A Study of The Book of Revelation, Part #21

Earl Gillespie
Author
Of
My Search for the Real God

My search is a look at the religious

 hierarchy through the eyes of a

A suffering soul.                               

The Throne of Jesus in Heaven

Prelude

Now to recap and solidify your thinking and your belief in the book of Revelation before we take a trip to Heaven.  If you believe in God and believe in his message, this should be easy.  I believe that the Book of Revelation could be accurately described as the message of Jesus message to the Church and the world. You do believe in God  don’t you?  I believe Jesus's message is more believable than many of the messages being delivered today.  

I do not believe I have ever heard a sermon delivered from the book of Revelation.  I have heard, "behold I stand at the door and knock", used in many different settings.  Heaven is a place we want to go and Hell is a place we don't want to go is the most knowledge many of us have of the hereafter.  Modern Santa Claus religion is about living and enjoying the blessing of God and when it come time to die many Christians are afraid and began praying and begging God for a little more time.  The colleges and universities are doing a fine job preparing us to live a purposeful life here on earth, the church's mission should cater to our spiritual needs, our purpose and prepare us to meet God.  Many churches today main function is operating a business, selling the spiritual attributes of God.  The true church, the overcomers will be caught up, and the false churches will be spewed out.

The first division of Revelation was the vision of the glorified Lord (Chapter One). The second division  of Revelation consists of the letters to the churches (chapters two and three). The third division begins with chapter four and closes with chapter twenty-two, verse five. This comprises the prophetic portion of Revelation, although prophetic action does not begin until chapter six.  Chapter four and five is merely a prelude of things to come.  The signs and symbols prevail throughout the book, as with any journey if we do not understand the sign we probably won't arrive at our destination. One final point,  when the message uses signs and symbols, you cannot understand the message by just reading it, you must see it to understand.  

The scenes in Heaven, recorded in chapters four and five, introduce the first series of judgments, about which we read about  and witness in chapter six. Throughout the church age there has been a conflict between good and evil, between Righteousness and unrighteousness, light and darkness. The battle between God and Satan, the Holy Spirit and evil spirits, has been raging since the Church was born, and will continue until the Church is safely seated in the Heavens with the Lord Jesus.  

One of the purposes of this study is to show the role that the church plays in the overall scheme of things.  Many teach or believe that the church is the only “saved” entity after Jesus set up his Kingdom.  This is not scriptural.  The church was created for a specific purpose, not to save the world but as the, “Bride of Christ.”  Understanding the concept of the, “Bride of Christ”, the symbology of the use of the words will enable us to understand our purpose.   After the marriage the Bride and the Bridegroom becomes as one.  It should be clear now that the church ( a called out body composed of Jews and Gentiles) is a special entity created for a special purpose in the kingdom. Paul made his point clear in 1 Corinthians 6:2-3 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels?

After the Church is raptured, and the Holy Spirit will not be here to restrain the forces of evil, this earth will become a literal hell. After the church is caught up the systems of this earth will be committed entirely to the devil and he will rule in the person of the Beast (politically) and in the person of the Antichrist (religiously). The Rapture takes place between chapters three and four - the overcomers will be caught up, and the masses will be spewed out.

It is true that John does not record the facts concerning the Rapture; but Paul, to whom the mystery of the Church was revealed in full, unfolds to us the events during and immediately following the Rapture. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Some of us have been taught that the Church will go through the first half of the Tribulation. But according to the Scriptures, the Church will not go through any part of the Tribulation. I make this statement because:

1. In the first three chapters of Revelation, the word church or churches occur about twenty times. However, beginning with chapter four, up to the seventeenth verse of chapter twenty-two, the Church is not mentioned one time.  The Church has no part in the prophetic visions given to John after chapter three. Therefore, if we compare spiritual things with spiritual, and if we “come now and reason together,” we must conclude that the Church is not on earth from chapter four through chapter twenty-two, verse five. The Church is in the air with Jesus, looking down upon the horrible judgments here on earth.

2. The second reason I emphatically state that the Church will not be here during any part of the Tribulation period, is the statement in Revelation 1:19 - the key that unlocks the book. John was commanded to write: First, “The things which thou hast seen”; secondly, “The things which are”; and third, “The things which shall be after these things.” These three divisions do not run concurrently. They do not occur at the same time. John saw the vision of the glorified Lord, and that was the end of it. Then he saw the churches in Asia Minor, he wrote the messages delivered to the churches, and that brings that division to a definite close.

“Revelation 4:1  After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. John was, "Caught up".  Therefore we conclude, according to the Word of God - comparing spiritual things with spiritual, Scripture with Scripture - that chapter four and the following chapters record the things after the Church is raptured or "caught up" and seated around the throne.

3. The whole picture changes after chapter three. We do not see the Lord in the midst of the candlesticks  (churches) any more. We do not see the Lord on earth anymore; but we see a throne set in Heaven, (Visualize a King's throne room or the President's office, now explain what you see)  and the Lord Jesus is sitting upon that throne. There is a rainbow round about the throne, and we see the saints (the four and twenty elders ) in Heaven, where they remain until chapter nineteen, at which time they come with the Lord out of Heaven, riding on white horses in judgment against this earth. When you forget your religious ideas - what you have heard, what you have been taught by preachers, religions and denominations - and let the Word of God speak; when you look and listen instead of interpreting, you will have no trouble understanding Revelation.

The only way to understand Revelation is to let it speak, while you keep silent and let the Spirit teach you, because this book contains the deep things of God and there is a special promise to those who read it and hear it - not to those who read and interpret it, nor to those who read it and say what they think about it. If you read the book, hear what the book has to say, and keep the things written therein, you are blessed; but whosoever adds to or takes from this book has the curse of God upon him.  4. According to Revelation 3:10, the Church will not enter nor go through any part of the Great Tribulation period: “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” This verse could have been in the message to Ephesus. It could have been in the message to Pergamos. It could have been in the message to Sardis . . . but it is not. It is in the message to the church at Philadelphia - the church of brotherly love . . . the True Church. The Bride of Christ is not to be tried upon the earth. The Bride of Christ will not be tried! We will be rewarded for our stewardship, and we will either gain or lose, so far as rewards are concerned.  But the Church, the Bride, will not be tried upon the earth nor any place else. The great “hour of temptation” that is coming upon the earth to try them that dwell upon the earth is the Great Tribulation, the “time of Jacob’s trouble.” That is the time when the Antichrist will reign and this earth will be hell on earth. The Church will not be here.  The church will have already been judged and is in Heaven looking down, preparing to judge the world.

5. According to the testimony of the Apostle Paul (who wrote inspired of God), we will not enter nor go through any part of the Great Tribulation: “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Thessalonians 5:9). According to this Scripture, the Church is not appointed to wrath, the Church is not appointed to judgment. The Church will not face either the wrath of God or the judgment of God, but will be caught up to meet Jesus in the clouds in the air. Then the judgment of Almighty God will fall upon this earth as described in Revelation six and following. The stage is set in Revelation 4 and 5, and the judgments break out at the beginning of chapter six.

THE THRONE OF JESUS IN HEAVEN

Revelation 4:1-3:

1. After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

2. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was Set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

3. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

The entire situation changes here. Up to this point, John is seen here on earth, and events recorded in chapters two and three took place right here on this earth. But the command of the Voice now is, “Come up hither.” Therefore, John leaves the earth and is caught up into Heaven to witness and record the visions that remain in the book of Revelation. Chapters four and five describe scenes and events that are beyond man’s imagination.

continued 

A View From Heaven