Join us in this episode as we explore the profound vision of John’s Revelation. Discover how the details of stones such as jasper and sardine reveal insights into God’s character and the symbolism of the high priest’s breastplate. Capture the essence of God’s unwavering promises as illustrated by the rainbow, a testament to His faithfulness and mercy towards humanity.
You can count on the promises of God. They are yes and yes. And they are amen. Reliable, totally faithful. You can count on him who sits on the throne. And by the way, he’s not given anybody else a chance to be on that throne. He is the one who is there forever and ever. The Bible says no one else. There’s no room. There’s no vacancies in the Trinity in case you wondered. God’s not going to share it with anybody.
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You know, I sure enjoy a good celebration, a birthday or an anniversary, and you probably do as well. But what if you could join a celebration that never stops? This is Hope for Today with Bible teacher David Hawking. And today we’re returning to Revelation chapter 4 to see what happens next in heaven’s throne room. We’re going to witness 24 elders casting crowns at Jesus’ feet. beast that never ceased their cry of holy holy holy and glory glory so intense that it shakes the very throne this is day two of david’s message the throne of god a vision of worship and majesty that demands our hearts Open your Bible to Revelation chapter 4, verses 1 through 11, and stay with us. First, we have David’s original sermon outlines and notes for each message in our Revelation radio series. These are wonderful for following along through the series and then into the future when you want to review or share it with others.
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Discover and experience Revelation in a deeper, more encouraging fashion with our Revelation radio series series. and my dad’s message outlines in his notes. The Revelation Series Sermon Notes Pack is just $10. You can purchase and download at davidhocking.org or receive them by PDF CD when you call us.
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And then you can save and store all that you’re hearing in our current series with the Revelation Radio Series Message Pack on MP3.
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All 48 audio messages on MP3 format download or MP3 CD, special price this month, just $30. Or on DVD, a special price this month, Go to DavidHawking.org or call 1-800-75-BIBLE. In Canada, at 1-888-75-BIBLE. And Bible by the Numbers is 242-53.
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Okay, go ahead and turn to Revelation chapter 4 now. We’re going back into the passage, picking up with verse 2. And here’s David with today’s study.
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We look at the place where the throne is located. Let’s look at the person who sat on the throne. verse 2 and 3. This is God the Father. This is not Jesus. Jesus will come up in chapter 5. This is God the Father. And I’m told in verse 3 that he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone, and there’s a rainbow around about the throne in sight like an emerald. Now, I see at least four things about the character and attributes of God here, and I hope it’ll be a blessing to you. This is one of those fine points of Scripture that can bless your socks off if you just take the time to study it. Number one, I believe we have presented here the holiness of God. When it says he’s like a jasper. Now we’re looking at him now, not the sea of crystal around the throne. We’re looking right at God. Many people believe the jasper is a diamond. The word used here is for a diamond. We do know that Revelation 21 says, 11, it says of the holy, heavenly, new Jerusalem city, that her light was like a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. Many gemologists who have studied that said that’s got to be a diamond. If it is, it’s an interesting thing because when light goes through the diamond, as you know, it’s a spectrum, and the multiplicity of colors that would shoot out. And remember, God is light. And the brilliance of God’s light was even seen on the Mount of Transfiguration, the case of Jesus, when for a moment of time he was transfigured before his disciples and they were blinded by the dazzling sight of God’s holiness and his presence as light rays shot out from the body of the Lord Jesus. So evidently God himself has penetrated the entire solar system of solar systems with himself. God said let there be light and there was light because God just allowed himself to be seen. Is God only light? No. But out of his presence comes the brilliance of light. And if it isn’t jasper and a diamond, it’s going to be like a spectrum. A multiplicity of colors are going to shoot out in all directions from the effulgent rays of the holiness of God Almighty. I tell you, words are inadequate to describe this. That’s for sure. Not only his holiness, but I see his justice here. It says in verse 3, he was like a jasper and a sardine or a sardius stone. Now a sardius stone is like our blood red ruby. And it’s referring to a blood red appearance that is not red, meaning shiny and bright red. We’re talking about dark red like blood. And that was true throughout all of ancient history. The sardine stone is a blood looking stone. That’s interesting because look over Revelation chapter 6, verse 4. When the seals are opened and the horsemen of the apocalypse come forth, it says there went out another horse that was what? Red. It’s literally blood red. Red. Just an illustration to tell you that the blood-red appearance of the stone is really judgment. What we have here pictured is an appropriate picture of God because we’re entering the tribulation period when God is going to unveil his wrath and vengeance against this world. But interestingly, I see his love here. Turn to Exodus chapter 28. I see not only God’s holiness and justice, but I see his love. In Exodus 28, 17 to 21, we have the description of the breastplate of the high priest. It says, And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones. The first row shall be a what? Sardius, a topaz, a carbuncle. This shall be the first row. The second row shall be an emerald, sapphire, and a diamond. The third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst. And the fourth row, a burl, and an onyx, and a what? Jasper. Some believe that the word diamond in verse 18 is incorrect, and Jasper should be the diamond. I’m not going to fight over it. I simply am going to say that the sardis and Jasper are the first and twelfth stones representing the 12 tribes of Israel on the breastplate of the high priest. Hebrews 3.1 says that our Lord Jesus Christ is our high priest. And on the breastplate are all the people of God. And those stones each represent the tribes. I believe that these jewels indicate that God’s people are precious to him. The Bible calls us jewels. We’re delights to the heart of God. We are treasures to God. We are precious in his sight. The Bible tells us about that. Well, the first stone, the Sardius stone, represented Reuben, the firstborn son. Reuben’s name means in Hebrew, behold, a son. The last stone was the Jasper, and it represented, of course, the last tribe, which is Benjamin. Benjamin. And Benjamin in Hebrew is the son of my right hand. Now watch this carefully. On that breastplate, in the order of it, he’s like a jasper and a sardine stone. You have, in reality, the story of the Lord Jesus Christ. Reuben, behold, a son, is the incarnation of Christ. Benjamin, the son of my right hand, he was exalted to the right hand of the Father, is referring to the exaltation of Jesus Christ, our beloved one. So on that breastplate, in the tribes of Israel, you have, in fact, a testimony to the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. And you and I are accepted in the beloved one who is our high priest. Behold a son! And Isaiah 9 said, a child is born and a son is given. The incarnation, he came into this world to die for our sins. But when he died, he was exalted to the right hand of God and purged our sins and sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. His exaltation also for the whole plan of salvation is seen on the breastplate of the high priest who alone intercedes for us. as the high priest alone went into the holy of holies. And the Bible says, by a new and living way, which he consecrated by his own flesh, we now can go directly into the throne room of God and talk to him personally and directly, and we don’t have to go through anyone else because he has paved the way. Is that great or what? The Lord Jesus. is our high priest, the Lord Jesus is the Son who was born, the Lord Jesus is the Son who was exalted at the right hand of God, and the Lord Jesus is the one who takes you into the Holy of Holies by his own blood. Is that great or what? He ever lives to make intercession for us, and through him we both, Jew and Gentile, have access by one spirit to the Father. What a blessing. You see, I see his love there. I am accepted in the beloved one. As I look at he who sits on the throne, I see his holiness, yes, and I see his justice. But also in the middle of the holiness and justice, the sardine and jasper stone, I see the love of God for his people. I also see his faithfulness, a fourth attribute of the person who sits on the throne. Because the text says, if you go back to Revelation chapter 4 again, it says that there’s an emerald. a rainbow around the throne in sight like an emerald. What a beautiful scene that is. And I remind you that the rainbow that’s around the throne of God, why would God put a rainbow around there? Because as we know, God said in Genesis 9, 13, after the flood, he said to Noah, I do set my bow in the cloud and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. Now God destroyed the world with a flood and then gives him a rainbow as a sign of his faithfulness How’s he going to destroy it the next time since he said he’d never destroy it with a flood again? By fire. You understand? When the sea of glass shows up in chapter 15 with all the believers standing on it who’ve been redeemed, we see it mingled with fire. Very interesting. Turn to Psalm 89. The rainbow is definitely a picture and a sign of the faithfulness of God. I don’t make that up. The Bible says so. Psalm 89 says, So pictured in heaven, the place where that throne was set, the person sitting on the throne, we see his holiness, his justice, his love, and his faithfulness. What a wonderful, wonderful Lord we have. Psalm 89, verse 1. I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever. With my mouth will I make known thy what? Faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, mercy shall be built up forever. Thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens. That’s the rainbow. Let’s keep going and we’ll see even stronger. Verse 5 again. The heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Lord. Thy faithfulness also in the congregation. There’s something in the heavens that praises the faithfulness of God. Verse 8. I love this one. It surrounds God. His faithfulness. He’s a faithful God. The Bible says if we confess our sins, He is what? Faithful and just to forgive us. There is no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man. But God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able. The faithfulness of God is essential to everything. Think about this. There are wicked and perverse people in this world out to destroy us. Induced by Satan and his demonic world. Yet God says in 2 Thessalonians 3, The Lord is faithful who will establish you and keep you from the evil one. Everything’s based on the faithfulness of God. You can count on him. He will never fail. Jesus never fails. Look, please, at verse 37. It shall be established forever like the moon and as a faithful witness in heaven. That’s the rainbow, folks. Every Jew knows it. In the heavens, God put a testimony to his faithfulness. There has never been a destruction of the world by a flood since the days of Genesis. God is faithful. And when I see the throne of God, I’m reminded that God is a holy God. He says, be holy for I am holy. God is a just God. And though I sometimes say, how long, Lord, are the wicked going to prosper and the righteous suffer? Well, the tribulation will answer it. And I see the love of God. I’m one of those jewels. And it’s through him, my high priest, the son who was born, the son who was exalted, that I have access into the presence of God. I’m accepted in the beloved one. And I have a faithful God who will never leave me nor forsake me. And as 2 Timothy 2.13 so beautifully says, if we deny him, what a statement. Yet he abideth faithful. He cannot deny himself. How interesting. It’s impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we have a sure anchor of the soul, says Hebrews 6. You can count on the promises of God. You can count on him who sits on the throne. I told you I had proof of the pre-tribulational rapture. Remember that? You’ve been looking for it, haven’t you? It brings us to the third point, the people who sit on thrones around the throne. Now, you’re in the throne room of heaven. You’re John. You walk in. The first thing you see is that throne and the one who sits on the throne. Now you’re going to be seeing the people who sit on thrones all around the thrones. Chapter 4 of Revelation, verse 4. And round about the throne were four and twenty thrones, and upon the thrones I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment, and they had on their head crowns of gold. Now who are these people that are sitting around the throne on thrones? There are 24 elders in heaven around the throne. They cannot be tribulation believers. John’s not seeing those who are going to get saved in the tribulation who are going to be martyred and then resurrected, and now they’re up there on the throne. John’s not seeing that. First of all, they haven’t even got saved yet, and he already sees the 24 elders up there. but even stronger. Chapter 7, verse 13. One of the elders answered, saying unto me, Who are these who are arrayed in white robes, and from where do they come? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. He said to me, These are they who came out of the great tribulation, have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Obviously, the tribulation believers are not the elders, because the elder doesn’t even know who they are. Who are these who come out? They’re someone other than themselves. Now go back to Revelation 4. This is a proof of pre-tribulational rapture. They are elders. They cannot be tribulation believers. Well, the number one belief of all post-tribulationists is that they are angels. Sorry, they can’t be angels either. You say, why? Go back to chapter 7 again. Verse 11, and all the angels. Would you say that means all of them? Okay? All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures. Now back to Revelation 4, verse 4. Now it does say that they sit on thrones. Amen? Will you give me that? Look at chapter 3 of Revelation, verse 21. The messages to the seven churches, this one the church at Laodicea, each one of them has a promise to the overcomer. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne. Throne sitters, how about that? Now go back again to chapter 4. Look at this again. I saw four and twenty elders sitting clothed in white raiment. Now do you believe that 24 elders are clothed in white raiment? That’s what it says. Now go back to Revelation 3, verse 5. Another promise to the overcomer. This one, the church at Sardis. It says, he that overcometh, the same shall be what? Clothed in white raiment. Imagine that. A promise to church age believers that they’ll sit on thrones and be clothed in white raiment. Now is this a coincidence? Maybe two shots is a coincidence. Well, I don’t know. There’s a third one. Go back to Revelation 4, 4. They had on their heads what? Crowns of gold. Now go back to chapter 2, verse 10. In chapter 2, verse 10, to those at the church at Smyrna, he said, the last phrase of verse 10, I’ll give thee a crown of life. Look at chapter 3, verse 11. The church of Philadelphia. Behold, I come quickly, hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy what? Crown. Now we got throne sitters, clothed in white raiment, who have crowns. Could it possibly be there’s a clue there? No. The 24 elders, the number 24, represents a completed body of people. I’ll give you that. I believe that also. That means whoever they are, they are representative, for elders are representative, and the elders are the representatives in the local church all the way through the New Testament. We appoint elders in every church, etc., etc. They are representative of a larger body. The completed body have elders representing of them, the 24 indicating that completed body. They are representative. church age believers. It means the church, the completed church, is in heaven while the tribulation is going on on earth. There’s not one verse in Revelation that puts the 24 elders on earth. They are always in heaven worshiping the Lord during the tribulation period. No, we are not going through the tribulation.
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something to be extremely thankful for. Amen. Well, dear friend, you’re listening to Hope for Today with Bible teacher and author David Hawking, and we’ll have more from David in just a moment to close out today’s study time. So stay right there. First, Matt’s here, and together we’re going to share something that might just help you see why this world seems to be falling apart like never, never before. Matt?
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Western culture is working furiously to abandon moral values. The good life, Matt, has brought corruption, greed, and self-destructive narcissism. You know, Jim, we talk of human rights, but care little for the innocent and plenty of talk, but little true compassion and care.
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The sanctity of life is sacrificed on the altar of convenience and license. The rights and privacy of the individual seem more important than our responsibilities to one another and, Matt, our desire to work for the common good.
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Yeah, I mean, whatever happened to duty, altruism, responsibility, accountability, and concern for others? I mean, why do crime and violent acts flourish in our cities, and our police departments seem helpless in their efforts to control the rampage? All right.
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And today, our news sources so often lack integrity, to say the least. Hey, Tim. Entertainment outlets glorify evil as good, good as evil.
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We’ve left God out of our public life. We’ve decided that the so-called political doctrine of separation of church and state means people of faith stay out of government.
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But government can intrude on our beliefs and practices. Yeah, we need a moral and spiritual revival. Do indeed. Well, this month, folks, we have a powerful and encouraging way to say thanks for your most generous contribution of $20 or more. Yeah, it’s my dad’s book, Whatever Happened to Morality. Great book it is, isn’t it? Inside, your dad takes us into the Word and history for answers, encouragement. This book is so hard to put down. And your donation today is a ministry investment in the future work of Hope for Today.
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And as always, please do pray for Hope for Today.
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To get your copy, call 875-BIBLE in the U.S. In Canada, call 888-75-BIBLE. Bible is 24253. Or go to our website, davidhawking.org, and you can make a contribution there and request the book. And just before David returns, you know, as we close out this month, we want to pause and say thank you. Thank you to those of you who’ve stood with us through prayer and financial partnership. Your faithful giving keeps these daily broadcasts on the air and streaming online and makes solid Bible teaching available around the world. You know, we’re hearing from folks whose lives have been changed by a single message. Marriage is restored, hope renewed, and faith strengthened, faith deepened. All because folks like you have chosen to invest in the work of Hope for Today to co-labor with us. So would you join us now in lifting this ministry up in prayer? Pray that each broadcast would penetrate hearts, that the truth of God’s word would break through confusion and fear, and that those who are searching for answers would find new life in Jesus Christ. God bless you. God bless you. You’re funding free downloadable devotionals like you see on the homepage. The printing and mailing of David’s booklet, What is Christianity? For those that are not yet Christians or those who are new to the faith. And the upkeep of our website where dozens of new listeners discover hope every day. To send a gift right now, you can visit davidhawking.org, give securely, davidhawking.org, or call us at 800-75-BIBLE in the U.S. or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. Now, if you prefer to give by mail, well, write to HOPE for today, Box 3927, Tustin, California, 92781. In Canada, write to HOPE for today, Box 15011, RPO Seven Oaks, Abbotsford, BC, V2S 8P1. And thank you for standing with us and for praying without ceasing and for believing in the power of God’s word to transform lives. Well, once again, here’s David.
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Hi, friends. Thanks for listening. I hope you’re enjoying our study of Revelation 4, the throne of God, where God the Father sits in heaven. And it’s like a jasper or a diamond and a sapphire or a sardine stone. There’s a rainbow around the throne. Lots of wonderful things. I hope you’re enjoying it immensely. Around the throne are 24 thrones with the elders sitting there, clothed in white raiment and crowns of gold on their head. This is an exciting time. Well, we have a series on Revelation that just won’t quit. And if you go to HFT Media, our website, davidhocking.org, and you can get the whole Revelation series of a previous study right there, as well as all of Isaiah. I hope you do that. God bless you.
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But like David said, make it a point to head over to davidhawking.org and look for the Media tab. That’s where you’ll find HFT Media, and you can check out the studies he mentioned as well as many others streaming free for you. Well, next time on Hope for Today, a final look at the throne room of God. Invite a friend to listen along with you right here on Hope for Today.
Join us in this episode as we explore the profound vision of John’s Revelation. Discover how the details of stones such as jasper and sardine reveal insights into God’s character and the symbolism of the high priest’s breastplate. Capture the essence of God’s unwavering promises as illustrated by the rainbow, a testament to His faithfulness and mercy towards humanity.
