Greetings,
In the book of Revelation, we see a Revelation of our access to the throne room of Christ. Whereas, in the Old Testimony there was a cloud above our heads, in the New Covenant we stand upon a sea. That sea is the word of God. It is the power of God’s Spirit and Word that transforms our lives to become testimonies of the word of God for the purposes of God in the earth. As we stand in His presence and upon His word we become transformed to be like Him. Leaders must lead in example and in direction for the body of Christ to become testimonies of Christ from the presence of God in their lives.
In this sea there are four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back (Rev. 4:6). Those living creatures are redeemed flesh. They are the Body of Christ that now lives from the presence of the throne of God. This is the Church made of every tribe, tongue, people, and nation upon the earth. The number four is the number of covenant and is a signification of the north, south, east, and west of the earth and thus the Body of Christ is made of human beings joined to a covenant with God. Syntactically, the term “living creature” is used in Scripture to describe God’s blessing on earth (Gen.1:24; 2:19; Lev. 11:46). It is used in the context of covenant blessing (Gen. 9:10, 12, 15, 16). These four living creatures in heaven are a signification to the source of blessing for the earth. The living Body of Christ is to bring heaven’s blessings to the earth (Ezek. 1:4-21; 10:15, 17, 20), for they are blessed with every spiritual blessing of the Father in heavenly places (Eph. 1:3). The Church now has access to the Father in heaven, their source as a living creature on earth and to eternity.
This Church is described as having four attributes (Rev. 4:7). It embodies the characteristics of a lion, those of a calf, it has a face like that of a man, and it manifests the attributes of a flying eagle. Each of these creatures reveals a victory and a living reality given to the Church in Christ. They speak of an attitude, a focus, and a position of authority given to the Church. The first is that of the lion. The attribute of the lion speaks of the condition of the Church to the enemy. Satan goes about “like a roaring lion” (1 Pet. 5:8), but Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Gen. 49:9). The attribute of the lion is a testimony to the children of Israel coming into the Promised Land (Num. 23:24). It testifies of the blasting sound of the authority of God (Job 4:9, 10; Amos3:8). The testimony of the lion is Christ’s fierceness, boldness, and strength to deliver (Ps.17:12-13; 2 Sam. 1:23). The lion is a testimony to the wrath of the king over His enemies (Pr. 19:12; 20:2). It is a sign tothe boldness of the righteous (Pr. 28:1), and a symbolof ‘no fear’ (Pr. 30:30). This attribute was proclaimed by the prophet Isaiah to depict the assembly of the righteous and the judgmentof the unrighteous (Isa. 5:26-30).It is through this creature that God fights for Mt. Zion (Isa. 31:4). Ezekiel saw this as merely the face of the creature (Ezek. 1:10; 10:14), while John sees the lion as the character, nature, way, power, and authority of the Body of Christ. This is the testimony of the Body of Christ before the enemy! It is the testimony of praise that executes the written judgments of God (Ps. 149), and silences the enemy (Ps. 8:2).
Leaders must lead others to become the testimony of God’s praise in the earth. This will execute the written judgments of God against every enemy. It is the praise of God in the earth that destroys the power of darkness. This is not just praise we do with some musical expression before God. It is the praise we become for the glory of Christ! This honor has every believer! Praise is being fully alive as the real you to destroy every work of the devil in our world. Grace brings life to death and thus it subdues the territory once possessed by the enemy. Truth crumbles every lie and thus it destroys the strongholds of our enemies.
Food For Thought,
Ted J. Hanson
Exerts from: Christ Unveiled, Chapter 3…
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