The Rapture

REVELATION 4:1

Here we enter into the third division of the book of Revelation. Chapter 4 begins with the Greek phrase meta tauta or "after these things."

After these things [the things of the church] 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 show thee things which must be hereafter [also meta tauta - 'after these things'] (Rev. 4:1).

We have now come to the end of the church history upon the earth and the final message to the churches.

In His messages to the last four churches, Jesus spoke of His second coming. He warned the churches of His return. "Behold, I come quickly," He said. If they didn't repent they would be cast into the Great Tribulation. If they kept the word of His patience, Jesus promised that He would keep them from the hour of temptation.

"After these things" - after the church has finished her testimony upon the earth and God is through with us - there shall come from heaven,

The voice of the archangel, and 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 (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

The church will be transported into heaven for a seven-year period during which time there will be Great Tribulation upon the earth. (For an expanded commentary on the rapture of the church, see Snatched Away! by the author.)

After the church's witness and work upon the earth is completed, the trump of God shall sound. The trumpet sound will be saying to the Christians, the body of Christ, "Come up hither!"

While in summer camp, I've heard the trumpet say "Rise and shine!" and I've heard the trumpet say "Go to bed." I've heard the trumpet say "Come and eat!", and at football games I've heard it say "Charge!" But I'm waiting for the trumpet to say "Come up hither !" I don't know what kind of a trumpet call it will be - but I'll understand it and recognize it the minute I hear it!

When the trump of God shall sound, the dead will be raised incorruptible. And "we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye" (1 Corinthians 15:51-52), "caught up... to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:17). The Bible does not say that we shall be in heaven forever. It says that we shall be "with the Lord."

Wherever Jesus is, that's where everyone who is a Christian will be, because we're all part of the body of Christ. We'll never be separated from Him. While He is in heaven, we'll be in heaven. When He comes back to earth, we'll come back to the earth. When He goes into the new heaven and the new earth, we'll go into the new heaven and the new earth.

The Jehovah's Witnesses say, "I don't want to go to heaven and twiddle my thumbs for eternity." Born-again Christians don't intend to. We intend to be there for seven years while the earth goes through the Tribulation. We'll enjoy the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in heaven. Then we expect to come back to reign with Christ upon the earth. We'll reign with Him as kingdom priests on the earth for one thousand years, then enter into the new heaven and new earth wherein dwells righteousness, and we'll live and reign with Him forever.

If the Lord told me to sit on a cloud and twiddle my thumbs, I'd be the happiest thumb-twiddler in all the universe! I'm not afraid of what God has in store for me. I can hardly wait! I'm sure it'll be more exciting than twiddling my thumbs. I feel sorry for those people who degrade heaven. They say, "You're always talking about the 'sweet by and by' or the 'pie in the sky. 'You should be more concerned with the 'now and now'."

It was Jesus who encouraged us and gave us this glorious hope. I'm looking forward to going to heaven. I don't care what they say, I'm anxious to see it. Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:2-3). There's the clue. Where Jesus is, that's where I'll be, and in His presence is fullness of joy.

It took seven days for the Lord to create this beautiful world. He's been preparing heaven for two thousand years. Imagine what it must be like by now! And you don't want to go there? Friend, you can stay here in all this pollution if you want to, but I'm going up!

I believe that the rapture of the church takes place in verse one of Revelation 4 - after the things of the church history are completed. John heard a voice as a trumpet saying, "Come up hither, and I will show you things that shall be after these things." Now John will see the things that shall take place after the church is gone.

REVELATION 4:2-7

The Heavenly Scene

"And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne" (Rev. 4:2).

Why was John "in the spirit"? Because flesh and blood cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. "And one sat on the throne." This is the great, beautiful throne of God. As John looked at God, he didn't see any form.

"And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone" (Rev. 4:3). Jasper is a diamond-like, clear, crystal stone with a purple hue. The sardine stone is blood red. The sardine stone was the first stone and the jasper stone was the last stone that the high priest in the Old Testament wore on his breastplate (Exodus 28:17-20). "And there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald" (Rev. 4:3).

John saw God sitting upon His throne in majesty on high. What an awesome sight this must have been! He saw the brilliance of God like the brilliance of the jasper and sardine stones - a mixture of clear, crystal, purplish hue with blood red - and an emerald green rainbow "round about the throne" of God.

"And round about the throne were twenty-four smaller seats" The word translated seats in the King James is the Greek word for "thrones." "And upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold" (Rev. 4:4).

There are many Bible expositors who believe that the twenty-four elders are actually representative of the church. They have white robes, as does the church in Revelation 19:8, which is the righteousness of the saints. The twenty-four elders also have crowns of gold upon their heads. We the church have been promised the crowns of life, the crowns of righteousness by our Lord. Many Bible expositors see the elders representing the church on its throne, ruling and reigning with Christ in heaven. This is a very possible interpretation.

It is also possible that these elders represent the saints from the Old and the New Testaments - the twelve tribes and the twelve apostles. It is also possible that they're created beings of God like angels and cherubs. These elders may be created beings for the specific ministry of sitting on the twenty-four thrones around God's throne. We cannot know for sure.

And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God (Rev. 4:5).

Again, I refer you to Isaiah 11:2 for the seven-fold working of the Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ (see Rev. 1:4 commentary).

And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts [proper translation is "living creatures"](Rev. 4:6).

These are not beasts like wild or dumb animals; they are actually highly intelligent created beings of God. As they are described in and compared with Ezekiel 1 and 10, we know that these are cherubim about the throne of God.

These four living creatures were "full of eyes before and behind. The first living creature was like a lion, and the second was like a calf, and the third had a face as a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle" (Rev. 4:6-7).

Some see these creatures as manifestations of Christ in the Gospels. In the first Gospel, Matthew presents Jesus as the lion of the tribe of Judah. Mark presents Him as a calf, a beast of burden representing a suffering servant. Luke presents Him as the Son of man. John presents Him as the Son of God, the eagle representing the Divinity.

REVELATION 4:8-11

And the four living creatures had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and they worship him that lives for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created (Rev. 4:8-11).

Here we get a view of the heavenly scene. Study Revelation 4. Fix it in your mind. You don't want to look like a country bumpkin on his first trip to the big city when you get to heaven. You don't want to be looking around and asking everyone, "What's that!?"

You'll see God sitting upon the throne with the emerald rainbow about the throne. You'll see the twenty-four lesser thrones for the elders and you'll see the cherubim who stand before God continually saying, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come" - declaring the holiness and eternal character of God. As they do this, the twenty-four elders fall down upon the crystal sea which is before the throne of God, cast their crowns before the throne, and declare God's worthiness to receive their worship. God is worthy by virtue of the fact that He has created all things and that all things were made for Him and for His pleasure.

Now, like it or not, God created you for His own pleasure. You say, "I don't think it's fair!" Well, that's tough. That's the way it is. Like it or not, that's why you've been created.

If you truly submit to that scriptural truth, you'll find fulfillment. If you don't submit to it, you'll go around forever empty, always frustrated, and ever reaching out for something more, but never finding satisfaction. Since God created you for His pleasure, the only way your life will be meaningful and fulfilling is by bringing pleasure to God.

"Without faith it is impossible to please God: for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Hebrews 11:6). When you diligently seek after God, you bring Him pleasure. The way to have fulfillment is to live a life of faith seeking after full fellowship with God. You'll find the most satisfying and complete life you can have when you're fulfilling the basic reason for God creating you.

"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." All things were created for God's good pleasure. A lot of people come down on God for this. That's their problem. You can fight against it if you want but you won't get anywhere. The best thing is to submit to it. You can fight against a block wall to get through it. You can beat yourself against it all you want, but I happen to know what's in a block wall. I've watched them put in the steel bars and pour the grout. I know that, try as you may, you'll only hurt yourself. You're not going to affect that wall one bit. You might stain it a bit with your blood, but that won't hurt it.

Likewise, you may fight against God all you want, but you're the one who's going to suffer. Your fighting doesn't take anything away from God. It's time you wake up and quit fighting against God.