Greetings, this is Pastor David Bass at New Geneva Orthodox Presbyterian Church with a moment of truth, where we challenge you to think through an important issue of life and faith. And today, I want to challenge you to think through the issue. What did the Apostle John in the book of Revelation find when he went through the open door into heaven that Jesus opened for him? What did the Apostle John find in this enigmatic, mysterious, symbolic book of Revelation? What did he find when he went through the open door given to him into heaven, into the presence of God himself?

This is one of those fascinating and delightful topics in the book of Revelation because it also involves us, the church. We have been on the ground looking at the letters to the churches, the seven churches of Asia. We finished that. We've been on the ground, on the earth, seeing the predicaments and the blessings and the victories and sometimes the defeats of the church throughout church history because those seven churches in Asia represent the idea of the church throughout redemptive history. And we have been on the ground, on seeing the reality of the churches.

But now we're going to be transported into heaven itself and see the predicament of the churches before the very blessed throne room of God. And John is ushering us through that now in chapter four of the book of Revelation. I want to come to that here very soon. But first, I'd like to let you know about something related to the book of Revelation very, very heavily. And that is a Bible study that we're conducting.

We've had such a good response to our preaching through the book of Revelation that we want to make available this fall a community Bible study of the book of Revelation. And it's entitled Revealing Revelation, A Community Study of the Apocalypse. And we want to open this up to the community in general to have you come in and give your feedback, positive or negative. We're not afraid of criticism either, and we might even be corrected in a few years here too. But we want to invite the community in to join us in this study, Revealing Revelation, A Community Study of the Apocalypse.

And it's going to be held at Starbucks at 900 East 17th Street. We're going to take it off the grounds of the church in order to make it more community-wide based. And it's going to begin Thursday, October 10. Thursday, October 10. And then each Thursday thereafter.

And it's going to run from 7 p.m. to 8.15 p.m. beginning Thursday, October 10. And both myself, Pastor Dave Bass of New Geneva, and Pastor Mike Gilea of Share the Sun Ministries will be team teaching this series. So we want to encourage you that we'll help make it even more broadly a community study in that both myself and Pastor Gilea will be sharing the load of teaching for Share the Sun Ministries. And you can call us for more information. We'd like you to call us if you plan on attending, because indeed it will be.

We want to have some idea of how many copies of our study to print and things like that, and some general idea of how many will be there. So call us if you plan on attending, area code 208-523-0196. I've already been getting some response and appreciate that. Area code 208-523-0196. If indeed you would like to join us for this study.

Well, let's move on now to our look at Revelation chapter 4, verses 1-5, and unpack what we have for us on the idea of what does John, the Apostle John, find when he is transported through the open door into heaven, the very throne room, the presence of God. Oh, what a stunning chapter this is. And so I want to read it before we unpack its meaning. So let me read for you from Revelation chapter 4, verses 1-6. 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. 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 ruby, a rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were 24 other thrones, and seated on them were 24 elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.

From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. That is Revelation chapter 4, verses 1-6a, the first part of verse 6.

Now, we looked at last week the significance and meaning of the idea of doors, and how doors indeed allow access access and egress to the presence of kings and the presence of gods all through the ancient world, even in the Bible here. The idea of an open door is an access then to the living God. In fact, the promise was just in the previous chapter, just in the previous verses, that behold, I stand at the door and knock. He who opens, I will come in and have fellowship with him. So we've had just momentarily an open door, right?

And now we have an open door into heaven itself. And we're going to find that John is bidden to the very presence of God. And this reinforces for us when our Lord bids John, the apostle John, that voice which he first heard, right, hearkening back to the founding vision of Revelation, where he says, I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me of a loud voice like a trumpet. Well, hear this voice again. And it says, come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.

So we are oscillating from the earth to heaven. We are oscillating from the ever-dwelling presence of the Lord with the church on the earth, now to the dwelling presence of the Lord with his church in heaven itself, oscillating. And our oscillation will take us on a journey into the presence of the sovereign God in the universe. And we'll see the seven churches of Asia, that is the whole of the church throughout redemptive history. Remember, we've seen how this is symbolic.

And this whole church throughout redemptive history is shepherded and superintended to her final destiny as the beautifully prepared bride of Christ in later chapters of the book of Revelation. But for now, we're scheduled for an appointment with a very important person in chapters verses two and three. And chapters, chapter four, verses two and three are summarized here in this point. Consistent with that revealed under the old covenant, we are from time to time shown God to be sovereign, majestic, and transcendent under the new covenant too.

This open door will reveal to us that consistent with that revealed under the old covenant, we are from time to time shown God to be a sovereign, majestic, and transcendent, and transcendent God under the new covenant too. Without any intervening moment passing, John is filled and transported by God's spirit before the throne of God with him seated upon it. These will now be the fourth, fifth, and sixth uses of 40 uses of the word throne in Revelation. Numbers are significant, dear listener.

40, the period of testing and probation, this is the number 40, the period of testing and probation for the earth, for the church, and for the dragon is transpiring before the sovereign Godation, the throne being the very symbol of authority and sovereignty. And how will all of these fare in times to come? Well, we shall see, dear listener. Yes, something of the transcendent majesty, beauty of the surrounding presence of God is transmitted to us here in this text, right, with images that we see consistently throughout scripture. Revelation is rooted and grounded solidly in the Old Testament and the New.

So these images that we see are consistent throughout scripture. When mortals encounter the living God, though no one sees him directly, 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. That's all in verse three. Now, jasper and carnelian, these are stones of translucent beauty, ubiquitous in Idaho too, by the way, if you've ever had a chance to pick up and maybe purchase or look through these stones of translucent beauty that jasper and carnelian are ubiquitous in Idaho.

And they adorned the breastplate of the high priest, carnelian being the first and jasper being the last of these 12, very significant here, all representing the tribes of Israel. And then we have an emerald-like rainbow surrounding them. We have stunning rainbows in Teton Valley, where I live, sometimes double rainbows. And they're radiant and they're translucent and they're mystical. And such is the presence of God.

This is meant to communicate to us the mystical nature of the presence of God, the transcendent mystical nature of the presence of God. His presence is described in terms of light to contrast starkly with darkness. Such is the nature of his being that at the consummation of all things, as Revelation will tell us later, night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun for the Lord God will be their light, unquote. And we here are privileged to glimpse this in our worship, even in anticipation of that day.

But that's not all we see. Verse 4. Let me give you a summary point of what verse 4 communicates to us. That is, door. Consistent with that revealed under the old covenant, we are from time to time to time privy to the divine counsel before whom God presides under the new covenant.

That's what verse 4 reveals to us. Now, as we have observed throughout Scripture, heaven is festooned with marvelous, beautiful, and exotic creatures. You think the earth is full of God's glory with his marvelous, beautiful variety of exotic creatures. Well, it's impossible to exhaust or number those in heaven amongst whom we will dwell and preside over, for that matter, as stewards for eternity. Think of it, dear listener.

We, when we are translated to heaven, will be co-heirs with Christ of all of this. This present creation, as fallen and as sinful as it is, is resplendent itself as a picture and token of what's to come. It is resplendent itself with beauty and endless variety, isn't it? I love living in Idaho in part for that reason. Well, think of a perfected creation.

Oh, it boggles the mind, and it's meant to boggle our mind. It's meant to put us in awe of our Creator, of the very God who has saved us and is bringing us to this very thing. Well, think of a perfected creation, dear listener. These 24 elders, for example, these 24 elders seated are such, and they are vested with a delegated authority, too, as indicated by their being seated on 24 thrones themselves. That's a picture, a symbol, a sign of delegated authority from God himself.

Several options have been proposed as to precisely who these 24 elders are. For example, a legitimate claim might be that they're 24 literal elders of the church. This is a popular take. Or they might be the 12 sons of Jacob in council with the 12 apostles, all symbolic of the whole church. These are all legitimate options.

But I have come to understand them as those creatures, 24 elders on 24 thrones. Personally, I've come to understand them as those creatures elsewhere referred to as sons of God or gods, as we encountered in the book of Job. And I refer you to our series on the book of Job to see, indeed, how the idea of the heavenly council before the throne of God are composed of sons of God, that is, those who are created directly by the hand of God. And we see them reflected in many ways and places. We see, for example, in Isaiah 24, then the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed.

For the Lord of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and his glory will be before his elders, his elders before God in Isaiah 24. Or, for example, in Job 1 verse 6, we see, now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. These are beings in the broadest, most general sense, the idea of the sons of God are those that are created directly by the hand of God. Adam, for example, is called a son of God because he was created not immediately through parents, human parents, but rather directly from the hand of God.

And so those beings created in heaven, heaven is festooned with such creatures. That is, those created directly by the hand of God, they are called sons of God. Psalm 86 verse 8 says, there is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours, unquote. The idea of the gods, small g, are those sons of God, that is, those created directly by the hand of God. Well, these are those, these 24 elders I submit to you, these are those by different names.

And John refers to them as elders, but they're these same beings, these same creatures, the sons of God. And as we will see, they have a variety of functions beyond that of divine counsel with the Most High. For example, 24 elders, 24. In 1 Chronicles 24, if you're reading your Old Testament, 1 Chronicles 24, they have priestly functions, 24 elders, in agreement with the 24 priestly orders of the Levites that we see in 1 Chronicles 24. And also, among their duties, these 24 elders, these 24 elders were to present the prayers of the saints and to prophesy with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals, as 1 Chronicles 25 verse 1 says.

So, these are the 24 elders that we have before us. All of these things, these elders will do, too. And there is also agreement with the idea of the 12 sons of Jacob and the 12 apostles in the number 24, we will see in Revelation 21, for example, where 12 gates have the names of the 12 sons of Jacob, and the 12 foundations of the city have the 12 names of the apostles inscribed. All of this is consistent with our understanding of the 24 elders on 24 thrones that we see before us today. So, behold, 24 of the marvelous creatures of God's heavenly universe, the 24 elders.

And then we see in verses 5 through 6, under chapter 4 of the book of Revelation, we also see consistent with that revealed under the Old Covenant, we have, from time to time, displayed the mystery of the Trinitarian nature of God, New Covenant. Verses 5 through 6a also reveal for us, then, the mystery of the Trinitarian nature, then, of God, under the New Covenant, right, revealed for us so beautifully, so marvelously in the New Testament, like it hadn't been in the Old. And verses 5 through 6a, read again, let me refresh your memory. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder in front of the throne.

Seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. Also, in front of the throne, they see a glass, clear as crystal. We have for us here on Pact, the mystery of the Trinity, the divine nature of God, the mystery of the Trinity nature of God, under the New Covenant. The stunning, dangerous nature of being in the presence of the living God is transmitted to us.

The phenomena which do these things to us, that is, terrify us, bring us into awe and the fear of God, which is a good thing, a pure thing. From the throne came flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder. Yes. My grandsons were recently with us. My grandsons, Daniel and Micah.

They're just young boys. And we, during their visit, we had a series of roaring contests, trying our best to be like terrifying lions. Lions have deep, resonating roars with which they stun and fill with terror their prey, right? Well, that roar heard throughout the jungle freezes an animal momentarily and just long enough for the lion to pounce, right? Well, my grandsons, Daniel and Micah, they have little throats.

They're learning and they're improving, but they're no match for me, for grandpa. Ah, mine is no match for a full-grown lion either. And his, in turn, is no match for the flashes of lightning, the rumblings and peals of thunder from God's throne. Yes, meant to resonate with awe and terror, if you will. And it's going to be a motif throughout Revelation.

Those of you who despise and diminish the fear of God, we can do two things at once. We can both fear God and love God, and we are meant to do both. Just like we fear our fathers when they are about to discipline us, but we also love our fathers, do we not? We can do both at the same time, fear and love God. And it's going to be a motif throughout Revelation.

God cannot be conquered, but he, in turn, is unstoppable. And he triumphs at will as king of all jungles, king of all the universe, of all of his creation for that matter. We are then presented once more in this chapter with the image of the Holy Spirit. That's what we have before here. Kind of a unique one by John, but it is an image of the Holy Spirit.

So graphic and full of meaning. That is, before the throne, we're burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God. Now, we observed in verse one, the nature of those seven spirits. In chapter one, that is, the nature of those seven spirits. Remember, go all the way back to chapter one.

And we have here, grace to you and peace from him who is, and who was, and who is to come. And from the seven spirits who are before his throne. All the way back to chapter one. And we saw there, seven being the number of fullness, and fire being an attribute of the spirit, right? God will baptize with fire.

The Holy Spirit descended on the apostles like tongues of fire. Fire, fire, a, an attribute of the spirit. So we have here before us a beautiful picture of the Trinitarian God of the Bible with the lion of the tribe of Judah and the lamb of God soon to complete the picture. And we have the father on his throne, the spirit before the throne, and then the lion of the tribe of Judah and the lamb of God soon to complete that picture. And finally, we have here also another graphic metaphor for the transcendence, the complete otherness, the ultimate distance, which God the creator has by nature.

This transcendence, this distance from his creation by nature, he has this. Before the throne there was, as it were, a sea of glass like crystal. This may be a mysterious and unknown image for you. And that's okay. If you know your Old Testament, though, you will immediately recognize this picture, this image that's given to us throughout the Old Testament for the transcendence of God.

The sea was a place of fear, and it was a place of danger and mystery, too. It was also known as the abyss on the face of the earth, the sea. The sea also separated nations and peoples. God indicates his separateness from all he has by a sea. He demonstrates his distance, his transcendence from his creation, from all that he has made by the picture and the image of a sea.

Also, that it is as crystalline glass demonstrates its beauty also, and its hard, adamant nature. It will never be crossed. There is no spiritual Columbus who will sail at sea to find him. No, no mere human that can do these things. So, dear listener, we have before us then, behold, the gate of heaven open to us now.

Yes, behold, the door, John says, an open door to heaven. And we have seen, indeed, that this is not speaking of any rapture, future rapture to happen. No, that is something that has to be read into the text. What is the open door is what the Bible has always indicated it to be, that is, access to the very presence of God, which we have longed for for centuries, which we have longed for throughout redemptive history, which we now have in Christ. Do we not?

Remember, it is him by whom we have access, right? Where Jesus himself says that he is the very ladder upon which we enter into his presence, a door standing open in heaven. We have access now. That door is open because of Christ himself. And we have access into the very presence of God.

And we're going to see how the church, indeed, has access to the presence of God, not Christ, because this oscillation between heaven and earth has taken place. And we're now in heaven, brothers and sisters. We're now in heaven, at least in the book of Revelation. And we'll see how we are in heaven, even now, in the presence of God. We don't have to wait for any rapture.

We are there in the presence of God through Christ. And he's going to assure us that no matter what transpires on earth, persecution, suffering, death, all of these things are not unknown to God. They don't transpire without his knowledge, permission, and his sovereign will. In fact, he loves us. He cares for us.

And we, in a sense, in a very real way, even though we are on earth now, we still are in the very presence of God, heavenward, heaven-wise, because of Christ himself. We are in Christ. Christ is in heaven. Christ is seated upon his throne. And there's a very real mystical union that we, Christ, and consequently, we are in his very presence now.

What a blessing that is. And we should seize it and take advantage of it and not postpone this idea of an open door to some future event in which we'll be raptured. No. We are in the very presence of God now. There is an open door that you have now, dear believer.

You have now into the very presence of God. And you dwell in his presence even now. You're loved by him. You're cared for by him. Your prayers are being answered by him.

We'll see this in a very beautiful picture with the souls under the altar. There are prayers answered by God even now. So take this into your daily life, dear listener. Well, we'd also like to invite you. We'd also like to have you take into your very life this study of the book of Revelation that we're planning.

Indeed, we're planning on having a community Bible study of Revelation coming up here very soon. It's called Revealing Revelation, a Community Study of the Apocalypse. Join us. We can talk about all these things. And it's going to be at Starbucks on 17th Street.

And it's beginning Thursday, October 10. Thursday, October 10. Put that date on your calendar. It's going to run from 7 p.m. to 8.15 p.m. It's going to be led by me, Pastor Dave Bass of New Geneva, and Pastor Mike Gillehau of Share the Sun Ministries.

And we're going to team teach this study. So it's even more of a broadly community Bible study, too. And you can call us for more information. Let us know you're coming if you can. Area code 208-523-0196.

And New Geneva Orthodox Presbyterian Church meets for Holy Worship as well on Sunday at 10 a.m. at 101 4th Street on the corner of 4th and Boulevard. And I invite you to join us for Holy Worship. I'm preaching through Revelation right now. That's one of the things that's prompted our Bible study, preaching through Revelation. And join us at 101 4th Street on the corner of 4th and Boulevard, Sundays at 10 a.m. And you can call us for more information or more feedback, too, for that matter, at area code 208-523-0196. Call us, area code 208-523-0196.