Twenty-four elders dressed in white, colored horses, creatures with wings and eyeballs, a great worshiping multitude, and You don’t need special effects to make this passage come alive. Some have tried to determine exactly what every detail means. But for our purposes, its more helpful to look at the big picture: This is a vision of heaven.
What’s your picture of heaven? A common view is that heaven is a place in the clouds where people go after death to strum harps and watch their relatives below. Country music makes it sound as if the best thing about heaven is that we get to meet Mother and Dad. Maybe we will, but the best thing by far will be to meet Jesus. The Lamb of God is at the very center of heaven (5:6; ~j:\7). Nothing else compares
Yet there are some ominous aspects to John’s vision. For example, the way to heaven isn’t always a sentimental journey; sometimes it involves suffering (6:9). Also, it seems as if things may get worse before they finally get better (6:1-17). But for those who belong to the Lamb, the end becomes the beginning of a wonderful eternity with Jesus (7:15-17)-
So what will we do in heaven? The book of Revelation highlights worship as the main activity. What else could you do in the presence of Jesus? And note the makeup of this spectacular worshiping community: “Every nation, tribe, people and language” (7:9) will be represented. The reason we should share the Good News with all people and welcome them into our churches is not to be politically correct. Its because that’s what heaven will be like.
-- Whitney Kuniholm, from his book The Essential Bible Guide (Waterbrook Press, 2003).
Week 20 (Wed), Reading 98: The Throne of Heaven -- Revelation 4:1--7:17
Click here for today’s reading: https://www.biblestudytools.com/revelation/4.html
Twenty-four elders dressed in white, colored horses, creatures with wings and eyeballs, a great worshiping multitude, and You don’t need special effects to make this passage come alive. Some have tried to determine exactly what every detail means. But for our purposes, its more helpful to look at the big picture: This is a vision of heaven.
What’s your picture of heaven? A common view is that heaven is a place in the clouds where people go after death to strum harps and watch their relatives below. Country music makes it sound as if the best thing about heaven is that we get to meet Mother and Dad. Maybe we will, but the best thing by far will be to meet Jesus. The Lamb of God is at the very center of heaven (5:6; ~j:\7). Nothing else compares
Yet there are some ominous aspects to John’s vision. For example, the way to heaven isn’t always a sentimental journey; sometimes it involves suffering (6:9). Also, it seems as if things may get worse before they finally get better (6:1-17). But for those who belong to the Lamb, the end becomes the beginning of a wonderful eternity with Jesus (7:15-17)-
So what will we do in heaven? The book of Revelation highlights worship as the main activity. What else could you do in the presence of Jesus? And note the makeup of this spectacular worshiping community: “Every nation, tribe, people and language” (7:9) will be represented. The reason we should share the Good News with all people and welcome them into our churches is not to be politically correct. Its because that’s what heaven will be like.
-- Whitney Kuniholm, from his book The Essential Bible Guide (Waterbrook Press, 2003).