Year 2, Week 51, Day 4 Bible Reading Observations

Year 2, Week 51, Day 4

I have a brief observation for today’s reading of Revelation 3-5.

Today’s reading covers three more chapters of Revelation. The Book of Revelation was written by the Apostle John to seven churches, which serves as an unveiling from Jesus Christ about Jesus Christ as it pertains to matters concerning the end of time. The Book of Revelation reveals the plans and purposes of the Lord Jesus Christ with a view of encouraging suffering and struggling believers to persevere. Revelation 3 continues the segment, begun in the previous chapter, of addressing each of the seven churches. As the Son of Man speaks what is commendable in each church (as in five of the seven churches), but also what must be corrected (as in also five of the seven churches), each church is admonished to persevere: “To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7b); “The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death” (Revelation 2:11); “To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it” (Revelation 2:17); “The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star” (Revelation 2:26-28); “The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels” (Revelation 3:5); “The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name” (Revelation 3:12); and “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne” (Revelation 3:21). The Book of Revelation supplies the ample reasons why believers can and must persevere or “overcome,” their trials and persecution.

One of the things that struck me from today’s reading was John’s depiction of what was unfolding in heaven as he wrote to the seven churches: “After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this. At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne” (Revelation 4:1-2). John’s vision of heaven, enabled by the Spirit, is reminiscent of some of the Old Testament prophets. Ezekiel opens his Book using the language of a vision of heaven: “In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the Chebar canal, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God” (Ezekiel 1:1). The throne that John mentions is reminiscent of what Isaiah saw: “In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple” (Isaiah 6:1). What John further saw: “And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald” (John 4:3); has similarities to what Ezekiel saw: “And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance” (Ezekiel 1:26). John also describes who he saw around the throne: “Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads” (Revelation 4:4); which has has elements found in Daniel: “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened” (Daniel 7:9-10). The similarities do not stop with these examples; what John saw in the Spirit was a vision that the Spirit had revealed before.

John also adds a description of what is happening in the throne room of heaven, which will be connected to a large portion of the next segment of the Book of Revelation: “From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God” (Revelation 4:5). It is loud—a massive thunderstorm erupts, reminiscent of the storm that broke out on Mount Sinai when the Lord descended to reveal himself to Israel: “On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled” (Exodus 19:16). The thunder and lightning communicate the awesomeness of God and the terror of entering His presence. And such displays of sights and sounds will be seen as the Book continues, for the seventh seal: “Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake” (Revelation 8:5); the seventh trumpet: “Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail” (Revelation 11:19); and the seventh bowl: “And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake” (Revelation 16:18) are also marked by lightning storms. As the Book of Revelation continues, a key truth that must be kept in mind is that the Lord is controlling all that unfolds on earth, as He brings history to the conclusion that He has appointed for it. Thus, the throne is surrounded by worship: "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” (Revelation 4:8b).

What struck you in today’s reading? What questions were prompted from today’s reading?

Pastor Joe