Revelation 4:1-5:14 Comments by Stephen Ricker
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What Must Take Place After This
Comments for Study 4

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Memory Verse: 4:8
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A MAP THE ROMAN PROVINCE CALLED ASIA

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I. The Throne in Heaven (4:1-11)

Visions of God's Throne

* The drawing is called "Visions of God's Throne". It was in the "September 1522 Luther Bible", the first Bible translated into German. Luther's New Testament was published in September of 1522, with a second edition coming out in December of the same year both adorned with woodcut illustrations by Lucas Cranach.

>1. What had John been doing with Jesus just before this? (Rev. 1:10-11)

* Revelation 1:10-11 "On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."

* Jesus had been dictating to Jesus seven letters to seven churches.

>What does the fact that Jesus said "what must take place after this" tell us about the seven letters that proceed this event? (1)

* Revelation 4:1 "After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this."

* ""After this I looked"

* "there before me was a door standing open in heaven."

* "the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet" -From the time Jesus began speaking to John on "the Lord's Day" (1:10-11) including dictating the seven letters, Jesus voice was loud "like a trumpet". In fact, all the words Jesus speaks throughout the book of Revelation are loud "like a trumpet". Some have not seen this and believe that his words that follow, "Come up here," are the only ones in Revelation where his voice sounds "like a trumpet". These same people conclude that Jesus' words, "Come up here," is the call that raises the dead that are in Christ.

* "Come up here"

* "I will show you"

* "what must take place after this"

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>2. What does it mean that John was "in the Spirit? (2)

* Revelation 4:2 "At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it."

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>Who was on the throne?

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>What does jasper and carnelian look like? (3a)

* Revelation 4:3a "And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian."

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>What does the fact that the elders around the throne have thrones and crowns reveal? (3b-4)

* Revelation 4:3b-4 "A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads."

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>3. Visioning the scene around Jesus' throne what can you conclude? (5-6)

* Revelation 4:5-6 "From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back."

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>Who were the "four living creatures"? (7-8; Eze. 1:4-9, 22-28)

* Revelation 4:7-8 "The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."

* Ezekiel 1:4-9 "I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north--an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was that of a man, but each of them had four faces and four wings. Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they had the hands of a man. All four of them had faces and wings, and their wings touched one another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved."

* Ezekiel 1:22-28 "Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked like an expanse, sparkling like ice, and awesome. Under the expanse their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body. When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings. Then there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking."

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>What do they reveal about Jesus?

* "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."

* "Holy, holy, holy"

* "the Lord God Almighty"

* "who was, and is, and is to come"

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>4. What can we learn about Jesus in verse 9?

* Revelation 4:9 "Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever,"

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>How do the twenty-four elders react to Jesus? (10)

* Revelation 4:10 "the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:"

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>What do they do with their crowns and what does this reveal?

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>5. What does the elders praise of Jesus reveal about him? (11)

* Revelation 4:11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."

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>Why is it important for us to remember these things about Jesus especially in times of trouble and distress?

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II. The Scroll and the Lamb (5:1-14)

>6. What did a sealed scroll in the hand of a ruler in John's day usually mean? (1)

* Revelation 5:1 "Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals."

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>Why did it have seals? (2; Matt. 27:65-66)

* Revelation 5:2 "And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?"

* Matthew 27:65-66 "Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how." So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard."

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>What does it reveal that no one could be found to open the scroll? (3)

* Revelation 5:3 "But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it."

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>7. Why would John weep? (4)

* Revelation 5:4 "I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside."

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>Who did the elder describe? (5)

* Revelation 5:5 "Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."

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>How did he triumph?

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>8. How did the appearance of the one on the throne change? (6)

* Revelation 5:6 "Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth."

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>What does it mean that he was a Lamb? (John 1:29-30; Exodus 12:1-11)

* John 1:29-30 "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'"

* Exodus 12:1-11 "The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, "This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in water, but roast it over the fire--head, legs and inner parts. Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD's Passover."

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>Who took the scroll from who? (7)

* Revelation 5:7 "He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne."

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>9. What can we learn about our prayers in verse 8?

* Revelation 5:8 "And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints."

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>What does it mean that we were purchased? (9)

* Revelation 5:9 "And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation."

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>What did he do with those he has purchased? (10)

* Revelation 5:10 "You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."

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>What is revealed about our future?

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>10. Who else was around the throne? (11)

* Revelation 5:11 "Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders."

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>What can we learn about the worthy from Jesus? (12)

* Revelation 5:12 "In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"

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>Who can sing praises to Jesus and his Father? (13)

* Revelation 5:13 "Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"

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>What is revealed about the heart that worships from verse 14?

* Revelation 5:14 "The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped."

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