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The Scriptorium

Sovereign Lamb

He rules the flow of history.

The Heart of God: The End in Sight (3)

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
Luke 24.27

Read and meditate on Revelation 4 and 5.
Next John is given a vision of the heavenly court, where God rules, and saints and angels and other creatures worship and serve the Lord continually. The purpose of this vision is to assure us that the Ruler of kings, Who is the Lamb that was slain, is absolutely in charge of everything that will be revealed in the chapters that follow.

For reflection
1.  Meditate on the various ways John describes the heavenly court. What colors, substances, sights, and sounds does his description include? What is your general impression of this place? Meditate on Colossians 3.1-3. How can Revelation 4 and 5 help us to fulfill Paul’s command?
 
2.  All angels, all departed saints (represented by the 24 elders), and all creation (the living creatures) worship, celebrate, and serve Him Who sits on the throne. For what things in particular do they praise the Lord (4.8, 11; 5.9-14)?

3.  As we shall see, what is written on the scroll contains all the events that will unfold in the chapters following. God has “written” in advance everything that will come to pass. Who rules the unfolding of that process? How has He “prevailed” to be able to do this? What is the Lord saying to John about the rule and Kingdom of Jesus Christ?

4.  Revelation 5.6 suggests a closeness between the Lamb and the Spirit of God. How did we see this closeness in the book of Acts?

5.  According to Revelation 5.9, 10, what is the effect of the Lamb’s having fulfilled the covenant thread of redeeming a people for God? In what ways should we expect to “reign on earth”?

Summary
Some fairly scary scenarios will be revealed in Revelation 6-19, but before we get to that, we need to know the situation is well in hand. The Lord Who has fulfilled God’s redemptive plan and work is completely in charge of things in heaven and on earth. We may rest in His sovereign rule, and hold fast to our testimony of faith in Him. How does Revelation 5.9-14 suggest a pattern for how we should live in the Kingdom and covenant of God, in the tension between tribulation and patient endurance?

Closing Prayer
I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
You who fear the Lord, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard.
My praise shall be of You in the great assembly;
I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.
The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the LORD.
Let your heart live forever!
All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the LORD,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.
For the kingdom is the LORD’s,
And He rules over the nations.

Psalm 22.22-28

T. M. Moore

Two books can help you gain a fuller understanding of the terrain we will be covering in this series. Kingdom Documentsprovides a concise overview of the primary teaching of the Old and New Testaments, and shows, through early Church creeds, how our forebears understood the primary teachings of God’s Word. (click here to order). I Will Be Your Goddevelops more fully the idea of God’s covenant and leads us to consider the practical implications of our covenant relationship with God (click here).

Visit The Ailbe Seminary, where our course,
Introduction to Biblical Theology, offers a parallel study of our theme in this series, using brief video presentations and the workbook God’s Covenant: An Introduction. All courses at The Ailbe Seminary are available without charge.

We are happy to be able to offer each week’s Scriptorium studies in a free weekly PDF, suitable for personal or group use. You can download all the studies in this series by clicking here. Please prayerfully consider sharing with The Fellowship of Ailbe through your giving. You can contribute to The Fellowship by clicking the Contribute button at the website or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
Books by T. M. Moore

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