Part 1
Dr. John Hoole – September 29, 2019
One reason I love the Book of Revelation is that it keeps our time and purpose here on earth in clear perspective. It displays such striking contrasts:
• heaven and earth
• time and eternity
• evil and good
• illusion and reality
• lies and truth
• the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness.
Reading the Book of Revelation is a powerful reminder that this world is passing away. It sets our focus on the world that is to come, instead of on Wall Street.
It reminds us of an eternal throne in the heavens. It reveals the majesty and eternity of Him who sits on that throne and the indescribable splendor of the glorious person who is seated at His right hand. And Revelation1:3 even promises a blessing upon those who read and keep what is written.
Most Bible books have key verses that give a synopsis of what the Book addresses. For the Book of Revelation, it is Chapter 1, Verse 19.
Revelation 1:19 NKJV
19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.
This key verse gives us an outline for the entire Book of Revelation. It divides the book into three parts.
• The things John had seen - that’s past tense, and represents chapter 1.
• The things which are - this is speaking of the 7 churches – chapters 2 & 3
• The things which will take place after this - this speaks of chapters 4 – 22.
In the first verse of Revelation 4, we are told that John sees an open door. Remember that John has just seen the glorified Christ in Chapter 1, where John falls before him as a dead man (1:17). And John has written down, at Christ’s direction, the things that were intended for the seven churches of Asia Minor (Chapters 2 & 3). Now, he looks up and sees a door “standing open in heaven.”
I mention this first, not only because it is the first thing John sees, but because of the significance of it being open. The door to the throne room of God is always open.
Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV) tells us:
16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
In the Tabernacle of Moses and in both Temples, the Most Holy Place had restrictions on who could enter and how often. But that all changed when Jesus sacrificed Himself and paid the penalty for our sins with his own blood.
A Passage in Hebrews refers to the Most Holy Place (Kodesh ha Kodeshim):
Hebrews 10:19-22 NIV
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,
This first verse tells us we can personally enter the Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus Christ.
Let’s continue reading.
20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,
21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
This is the greatest invitation we can think of! The Most Holy Place represents heaven itself. “For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence” (Hebrews 9:24). The Holy of Holies (Most Holy Place) in the Tabernacle, and later in the Temple of Solomon, was only a replica of the real one. Heaven is itself the true sanctuary.
This is exactly what Stephen saw when he was about to become a martyr. “But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Look, he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55-56).
I have good news: The heavens are still open!! The glory of God is as close to you as the word that reaches your mouth from your own heart. “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith…” (Romans 10:8).
God desires full access for us in entering His throne room. And all who have accepted Christ as Savior can enter. The door is never closed – and it never matters the time of the day or night. Actually, according to Revelation 22:5, there is no night there.
When the Lord shed his own blood on the cross and gave up His spirit, He not only caused the veil in the Temple to split in two (Matthew 27:51), but He also split the spiritual curtain which separated us from His holy presence. We, who now form part of His church, have “a new and living way” (Heb. 10:20) open to the glory which is in Him.
So, let’s now approach the Most Holy Place – sometimes called the Throne Room in Heaven. Many of the Bible writers give us a glimpse of the Throne Room, like Daniel (Ch. 7), Ezekiel (Ch. 1), and Isaiah (Ch. 6). But the most detailed description of the throne room is found in Revelation 4 & 5.
Now, let’s go through the door and gaze upon the throne.
Revelation 4 NKJV
1 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, "Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this."
2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.
3 And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.
4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads.
5 And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
6 Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back.
7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.
8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!"
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:
11 "You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created."
What does John see as he enters heaven through the open door? The most striking part of the scene for John is the throne of God Himself upon which, he tells us, One sits.
It is important to note that John does not give us a detailed description of God Himself because such a description would be impossible. As the apostle Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 6:16: “[God] … alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen nor can see: to whom be honor and eternal power. Amen!”
Although John does not give us a description of God, he does give us a description of the Throne Room. This throne must be spectacularly beautiful. And, in verse 2 we read this throne is occupied.
In my lifetime, I have personally seen only the thrones of three kings.
• King Ludwig I Munich, Germany (about 1990). The walls of the throne room are overlaid with pure gold.
• King Tutankhamen 2003 Cairo. On my very first Holy Land trip, we spent 7 days in Egypt. We went to the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities. King Tut’s throne was behind a glass enclosure.
• King Minos of Crete 2005. On another Holy Land trip, we took a cruise of the Greek islands. Among the islands we visited were Patmos and Crete. Outside Heraklion, Crete are the ruins of Knossos Palace of King Minos. He was king over the Minoan civilization.
When I saw these thrones, there was one common characteristic about them. They were all unoccupied. The kingdoms of these rulers of the past did not last forever. In fact, none of them lasted very long.
But when John saw the throne in Heaven, it was occupied.
Psalms 47:8 NKJV
8 God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne.
Isaiah said it this way concerning God’s throne:
Isaiah 6:1 NKJV
6 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.
Ezekiel also speaks about a time he was shown the throne of God.
Ezekiel 1:26 NKJV
26 And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it.
When Isaiah saw the throne of God, he was never the same. The key to our spiritual life is to glimpse upon and reverence the throne – and He who sits on it.
Let me remind you that the throne of God will never be vacant. It cannot be stolen. Our God cannot be out-muscled or over-powered. Psalm 45:6 says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.”
No! Positively NO! God’s throne is never vacant and never will be. And none but God occupies it. The throne of God stays exclusively His. So when you come “boldly to the throne of grace,” as mentioned in Hebrews 4:16, there will be someone on that throne ready to listen. In fact, anytime we experience the presence of the Lord, His throne is never far. And it is more than just a seat to sit upon. It represents authority, power, rule and dominion.
It is at this throne and from this throne that official Kingdom business are made and pronounced. And you and I have a standing invitation to enter the throne room of God. The door leading into this room is always open.
Near the end of chapter 4, we find the inhabitants of heaven giving God glory and praise. The world, as a whole, does not give such honor to God today. Although mankind benefits from His goodness and lives in a universe He created, they tend to neglect God altogether.
Now that you have seen a fairly detailed description of the throne room of Almighty God, what does it all mean for you and me. A few weeks ago, I taught a lesson titled, “Our Victory in Christ.” In that lesson, I emphasized the fact that the phrase “in Christ” or some equivalent phrase, is mentioned 27 times in the Book of Ephesians. And because of the fact that believers are “in Christ,” we have certain rights because of it.
All believers have certain rights, which have come to us by, with, through, and in our Lord Jesus Christ. These rights come to us as a matter of promise and are received by faith.
Ephesians 1:20-21 NKJV
20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
After Jesus was raised from the dead, the Bible declares God highly exalted Him to a position of honor at His right hand in heavenly places, and gave Him a name that is above every name (Phil. 2:9-11).
How does Jesus’ seating in the highest position in the universe affect us? Ephesians 2:6 says, “. . . And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. We are seated with Christ in heavenly places. Joint-seating with Christ is “far above” all principalities and powers of darkness. Evil spirits can’t influence believers who are seated with Christ in heavenly places!
Our seating and reigning with Christ is a position of authority, honor, and triumph—not failure, depression, and defeat
Because we are believers, our seating with Christ is part of our inheritance now. This is where we are already seated, because when Jesus was seated in triumph, we were seated with Him.
The word hath in Ephesians 2:6 is past tense. God has already raised us up and made us sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. We will rule and reign with Christ in this life now—if we’ll exercise our rightful authority. Our position in Christ is already an accomplished fact. But we need to exercise the authority that belongs to us in that position of reigning with Christ over principalities and powers before it will profit us.
Our position as believers is one of joint-seating with Christ in heavenly places. That may not always be our circumstance, but that is our position. If we want to rise above our circumstances, we must take advantage of our position in Christ.
Because we as believers are in Christ, when Jesus sat down at the right hand of the Father, we sat down with Him far above principalities and powers. The Church, the Body of Christ, is in Christ. The body is connected to the head. Jesus is the Head of His Body—the Church.
If Jesus—the Head—triumphed over the devil, is the Body of Christ to be any less triumphant since we are in Christ? Of course not! It is our legal right to enjoy joint-seating with Christ in heavenly places— in a position of authority and triumph far above all principalities and powers. If we will take advantage of our joint-seating with Christ, we will begin to triumph in life!
We don’t have to try to be seated far above principalities and powers with Christ. We don’t have to pray through to be seated with Christ in heavenly places. We don’t have to struggle through or fight through demons to be seated in a place of victory with Christ.
Our position and seating in Christ is a fact. It has already happened. That position was attained for us through Jesus Christ. All we have to do is enjoy the rights and privileges that already belong to us as joint-heirs with Christ.
When we get the revelation of our position in Christ, what a difference it will make in our lives! We will no longer be the defeated Church. We will take our place as the triumphant Church, which was God’s design from the foundation of the world.
For the remainder of our lesson today, I want to mention many of our throne rights as believers. This will not be a complete list, but will be representative of them all.
1. Authority through the Blood of Christ
Revelation 12:11 NKJV
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
We are guaranteed victory over the enemy through the blood of Jesus Christs.
2. Authority in the name of Christ
Mark 16:17 NKJV
17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
John 14:13-14 NKJV
13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If you ask anything in my name, I will do it.
3. Authority over all the works of the Devil
Luke 10:19 NKJV
19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
4. Authority to keep the devil out
Ephesians 4:27 NKJV
27 Do nor give place to the devil.
5. Authority to rebuke the enemy
The angel Michael, according to Jude 1:9, would not rebuke the devil, but, rather, said “The Lord rebuke thee.” But that is not the case for believers. Jesus Christ has delegated his authority to His followers. That is not just some believers, but all believers.
6. Authority to bind and resist the enemy and his demons
Matthew 18:18 NKJV
18 "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
7. Authority to keep the enemy under your feet
Romans 16:20 NKJV
20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
8. Authority to preach the gospel
Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.