Kingship of Christ in Revelation 4

Revelation 4 Here We Stand

Pastor Martin expounds Revelation 4 as the first half of the great vision of the throne of God and of the Lamb. After the seven letters are dictated, John is beckoned through an opened door in heaven to see a throne set and One seated on it, surrounded by four living creatures and twenty-four elders rendering unceasing praise. He explains that before the church can understand the cycles of conflict to come, she must see the Creator God upon His throne, holy, almighty, and eternal, and hear the elders ascribe to Him worthiness because by His will all things were and are. The vision is a word of instruction and consolation for the struggling church (God is still on His throne, the rainbow of covenant faithfulness still surrounds it) and a word of terror to the impenitent who chafe against a non-negotiable divine sovereignty.

4 illustrations in this sermon

The Setting: From Ear-Dictation to Eye-Vision

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John as a Boss's Secretary

In the seven letters John is not composing anything — he is acting like a secretary called into her boss's office: 'take this down.' Pictures John dictating what Christ says to the churches.

Unlike the Apostle Paul, when he would write a letter, his own mental processes would be involved in thinking through the subject, in structuring his argument. Not so. John at this point is simply doing what a secretary does when she's called into her boss's office and he says, now will you take this down? And she takes it down.

8:30 - 8:52 Read in full sermon

Imagining the Letter Read in the First Churches

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God Biting His Nails

What John sees when the door is opened is not a nervous God biting his nails because things are getting out of hand, but the ever-blessed God in royal state.

And what is there? A nervous God biting his nails because things are getting out of hand? A nervous God embarrassed because some of his ways don't appear quite just and righteous to the creature? No, no.

27:39 - 27:55 Read in full sermon

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The First Lector Reading at Ephesus

The point: Confess the practical atheism of acting as though God were not on His throne when you see the church struggling or evil seemingly triumphing.

Pastor Martin imagines a lector reading the new letter from Patmos in the Ephesian church — a volatile believer raising his hand midway and crying, 'Sir, will you have the lector stop — is it possible we could join that chorus of praise?'

I can just picture one saint who is perhaps a bit more volatile in his response, raising his hand and saying to one of the elders, Sir, sir, will you have the lecturers stop for just a moment? Just have them stop for a moment. Is it possible that we could join them in that chorus of praise? Oh, how we've dishonored our God because we've seen that steel-like heel of Rome trumping out its vengeance upon the saints.

30:55 - 31:24 Read in full sermon

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The Rainbow Around the Throne Still Intact

The point: Confess the practical atheism of acting as though God were not on His throne when you see the church struggling or evil seemingly triumphing.

The rainbow surrounding the throne harks back to Noah's covenant — and no persecution has obliterated it. God exercises His sovereignty in perfect covenant faithfulness to His church.

And the one who sits upon that throne is glorious both in holiness, in majesty, and the rainbow surrounding the throne in covenant faithfulness. That rainbow that harks way back to Genesis, in which God committed Himself to a covenant with His creatures, and there was the living reminder, He is the God of covenant faithfulness. And what is happening about you tossed? try tempted believers.

32:07 - 32:38 Read in full sermon

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