Senate Bill 4 and House Bill 4003, in the Michigan legislature, aim to make “gender identity” into a “civil right.” While we as Christians believe that every person needs to be respected, the way we want to be respected, which is the golden rule (Matt. 7:12), we also all know, these bills, if they are passed into law, are intended to force Christians to accept “gender dysphoria” as an acceptable human choice.
What are the repercussions of this type of bill? For our school teachers and Christian counselors, as well as doctors, and nurses, and others?
These concerns help us understand better what life was like for the first-century Christians who received the book of Revelation.
In all of this uncertainty and fear, there are a few realities that Christians must hold tightly in our minds and in our hearts:
- Jesus Christ walks among His lamp stands and holds His churches in His hands.
- Christians will overcome if we do not compromise the testimony of Christ.
The third reality that we need to consider is from chapters 4 & 5: God deserves to be worshipped. It does not matter what happens to us or what happens in our culture, we cannot stop worshipping God!
GOD DESERVES WORSHIP – chapter 4:
God is the center of worship. Family, worship is the center of reality! It is at the core of our essence, the reason for our being. If our lives do not revolve around worship, we seriously have our priorities messed up. The Lord’s day with the Lord’s people around the Lord’s Table should be at the center of our thoughts, our lives, and our decisions.
The object of our worship is “Almighty God” – the one who is all powerful and can handle the troubles and trials that come into our lives. The rainbow is a symbol (an emoji) of the faithfulness of God. He keeps His promises. The twenty-four elders are likely a metaphor for the faithful who lived under the old Law (the 12 tribes of Israel) and the faithful who live under the new law (the 12 apostles). Both those groups, the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles are symbolized in the New Jerusalem in 21:12, 14. The men were dressed in white garments, symbolizing their purity from sins made possible by the blood of Jesus (7:14) and the crowns were crowns of victory (stephanos in Greek) because they died faithful to Christ’s testimony (2:10; 3:11; 4:4, 10).
The lightning and thunder are images from Mount Sinai to remind John and the Christians that the same God who spoke to Moses and Israel is the same God who sits on the throne and who reveals the book of Revelation. The “seven Spirits of God” are an emoji from Zechariah 4, symbolizing the Holy Spirit of God and more specifically the knowledge and wisdom of God. God knows everything. The sea of glass separates from God, a symbol of His holiness, but in 21:1 that sea will be taken out of the way, indicating that man will one day be allowed into God’s presence. The four living creatures are metaphors for all God’s created beings – the lion, wild animals, the calf, domesticated animals, man, and flying eagles, the birds of the skies. Consistent with the OT teachings, the animals glorify their Maker when they fulfill their roles in nature.
Taking their words from another appearance of God in Isaiah 6, these creatures praise God: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” God is holy, separate from sin, and He calls on His followers – Christians – to be holy. God does not change – that’s the significance of Him being described as “who was and who is and who is to come.” When God identified Himself to Moses at the burning bush, He said, “I am” (Exo. 3:14). These words say the same thing as that statement.
What do the living creatures and the elders do? They worship! They praise God; they give Him “glory, honor, and praise.” God is the One who sits on the throne; He is the one who reigns forever and ever. He’s the One who deserves praise and worship. The elders acknowledge the nature and power and greatness of God when they throw their crowns before His throne. They acknowledge that they are in God’s presence, not by their own sinlessness but because of God’s grace and power.
Here’s the message of Revelation 4: Animals praise God. The saints from the OT praise God. The saints from the NT praise God. What should we do? Praise God!
JESUS DESERVES WORSHIP – Revelation 5:
I have pointed out that Revelation is sort of a “Daniel Volume 2.” Daniel predicted that the Roman Empire would wage war on the saints of God, but the Messiah would establish a kingdom which would never end (7:13-14), and the saints of the Messiah would be victorious. Revelation tells us about that war and about that victory. Now, in Daniel 12:4, God told Daniel to “seal up” his book, because it would be a long time before all His prophecies will be fulfilled. Well, from the time of Daniel until the time of the book of Revelation is about seven hundred years. In the meantime, Jesus, the Messiah came and He established His church, His kingdom (Mark 9:1; Matt. 16:18-19) and He reigns and His saints reign with Him (Rom. 5:17; Eph. 2:4-6). But what about that war that the Roman Empire is going to wage on Christ’s followers? What about the prophecies of Daniel?
Well, John sees a scroll in the hand of God and no one is able to open the scroll. No one is worthy. It is sealed with seven seals. To seal a document would secure it from prying eyes; the seal would authenticate its contents; and the seal would show who was the original owner. Who was able to open that book and reveal its contents? Who was the one who knew history and knew how it would turn out? Only One individual. The Lion who is the Lamb…
Jesus fulfills the promise God made to Judah back in Genesis 49:9-10: He is the “Lion of the Tribe of Judah.” Jesus also fulfills the promise made to King David in Isaiah 11:1, 10. Jesus is, of course, the “Lamb.” He is identified as a lamb twenty-eight times in the book of Revelation! That is the key metaphor / emoji in the book. Of course, the background to this picture is two-fold. He is the “Passover Lamb” from the tenth plague God brought on Egypt, which we’ll study in April. But He is also the Lamb that is sacrificed for us pictured in Isaiah 53.
The Lamb was standing, as if slain – there are a number of references in Revelation the death of Christ. Why? Because the way Jesus overcame… was through death. The way Christians will overcome the persecution we endure is through death. Don’t forget that. This Lamb had seven horns – seven is a metaphor for completeness; “horns” is a symbol of power. And seven eyes – eyes symbolizing knowledge and insight. John also says these seven eyes symbolize the “seven Spirits of God” sent out in all the earth. In other words, the Holy Spirit knows what is happening on earth and so Jesus knows exactly what is happening on earth.
As soon as the Lamb took the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb and worshiped Him. Only God deserves worship. Since Jesus is God, then He deserves worship. These elders held harps in their hands, symbolizing their worship. They had golden bowls in their hands full of incense, symbolizing their prayers. The prayers of the “saints.”
As they did with the Father, so the living creatures praise the Lamb. The elders fall down and worship the Lamb. Jesus gives John a vision into heaven and what does John see? The entire universe is worshipping God on His throne and the Lamb at His side. How can we not engage in that same worship?
Jesus deserves worship because He has redeemed us!
Rich reality from Revelation #3: God and Christ deserve worship. We should never stop.
Paul Holland
