The Open Book

Revelation 1:1-3 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, and to all things that He saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. 

John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 

The book of Revelation is a revelation of Jesus Christ. A revelation of what He has done for His people since He left this earth and a revelation of what He is doing for us right now. When we realize this it makes it one of the most important books in the Bible. While the gospels reveal what Jesus did while on this earth, Revelation reveals what Jesus is doing for us right at this time. This is crucial for us to know because that is how we have eternal life—by knowing the Father and Jesus. In order to know Jesus we must know what he is doing for us right now. Revelation is not one of the least important books in the Bible, it is one of the most important. It is not a sealed book. The very name Revelation means that it is an open book for all who will open it in their Bibles. Whenever we study the book of Revelation, we are especially blessed. We are blessed because we are studying a revelation from Jesus Christ, our Savior, and also a revelation of Jesus Christ, our Savior.

The Lost Key

Revelation 1:12, 13 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 

Revelation 8:3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. And he was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 

Revelation 11:19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail. 

Revelation 15:5, 6, 8 After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands… The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

There is a theme that is repeated throughout the book of Revelation. This theme is the key to understanding revelation. If we do not understand the theme, we will never be able to put together the prophetic puzzles found in its pages. What was Jesus represented as standing by? A seven branched golden lamp stand. What was the angel standing before? A golden altar. Then the temple of God was opened and what was seen? The ark of the testimony. Jesus and the ministering angels were pictured standing next to articles of furniture from the sanctuary. This was something that was very common to the believers in John’s day, because they knew these articles very well. They knew about the high priest’s ministration, and they knew what that seven branched candlestick was. They knew that it was an article of furniture found in the tabernacle that Moses was commanded to build in the wilderness. When John saw Jesus, One like the Son of Man, standing before the golden lamp stands, it caught their attention. Their minds immediately went back to that old covenant sanctuary. The fascinating thing that this reveals is that the book of Revelation was actually given from the sanctuary. 

The New Covenant Sanctuary

Hebrews 8:1, 2, 5 Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man… Who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”

Hebrews 9:1-5 Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary. For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary; and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, which had the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

Hebrews 9:24 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. 

Jesus ascended to heaven as our Advocate, our High Priest, to minister for us before the throne of God. There could not be a more comforting thought—Jesus, who lived here, walked and talked with men, is now our Intercessor, pleading for us before our Father in heaven. God’s Word records that His work is more involved than just presenting our case before the throne of God. He is ministering in the sanctuary. This sanctuary could not be the earthly sanctuary that Moses built, for that was on earth and Jesus is in heaven. It is the sanctuary that the Lord Himself built in heaven. It is the heavenly sanctuary, or the sanctuary of the new covenant. In fact, the earthly sanctuary was actually just a model, patterned after the true sanctuary in heaven. Paul says that the earthly sanctuary was a “copy of the true”. Which one is the true? The heavenly one into which Christ has entered and is ministering. The fact, though, that Paul calls the earthly sanctuary a copy of the true, indicates to us what the heavenly sanctuary looks like. It has the same furniture and ministration that its earthly model did. By studying the earthly sanctuary, we can see what the heavenly sanctuary looks like. By studying the services that took place in the earthly model, it reveals to us the services that are to take place in heaven. It was from this true sanctuary that Revelation was given. The articles of furniture that remind us of the earthly sanctuary are actually none other than the real articles of furniture in heaven.

What was the Purpose of the Earthly Sanctuary?

Galatians 3:24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 

Psalms 77:13 Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; who is so great a God as our God?

The purpose of the earthly sanctuary and everything connected with it was to point us to our Savior—to bring us to Christ. The Psalmist knew this and exclaimed that the way to God, the pathway to the throne of God, was in the sanctuary itself. All of the services of the sanctuary pointed to the coming Savior. All of the furniture of the sanctuary pointed to the work that Christ was to do for mankind. It revealed His earthly ministry and also what He was to do in heaven after His ascension. Christ, the theme of prophecy, is also the theme of the sanctuary.

What does the Sanctuary Teach Us?

As we are going to see in a later session, it is impossible to understand the deep prophecies of Revelation unless we have this lost key to understanding Revelation. At the same time, we will never understand Revelation unless we experience what the sanctuary teaches. It is not enough to know about the sanctuary, we must experience its lessons in our lives. The Jews knew the superficial outworking of the sanctuary better than we can ever hope to, but that was not enough. Even though they knew all of the outward types and ceremonies, they still rejected the Messiah. Why? Because they had not experienced the deep spiritual truths illustrated through the sanctuary service, and because they did not have this practical application, they rejected the author of the types and ceremonies they clung to.

The Lamb – How Sin is Forgiven

In the old covenant, when a sinner was convicted of His guilt, he had to select the best of his flock to bring as a sin offering. They knew that sin is a costly matter. If they wanted their sin to be forgiven they had to bring a lamb without spot or blemish. Once the lamb was selected, they made the journey to the sanctuary. There was only one way into the sanctuary. You could not see over the pure white fence that surrounded the sanctuary, although you could see the top of the sanctuary rising above the fence. It impressed the people with the holiness of God. There was only one door, not two or three, just one. Jesus said that He was the door. (John 10:7) Just as there was only one door to the sanctuary, there is only one way to know God and that is through Christ our Lord. 

When the guilty sinner walked through the door, he saw a large brazen altar in the middle of the courtyard. This altar overlaid of pure brass was the center of what took place in the courtyard. As the sinner approached the altar leading his lamb, he was met by a priest dressed in a pure white linen garment. The priest took the lamb and inspected the lamb. A lamb that had any defects was not permitted. The priest made sure that the lamb was not maimed or blind or had any other physical blemish. After the lamb had been approved, the sinner would put his hands upon the head of the lamb and confess the sin of which he was guilty. Then the sinner himself had to take a knife and slay the lamb with his own hand. The priest was not to kill the lamb this was the sinner’s job. You can imagine how forcibly this pressed upon their minds that the wages of sin is death. When they sinned, they were required to take the life of an innocent victim. Why must they go through with this ceremony?

John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

I Peter 1:18, 19 Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Hebrews 9:22 And according to the law almost all things are purged with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

Hebrews 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.

The true lamb of the new covenant is none other than Jesus. As everything about the sanctuary points to Jesus’ work, the slain lamb at the brazen altar was to teach that Christ, the true Lamb, was to die for our sins. Just as the ancient worshipper confessed His sins over the head of the Lamb, so we are to confess our sins to Jesus. We do not need to confess to a man, priest or saint, but to Jesus, alone. After we have confessed our sins, we must realize that the only way that our sins could be forgiven was through Jesus’ death for us. We must realize that it was our sins that caused Jesus death. It was our sins that crushed out His life on Calvary. It was me that puts those nails through Jesus’ hands. It was my sins that crucified Him on the tree.

I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Romans 3:24-26 Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth to be a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 

The gospel is so beautiful and complete, yet at the same time there is an incomprehensible depth that boggles the greatest minds. When God gave up His Son to die and to take our place upon Calvary’s mount, this was the only way that man could be reconciled to God. There is no other way. Although the pain and suffering that the God of heaven went through is inestimable, He chose to give up His Son to suffer the penalty for our sins. Through His great sacrifice, God was able to be just and the justifier of those who believe. God’s justice was satisfied, but now He could pardon those who had sinned. However, He could only pardon sins that have been previously committed. A person cannot ask forgiveness for a sin that they are going to commit tomorrow. The Lord, through His great grace that was poured out at Golgotha can wipe away our sin, but the plan of salvation does not stop there. That is only the beginning. Many people think that the atonement was over at the cross, but that is not what the sanctuary reveals. There is much more to the most beautiful story ever written. 

The High Priest – How Sin is Overcome

Hebrews 4:14-16 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 

Jesus’ work does not stop at the door or at the lamb, but Jesus is also the Great High Priest. After the lamb was slain, then the priest began to do a special work within the sanctuary for the sinner. The sin had been transferred to the lamb, by the sinner’s confession, and then from the lamb to the sanctuary itself, and thus the work for the salvation of the sinner was carried on in the sanctuary. So when Jesus died, His work of salvation was not over. When He arose, He ascended to the heavenly sanctuary to begin the second and equally important phase of the plan of salvation. Because now as our High Priest, Jesus is ministering to give us the grace to overcome our sins. Jesus did not just die to forgive us our sins, but He lives now to give us victory over our sins. Jesus’ power is double what most people think. He has the power to forgive us our sins and to break the power of sin in our lives. Our Mediator is not just an ordinary intercessor, though. He came here, lived as we live, struggled as we struggle, and overcame as we can overcome. He was tempted in every single way that we are tempted, but not once did temptation overcome Him. He was able to break the power of Satan and He now wants to break Satan’s power over us. He came to save us from our sins, NOT in them. The power of the gospel is the strongest power known to man. It does not matter how many or how terrible our sins have been—Jesus can set us free. From the worst criminal in prison to the most hypocritical professed Christian—Jesus can set us free.

John 8:34-36 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”

Matthew 1:21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.

Romans 8:3, 4 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

The gospel of Christ is not a weak principle. The gospel is so strong that it has set the most tightly bound captives free. The true gospel is not just that we can be forgiven. This is part of it, but not all. The true gospel teaches that we can be forgiven—no matter how black and stained our past might have been—and wash our characters so that they are as white as snow. You can overcome whatever sin is dragging you down today. Whether it is anger, tobacco, evil thoughts or adultery, Jesus has the power to set you free. Jesus is not just our Lamb, but He is our High Priest ministering so that we can experience that freedom from sin that He had.

The Most Holy Place – What is Sin?

I John 3:4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. 

Romans 7:7, 9 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”… I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.

With the sin being transferred from the sinner to the lamb to the sanctuary, the thoughts were directed to the most sacred part within the Sanctuary itself. There was the courtyard with its brazen altar and laver, then the first apartment of the sanctuary with the candlestick, the table of showbread and the golden altar, but the most sacred and hallowed part of the sanctuary was in the presence of God Himself—the most holy place. Within the most holy place was the ark of the covenant with the mercy seat on top. Inside the ark of the covenant were two tables of stone. Two tables of stone written upon with the finger of God. It was God’s holy Ten Commandment Law. It was the justice of this law that had to be satisfied by the ceremonial services, because it was this Law that showed the sinner what his sin was. Many have wondered, What is sin? The Israelites knew very well, for the sanctuary service had taught them clearly: sin was breaking God’s holy Law.

Hebrews 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Romans 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law. 

When we learn from the law what sin is, we are drawn to think of the dying Son of God who can forgive us when we have broken His Law, and then our mind is lifted above this world to where Jesus is ministering in our behalf so that we no longer need to break His Law. Some have thought that the Law was no longer under the new covenant dispensation, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Jesus’ new covenant ministry for us is to write His Law within the precincts of our hearts and minds. He longs to implant the principles of His Law in our affections and intellects. More than this, from the Most Holy Place we see another very important work that takes place for our salvation.

II Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God, and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether it is good or whether it is evil. 

In the earthly sanctuary a work of judgment took place every year that focused around the Most Holy Place. This taught that God’s people were going to be judged by God’s Holy Ten Commandment Law. Knowing this, Solomon aptly says, “Fear God, and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” That is our all; that is our whole duty. God does not ask much, but He does ask that we love Him enough to keep His Holy Law. If we rebel against His Law, we are going to be judged by that Law that we have despised. The Lord is really looking for those who love Him. Love Him enough to do whatever He asks of us. Our love to the Lord is revealed by what we do. It is just a simple test of loyalty.

John 14:15 If you love Me, keep My commandments. 

Revelation 22:14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.

The key to understanding Revelation is simple. It is not necessary to scramble the words, read them backwards, upside down or anything like that. We simply need to understand the sanctuary and the lessons that it teaches. Have you learned the lessons? Have you experienced them in your life? Do you truly know Jesus Christ? Do you know the work that He is doing for you right now? It is life eternal to know Him. Do you know Him as your personal friend? Do you know Him as One who shares your sorrows? Do you know Him closer than your closest earthly friend? Do you know what He has done for you? Do you know the anguish that He went through to save you and me? Do you know what He is doing for us right now? If we know what Jesus is doing, what He has done, and that we want to know Him more every day, we will be able to understand the last part of Revelation. Do you have this experience? Do you truly know Him? Will you make the commitment to strive to know Him even more, so that the key to understanding Revelation will be in your hands?