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We continue our series, Worship Before the Throne of God. Today we'll conclude this series, I think it's just been a little break from 1 Peter. And Lord willing we return back to 1 Peter chapter 4, we've got two more chapters to.
Go.
Then we're going to go to 2 Peter, Lord willing. And I really believe that that's timely because 2 Peter mainly is about the coming of the Lord and the end days and false teachers. And we will see what the Lord has to say to us in that.
But I believe that's going to be very timely. But this is part 4 and this will conclude our message today as we have been looking into this wonderful chapter. And not only that chapter, we looked at chapter 4 as well, didn't we?
So please turn with me and let's open our Bibles together as we come to worship together. And I'm right with you. I'm just going to speak what the Lord has on my heart and as I studied this, I'm just, I'm full but there's no way I'm going to get all this in this one hour.
Chapter 5, the verses we'll be looking at in particular will be verse 8 to 14. But what I'd like to do is recap a little bit what we looked at as the Lord taught us last Lord's Day. But we'll be looking at particular verse 8 to 14 to the end of the chapter.
So let me begin with verse 1 and what is taking place here in heaven is a great scene. And it helps us capture the context and the meaning of what is going on as we pick up from verse 8 to 14. But we need to see what is the setting, what is the scene.
So hear the word of the living God and I'm reading from the old authorized 1611 King James Version this morning. Verse 1, and I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside sealed with seven seals.
And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able, able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
And I wept much because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look.
Thereon.
And one of the elders saith unto me, weep not, behold the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and lo, in the midst, in the middle of the throne of the four beasts, and in the midst, or the middle, of the elders, stood a lamb, as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and the four twenty, and the twenty-four, the four and the twenty elders fell down before the lamb, having every one of them hearts and golden vows full of odors, which is incense, which are the prayers of saints.
And they sung a new song, saying thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof, for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation, and hast made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth.
And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beast and the elders, and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousands and thousands and thousands. Saying with a loud voice, worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.
And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea and all that are in them heard I say in blessing and honor and glory and power unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the lamb forever and ever.
And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth forever and ever. Hallelujah. This is so great, folks. Amen. Let's pray and ask God to help us. Oh God, our Father, we come before you, Lord, as we're just nothing but dirt with your breath.
In it.
But Lord, you've made us to worship you and love you. You've redeemed us by the blood of Christ. Lord, we owe everything to you today. You are the king eternal, immortal, invisible, only wise God, unto you be honor and glory, power and riches and strength.
Lord, the question is before us, who is sufficient for these things?
Who is sufficient? Who is worthy?
Lord, not a one of us are, there's only one, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ, your son and whom you have set on your holy hill. Lord, we honor him and as we honor him, we honor you. Help us to remember that.
Help us, oh God, to behold the Lamb of God who was slain before the foundation of the.
World.
Oh God, help us. We need your Holy Spirit this morning, this hour. Oh God, to give us ears to hear, give us eyes to see. Lord, forgive us of our many sins. Lord, may our sins that has caused us to stumble in every way, Lord, remove them, oh Lord.
Wash us and make us clean. Humble us, oh God, and may we have a humble and contrite heart this morning as we come into thy presence and see the glories of the greatness of who you are in Jesus Christ.
Be thou our vision, oh God. Oh God, only you and you alone can do these things. So wash us, cleanse us, mold us, make us. Wash us with the pure water of the word. Sanctify us in your word. Make us fit to worship you acceptably and may not one of us leave the same way we came.
Lord, we ask these things for your glory in the name of Jesus, amen, amen. Cannot help but think of what is going on here in Revelation that, as you well know, this is worship and praise to the highest and we got to keep in mind that this is the throne of the universe.
There's no throne higher than this throne and the scene that's taking place will take place in the future but God allowed the apostle John to see the future and see this. By the Spirit, he's in the Spirit on the Lord's day and what's happening here is a crescendo or a finale, I guess you could say, of great praise to God and there's great music that's going on but there's worship and worship is just not music in itself, it's what is taking place around about the throne.
The scene is there but as we saw that chapter 4 is focused so much on the throne of God now with a focus that begins to go on the scroll and then from the scroll to the Lamb and I could not help but also think about a musician that lived years past, he was a great musician, he was a great composer of classical music, his name was Johann Sebastian Bach, I know you've heard of him in German, we say Bach but they actually call Bach, that's the proper way, they would correct you on that if you were in Germany, in Europe I'm sure, to make sure that you pronounce his name right.
He was one of the greatest composers and he also had children that were composers and music was part of this man and he was a Christian man. Matter of fact, they said everything that he signed, he signed it, Soli Deo Glorii, to God alone be the glory.
They said that in his last words as he was dying, the family was surrounding him and they were weeping and they were crying and that he was about to depart from this world and this is a great man, a great composer, he said, do not weep for me, this is actually his last words, he said, I am going where music was born.
He's so right, I'm going where music was born and if you listen to this man's music, it's tremendous. The God gave that man the gift of music and basically what he did, he gave God glory while he was here on this earth, that was his call, was to make music to the glory of God.
Well, here, folks, I'm telling you, we've got the greatest music of all time. No wonder Satan worked so hard, being a fallen angel, and they said, if you read the scriptures, he was a musician. One preacher put it this way, that he was like the head choir conductor in heaven.
He knew music and he knew this in heaven because he was there. Is it any wonder that music today is so twisted and that he takes what is good from God and he distorts it and perverts it like everything else?
That he hates God and he perverts it and distorts it and music is huge. Everybody loves music, some kind of music. You got different culture of music and different, but this is the greatest music of all time right here in heaven.
And this is so tremendous because words fail to come to my mind of how great this is. But let me say this in the setting of this, in chapter 4 and 5 of Revelation, the stage is set in heaven before the throne of God.
And this is, what is taking place is basically a worship, a crescendo, I guess you could say, a finale of what is about to take place on planet earth. Judgment is about to be poured out. The day of vengeance is coming to the earth, a consummation of all history has come to the climax, has come to an end.
What about is about to take place? The end of all things is about to take place on planet earth. Keep in mind that John the apostle is in the spirit on the Lord's day and he's seeing all these things.
So the fulfillment of this is found in Psalm 2, it's all through scripture. I chose Psalm 2, 5 through 9, listen to the word of God here. Then shall he, that speaks of God, speak unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure.
And then he says, yet I have set my king, that's Jesus, upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree. God's in charge, right? I will declare the decree, God says. Every mouth will be shut, right?
The Lord has said unto me, thou art my son, and this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me and I shall give thee the heathen, the nations, for thine inheritance. And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, that's the day of vengeance. Thou shalt dash them into pieces like a potter's vessel. That's a prophecy that David gave years back before Jesus came. It's like he went right to the consummation of all things.
That's the Spirit of God giving him that, and he was singing this. He was singing this song. So the unfolding of that final revelation would take place in chapter 6 until chapter 19, as you read the book of Revelation.
Chapter 6 of that time, known as the day of vengeance of our God, the day of the Lord, and Scripture speaks of it as the day of vengeance of Almighty God. The latter part in verse of, I think I'm going to say chapter 16 of verse 14, calls it this.
The battle of that great day of God Almighty, and then in Revelation 16, 15 gives us another sober warning to that all that reads that, behold, I come as a thief. And he says, blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments.
Listen to that. Talks about your garments. Lest he walk naked and they see his shame. Now you go to, you jump to Psalm 94, King David sings with a harp, and he cries out to God and he's singing by the blessed Holy Spirit as the Spirit of God is breathing upon him concerning God, judging the wicked of the earth.
And David cried out for this because he saw much foolishness and the righteous being, and the poor being cast down and his cry was, God, are you going to vindicate? And that's our cry today as well. Verse 1 through 3, listen to David, O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth, then he says it again, O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, show thyself, isn't that our prayer?
God show thyself, lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth. God's the judge of all the earth, shall not the judge of all the earth do right? Then he says, render a reward to the proud, to the proud. Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?
That was his cry, he's singing this with a harp. And now we have the glorious privilege, beloved, to look into the future. Revelation 4 and 5, the Lamb of God coming forth in heaven with all eyes upon Him.
The inactive judgment and the wrath of Almighty God about to be poured out. And then Jesus being the only one who's worthy and qualified to take back the universe that rightfully belongs to Him. And in chapter 4, we look, the focus was on God the Father, right?
The throne, the throne of God the Father. And we saw around about the throne and before the throne and out from the throne and in the midst of the throne, you see, oh, it's all about the throne. And we saw Him who sits on the throne and who reigns forever and ever.
Then in chapter 5, the focus begins to shift to the Lamb. We looked at the scroll, we're going to look a little bit on that. And look back in what is being said in context, but the Lamb of God who comes forward to the throne of the Father and then He takes the scroll.
And then it's like worship breaks out. And there's a reason for this. We're going to see that. And then that scroll, there's much that's said about that scroll. Some people say that that scroll is the covenants, the law, the promises of God.
Some says it's God's plans, His legal will. Some says it's His eternal decree. Some says it's the title deed of the universe. I'm of the opinion. We don't know for sure, but we definitely know that on that scroll is judgment written in that.
You could say rightfully so is the title deed of the universe. And within that title deed is the eternal decrees of God. But what does Scripture say about it? Well, Ezekiel, the prophet saw this scroll in heaven.
And if you read Ezekiel chapter 2, this is basically the call of Ezekiel from God. And then judgment is coming upon Israel. And God allows him in the spirit. He says this in verse 9 and 10 of Ezekiel chapter 2.
And when I looked, behold, a hand was sent unto me. And lo, a scroll, a roll of a book was therein. And He spread it before me. It was spread out. And it was written within and without. The same thing John says, within and without.
A lot of writing was on it. And there was written therein. We know these three things was written on this scroll. Lamentations, mourning, and woe. What does that sound like to you? It sounds like a judgment.
Judgment is about to take place here. And that's what this is. And as you well know, when the scroll, it was sealed up. And only one was worthy to take the scroll and to unloose and break the seals. That was the Lord Jesus Christ.
And havoc, not only havoc, the wrath of God is going to burst out on planet Earth. And that's pretty much the same. So, if you look at verse 2 of Revelation. I'm sorry, verse 2, yes, of chapter 5. It says this, and I saw an angel, a strong angel.
Proclaiming with a loud voice. You can't imagine how loud this voice is. I'm sure it's amplified throughout heaven. Don't need a PA system there, I can guarantee you that. And the question arises, and all of heaven hears this.
Who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof? In other words, what he's saying is, who is fit to do this? Who is qualified to break these seals? Who has the rights to do such a thing?
Who has the authority to do such a task? Upon this universe, upon planet Earth. Verse 3. And no man in heaven, nor in Earth, neither under the Earth was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
Was not only able to look at it, he could not even take it. It's sacred here, it's a sacred moment. And that word able, basically means who has that kind of power. There's one. There's an appeal for someone worthy enough to open the scroll, to break the seals one by one.
No one in celestial heaven, terrestrial Earth, or even subterrestrial, under it, had the power to even do such a task. Not even to look at it, or to even break its seals. I'm telling you folks, this is incredible.
This is a high point here. And I tell you, what we're leading up to is something incredible. Think of this. No man, no angel, no demon in hell, had the wisdom or the power to even execute these judgments.
There's only one. Now before that scene, we go to the scene of the one that comes forward. Notice what happened. John the apostle, here's an apostle. This is how he felt. Verse 4, And I wept much. He wept much.
Because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
He wept.
Apostle weeps. Why does he weep? Well, we looked at this last week. And I think there's reasons for his weeping. Maybe he wondered if this meant that the earth would continue to be under the power of Satan.
It continues and that does not come to an end. Or maybe, I would think this latter part would be even more so. Did it mean that all of the wrongs ever committed in human history would be unrighted? That the righteous would never be vindicated?
I think that's a good thought. That the wicked would go unpunished. In other words, this is what the vengeance of God's about.
Justice.
He's basically saying, where's justice? David cried out on this. So what does John do?
He weeps. He weeps.
Would this mean? Let me go a step further. Would this mean that the kingdom of God would never come to earth? Did this mean that the necessary purging of all evil of the earth would be thwarted? We'll look at verse 5.
And one of the elders saith unto me, weep not. Now he comforts him. Don't weep. Don't you love this?
Behold.
In other words, look.
You look.
The lion. The lion. The lion. Folks, the lion of the tribe of Judah. Messianic titles. The root of David hath prevailed to open the book and loose the seven seals. In other words, comforts given to the apostle as he wept much.
And the question was, who is worthy? That's the question. Who is worthy to open these seals, to loose them? Now, I want you to think of this. We're talking about unleashing, having the right to unleash from heaven itself the wrath of God.
The justice. Folks, we don't know. We're talking about almighty God. We're talking about justice given to mankind and all of its sins. And Jesus Christ as a lion comes to slaughter and slay them. This is what's going to happen.
Let's look at those messianic titles just briefly. The lion of the tribe of Judah. The lion of the tribe of Judah. One has great power and authority. A lion has fierceness. He has authority.
He has majesty, doesn't he?
Makes you, you know, think this is why God created lions. Especially the male lions, they dominate. They are majestic. You ever seen a lion, the way they carry themselves? And they are fierce. They have power and authority.
Well, this is basically, that's the symbol of the lion here who comes out of the messianic tribe of Judah. One who has the right and authority. One who is the root or the offshoot of the offspring of David.
What does that talk about? Royalty in his blood. He has royalty, kingship, majesty in his veins. One who is fit to be the true king with all authority and power. Who rightfully is the true king.
Right?
The king that was rejected from Israel. And then crucified. See, this is what this is all about. Only Jesus Christ is qualified to release these awful judgments. Only Jesus Christ is qualified to judge the whole earth and the universe itself in his infinite wisdom and in his power by the divine decree.
By his personal excellence. And by his work that he accomplished on Calvary's cross. I would say Jesus is well qualified. I would say that everything about Jesus is qualified. He is the holy Christ. He is the king of kings, the lord of lords.
And he was slain as a lamb. He was slaughtered, the perfect son of God, the son of man. The supreme sacrifice that offered up himself on Calvary's cross and shed his precious blood to redeem a people for himself.
Taking away the sins of the world. That's the lamb. But here he is spoken of as a lion. He is the judge of judges. He is the king of kings, the lord of lords. And he will punish all of his enemies. And it makes me think at his first coming, he came meek.
He came meek on a coat, on a donkey. And now he will come back on a white stallion as a great king. The first time he came as savior, the second time he's going to come as judge. The age of grace is among us now.
And that will be the day of vengeance. We're going to look at that. Verse 6 says, and I beheld and lo in the midst. That means in the midst, there's another translation, in the middle.
I like that.
In the midst or the middle of the throne and of the four beasts. And notice this, and in the middle of the elders. In the center, just like the time when Jesus was on the mount of transfiguration and he was transfigured and he was in the center.
And there appeared Moses and Elijah representing the law and the prophets. And it was speaking of his resurrection actually. If you read the text. Jesus was in the center. Right here in heaven, he's in the center of the elders.
He's in the center, he's in the middle of the four beasts.
And stood a lamb.
Don't miss that. The lamb is standing. The lamb is... It's as if he had been slain, crucified. But now, he has seven horns and seven eyes. Which are the seven spirits of God sent forth in all the earth.
And the apostle is actually at this point, no doubt, expected to see a lion. But he sees a lamb. Instead, he sees the lamb. And he sees a lamb, he's not... The lamb's not lying down. The lamb is not asleep.
No, he's standing. He's standing. In other words, as if he was dead, but he's alive. He was slain, but he's alive. He's resurrected. Meaning he's alive and well, amen? The lamb was standing and as if he had been slaughtered.
This is incredible. The lamb stood and he bore the wounds of death. The lamb stood alive and well. That he had once been slaughtered and dead, but now he's alive. He was once crucified, he's resurrected.
That's what it's basically the symbol here. And right in the midst and right in the center of the throne. The four beasts and the center of the throne of the elders. Christ speaks symbolic here. Seven horns, seven, seven.
Seven is a number of perfection and completion. So what is it saying? It basically speaks that he has perfect power. That's what it's saying. He has perfect power. Not only does he have perfect power, he has perfect knowledge.
He has perfect wisdom. And the scripture speaks that he and him in the fullness of the measure of the Holy Spirit. Does the word of God tell us that? John 3, 33 and 34. He, speaking of Jesus, has received his testimony.
Has set his seal that God is true. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God. For God giveth not spirit by measure unto him. In other words, all the fullness of the Spirit of God was upon him.
He is the anointed one. That's what the word name Christ means. He is the anointed one. Verse 7.
Chapter 5.
And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him who sat upon the throne. Now this is a very glorious moment because in heaven. At this most incredible and most significant moment of all of history.
At this moment when Jesus Christ takes the scroll. The seals out of the right hand of God the Father. That he is the only one qualified to do so. And begins to take back. And now he will start to recover back what was taken away.
Because of man's sin. We can't blame the devil on it. The devil did the tempting. Now, yes, the devil is basically the God of this world. And he has had a fatal crushing blow to his head. That bruised the heel of Christ.
But as you well know, Satan is not yet into the lake of fire. But one day he is going to go there. But it was all that was lost in the universe. Now think of it. Sin has absolutely turned everything in reverse to the way God planned it.
Sin.
We have a hard time grasping this. Because we are such at comfort and ease with sin. It's so part of our nature. But God meant it completely different, didn't he? The whole universe was lost. The whole Adam's race was lost.
All of humanity's lost. And we know the reason why people act the way they do. In the most horrific ways. Killing unborn babies and murdering each other. And slandering and committing adultery. And living such immoral lives of perversion.
We were all there, right?
Until Christ redeemed us and cleaned us up. And put a new heart into us. But sin has done this. 1 Corinthians 15, 21 -26. Let the word of God speak. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, but even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But every man in his own order. Christ the firstfruits. Afterward, they that are Christ at his coming, then come at the end. When he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father.
When he shall have put down all rule and all authority and all power. And he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy shall be destroyed is death. Now isn't that the thing that we all, we're going to all die.
Because physically, man was, originally God gave him immortality. He had immortality, eternal life. He forfeited that. Because he rebelled and disobeyed the word of God. And therefore in the nature of man became a sin nature.
And all the race went down. The human race. Now we come to the very heart of this awesome chapter. Verse 8 -14. This is the awesome truth. It stands out. And that awesome truth is Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth and the life.
He is the truth. Praise to the Lamb of God. Now we're going to look at the Lamb. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain. Look at verse 8. And when he had taken the book, the scroll, the four beasts and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb.
Now worship is breaking out.
What did they do?
The first response was they fell down before the Lamb. He's God.
He's Lord.
That's the confession of the church. That Jesus Christ is Lord. He is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Having every one of them, then it says, of them harps, each and every, of all the worship that's there in heaven has harps and golden vials full of odors, incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
Now what's happening here is that this moment, it's almost like the entire heaven and universe breaks out when Dorius prays to the Lamb. This is a moment. Like I said, John saw what was going to happen in the future.
So this will happen. This moment for which all of heaven and all of God's redeemed had been waiting for. No doubt this is the most glorious, awesome moment. The most marvelous song of praise in the entire universe and it's the song of the redeemed.
This is worship to the highest. This is worship to the highest. You can't get any higher than right here. That's what I'm saying. Whatever I say, I cannot say enough of the glorious moment of what is taking place in worship here because it's so great.
And in the beauty of God's holiness and all of God's creation breaks forth in praise, but all of heaven breaks forth in praise. And what do we see here? We see three great choruses. There's three choruses here.
From verse 8 to 14, if you look at me, look with me. The Lamb who is worthy, that's the song. That's the song. I don't know about you, but I don't know what tune it's going to be sung to. I don't know what language it's going to be.
It could be all languages. I don't know. But whatever the case, it's going to be glorious. And it's a song to the Lamb. Now, the first chorus is in verse 9 and 10. The second chorus is in verse 11 and 12.
And the third chorus is in verse 13. Verse 8. Let's back up just a little bit there before we get into verse 9 and 10. But look at verse 8. This worship begins to grow, and it grows and grows and it goes higher and higher.
And it escalates.
Let's look back in chapter 4, verse 8. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him. There's a reason they got six wings. They were full of eyes within. They rest not day and night, saying, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty, which was and is and is to come.
Scripture says in verse 9, when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks, glory, honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne who liveth forever and ever. The four and twenty elders then fall down before him that sat on the throne and worship him that liveth forever and ever and cast their crowns before the throne saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power.
That's a threefold doxology. Count these doxologies. This is interesting. And then once you get to the doxology in verse 12, there's a sevenfold doxology that says it's basically a doxology of perfection and completion to the Lamb of God.
And then it says, For thou hast created all things, all things for thy pleasure. They are and were created. So, first we see a fourfold doxology giving praise to the triune God. And then in verse 8 of Revelation, we also added to the worship that is already going on as a quartet, you could say, of a cherubim and their praise at the 24 elders, which now makes it a total of 28.
And now we see added to 28 instruments given to them. The instruments is hearts. Whose idea was it to do away with instruments? Oh, my goodness. These people that form these denominations, as Ravenhill says, abominations, add and take away just because they could not find instruments in the New Testament.
But you see instruments everywhere in Revelation. You see instruments everywhere in the Old Testament. And I'm sure God loves it. There's harps. Now we're going to look at this. This is interesting. Harps is an interesting instrument, isn't it?
I love the sound of a harp, don't you? It's something so comforting about it. And actually, you read the Scriptures that when King Saul was in his sin and rebellion against God, he wanted David to take the harp and sing to him to comfort him, to console him, to calm him down.
Well, it helped him for a little bit, but he never repented. Well, in verse 8, having every one of them harps. Harps. What's so significant about harps? Let's look at this just for a little bit. The harp or the lyre is another kind of string and instrument that is associated with praise, but it's also associated with prophecy.
Prophecy.
What does the Word of God say about this?
Much.
Go with me to 1 Samuel chapter 10. We're going to go through the Scriptures a little bit. I'm just going to point out a few verses. If you go to 1 Samuel chapter 10, you see this throughout the Word of God, especially in the Old Testament.
But look at verse 5 and 6. And after that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines, and it shall come to pass when thou art come tithered to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp before them, and they shall prophesy.
And then in verse 6, And the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and thou shalt be turned into another man.
Wow.
Go with me to 2 Kings. Just go to the right. These are the historical books of Israel. Much, much there. It's important to read all the way through the Scriptures to understand the whole picture. 2 Kings chapter 3.
Look at verse 15. But now bring me a ministerial. And it came to pass when the ministerial played, kind of like a conductor in a sense, and the hand of the Lord came upon him. So there was singing with instruments.
Okay. And then go with me to 1 Chronicles chapter 25. Just a few verses here. Chapter 25. This is... Let me read verse 1, 2, 3. For David and the captains of the hosts separated to the service of the sons of Asaph and of Heman, and of Junathun, and who should prophesy with harps, there it is, with psalteries and with cymbals.
And the number of the workmen according to their service was as of the sons of Asaph, Zechor, and Joseph, and Nathanael, and Azarel, and the sons of Asaph under the hands of Asaph, which prophesied, again, they prophesied according to the order of the king, and of Junathun, the sons of Junathun, Gedaliah, and Zerah, and Jesseiah, and Hashabiah, all these Hebrew names,.
And Nathanael,.
Six under the hands of their father Junathun, who prophesied with a harp. You see that time and time. And to give thanks and to praise the Lord. So they were praising God of worship, but not only praising God with the harp, they were prophesying.
Now, this is significant.
One more verse.
Go to Psalm 49 .4. There's a lot of psalms, but I don't have time to hit them all, but I thought about Psalm 49 .4 as I was looking up the references on this. There's so many others, but Psalm 49 .4, he says this.
Let me back up verse 3. My mouth shall speak of wisdom, and the meditation of my heart. There it is. Meditation of my heart shall be of understanding. And then verse 4. I will incline mine ear to a parable, and I will open my dark saying upon the harp.
The harp.
That's a very important instrument. And here we see it in heaven. The harp is somehow tied to the use of prophecy. Prophesying the word of the Lord. And in Revelation 5 .8, we see the harp.
Each one has a harp.
Now, why is it? Why is it? Why is there a harp? Not only to accompany the worship that's before the throne of God, but it also symbolizes all the prophecies of the revelation of God that have been given.
The promises and describing the great events that is about to take place. All the preaching. All the prophecy. And there it's, the harp is given. And scripture that had ever been given and all that has been taking place given regarding to the consummation of all history.
All the prophecies that ever had taken place regarding to the end time and to the final return of Jesus Christ. The building of the kingdom of God. And the judgment of the wicked. And the vengeance of God coming upon the earth.
And all the scripture that had been said in regards to the end and all the things that symbolize. There is symbolized in a harp in prophecy. For the harps became the very symbols. Not only a praise, but a prophecy.
Now, next. There is much more I can say about that, but I need to move on. We see the golden bowls full of odors. Incense. Now, this is very significant too, because here we have incense. The golden bowls.
This symbolizes the priestly work of intercession of God's people. There is a priestly function here. There were symbols of the priestly function. Notice in the verse, there is golden vials full of incense.
Now, we see this in scripture. Particularly in the Old Testament. Incense was burned with fire.
With the sacrifice.
Fire.
In order to have incense, you had to have a fire. And then there was smoke. And there was fragrance that went upward.
Smoke goes upward.
It doesn't go downward.
It goes up.
So incense is going up. Symbolized as prayer. The prayers of the saints. Rising upward to God. And as you well know, the scripture speaks that God in worship, desires worship that's like a sweet smelling aroma.
An incense. You know, ladies, you love aroma. Perfume, right? It makes me think of this. And God loves aroma as well. But He loves the aroma of a sweet smelling incense before Him. That's pleasing and satisfying to Him.
As incense went upward in smoke, that carried the fragrance upward. This is symbolic. Symbolic of offering a fragrance that's pleasing to God. You ever think about Noah after the flood? He offered up a sacrifice, him and his family.
And the sacrifice went up. And you read the scriptures that it was like a sweet smelling aroma before God. It pleased God. Well, normally the priest would stand before the inner veil, of the holy place before the holy of holies.
And they would offer up incense before the presence of God. And the incense would be swept up into the nostrils of God as a symbol of prayer rising up for God's people. We also see this in Psalm 141 too, for example.
The psalmist says this,. Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Luke chapter 1, we read about the priest Zachariah. He goes into the temple.
The people are on the outside. The priest is representing the people, right? He goes before the Lord in the presence of the Lord. And it says in Luke 1, 9,. According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
That was the pattern. That was the pattern. In verse 10 it says,. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside of the temple at the time of the incense. See, the incense was like the prayers of the saints.
And here in heaven, we see the hearts representing the prophecy and then the incense representing the prayers of the saints. In Revelation 5, 8, it's a rich, marvelous scene and God's heaven now builds up to a glorious anticipation of the part of the redeemed and all of God's elect from the four corners of the earth holding the golden vials, the bowls and playing the harps symbolic of the prophecy all rises up before God and the Lamb and all of worship is breaking out to the final climax of the finale and of the redemption that is about to be fulfilled to a full completion.
Jesus Christ, our Lord, taught His disciples to pray this second petition. Thy kingdom come. Third petition. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. See, think of that. Don't miss that. Right now on earth, the kingdom hasn't come but it is coming.
God's will isn't completely done but it is coming. Jesus said pray that. Thy will be done. Thy kingdom come. So while there is an immediate fulfillment of the kind of prayer in a spiritual sense there is also an eschatological sense in which we are praying for the end to come.
Don't you want to see that happen? Thy kingdom come. Thy kingdom come. Lord bring Thy kingdom. This is the point right here. The finality of redemption to the glory of God. Look at verse 9 and they sung a new song saying and this is the climax folks.
Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof for Thou was slain and has redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred. Don't miss that. Out of every kindred. God saves us out from the world and tongue and people and nation.
C .H. Spurgeon said in this verse.
I quote,.
I have been redeemed. Have I been redeemed? Has the mortgage that was on me through sin been removed? Do I believe in Jesus Christ? If I believe that Jesus is the Christ and trust in Him alone I have been bought back with a countless price.
The sufferings and the death of Jesus have set His people free from the slavery of sin. They have been purchased. Redeemed. They come back to the owner when the mortgage is discharged and we come back to God to whom we always belong because Jesus has purchased us for God by His blood.
End quote. And that's the story of redemption. Jesus Christ alone is the worthy to do this. He has the right. He alone is qualified. He alone is God. He is Lord. He is worthy. Revelation 4 .11 emphasizes that the work of creation but here the emphasis is on the work of redemption.
Redemption.
I can honestly say this. If you read through the Bible you can summarize the great plan of God in one word.
Redemption. Redemption.
This is why Spurgeon can say that all of my theology is summed up in four simple words. Jesus died for me. That's enough. That's enough.
Notice.
This is why the Apostle Paul said I know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is the very heart of the Gospel. How many times in Scripture does it speak about blood?
The blood of God. I think of this book. This book is a bloody book. It's a blood stained book. Because you start from the beginning of Genesis and go all the way to Revelation. You see the blood. You see Abel offers up a blood sacrifice.
A lamb.
What's he doing?
He's obeying pretty much what God says. The first promise. The pro-evangel. In Genesis 3 .15.
It's about blood. God slew the first animal.
To clothe them.
It's about blood. Genesis 3 .15. I will put enmity between thee and the woman, between thy seed and her seed, and it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Well, that's about the crucifixion of Jesus.
Everything in this Scripture goes to the crucifixion of Jesus. Christ crucified.
Isn't that what the Scripture's about?
The cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. And it says here, you were slain. You were slaughtered. Have redeemed us to God by your blood because the death of Jesus, the substitutionary death of Christ. Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
I like the old hymn. Calvary covers it all. My past with its sin and stain. My guilt and despair. Jesus took on Him there. Calvary covers it all. Hallelujah, what a Savior. Bearing shame and scoffing rude.
In my place condemned He stood. Sealed my pardon with His blood. Hallelujah, what a Savior. Guilty, bound, helpless we. Spotless Lamb of God was He. Full atonement can it be. Hallelujah, what a Savior.
How about this song? Alas, and did my Savior bleed? Did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I? They've tried to change up that worm, put sinners there, but I like the worm better.
We're worms. Amen. Was it for sins that I have done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity, grace unknown, and love beyond degree. Will the sun in darkness hide and shut His glories in when Christ the mighty Maker died?
For man the creatures sin. How do you feel when you hear these words? Feel like a worm, don't you? But God loved us so much He wanted to redeem these worms. But drops of grief can never repay the debt of love I owe.
Here, Lord, I give myself away as test all that I can do. At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light and the burdens of my heart rolled away, it was there by faith,.
By faith,.
I received my sight and I am happy all the day. Here's another one. When I surveyed the wonderous cross on which the Prince of Glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and poor contempt on all my pride.
Redeemed how I love to proclaim it. Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.
Isn't it about the blood?
Redeemed through His infinite mercy, His child and forever I am. There's a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins and sinners plunge beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains. In verse 10, you go back to the Word of God that has made us unto our God, kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth.
Revelation 1, 5 and 6 says, and from Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead and the Prince of the kings of the earth unto Him that loved us and washed us, washed us from our sins in His own blood.
Paul said that the church of God was purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ. Verse 6, and He hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father. To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Kingdom of priests, all believe and all those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ will be part of that wonderful kingdom of God.
And the only way we can enter in there is be poor in spirit and receive it by faith. Faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ. Believers will have the right to enter into God's presence. John 1, 12, but as many as received Him, to them He gave the power,.
The right,.
The privilege to become the sons of God even to them that believe on His name. Well, like I said, I'm not going to finish this, but look at verse 11. I beheld and I heard the voice of many angels around about the throne and the beasts and the elders and the number of them was ten thousands times ten thousands and thousands and thousands.
Can you imagine? I don't know about you. I've heard 300 voice choir and it's incredible. Could you imagine hearing this in heaven? Thousands and thousands and ten thousands saying with a loud voice, worthy is the Lamb.
I'm sure heaven's portals shook and will shake the land that was slain to receive power, riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. That's a mouthful, but that's a sevenfold doxology.
Completion and perfection. Every creature and every creature, not some creatures, every creature which is in heaven and on earth and under the earth and such are in the sea and all that is in them heard I say in blessing and honor and glory and power unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb forever and ever.
And the four beasts said amen and the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth forever and ever. I'm telling you, throughout eternity, the echoes of worship will be.
Jesus is worthy, he is worthy, he is Lord, he is God,.
He is so great.
Folks, I'm telling you, we do not know how great he really is. Well, I got a very quick application. I'm going to make it very simple. We see all about the blood. God said in Exodus, when I see the blood, I will pass over you.
It's all about the blood. Are you washed in the blood? Are you washed in the blood? Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? There's a reason why the songwriter keeps asking that question. Are you walking daily by the Savior's side? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Do you rest each moment in the crucified?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? When the bridegroom cometh, will your robes be white? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Will your soul be ready for mansion's bride? Oh, be washed in the blood of the Lamb.
Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin and be washed in the blood of the Lamb. There's a fountain flowing for the soul unclean. Oh, be washed in the blood of the Lamb. Are you washed? Are you washed?
Are you washed in the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb? Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? That's all that's going to matter, folks. Receiving mercy from our God and being washed in the blood of the Lamb.
The washing of the water of the Word, but it's through the blood of Jesus Christ by faith. And that's why the crucifixion of Jesus Christ is everything. I'm telling you, it is everything. And that is the very heart and soul of the Gospel.
Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Look at chapter 6, verse 10 and 11. And they cried with a loud voice saying, And how long, O Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
And that's when the great day of vengeance comes. So much that could be said. Isaiah 61, verse 1 and 2. Let me see if I can just put this in a word and we'll close and go to communion. When Jesus came in His earthly ministry after He was tempted in the wilderness from the devil,.
What happened?
His ministry began. And He went straight to the synagogue. And the Scripture says that His fame spread out throughout all the region. And the first thing He did, He chose, when He went to the synagogue, He chose that text for a reason.
You can read this in chapter 4 of Luke. He reads the Scriptures. The living Word reads the written Word. And it says,. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. And He goes back to Nazareth, and this is where He's rejected.
And the custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and He stood up to read. That's why we read Scripture and we stand up to read. And it was delivered unto Him the book of the prophet Isaiah.
And He had opened the book and He found the place where it was written. This is Isaiah, our chapter and verses. Isaiah 61, verse 1. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach the deliverance to the captives, recovering the sight to the blind, and set at liberty to them that are bruised. And in verse 19 it says, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
And by the way, He stopped right there. It goes on in Isaiah, the day of vengeance of our God. But do you know what I think about right here? At the age of grace, Jesus came as Savior. And He preaches the gospel.
He is the gospel. He is the Savior. And in the Bible it says, He closed the book. And He gave it again to the minister and sat down. And you can see this. And all the eyes of them that were in the synagogue were fastened on Him.
And He began to say unto them, This day, this scripture is fulfilled in your ears. You know what's going to happen when we go to Revelation? He's going to take up that book again. And He's going to finish that sermon.
The Judge is coming. He came as Savior. This is the age of grace. People better get it right with God before the Judge comes. Tell people, tell everybody that you know this message. They've got breath in their nostrils.
There is mercy and there is grace right now.
Jesus is Savior.
Meek and mild.
Look upon this little child and come unto Him all you labor and heavy laden. Jesus said, come unto Him. And He will receive them. Now He will in no wise cast them out. And like J .C. Ryle says, Once you die, there's no repentance in the grave.
Right now we've got the opportunity and the privilege and the grace to come and repent. Because one day, Jesus is going to finish His sermon. And He's coming back. Praise His name. And it's going to be glorious.
The day of vengeance is really going to be a glorious thing for the saints. Amen? Let's pray. Father, we thank You. And we bless Your holy name. Thank You for this time, Lord, that we can worship You.
Help us, Lord, to continue to worship You. Help us, O God, that our worship would be acceptable. A sweet smelling aroma in Thy presence. Father, we thank You for Jesus. All glory and honor and praise and thanksgiving.
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain. Oh, there's nothing greater. What else do we have if we don't have Jesus? We've got nothing. But if we've got Him, we have everything. If we receive Him, we have everything.
And He's all we need. He's all we need. So we praise Him. And Father, we praise You. And we thank You for this blessed time together that Your Word can sanctify us and prepare our hearts for heaven. Lord, this is a dressing room for eternity.
Help us to have clean and white washed robes, washed in the blood. We thank You for this hour. We thank You for this day. Lord, we thank You for everything. Thank You for salvation in Jesus, for there's none other.
There's no other salvation anywhere else. So we praise You and we thank You. In Jesus' name, Amen.