02.17. LECTURE No. 17 -- Rev_4:6-11; Rev_5:1-4

LECTURE No. 17 -- Revelation 4:6-11; Revelation 5:1-4
The Four Living Creatures - Who They Represent - We Who Are Christians Have Been Called to Positions of Great Authority and Much Glory - Chapter Five - The Seven Sealed Book - A Symbol of Man’s Forfeited Inheritance - Satan a Usurper - Who Is Worthy to Open the Book? - All of Man’s Efforts a Failure

WE should not forget that a special blessing is pronounced upon those who read, and they that hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written therein, as stated in Revelation 1:3.

Please remember that in this great book we have a prophetic foreview of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is presented here in His relation to things upon earth and to things in heaven. In other words this reveals Christ to us as He now is and as He will be when He appears again.

We have progressed in our present study to Revelation 4:6, where our lesson will begin for today.

In our last message which was based upon Revelation 4:1-5, we began a study concerning those things which shall be hereafter, i. e., after the resurrection and rapture of the Church. The 4th chapter opens with a vision of the Throne in heaven, and of Him that sat upon the Throne.

From our study we learned that this was a Throne of Judgment, but from the presence of the rainbow round about the Throne, which was the sign of God’s covenant with Noah, we know that the judgments of this Throne will not be unto complete destruction but will be administered under the terms and conditions of the Noahic covenant. In verses Revelation 4:4-5 of this same chapter, John was given a vision of the enthroned Riders, twenty-four in number, which represent the redeemed saints of the earth, robed and crowned and seated in their heavenly estate.

Some may wonder why they are called elders. We all know that the word “elder” means the “older man,” and in ancient times an elder was one who ruled over the people. Therefore, a man who was an elder held that office, because he was the oldest. These enthroned elders which John was given to see were elders, not because of the office which they had, but they had attained unto that office because they were elders.

In other words, they were the first children of the resurrection; and being the first born from the dead, they were the first to be glorified of all the company of the redeemed. They were called elders, therefore, not only because of the office they held, but with respect to the time of their admission into heaven.

Now for today let us next consider the four living creatures which John saw before the Throne. In Revelation 4:6-8, it says,-

“And before the Throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the Throne, and round about the Throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

“And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast has a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

“And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was and is, and is to come.”

Living Creatures

First of all let me remind you that the word translated “Beast” here means “living creature.” What we have, therefore, in this passage is not “four beasts” but “four living creatures” in the midst of the Throne and round about the Throne.
Our first task will be to discover who or what they are, as represented by the strange language used here. In chapter Revelation 5:8-10, they are mentioned in connection with the elders and are represented as joining with the elders in singing a new song, saying, “Thou art worthy to take the Book and to open the seals thereof, for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people and nation, and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests; and we shall reign on the earth.”

Now, it is perfectly clear that they could not have joined in singing this song with the elders unless they were also among those who had been redeemed by the blood of Christ out of every kindred, and tongue, and people and nation! Their Appearance In verse Revelation 4:7, these living creatures are described as being like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third as having a face like a man, and the fourth living creature, it says, was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings about him, and each of them was full of eyes. And another thing about them was, they did not rest day or night, saying, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was and is to come.”

It is very interesting to note that the Lion, and the calf, and the face of a man, and the flying eagle were emblems used by the Children of Israel as they marched from Egypt toward the Land of Canaan.

- On the standard of the Tribe of Judah was a Lion,
- On the standard for the tribe of Ephraim was young Ox,
- A Man for the tribe of Rueben.
- An eagle for the tribe of Dan.

These were the representative tribes, and according to Numbers the 2nd chapter which gives to us the order of the host and the arrangement of the camp, all the other tribes were marshaled under these four standards. Thus did Israel march in the wilderness under the banners of the Lion, the Ox, the Man and the flying Eagle, as they journey from Egyptian bondage to the promise land, and we know that the Tabernacle in Israel, and everything pertaining their religious and national life were patterned after the true Tabernacle in the heavenlies.
The fact that these four living creatures are described as having wings, and as being full of eyes, reminds us of Ezekiel’s vision which he had of the heavenly cherubim, as given in Ezekiel 1:1-28. Cherubim, as revealed in the Old Testament, acted as the executors of the Heavenly Father’s will as in the case of Adam and Eve, when God drove them out from the Garden of Eden, He placed at the East of the garden Cherubims and a flaming sword which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life.

Cherubim When we compare Ezekiel’s vision of the cherubim with the description of the four living creatures, given by the Apostle John, which he saw in heaven in the midst of the Throne, and round about the Throne, we are constrained to believe that they represent those from among the redeemed who have receive their special appointment as executor of the Father’s will in the new dispensation and order of things, which is to follow the resurrection and rapture of the Church. In other words, they will be a new kind of Cherubim of the new order, which will then be ushered in.

Ezekiel in his vision saw but four Cherubim, and John also saw four living creatures, and there is little doubt but what they were representative in either case of multitudes who belong to the same class. Otherwise, these four living creatures would not say to Him that was on the Throne, “Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.”

Worship in Heaven

Now, chapter four closes with a description of worship in heaven. The four living creatures are described as having no rest day or night, and they are busy saying, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty which was, and is, and is to come,” and in Revelation 1:9-11, John said, ‘And when those beasts (or living creatures) give glory and honour and thanks to Him that sat on the Throne, who liveth for ever and ever. The four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the Throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the Throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou has created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”
From this passage, my friends, it is perfectly clear that both the elders and four living creatures worshipped Him that sat on the Throne, because of His creative power.

And this, my friends was reason enough why they or anyone else should worship Him that sat on the Throne! Throughout the entire Bible, God appeals to His creative power as a reason for our faith, and as a just reason why we should worship Him.

We, Too, Have Been Called

Having considered these enthroned elders which were seated upon Thrones round about the Throne, and the four living creatures in the midst of the Throne, and round about the Throne, we are made to realize that these are the high positions, and the celestial glories, to which you and I, and all the redeemed, who have obeyed the Gospel of Christ, have been called.

Who, my friends, can express the grandeur and blessedness of the gospel whereby we are called to these high and holy places with Christ in the heavenlies. When we understand these things we are made to realize what the Apostle meant, when he said in Colossians 3:1-4, “If ye be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth, For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.”

I Can’t Understand The mystery to me has always been, how men and women, who have heard the gospel of Jesus Christ, and who are thereby called to turn from sin and from Satan to the true and living God, and have been called to such celestial regencies, can continue on in sin as if no such blessings and honors were offered as a reward for faith and right living during their sojourn here upon the earth! Frankly, tell me, what can unsaved men and women hope to gain in the end from a life of sin and shame here upon the earth?
With such blessings and rewards offered to us in the Word of God for a life of faith and obedience, and good works, it seems to me that multitudes of men and women would consider the error of their ways and turn from the terrible sins, and the follies of this world, which now occupy their time and possess their hearts, to the Lord Jesus Christ, and cry for mercy in order that they too might join those who belong to the household of faith, and who are heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ.

Surely nothing in this life would be too dear to give up, be it worldly friends, or pleasures, or the comforts of this life, in order that we might gain for ourselves a place among those who are here represented by the enthroned Elders, and the four living creatures, whom John saw in the midst of the Throne, and round about the Throne.

I am sure, my friends, that no sacrifice would be too great, when compared with the reward, and the glories which are to follow and that, “The toils of the road will seem nothing
When we get to the end of the way.” The Seven Sealed Book

Now having considered these things, we are ready to begin our study of the 5th chapter; the subject of which is “The Seven Sealed Book.”

Continuing an account of his vision on the Isle of Patmos, the Apostle John said, in Revelation 5:1-7 -

“And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the Throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals,

“And I saw a strong Angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof,
“And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon,
“And I wept much, because no man is was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon,

“And one of the Elders saith unto me, Weep not; behold, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof,

“And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst the Throne and of the four beasts, in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth,
“And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him that sat up the Throne.”

Now, it is not difficult to understand that what we have before our attention here is a continuation of those thin which John saw in heaven. This, m friends, is a high and holy scene, an one which well deserves our careful an prayerful attention. The object which seems to have attracted the Apostle attention, from the very beginning, w the book which he saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the Throne, written within and on the backside, and sealed with seven seals. A Symbol of Redemption

It may be helpful if we state just her that the book in question, which John saw, was not a book such as you and are acquainted with, but rather it was a scroll such as that used by the ancient Hebrews.
The next thing necessary is to discover, if we can, what this book or scroll symbolized in the vision which John saw. It is generally conceded by most Bible students that the book here described was a symbol of redemption, and that it refers to the redemption of the purchased possession.

This is confirmed in Revelation 4:8-10, where the living creatures and the elders fell down before the Lamb and worshipped when the book was taken out of the hand of Him that sat upon the Throne.

Now, when we speak of this book as a symbol of redemption we must explain what we mean by this term.

When the word redemption is used the minds of most men go back to the birth and to the life and death and the resurrection of Christ, and they think of that phase of redemption which was accomplished by the Lord Himself when He died for us upon the cross. And it is well that we do this; for the cross is indeed the very center of God’s redemptive plan, but when we view the whole subject of redemption, we must realize that it can only be described in the past, present and future tenses.

No sooner had man sinned in the Garden of Eden than God made provision for their redemption by giving to them the promise of a Saviour who was to be the seed of the woman, and one who would bruise the serpent’s head! Therefore, throughout every dispensation which has followed since then, through miracles, and signs, and wonders God has been working out His plan of redemption.
In the fulness of time Christ Himself came and died upon the cross, and rose again from the dead, and ascended into heaven; but even the sacrifice of Jesus upon the cross, although it was the very heart and center of God’s redemptive plan, was not enough because the Gospel was yet to be preached to all nations during the age of grace. Also the judgments of God must be accomplished upon the wicked, and Christ Himself must return and rule over the nations, and the earth must finally be renovated by fire, and Jesus must deliver up the Kingdom to the Father, that God may be all and in all, before the great work of redemption is fully and completely accomplished.

Therefore, as we review the work of redemption, as set forth in the entire word of God, we can readily see that much of the work of redemption is yet future. The word “redemption” includes all the works of God in every dispensation, which He has wrought, whether by grace or judgment, in behalf of our deliverance.

Jewish Custom

Now, we will not be able to understand the symbolism used concerning the Seven Sealed Book unless we go back and make a study of what is written in Jeremiah 32:1-44. A careful study of this chapter will reveal that a sealed book, according to Jewish custom, represented a titled deed to a purchased possession.

We all know that according to Jewish custom every fiftieth year in Israel was a year of jubilee, at which time every man was required to return unto his own possession. During the fifty years a possession might be bought and sold, but at the end of the fifty years it reverted back again to its original owner.

In the meantime if anyone in Israel, because of poverty or distress or discontent, sold their inheritance to another, a secondary law provided that such inheritance which had been disposed away could be redeemed and bought back. If the nearest of kin to the one who had sold the property would step in and redeem it.

On this particular point, J. A. Seiss, in his book on the Apocalypse says,

“When an inheritance was thus disposed away by its rightful possessor, there were two books or instruments of writing, made of the transaction, the one open and the other sealed, specifying the price and particulars. These books or deeds went into the hands of the one to whom the property was thus made over. A sealed book thus became a standing sign of an alienated inheritance, but so held as to be liable to be recovered on the terms specified, and when any one legally representing the original proprietor, was found competent to lift and destroy that sealed instrument, and thus to buy back what had been disposed away. He was called the Goel, or redeemer, and the inheritance was considered redeemed so far, that he now had full right to dispossess of it whoever might be found on it, and to enter upon its undisturbed fruition.” An Example

All we need to confirm this is to turn to the 4th chapter of the Book of Ruth, where we have the beautiful story of how Boaz acted as the kinsman redeemer in behalf of Ruth and Naomi.

Now, to apply the truth which we have learned to the account given in Revelation 5:1-14, which John was given to see concerning the seven seal book in the hands of Him that sat on the Throne, we can safely say that the seven sealed book represents the title deed to the earth.

We all know that when God created the earth and had created man in the Garden of Eden, He gave to Adam, the title deed to the earth, and told him “to have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
But we also know that when Adam and Eve sinned, man lost not only his dominion, but he lost the title deed to his original possession, which title deed, shall we say, reverted back once again to God. The fact that God now holds the title deed to the earth is confirmed in Psalms 24:1, where it says, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof.” God also represented Himself to Abraham as the possessor of heaven and earth, as stated in Genesis 14:19. Therefore, He and He alone is the only one who has the right to open the Seven Sealed Book, representing the title deed to His own possession.

Satan a Usurper

Now there is something here that we must not overlook, i. e., that Satan’s present possession of the earth is what we might call a usurpation, which God has permitted for a time within limits of His own permissive will, which in no wise effects God’s original right and authority over the earth!

The redemptive plan of God allows that when a proper redeemer can be found to deem it by paying the price, and driving out the one who now occupy the earth as a usurper, it may be now turned to man who under God was the original owner. Who Is Worthy With these things in mind, let us now return to Revelation 5:1-14, and verse where John said, “I saw a strong Angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to look upon the seals thereof?”

This, my friends, was a very important question. This is confirmed by the fact that when John heard it, and no man in heaven nor in earth, neither under the earth was able to open the book, he wept much because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book neither to look thereon. Surely a man such as the Apostle John would not have wept over a circumstance which was of little importance. The very fact, therefore, that he wept much, would impress upon us the fact of the importance and solemnity of the event of opening the Seven Seals of this Seven Sealed Book, which represented the title deed to man’s lost inheritance, which we as the posterity of Adam lost when our forefather sinned.

Man’s Efforts a Failure

Ever since man first sinned, and was driven out of the Garden, men in almost every age, even in their lost and fallen estate, have tried in vain, both through politics, science, philosophy and religion to regain the inheritance which was lost in Adam.

The original lie of Satan to Adam and Eve was, “ye shall be as God,” and ever since then men have lived under the influence of this Satanic delusion and men have sought to bring about a Utopia of peace and plenty, wherein they could regain the forfeited perfection, and the supreme good which Adam and Eve possessed in the beginning.

But the curse which God placed upon the man and the woman, and upon the ground, has been too great for them and every effort of man in every age to rise above the curse, and to build for himself a world of perfection, has utterly failed. Now and again in world history different nations have taken it upon themselves to perform this task, and to act as the world’s redeemer.

Long centuries ago Egypt sought to act as the world’s redeemer, but became corrupt herself, and finally went down in shame before the world. Babylon also tried to become the world’s redeemer but all who are familiar with the history of Babylon know, that while she was powerful for a time in governing the nations of the earth, she also became corrupt and impure and was finally overthrown.

In due time Greece arose and became the great overlord of the nations and by her wisdom and culture sought to remedy all of the world’s ills, but in spite of her boasted wisdom, she herself could not withstand the corruption of the world, and she also fell to the lowest levels of moral depravity.

Then came Rome, who sought to rule over the nations and to redeem them by subjugating them with an iron hand. The overlordship of Rome will always stand for uncompromising severity.

But again history reveals the fact that even the authority of Rome could not save the world nor bring in the Utopia, and Rome herself became corrupt and lost her power over the nations, and today such nations as Italy, Germany, Russia and Japan all feel that they have the solution to all of the world’s ills, and that if only they could rule the world, the Utopia surely would be ushered in, under their leadership and power.

Democracy, Fascism, Communism The nations of the Western Hemisphere are still clinging to the hope that democracy is the royal road to the Utopia; While Fascism and Communism deny the claim, and are fighting with the sword, both in Europe and in China to prove that their theory is right, and that they are willing and able to act as the world’s redeemer by suppressing all who oppose them in their belief.
And thus, my friends, we see that throughout more than six thousand years of human history, that no man, or group of men, not even whole nations have been able to lift man above the conditions of the curse which were placed upon Him when Adam and Eve first sinned, and were driven from the Garden of Eden.

Present day efforts of Democracy, Fascism and Communism; although they take the open field and fight with the sword, and spill the blood of earth’s millions, will as utterly fail to bring in the Utopia as all those who have attempted it before them. The Kingdom of Antichrist

We know that it is prophesied that in due time Antichrist will come and reign as the world’s last great dictator, which will be during the Tribulation Period. He will subdue all of his enemies, and will unify the world politically, religiously and industrially for a short time, but even the coming worldwide Kingdom of the Antichrist cannot and will not last long, because it will not be based upon divine standards of righteousness.

The Word of God plainly teaches that when Jesus Christ comes again, He will destroy the Antichrist and the False Prophet, and the Kingdoms of this world shall fall and become the Kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ.
And so, my friends, we see that every effort on the part of man, both past and future, to usher in the Utopia, which men have so long dreamed of and sought for have and will fail. No Wonder John Wept Is it any wonder, therefore, that in Revelation 5:4, John said, “I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the Book, neither to look thereon.”

Indeed, my friends, when John considered the long history of man, and the constant and futile efforts which been made to lift man above the curse and to restore to him those things which were lost in the fall, and that no in heaven nor in earth, neither under the earth was able to open the book neither to look thereon, it was enough to make the heart of a strong man weep.
And now let us close our message reading what is written in Revelation 5:5, where it says, “And one of the Elders saith unto me, Weep not, behold, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.”

~ end of lecture 17 ~