Rev Helen preached this sermon on Wednesday 20 November 2024. Here it is for you again:
The lectionary is an interesting thing, I mean it is a good thing as you can read the whole bible, not just favourite bits and really see the story of God and humanity through it. The problem is sometimes I look at the readings I have to preach on and groan but sometimes I feel like I have won the lottery and that’s how I felt when I saw this Wednesday’s. Not only is it the book of Revelation, which I love, but it’s Revelation chapter 4 which I wrote a 2,500 word essay on when I was at college, don’t worry I’m not going to read that out. On Sunday we celebrate Christ the King and this passage is really good preparation for thinking about Jesus in that role of Kingship and reflection on the last few weeks of the Kingdom Season, from All Saints. So let’s have a look at this image of the heavenly throne room and think about why.
Well just listening to this passage illustrates one of the things I love about the book of Revelation and that is the imagery. When you heard about the throne room and everything that is going on there it is an amazing image. I have given you one I like which is from a German woodcut, again if it’s helpful use it if not no worries, there are lots of them. I have put the book it’s from at the back as the images in it are extraordinary. But let’s think about that image.
There is a throne in the middle of the room and it’s covered in jewels and rainbows. There is thunder and lightening all around and flaming torches surrounding the throne. Then you have the ancient one on the throne with extraordinary creatures surrounding and being served and worshiped by attendants and elders. As I read that I get a real sense of de ja vu, because this is very similar to a passage from the Old Testament in the Book of Daniel chapter 7 and his heavenly vision there. Just listen to v 9 and 10. ‘As I watched, thrones were set in place, and an Ancient One took his throne; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, and its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and flowed out from his presence. A thousand thousand served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him.’ There are more similarities as we go along and I’ll draw attention to them as we go along. That image of the throne of God, there in God’s Kingdom.
There’s those who are serving and praising the ancient one around the throne. These are mentioned in different places but are brought together here. You have the angels and archangels, Michael and All Angels, the Saint’s from All Saint’s Day and those we love who have died and gone to be with God from All Souls. We can feel comforted to know, in the images from Revelation and Daniel, that they are all at peace with God as was promised to us, singing the hymn of praise ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord. Who was and is and is to come’
There is one thing missing from this picture though? Where is Jesus in all of this, conspicuous by his absence here. Is he among those who are worshiping God, is he the part that is to come? If you move forward a chapter to Revelation 5 because those in the throne room are facing a dilemma. They have a scroll that is sealed and no one can open it, no one is worthy, none of the Saints, Angels, Archangels or others there are able but then something else appears. There is a lamb that appears from the side-lines, it’s had it’s throat cut but its’ alive and everyone sings praises to it. It has seven eyes and seven horns, like the seven spirits of God. The Lamb surrounded and worshiped with this song from Revelation 5:9 ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slaughtered and by your blood you ransomed for God saints from every tribe and language and people and nation; you have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving our God, and they will reign on earth.’ Could this be Jesus, I think so. Since we are reading Daniel 7 alongside I wonder if there is anything there to strengthen this, just listen to this from v 13 and 14: ‘As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him. To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.’ Can you think of any biblical figure who was refered to or called themselves the Son of Man? Again we don’t know for sure and Daniel was written hundreds of years before Jesus was born but the similarity is there reaching to the end of this season of Kingdomtide.
This Sunday is the last one of the church year, Christ the King, when we remember Jesus eternal kingship being enthroned as King of heaven and earth. Jesus being given royal command of the world to come after this one, as described in Revelation 21 and 22, where there will be no more crying, no more pain, no more death, the tree and the river of life for all to have access to. At the start of his ministry Jesus makes a grand declaration ‘The Kingdom of God is near, repent and believe in the Good News’ and this is what Jesus promised during his ministry. This throne room is representative of that kingdom. When we see the saints and angels, where we see the dearly departed resting in peace. Where we see the executed, resurrected and ascended Jesus enthroned as the most holy, the rightful inheritor, the one who was and is and is to come. So really Revelation ch 4 (with a little bit of Revelation 5 and Daniel 7 thrown in) sums up this whole season of Kingdomtide before we go into Advent when we remember those who waited so long and patiently for the messiah but also remember our own wait for Jesus return as he promised us he would. Jesus king of the world, in the throne room with the ancient one and his kingdom will have no end. Alleluia! Alleluia Amen
St Margaret's Church Prestwich 