COVID-19 in God’s agenda – Part 3

This is one of the most reassuring passages of scripture. It is to strengthen our embolden the saints before the fearful storm of panic and fear break. John was granted a rare peep into the place where every decision concerning God’s universe is taken. This is the Throne-Room. He saw a door open and received an invitation to “Come Up Hither” and for a purpose – “and I will shew thee things which must happen hereafter.” This is so comforting and reassuring to the church. It absolutely removes the devil out of the setting. Those who think that the devil is capable of independent action are wrong. There are those who believe that the devil runs this universe. They are wrong. Although he is the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4), he can only do what he is ALLOWED TO DO. Our God is still in CONTROL and IN CHARGE of the Universe He created.

No wonder the Bible says in Isaiah 54:16 that He created the “waster to destroy.” In Matt 10:29, Jesus says that as cheap as sparrows are, “not one of them will fall to the ground without His Father’s approval.” Our God is in CONTROL, not the devil. Col. 1:16 says that “all things were created BY HIM and FOR HIM.” All created things work for Him and serve His purpose. The first thing John saw in the Throne-room was the rainbow round about the Throne, signifying the assurance of God’s faithfulness to His Church. It is a sign that God will never be angry with us again. Inside the Throne-room the church is in GREAT FAVOUR with God. The description of John shows us the greatness and almightiness of God. It promotes confidence and peace in the saints of God. Imagine the details of this mysterious and awe-inspiring picture of Heaven. The flashes of lightning, the voices of thunder are usually associated with the presence of God. Just like it happened on Mount Sinai as the people waited for the giving of the Law (Exodus19:16). In verse 4, we meet the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures. There are many opinions and schools of thought on who they are. While we will not join the fray here, let us set down some Bible facts about them:

They sit around the Throne, clothed in white robes and wearing crowns (Rev 4:4; 14:3); they cast their crown before the Throne (Rev 4:10). They continually worship and praise (Rev. 5:11, 14; 7:11; 11:6); they bring to God the prayers of the saints (Rev 5:8); one of them encourages John when he was weeping (Rev 5:5), and one of them acts as an interpreter of one of the visions (Rev 7:13)

I believe that they represent the TOTALITY of the Church of Jesus made up of JEWS and GENTILES. There were originally twelve tribes while the Gentile Church is built on the foundations of the twelve apostles. They represent the totality of the worship in the Presence of God Himself. In the midst of Throne, that is between the throne and the elders, in a circle round the throne we find the four living creatures (beasts). Let us collect what the Book of Revelation itself says about them. They are always found near the throne and the Lamb (Rev 4:6; 5:6; 14:4); they have six wings and they are full of eyes (Rev 4:6, 8); they are constantly engaged in praising and in worshipping God (Rev 4:8; 5:9; 5:14; 7:11; 19:4); they perform certain functions like inviting the dreadful manifestation of God’s wrath to appear on the scene (Rev 6:1,7). One of them hands over the vials of the wrath of God (Rev 15:7). Although there are some differences, it is never in doubt that we can trace their ancestry to the visions of Ezekiel in Ezekiel 1:5-15. Also in the book of Ezekiel, the four living creatures are definitely identified with the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:20, 22).

Here again, we see God’s protection plan for His church against the fearful events that will break when the seals are opened. The four living creatures present to us the FOUR FACES OF JESUS – The Lion; The Ox; The Man and the Eagle. The Lion is supreme among beasts: the ox is supreme among cattle: the man is supreme among creatures: and the eagle is supreme among birds. They speak about the PRE-EMINENCE and the SUPREMACY of Jesus and also represent the four gospels of Jesus as mentioned earlier in the book. God has done everything to reassure us of His Love, care and faithfulness. The knowledge that all these events have been revealed to us in the Throne-room under the supervision of Christ gives us great confidence even in these dark and trying times.

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Bro. Kunle Adigun, Friends of the Bridegroom International Ministries (FOBIM)