Christ Executes the Decree

By Lin Brown Bible Text: Preached on: Revelation 5 Sunday, April 28, 2013

Grace Particular Baptist Church 5725 Imperial Lakes Blvd Mulberry, FL 33860 Website: Online Sermons: www.graceparticularbaptist.org www.sermonaudio.com/graceparticular

This morning we come to a most blessed chapter of the Bible also as we still are at the throne and we are still transported away from this earth and a vision of what rules this earth. As we read in chapter four last week, it is the sovereign God who ruleth. It is not man. It is the spirit borne of God that worships God in spirit and in truth at the throne of God. As we come to chapter five we have a deepening understanding of the glory that surrounds that throne, of the purpose that is being carried out of that throne and in the later chapters of revelation we have the execution of that purpose. So far we have had seven churches. We have seen the state of things from the imperfect church. In the future we will see the perfect church. But it wont be just yet. We will then proceed through the seven seals. From the seven seals there is an interval. This is between all of the seven judgments. For the seven revelations of judgment there is an interval in which God assures his Church it is safe in his keeping. It is safe in his care. It is safe in his provision. As we come to this chapter we are going to see that this chapter makes necessary and enables all of the other things to come to pass. Now having said so, we must understand the import of it. We must understand that this book that is written within and on the backside is sealed with seven seals. It is a sealed book at this point. As one said, We have the throne of God and we have set before him the seven sealed book and it is not open. Man cant dig into it. Scientists cant discover it. Philosophy cant discern it. Power cant over take it. It sits at the right hand of God sealed. It sits in front of him as a sealed book and will not be opened unless there is someone who can open it that comes out of the throne who is enabled to open this book. If it remains sealed, then the rest of the revelation, as I said last week, the rest of human history remains sealed. If it remains sealed, then Attila the Hun is as great as Jesus. If it remains sealed, then Adolf Hitler is the greatest saint who ever lived upon this earth. If it remains sealed all of the tyrants and all of the rulers or the all powerful ones of human history. If it remains sealed, there is no salvation. There is no heaven. There is no God. That is how important this sealed book is. But what is this sealed book? We all know that God has decreed some things, dont we? Turn over to Genesis chapter one. In Genesis chapter one we have these words. And God said as a decree:
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And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.1 That is a decree. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.2 That is a decree. And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear.3 That is a decree. But there are not many decrees. There is one decree which encompasses all decrees. God decreed that it would be and it was so. This seven sealed book is the sealed decree of God for his creation. It cannot be opened by the power of man, the wisdom of man, the wealth of man or anything else that man can bring forth and bring to the table to influence God to open this book. But what about if it is not open? What about the decree if it is not open? Then it is not executed. In other words, it doesn't come to pass. If this decree cannot be controlled and be revealed, then it remains a sealed book. And in the wisdom and understanding of God will remain ever locked there and ever able to be opened. John Calvin could not open this book. Martin Luther could not open this book. Robert Hawker could no open this book. J. C. Philpot could not open this book. The greatest of the saints of God could not open this book. And they would weep and they would cry in the purpose, in the person of John that this book would never be opened. Now I want you to think. I want you to imagine that this book now lies before you. The decree of God now lies in your presence. And it will not be executed. Man will rule. Pagans will triumph. The wicked shall not go unpunished. Satan shall win. And here it is right in front of you. It will not take place unless it can be opened. And there must be one found worthy to open it. There must be one to tear off those seals. And we will see that there is one and he does tear off those seals, but in the coming chapters those seals are torn off one by one. They are those who have likened Revelation to a Broadway play where one act ends and another comes to the forefront. I am more liken it to one of those toys we used to have as a child called a kaleidoscope and you would take the thing and you would turn it and it would change shapes and come into more a unified shape. Or you could shake it up and then it would be all in a mess and then you would turn the little tube and all of the pieces of glass would fall around and form a shape. Revelation is like even a microscope, if you would. As you look under a certain power you see things. And then you sharpen that
1 2

Genesis 1:3. Genesis 1:6. 3 Genesis 1:9. Page 2 of 11

power, you see more things. And you sharpen that power you see even greater things. With each preceding seal you see a sharper image of that which has come before. Chapter five is going to show us all seven seals. Chapter six, seven and eight will show us those seals broken. And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.4 Notice it is written within and on the backside. It is full. The decree of God covers everything that is. God has said, Let there be... And there is. And what he has not set let there be there isnt. It doesn't exist, hasnt existed and wont exist. This is not some, by the way, permissive will. Well, I will just let it fall out as it comes. I will just let man control this. No, it is a let there be. It is an absolute decree. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice...5 Because it could not come from the voice of man. Man had no right to issue the challenge. Angels who are greater than men and the greatest, a strong angel, John says, issues out the challenge: Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?6 And the Word of God comes down: And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth.7 There is no demonic fiend who can break open the decrees of God. There is no demonic fiend be he Satan or any of his fallen angels who can control the decree of God. And John said, As I looked there was no one in heaven, there was no good angel, no cherubim or seraphim, no Old Testament saint who had gone, be he the greatest of saints or the least of saints of the Old Testament. There was no one who had died in his time that he thought was a good Christian that could open this book. There was nobody that was living at that time could open this book, nor in our time who can open this book. There are a lot of people in this world today who think they are so great. They think the world cant do without them and they think they are the saviors of the world, but they cannot open this book. Indeed, as we read these words and we look at this, we realize that Gods decree is impenetrable. It is inviolable. It cannot be violated. It cannot be disputed. It cannot be negated. What he says is and that is the end of that. But John said this caused him great sorrow. And as I have pictured before you, if that were the case, it would cause you great sorrow, too. Do you know why? It would mean
4 5

Revelation 5:1. Revelation 5:2. 6 Ibid. 7 Revelation 5:3. Page 3 of 11

that all the suffering, all of the trials, all of the tribulations, all of your sicknesses and all of your pains and all of your agonies, all of your fears and all of your torments were uncontrolled and would all come to pas and would ruin you, would cause you to sin as being of the greatest of sinners, not just the chiefest of sinners of which Christ is saved, but the greatest of sinners of which Satan is the head of. It would cause you of the greatest agonies and no comfort. Whatever they may be, whether they are agonies of the mind or the heart or agonies of the body, in no comfort. They would cause you to look at the tragedies of the world, tornadoes and hurricanes and avalanches and floods and see no purpose, see no one behind them, be no comfort if they happen to you. See no resource if they took place in your life. You know, it would cause you to weep as it caused John to weep. But worst of all, it would cause you to realize that you were the greatest of sinners practicing as such. And no remedy for you. To understand this book as sealed is to understand that God sits on an impenetrable throne that you cant reach, that you cant get to. He lives in light that you cant even attain to. Many people have a sealed book religion. They think God is way up there and they cant get to him so they wont even try. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.8 As one commentator said, To open this book is to execute the decree. He wasnt just reading it, just to find out what was in it. He was reading it as an interpreter of it. He was reading it as the explainer of it. He was reading it as the executioner of it. Remember what Jesus said. All power in heaven and earth is given unto me. Well, here it is. All power is given unto him. William Hendrickson said in his commentary More Than Conquerors Christ then took the ascendency in the throne as the King of kings and Lord of lords. As he reigns over all of his enemies, he says: And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.9 Couldnt even look to it. Couldnt even look in it, to have a peak in it. Couldnt begin to even comprehend what was in it. It would be kind of like taking an enlightened child of God and put him in a room by himself, put a sealed scroll on the table and take a hardened sinner who doesnt have a thought about God. The two would have the same

8 9

Revelation 5:4. Ibid. Page 4 of 11

ability to look into that decree. One would know that it was a decree, but he couldnt see it. The other one wouldnt even know it was a decree and didnt want to see it. To the extent this book was sealed it would always remain sealed unless there was someone worthy. We sing worthy is the Lamb. Well, here it is. Worthy is the Lamb of God who was slain from the foundation of the world to open this book, not just capable, but worthy, he earned the right to do so. He is worthy to do so by who he is and what he has done. When he said, It is finished, it is complete, it is over, he can now open the book. He can now break open the decree of God and execute it in all of time and history. Those of us who study historyin college I was a history major and studied all of the progressions of mans kingdoms from the East to the West and from Paganism to armies of the 20th centuryhere is the opening of all of that, the opening of all of human history as it would go down through the ages. Today we live in the 21st century. If that book remains sealed, it remains sealed in the very knowledge of God, but we wont understand a thing about it. We look at the events of our time and we understand then through the breaking of the seals of this book, through the revelation that God gives us about what is taking place {?} in his economy of time. We dont know what human history means if we dont know the understanding that God controls human history. I was told when I went through college I was privileged to have the course in medieval history, that the college didnt even teach it every year, didnt teach medieval history every year, but the year I went through we read the chronicles of the Middle Ages where a middle aged type person wrote down the events that were taking place in his time, particularly the crusades and wrote histories of the crusades. Through the eyes of faith we understand there is a ruling God who rules over all of history. And history really is his story. It is what he has done. And one of the elders and remember we have no a strong angel proclaiming who is worthy and one of the elders, remember who is around the throne, the four and the 20 elders, the 24 elders, saints of the Church in the Old Testament and the New Testament. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not.10 Take heart. Do you know what weep not is? Do you know what that in the voice of the elder that is? It is the gospel. What will cause the saint of God who mourns over his sin to rejoice is this word. Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.11 Dont sorrow. Dont despair. Don't think. The lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, none other than the Jesus Christ the Messiah has ruled, has reigned, has prevailed as it says, has prevailed through the veil of tears, has prevailed though the suffering of the
10 11

Revelation 5:5. Ibid. Page 5 of 11

cross, has prevailed through the death of his Lamb to open the book, to break the seals, to execute the decree of God. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain.12 John now looks to the total scene of the throne. And there the throne is the four beasts, the four manifestations of the redeemed spirit if man of the elect. ...and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain.13 Stood a lamb with the fresh marks of being slain. And we don't see there some super powerful muscular picture of dominance. We see a lamb, how profound. But not just a lamb that is standing there in its virility, but a lamb as slain. We must ever see the lamb that is slain from the foundation of the world as the lamb who is slain from the foundation of the world. You understand what I just said? When we look at Christ we dont look at a perfect man. We dont look at him as a great moral teacher. We must seem him as the lamb, the sacrificial Lamb of God that would propitiate, that would calm his wrath. Indeed, that would extinguish his wrath of the people that he is a propitiation for, for the elect Church. I cannot imagine that John would have seen anything else but that as he looked at the throne. He would not have seen a throne. He would not have focused on the elders. He would not have focused on this, but he would focus upon the Lamb that is in the very middle of it, that is in the very midst of it, that is the reason for it. that is what these words mean. He is in the midst of the throne. He is the reason for all of that surrounds it. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.14 Here now is that great undertaking, that great transference. Gods decree is now in the hands of Christ. It is not in the hands of Allah. It is not in the hands of Buddha. It is in the hands of Christ. Christ has all the knowledge, has all of the power, has all of the authority of the decree of God, not any of these other people that I mentioned or anybody else that man can bring forth as a viable religion. Today men cry out that great and noble false religion. Oh, this is such a noble religion. This is such an honorable religion. It is nothing but the lie out of the pit of hell from Satans mouth itself and it has no claim upon the decree of God. Christ alone holds the decree of God. What will he do with it? Will he keep it unto himself and say, Oh, I now have all the power and I will keep the

12 13

Revelation 5:6. Ibid. 14 Revelation 5:6-7. Page 6 of 11

power to myself and I will go look in the mirror every day and say what a powerful person I am. I now control the decree of almighty God, the great triune one? No. He will tear open the seals one by one and he will reveal what is unseen. You know, there is an unseen world that is present right now. You say, Well, it is in another dimension. You want to say it however you want to do it. I just say it is an unseen world that is present right now. It is right there in this room. And it will remain unseen if Christ doesn't tear open these seals. It is now in his hands. He can do with it what he wants to do with it. And what he wants to do with it is execute it to bring it about, to bring it to pass. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.15 Great imagery. It is the spirits of the just push them down the ground which {?} and the stored up prayers of the saints of all the ages in adoration of him who has prevailed, of him who has conquered. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof.16 Have you sung that today? Have you gotten up this morning and sung that hymn? Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof. The saints at the throne of God sing that hymn. They find it great source of adoration that he has been found worthy to take the book and to open the seals. ...for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God.17 You see in there is this popular idea in religion today that Christ just died for himself, that he died as an example. Some have even used the term he died a martyrs death. He died as someone who is a victim of the evil of man, but he is the Lamb who is slain from the foundation of the world in order that he might redeem us to God for the purpose of that he might redeem us to God. There was an intended purpose in the death of Christ in the crucifixion of Christ. And it was to redeem a certain people to God. Who are they? ...by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.18 It is social, political, ethnic and all other kind of divisions of people, humans, elect from all of those groups, but not all of the groups in totality. It didnt mean that he would elect all peoples out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation, but out of every
15 16

Revelation 5:7-8. Revelation 5:9. 17 Ibid. 18 Ibid. Page 7 of 11

kindred and tongue and people and nation. There is no one excluded because of their race who is an elect child of God. There are some in different races who are elect child of God. There are some in different nations who are elect children of God. There are some in different political systems that are elect children of God. And on the authority of God I say there are some wherever they are geographically, wherever they are in their state of economics, whether they are in their color of their skin. If they are elect from the foundation of the world they are redeemed out of these places. And hast made us unto our God kings and priests.19 I want us to pause there a minute and I want us to turn over to Romans chapter eight. I want to take us from where we have been to where we are going very quickly. And beginning in verse 18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.20 And in front of us we have the reality of that very truth of what we groan for, of what we travail for, what the creation groans and travails for is this very revelation of kings and priests and we shall reign on the earth. Why? Because we are on the earth and as kings and priests already we reign on the earth, not physically, spiritually. Sometimes physically, but most of the time in the reality that we are seated together with Christ in heavenly places. And our spirits are far above the great, the degeneration here upon this earth and the degraded state of the much and the mire of human existence. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.21 Kind of a different picture than you have of the throne of God where there is just a sparsely little group of people scattered around who were eking out some kind of praise to God. This picture is the picture of great might and power. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels.22
19 20

Revelation 5:10. Romans 7:18-23. 21 Revelation 5:11. Page 8 of 11

If there were an angel here we would want to fall down and worship it, because of its great majesty and power. But these all adore the throne of God and the three in one that sits upon the throne. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.23 Now I dont know what a trillion dollars looks like and I dont really even know what ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands and thousands, how many thousands of thousands, an innumerable host worships before the throne of God. Jonathan Edwards used to talk about heaven being a great expanse of which nothing could contain it. And he said, in contrast to that, hell is as a hole in the ground, a bottomless pit, a very narrow shaft down in which many have poured. He said that hell pales in the majesty of heaven. Hell is nothing to be compared. Often times there is reverse with us. We think heaven is a little narrow place and there is just a few therein that are around the throne. And God has just redeemed just a little piece of the glory. And Satan gets it all in the great bottomless pit that somehow becomes the great expanse. Well, needless to say this picture gives us a different view. Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.24 Anything else he needs? Anything else he is worthy of? All of that, if we start there we start with many worthy things to ascribe to our Christ. He is worthy to receive power. When he says all power is given unto me in heaven and earth, he is worthy to get that. And riches, all the riches that are in Christ Jesus. We are blessed with all those riches, by the way, being in Christ. And all the wisdom. In one stage of my life I dwelled into the depths of the darkness of mans mind and the study of philosophy of religion where you meet such dark characters as Paul Tillich and Karl Barth and Emil Bruner and various other philosophers of religion realizing that there was no wisdom in them. And Christ, he is worthy to possess all wisdom and strength. Some of us here today know what it is to lack strength, to suffer in great debilitating illnesses and to know what a lack of strength is. But in Christ there is no lack of strength. He is the strong man ever. He is the strong one ever. And honor. Well, I dont need to bring out, do I, of what a great age of dishonor we live in. Men honor each other and people who are not worthy of honor get honor, but Christ is
22 23

Ibid. Ibid. 24 Revelation 5:12. Page 9 of 11

worthy of all honor and glory. Oh, how we think of what glorious things are, glorious sunset, a glorious sunrise, a glorious blessing of rain, the glorious this and a glorious that. But Christ is worthy of all glory and all blessing as we heard in our last sermon to bless the Lord. He is worthy of it. We dont just bless him because we feel like it, we bless him because he is worthy of it, because he deserves it. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying...25 What a pantheon of nature. Today we think that mother nature has some kind of reality. But all of Gods creation worships him. If you were to give voice to the bear, would he say, Mother nature took care of me today? No, God provided my meat today. Or you ask the birds of the tree who provided the seed on the ground. Would they say, Mother nature gave us the seed? No, they would ascribe all glory to God. They would be giving voice to God. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.26 All of creation worships God in this city. Now I am sorry your little dog is not going to die and go to heaven and worship God. It is just not going to happen or your big dog or you pig or your horse or your cow or anybody else. But in this picture John sees that all creation worships God in its own way. Sometimes I will see my dog in the midst of a thunderstorm lift up its eyes and look up to the sky. I dont know whether he is worshipping God or he is just looking for something to bark at, because that is where he noise came from. But I do know that in creation, in this vision of creation, in this vision of Gods creation, angelic earthly and sub earthly or demonic ascribe all glory to him that sitteth upon the throne and to the lamb forever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen.27 The spirit of the elect Church rises up and says amen to all these things. Worthy is he. Worthy is he to receive all these things. Worthy is he to have all this praise. Blessing and honor and glory and power. Worthy is he to be ascribed all of that. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.28 Take comfort in this chapter. We are about to open the seals. And we are going to see no more a picture of heaven, but a picture of how heaven rules history, time, space, this
25 26

Revelation 5:13. Ibid. 27 Revelation 5:14. 28 Ibid. Page 10 of 11

earth, how the affairs from the throne of God, how the power of the throne of God affects the affairs of human kind here on this earth, be they the elect church or be they the reprobate sinners of this creation. Whoever they be, whatever they be, whatever time they be in, it all comes down to the execution of these seals. In the future may God give us further revelation in his sovereign rulership over his creation. Gracious Lord and heavenly Father, we thank you for this time to be in this place. I thank thee for the utterance of thy words that thou hast given me. We pray the fruitfulness of it in the lives of those who hear it that they may be taught and schooled of thee to ascribe all glory and honor and praise and power and strength and goodness and rulership to Christ Jesus our Lord in whose name we pray. Amen.

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