1.

The Throne of Jesus, Rev 4:1-5:14

Notes from a sermon originally preached at The Baptist Assembly, 2002 in Plymouth. Assembly Theme: Jesus in Widescreen.

Visions of heaven
Congrats on making it so early - Rev before the sun is over the yardarm Jesus in Widescreen - the very last row of pixels where we might be tempted to think the image is a little distorted. Rev is a virtuoso performance. John is the Salvador Dali of the prophetic image, the Lewis Carol of biblical literature and the Tim Burton of scriptural story telling He breaks all the rules - the Greek is a nightmare, he is radically creative with the conventions of apocalyptic and daringly innovative with the prophetic tradition. Why? Because what he is dealing with, what he has seen, what he has been charged to share is so huge so profound so fundamental so gob-smacking that he has to find a way to assail our senses and our sensibilities in the hope that we might see it too - and be changed as a result Its worth remembering that Rev was designed to be read out loud in church (Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it 1:3) its a spoken drama- imagine it - in Ephesus, eyes closed, transported to another world - not an imaginary world but a heavenly world, not a dream world but our world viewed from the perspective of the eternal purposes of the creator redeemer God. It is designed to break open our world to transcendence. John wants us to see what hes seen so that the vision will invade our hearts, infect our dreams and so transform our living. Thats why the last thing that you must do to Rev is turn into a doctrinal textbook or still less a futurist timetable like some eschatological equivalent of the national rail enquiry service. John did not use his images to conceal what could have been said more straightforwardly, but to communicate that which could not be expressed in any other way. This is a Pink Floyd Video not a government information film. This is Moulin Rouge, not a documentary on the Parisian entertainment industry. We evangelicals need to repent of the violence we have done to scripture Like some insane cook we have spent our time extracting the individual ingredients from the stew in order to analyse their taste; weve been so busy dissecting the body of scripture in order to extract precise and consistent doctrinal formulations that weve been left with a corpse, not a living word. So lets get on and see what he saw - and dont just bring your reason with you bring your imagination as well.

A throne in heaven
The vision is a vision of a throne room - a vision about sovereignty authority and rule of the uses of the word throne in the NT occur in Rev. (47 of 62) The words One seated on the throne occur twelve times in Revelation; it is Johns way of saying God. John stands in the tradition of Moses before Pharaoh, Ezekiel in Babylon and Daniel before Nebuchadnezzar. He confronts the over-weaning pretensions of imperial might and the arrogant claims of the Emperor Domitian Domitian who had decreed that all government proclamations must begin Our Lord and God Domitian commands .. Domitian of whom it is also reported that he had many people executed for atheism namely failure to worship the gods of Rome of whom he was one. Domitian who insisted that everyone who addressed him in speech and writing must begin Lord & God Domitian who had spectators who booed his team at the games put to death for despising his divine nature. NB Worthy art thou (4:11; 5:9,12) is the traditional acclamation for the emperor on his triumphant entry into the city We know that Ephesus Smyrna and Pergammum had temples to Caesar in Johns day But well as being a vision of a throne it also a vision of worship - worship of the one on the throne - and john uses the tradition of apocalyptic to stress what was so central to the Jewish mind and what was at stake in the persecution of Xns that was being unleashed in Domitians Rome - the absolute distinction between creator who must be worshipped and creation which mustnt be. He is worshipped as creator that is why he is worthy; the rainbow; the sea of crystal. He is worshipped by creation - the four living creatures which according to a leading Jewish commentary of the time are said to be representatives of the created realm Man is exalted among creatures, the eagle among birds, the ox among domestic animals, the lion among wild beasts; all of them have received dominion Just picture it NB never stop of verse 7 and the - whenever of verse 9 This an act relativisation cf me and Lee Crookes If we could see with the eyes of heaven what would be our loyalties that would need relativising, unmasking? Not big business, not western culture, not us military, not entertainment media not liberal inteligencia, not right wing reactionaries will have the final word or our allegiance but God alone.

Tears in heaven

Already by the end of chapter four John has moved to a staggering peak of rejoicing and celebration and high theological affirmation treasonously challenging, mocking the pretensions of the petty throne of Rome and as we get into ch five he leads to what we expect will be what ought to be the climax verses [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. [2] And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" This is it - this is the moment when the purposes of God for creation will be enacted as the testamentary scroll is opened read and implemented. But what comes is not a great climax but terrible silence - how long was the hush after verse 2? And what was the sound that eventually shattered the silence? Imagine if you will tears in heaven - a man weeping - a blubbering prophet crying like a baby curled up all foetus-like - curled up on the floor of the court-room of heaven amidst the kind of splendour and majesty that would make the Queen mothers funeral seem like a rather casual affair Why is he crying? - The contrast between the majesty and glory and supposed sovereignty of God in heaven and the reality of earth. What is it worth if . More specifically he is crying because he has just discovered what he had always feared what event the most faithful of us fears from time to time - that though God might be sovereign in heaven there is no one to deliver on that on earth. That his will represented by the testamental scroll cannot be enacted - no creature in heaven or on the earth or under the earth is capable, is worthy, is up to the job - it seems the kingdom never will come, Gods will wont be done on earth as it is in heaven and the persecution of the weak by the powerful will go on and on and on ... The end of ch 4 ought to leave honest worshippers of God with a problem - its an inspiring vision of heavenly realities but only those blind to the painful sight of earthly realities can be truly comfortable with that vision - oh yes we believe it, oh yes we hold on to it but unless we are prepared to trade the faith of The Bible for something else, something like a fantasy trip to an escapist movie - the reality of whats in front of us ought to give us a problem - if God really is like that - then why is life like this? If you can walk through this world without weeping - no mater how strong your faith how orthodox your doctrine then you are not walking as Jesus did the weeping Lord. If our doctrine and our faith is so cast iron certain so solid so impermeable then its turned us not into children of God but subhuman freaks. If we fail to feel this tension if we never weep before God we are missing something of the heart of biblical faith we do not stand with John or with Jeremiah or Isaiah or Jesus himself. And so he weeps bawls, blubbers, rooers his eyes out. Until he hears one of the heavenly council addressing him - John, stop crying theres no need - youve overlooked someone The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, The Root of David and he snivels and sniffs and lifts his head

and looks for the mighty Lion of Judah - the lion king - tries to spot the inheritor of Davids throne the new warrior king who will implement the just reign of God - setting to rights the corrupt oppression of Domitian - like Richard Couer de Lion returning to oust bad prince John.

A Lamb on Heavens Throne

For a second its almost as if theres a Wizard of Oz moment - almost After being raised to the heights in the worship of the sovereign creator and plunged into the depths he is lifted again to glorious, confusing, puzzling mind-boggling resolution a moment of profound recognition of the best of all possible good news. As the voice calls him to lift up his head to dry his eyes to see as he uncurls and looks around he probably is disorientated, not able to see what he expected - where is the warrior king perhaps its just the that the tears are blurring his vision and deceiving him but it looks more like Larry The Lamb than Leo The Lion. So as his sobs die down he dries his eyes, clears his vision and, good God! It is a sheep - but what a sheep -its a divine sheep! (what wacky image is that!) Seven horns, Seven eyes! Not only that but he is in the midst of the throne. Not only that but he is surrounded by the living creatures and the elders just like God was in ch 4! Not only that but they are worshipping him just as if he were God! And just in case we are left in any doubt whatsoever get vv 13 -1 4 where we have again the familiar apocalyptic distinction between the creator and the creatures and the Lamb is put squarely on the side of the divine as the object of worship and not one of its creaturely subjects - no creature could be found to open the scroll rather all creatures are found worshipping the one being who can! John here simultaneously fulfils and subverts the expectations of the suffering people of God He is the expected Messiah but he is also a very unexpected Messiah He is Messiah but he is a lamb like a messiah He has triumphed but by bearing death not by inflicting it. - NB Lamb and Passover deliverance through death And throughout Rev he remains the Lamb - the the little lamb - Johns definitive tile for Jesus - occurring 29 times in Rev and only once elsewhere in NT - Its not that he was once the Lamb (first coming) but will become the Lion (second coming) Crucifixion was not an incident which once happened in the cosmic career of the Messiah and them was superseded by the resurrection and exaltation; it is the definitive act which stamps its character on the identity of the X, and is thus definitive for the identity of God. Love was not a provisional strategy of the earthly Jesus, to be eventually replaced by transcendent, eschatological violence when theyve had their chance and love has not worked. Boring

Self-sacrificial love was more than just a phase that God went through Crown Him the Lord of love; Behold His hands and side, Those wounds yet visible above In beauty glorified: So then as we gaze on the scene of the whole of creation worshipping God & The Lamb the divine creator/redeemer what questions has John addressed? The ultimate power on the ultimate throne what is it like? Not Domitian, not even David but Jesus the slaughtered Lamb who stands. How is that God has and will overcome evil and establish his rule? Not by might military might, not by economic power but by loving self-sacrifice On whose behalf has he won the victory? Not just for Israel not just for the church but for all peoples of every tribe, every nation every language. And our response? To worship and as we shall see to morrow to imitate.