The Heavenly Vision

1. The Heavenly Vision

2. “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..”Revelation 4: 1 NIV

3. John has been taken from his virtual location on earth to a new virtual location … in heaven.

4. “At once I was in the spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. “At once I was in the spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow resembling an emerald, encircled the throne.” Revelation 4: 2 – 3 NIV

5. “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.” Revelation 4: 4 NIV

6. “From the throne came flashes of lightening, rumblings, and peals of thunder, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. And before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.”Revelation 4: 5 – 6 NIV

7. “In the center, around the throne were four living creatures and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.”

8. “Whenever the living creatures gave glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives forever and ever, the twenty - four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever.” Revelation 4: 9 – 10 NIV

9. “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.” Whois worthy to break the seals and open the scroll ?” “And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice Revelation 5: 1 - 2

10. “But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it” Revelation 5: 1 – 5 NIV

11. “I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.”

12. “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

13. “Then I saw a lamb as is it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders.”

14. “He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are *the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.” Revelation 5: 6 (*or the seven-fold spirit of God)

15. “He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it , the four living creatures and the twenty four elders fell down before the Lamb.” Revelation 5: 8 NIV

16. What is there about that scroll that makes it so meaningful that John would bitterly cry because it could not be opened? It obviously is personal property, belonging only to the Lamb.

17. The Bible explains to us the value of that scroll in Revelation 13, but does so incidentally. “All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast --- all whose names have not been written in the book oflife belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” Revelation 13: 8 NIV

18. That scroll, held in the right hand of God Almighty until the appropriate moment, is the very ‘Book of Life’ without which no one on earth could be saved.

19. Only the Lamb of God is qualified to open that scroll, because only His blood paid the price of our salvation, making valid God’s offer of redemption to those written in that book. No Book of Life…. No list of the redeemed No salvation!

20. “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. You have made them to be a kingdom of priests to serve our God, and they will reign on earth.” Revelation 5: 9 – 10 NIV

21. “Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels … 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!’ ”

22. “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 that sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” “The four living creatures said “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshipped.” Revelation 5: 9 – 14 NIV

23. The SEALS “I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creature say in a voice like thunder “COME”!

24. There is a key to understanding these seals. In each of the cases we see an event that is going to happen, but it does not take place during the showing of the seals. They point forward to the actual event like a bulletin points forward to a program event.

25. “I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conquer bent on conquest”

26. “When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say. ‘ COME!’ “

27. “Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword. Revelation 6: 4 NIV

28. Here we see the weapon of choice to be used by the one “going forth conquering and to conquer”

29. “When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, ‘COME !’ “

30. “I looked and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a day’s wages, and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine.” Revelation 6: 5 – 6 NIV

31. Here is a mystery: what is meaning of the scale and why is it included in the vision? The Bible is capable of explaining this mystery since we saw a scale used once before in scripture. Daniel 5 tells us that upon a certain night in history the last king to reign in Babylon saw what resembled a human hand, writing upon the plaster of the wall a cryptic message; “MENE MENE TEKEL PARSIN”

32. Eventually Daniel was called to interpret the message for the king, and here was his interpretation of the message; “MENE” God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end “TEKEL” You have been weighed in the scales and found wanting “PARSIN” Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians Daniel 5: 25 – 28 NIV

33. Pay close attention to the term “TEKEL” “You have been weighed in the scales and found wanting.”

34. The purpose of the scales in the hand of the third horseman is to weigh each person living on earth to determine whether or not they are ‘wanting’ ; whether or not they meet the criteria for salvation.

35. This horseman determines which side, in the coming battle, each person living on earth will be on!

36. “When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, ‘COME!’ “

37. “I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.” Revelation 6: 7 -8 NIV

38. Horseman number four gives us the results of that final battle that is coming.

39. Massive - Worldwide - Death and Destruction

40. “when he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.”

41. “They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”

42. ‘Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been, was completed.” Revelation 6: 8 – 12 NIV

43. Lets summarize what has been shown to this point. • We were shown that a battle is going to take place • We see that the weapon of choice for the leader is a large sword • The third horseman will determine which side of the conflict each person on earth will support • We saw the results of that battle • Finally a time frame for that battle was requested

44. All we need now is a starting point for the coming battle

45. “I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, the stars in the sky fell to the earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The sky receded like a scroll rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.”

46. “Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.”

47. “they called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” Revelation 6: 12 – 17 NIV

48. The starting point of that great battle will be this one – of – a – kind massive, world – wide earthquake

49. Our flowchart has grown to indicate new events. We have watched as John was taken to heaven, observed the opening of God’s throne room in official session, we have seen as the Lamb of God was presented and authenticated as the only one qualified to open the seals, and watched as He opened the first six seals.

50. There are certain events that must yet precede the opening of seal seven and the beginning of that great predicted battle; John’s vision discusses those events in sequence. They will be covered in our next study.