Two events took place within the past weeks within the shadows of and under the auspice of the church. The media used these events to polarize and divide certain members of the household of faith, and many of the leaders were in full compliance. It was akin to some years ago when the church accepted the redefinition of marriage and supported the then president's policy of inclusion. What transpired was a debate over what was an acceptable message to be broadcast from the pulpit and whether males could use female's bathrooms. Today another senseless debate emerges as to the meaning of a eulogy.
It is a well-known fact that people of different ethnic backgrounds eulogize the dead in different manners. Some preachers use that moment to excite the crowd that ends in a moment of praise, others are more subdued and reflective, the same as with church service. When a family selects a minister to speak, they are very much aware of his preaching style. Because of these debates, the church has emerged as an intuition of criticism. There is an old-school Christianity and preaching, and there is a new school Christianity and preaching, and that in itself creates a division.
Is there such a thing as old school preaching or is this a phrase conjured up by the detractors and the media to create a path of division? The Bible speaks of a God who changes not.
Growing up in the "old School" ideology, our parent taught us to believe. Our leaders taught us to shun those who did not believe or lived an unbelieving lifestyle. My parent did not teach me to believe in a white God or a black God, rather they taught us to believe in a supernatural God, colorless like the wind, capable of taking any shape. Throughout the Bible God appeared in many forms, to Moses he appeared as a burning bush. We even believed in spirits, ghost and a place called Heaven. Heaven was that place we long to go not because we wanted to live forever, but a place where our spirit would not suffer punishment in the afterlife.
In the new school ideology, Heaven has changed. Old school taught us that Heaven was a prepared place for prepared people. There were certain rules and restrictions put in place to control admission to this blissful state. A new school study confirmed that the Blood of Christ removed the barriers and all were free to walk the streets of gold or sing in the Heavenly choir. Is all of this scriptural or is this a form of sectional and shaped interpretation?
As numerous gospels sprung forth, the message has changed from "Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand" to a message that focuses on the love of God.
1st Thessalonians 4:14-18 is a point of contention for many Bible scholars, the reason is unclear to me. It falls in the same category of a preacher standing in the pulpit on a Sunday teaching tithe while wearing a black suit with a special collar. Overlooking Ecclesiastes 9:8 that says "Let thy garments be always white, and let thy head lack no ointment." Sectional interpretation is a form of shaping the truth. Who is talking, who is he talking to and in what dispensation is important when seeking to understand the Word of God.
The Bible is the greatest book and it delivers a message that flows smoothly from Geneses 1:1 to the final chapter and verse of Revelation. There are no holes in the scripture, nor does the Bible and science disagree. A deeper understanding of God Word as it has existed for thousands of years would provide all of the answers if we asked the author to help us and lay aside our preconceived notion to shape the word into a saleable or even an ethnic sound bite.
Sectional and shaped interpretation according to denominational guidelines is not the best way to understand the word of God. Sectional interpretation of the Holy Scripture allows for all types of works to be performed in Jesus name, from paying money to receive prayer and blessings, drinking deadly poison and picking up snakes.
New interpretations of the scripture are flooding the marketplace daily and many people are buying into the new interpretation of the ancient book. Points are being made against the use of certain words such as the rapture. One Bible scholar objection to the use of the word was, it could not be found in the Bible. A point of common sense but as Shakespeare said, "A Rose by any other name would still as sweet." Reinterpretation of the scripture to fit modern day ideology is not in the best interest of the kingdom. There are complications that arise when we try to make the Bible fit our denominational mold.
Now let us follow John's view of Heaven and his view from Heaven with regard for denominational guidelines. To study the Bible in this manner often places us in the position of contradicting ourselves. As knowledge increase, it is necessary to contradict ourselves in order to grow in knowledge. Some of us still remember the turbulent sixties when man began to explore outer space and set his sight on the moon and other planets. Many expected men to crash the gates of Heaven and explore its entire splendor the same as John did in Revelation 4. Failing to do so many lost their faith in God.
The failure to separate the spiritual from the natural or the attempt to mix the natural and supernatural has caused many to stumble. The prosperity gospel mixes the natural and the spiritual and its focus is on the now, whereas the gospel of the bible was always on the hereafter. One processes the excitement of a football game while the other is dull in compression, but we are here to take a trip to Heaven.
In our present Scripture, Revelation 4, the history of the Church on earth has been written. It has been translated to meet the Lord in the air. The guilty multitudes of the earth have been left behind and those that are born afterward are born into the tribulation. The stage is set for the devil to take over and this he will do, as we will see in Chapter 6. For now, let us savor the sights in Heaven as John does his best to describe that which indescribable.
Verse 1: “After this (after the Church has run its course and all things concerning the Church have been fulfilled) John said he looked and behold, a door was opened in heaven.” (John 10:9) tells us that Jesus is that door. After His resurrection, He ascended to Heaven and called John (in the spirit) up to where He is. He opened the door - and John in the spirit stepped into Heaven to witness the events that were to follow.
John experienced in the spirit what we will literally experience when the events in (1st Thessalonians 4:14-18) occur. When the Rapture occurs, the trumpet will sound, and the voice of the archangel will call up the saints. Jesus will not come to this earth at this time, the saints will be caught up to meet Him in the air; but when He comes in judgment, He will come to the earth with his saints, and will stand on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4). If we accept the five judgments then both of these events can take place without Sectional interpretation.
“And the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me.” The signification and symbology of a trumpet is the sharp, clear and arresting sound made by a trumpet. This statement does not mean that John heard this voice for the first time after he was caught up into Heaven, it means the first voice he heard (Revelation 1:10). He heard that voice here on earth, and now the same voice is speaking in Heaven. It is the voice of none other than the Lord Jesus Himself, as the trumpet summons John to come up from the earth to Heaven. The voice was clear, well pronounced and there was no mistake as to who was speaking.
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Verses 2 and 3: “And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in Heaven, and one sat on the throne. 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.” We need to re-read those verses slowly because there is a wealth of information that will be lost if we do not read the verses word for word. The voice of Jesus said, “Come up hither,” . . . and "immediately I was in the spirit.” There was no delay - not one split second. John was not actually caught up into Heaven in his natural body, for all this was part of John’s vision. The expression “in the spirit” indicates that John’s spirit for the moment left his body, and his spirit alone was caught away into Heaven to behold his glorified Lord. John is undergoing an out-of-body experience. John’s body was not yet glorified, and no man can behold the beauty and majesty of our glorified Lord in an unredeemed and mortal body.
The next statement reads, “A throne was set in Heaven,” definitely and precisely fixes the seat of royal rule and authority. The throne was actually the first vision after John Was translated in the spirit from earth to Heaven. The throne is the center of the heavenly scene and is a symbol of the Lord’s universal government. He who sits upon the throne is not named, but is described significantly in the stones that are used to symbolize His appearance: “And He that sat was to look upon like a Jasper, and a Sardine.”
If we read this, too fast we will have "Him" looking like a Jasper and a Sardine stone instead of like looking upon a Jasper and Sardine stone. Imagine being in a room with the worlds most beautiful and most expensive Gems. The two precious stones named here symbolize the glory and the majesty of God. His glory cannot be communicated, even to the most exalted of all creatures. John uses symbology to describe what he saw. The Lord God is light unapproachable.
Paul describes it in 1st Timothy 6:15-16 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen. The Jasper and the Sardine (or Sardius) stones are mentioned in the list of precious stones set in the breastplate of the high priest (Exodus 28:17 -20). These same stones also are mentioned among those describing the glory of the king of Tyre (Ezekiel 28:13). We find them mentioned again in the description of the Holy City, the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:19, 20).
The Holy Spirit uses these two stones to symbolize the brilliant glory and the unsurpassed splendor of the Lord God insofar as His glory can be displayed and symbolized to mortal man. The brilliance of the Jasper stone symbolizes the pure holiness of God, and the deep red of the Sardius symbolizes the Blood atonement demanded by God for the remission of sins. John tells us “The light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a Jasper stone, CLEAR AS CRYSTAL” (Revelation 21:11). Clear as crystal. God’s holiness is untouched, unmarred, unscarred- perfect holiness! Without a doubt, God was the One whom John saw sitting upon the throne.
The operative word in the above narrative is, "like unto". In our mind's eye, a beautiful setting should begin to appear.
to be continued
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