Rev. 4:6-11 Heaven -What a great Home !!!!

 

Intro : Last week I heard about a new Hotel being advertised in Seattle Washington –

A)   Slogan on the Ad – Great Location / Great Views / Great Rates

 

B)   Now those are things that people really look for in a Home  NICE LOCATION  – but still convenient for what they want

1)                 Nice View if at all Possible – But also Great Rates /  Now let’s Consider that description in Light of our Eternal Home : Heaven

 

A)   GREAT LOCATION: Can’t beat it / New heaven & New Earth

1)                 Know the Neighborhood is exceptional / Good neighbors-

 

A)   GREAT VIEWS –Throne of God / the Tree of Life / Streets of Gold / Sea of Glass /

 

B)   GREAT RATES : It is free to all who simply put their faith in God’s son !!!!!

 

 

What about food – will there be restaurants ? You & I will be honored guest at the marriage supper of the lamb

A)   NOTHING TO WEAR ? – You will be given a Beautiful white garment to wear – Brilliant & Pure

 

B) Well What are we going to do in Heaven? – this is where some people

      just  floor me –

1)                           They think heaven is sitting on white clouds eating marshmallows & playing harps – MOVIES – never described in the Bible

 

C)  There are lots of things we will get to do in heaven – such as Hanging out w/ Moses / David / Elijah & Paul to name a Few

1)               Talk w/ David – Tell me what was it like to kill Goliath ?

D) Paul can we talk about some of your writings – Like Romans for instance – Do you have a couple of 1000’s yrs

 

E)Women you can have Tea – with Debra / Esther / Mary – ( Of course

     Martha will serve !!!!!)

 

BEST OF ALL – SEE JESUS :  Heaven is going to be a Grand place – Never Bored / Never disappointed / Never Looking back

A)   You know What is really SAD though / there are some people who don’t want to go to heaven

 

B) Ted Turner in an interview w/ the National Press club said:

Heaven is perfect who wants to go to a place that is perfect that would be boring – where we are going we will have the opportunity to make things better because HELL IS SUPPOSED TO BE A MESS

 

C)He doesn’t have a clue – Hell is described as a Place of Outer Darkness – weeping & Gnashing of teeth

1)                 I Picture a darkness that is so dark that you can’t see your hand when it is right in front of your face !!!!!

 

2)                 ( people go crazy if left in that type of darkness- like a dark cave for too long)

 

D) Therefore – People are not going to see their friends – but they will hear

     the moanings / weeping / the Gnashing of the teeth of those there !!!

1)                           The thought of that alone – Gives me the creeps !!!!!!

 

 

There was a little boy who was going to get a dog for his B.day – He was taken to the pet store – where he was allowed to see several dogs

A)   The one he picked wagged his tale furiously – He was asked why he picked that one – I WANTED THE ONE W/ THE HAPPY EINDING

 

B)   When God lays out the possibilities of where we can spend Eternity –I am going to pick the one w/ the Happy Ending !!!!

 

C)    That is what God reveals for to us here in the book of Revelation – Two endings – Happy one for those who receive Christ –

1) Horrifying one for those who reject Christ -        Read v.1-11

 

 

Now when the Bible speaks of Heaven it – uses the word in one of 3 ways

A)   TERRESTIAL HEAVENS : Speaks of our ATMOSPHERE – As the rain comes down from heaven – Birds of the heavens

 

B)    That is speaking of the Terrestrial heavens – the sky –

 

C)   CELESTIAL HEAVEN – Sun the moon the Stars / Space -  THE FINAL FRONTEIR

 

D)   But space is not the FINAL FRONTEIR -  the ultimate Heaven is what the bible calls the 3RD HEAVEN

 

E)    It is above the atmosphere & the Stratosphere – it is the heaven of heavens where God Dwells

 

Yrs ago when the Russian Cosmonauts went to the Moon – they said in their ATHIESTIC FASHION-

A)   We have been to the Heavens &have  never seen God

 

B)   Not that hard to figure out – DIDN’T GO FAR ENOUGH – Just step out of your space suits & you will see God really soon !!!!

 

C)   John as we read here was taken up into the 3rd heaven – And the First thing that He sees is a Throne & the One sitting on that Throne !!!!

1)                 Now we talked about – that Throne in our study last time – Prominence / Person on / Proclamation / People around – 24 Elders

 

This morning – as we pick up in v. 6 we are introduced to some new Creatures – The Four Living creatures – Note 4  things

I.                  What are these Beings  : - Using the Bible to Interpret the Bible – we Learn from a vision that Ezk had that these beings are called Cherubs

 

Read Ezk 1:1, 4-28

 

A)   Now in Ezk 10:15 – Ezk clearly identifies these creatures as Cherubim –

1)                 And in the Descriptions of the Tab. – picture of the Heavenly seen – The Lord is described as Dwelling Between the Cherubim

 

A)   Those were the beings above the Ark – w/ their wings stretched out

 

But what is a Cherub ?  It would seem that a Cherub is some sort of Angelic Being – Satan before being cast out of heaven was called

A)   The ANNOITED CHERUB WHO COVERS – Ezk 28:14

 

B)    The Bible does make distinctions between the Angelic host –

1)                 For instance – Michael is referred to as being the Arch Angel

And Gabriel the Chief messenger / Daniel & Mary

 

A)    Recall when – The Angel was dispatched to give an answer to the prayer of Dan. In Dan Ch 10 / he was held up by Satan himself for 3 weeks

1)                 Until Michael the Arch Angel – came to bring relieve & help this lower angel get by

 

A)    So it would seem that these Cherubs were some sort of Angelic Beings –

1)                 Bizarre in appearance / Multi faced – 4 heads / 6 wings / several eyes

 

A)    From our Perspective they would seem – Weird – sure they did to Ezk & John – but that is because they had nothing to compare them to

 

Imagine trying to describe an Elephant to a person who had truly never seen one before – Going to the Zoo Wait until see the Elephants

A)   What is an Elephant ? –

Well it is this great big Blob of flesh – Massive – Little head & these Huge paper thin Ears – Almost look like Wings -  Then it also has the great big long nose – called a trunk – that actually works like a hand – it picks things up w/ it the way you & I use our Hands –

 

And the reason is when you look at its hands & legs well they looks like these great big tree STUMPS  – Massive Stubs

Then it also has this skinny little tale – w/ this little hairy Ball on the End

 

B)   Now that person who has never seen an Elephant – response will be NO WAY !!!! ( Repeat – colored)  FINALLY SEE IT INCREDIBLE

 

C)   Picture that – at Zoo – There is one w/ tusk – what do w/ those – Well we chop them up & put them on Pianos & people play them!!!!

 

 

Now here is the thing we walk around here on earth / we go to the Zoo & we have become very accustomed to seeing these one headed animals

A)   God is going – Wait until you get to heaven & see this thing that I have done w/ 4 heads it is CLASSIC / 6 WINGS & ALL THESE EYES

 

B)   Now from Ezk perspective – each one of these creatures possessed all

     four of facial features

1)                           But from John’s vantage point the First Creature was like a Lion / the 2nd Creature  Calf / 3rd had the face of a man / 4th flying Eagle

 

A)   Since the early days of Church History Iranius & others have Recognized that the four faces of the Cherubim correspond w/ the four gospels

1)                 Matt. Gospel presents Jesus as King Typified by Lion / Mark presents Him as a Servant – The Ox represents Servitude

 

A)   Luke Presents Jesus in His humanity – seen in the face of a Man / And John – Presents Jesus as the Son of God – Pictured by the eagle

1)                 Who not only soars higher than all the other animals – but an eagle is the only animal who can look directly into the Sun

A)   Almost as if the Eagle has these built in RAY BANS -  So too only Jesus is able to behold the Glory of the Father

 

B)   Interesting to ponder – not sure the Significance of that – Except that – These Creatures point out the Glory of the one on the Throne !!!!!!

 

 

Another interesting side note : In Numbers 1 & 2 the Lord declared that the People were to camp around the Tabernacle in a certain order

A)   Interesting order – The Levites who served in the Tab – camped on all four sides N. S. E. W. –

 

B)Practicality but also  Symbolized  that those who are active in serving the

    Lord are the ones who  are closets to the Glory of the Lord

 

C)But after the Levites the other tribes were divided into 4 groups each

      having 3 tribes that were  represented by a Head Tribe –

1)                           This is where it gets interesting: Issachar & Zebulon – were joined on the east side w/ the Tribe of Judah – Head Tribe

 

A)   The insignia for the Tribe of Judah = a Lion ( Jesus is called in Ch. 5 The Lion of the Tribe of Judah )

1)                 Why the east side ? Because when Jesus comes back at His 2nd coming He is going to come from the East –

 

Now important to note : God is into Order – Israelites were always – put in ranks – Blocks -  (Not a free for all)  those 3 tribes on east # 186,400

A)   On the West were the tribes of Ephriam Manasseh & Benjamin – they were Known as the Camp of Ephriam -  Symbol ?  THE OX

                                        They Numbered 108,100

 

B)   Then on the South side were the tribes of Rueben Simeon & Gad / they were Known as the Camp of Rueben – Symbol was a Man

1)                 They Numbered 151,400

 

A)   Then on the North Side – tribes of Dan / Naphtali & Asher – Known as  the camp of Dan – who’s symbol was ?   THE EAGLE

1)                           Their number was 157,600 – almost the same as the South side

 

A)   So here we have the same faces seen here in this heavenly scene

1)                 Put Numbers together -  Big Group Judah ( Lion) 186,400 on the East

2)                 Small group Ephraim ( OX) 108,100 on the west /  Rueben ( Man) 151,000 on the So. /   Dan ( Eagle) 157,000 on the No.

 

E) Aerial view -  Cross -    ( Blocks )

 

Which is really interesting – think about in numbers 23/24 -  the Prophet Balaam goes up on two different Mts Peaks to Curse Israel

A)   This is what He would see – was a Cross – although he wouldn’t understand the significance of the cross

 

B)    It is interesting – that each time He tried to CURSE THEM  a BLESSING came out !!!!!!

1)  The Cross / cancels out the Curse !!!!!!

 

C)    Now does that have anything to do w/ what we are studying here & these

     4 Living creatures ?    I think so – but I don’t know what

1)                           But it is one of those things that we will find out in heaven !!!!!!

 

 

I.                 NOTICE WHAT THEY ARE SAYING V. 8

   8  The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!"

 

A)   Holy Holy Holy -  The word Holy means Separate / Set apart / Different / Unique

 

There are two hundred and fifty-six names given in the Bible for the Lord Jesus Christ, and I suppose this was because He was infinitely beyond all that any one name could express.

n       Billy Sunday

 

A)   And that is what  they are declaring  the one who sits on the throne is unlike anything else – and That He deserves all of our Worship !!!!!!

 

Ex. 15:11 "Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?

 

 

ALMIGHTY – A title by which God Identified himself to Abraham

A)   It is a term which identifies God as the Strongest, the most Powerful being in the Universe – who is devoid of any weakness

 

B)   So powerful that Nothing can oppose Him!!!!!

 

Isa. 46: 9  Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me,

10  Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, 'My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,'

 

Psa. 115: 3  But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.

 

During an earthquake, the inhabitants of a small village were very much alarmed, but they were at the same time surprised at the calmness and apparent joy of an old lady whom they all knew. At length one of them, addressing the old lady, said, "Ma'am, are you not afraid?"  "No," said the woman, "I rejoice to know that I have a God who can shake the world."   

n       Charles Haddon Spurgeon,

 

 

 

 

If you want a wonderful experience, take your New Testament and use a concordance to look up the two little words, "but God." See how many times human resources have been brought to an utter end; despair has gripped the heart and pessimism and gloom has settled upon a people; and there is nothing that can be done. Then see how the Spirit of God writes in luminous letters, "But God," and the whole situation changes into victory.

 -- Ray C. Stedman,

 

Sergei Nikolaev, an energetic Christian leader in the Soviet Union, said, "Don't look at the circumstances and don't look at what you can't do. Look at your Lord. Call on his power. Trust his timing. Don't put a period where God puts a comma."

 

ETERNAL – who is & who was & who is to come !!!!!!

A) Transcends time & Space

 

B)Same yesterday today & forever

 

God dwells in eternity, but time dwells in God. He has already lived all our tomorrows as he has lived all our yesterdays.

   A. W. Tozer

 

 

A man asked God how long a million years was to Him. God replied, "It's just like a single second of your time, my child." So the man asked, "And what about a million dollars?" The Lord replied, "To me, it's just like a single penny." So the man gathered himself up and said, "Well, Lord, could I have one of your pennies?" And God said, "Certainly, my child, just a second."

 

NOW the important thing to note is that these 4 living creatures are not robots – ( Mechanically – Holy Holy Holy )

A)   But rather it is as if they can’t help themselves -  See Him – "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!"

B) Start to get up – See Him again –MOVED & fall down - "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!"

 

C)Just keep going over & over –

1)                 Notice Also the Reaction of the 24 Elders v.9 -11

9  Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,

10  the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

11  "You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created."

 

A) They GIVE GLORY to God

     1)Webster defines GLORY as: Magnificence, Excellence, Greatness,      Majestic beauty and Splendor

 

B) To GIVE GLORY to God means that we ACKNOWLEDGE

          1.) The GLORY that He possesses by nature

 

         

Ps. 113:4   The LORD is high above all nations, & his glory above      the heavens.

 

          Ps. 148:13   Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name          alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.

 

    

ALSO HONOUR = to esteem as valuable or costly

A)   Honour = the proper respect that should be given to a person because of

     his position, title, authority

 

B)Here on earth when a person of distinction walks into the room we          often respond by standing to our feet

     1) as a means of demonstrating that we honour them ( JUDGE)

C) REASON: The destiny of men’s futures lies under his title                      authority and position

 

D)So the Elders are giving Glory & Honor to God’s Authority & position

1)                 The More that we grow in our understanding of who God is the more that we will seek to give Him Glory & Honor in our lives

 

E)It grows w/ Knowledge

 

 

Example: Let’s say we take a Child to the Ocean – there is a respect but it is limited / Fear – but again limited

A)   Take that same Child out on a boat – 300 yards from the shore – it is going to grow

 

B)   Then take him – 5 miles out – where he can’t even see the shore / all he sees for miles is ocean – the vastness of it / fish in it

1)                 Now he is AMAZED !!!!!

 

A)    That is what happens to us the more that we encounter God – Worship Him for His Glory / Power – Give Him Glory & Honor !!!!!

 

 

Have you ever thought about how big God is?

A) Within the cup of the Big Dipper there are an estimated 100 MILLION      Galaxies     / Our galaxy is average in size.....

 

B) Consisting of 100 MILLION stars/  100,000 light years across

     1) 1 light year is the DISTANCE that light travels in a year at                       the rate of 186,326 mi/ per sec. = 1 million mph

 

C) Our galaxy is 5 TRILLION 880 MILLION x 100,000 miles across

     1) So How big is God if he can measure the heavens with a span and              know the NUMBER of stars and call them by name?   AMAZING

 

Now here is what is Ironic – You take  LITTLE man... On our LITTLE planet.... 

A)    Which is a SMALL part of our SOLAR SYSTEM.... Which is a SMALL

      part of our galaxy.....

 

B)    Which is ONE of BILLIONS of galaxies which God can measure with

      the span of His hand....

1)                   But here is what is IRONIC little old man is trying to get all of the

     glory!!

 

C) Man says "Look at me" "Aren't I wonderful"

1)               We Esteem - Athletes/Entertainers/Scholars

 

D)Paul put it well when He said – They worshipped the Creature rather than the  creator

1)               It is PITIFUL and FOOLISH that  man glories in achievements of his

    fellow man-when man is only a creation of God

 

 

 Now I find it Fascinating that those who are in the Presence of God cannot find enough words to thank God –

A)   Continually Expressing their hearts toward God

 

B)   Yet we can have such a Problem when it comes to Worship / Easily Distracted – sometimes it takes us some time to get in the “ MOOD”

 

C)   Now I didn’t have this problem today – because I knew I was going to be teaching on this – Heart was prepared

1)                 But boy did I struggle last week -  TIRED from our trip back – in late

Up early 3:30 couldn’t go back to sleep

 

A)   Didn’t even make it in here until 3rd service – waiting for my wife – didn’t show – kids sick

1)                 New Band – Check them out -  ( Distracted )

 

But what would have been my reaction had Jesus came & sat down next to me ? – I will tell you –MAJESTY ….. MAJESTY

A)    Without hesitation !!!!!!

 

We say – we believe that when 2 or more are gathered in His name – He is here in our MIST -  Do we ACT LIKE IT!!!!!

 

Worship is the Program of Heaven

A)   You can experience Worship in your hearts today – by Worshipping

 

B)   2nd – Worship is the purpose of Creation – We exist for one reason Give God Glory

 

C)   Therefore to the extent that you please Him you will experience fulfillment in the deepest part of your soul

 

D)   worship = Turn & to Kiss

 

 

IV.   Lessons about Worship

True worship centers our attention:

A)    We are truly worshipping God when we see God as the center of everything.

 

B)    We  stop living for ourselves & thinking of ourselves but thinking solely in ref. To God & his agenda

 

True Worship gathers people together:

A)   You become part of a family, a congregation. It crosses lines of

       exclusion.

 

True Worship Reveals Truth:

A)   As we truly worship we begin to understand – things that we have never seen before

 

True Worship makes us sing : We can’t help it / We can’t hold it Back A) True  Christians are always singing.

 

True Worship AFFIRMS :

A)    It responds to God's great promises with an "Amen" a "Yes" from you

     

 

I want to close with a paragraph from Eugene Peterson which beautifully gathers up the power of worship:

Failure to worship consigns us to a life of spasms and jerks, at the mercy of every advertisement, every seduction, every siren. Without worship we live manipulated and manipulating lives. We move in either frightened panic or deluded lethargy as we are, in turn, alarmed by spectres and soothed by placebos. If there is no center, there is no circumference. People who do not worship are swept into a vast restlessness, epidemic in the world, with no steady direction and no sustaining purpose.

 

Wise words. Let us join with the hymn writer in one of the great songs of worship:

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible, hid from our eyes.
How blessed, how glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, Victorious, Thy great name we praise.

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
All praise we would render, O help us to see
Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee!