Rev 4:1-2 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.
Good morning! As we open our eyes in the morning to a brand new day, let us remember that we are living in exciting times. We will be the ones who experience the Rapture before we die! We must be busy with the Lord’s work in leading as many as we can to Him. Christians have no need to fear what is happening around the world. Why? Because we know that these things must happen in order for Christ to come again. The Rapture is not waiting for a specific event before it can happen. However, for Christ to come as conquering King at the Second Coming, these disturbing times must come to past.
In Revelation 1:19, we see an outline of what the entire Book of Revelation is all about. The Apostle John explained to us those things which he saw (chapter 1) when Jesus spoke to Him. He told us about the things “which are” in chapters 2 and 3. Now we will look at the things which shall be hereafter (chapters 4 through 22).
Rev 1:19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
The Greek word for hereafter is “meta taut” which starts us here in chapter 4. It is found again in today’s verses, Revelation 4:1. We see that the Apostle John, in his early 90’s and while he was on the island of Patmos, writes: “he looked and a door was opened in heaven.” He was taken by the Lord to heaven where he would behold many terrifying things which would happen in the future.
We see John as a “picture or type” of the church that is raptured prior to chapter 6. I realize many don’t believe in the rapture and their defense is that the word rapture doesn’t appear in the Bible. However, neither does the word “Trinity” but it is a fundamental belief in the foundations of Christianity, amen? Neither is the word “bacon” but we enjoy it with breakfast! We must remember that the New Testament Scriptures were not written in English, but in Greek. The word “harpazo” means to snatch away and when it was translated into Latin, the word “rapturo” was used; this is where the word “rapture” comes from. It is these first two verses of chapter 4 that describes the rapture beautifully.
One notices that a door was opened in heaven in verse 1 and Jesus says, “Come up hither.” Do you recall the letter to Philadelphia? A promise was made to this church:
Rev 3:8-10 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. (9) Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. (10) 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.
“Come up here” appears only twice in the New Testament and both times are in the Book of Revelation. It is used again when the Two Witnesses in chapter 11 are raised after being dead in the streets for three days. Jesus tells John to “come up here” so He can show John things which must happen “hereafter.” John was immediately in the spirit and he beheld one sitting on the throne. Can you imagine how John felt as he was looking at what was going on in heaven around the throne???
Why is it believed that this is an indication of the Rapture? We must look at it according to the Scriptures.
- The church is not mentioned once after Revelation chapter 3. The word church appears 80 times in the New Testament, seven in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. The word churches is found 37 times in the New Testament, 11 times in chapters 2 and 3 and once in chapter 22. It is nowhere to be found in chapters 4 through 21. The Tribulation is a time period where God deals with Israel and His efforts to draw them back to Him. The church age is over at this point because we are raptured and now the focus is on Israel.
- The open door in heaven only appears twice: once here in chapter 4 and then again when the two witnesses are caught up into Heaven in 19:11.
- The sound of a trumpet is consistent with: 1 Co 15:51-52 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 1Th 4:15-16 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. (16) 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: This is not the sound of angels’ trumpets but the trumpet of God!
- Invitation to “come up here” appears only twice in the New Testament, both in Revelation, here and Revelation 11:12, when the two witnesses are raptured.
- Lastly, the return of the Saints with Christ is found at the end, in chapter 19. The Scriptures which talk about the Saints being with Jesus at the Second Coming are many:
Rev 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
Jude 14-15 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, (15) To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
1Th 3:13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 5:1-11 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. (2) For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. (3) For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (4) But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. (5) Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. (6) Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. (7) For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. (8) But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. (9) For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, (10) Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. (11) Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
2Ti 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
So dear reader, we see that the pre-tribulation Rapture view holds to the test of events. Our next post will continue with John’s visions of what goes on in Heaven before the Tribulation begins: they are exciting times!!! 😃
Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
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