Worship (Ch. 4-5)

Chapter 4 and 5.

The Answer to all questions

What is the answer to this situation. God is not panicking but invites as to have glimpe in the thronroom.

It is a place of full devotion to him. He is in the center and everybody finds his place based on how he is related to God. And all give him the glory and giving up their rights.

Here we find the answers to the problems

• knowing God better
  • protects as from wrong teaching
  • protecs of from seeing ourselves in the wrong way
• submitting fully to him
  • let us trust in him and experience that he provides
  • let us takes risk for him

The source of the plagues

On the other hand all the plauges (seals, trumpets, bowls) have their origin in the throne room which is filled with worship. How does this makes sense?

This requires a better understanding of the plagues, but there are several indicators that what comes out of this is covered with mercy and love. We need to take this into account when it comes to the plagues later.

The scroll

The scroll with the seven seals is the first thing in the book that is very strange. But in the time of the first reader it ws very normal. It was a document sealed by seven witnesses, the contetn cummarized on the outside, so that when it is opened, the document becomes active like a law or a testament.

The question who is worthy to open this is not “who is allowed to read it”, but “who is allowed to exeute this”. Even it is not fully clear here what the content is, it seesm to be the plan of God as John is devastated as noone is found worthy to open the scroll.

The one is found worthy: Of course, Jesus. But the way this is presented gives us a deeper understanding of the book.

John only hears at the beginning, that he is the lion of Judah (a strong and mighty character), but what he sees is the opposite: A lamb slaugthered.

In the prophetic literature we normally sees a vision where the recipient is overwhelmed by the picture and needs translation into something he understand which he hears.

This is turned around here: The very know topic of the Messiah that overthrows the rulers is explained by the sacrificial lamb. This is the way how God conquers this world and makes judgment. The exact same picture we have with the 144.000 later (an army which are actually worshippers coming out of tribulation).