The greater meaning is that God is surrounded by tireless servants. ever ready to serve. and to express their adoration and worship to Him. And when they say, holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come, that sums up our New Testament, does it not? than the prophecies from the Old Testament.
and the end of it all in the Revelation. This is Cross-Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher, Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Revelation. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross-reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching.
Today, Pastor Rick concludes his message called The Church in Heaven in Revelation chapter 4. Whether it is the tribes of Israel or the pastors in the churches, they're referred to the elders. or the leaders in Israel. These are representatives. of righteous groups.
There are others that belong to them. They are representatives of those groups. And I am convinced That these represent Old Testament and New Testament saints. Together in heaven. This is telling us, yeah, Moses is going to be where you're going.
When you get to heaven, you're going to find the Old Testament saints there. The number twenty-four representing this union.
Now again, some good commentators want to assign this to the angels, but you can't back that up. With Scripture, in fact, the evidence is contrary to that, and I'll come to that in a moment, but let's stay with the 12s and the 24s. The Old Testament saints Under the 12 tribes of Israel, There are twelve gates. In New Jerusalem. And there On those gates are the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Then the New Testament saints under the twelve apostles of the Lamb. There are twelve foundations to New Jerusalem. And of course, it is explicitly stated that these represent the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
So when I see the 12 Representatives of the tribes of Israel, the twelve representatives of the church, why would I? Veer off. From understanding the simple mathematics of 12 and 12 is 24, and there are 24 elders in the This throne room of God, in the court of God. These elders representing Old and New Testament believers. Incidentally, again, the term elder is never applied to any angelic being.
I do not believe all of a sudden it does. Angels have no crowns in Scripture, they occupy no thrones, but it is explicitly said that this will be for the redeemed souls. And you can Look at Matthew 19, 28. 2 Timothy 4.8. 1 Timothy 5, 2 and 4.
I know I'm going a little fast, but then you can Watch the CD later on and And thumbs up it. Luke chapter 22, verse 29. Jesus speaking, I bestow upon you, speaking to his apostles, A kingdom. Just as my Father bestowed one upon me, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And so there's the trend.
And it doesn't mean that there is not also the representation of the Old Testament saints. It just means that the New Testament apostles are going to be right there with them. And that's what we're looking at right here in chapter 4. It's happening. They had crowns of gold on their heads.
Now, this is not the diadem crown, which belongs to the potentate, the ruler. This is Stephanos in the Greek, which is the wreath, but... is gold. It's a golden crown. It is the victor's crown.
That's the symbol behind this. Antichrists will also be wearing The Stephanus, the victor's crown, but he, of course, comes to deceive and to destroy. He is a counterfeit. Clothed with white robes, stain free from sin, incorruptible. And on the thrones I saw twenty four elders sitting.
So a jury of peers for humanity. If we can listen to the gospel and be saved, then no one has an excuse. is part of what is going on here.
So don't blame God. For giving you what you wanted all along, and that is a place without him. Verse 5, and from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne. Which are the seven spirits of God?
Now, John is not frightened by any of this. It is somewhat like a dream where you know what's going on and you know what things mean. But it's not a dream. This is a vision. He is awake.
That's the difference. When the prophets receive dreams, they're sleeping. And it's every bit a communication from God. In this case, it's a vision. He's awake.
And it's equally as much a vision. Uh but this And from the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices. Expressing the righteous indignation which is about to be unleashed on the earth. Because when we get done with chapter 5, we go right into the With this the judgment. The coming storm.
Psalm 2 is about to happen. And you know, Psalm 2 is 1: You messed with God, now He's going to mess with you back. The lightnings and the thunder, well, they come out of the throne itself, and it recalls Mount Sinai. Because there were lightnings and thunderings at the giving of the law, and the people were afraid. And Paul brings that up in Hebrews 12: that now we don't have to be afraid of the Lord.
as the John as the Jews were. Uh we have have a boldness to enter into the presence of God, Christ, because of Christ. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne. Well, we know from study that seven is symbolic of completeness. You are complete in Him who is the head of all principality and power.
That's a scripture verse. Colossians 2.10. Because agnostics were coming in and whispering, you're not complete. We have a deeper knowledge for you. And Paul said, No, you're complete in Christ.
You don't need these phony balonies. And to this day, There are Christians that fall for it. They listen to people that have mingled in the world's teachings with Christ's teachings, and they get very uppity when you point it out to them. Fire, of course, is associated with the work of the Holy Spirit. He will baptize you with the Spirit and with fire.
Which are the seven spirits of God?
The point is God does not lack. The Spirit of God is complete. The Holy Spirit is here also. for the unbeliever. In this lifetime, in this dispensation, the Holy Spirit is here for the unbeliever.
Otherwise, how do they get saved? They get saved through the Holy Spirit or condemned by rejection, the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that. Of this of the Holy Spirit, that he will convict the world of sin. Of righteousness and of judgment.
Why?
So they could repent. They won't all, but some will, and you're sitting right here, some of you right now. You've been convicted by the Spirit, and Jesus is your Lord. You understand the righteousness and the judgment to come. Enough of it.
Verse 6, Before the throne there was a sea of glass like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back.
Now remember, highly symbolic, and I'll point that out again in a moment from the scripture. This is the courtyard of God. and it is like a calm sea in heaven. Unlike the tossings and turnings of the wicked, that even Jude pointed out. There's no curse here.
To make things to disturb anything. And so this sea of glass, as some of you have been to sea and you know when there's no wind, it is like glass. You look out and say, I can't believe this is actually water, and it's like glass.
Well, this is going to be superior to that. Crystal. always speaks of purity. without wickedness. And in the midst of the throne and around the throne, verse 6, were four living creatures.
Now, a special order of created beings. Are invested. in their God. They're at his throne. They're in this.
As Something like, you know, skin in the game, but there's no suffering on this level. They're just into God. And these combine the characteristics, according to what John is saying and what we know from Isaiah and Ezekiel. These are combining the characteristics of cherubim and seraphim. There are other created beings.
I'm sure there are other created beings that aren't even mentioned in the scripture that when we get to heaven, We'll find out. And we'll be surprised when we look at them, and they'll be surprised and disappointed when they look at you. Not me, of course. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Extraordinary angelic beings. These, cherubim and seraphim, used to enforce and to assist God. In the context of His holiness, it was a cherubim that kept Adam and Eve out of the garden. We'll notice The absence of robots. In heaven.
There are no robots worshiping the Lord, only living, intelligent creatures capable. of worship. of love. A free will. The number four that is mentioned here is indicative Of created order, and you can reference Revelation 7:1 and Jeremiah 49:36.
But I'm on a clock here, and I have to keep going. Yeah. Full of eyes in front and in back.
Well, the eyes speak of intelligence and personality. When you speak to somebody, their eyes are also saying things to you. You're listening to their words, but you're also noticing their eyes, especially If there's a scowl involved. Or, if when they have that look like they're thinking or reflecting or searching for the right answer, you know, this is the difference between texting somebody, not that texting is always bad, some of it is very good. But to have the face-to-face, of course, what matches that?
Even FaceTime won't even do that. The contours are missing. Anyway, able to reason, to think for themselves, to perceive, to ponder, to decide the highs. The windows of the soul. Isn't that?
I think it's the eyes and not the face. Either way, something's the window of the soul, and I'm going to assign the eyes.
Well, in a day when we speak of eyes that are able to see. In a day where cameras are everywhere, We know that we can feel that, we can understand. that these beings have this ability To perceive, have insight, and not miss much. Verse seven, Now, again, these are the creatures that are around the throne. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like an ox.
Calf some Translations say, but it should be ox. Certain other translations go with the ox. The third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature Was like a flying eagle. Interesting little detail there. As I mentioned, highly symbolic.
Well, let's go back to the beginning of the Revelation, chapter 1. The revelation of Jesus Christ, verse 1, and he sent and signified it. By his angel to his servant John. He symbolized it, he signified it. And well, that's what we're getting.
We shouldn't be so oh, what could this mean? Are there really ox-faced people in heaven? It's teaching us something because these symbols are timeless. They're classics. They don't die with time.
And so you look for, let's look at verse chapter 5, verse 6. And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne, And one of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders stood a lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out in all the earth. That's not to be taken literally. I do not believe that. I believe the symbolism of what God is saying.
Take the symbols literally, and I've put the symbols in legend form. In the Old Testament and some in the New.
Now Revelation is not a duplicate of the Old Testament. It expands on the Old Testament and it uses its symbols. I use the word a legend, like when you go to a map and you want to see, well, what does this mean? And you look down at the legend, and it tells you what that symbol means. It's just that it's not as compact for us.
You've got to. The Bible is gold and you've got to dig it out. to get to these other meanings.
So in Ezekiel's vision, These creatures had four faces. He had four creatures, each one had four faces.
Well, here it's one face for each, but it's still a man, a lion, an ox. and an eagle. Oh, this one is flying. Four wings on these creatures. They don't have to reconcile, no contradiction.
The prophet Isaiah saw things differently from Ezekiel. No contradiction. But they identify as cherubim, according to Ezekiel 10. also, including Isaiah 6.
So let's look at these iconic images. and as they take shape and analyze them just a little bit. We notice that it's a lion. Not a wolf. A wolf?
connotes other things. Nor is it a sheep. That would mean something else. It is a lion.
Well, where in the Bible do we have insight on the symbolism of a lion? Psalm 28, one of many places. The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion. We come to the throne of God in boldness, not irreverence, not arrogance. But we come knowing he's inviting us to come.
We're not crashing the party. The next one is an ox. It's not a horse. It's not a camel. It's specifically an ox.
Proverbs 14, 4. Where no oxen, and this one is particular for pastors, incidentally, where no oxen are. The trough is clean. But much increase comes by the strength of an ox. It is a servant beast.
And so when you have the boldness as a lion, you now have strength also.
Well, what good is boldness if you're feeble? The man in this picture, not an angel. Not a serpent. Not a devil. These things mean something by what they're not.
By what they do not mean also helps us get to the definition.
Well, when you think of man as the starting gate, God said, let's make man in our image. Able to love. able to think, able to choose, these are Characteristics that go beyond instinct. The animals have instinct. We have it We have a higher level of instinct.
And we also have higher levels of intelligence, and there's no comparison. You know, you're not going to teach a chimp. To do the things we can do. You may be able to teach him one thing. Or two.
But overall He'll never put on a necktie like this on his own. Yeah. Also about the man. Matthew 12, 12. Of how much more value, then, is a man than a sheep So you begin to say, okay, so the placement of the face of a man around the throne of God, along with the boldness of a lion.
and the strength and and servitude of an ox Now we're seeing that God has around him These intelligent beings that are created beings. and they're happy to be here and they're worshiping.
Well, what about the eagle?
Well, it's not a vulture. Nor is it a swan. In Job chapter 9 They pass like swift ships. like an eagle swooping on its prey. There's a zeal that belongs to a soaring eagle, and we look at the eagle and they go way up.
And you just admire, you wish if I could fly like that. I wouldn't pay taxes ever. The lion does not eat the man, the man does not eat the ox, the eagle bothers no one. Only in heaven. such an arrangement.
These represent the confidence, the strength, the intelligence. The enthusiasm. In the presence of God, as servants of God. That's what we're going to find in heaven also. Everybody wants to be there.
Everyone is capable. None of them are handicapped. None of them are saddled. With the weakness that comes from sin. The first living creature was like a lion, fearless.
The second living creature like an ox, strong. The third living creature, the face of a man, intelligent and precious. The fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. Zealous. The symbolism is phantasmogoria.
It is flying at John so fast he can hardly process what's going on. It's not hallucinatory. It's literal in the sense of its symbolism. And we should be encouraged by it all. We are saying God has got creatures around Him that are created.
that want to be there. that are capable creatures. And they all are getting along. And the more you look into God's word, the clearer these symbols become because you begin stacking up the patterns that connect them, that give them weight.
Well, we've got to get forward. I'm almost a friend of mine told me how long he speaks. I'm not telling you. I said, what? How do they get anything?
Uh anyway. I'm not telling you how long. 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 to come.
Well, that's the Christ. I can't say too much. Because of time, I have a lot to say and a lot of things to criticize, and that really disappoints me that I can't get to criticize them. All right. Uh With revelation so symbolic.
This might not be as literal as you think. Only a thought, don't fall apart. There may not be creatures flying night and day reciting this, or they might be. That is not the point. The greater meaning is that God is surrounded by tireless servants.
ever ready to serve and to express their adoration and worship to Him, And when they say, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come, that sums up our New Testament, does it not? Then the prophecies from the Old Testament, and the end of it all in the Revelation. Isaiah saw this in chapter 6, though not identical, but he saw it and heard those words. The seraphim were the ones in Isaiah that were saying it.
Now, when he says that they had eyes inside and out. That means they see all. We're not to believe John could actually see through them. There's these creatures that had these eyes inside and out, and he could see their guts. Inside their guts were also eyeballs looking out at him.
See, that's taking it literal. And then that takes away from what is being said. 'Cause you're busy being grossed out. Even though they're fishy, I know they're trans Parent fish with They should be called clownfish. but they're not.
Anyway. Their conclusion is that God is holy. And they love him. And this is critical to the story. Because, let's look at verse 9.
Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne who lives forever and ever, 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 And we'll get to what he's saying. We'll close that in a minute.
So they ignite The Saints. These angelic beings have this outburst of worship And it's contagious. And the saints are like, yeah, they jump right in with it. The 24 elders fall down. Before the one who sits on the throne.
And they cast their crowns before him.
Now, this can't be repeated. Could you imagine every day this is? It's not the point. The point is, John is seeing. the proper order of things before the throne of God.
When they cast their crowns before the throne, It demonstrates an indebtedness that they cannot pay. nor are they obligated to pay. and they better be careful not to scuff or dent those golden crowns. Joke. Verse 11.
They say if you have to tell the joke, the audience is slow. No, they don't say that. I say that. And they all right. Let's go back to this.
Verse 11. You are worthy. This is what they're saying. 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.
And we say to that, amen. That's what we're trying to tell the world. It's not mindless worship. It is worship that comes from recognizing the truth. 1 Corinthians.
1415. I will pray with the Spirit. And I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing. With the understanding, God is not the author of confusion.
And may we go out of our way not to be that author either. For you created all things, and by your will they exist and were created. I'll close with a verse from Romans. For of him and through him And to him are all things. to whom be glory forever.
Amen. Yeah. Mm. This has been Cross-Reference Radio with Pastor Rick Gaston. This program is a radio outreach of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville, in Mechanicsville, Virginia.
Pastor Rick has been teaching through the book of Revelation, but if you're interested in learning about a different book of the Bible, we have hundreds of past episodes available to listen to on demand. Just visit us online at crossreferenceradio.com and you'll find an archive of Pastor Rick's past teachings. While you're there, you can also find links to follow our program on your favorite podcast app, as well as links to get connected with us on Facebook and YouTube. There's also an interviews tab where you can learn more about Pastor Rick's heart for ministry.
Well, we hope you'll join us next time here on Cross Reference Radio. Yeah.
