Tag: Revelation 3:8

The Door is Opened!

On January 24, 2025

Rev 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.

The Book of Revelation used to be a difficult book for me. But as I read, studied and researched it, it was no longer difficult. The Lord promised a blessing to those who read, hear and keep the words written in it. It is the only book of the Bible that promises a blessing if you read it! Therefore, let’s dive in this morning and get blessed!

Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Rev 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

In my research many years ago, I learned that whatever image the Apostle John saw, if it seemed like it was something out of Star Trek and not believable, it should be interpreted symbolically. A good example of this is:

Rev 9:7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.

This is definitely a good example, isn’t it? But when other verses seemed to be realistic, I should interpret it as literal. A good example of this is:

Rev 8:10-11 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; (11) And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

The star could mean a comet or an asteroid. It is likely that Wormwood will be discovered by NASA at some point in the near future. Or it could be the result of a comet or asteroid’s impact of polluting water at its impact. Either way, the name “Wormwood” was assigned to it. I find it interesting that there is a purpose for every word in Scripture. The word wormwood is defined by Noah Webster as:

WORMWOOD, n. [G.] A plant, the artemisia. It has a bitter nauseous taste;

So we can interpret the verses above literally. An object will fall to earth from the heavens and destroy a third part of the rivers and fountains of waters (fresh water) and make the waters bitter and undrinkable. So now we know what to take literally and what to take symbolically.

Let’s get back on track now and discuss the Pre-Tribulation Rapture as it relates to Revelation. If we are to believe the mid or post tribulation viewpoint, then the Church would have a lot of warning. There would be instructions to the Church outlining what to preach/teach during the seven-year Tribulation period. The Apostle John would have instructions for the Church specifically. How then does one explain that the church is never mentioned between chapter three and 22??? This is key here! The word “church” is mentioned seven times in chapter two and the word “churches” is mentioned 11 times in chapters one through three. That’s a total of 18 times that “church(es)” appears in just three chapters! The word “church or churches” is not mentioned again until the last chapter, Chapter 22, in verse 16!

Rev 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

It is also interesting to note that in Revelation 3:22 (the last verse in this chapter) is the last use of the word churches. Immediately after in Revelation 4:1, “a door is opened in heaven” and Jesus says “Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.” When the Bible was first written, there were no chapters and verses. The assigning of chapters and verses was finished in the year 1551. How exciting is that? Revelation 3:22 and Revelation 4:1 were originally one verse apart. One is referring to the churches and the very next verse speaks of a door opening. Following Rev. 4:1, there is no other mention of the church. It means a lot more when you look at it like that, doesn’t it?

Rev 3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Rev 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.

Jesus is not coming to earth in Rev. 4:1. However, John is taken up to where Jesus is located. Secondly, Jesus says He will show John what must be hereafter. None of the judgments have begun yet. The rest of chapter 4 and chapter 5 discuss Heaven and events going on there. One of these events is chapter 4:4.

Rev 4:4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

Believers earn crowns for their works for the Lord after their salvation and the way they conduct themselves on earth. They receive these crowns in Heaven and cast them at Christ’s feet.

Rev 4:10-11 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, (11) Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

The phrase “four and twenty” appears seven times in the Book of Revelation. (Revelation 4:4 twice, Revelation 4:10, Revelation 5:8, Revelation 5:14, Revelation 11:16, and Revelation 19:4) The 24 elders are clothed in white raiment wearing crowns of gold in Revelation 4:4 and they cast their crowns at Jesus’ feet in Revelation 4:10.

So the Pre-Tribulation viewpoint fits in perfectly: the Church goes up to where Jesus is (as the Apostle John goes to Jesus) and the judgments begin after the Church goes up.

Just as Noah was protected in the ark, the Lord Jesus is our Ark and He protects His Bride, the Church, by taking her to Heaven to be with Him in His Father’s house. (John 14:1-3) We are safe with Him in Heaven; safe from judgment that is to come upon the whole earth. (Revelation 3:10)

Heb 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Just as Noah lived by faith and remained faithful while building the ark, he was protected from the judgment of the flood which would come to the entire earth. Noah and his family were lifted high above the earth in the ark and were safe inside it. Just as Noah returned from the waters onto the mountains of Ararat and a new earth was his home, so will we return with Christ to live on a revitalized earth and Christ will reign in Jerusalem.

No man knows the hour that Jesus will take us up in the Rapture; but we can know the season of His return to rapture His Bride. Just as Noah didn’t know when the rains would come, neither will we know when Jesus will take us away. This is the ONLY version of the Rapture that makes sense. The mid-tribulation viewpoint has its exact days (1260) and the post-tribulation as well (2520). But Pre-Tribulation is imminent and can happen at any time. Once God shuts the door (of our Ark), that’s it! He shuts that same door and no one else can enter. (Matthew 25:10, Revelation 3:8)

Luk 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Mat 24:36-42 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. (37) But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (38) For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, (39) And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (40) Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. (41) Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. (42) Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

It is worth repeating: after Revelation 4:1, the church is no longer mentioned (until Rev. 22:16). That is because we have been raptured and are already with Christ. At the beginning of the Tribulation (which occurs when the Antichrist comes to power), God’s focus goes back to Israel’s judgment. After Revelation 4:1, the Old Testament’s prophecies about the time of Jacob’s Troubles come into play. “Come up hither,” is a beautiful depiction of the rapture of the Church. It is prefaced by the wonderful teaching of the Church age in chapters two and three. After the shout to “come up hither,” the Church is not mentioned during the judgments. After so many uses of the word, if the Church were to go through the Tribulation, it would be mentioned. But the focus from that point on is now on Israel. As Daniel prophesied in chapter 9 about the 70 weeks, we see that sixty-nine weeks passed before Christ’s ascension. After that point, the church age began, and there was a pause on the focus around Israel. The focus was then placed on the church. This focus ends with the Rapture of the church. Once the antichrist makes himself known (Daniel 9:27) by signing a peace treaty with Israel, Daniel’s 70th week begins (seven years) the Tribulation. Jeremiah calls it “the time of Jacob’s trouble.”

Jer 30:3-7 For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it. (4) And these are the words that the LORD spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah. (5) For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. (6) Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? (7) Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.

Believers need to realize that there are two groups of people that God especially loves! He loves the whole world but the faithful are close to His heart; He loves Israel and God loves born-again Christians, the Church. God dealt with Israel throughout the Old Testament. Because they would not obey nor would they lead others to Him, God opened the door to all mankind to accept salvation. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to save us all from our sins; this includes non-Jews, the Gentiles. It’s as though God in His mercy took a “break” from dealing with Israel, to open the door to the Gentile, and put Israel’s judgment on hold. This is not to say that Gentiles didn’t come to faith in the Old Testament. They most certainly did! Examples are Rahab and Ruth. Both were in Christ’s lineage!! However, it was the Jews’ responsibility to share their faith but they kept God to themselves.

The Church Age began with Christ and the Age of Law was put on pause (this ended Daniel’s 69th week). The Rapture of the church takes us out of the picture and God returns His focus to Israel. The Tribulation will begin when the Antichrist makes a pact with Israel. Half-way through the seven years, he will break that pact.

Dan 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

I know today’s post is a lot to absorb but it sure packs a wallop! Does this excite you, reader? It surely does me! But to the one who is not saved, it is a different story. Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. 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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Any Day Now – Day 44

By Kate Plourde

On June 12, 2024

In Any Day Now, Devotionals

This is the subject of controversy today in Christian circles. Just who is God’s wrath going to fall upon? Why is His wrath going to be dispensed? When is God’s wrath going to be unleashed?

1 Th 5:9-11 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,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.

1Th 5:1-8 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.

First, let’s take a look at who will receive the wrath of God. Mid-Tribulation, Pre-Wrath Tribulation and Post-Tribulation believers claim that the church will go through part of the Tribulation. However, once we take a look at who is destined to receive God’s wrath, one can only conclude that the Church will not be present during that wrath.

Eph_2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Eph_5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Col_3:4-6 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (5) Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; (6) fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

If there are “children of disobedience” then there must be “children of obedience”! What’s the difference between them? We see in Colossians 3:4-6 that the children of disobedience practice the sins mentioned in verse 6. But to the born-again believer, the child of obedience, has obeyed the Gospel and is forgiven!

1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

So we see that only the children of the disobedience must suffer the wrath of God. It is an unrepentant heart that receives the wrath of God:

Rom 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

The Church has repented and received Christ as her Saviour. She is covered by Christ’s blood and is saved from God’s wrath upon the earth on that great and horrible day! The Apostle Paul outlined it beautifully in his epistles to the churches. The born-again believer receives the Holy Spirit of God and that believer is sealed unto the day of redemption!

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

So now we have discovered through God’s Word that the Church is not the object of God’s wrath. So what exactly does “salvation” mean in today’s verse? (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10) The Greek word for salvation is:

σωτηρία
sōtēria
so-tay-ree’-ah
Feminine of a derivative of G4990 as (properly abstract) noun; rescue or safety (physically or morally): – deliver, health, salvation, save, saving.

Salvation does not necessarily refer only to being saved from sin and having eternal life through Jesus Christ. (John 14:6) In the case of 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Paul is giving a message on the topic of the Rapture. We must keep it in context.

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.

Friend, the Church is not mentioned after chapter 3 of Revelation. From the moment John was told to “Come up hither,” and was shown what things “which must be hereafter,” the Church is not mentioned. That same door that mentioned in Revelation 3:8,10 was only shown to the Church at Philadelphia and then revealed in Revelation 4:1. That door is only mentioned three times in Revelation.

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.

Rev 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.

That door is shut after the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, comes for His bride, the Church to take her to the marriage. Christ gave us an example of it in Matthew 25.

Mat 25:10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

After that door is shut at the Rapture, no one else can enter in. They all have to go through the wrath of God. We see the beautiful depiction of what is to happen in Heaven in chapter 5 of Revelation.

Revelation chapter 6 reveals the Seven Seals of judgment. It is a clear depiction of who is suffering the wrath of the Lamb!

Rev 6:16-17 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: (17) For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Who shall be able to stand? If the Church was to go through part of the Tribulation, she would be able to stand. But not according to this verse! Friend, if you are not born again, 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. Don’t you want to be a part of the Church when she is raptured into the clouds to meet Jesus? (1 Thessalonians 4:17) Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Any Day Now – Day 6

By Kate Plourde

On March 13, 2024

In Any Day Now, Devotionals

Revelation 6:16-17 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: (17) For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Good morning! Do today’s verses disturb you? If you’re born again, they should cause you to be praying for the salvation of your family, friends and those in your circle of acquaintances. If you’re not born again, I pray that you will be disturbed by what you read and that it stirs your heart to be saved.

So today’s verses talk about the wrath of the Lamb that is to come. What is this wrath? Who is going to suffer this wrath? The Lamb is Jesus Christ and when His judgment upon this earth begins, there will be no turning back. Each judgment will be worse than the one before. The Rapture of the church will have already happened and those who remain will be involved in a horrific time on this earth like no other, the Tribulation. This is called the time of God’s wrath upon the earth. It has been prophecized from the Old Testament all through way through to the last book in the New Testament in the Book of Revelation.

You may be saying that there has always been persecution throughout the ages so this is nothing new. But these seven years will be a time where the people who get saved will be persecuted like no other age and it will occur all over the world, not just a specific location and not for a specific people. It will be for all people, all over the world.

Revelation 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

Mid-Tribulation and Post Tribulation believers say that Christians will go through half or all of the Tribulation. However, this doesn’t jive with the Scriptures because the Tribulation saints won’t be delivered from the wrath but will be overcome by it.

Revelation 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

We are told in the Scriptures that, just as in Noah’s day when God shut the door to the ark, that God will shut the door after the Rapture and no one will be able to escape the Tribulation.

Revelation 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. (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.

Those who are alive at the time appointed by God to rapture His church, will be kept from the hour of temptation that will come upon the whole earth. All other times of persecution during history did not occur upon the whole earth, but just parts of it. The antichrist will be in power in order to cause havoc upon the entire earth. The church has been taken up in the Rapture. The word “church” occurs 80 times in 79 verses in the King James Bible. It is found only seven times in the Book of Revelation and only in chapters 2 and 3. It is not mentioned once after that. Chapter 4 begins with:

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.

The Apostle John was given the opportunity to see and hear what would happen during the Tribulation. God called him up through an opened door. This is indicative of the Rapture of the church. Why? We see that the church is not even found once in Chapters 4-22. These chapters now refer to the Jews. The Jews rejected Christ at His first coming and the Gospel of Christ was entrusted to the Church until Christ came to Rapture the church. After this event, the Jews will come back into the picture and will see their Messiah is: Jesus Christ!

But for today, we can see that He has yet to be revealed or come into power. Christians will be kept from these seven years of Tribulation and they will be removed beforehand. Praise the Lord!! \o/ Are you ready, Christian?

If you are a born-again Christian and have never studied this out, I hope you are blessed by it and encouraged in your heart. If you are not born again, I urge you to settle the matter right now! Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus – Day 35

By Kate Plourde

On October 31, 2022

In Devotionals, Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled By Jesus

Prophecy of Messiah:

Psalm 22:14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.

It’s another gorgeous day in beautiful Culpeper, Virginia! How blessed I am to be alive at this time in history! Yes, history! Every moment that I sit at my computer typing away becomes a moment in history. 😁 Most exciting, however, is that we will be that generation that will not see death (Revelation 3:8, 10) unless of course we should die before the Rapture. Take note that there is an open door in verse 8 that no man can shut. There is also a promise from the Lord Jesus Himself saying that He will keep us FROM the hour of temptation which will come on all the earth to test the earth’s inhabitants. Jesus didn’t say He would keep His Church through the tribulation but FROM the tribulation. Just as in the days of Noah and Lot, the righteous were removed FROM the destruction and judgment to come.

Luke 17:27-29 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. (28) Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; (29) But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

This should encourage each Christian to live for the Lord and to tell as many people as you can about the saving power of Jesus Christ, our Messiah!

Today’s prophecy makes me so sad because it deals with the suffering our Saviour had to go through to pay the penalty of our sins! 😥 It’s so descriptive as it relates to water pouring out (when the soldier put his spear through the Lord’s side (John 19:34); His bones were not broken (John 19:33); His heart is melted like wax into His bowels depicts how Christ’s internal organs must have been rearranged because of the immense effort it took to hang on the cross and to inhale each and every breath! I posted this a couple of posts ago but it is worth repeating at this point. Dr. C. Truman Davis wrote an article entitled “A Physician’s View of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.” If you haven’t read it before, please take a moment to read it as it will most definitely change the way you think about what Christ went through for you and I! It is heart-wrenching to say the least! I’m thankful Dr. Davis took it upon himself to research it and to share it with us!

Prophecy of Messiah Fulfilled:

John 19:33-34 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: (34) But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

Really, there is not much more that can be said about Jesus Christ, our Messiah, and what He had to go through to save us from our sins. God made sure to include over 300 Scripture passages about Jesus and how He fulfilled each one in the past and will fulfill each of the future ones!

Do you know Him personally or do you only know of Him? I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. 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!