 one verse. We're going to take a look at Revelation chapter 4 verse 1. The purpose of these sermons in the evening is really to sharpen and clarify our eschatology. So I know as I've worked through the text thinking about what will best serve you with that intention in mind, at least in my mind or the way that I approach the text, there will be a lot less preaching and a little more teaching. But I think it will be helpful, particularly with a book like Revelation for us to take this approach. And turn briefly to 1 Kings chapter 6, excuse me, 2 Kings, 2 Kings chapter 6, 2 Kings chapter 6. And in this chapter and 2 Kings chapter 6, Arameans are plotting to capture Elisha. And he's here with an attendant. And if you look down at verse 15, now, when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, Alas, my master, what shall we do? And so the attendant sees the circumstances and he realizes we're in trouble. Well, what are we going to do? We can't fight this army. And so he answered, do not fear. For those who are with us are more than those who are with them. Then Elisha prayed and said, oh Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened the servant's eyes. And he saw and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. What do you think happened to the attendant after that? He was filled with joy and expectation at the coming judgment of God's enemies. Revelation chapter four does the same thing for five following, does the same thing for us. When we read Revelation chapter four and following, what John gives us, what he has written down is an image of the unseen realm. That's what we get. So for the believers who received the book of Revelation, who were being persecuted and going through great difficulty, having received this word of prophecy, they would have been encouraged because the Lamb of God was sitting upon the throne, ruling and governing over history. As the attendant with Elisha, there is great value and benefit at getting a clear picture of this unseen realm. And I just have three questions. I felt guilty printing three questions on that piece of paper, but there's some stuff on the back there that is going to be helpful in a second. The first question is very simple. Let's look at the text. After these things, after these things. What does John mean by after these things? So some interpreters take it this way. Now this phrase is used twice in this verse. Look at the end of verse one after these things. You see it there? So it's used two times and we're going to take a look at both uses and we're going to try to understand exactly what John means when he uses these words. First, look at the subject of the verb. I looked, or of the action, I guess, I looked after these things. So it's John, right? It's John and John is saying that he looked after these things or after these things. I looked. Some interpreters would take this to mean at some point in the future, after these things means at some point in the future, after the events of chapter one and two, one and three, one through three. But that doesn't really make sense. I think the point in this passage is rather clear. After receiving the revelation of the Son of Man in chapter one, you remember, right? He sees, he has this grand vision of the Lord Jesus Christ and then he receives the messages for the seven churches, then subsequent to that, after that, he receives this vision. What John is not communicating is that chronologically, as the flow of, as history unpacks or as we see the flow of history, that the prophecy or the vision of chapters four and five are future to him. That's not the point. He's just saying after the revelation of the Son of Man and the messages to the seven churches, then after these things, I looked and behold, I looked and behold. Now, what does John see and what does John hear? This is important. What does he see and what does he hear? So he looks and behold. Now, this is in the Bible. This is standard introduction to a vision. This is just a standard introduction. Look, I looked and behold or behold. I looked and you can look at Ezekiel four, one and Daniel seven, six. So we're getting prepared to or John is going to see a vision and what he writes for us by with these two words, he signals that he is going to see a vision. Now, biblical visions. So is everything that John sees in the literal vision exactly could could we draw pictures of these things and be correct? No, that's not the purpose. It's not the purpose of a biblical vision. Not at all. So look at what John sees. He sees a door. He sees a door. A door standing open in heaven or a door was open. John didn't open the door. The door was already open. The door had been opened by someone so that John can could see into heaven. Look at a couple of places where this similar terminology is used. One of these we saw last week. It's in Ezekiel chapter one. Turn to Ezekiel chapter one and Ezekiel chapter one and verse one. Now it came to pass and now it came about in the thirteenth year on the fifth day of the fourth month. While I was by the river Tivar among the exile, the heavens were open and I saw visions of God. And remember what he sees? He sees those four beasts that were around God's throne. The open door or the door standing open really what it means or the way that we should understand it is that John is given a vision and heaven is open to him. He sees what's happening in heaven. That gets me excited. Right? So we studied Daniel. I think it's in Daniel chapter. It's in Daniel chapter nine, right? Yeah. After his prayer, Angel shows up and he says, man I would have got here faster but I was fighting the Prince of Persia. And he's not talking about the like the literal Prince of Persia. He's talking about some I guess demonic being. And then he says a little later he says, I'm going to have to leave and fight the Prince of Greece. What's he talking? He's talking about realities that we don't see with our eyes. There is an unseen realm of principalities and powers and demons and angels that our finite eyes and minds can't comprehend. And for the comfort of his people, God allows John to take a look into heaven. The other references in Acts the 756, you can write that down and that's what Stephen, right? He is about to be killed and he looks to heaven. And in a true sense he finds his vindication there. The things that he was preaching before the Jewish people who are about to stone him were true. And heaven is open for him and he gets a picture. He sees into heaven and he sees the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. It's a very true sense. This is what the book of Revelation does for us. It unpacks more and it does it with imagery and symbolism. But the purpose is to show us that God has defeated his enemies. There's still more to come but the Lord Jesus in his person and in his work has accomplished what God sent him to accomplish. So he sees an open door. The door is open and we are about to receive a disclosure from heaven. So that's what John sees. But he also hears something. He hears something. Let's turn back to Revelation. Revelation chapter 4 and verse 1. I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven. Heaven is open to him. Let me back up one second. When heaven is open to him what exactly is he looking into? Is he just looking into like outer space? I think there's a particular reason why there's a door. Even if it's symbolic. Look at chapter 11 of Revelation and verse 19. And the temple of God which is in heaven was open. Wherever that realm is, that unseen realm, there's something. There's a temple and that temple is open. That's the door that's open in heaven is the door in the temple. And central in that temple, you see this in chapter 4, is the throne. The throne is at the center of that temple. The Ark of the Covenant appeared in his temple. And there was, and we'll see this in chapter 4, there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm. In 1417, remember there were angels there. So in 1417 and another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven and he also had a sharp sickle. Wherever that realm is, the temple is the center at the temple of the temple is the throne. There are other texts. I look at verse 15, same chapter. And another angel came out of the temple crying out with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud. So he gets to view a picture of this temple. Well, you could write these verses down. 15, 5 through 18, 15, verse 5 through 18, 16, verse 1 and verse 17. So there is a divine disclosure that is about to be given to John as he look and sees, he looks into heaven, he sees a door open, he sees into the temple. That's in heaven. Now he also hears something. He hears something. Well, listen to how he says this. Go back to chapter 4. He says, And the first voice which I had heard, whose voice is that? Well, look at chapter 1, verse 10. I was in the spirit on the Lord's day and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet saying right in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches. Verse 12, then I turned to see the voice. Have you ever done that? Have you ever turned to see a voice? No, it was powerful. It was like a trumpet. It was overwhelming. That's the point. The point isn't that his voice sounded like he didn't talk like that. It was loud and powerful and he sees the Son of Man. That's who he sees. So this is the voice that he hears. He looks, he sees an open door and he hears this voice. Jesus has opened heaven for his people and he has disclosed the mysteries and the counsel of God for his people. He hears a voice, this loud, powerful voice. Look at chapter 1, verse 19. And therefore, write these things you have seen and the things which are and the things that will take place after these things. It tells them to do this. Verse 17, when I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. Remember, this happens to Daniel. When he sees the heavenly messenger, he placed his right hand on me saying, do not be afraid. I am the first and the last. I am the first and the last. Go back to chapter 4, verse 1. So he says, the first voice which I heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me. Like that loud, powerful voice in Exodus 19, 16, when the people encounter God. What they hear sounds like blasts of trumpets. And what do they do? They tremble. They're afraid. The author to the book of Hebrews, when he's interpreting what happened at Sinai, he said they begged Moses to tell God, stop talking to us because we're afraid. And heaven is open and John hears this voice. This voice, other places it says it sounds like many waters in Ezekiel, twice in Ezekiel, chapter 1, verse 24. And then in 43, 2 it says it sounded like many waters or like an army just walking, boom, boom, but just a myriad, a myriad of feet pounding. It is an overwhelming voice. So what he sees and what he hears is overwhelming to the human senses. It overpowers him. Why? Because he's getting a view to this realm, to this place where our physical eyes can't see. He's taken up in the spirit to see these things. The same thing happens to Paul. He tells us in 2 Corinthians, he's taken up. And he's taken up to see things that he can't talk about. So this is a powerful and overwhelming disclosure of the events that are occurring or have occurred in heaven. So what he hears, the point then, the events that will be unfolded in the rest of the book are divine disclosure and they're given by Jesus Christ. This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which he gave to his servant. Why did he give it? Why do we waste our time studying a book that most people don't want to preach? Well in chapter 1 verse 3 it says, blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy and read the things which are written in it for the time is near. There's a blessing attached to understanding this book. Why? Because it's this grand disclosure. We get to see what is happening in heaven, what Daniel couldn't see. Remember Daniel asked Daniel to tell me, please tell me more angel. And nope, seal it. Jesus opens that and we get to see. So then he hears the voice speaking to him and the voice says to him, come up here and I will show you. That's a command too. He's not saying, would you like to see what's happening up here? He says, come, come up here and I will show you what must take place, divine necessity, right? It is necessary. What will necessarily take place after these things? What will necessarily take place after these things? Now how do we understand after these things? And I have five minutes and I'll take five minutes to explain what after these things means. Again, I don't think it means, so I'll be upfront with you. I don't think it means after the events of chapters one through three. I don't think it means that. I think it means something similar to what will take place in the last days. And then you have to ask the question, well, when are the last days? And I'll try to answer both of those questions in five minutes. Look at chapter one, verse 19. Chapter one, verse 19. Therefore, write these things, we saw this verse, which you have seen and the things which are and the things that will take place after these things. Same phrase at the end there, after these things, after these things. I believe that those three points you have seen, things which are, which will be, that's a biblical way of saying the already and the not yet. I think that, so if you were looking for biblical terminology, right, and you said to me, Pastor Rick, I don't like the phrase already, not yet. I don't want to use that. I would say, well, go here and use this. What we've seen, the things that are and the things that will be, that's already, not yet. Biblical language for already, not yet. And really what he's going to do then is unfold for us the pattern of history. This terminology is taken explicitly from the book of Daniel. This is used already in Daniel. So on the back of that handout, right, you have stuff written there and I know most of you are not going to understand it. But what you have there is Hebrew words, right, and you can see those Hebrew words are the same in the Hebrew text when they're cited. And then you have Greek translations and then English translations of the Greek. And at the bottom, very bottom, you have the book of Revelation, the Greek text and the translation for those phrases. So I'm going to make reference to those. You don't have to look at them at during the sermon. You can. It might be helpful. But later after you hear, then it'll make sense. So in Daniel 229, turn there, Daniel 229. Remember, we have the vision. What's this vision about here in Daniel 229? I'm asking you a question. Daniel 2. What's the vision? The four nations. That's right. So if you look, look at verse 29 and listen to what it says. Well, look back, look back at verse 28. However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place when in the latter days. The Old Testament tends to, Gerhardus boss has a really good chapter on this in his book, Old Testament eschatology. And he credits Bible translators who use this translation. You have latter days and last days technically mean the same thing. But in the Old Testament, they are anticipating the latter days. In the New Testament, the last days have come. So that's the right way to speak about it. But you see, God has made known to him to Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the last days. This was your dream and your vision in your mind while you are on your bed. As for you, Old King, while on your bed, your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future. What is synonymous to in the future in verse 28? What is synonymous with it? Means the same thing in the last days. In the last days. So in the future is synonymous with in the last days. That means the same thing. Okay. Now look at Daniel 9. Look at Daniel 9 and verse 44. I'm sorry, 2, 244, 244. Daniel chapter 2 and verse 44. In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed. Who's the fourth kingdom in this statue? Rome. To think in the days of those kingdoms, in the days of Rome, God is going to set up a kingdom. That's what he's saying. In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed. And that kingdom will not be left for another people. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms. But it will itself endure forever. In as much as you saw that a stone was cut from the mountain without hands and that it crushed the irons, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold, the great God has made known to the king, what will take place? What's another way you would say that? In the latter days. In the latter days. And if you flip, so you flip, if you flipped over your paper, you would see the Hebrew phrase, Greek translations, English translations. And you would see that in the book of Revelation, it's the same term. It's the same term. So what is John saying? If we turn back to Revelation chapter four, verse one, come up here and I will show you what must take place in the last days. That's what he's saying to him. That's what Jesus is saying to John. Now, more evidence can be marshaled because Revelation chapter four and five are an exposition of Daniel chapter seven and the coming of the Son of Man into heaven. And we'll get into those texts, not next week, but the following week, the following week when we come back to Revelation. We'll see that we have the throne room and we have the Son of Man entering the throne room to receive a kingdom, a kingdom. So now the next question that I'm going to ask and answer, and I'll have five more minutes of your time, the next question that I'm going to ask is a broader question. It's a question that's addressed. It's more of a theological question. It's not addressing these, it is, it's a larger question and it's addressing these, but it is addressing this specific context so that we can understand four and five better. So if this terminology is taken from Daniel, and remember those visions that Daniel received, as if you were working through the book of Daniel with us, those, those, all of the visions he received really were overlapping. Daniel was in essence retelling the same vision multiple times. So then if or since he's drawing his language from Daniel, that's where he's getting his terminology from. The question that you have to ask to rightly understand then chapters four and five, what I would say is when did God establish or inaugurate the kingdom? Because Jesus is going to be given a kingdom in chapter five. And the question is, did that happen a long time ago or is it future still? Daniel tells us it happens during the reign of the fourth kingdom. And in the New Testament, it is very clear that the kingdom of God was inaugurated by the sufferings and glory, glories of Christ. The New Testament affirms this by explicitly teaching that God's kingdom was inaugurated when Christ came. I'll give you a bunch of verses and you could read them later. Matthew 12 28. Mark 114 through 15. Luke 2 1 through 7. Luke 3. Luke 9 27. Luke 10 9. 1 Corinthians 15 23 through 26. Colossians 1 13 through 14. Hebrews 12 28 through 29. And look at Revelation chapter one verse nine. I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, which are in Jesus. The question is important because it gives us the New Testament context for understanding the events of chapters four and five in particular and then the unfolding of the book of Revelation that comes after. So the phrase in Revelation four one is taken from the LXX, the Septuagint, the Greek translation of Daniel. And that of course is a translation of the Hebrew text. So the point, the phrase in Revelation four one refers to the time of the establishment of the kingdom, which began with the sufferings and glories of Christ in chapters four through five. John is not referring to things that have not occurred. What we will behold is the enthroned Messiah. These events occur in or with his sufferings and glory. So the next time we get together, we'll see that. All right, let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this time together. We ask Lord God that you would help us to continue to read the book of Revelation and to know that those who do read and hear and heed will receive a blessing. Amen.