[2] The title of the sermon today is “REVELATION CHAPTER 4.”
- Chapter 1 of Revelation is an introduction.
- Revelation is written to REVEAL things to us.
- The Book of Revelation is written to people who are saved.
- It is not written for us to be in the dark but to light the way.
- Revelation Chapters 2 and 3 were the 7 messages to 7 literal churches in Asia at that time.
- The messages to the 7 churches were completed and now we're in Chapter 4.
[3] Revelation 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.
- John is being shown things by Jesus to write in this Book.
- It's very clear and easy to see that.
- “AFTER THIS” at the beginning of the verse means this is what is happening after Jesus gave John the 7 messages to the Churches.
- A door was opened in heaven.
- A voice as it were of a trumpet, A VERY LOUD VOICE was heard. This was NOT a trumpet sounding.
- It’s very important to understand it's not a trumpet sounding.
- The voice says, COME UP HITHER. Why does God want John to come up hither?
- It says it right there: "To show thee things which MUST BE HEREAFTER"
- The last word in Rev 4:1 is very important. “HEREAFTER.”
[4] Revelation 1:19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
- The layout of the book of Revelation is given in Rev 1:19.
- 1) PAST, 2) PRESENT, 3) Future.
- 1) Write the things thou HAST SEEN (PAST).
- 2) The things which ARE (PRESENT).
- 3) The things which shall be HEREAFTER (FUTURE).
- When we get to Rev 4:1, we see John is going to write the HEREAFTER or FUTURE.
- Everything before Rev 4 is PAST and PRESENT things.
- For example, the 7 Churches were 7 Churches in John's present day.
- Revelation Chapter 2 and 3 are NOT talking about FUTURE CHURCHES or CHURCH AGES.
The man-made doctrine of church ages is a FALSE DOCTRINE.
- These are NOT 7 CHURCH AGES. Not future Churches.
- False teaching Pre-Tribulation Rapture tries to say these 7 churches represent 7 Church Ages.
- Pre-Tribulation Rapture is the MAJORITY of Churches around us.
- FALSE DOCTRINE or FALSE TEACHING.
- Rev 2 and 3 are church history.
- The false preachers say, “The first church age after Jesus ascended was the Ephesus church age.”
- I don’t see the Bible say that anywhere.
They say, “We're living in the last Church Age, Laodicean Church Age, the last Church in Revelation 3.”
- Why is this a false doctrine? You'll see more as we go, but notice the HEREAFTER in Revelation 4:1.
- If Revelation 2 and 3 were FUTURE Churches, the letters to 7 churches would have been future churches.
- They would have been in the HEREAFTER part of Revelation.
- Chapter 4 is the future or HEREAFTER part of Revelation.
The Pre-Tribulation Rapture is a false doctrine made up by man. God doesn’t teach us this.
- The Pre-Tribulation Rapture 100% without a doubt is a false teaching.
- I studied it myself for years, and I believed it over the word of God. HUGE MISTAKE.
- They say, “Saved people will be removed before the Tribulation takes place.”
- The Bible never says anything like this.
- You need to recognize this false teaching immediately and get away from it.
Pre Tribulation false teachers say 2 things:
- 1)Rapture can happen at any moment 2) Rapture is before the Tribulation.
- Tribulation starts in Chapter 6 when the seals are opened.
Notice that the seals being opened in Chapter 6 is NOT God's WRATH.
- It's Tribulation. Tribulation is not equal to God's Wrath.
- Tribulation starts in Chapter 6 so they MUST find the Rapture Before Chapter 6.
- The false teachers must find some Scripture showing the rapture before Chapter 6.
- Guess what? It’s not there. Try to find it before Revelation Chapter 6. You can’t.
They believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. Tribulation is in Chapter 6.
- Where is the Rapture before Chapter 6? Ask them?
- They’ll say Rev 4:1-2 is the Rapture. Read those verses again.
- These are the verses we've been reading. Did you notice the Rapture in Revelation 4:1-2?
- Let's read it again.
[5] Revelation 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.
- They’ll say, “SEE, THAT'S THE RAPTURE!!!” And I scratch my head. That’s the rapture???
- They say, “There's a trumpet, come up hither, John is caught up to heaven.”
- They will say, “That's the Rapture.”
- They say Chapters 2 and 3 are all of the Church ages and that we're in the last age.
- Chapter 3 ends, Chapter 4 verse 1 and 2 are the Rapture.
- They say that's the order of how things are going to happen.
This is false because that's not what the Bible says.
- The Bible NEVER says the Rapture happens AFTER the last Church age.
- The Bible doesn't even mention Church Ages at all, anywhere.
[6] Ephesians 3:21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
- The church is present throughout ALL AGES. There is no specific church age that starts in the Book of Acts.
- The church was there in the wilderness with Moses!
Let’s prove why Revelation 4:1-2 is not the rapture.
- If you have a clear and sound mind, you can see this isn't the Rapture.
- What is the Rapture or what does the Second Coming of Jesus look like?
- Let's see what the actual Bible says.
[7] Matthew 24:29-31 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
[8] Mark 13:24-27 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, 25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. 26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
[9] Luke 21:25-28 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
[10] 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 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: 17 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. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
[11] 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 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. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
Let’s look at the characteristics of the rapture from the verses we just went over.
- Sun and moon is darkened.
- Stars fall from heaven, shooting stars.
- Sign of the Son of Man in heaven.
- Jesus coming in the clouds with power and great glory.
- Angels come with the sound of a GREAT Trumpet.
- Multitude of SAVED people, the elect, are gathered.
- The Lord descends from Heaven.
- The trumpet of God sounds.
- Saved people caught up in the clouds with Jesus.
- Meet Jesus in the air.
- Changed in the moment of any eye from a corruptible body to a new incorruptible body.
- Now, let’s read Revelation 4:1-2 and see if it matches any of those things.
[12] Revelation 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.
- Revelation 4 verses 1 and 2 is not the rapture.
- One person, is John caught up to heavens.
- He's in the spirit and not in the body.
- It's a VOICE like a trumpet, very loud, but not a trumpet.
- This is not a multitude of people.
- This is not a trumpet sounding.
- Isaiah 58:1 is another example like Revelation 4:1.
[13] Isaiah 58:1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
- The voice is lifted up LIKE a trumpet. It’s not an actual trumpet.
- Revelation 4:1-2 is not a bodily resurrection like the actual rapture. John is in the spirit.
- The Lord gives people visions and information in the spirit as in the Book of Ezekiel.
[14] Ezekiel 37:1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,
- This is done often throughout the Bible, and it's not the Rapture.
- The Rapture is a bodily resurrection with a multitude of saved people.
- We can't take Rev 4:1-2 and call this the Rapture.
- That's called adding a fairy tale to the Scripture.
- God isn't happy with people who create fairy tales out of His Scripture.
- There's nothing else before the Tribulation in Rev Chapter 6 that is the RAPTURE.
- That's all the false teachers of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture have.
- Look, there’s nothing else they can find in Revelation prior to the tribulation beginning. That’s it.
Where is the rapture in revelation?
- The Book of Revelation is in chronological order from Chapter 1 through 11.
- The the Book starts over in Revelation Chapter 12 and begins again in chronological order.
- The Tribulation CLEARLY begins in Chapter 6.
- If we look to Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21 we know the Rapture occurs AFTER THE TRIBULATION.
- This means we would expect the Rapture to happen in Chapter 7, after the Tribulation.
- Let's look to Chapter 7 and see if the Rapture is described there.
- The 144,000 are sealed at the start of Revelation Chapter 7.
- Then we look to verse 9.
[15] Revelation 7:9-10 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
- A great multitude of people are caught up to heaven.
- They just show up in heaven and they just got there.
[16] Revelation 7:13-14 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
- Where did they come from? They came out of GREAT Tribulation.
- The Rapture occurs right after GREAT Tribulation.
- Do you see how that matches with all the other Books of the Bible?
- We don't get a huge amount of detail on the Rapture but we do see the multitude that are caught up to heaven.
- The timing matches the entire Bible.
More detail on the Rapture is then given in Revelation Chapter 14.
- Revelation repeats things just like the 4 Gospels, Kings and Chronicles, as an example.
- The Rapture is AFTER THE TRIBULATION but before God's wrath is poured out.
- Compare that to Revelation 4:1-2 in which John is caught up in the spirit so God can show him things to write.
- John, once he saw these things, was back in his body in the Isle of Patmos and wrote the things.
- He didn't stay there with God because he wasn't raptured. Is this not very obvious and clear? IT IS.
- When we're Raptured, we're then with the Lord forever. We don’t go back to our normal life.
[17] 1 Thessalonians 4:17 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.
- Once we're raptured, it's permanent.
- We are with the Lord forevermore.
- We see the Rapture in Revelation Chapter 7 as the multitude of people who came out of Tribulation are now with the Lord.
- That matches perfectly with Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21. “AFTER THE TRIBULATION.”
- This makes sense with the entire Bible.
The rapture is in Revelation chapter 14 too.
- You'll see we start over in Chapter 12 with the birth of Jesus Christ.
- This is pretty clear it's not in chronological order any more and that the book is starting over.
- You'll see Tribulation in Chapter 13.
- After the Tribulation, we expect to see the Rapture.
- Let's look to Revelation Chapter 14.
[18] Revelation 14:14-16 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. 16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
- We have a white cloud, the Son of Man Jesus Christ upon the cloud, a sharp sickle for the harvest of the earth.
- The time is come to reap the harvest.
- This is clearly talking about gathering the saved people, harvesting his people from earth.
- Do you remember the parable of the sower in Matthew Chapter 13?
[19] Matthew 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
[20] Matthew 13:37-42 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
- The sowed good seed are the saved people, the tares are the wicked or people who won't believe on Jesus Christ.
- The wheat or the good stuff is gathered into HIS BARN.
- So again, Revelation Chapter 14 is the Rapture with more detail.
- Matches everything else in the Bible perfectly.
- This is a post Tribulation Rapture before God's wrath is poured out.
False teaching makes the Bible MUCH harder to understand.
- When something in the Bible doesn't make sense it's usually indoctrination that causes it not to make sense.
- In other words, false teaching will make the Bible harder to understand.
- We have to get rid of those ideas that don't match the Bible.
- We have to clear our minds and only hear what the Bible is saying.
- We must read the Bible for what it says.
Here’s a quick recap to this point:
- We know that John is in the spirit in heaven so he can shown the HEREAFTER.
- John is being shown the future events so he can give us this great book of Revelation.
- He isn’t being raptured away at the rapture. It clearly hasn’t happened yet at this point in Revelation.
[21] Revelation 4:3-5 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. 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. 5 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.
GOD IS BEAUTIFUL!!!
- God is sitting on the throne.
- Seeing God is like seeing very precious and beautiful stones.
- There was a rainbow round about the throne.
- A rainbow doesn't represent vile and nasty people in the world.
[22] Leviticus 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
- A rainbow represents God and His beauty, rainbows are amazing.
- So don't let the world mess up the rainbow as the rainbow isn't an abomination like the people who use it as their symbol.
- God owns the rainbow.
Who are these 24 elders?
- Round about the throne are 24 seats with 24 elders.
- Who are these elders? What is an elder?
[23] 1 Peter 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
[24] Titus 1:5-9 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: 6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. 7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; 8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; 9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
- Elders are leaders for the cause of Christ.
- Obviously, they are saved men who are great and experienced leaders for Jesus Christ.
- It doesn't matter what the world calls an Elder, God knows the true elders.
- These 24 elders are great men of God but they are only great because of God, it's not of themselves.
The pre-tribulation rapture false teaching of 24 elders.
- More lies and false teaching says these 24 elders represent the entire Church, the saved people who were just raptured.
- But remember, we truly aren't to the Rapture yet as we're in Chapter 4.
- But the Pre-Tribulation false teachers say the people were just raptured and now the 24 elders represent the entire church.
- “All the saved people are represented by these 24 elders.” WHAT???
- Where does it say that in the Bible? This is adding to the word of God. We can't do that.
- The Book of Revelation warns about ADDING to God’s words in this book.
Here’s the truth about the 24 elders:
- They are saved people who are already in heaven before the Rapture.
- The Rapture hasn't happened yet.
- The so-called great men and women of this world believe the Rapture will happen at any moment now.
- They don't want to accept that they won't be one of those 24 elders seated around the throne of God.
- Those 24 elders are already there BEFORE THE RAPTURE.
- Those 24 elders are sitting there in soul and spirit as the Rapture hasn't happened yet.
- They don’t have a new body. The only man who has a new glorified body at this point is Jesus Christ!
Pre-Tribulation false teachers say they must have been raptured as they are wearing white clothing.
- They will say you can't wear white clothing in the soul and spirit.
- That’s their so-called “PROOF.”
- That's not what the Bible says, though, as spirits are clothed in heaven.
- Try to explain this next set of Scripture away.
[25] Revelation 6:9-11 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
Souls slain for the word of God.
- Notice, these SOULS that were slain for the word of God are GIVEN white robes.
- Also notice that this passage is in Chapter 6 which is BEFORE THE RAPTURE.
- How do we know this is before the Rapture? They are still souls as the Bible calls them souls.
- They aren't in their new bodies yet and the wrath of God hasn't been poured out.
- They ask: "How long is this going to take, O Lord, before you avenge our blood?"
- This proves that the Rapture hasn't happened yet and God's wrath hasn't started yet.
Being one of the 24 elders is a great honor!!!
- These 24 seats are around the throne of God.
- This is an amazing honor.
- Think about who that might be.
- I think of someone like Job who was always faithful to God no matter what.
Some people in this world today, like these false preachers, actually believe they will be one of those 24.
- People of this world will put themsleves on pedestals. “I am the great apostle and prophet.”
- I can assure you anyone who doesn't believe what the Bible says will not be one of those 24 elders.
- If you're teaching a false Pre-Tribulation Rapture, you won't be one of those 24.
- Why? Because you won’t even believe what the WORD OF GOD says!!! That’s the very first step.
[26] Revelation 4:5 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.
The seven spirits of God:
- Out of the throne proceeded lightning and thunder and voices.
- Picture that in your mind.
- There were seven lamps of fire before the throne.
- These seven lamps of fire are the seven spirits of God.
- Jesus has the seven spirits of God, Rev 3:1 tells us this.
- The seven spirits of God are mentioned in Rev Chapter 1, 3, 4, and 5.
- Isaiah 11:1-2 is telling us about Jesus Christ and His seven spirits.
[27] Isaiah 11:1-2 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
The seven spirits are:
[28] Revelation 4:6-8 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 full of eyes before and behind. 7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. 8 And the four beasts 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.
The four beasts full of eyes:
- A sea of glass like crystal before the throne, a beautiful sight.
- Around the throne are 4 BEASTS full of eyes, so imagine this in your head.
- Imagine if you had eyes all over your body and could see everything around you at all times.
- The first beast is like a lion (not a lion but LIKE a lion).
- The second beast is like a calf.
- The third beast has a face like a man.
- The fourth beast is like a flying eagle
Each beast has 6 wings about them and FULL OF EYES.
- What's amazing is they NEVER rest not day and not night, they see everything at all times.
- They constantly are worshipping the Lord God Almighty saying:
- "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come"
- They cannot glorify God enough just as we can't.
[29] Psalm 86:12 I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.
- That's what these 4 beasts are doing.
- Constantly worshipping and praising God.
[30] 1 Corinthians 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
- God says that we are His because He has bought us with a price.