Then
the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed, for the Lord of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and
in Jerusalem, and his glory will be before his elders.[2]
What stirs my
heart is the way the Scriptures about elders prepare the way for the vision of
Revelation 4. The elders gathered around Moses and Aaron to hear of God’s
covenantal response to their cry for deliverance.[3]
The elders gathered around the tent of meeting so God could prepare them to
help Moses with the work of caring for the nation of Israel.[4]
All that to
say that the Revelation 4 picture of the elders around the throne of God is not
a new concept. Elders coming before God is part of the whole notion of being
elders in God’s kingdom. Elders are like the big brothers in a family where God
is the Father,[5]
Jesus is the firstborn brother over many brothers,[6]
and the Holy Spirit is the family Counselor/Companion/Comforter[7]
who makes the Father known to the children,[8]
and brings the needs of the children to the Father.[9]
When Isaiah
wrote about the glory of God being “before
his elders”, he was preparing the way for us to see the glory of God in Revelation
4, and the way the elders, and the hosts of heaven, responded to this glory. When
Isaiah declared that “the LORD of hosts
reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,” he was given a truth that would
lead future generations to see the Revelation 4 vision of God reigning from his
glorious throne in heaven.
Isaiah wrote
about God bringing judgment on his enemies, even at a time when the people
could not see anything happening, so later generations could read the book of
Revelation and welcome another testimony of God’s promises to deal justly with
his adversaries even though many periods of history will give no inkling that
such a thing would ever happen.
The point that
is encouraging me so much in Revelation, and now especially in chapter 4, is
that it speaks of what things are really like in order to help us with what
things look like. Faith in God’s final justice to his enemies, and his faithfulness
to his people, comes from hearing what these words say to us.[10]
We will see all kinds of bad things happening in the world, and rising
animosity towards our Lord Jesus Christ, but the words of God tell us what to
believe is the truth concerning it all.
Another
Scripture I was looking at this morning describes Jesus like this: “a living stone rejected by men but in the
sight of God chosen and precious.”[11]The
point is to remind God’s people that we will see many earthly indications that Jesus
Christ our Savior is “rejected by men”
as something without value. We are to put our faith in the reality that Jesus is
the “chosen and precious” cornerstone
of God, the rock on which God’s people stand, and no one who trusts in him will
ever be ashamed to have done so when the final judgment comes.[12]
Whatever any
of us are going through, the glory of our God is shining “before his elders” just as Isaiah declared, and just as Revelation
4 demonstrates. Those of us who have faith in Jesus Christ must consider
ourselves fully represented before the throne of heaven, and believe that God
will fulfill all his plans and purposes for his people. The glory the elders
see now, will be seen by all God’s children when we arrive safely at our
heavenly destination. Wait for that day in unfailing hope.
From my heart,
Monte
©
2013 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless
otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy
Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway
Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.)
[1]
“having a dazzlingly impressive appearance” (Encarta)
[2]
Isaiah 24:23
[3]
Exodus 3 and 4
[4]
Numbers 11
[5]
“Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” (Matthew
6:9)
[6]
Romans 8:29
[7]
John 14:26;
[8]
Romans 8:14-17
[9]
Romans 8:26-27
[10]
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of
Christ.” (Romans 10:17)
[11]
I Peter 2:4
[12]
“For the Scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in him will
not be put to shame.’” (Romans 10:11)
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