Sunday, May 30, 2010

Revelation 4

2 comments:

Jude said...

This chapter first describes the grandeur of the throne and throne room and then it is all about worship.
v8 "Day and night they never stopped saying: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come."

This is an ongoing goal of mine...to be in constant worship, to be mindful of God, his guiding in my life. I am often not successful and never when I am in a hurry but when I do manage, it is such a good place to be.

Unknown said...

I am always very, very intrigued by the 24 elders. You don't hear tell of them anywhere else in scripture, and yet there are many clues that seem to point to who they are. And many of the clues point back to the recent letters just written to the churches. 1. They are seated on thrones (v 4) in the letter to the Laodicians v 21 says; "Those who win the victory will sit wiht me on my throne int he same way that I won the victory and sat down with my Father on His throne." v21

They are dressed in white; In the letter to the CHURCH at Sardis, Jesus wrote; "But you have a few there in Sardis who haev kept their clothes unstained, so they will walk with me and will wear white clothes, because they are worthy. Those who win the victory will be dressed in white clothes like them."

They wear golden crowns on their heads. In the letter to the Church in Smyrna Jesus writes; "But be faithful, even if you have to die, and I will give you the crown of life." v10

They bow down and lay their crowns before the throne. If you study the idea of the crowns promised to believers, it is fascinating. They are diadems... something like a laurel wreath, not meant to endure forever, but meant as a momentary honor or approval. In laying crowns at the feet of the Lord, the elders acknowledge His Lordship in relationship to themselves.

Revelation is very symbolic and as such can be so difficult to be sure of... but I do feel strongly that the elders may represent the redeemed. 12 is the number of "completion" in scripture, the FULL number, and since we have the 12 tribes of Israel under the Old Covenant, and the 12 apostles representative of the church under the New Covenant, and 12+12 equals 24, I strongly lean to the belief that the elders represent the redeemed of all time, who will rule with Christ.

It gives me goosebumps. Every time. We will reign with Christ. Our life is a training ground for just that future calling. All of this is merely the prologue to eternity. How I want to make wise choices, discipline myself appropriately, that I might be ready for the task!