A Vision for Life

This was supposed to be a short piece… but true to my long-winded nature, it ended up being three pages long. I apologize for the length.

A friend and I were talking about missions and she said something quite profound, albeit simple: “if this [the gospel] is what we truly believe about God, our entire lives should be missions.” I couldn’t agree more, and the bible would confirm this. Paul affirms this in Romans: to get the gospel, to get God, to get our standing apart from God, we will live as debtors, not to the flesh, but to God. So in this blog post, I want to take a survey of Revelation 4–7 together and try to understand what it means to live to God. Through Revelation 4–7, I pray that the Spirit may cause for us to taste and see of the glory of God and His gospel; and that in this we might gladly and joyfully commit ourselves to the global heralding of the Kingdom of God — wherever God would have us.

A Vision of Glory

So let’s put ourselves in the shoes of John in Revelation 4 where God takes him by the Spirit and gives him a vision of heaven. The first thing that John fixates his gaze on is not the pearly gates or the golden roads of heaven, but rather, the throne of God, and as he is given sight of this throne, but he struggles to describe the majesty and wonder and splendor of our God. So he, under the divine inspiration of the Spirit of God, resorts to describing what he can see of God as one with “the appearance of jasper and carnelian.”

Surrounding this throne are 8 living creatures who “give glory and honor and thanks to Him who is seated on the throne” and in an unceasing melody proclaim “holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.” Holy — there is none like Him; Holy — there is none that can compare; Holy — He is completely set apart. Then behind these living creatures are the 24 elders who proclaim the worthiness of our God with the endless declaration: “worthy are you, our Lord and God to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

So in chapter 4 we get this first glimpse of heaven and all John talks about is God: completely unique, set apart, with His infinite and never ending glory, sitting enthroned in heaven. His worth is inherent and independent of any relation to us.

A Vision of Worthiness

John, still fixed on the throne, sees a scroll and an angel asks: “who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” Now, a quick note about scrolls and seals. Messages and commands were written on scrolls and then sealed with a wax seal. These seals, especially for important communiques, would be sealed with an insignia that would indicate who wrote it and also who would be worthy to open it. So here’s the thing about this scroll, the bible is clear that “no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or look into it” — that is to say, no one had the authority or ability to enact what was there. None was worthy to bring to force whatever was written there.

Except for Jesus. *insert cheering here*

The elders proclaim to John “weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that He can open the scroll and its seven seals.” The elders, upon seeing Jesus take hold of the scroll, sing a new song saying “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” Jesus is the propitiation for our sins; He stood in our place, bearing the wrath of God, and by His blood, we ransomed us for God.

But before we go on, did you notice the change in their declaration of God’s worthiness? In chapter 4, the root of God’s worthiness is inherent, that is, He, by His very own nature, is supremely worthy. With no works, with no acts, God’s inherent nature of being God, of being holy, is worthy of praise. His power and might are also praised in His creation of the world. But notice how here in chapter 5, the majesty and worthiness of Jesus is displayed to us relationally! God has decided to show His worthiness to us by shedding His blood to save His people.

A Vision of Authority

So Jesus, being found as the only one worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals, opens the seals, one at a time. In each of these instances, we are given sight to the authority that Jesus has. With the first seal, a white horse and rider are sent out and Jesus gives him “a crown” and he goes out to conquer. The second seal is open and a red horse and rider are sent out and were “permitted to take peace from the earth.” The third seal is opened and a black horse and rider are sent out with specific commands to not harm the oil and wine. The fourth seal is opened and a pale horse with a rider named Death “were given authority over a fourth of the earth.” The fifth seal is opened and those who had been killed for the word of God cry out to God “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood.” The sixth seal is opened and the earth is darkened and all recognize that the day of wrath is coming.

In these six events (the seventh happens in chapter 8 oups), we see that it is Jesus who “gives a crown,” meaning that He already had the authority to give out a crown. It is Jesus who gives permission to take peace from the earth since He has the fullest authority of the Earth. It is Jesus who governs over the wrath and judgement of the world, regulating what is to be harmed, and that oil and wine should not be harmed. It is Jesus who gives the authority to Death to conquer a quarter of the earth. And it is to Jesus that the slain saints look to and call to to bring about the final judgement and avenging of their blood. In all these, it is Jesus who has the authority and it is Jesus who gives authority.

A Vision of Global Salvation

Now finally in Revelation 7, we see how Jesus’ authority is manifested towards the people for whom His blood was shed for. John hears of the 144,000 of Israel that are sealed, but then is given sight of “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the Lamb … crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb!” Jesus exercises His authority, therefore, not only in the judgement of world, but in the salvation of many, of people from every nation and tribe and tongue. You and I, if we have surrendered our lives to Jesus, will belong to this great multitude. You and I will be spared from the wrath and judgement that is described in Revelation 6. But not only spared, but also, to enjoy His presence forevermore. All this only because of Jesus.

A Vision for our Lives

In this book and these chapters we see the dual picture of God’s power and authority. He is worthy to be praised intrinsically because of His nature. He is worthy to be praised because He is worthy and mighty to save us by the shedding of the blood of His own Son. He, however, is also the one who will bring forth the final judgement and day of wrath against the world. You and I are counted as part of the saved not because of works but because of Him. In Revelation 4–7 we get a gospel picture; God saving His people from the wrath that will come against the ungodly.

In summary, we see:

1. The aim of world missions is the worship of God: the redeemed people of God will, for an eternity, join in the already existing song that declares the worthiness of God. Therefore, the objective of missions is primarily for the increase in the worship of God.
2. World mission is God’s work: we are called to teach, preach, pray, and go, but God is the one who must ultimately grant repentance and sanctification because He alone has total authority;
3. God’s heart is for all the peoples: In Revelation 7, it is clear that God will have His people from every people group in the world. This raises the importance and necessity for more to join in frontier missions to take the gospel where the name of Christ is yet to be proclaimed.

So how might we live? In the beginning I mentioned that my hope is that we would joyfully commit ourselves to the global heralding of the Kingdom of God — wherever God would have us. And I meant it. I don’t think all who read this are actually called to be long-term frontier missionaries. But all are called to partake in the mission. What I mean to say is that some are called to go to the peoples who have never heard of Christ while some are called to stay and support these people with fervent prayer and financial sacrifice.

So consider the weight of what you know: (1) God is worthy to be praised by all peoples; (2) God’s wrath will be revealed against all ungodliness; and (3) God’s salvation is readily available for all who will surrender their lives, but how will they hear of this salvation if none goes? Will you join in the mission of God, as one who will go to the nations, or as one who will seriously and intentionally pray for and make personal financial sacrifice for the salvation of many around the world?

I hope that we might gain a vision of God and His majesty and His beautiful work of salvation and that this vision would anchor and root our lives in eternal joy and delight as we walk in the mission of God to herald His glory among all the nations.