ's kingdom begins. 504 00:46:45,034 --> 00:46:48,935 Acts chapter 2, his reign commences. 505 00:46:50,175 --> 00:46:55,657 Over in Revelation, what you're seeing in John's picture is he's already on the throne. 506 00:46:55,657 --> 00:46:57,317 He's already reigning. 507 00:46:57,317 --> 00:47:00,074 And in the midst of that, here is this vision. 508 00:47:00,074 --> 00:47:01,547 of his authority and his power. 509 00:47:01,547 --> 00:47:03,041 Alright, we're going to pick up here. 510 00:47:03,041 --> 00:47:03,682 Not next week. 511 00:47:03,682 --> 00:47:05,707 I'll be in Florida, but the week after. 512 00:47:05,707 --> 00:47:07,289 Thank you for your attention.