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1
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2
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- (Rev 4:1-6 NIV) After this I
looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the
voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come
up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." {2}
At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven
with someone sitting on it. {3} And the one who sat there had the
appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald,
encircled the throne. {4} Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other
thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed
in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. {5} From the throne came
flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne,
seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. {6} Also
before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as
crystal.
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3
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- Sea of Glass
- rare and expensive
- purity
- immense distance
- Seen in the Temple
- 7 lamps = 7 spirits
- Jasper, Carnelian, Emerald
- On the breastplate
- Seen later in the New Jerusalem
- Lightning & Thunder
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4
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- (Rev 4:6-8 NIV) Also before the
throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In
the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were
covered with eyes, in front and in back. {7} The first living creature
was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a
man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. {8} Each of the four living
creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under
his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."
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5
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6
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- “East of Eden”
- Overshadowing the Mercy Seat
- Satan once such (Ezekiel 28:11-19)
- Conclusions
- Geographic?
- In the Holy of Holies
- Parallel passages
- Isaiah 6:1-4
- Ezekiel 1:4-21
- Ezekiel 10:1-15
- Slight differences -- why?
- Why four?
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7
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- (Rev 4:9-11 NIV) Whenever the
living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the
throne and who lives for ever and ever, {10} the twenty-four elders fall
down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for
ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: {11}
"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and
power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created
and have their being."
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8
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- 12 tribes plus 12 Apostles?
- Symbolic of all believers of all time?
- Redeemed and raptured or?????
- Description
- robes of white
- crowns
- worship
- 24 courses
- 1 Chronicles 24:3-4,19
- Hebrews 9
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9
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- “hast redeemed us” (KJV)
- “didst purchase for God with thy blood men from every tribe...” (NASV)
- “with your blood you purchased men for God” (NIV)
- “with your blood you bought men for God” (Jerusalem)
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10
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- Worthy
- Creator
- Sustainer
- (Rev 4:11 NIV) "You are
worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you
created all things, and by your will they were created and have their
being."
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11
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- Scroll
- “writing on both sides”
- seven seals
- (Rev 5:1 NIV) Then I saw in the
right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both
sides and sealed with seven seals.
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12
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- (Rev 5:2-4 NIV) And I saw a
mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break
the seals and open the scroll?" {3} But no one in heaven or on
earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it.
{4} I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the
scroll or look inside.
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13
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- What is the scroll?
- record of the future (Historicist?)
- title deeds to the earth (Futurist)
- Maybe we should just wait and see!
- Why does John weep?
- He was promised a revelation (4:1)
- Amos 3:7
- God can’t deliver what man can’t receive
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14
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- Why can’t someone else open it?
- Title deeds ==> kinsman redeemer
- Title deeds ==> rightful owner
- right of creation
- right of redemption
- The nature of the Trinity
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15
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- (Rev 5:5-7 NIV) Then one of the
elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of
Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll
and its seven seals." {6} Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had
been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four
living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes,
which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. {7} He
came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the
throne.
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16
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17
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- (Rev 5:8-14 NIV) And when he had
taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down
before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls
full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. {9} And they sang
a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its
seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for
God from every tribe and language and people and nation. {10} You have
made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will
reign on the earth." {11} Then I looked and heard the voice of many
angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten
thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the
elders. {12} In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who
was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor
and glory and praise!" {13} Then I heard every creature in heaven
and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in
them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be
praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" {14} The
four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down
and worshiped.
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18
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- Harp - traditional instrument of praise
- Incense
- (Psa 141:2 NIV) May my prayer be
set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the
evening sacrifice.
- Symbol of things “up in the air”
- Intercession
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19
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Notes
