REVELATION AND THE SECOND COMING
LESSON #19
GODS THRONE AND ANGELS REV 4:8-11
- MEMORY VERSE: PSA 11:4
- WHERE IS GOD’S THRONE?
- READ PSA 11:4 AND ISA 66:1
- GOD’S THRONE IS IN HEAVEN
- READ EZE 28:14-15
- NOTICE THE REFERENCE TO A MOUNTAIN
- READ EZE 1:4 ISA 14:13,14 PSA 48:2
- NOTICE THE REFERENCES TO THE “NORTH”
- MT. ZION IS NOT ON THE NORTH OF JERUSALEM BUT ON THE SOUTHWEST. THEREFORE, THE SCRIPTURE MUST REFER TO GOD’S HEAVENLY THRONE.
- READ JOB 9:9 AND AMO 5:8
- ARCTURUS = A VERY BRIGHT STAR NEAR THE BIG DIPPER.
- PLEIADES = A GROUPING OF 7 BRIGHT STARS CALLED THE SEVEN SISTERS. THEY ARE SEEN JUST WEST OF ORION.
- READ JOB 38:31
- “CAN YOU BIND THE INFLUENCES OF PLEIADES”= THE STARS IN THIS CONSTELLATION ARE MOVING APART INDIVIDUALLY.
- “CAN YOU LOOSE THE INFLUENCES OF ORION”= THE THREE STARS IN ORION’S BELT ARE MOVING IN CONJUNCTION. IT IS THE ONLY TRUE CONSTELLATION.
- A SPECULATIVE POSSIBILITY:
- ORION, CALLED THE HUNTER, IS A CONSTELLATION OF ABOUT 11 VERY BRIGHT STARS. ORION IS LOCATED IN THE NORTHERN SEGMENT OF THE UNIVERSE, FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A PERSON ON THE EARTH. THE TWO BRIGHTEST STARS IN ORION ARE BETELGEUSE AND RIGEL. BETELGEUSE IS THE LARGEST STAR IN THE KNOWN UNIVERSE. IT IS A HUGE RED STAR 250 MILLION MILES IN DIAMETER AND 15,000 TIMES BRIGHTER THAN OUR SUN. LIGHT FROM RIGEL TAKES ABOUT 900 YEARS TO REACH US HERE ON EARTH. IT IS THE 7TH BRIGHTEST STAR, 60,000 TIMES BRIGHTER THAN OUR SUN. THERE ARE 3 BRIGHT STARS THAT MAKE UP HIS BELT FROM WHICH HANGS A SWORD. ON THE SWORD IS A BEAUTIFUL NEBULA. THIS IS A HUGE CLOUDY AREA MADE UP OF MANY SMALLER STARS, GAS, AND DUST PARTICLES. THE NEBULA OF ORION IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL OF ALL THE NEBULAE KNOWN TO MAN. THE BASIC COLORS OF THE NEBULA ARE BLUE, MAGENTA, AND WHITE. IT IS VISIBLE TO THE EYE. THERE IS A VERY BRIGHT AREA IN THIS NEBULA THAT LOOKS LIKE AN EXQUISITE CAVE SURROUNDED BY CLOUDS. IT IS THEREFORE CALLED A “HOLE”. THIS NEBULA IS APPROXIMATELY 1600 LIGHT YEARS FROM EARTH OR 9.6 BILLION MILLION MILES FROM US. THIS BRIGHT OPENING IS APPROXIMATELY 17 TRILLION MILES ACROSS AND 51 TRILLION MILES DEEP. QUOTING FROM A SECULAR SCIENCE BOOK, “DEEP INSIDE IS A MYSTERIOUS OBJECT WE CAN NEVER QUITE SEE BUT WHICH WE CAN DETECT BY RADIATION.” NEAR THE EDGE OF THE NEBULA ON THE SIDE FACING US IS A MULTIPLE STAR CALLED THETA ORIONIS. IT HAS FOUR PARTS ARRANGED IN THE FORM OF A TRAPEZIUM. THIS MAKES THE NEBULA SHINE.
- IS THE NEBULA OF ORION THE HEAVENLY DOORWAY TO THE LOCATION OF GOD’S THRONE? PERHAPS!
- READ REV 4:8-11 THE WORSHIP SERVICE
- “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, GOD ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS, AND IS, AND IS TO COME.” (8)
- GLORY (9)
- HONOR (9)
- THANKS (9)
- TO FALL DOWN BEFORE HIM (10)
- A PHYSICAL POSITION OF HUMILITY BEFORE GOD.
- WORSHIP (10)
- THEY CAST THEIR CROWNS BEFORE HIM (10)
- THESE ARE THE CROWNS (stephanos) GAINED AS REWARDS FROM THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST
- THE MINISTRY OF ANGELS:
- WHAT IS AN ANGEL?
- DEFINITION = AN ANGEL IS A CREATED BEING, NEITHER MALE NOR FEMALE, A MESSENGER OF GOD, FAMILIAR WITH GOD FACE TO FACE, AND ORIGINALLY CREATED WITH AN UNCORRUPTED SPIRIT BUT HAVING FREE WILL.
- THEIR CHIEF ATTRIBUTES ARE STRENGTH AND WISDOM. (2SAM 14:20 PSA 103:20 PSA 104:4)
- THEY HAVE THE POWER TO TAKE HUMAN FORM (GEN 19:1)
- MAN WAS CREATED LOWER THAN THE ANGELS, OF WHICH JESUS CHRIST TOOK THIS POSITION FOR A SHORT TIME IN ORDER TO LIFT MAN TO A POSITION ABOVE THE ANGELS.(PSA 8:4-5 HEB 2:7-10)
- MINISTRY:
- THE ANGELS MINISTER TO THOSE WHO ARE HEIRS OF SALVATION (HEB 1:14)
- AN ANGEL FOR EACH TRUE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST (REV 1:20)
- AN ANGEL FOR EACH SAVED BELIEVER (HEB 1:14 ACT 12:15)
- AN ANGEL FOR EVERY CHILD ( MAT 18:10)
- NAMES OF ANGELS
- MICHAEL–AN ARCHANGEL WHO TAKES CARE OF (STANDS GUARD OVER AND PROTECTS) ISRAEL AND IS CONCERNED WITH RESURRECTION. (DAN 10:13,2 DAN 12:1-2 1THE 4:16 JUDE 1:9 )
- GABRIEL–AN ARCHANGEL (IN JEWISH TRADITION) ANNOUNCES GOD’S EVENTS (DAN 8:16 DAN 9:21 LUK 1:19,26)
- RAPHAEL–AN ARCHANGEL (IN JEWISH TRADITION) HIS NAME IS NOT MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE.
- LUCIFER–THE FALLEN ANGEL–PERHAPS ORIGINALLY AN ARCHANGEL, BUT MOST LIKELY ORIGINALLY A CHERUBIM, WHO FELL AND BECAME SATAN PRIOR TO CREATION.
- THE ANGELIC FALL:
- SOME OF THE ANGELS FELL FROM GRACE HAVING BEEN LED BY LUCIFER (JOB 4:18 EZE 28:11-19 ISA 14:12-23 )
- THESE ARE CHAINED IN DARKNESS AWAITING THE JUDGMENT (JUD 6 2PET 2:4)
- SOME FALLEN ANGELS ARE NOT BOUND BUT ARE DEMONS DOING THE WILL OF SATAN. (REV 20:10)
- THIS POINT IS DEBATED BY MANY PEOPLE.
- THE FALLEN WILL BE JUDGED BY CHRIST AND HIS BELIEVERS (1COR 6:3)
- HELL WAS MADE FOR THESE FALLEN ANGELS BECAUSE OF THEIR REBELLION (MAT 25:41)
- TYPES OF ANGELS:
- THERE ARE ARCHANGELS:
- THE BIBLE MENTIONS 2 SPECIFICALLY BY NAME (MICHAEL AND GABRIEL).
- THE SERAPHIM:
- THE NAME, SERAPHIM, MEANS = BURNING ONES (ISA 6:1-8 REV 4:6-9)
- THESE ANGELS HAVE 6 WINGS WITH FOUR FACES:
- A LION, A CALF, A MAN, AND AN EAGLE.
- THE CHERUBIM (CHERUB): (EZE 1:5-28 EZE 10:1-22 GEN 3:24 EXO 25:18 EZE 28:14)
- THE BIBLE SAYS THESE ARE “COVERING ANGELS” THAT COVER AND PROTECT.THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD (GEN 3:24 EXO 26:1,31 EXO 36:8,35), THE MERCY OF GOD (EXO 25:22 EXO 37:9), AND THE GOVERNMENT OF GOD (1SAM 4:4 PSA 80:1 PSA 99:1 EZE 1:22, 26)
- THEY PROTECT THE GARDEN OF EDEN AFTER THE FALL OF ADAM AND EVE.
- THEY COVERED THE ARK OF THE COVENANT WHERE GODS PRESENCE WAS.
- LUCIFER WAS ONE OF THE CHERUBIM. (EZE 28:14)
- ANGELS OF MIGHT:
- THESE ARE ANGELS THAT PERFORM DEEDS. (DAN 1:28)
- THE HEAVENLY HOST:
- THESE ARE WARRIOR ANGELS. (2KIN 6:16-17 LUK 2:13)
- THE MINISTERING SPIRITS:
- THESE ARE ANGELS THAT MINISTER TO THE BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST. (HEB 1:14 PSA 91:11 PSA 34:7 2KIN 6 DAN 6:22 DAN 10 MAT 2:13,19 MAT 4:11 LUK 22:43 ACT 5:19 ACT 12:7-10)
- THESE ANGELS FUNCTION BEST WHEN WE ARE IN PROPER ORDER. (1TIM 5:21 1COR 11:10)
- ACTIVITIES OF ANGELS:
- THEY GIVE PRAISE AND WORSHIP TO GOD (REV 4:8-9)
- THEY SPEAK FOR GOD (LUK 2:10)
- THEY MINISTER (GEN 21:17)
- THEY PROTECT (PSA 91:11)
- THEY REJOICE (LUK 2:13, 14)
- ONE PREACHES THE GOSPEL AT THE END (REV 14:6)
- THEY BRING JUDGMENT (REV 15:1)
- THEY BRING WARNING (REV 8:13)
- APPLICATION:
- THE PURPOSE OF CHAPTER 4 IN THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION SEEMS TO BE TO SHOW YOU JUDGMENT BEING SET UP IN HEAVEN–NOT JUST INDIVIDUAL JUDGMENT BUT JUDGMENT UPON THE WHOLE EARTH AND EVERYTHING IN THE EARTH.
- ROM 1:18-23 TELLS US THAT IF WE REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE GOD AND REFUSE TO PRAISE HIM FOR HIS POWER AND PURPOSE IN CREATION, WE DESERVE HIS JUDGMENT.
- AFTER CHAPTER 4 WE BEGIN THE 7 YEAR PERIOD CALLED THE TRIBULATION WHICH IS THE BEGINNING OF JUDGMENT ON EARTH.
HOMEWORK
REVELATION 5
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
- APPLICATION OF REVELATION 4
- THE 24 ELDERS REPRESENT THE COMPLETED CHURCH IN HEAVEN. WE SEE THEM PRAISING AND WORSHIPING GOD. WHENEVER THE 4 LIVING CREATURES GIVE WORSHIP TO GOD, THE 24 ELDERS RESPOND. THEY SET THE EXAMPLE FOR US HERE ON EARTH NOW. WE ARE TO WORSHIP AND PRAISE GOD.
- HOW WILL YOU SPECIFICALLY WORSHIP AND PRAISE GOD THIS WEEK?
- IMMERSE YOURSELF IN PRAYER AND PRAISE THIS WEEK FOR THE GOD WE SEE IN REVELATION 4 AND FOR WHO HE IS IN YOUR OWN PERSONAL LIFE. RECORD SOME OF YOUR THOUGHTS HERE.
- PREPARATION FOR REV 5
- READ REV 5:1-14
- TRY TO IDENTIFY THE SYMBOLISM OF THE FOLLOWING:
- THE SCROLL
- THE LAMB
- LIST ALL THE NAMES FOR JESUS CHRIST THAT YOU CAN FIND IN THIS CHAPTER
- WHY IS THE LAMB THE ONLY ONE WORTHY TO OPEN THE SCROLL?
- WHY IS THERE SO MUCH REJOICING WHEN THE LAMB BEGINS TO OPEN THE SCROLL (12-14)? WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL?
- MEMORY VERSE: REV 5:12