The Gospel in the Heavenlies

.... How does God view the good news of Jesus Christ, in applying it to man? His perspective is simple yet overwhelming -- and the Book of Revelation offers an illustration for expressing it:

.... In the beginning of this book, the Apostle John is caught up into heaven where God is seated on the throne of His glory. The Prophet Isaiah describes a similar scene in which smoke fills the temple and four living creatures, each having six wings, praise God night and day without ceasing:

.... "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come! The whole earth is full of His glory!"

(Isaiah 6:1 with Revelation 4:8)

.... So powerful is their praise that the very foundations of heaven are moved at the sound of their voices! And when they give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, twenty-four elders fall down and worship Him, casting their crowns before His throne and saying: "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created." (Revelation 4:9-11).

.... These are the high praises of God in His very presence forever, and even the apostles and prophets are overwhelmed before it. But the next thing they notice is themselves in their sinfulness, and this produces a contrast that is staggering: .

.... "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."

(Isaiah 6:5)

.... In this passage the prophet is overwhelmed, and something similar happens to the Apostle John. For as the vision continues, God holds up a scroll that is sealed with seven seals; and a strong angel proclaimes with a loud voice, saying, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?" (Revelation 5:2). In contrast to the ear-splitting praise, the sudden silence is deafening. And John weeps greatly, because no one in heaven or on earth is found worthy to open the scroll or even to look at it (Revelation 5:3-4).

.... Through this illustration, the underlying concept of the gospel begins to emerge. For on one side of this great separation is God Himself in all of His holiness, and on the other side is every person who has ever lived, each in their own sinfulness, all put together in one place at one time for God to look upon. The contrast is staggering! What a huge gulf has formed between us! "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). And Who is able to bridge such a gulf?

.... God sought for one worthy man, a mediator, who could stand in this gap on behalf of us all (Isaiah 63:5). If we allow our minds to race through history and we search as diligently as we can, we too, will weep as one potential champion after another falls short. But even from this historical perspective, our search will suddenly end as we happen upon a man who walked the shores of Galilee long ago. From out of the depths of time, our champion could only be the man known as Jesus of Nazareth. And so it was said to John:

.... "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals."

(Revelation 5:5)

.... Into the immeasurable gulf between God and man stands Jesus Himself, as a lamb that was slain, and He takes the scroll from the One who sits on the throne. And the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fall down before Him, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense which are the prayers of the saints. And they sing a new song, saying:.

.... "You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth."

(Revelation 5:9-10)

.... Please consider these lyrics carefully. It was not ‘given’ to Jesus to open the seals, nor was it said that He opened them ‘for the glory of God’ or by some other concession. But in the very presence of God, whose holiness is forever proclaimed, it is said of Jesus, "You are worthy to open the scroll . . . you have prevailed to do so." And this statement is made in the context of His humanity, having lived on the earth as a man!

.... Now let's understand what their song actually means. In order to ‘redeem’ something, the price that is offered must be equal to or greater than the object that is being redeemed. This is why we had to understand the huge contrast between God’s holiness and our own sinfulness. For when it is said of Jesus, "You are worthy . . . for You have redeemed us . . ." essentially they are saying of Him, "You are more HOLY than all of us, put together, are sinful."

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.... How holy Jesus must be!

.... Beloved, each of us knows the sins we’ve committed in our lifetime and how ugly they must be, if put together in one place at one time for God to look upon. To understand that Jesus was holy enough to redeem each of us from all of our sins is a staggering thought! Nevertheless, it is so. To consider that He was able to redeem not only us, but every person in the entire world, from the beginning of time until the day He returns – it must be more than any person could ever fathom. But for now, it is enough to understand this:

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.. If Jesus Christ is the One died for your sins – if He is the one who died for your sins – then He truly was enough. No matter what you’ve done in your lifetime, God's great champion has given His own, holy life in your place, so that your ransom is truly complete and you have been fully, utterly redeemed:.

.... "Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him."

(Hebrews 7:25)

.... And this is why we have to understand that the good news is found in a Person. Our salvation is found in the One who died on the cross, who rose again, who loved us and washed us in His own blood, and not simply in a plan or a procedure. Or had it been one of us who died, we could not even have redeemed ourselves. God’s illustration is simple, yet it conveys more than words ever could.

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Daily Bible Reading: Matthew 14 .