Participants: Ivor Meyers (Host), James Rafferty (Host), Jason Bradley, Yvonne Lewis
Series Code: SISS
Program Code: SISS000018A
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00:31 That was rich... rich, rich, rich...
00:34 rich in faith and hope and love, I got more than my share, 00:38 that's how I feel right now, I just feel filled up... 00:40 filled up... we looked at Revelation chapter 5 00:43 and we didn't get all the way through 00:46 but I think it will be good for us to kind of summarize 00:48 what we do have... as we go in and finish it up 00:50 because there's so much there... it is worth going over again 00:54 and just saying, "Okay, where did... 00:55 what have we got, what have we got... 00:57 I don't know... maybe we should, maybe we should... 00:58 Yvonne: Oh no... pop quiz... 01:01 James: Boom... fill in the details... 01:04 see where our Viewers are, you know, 01:07 well, let's pray at least first, shall we? All right, Ivor... 01:10 Ivor: "Heavenly Father, we want to ask you 01:12 that you bless us as we open your Word, 01:14 Father, we thank you for the 01:16 bread of life that you give to us, 01:18 that you feed us Lord, you ask us to pray, 01:21 'give us our daily bread' and so we're praying that today Lord, 01:23 give us this day our daily bread, 01:26 fill us with your love, with your grace 01:29 and we just pray this in Christ's name, amen. " 01:32 All: "Amen... " 01:33 James: So, we got a problem and we got a solution, 01:36 we got a response to the solution, what's the problem? 01:38 What's the problem in Revelation chapter 5? 01:41 Jason: No man could open the seal. 01:44 James: Hmmm... hmmm... so what? 01:46 What is that... what's the seal, what do you mean, 01:48 "No man can open the seal?" What does that mean? 01:50 What is that... what is that... what is it talking about? 01:53 Jason: Foretelling the future of humanity. 01:55 James: Yes, our future is sealed up, 01:57 our fate is sealed up and no one can alter it, 02:00 no one in heaven, no one in earth, 02:01 no one under the earth, we looked at Enoch, I mean, 02:03 he had a close walk with God, he's in heaven, 02:05 he was so close with God 02:07 that God said, "Hey, come on home with me" 02:09 he cannot alter our destiny with death, 02:11 this scroll is the history of Planet Earth, 02:14 it's written inside and outside, 02:16 there's nothing missing and it's sealed up 02:18 and it's in the hands of the Lord because 02:19 "the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof... " 02:22 but Satan is contending for it, 02:24 he's contending for us and this planet, he wants it, 02:26 and so there has to be an answer 02:29 but John doesn't see an answer and how do we relate... 02:32 what was the Old Testament story related to that? 02:34 Ivor: So we connected it to the story of Ruth 02:36 because we see it at a term, "the Root of David... " 02:39 which we saw... points us back 02:42 to that story of Ruth in which Ruth and Naomi... 02:47 don't have a future because their spouses have died 02:51 and so, they have no hope of a lineage, 02:57 that's the problem in that story 02:59 and we saw that there was a beautiful parallel 03:02 between the story of Ruth 03:04 and Boaz... who steps up to be the redeemer, 03:08 he's the nearest of kin, 03:09 that word literally means redeemer, 03:11 so the problem... just going with the problem... 03:14 is... they have no future, they have no future, 03:18 no lineage, no offspring, that's the problem 03:21 which is the same problem of humanity 03:23 in Revelation chapter 5, there's no future, 03:26 our future is sealed, 03:27 doomed... death... destruction, that's the problem. 03:30 James: And then we went into the solution 03:32 and the solution is... the Lamb, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, 03:36 the Root of David, 03:38 He has prevailed where we have failed, 03:41 He has done for us what we couldn't do for ourselves 03:44 and it's really powerful because one of the elders... 03:47 and we identified the elders in Chapter 4 03:49 as one of those who's been redeemed, 03:50 one of those who is raised with Christ, 03:52 one of the elders comes to John and taps him on the shoulder 03:55 and says, "Hey, John, weep not... " 03:57 answer... solution... "behold the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, 04:01 behold the Lion of the Tribe of Judah... 04:03 you're not called to prevail, you're not called to overcome, 04:06 you're called to connect with Christ, 04:08 He's the One who has prevailed and as you connect with Him, 04:10 you will overcome... 04:12 as you connect with Him, you will prevail, 04:13 because He's the prevailer, He's the overcomer. " 04:16 Ivor: We parallel that again back to the story of Ruth 04:19 and Boaz is the answer to Ruth's problem, 04:23 right, Boaz comes... he calls... remember in the story 04:27 he brings the elders together in the gate... 04:30 where is Jesus gone? 04:32 He's gone into the gates of heaven, 04:34 He gathers the elders and then... 04:36 He's making this purchase not only of Ruth 04:38 but of the land that was part of the whole package, 04:43 if you will, and so... here you have Christ saying, 04:47 I'm going to redeem the woman, by-the-way... that woman... 04:50 is a Gentile woman with a Hebrew mother-in-law, 04:52 this New Testament Church... 04:54 but her mother-in-law... Hebrew... Old Testament church. 05:00 James: She was a Gentile... 05:02 Ivor: Exactly, and what does she say? 05:03 "Your God will be my God... " right, 05:05 this is exactly what the people in these churches, 05:07 "You're people will be my people... " 05:09 so, and it's interesting because 05:12 Ruth's job is to work in the field, 05:16 to bring in the sheaves, that's what she's doing 05:20 and that's what attracts Boaz's eye there, 05:23 "Who is this woman who is working in the field?" 05:25 Right, and so, in a greater sense, 05:28 that "working in the field" is bringing in the sheaves 05:31 and that's... that's what Christ wants to happen 05:33 within His church, He wants her to multiply 05:35 multiply seed... offspring... and so, 05:38 it is because of Christ's redemption... 05:40 Christ saying... "I'm going to take this woman as my own, 05:42 and if you take the woman, you got to take the land too. " 05:45 "Yes, I'm going to take the land too... " 05:46 He's redeeming... 05:48 and that's why the chapter uses that verse... 05:51 "they're excited because He has redeemed us... " 05:54 our Boaz has stepped in... 05:56 so it's like Christ saying, "Look... " 05:59 we were talking about this earlier, 06:01 that He set up that story of Ruth and Boaz, 06:04 because if that did not happen, Jesse would not have come, 06:08 David would not have come, 06:09 and the Messiah would not have come, technically speaking, 06:12 so He's... He's saying, 06:13 "Look, just as there would be no hope for the Messiah 06:17 if that redemption did not happen, 06:19 so I stand before you now, as the Root of David, 06:22 remember, remember, so I'm showing you now 06:26 that had I not stepped in, mankind would have no future. " 06:30 James: And it's inclusive, God is inclusive... 06:33 so, we don't just go to the New Testament 06:35 and try to argue that... "Yeah, after the... the... 06:38 the crucifixion of Christ and the gospel went to the Gentiles, 06:41 and they were included... " 06:43 the Gentiles were already included, 06:44 they were always included, 06:45 the story of Ruth as well as others proves that, 06:48 because it shows us the lineage of Christ, Messiah, 06:51 Redeemer Himself as connected to the lineage 06:54 that is bringing us back to the Gentiles as well as the Jews. 06:57 Ivor: Absolutely... 06:58 James: So we have it right there in the history, 07:00 we have it right there in the lineage of Christ Himself 07:01 and it's a beautiful picture if you think about it. 07:03 Ivor: It's a love story... 07:05 James: It's a love story... 07:06 and that's what I like about this 07:08 because the Book of Revelation is going from one love story 07:10 to tell us the ultimate love story... 07:13 Ivor: The verse we talked about, we used 1st Peter chapter 1, 07:17 tells us that we're born again by the Word of God 07:20 right, and we see there the first seal, 07:24 is a rider on a white horse 07:25 which Revelation 19 identifies His name... 07:28 the name of the rider on that horse is "the Word of God," 07:32 and so James one... 07:34 James: Yeah, it's twelve tribes scattered abroad, 07:36 Ivor: The twelve tribes scattered abroad... 07:37 James: That's who James is writing to... 07:39 Ivor: Right, and he says, of... what does the verse say? 07:42 James: "of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, 07:45 that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. " 07:48 Ivor: So, we're "begotten... by the word" 07:51 that's what Christ was saying in Revelation 5 demonstrating, 07:54 "Listen, I'm going to take this woman to myself 07:56 and raise up the name of the dead... " 07:59 James: Yes... 08:00 Ivor: that's what was happening in the story of Boaz 08:02 and it literally says, 08:03 "Boaz came to her to raise up the name of the dead... " 08:06 so Jesus says, "Okay, we're going to produce now... " 08:09 how does He produce? By His Word... 08:11 born again, born again, 08:13 a great multitude is being formed 08:15 that are... the Bible tells us "redeemed... " 08:18 these are they which were redeemed, 08:20 there's that word again, there's a kin... 08:22 redeemed from the earth, so it's a beautiful picture 08:25 that Christ is showing us in Revelation chapter 5 08:28 which, again, sets the stage for our understanding 08:32 of what the seven seals are all about. 08:34 James: Hmmm... hmmm... Yvonne: Hmmm... 08:35 James: And the 144,000... of Revelation 7 are called 08:37 the first fruits in Revelation 14... 08:39 they're the first fruits. 08:40 Ivor: Absolutely, so now you begin to see why these words... 08:43 they're not just thrown in there, 08:44 why is it calling them "the first fruits?" 08:46 Why does it say in Revelation 14, 08:48 "These are they which were redeemed... " 08:49 because Revelation 5 is trying to prep our minds, 08:55 "go back to the story of Ruth... 08:57 see what's happening there so that you can understand... " 09:01 look, if there was no Ruth... 09:03 we kind of talked about this a little bit earlier... 09:05 jumping a little bit into the seals but 09:08 the second seal is a rider on a red horse 09:10 which represents death, without Christ, right? 09:16 James: That's our destiny... Ivor: That's our destiny... 09:17 James: There's no white horse... 09:18 Ivor: There's not white horse... 09:20 James: There's a red horse, there's a black horse... 09:23 there's a pale horse, but there's no white horse. 09:25 Ivor: But because of what Christ does... 09:27 when the seals are opened up, you see a white horse first. 09:30 Yvonne: Hmmm... 09:33 James: So, history just got altered. 09:34 Ivor: "I jumped in between you and death" 09:36 James: Yes, yes, history has been altered. 09:39 James: So now, no man can alter history 09:41 but Christ is able to take and alter history, 09:43 He has altered history, so now when He opens the seals, 09:45 we see a different history and we see a different destiny, 09:47 we see... we see... what could have been 09:49 and what will be for some... 09:50 but we see something different taking place. 09:52 Ivor: He's our Prince on the white horse. 09:54 James: Yes... we have a whole... 09:56 He has re-written the history of the human race in Himself, 09:58 He's the second Adam... 09:59 He's the second head of the human race, 10:01 and in Him... we have a different destiny, 10:03 in Him, every human being has a different destiny. 10:05 When we talk to... 10:07 to Sister So-and-so... and Brother So-and-so... 10:09 because every person at the gas station, 10:10 every person at the grocery store, 10:12 every person that we meet is a brother or a sister, 10:14 we talk to them and say, "You have a destiny in Christ, 10:16 Christ has re-written your history 10:18 your history is bleak according to... 10:20 the scroll of this world... 10:22 but your history is rich 10:24 according to the destiny of Jesus Christ. " 10:26 James: And that is why we have response now, 10:31 okay, now we're going to do response, 10:32 that is why we see the response that we see, 10:34 the response that we see first comes, 10:36 let's just look at it again in Revelation chapter 5, 10:39 Ivor: You just said that Christ is the second Adam 10:43 and that's just such a beautiful picture because 10:46 He's the second Adam that marries the church 10:49 and the first Adam was death, 10:52 the first Adam... you know... 10:55 we're under that sentence of death, 10:57 almost like Boaz coming in to replace that... 11:00 that fallen husband... Christ comes in and says, 11:03 "Listen, I'm the second Adam... 11:05 just as the first Adam was put to death 11:08 and the bride came from his side, 11:10 so I have stepped in now, I die on the cross 11:12 and from my open side... comes forth... a new Eve... " 11:17 James: Wow! the water and the blood... 11:18 Ivor: The water and the blood, so, it's... it's... it's... 11:21 again this is a love story 11:22 from like so many different angles He's saying, 11:26 "Look, I'm coming in because your first husband led to death, 11:28 first husband... there was no hope... 11:30 but in me... you have a future. 11:33 James: Hmmm... hmmmm... yeah, that wound in the side... 11:35 at Calvary... that brought forth water and the blood... 11:38 the heart of Christ was broken 11:40 and that broken heart brings forth a new Bride, 11:43 we are created out of that broken heart, 11:44 we're created out of that water and that blood, 11:46 we're cleansed and we're empowered, 11:48 we're forgiven... it's a beautiful picture... 11:51 the story goes on... so the response... 11:53 the response... oh! in verse... 11:57 chapter 5 in verse 7, 12:00 now, I just want to touch on verse 6 again 12:03 because it talks about how "he beheld and lo, 12:06 in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, 12:07 and in the midst of the elders, 12:09 stood a Lamb as it had been slain... " Calvary... 12:10 "having seven horns and seven eyes... " 12:13 and when we look at that seven... we're talking about 12:16 all inclusive... complete or perfect... 12:19 horns represent power, 12:21 eyes represent God's ability to see, 12:23 He's all powerful, He's omnipotent... 12:26 and He's all seeing, He's omniscient... 12:28 He's all powerful and all seeing okay, so this power... 12:32 all power... all-seeing God... 12:34 is now going to send this power out into all the earth, 12:37 the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead 12:39 that's going to come to represent God 12:41 and fill His disciples on earth... Planet Earth. 12:44 Yvonne: What is "seven horns?" 12:45 James: Seven horns represent God's power... God's power... 12:49 the eyes represent His seeing, His omniscience... 12:52 the horns represent His power, horn is power, 12:55 so seven is just complete or perfect, 12:57 God is complete in perfect power... 12:58 and He's complete in perfect omniscience... 13:00 and He's sending all that power through His Holy Spirit to us... 13:03 on Planet Earth, then there's this response, 13:06 we are a little bit overwhelmed but can you imagine 13:11 the elders that are there 13:12 and the living creatures that are there, 13:14 you got to put yourself in their place in a sense 13:15 because the living creatures, 13:18 the representatives of all the unfallen universe, 13:20 the angels, the living beings that are there 13:23 are just... they've been sitting through this 13:26 for thousands of years, they're watching... watching... 13:28 and finally, it's come... finally it's come... 13:31 victory has come... and they are just... 13:34 notice the response... "And he came and took the book," 13:36 verse 7, "out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne" 13:39 Jesus is not taking the book, 13:42 the Lamb is not taking the book from God, 13:43 because God and the Lamb are one 13:45 but He's taking possession of Planet Earth 13:48 because God has been allowing Satan's accusation to continue 13:52 and there it sits in His hand untouched 13:54 but there's still controversy over it... 13:55 "No, no more controversy now, we have been given to the Lamb 13:59 we are the possession of Jesus Christ. " 14:01 Yvonne: So when He took the book 14:04 from the hand of Him that sits on the throne, 14:07 He... it wasn't that He was snatching the book, 14:10 He was accepting his assignment is that it? 14:12 James: Yes, He was accepting the reward... 14:14 He was accepting the fact that He has redeemed us, 14:17 "It's yours... here you go... " 14:19 it's kind of like when you go and you pay off your car, 14:22 you pay off your house and you go to the Bank 14:25 and they give you the title deed, 14:26 are they doing you a favor? 14:27 Are you ripping it out of their hand? 14:29 No, they're giving you what is yours. 14:31 Yvonne: Right... I got it... 14:33 James: So God is giving Christ what is His... 14:35 and that that is His... is us... 14:37 it's not just a piece of paper, no, this is us, 14:41 this is the whole planet, "What? know ye not 14:45 that you are bought with a price. " 14:47 Ivor: Yes, that's right. 14:49 James: "You've been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, 14:50 you are not your own, yes, you're not your own. " 14:54 Ivor: That's exactly what Boaz does, 14:55 it actually says, "He purchases Ruth... " 14:58 that's what Christ did for us, He purchased us with His blood, 15:02 I want you to think about that... that excitement... 15:05 think about how bleak it must have looked 15:07 for Naomi and for Ruth and then think about the joy that... 15:13 it says the women named this... 15:16 so there was happiness in the Community, 15:17 "oh... " you know, women like go... "Oh... oh... " 15:21 well, this is the whole universe, sometimes like, 15:24 I don't know like... women are different than men, 15:27 and women love to know, I think, 15:31 what's going on in other people's lives 15:34 and they really, really, really get excited about it, 15:36 the genuinely get... "Oh... " you know... 15:38 and they get excited... and I'll be like... 15:39 "Oh great... " but they are... 15:42 "Oh... Susie got married... oh... " 15:43 and everyone's excited and I'm like, 15:46 "Okay, yeah, Susie got married, great... 15:48 what about the Bible... " 15:50 and it's almost like the universe is watching 15:56 the days of our lives... and they're genuinely like... 16:01 "Huh... because of Christ... look, humanity now has a future, 16:08 and there is genuine excitement, 16:11 you see what I'm saying... in heaven? 16:12 They're not excited for like... themselves... 16:15 they're excited because of us, you know what I'm saying, 16:19 that look... that lost sheep out of the one hundred 16:22 that now has a future again that is not returned 16:25 because of what Christ has done for them. 16:28 James: I love that, that's beautiful, 16:31 so... so... " he came and took the book out of the right hand 16:34 of him that sat on the throne. 16:35 And when he had taken the book," here it comes... 16:37 "the four beasts and the four and twenty elders 16:39 fell down before the Lamb, 16:43 having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odors, 16:47 which are the prayers of the saints. 16:49 And they sung... " verse 9... "a new song, saying, 16:51 Thou art worthy to take the book, 16:53 and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, 16:56 and has redeemed us to God by thy blood 17:00 out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, 17:03 and nation;" it's not done there... 17:05 "And hast made us unto our God 17:06 kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. " 17:11 Now, this is incredible, when you look at this picture 17:15 because we're not only redeemed, God doesn't leave us there, 17:18 sometimes, you know... oh yeah, "I'll accept Christ, 17:21 I'm redeemed and now I'll just go on living... " 17:23 no, God has made you kings and priests, 17:26 now a king... has dominion, he reigns... 17:32 he has sovereignty, you... on this earth... 17:36 you are king... you're not a servant, 17:38 you're not a slave to Satan or to sin... 17:41 you are a king now, you have sovereignty, 17:43 you're in charge and you're a priest, 17:46 now, priests point to the other side of that coin 17:50 in the Old Testament there were kings 17:51 and there were priests, but we're both... 17:53 we're both... we are kings, we have power, 17:55 we have sovereignty and we are priests, 17:57 in that... we are called to specifically connect with God 18:01 on a spiritual level, intercede for ourselves and for others, 18:05 we're called to this experience that God wants us to have 18:08 that is outlined in all the Old Testament 18:12 and even in the New Testament as priesthood... 18:14 you have priesthood... and you have kingship... 18:16 and this is what God wants to do beyond 18:19 simply forgiving us and redeeming us, 18:21 He wants us to step into a new relationship with Him, 18:25 it's identified as being kings and priests. 18:26 Ivor: It's interesting that what God calls us here 18:30 and what He desires... this king... kingship... 18:34 and priesthood... are spiritual, He wants us to be kings 18:38 and priests through the Holy Spirit... 18:41 it's very interesting that Satan is seeking to counterfeit 18:46 this kings and priests with his concept of 18:49 Church and State... which is outward control, 18:53 you know... outward force and it's quite amazing... 18:56 Satan seeks to counterfeit everything... every good thing 19:00 that God wants to do 19:01 so He says, "kings and priests... 19:03 I've made you kings and priests," 19:04 what is Satan going to do? As we read through the book, 19:08 he's going to try to counterfeit this... this combination 19:12 and make it so... that it is external... outward 19:16 while nothing 19:17 is happening on the inside. 19:19 James: And he's going to make it singular. 19:21 Ivor: Yes. 19:22 James: And in fact, some translations of the Bible 19:23 will say, "I've made you a kingdom of priests... " 19:25 now that is not what God is talking... 19:28 because in a kingdom, there's one king... 19:31 there's one president, there's one head 19:33 and we all look to him, 19:35 "No, I've made you kings and I've made you priests... " 19:37 each one of us has responsibility over ourselves, 19:41 we don't give that responsibility 19:42 to another human being, 19:44 that responsibility is ours before God, 19:46 "I've made you kings and priests... 19:48 not a king... but kings and priests... " 19:49 so it's individual in our relationship with Him 19:52 and it's powerful... really. 19:54 Yvonne: It's also interesting to me... 19:56 when... when people... are going through hard times 20:00 and everything... know that God wants to elevate us, 20:04 to a different position not just you know... 20:08 not... not feeling lower than 20:10 but to elevate us to a different position, 20:13 we are kings which means the head of something 20:15 and priests which is the spiritual head 20:18 so... it's... it's like God is saying, 20:21 "I'm taking you to a new level... " 20:24 James: And I like that because 20:26 even though we are under presidents 20:30 and under government, there is a sense in which 20:34 each one of us has a sovereignty 20:38 and I think this Country of America stands for that 20:42 at least in its Constitution 20:43 that there's this individuality that we have 20:45 that does not come under the dominion 20:47 of any government or any king... 20:48 and there's this individuality we have 20:51 that does not come under the... the... the... 20:53 control of any religious system 20:56 or pastor or priest or anyone like that... 20:58 we ourselves are to connect with God in prayer... 21:02 in confession, in intercession, 21:04 and we ourselves are to be accountable to God 21:07 in our understanding our beliefs when it comes to 21:10 the things that have to do with our internal salvation 21:13 with the Kingdom of God... 21:15 we have to obey the laws of the land... 21:17 we have to obey the kings and the presidents... 21:19 that's important... but in these in these areas where we know 21:23 it's eternal and it's spiritual, we have one person 21:27 that we give account to and we are sovereign 21:29 in our relationship with that person 21:31 and that's really important here 21:33 because the blood of Jesus Christ 21:35 has freed us to be able to do that 21:36 and that's why we can't allow anything to step in 21:40 between us and the blood of Jesus Christ, 21:42 there's no other atonement... no other sacrifice... 21:45 nothing else... that can step in between that place 21:47 because it frees us to be the kings and priests 21:49 that we're called to be. 21:50 Yvonne: Right... right... 21:51 James: Okay, so then it goes on here and it says, 21:53 and this is where it gets even more intense, 21:56 in the last few verses 21:58 and I'm just going to be honest with you, 22:00 these last few verses 11, 12, 13 and 14... 22:03 when I first started studying the Book of Revelation, 22:06 I was just all about prophecy, all about it, 22:09 oh man! I had a cassette tape... now... 22:13 Jason, you may not know what a cassette tape is... 22:17 Jason: I was around... I was around for the 8 track... 22:21 James: It's okay, all right... and I would put that tape in 22:23 and I would listen to the half the Book of Revelation, 22:25 flip it over... and I just went through that 22:27 till it quit working, I mean... it... 22:29 I loved the Book of Revelation but I really got bored 22:31 like, "Okay, why do they have all these... " 22:34 I'm just going to say these "praise interruptions" 22:37 interruptions of praise I call them, 22:38 I mean, there are four verses and it is... it's four verses... 22:41 but when we look at the word count 22:43 it's probably half of the chapter is praise 22:45 and in chapter 4... same thing... 22:47 you know, "Holy, holy, holy," and they're all praising God 22:49 and they're all praising God, and they're all praising God... 22:51 and I'm like... "What about prophecy, 22:52 what about the beast, what about the Mark, 22:54 what about... you know... what is all... 22:56 why are we wasting... and I'm thinking, 22:58 "Wow... " now that I look back I am realizing, 23:01 because I missed the point, I missed the purpose of praise, 23:05 I missed the response because like Ivor said, 23:09 when you're... when you're going to a wedding, 23:11 when you're seeing people married... 23:14 you're excited and you're happy and you're just... 23:16 you're loving it and you want to just savor the moment 23:19 because... and it's just this time of rejoicing and praise, 23:22 and I wasn't going to the wedding... 23:24 I was looking for the prophecies... 23:26 I was looking for the history 23:27 but I wasn't going to the wedding 23:29 and when we actually step into the wedding, 23:31 we realize the bleakness of our situation... 23:33 we recognize in chapter 4 God's throne is set finally, 23:38 it's set... the rainbow is there, 23:40 justice and mercy has been reconciled, 23:41 the elders are there... down payment in earnest, 23:44 when we realize and we see this big picture... 23:46 and how it took place and... 23:47 and the impossibility for us and yet... 23:49 what God has accomplished for us... we get excited. 23:52 Ivor: There's a serious danger here because... 23:55 there's a Bible principle that says, 23:57 "By beholding... we become changed... " 24:00 and what we behold... in the Book of Revelation... 24:04 I mean, think about it, if our focus is on the beast, 24:08 the beast, the beast, the beast, the beast, 24:11 right... and "I just want to see the beast... " 24:14 James: Yeah, we're escaping... 24:16 Ivor: I want to see the beast, what begins to happen is 24:20 you may not realize it but your character 24:22 is not balanced by beholding the beast 24:24 and so, we can become very... 24:26 "You know what... I mean, just... " 24:29 James: beastly... Ivor: beastly... 24:32 man that guy is a beast... you know... 24:34 but so... so the Book of Revelation 24:36 is not the revelation of the beast 24:38 it's the revelation of the Lamb... 24:40 right, so the Lamb is the focus and the beast is secondary 24:44 it's important... we need to understand the beast 24:46 but if we don't have the character, 24:49 we might end up becoming like the beast, right, 24:54 knowing the truth but our hearts are very beastly. 24:59 James: This is really important because 25:01 in Revelation it says 25:02 there's this group of people who follow the Lamb wherever He goes 25:04 and the rest follow the beast... Ivor: Hmmm... hmmm... 25:06 James: and the way we are tells 25:08 whether we're following the Lamb or we're following the beast, 25:09 are we following the Lamb on a daily basis 25:11 or are we following the beast 25:12 because ultimately, we follow one or the other 25:14 because of the decisions we're making daily. 25:16 The other things I love about these verses is 25:18 they give us a little bit of a picture... 25:20 a little bit of a taste of eternity... 25:23 Revelation's seven churches does that, you know, you have... 25:25 "I want to make you a pillar in the temple, 25:27 I'm going to give you a new name with a white stone" 25:29 and... and... here we see... 25:31 it says here... let's just read the verses again 25:35 "And... and I... " verse 11... 25:37 "And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels 25:39 round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: 25:41 and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, 25:43 and thousands of thousands; 25:45 Saying with a loud voice, 25:46 Worthy is the Lamb that was slain 25:48 to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, 25:50 and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. 25:51 And every creature... " verse 13... 25:53 "which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, 25:56 and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, 25:58 heard I saying, Blessing... " 25:59 this is pointing all the way to the very end of times 26:03 see... it's going to give us a little taste, 26:05 a little taste of what it's going to be like 26:08 when everything is made new, 26:09 that's what Revelation does in the churches, in the seals, 26:13 it's a little taste of... 26:14 all the way down to the very end. 26:15 Yvonne: This also gives a little taste of the 26:18 fourth commandment too 26:19 "the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, 26:22 and all that in them is... " you know... 26:24 James: And verse 14... "and worshipped him... " 26:29 Ivor: Remember the location... right, the Table of Shewbread, 26:33 where is the Table of Shewbread? It's in the sides of the north, 26:36 what's happening there? That's where, every Sabbath, 26:39 the priests change the bread 26:41 showing that the Table of Shewbread 26:43 reveals Christ as Creator, that's why it's His throne, 26:46 because He's creating so... this context of redemption... 26:50 the Sabbath also is a sign of redemption... 26:52 it falls right in line with everything we're looking at 26:56 in chapter five... preparing us for the seals, 26:59 it's all about redemption... redemption... redemption. 27:03 Yvonne: Wow! James: Beautiful... beautiful... 27:04 We... 27:05 we are ready to open the seals, 27:08 yes, we are ready to open the seals... now because see... 27:11 understanding the seals is predicated upon 27:13 understanding chapters four and five of Revelation, 27:16 this is all about... what is this all about... 27:18 and when we get this figured out, 27:19 we start opening the seals, "Oh! wow, yes, got it now 27:22 now it makes sense because we got this... 27:24 we got... so... this... this is beautiful... 27:27 this is... it's in our pocket, God has blessed 27:29 and now we're ready for the seals, 27:31 now there may be some people who have some questions 27:33 that they want to ask video questions, 27:35 where are they going to send those questions, Jason? 27:37 Jason: To sss@3abn. org 27:40 that's "s" as in Salvation in Symbols and Signs, 27:43 @3abn. org video submissions, of course. 27:46 James: Yvonne, close us out with prayer, would you? 27:49 Yvonne: Yes, sure... "Oh Father God... 27:51 what a rich study in your Word, 27:53 thank you for being the divine designer, 27:55 we know that this is not by happenstance but by design 27:58 so we praise you and thank you so much 28:01 and as we continue to study your Word... 28:03 we pray for continued guidance 28:05 for your anointing and your power and your presence Lord, 28:09 thank you, in Jesus' name, amen. " 28:10 All: "Amen... " |
Revised 2016-09-01