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 Sermon > Official Service |
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Title |
Revelation Lectures(36) |
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Speaker |
Rev. Jaerock Lee |
Bible |
Revelation4:9-5:5 |
Date |
2007-08-31 |
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Revelation 4:9 – 4:11
[9] And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever,
[10] the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
[11] "Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created."
Revelation 5:1 - 5:5
[1] I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals.
[2] And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?"
[3] And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it.
[4] Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it;
[5] and one of the elders said to me, "Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals."
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
In the last lecture, I told you about the 4 living creatures that are guarding around the throne of God.
Their duty can be compared to that of bodyguards who are serving a king in a very close proximity.
Of course, no one would dare come close to God.
But around the throne of God are the 4 living creatures of great dignity and authority, so that they bring more majesty and authority to God.
In addition, these 4 living creatures are also praising God all the time.
As written in the bible, 'day and night they do not cease to say, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come,"' and they praise God.
Surely, 'day and night they do not cease to say' doesn't mean that they actually give praises to God 24/7.
Sometimes they give praises to God with their voice, but some other times, they give only the aroma of their hearts.
It depends on the condition and situation. However, since they worship and praise God from the depths of their hearts all the time, the bible sys, "day and night they do not cease to say."
Now, the 4 living creatures say before God, "the LORD God, the Almighty who is to come."
Usually, 'the Lord who is to come' refers to the Lord who will come to this earth at the end of human cultivation.
However, since God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit are one as God the Trinity, the confession to Father God sitting on the throne is the same with confession to the Lord.
Even though the 4 living creatures are guarding God, they also clearly know about God the Trinity, and they also clearly understand the works that will accomplished in the will and providence of God.
In addition, from the fact that they give glory and honor and thanks to God, we can also see that they praise God not just with outward deeds but also with the aroma of the heart before God.
In other words, they know that all the glory belongs to God, and they give praises to God with the aroma of their hearts understanding the honor of God and feeling thanks for God.
But there is the praise given to God with thicker aroma than that of the 4 living creatures.
The verses 10 & 11 says, "The twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created."
I already told you what kind of people the 24 Elders are.
They are those who cast off every form of evil, resembled the Holy God, and accomplished their given duty to the point of sacrificing their lives.
They loved God more than anything else in the world, and they gave everything they could only for God, and for His kingdom and for the souls without sparing their lives.
Their hearts were filled only with love and thanks and fervor for God.
They are recognized as true sons of God, and they are the most precious jewels among the children of God who reached salvation through the human cultivation.
Such 24 Elders are worshiping God with all their hearts.
How pleased God will be when He receives such praise and worship from them!
This is the providence and the purpose of the human cultivation of God who planned all the processes of cultivation even to the point of sacrificing His only begotten Son in order to share love with His true children.
Let's say, you have several children and they each tell you how much they love you. If there is a child who resembles you, understands your heart, and becomes the greatest pleasure to you, will what that child says not touch your heart more than any one else?
Likewise, there are many beings such as the heavenly host and angels and cherubim that give praises to God. But the most pleasing praise to God is the praise of you and me who have become true children of God through human cultivation (the cultivation of the human heart and spirit!)
Moreover, if it is the praise and worship of the 24 Elders, who can be considered as the most successful cases of the human cultivation, their praise will surely be wonderful, great joy and great impression.
By the way, tonight's scripture says, "They will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne."
Even in a fleshly sense, it is proper for us to adjust our dress and demeanor before seniors.
Then, why will the 24 elders cast their crowns before the throne?
Instead, they can take off their crowns and gently give them to God, can't they? What is the reason the bible says 'they will cast their crowns before the throne?'
If you interpret this verse literally, it may sound rude, but the fact is 'casting their crowns' contains many spiritual meanings.
Dear brothers and sisters.
To the 24 Elders, the golden crown is a reward and glory that is awarded to them for the devotion of their lives for God and the Lord.
Since it is a sign of God's recognition, it is most precious and it's priceless.
But still, they will cast their crowns before the throne, and it means that no matter how precious their crowns are, they are nothing before God who is high and holy.
It means even though they wear such a precious crown, they feel shame before God, and they cannot but kneel and bow down before God.
It is the expression that they completely humble themselves in awe of God.
Even though the 24 Elders sit in such high positions, they know well that they are before God who is the highest.
It shows that even if they already cast off all the untruths such as arrogance and boastfulness while they were in this earth, they still serve only God and hold only God in reverence in heaven.
Then, the 24 Elders are confessing that everything was created at God's will.
When God originally planned for human cultivation in the beginning, He knew everything in the future.
That's why God created everything that is necessary for the human cultivation not only in the spiritual realm but also in the fleshly world.
But it doesn't mean that He created all things as He pleased. In His foreknowledge, He preplanned everything according to justice.
He didn't make the things work according to His plan. He foreknew all things beforehand, and created all things according to them.
And in that will and providence of God, the 6,000 year long history of human cultivation is about to come to an end.
After that, there will be the Millennium Kingdom for a thousand years, and in this way, it makes up 7,000 years; the complete and perfect number.
And then, there will be the judgment of heaven and hell, and eternal life.
Therefore, since you are witnessing with your own eyes everything in these last days take place according to Father God's will and providence without the slightest error, you must awake all the more and live a more diligent believing life.
And so, I pray in the name of the Lord that many among you reach a high position to come close to the throne of God, and praise and worship God the Trinity.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
Revelation 5:1 says, "I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals."
From this point on, the story of the 7 Year Great Tribulation begins.
It says that in the right hand of God is a book written inside and on the back, and that it is sealed up with seven seals.
God's right hand has a meaning of power, mighty strength, significance, guarantee, and precise order.
Therefore, when God has a book in His right hand, it means that the contents of the book is so important, and also that what is written in the book will be surely accomplished in God's power and guarantee.
It also means that according to the precise order it is close to open the book and accomplish what is written in the book.
Then, what is this book, and what is written inside and on the back if the book?
In short, it is the book in which what Father God will do in the last days is written.
Father God already wrote in this book what would happen in the last days, and how and through what processes He would accomplish all things in His providence.
In other words, it tells us that God doesn't do all these as He pleases, but He accomplishes according to His precise plan and providence.
He doesn't secretively carry out all the things of the last days, but He already made a record of what would happen in the future, and allowed us to prepare for them.
Right now, in order to let Apostle John know the things of the last days, God is showing the book that He wrote and prepared long time ago that has the contents of the things that will take place in the last days.
Moreover, the fact that the book is written inside and on the back means the time is up.
In other words, once the sealed book is open, it is the beginning of the 7 Year Great Tribulation.
By the way, God sealed this book with seven seals.
Since 7 is a perfect number, it means the book is perfectly sealed in the name of Father God.
Except God the Trinity, no one can take a look at the book, and until God permits and the time comes, the contents of the book cannot be fulfilled.
In other words, all the things of the 7 Year Great Tribulation are eventually in the providence of God.
It is when God allows the seal to be broken at the destined time that the 7 Year Great Tribulation begins. And all the processes will be carried out in the plan and providence of God.
Even though the world will be under the control of the enemy devil and Satan, it is not that the enemy devil and Satan have the ability to independently manage and control things during the 7 Year Great Tribulation.
They are mere instruments that are necessary during the process of the human cultivation.
In the limit and time given to them, they just play a part in the human cultivation.
Even if they have the authority during the 7 Year Great Tribulation, 144,000 evangelizers will come out, as well as 2 witnesses. And from the Millennium Kingdom to the White Throne Great Judgment, all the processes will be accomplished in the providence of God without the slightest error.
The fact that the book containing the contents that will be accomplished in the future is sealed with seven seals clearly shows that God has sovereign power and authority in the conduct of all things.
And the seven seals are sealed with fire in the name of God.
Each time a seal is broken, the contents written in the book will be revealed.
Then, when and by whom will these seals be broken?
Only God knows 'when.'
Matthew 24:36 says, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone."
However, through the words written in the Bible, we can see the time is almost up.
Even though God doesn't record the exact day and hour, God allows us to know when it is going to be the time through the records found in the bible.
Not much time is left until the last moment the seals will be broken in the history of human cultivation.
However, even though the time has come, not anyone can break the seals.
There must be someone who meets the qualification to break the seals.
Revelation 5:2 says, "And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?""
Here, we can see the significance of the book once again.
There is a strong angel, and this is the angel that is guarding the book.
Among angels, there is difference in their authority and ability. There are strong angels, high-ranked angels, and archangels that can be compared to ministers of this earth.
And according to their authority, strength, and ability, their given duties are also different.
And the Bible says the angel that is guarding the book sealed with the seven seals is a strong angel.
Since this book is important, God appointed an angel that has such strength, authority, and ability as to guard the book.
However, this angel's duty is just guarding the book; it doesn't have any authority to break the seals.
That's why this angel is looking for a worthy man to break the seals, saying, "Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?"
Since the time to break the seals is so close, the angel is looking for a worthy man.
Even so, it's not true that this angel doesn't know who the worthy man is that meets the qualification.
The angel is asking Apostle John so that he can find the answer. But even though Apostle John looks out, but he doesn't find a man worthy who meets the qualification.
Revelation 5:3-4 says, "And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it. Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it.
As written, there is no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to break the seals, open the book and read it.
But there is only one.
It is our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Then, why is the Lord the only one who meets the qualification?
Dear brothers and sisters.
Salvation can be achieved only through our Lord, Jesus Christ.
There is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.
Through Jesus Christ, the door to salvation was opened. And when the human cultivation comes to an end, all the saved souls will become the fruit of resurrection following the Lord who is the first fruit of resurrection.
The moment the seals of the book are broken, along with the Lord's coming in the air, the actual human cultivation will be finished.
Therefore, breaking the seals means the end of human cultivation; it indicates the moment to harvest the fruit of salvation that was possible through Jesus Christ.
In such a significant moment, who will be the one that breaks the seals?
It is our Lord, our Savior,
Of course, until harvesting such fruit, the Helper, the Holy Spirit has played a great role after the Lord.
The Holy Spirit did such an important ministry of completing the perfect salvation, and leading countless souls to New Jerusalem.
With the help of the Holy Spirit, the Helper, how many would become perfect fruit, even if they entered the way of salvation?
Without the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that is the Spirit of the truth, only the very rare of souls would reach their final destination, New Jerusalem.
Likewise, until the moment those who became the children of God through Jesus Christ reach heaven, the Helper, the Holy Spirit will play such many roles..
But the ministry of the Holy Spirit in this earth will be finished the moment of the second advent of the Lord.
Therefore, all the authority to carry out breaking the seals, the 7 Year Great Tribulation and the 7 Year Wedding Banquet belongs to the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Father God gave the Lord the authority to execute this in His providence.
However, even Apostle John didn't know about such a providence yet.
Apostle John surely knew and believed in Jesus Christ, the Savior. But he didn't realize yet who the worthy man is to break the seals of such an important book to finish the human cultivation.
That is why he began to weep greatly.
However, Apostle John didn't weep greatly in great despair just because he didn't understand the providence of God at all.
Apostle John was overwhelmed by the surroundings.
Apostle John also felt and understood how important it is to break the seals of the book.
But, when the strong angel asked him, "Who is worthy to break the seals?" he looked for a man who properly met the qualification, but he couldn't find him.
Apostle John remembered countless people who existed in the earth from the beginning of human cultivation till now, but he couldn't find the worthy man.
"No one is in heaven" means there is no one who is worthy among the souls who are already in New Jerusalem by meeting the conditions to come to New Jerusalem.
Also among the heavenly host and angels, there is no one who meets the qualification.
Next, "No one is on the earth" means that there is no one who is worthy man among the souls who are still under human cultivation.
Lastly, "No one is under the earth" means that there is no one among the souls in Hades.
How perplexed was Apostle John when he couldn't find any one who properly met the qualification in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth?
"Who will break the seals of this important book? There must be the one who meets such qualification." Because of this kind of heart, he suddenly lost heart.
Because of this desperate heart in such a condition and atmosphere, Apostle John wept greatly.
If Apostle John calmly thought of it, he could have realized who is worthy to break the seals. But in those condition and surroundings, he had no time to think of it, suddenly lost heart, became despaired, and came to weep greatly.
But then, one of the 24 Elders told Apostle John who is worthy to break the seals.
He told Apostle John that it is Jesus Christ.
And also he said that Jesus is the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah.
Why is it that he described Jesus like this?
And who is the one of the 24 Elders who said to Apostle John?
We will take a look at this in the next lecture.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
Without Jesus Christ, our Lord, how would we meet the last days that will soon come in the future?
Probably, we all would live in extreme tribulation and affliction, and eventually go to hell, the eternal death.
But, since there was Jesus, our Savior, we came to have hope for the future.
We will be caught in the air when the Lord comes back, enjoy the 7 Year Wedding Banquet with the Lord, and we will come down back to this earth, and live in the Millennium Kingdom as a king.
After that, there will be the Reward Judgment, we will be given our eternal dwelling place, rewards, and glory, and live in heaven forever and ever.
Therefore, when we go to heaven, we will give praise, offer thanks, and worship before the Lord who opened the way for us to come to such a wonderful place.
And we will surely do the same to Father God who is the supervisor of all things, and who gave us everything.
By the way, there is another one to whom we must give praise, thanks and glory forever; the Holy Spirit.
When we think back all the things in the earth, we will see how the Holy Spirit helped us with all His strength in our every day lives.
With the heart of parents who take care their baby's constant needs, who never remove the eyes from their child even for a moment, and who sit and stay up all night by their sick child...
We cannot actually compare the Holy Spirit's heart to that of fleshly parents. With much much more unchanging and deep love, patience, and affection, He has led us to heaven in our lives so attentively and minutely.
That's why we will express the grace and thanks for the Holy Spirit forever in heaven where there is no change or deterioration.
I hope that all of you will participate in it.
Furthermore, may you forever give praise, thanks, and glory before God the Trinity in a very close proximity, in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, I pray!
Amen |
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