I. Introduction.
A. Consider what it will be like for us to be in the Presence of God.
B. Have you ever wondered what you will do in Heaven? Of course, many people have no idea of the details of Heaven, e.g., where it will be, when it will be, and who will be there. Chapters 4 and 5 of the Book of Revelation, especially discuss who will be in Heaven. An understanding of Heaven, and those who will occupy it, will help us to understand who will be in Heaven during the time of Revelation, Chapters 6 through 19. As we learn more about Heaven, we will learn more about who will occupy “the eternal state of the new Heaven, new Earth, and new Jerusalem, of Revelation, Chapters 21 and 22, as the eternal state is introduced in Revelation 21:1-2.
C. In this article we will discuss the events that are recorded in Revelation 4:1-11, as to timing, events, and participants. Through this study of the Throne Room of God, we should gain an increased desire to be in constant worship of God. We should also come to understand that the primary purpose of mankind is not to lead souls to saving faith in Christ, but to glorify God, whether, inside or outside of a Church sanctuary. If we do not glorify God, soul winning can become an academic exercise, based on “how many people” may have led “how many other people” to Christ. However, whenever a soul is saved, God is glorified.
B. Overview. Revelation Chapters 4-5.
1. Chapters 4 and 5 of the Book of Revelation show the events in Heaven, preceding and during the Godly judgments of the Tribulation (Seal, Trumpet, Bowl), which will be released on earth, “by God,” through the Lamb (the Risen and Glorified Christ) and the angels of God.
(a) Rev 6:1 “Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals.”
(b) Rev 8:6-7. “6 And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them. 7 The first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.”
(c) Rev 16:1, “Then I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”…
2. We will go into greater detail of the judgments of God (Seal, Trumpet, Bowl), that will be poured out on the earth, which will affect all whom will be left behind from the “catching up” of the born again believers in Christ (Rev 3:10,”…the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” Born again believers in Christ have no need to be tested; “we” have passed the test by knowing Christ as our Lord and Savior.) The catching up of the believers in Christ is known as the rapture (English), harpazo (Greek), rapio (Latin); (John 14:2-6, 1 Corinthians 15:50-54, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
C. Scripture Disussion.
1. Rev 4:1 shows John at the “door standing open in Heaven.” John could only have had access to Heaven by having been born again (John 3:3, “you must be born again”). We, also, will be caught up to Heaven (after also having been born again). This view of Heaven is the same one that is described in John 14:1-6. Consider the following verses that relate to Heaven, and to a special place “in My Father’s house” in heaven, where Christ will be taking “His” bride (the born again believers in Christ), at the time of the rapture. Think! Christ will take His bride to a place in His Father’s house that will be specially made for His redeemed of the Old and New Testament times. Let me add this thought. On the way to that specially built place in the Father’s house, the Bride will not be “brow beat” at the Judgment Seat of Christ, and will not be subjected to the Godly judgments of the Tribulation. Additionally, Scripture has no such promise for anyone, other than the redeemed in Christ, to being taken to “a specially prepared place” in “My Father’s house.” The promise is not made to the Tribulation saints; the promise is made only to those whom will be caught up in the resurrection and rapture of believers in Christ (John 14:2-6; 1 Cor 15:50-54; 1 Thes 4:13-18). The Old Testament redeemed will have already been taken to Heaven, per Ephesians 4:8.
2. John 14:2 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.” (Christ told the disciples that He was going to prepare a place in Heaven.)
3. John 14:3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” (Christ will prepare such a place in Heaven where He will His take born again believers.)
4. John 14:6 Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. (This verse is often related to faith in Christ as being the only way to heaven, which is true. But, the words in the verse show this to be an event of action, where Christ will take His born again believers to Heaven, and that He is the only one who can take His believers to Heaven.)
5 The Heaven that Christ describes in John 14:2-6, is the place where all raptured saints will be taken after they have been caught up by Christ. On the way to Heaven (John 14:2-3), these born again saints will be taken to the Judgment Seat of Christ where they will receive spiritual rewards (2 Cor 5:10). I like the wording of the HCSB, which also capitalizes pronouns that refer to God. This is also the place where the Old Testament saints have been taken by Christ (Ephesians 4:8).
a. 2 Corinthians 5:10 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
10 For we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless.
b. From the Judgment Seat of Christ, we are on our way to an eternity with our Lord. On our way to Heaven (as is described in John 14:2,3), as we are taken by Christ (John 14:6), we and Christ are present at the Marriage of the Lamb.
(1) Revelation 19:7-8 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Marriage of the Lamb
7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
(2) The born again believers in Christ are the Bride of Christ, and are clothed in righteousness (no need to go through the Tribulation).
(3) 2 Corinthians 11:2 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.
c. While the righteous Bride of Christ is present in Heaven with Christ, the following events will take place.
Revelation, Chapters 4-5 will precede the Tribulation. The “One” sitting on the throne (Rev 4:2) is God, the Father. The twenty-four elders (Rev 4:4) are the redeemed of the New Testament and Old Testament times. Tribulation Jews will not be redeemed until they call on Christ to save them at the end of the Tribulation (Psalm 118:26/Matt 23:39/Zech 12:10). The seven Spirits of God (Rev 4:5) represent the fullness of God (John 4:24, “God is Spirit;” not, “God is a spirit,” which would make Him “one of many spirits.”). The four living creatures (Rev 4:6) are angels, probably Cherubim (Ezek 10:15-20). The redeemed saints (body of Christ) will worship God (the Father), and cast “their” crowns at the feet of God (the Father), in Rev 4:9-11.
d. We will now discuss the crowns that we will “throw, or cast” at the feet of God.
(1) Will we throw “our” crowns at the feet of God, and “leave them there” or, will we pick them up, and cast them at the feet of God again? Will we have only one occurrence of such worship (Rev 4:9-11) during the seven years of tribulation, when we are in heaven, when we will “fall down before God” (vs 10), and “cast our crowns before God,” (vs 10), and say, ““Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created” (vs 11)? I think not.
(2) Let’s consider the crowns.
(a) 2 Cor 5:10 a, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body”
1. The Imperishable Crown – (1 Corinthians 9:24-25)
2. The Crown of Rejoicing – (1 Thessalonians 2:19)
3. The Crown of Righteousness – (2 Timothy 4:8)
4. The Crown of Glory – (1 Peter 5:4)
5. The Crown of Life – (Revelation 2:10)
(b) The crowns that we cast at the feet of God are “our crowns.” I believe that we will continue in our worship of God in Heaven throughout the entire seven year period of time of the Tribulation, and that we will repeatedly cast our crowns at the feet of God. Scripture shows that the crowns are our crowns, as follows.
(c) Rev 2:10, “I will give you the crown of life.”
(d) Rev 3:11, “hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.” (Salvation can not be lost, but a crown can be (lost), 2 John 8, “Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.”
e. The events of Revelation, Chapters 4 and 5, take place after the rapture of the church and before the time of the Tribulation.
f. The events, that follow Revelation Chapter 5, take place during Revelation Chapters 6 through 19, which are the Tribulation’s seven years.
(1) In Matt 24:3, “the disciples came to Christ “privately,” saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Notice that the conversation is only among Christ and His disciples; no Gentiles are present.)
(2) The events of Matthew, Chapters, 24:3-25:46, take place during Revelation, Chapters 6-19. The Ryrie Study Bible states that Matt 24:29-31 speaks of the sign of “Christ’s coming.” (second coming, mine) 25:4-28 speaks of the sign of the end of the age. Verses 4-14 list characteristics of the first half of the Tribulation period, whereas verses 15-28 deal with the second half (of the Tribulation, mine). This passage is called the Olivet discourse, which was given by Christ (a Jew), to His disciples (also Jews), about Jews in the Tribulation. For example, are we concerned about, “fleeing Judea to the mountains, and if our flight will happen on a Sabbath?” (Matt 24:16-18). Such things will be of significance to the Jews that will have been left behind from the rapture, and who will be experiencing the persecutions and judgments that will be taking place during the Tribulation.
(3) During Rev 6-19, the redeemed of the Old Testament and New Testament times will be in Heaven worshiping God. At the call of Israel to Christ to save them, (at the end of the Tribulation, Zech 12:10), Christ, His redeemed and angels, will descend to earth for the Battle of Armageddon (Rev 19:11-21), where He will stand on the Mount of Olives, and defeat the forces of the world that are attacking Israel (Zech 14:1-15) (Consider China in Rev 16:12.) The battle victory will come quickly (Rev 19:15).
(4) Christ and His believers of all times will rule and reign for 1,000 years (Rev 20:4, Tribulation resurrected martyrs); (Dan 12:1-3 and Matt 19:28, Old Testament resurrected saints); (1 Cor 6:2, Church age saints).
(5) At the end of the 1,000 years (millennium/Kingdom Age), those whom have not been born again, from all of the ages, will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev 20:15). The born again believers of all ages will enter the Eternal State of the New Heaven, New Earth and New Jerusalem (Rev 21:1-2). At this time the New Jerusalem, which has been hovering above the earth, will begin its descent to our present earth, which will have been destroyed by God.
g. A New Heaven And Earth.
2 Peter 3:10 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.
h. Considering Heaven.
(1) Three heavens are described in 1 Cor 15:40: the first heaven, “terrestrial,” is where the birds fly; the second heaven, “celestial,” is where the astronauts fly; and the third heaven, being the Presence of God, is where God “doesn’t need to fly.”
(2) The Apostle Paul described his trip to the Presence of God. In the following passage; Paul is the man.
i. Paul’s Vision Of Heaven
2 Corinthians 12:1-4 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
1 Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows— 4 was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.
j. We must not forget the place, in “my Father’s house,” that Christ promised to His bride, His born again believers.
(a) John 14:2-3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
(b) As stated above, it is in “The Father’s House” that Christ has been preparing a place for His Bride, whom are the born again believers in Christ. No such promise has been made to any other group of people in all of history. A bride is the joy of every bride groom. No loving bride groom is going to subject his bride to the persecution and judgments, as those which will take place during the Tribulation. Neither will a bride groom “stop off on the way to the wedding alter” to treat his bride with great disrespect, such as has been the teaching of many about the Judgment Seat of Christ.
k. The New Heaven will exist in the eternal state of the New Heaven, New Earth, and New Jerusalem (Rev 21:1-2).
D. Encouragement for Believers In Christ.
1. Church! We are “the Bride!” We are special! Don’t let anybody tell you anything less about your place in Christ! If we are not raptured, we can not be taken to the Marriage of the Lamb in Heaven. If we are not “raptured and taken to Heaven,” we can not return with Christ from Heaven for the Battle of Armageddon. If the church is not raptured, we will be left on earth to go through the tribulation.
2. There are many people who are saying that we are in the Tribulation, because of COVID-19. I must add this thought. During 1918-1920, an estimated 500 million people from the South Seas to the North Pole fell victim to Spanish Flu. The deaths that we are experiencing now, are minuscule, in relation to the number of deaths that occurred during the Spanish Flu.
https://www.livescience.com/worst-epidemics-and-pandemics-in-history.html
3. The Tribulation can come only after a peace treaty is made between the anti-Christ and Israel.
(a) Jeremiah 30:7, “Jacob’s distress.” The coming days of Tribulation that will come upon all Israel (Jacob) [Ryrie Study Bible].
(b) Daniel 9:24:27, vs 27, “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.” “he”. the anti-Christ, will make a pact with many (of the Jewish people) at the beginning of the Tribulation period. But “in the middle of the week” (i.e., 3 1/2 years later) anti-Christ will break his covenant and desecrate the Temple by demanding worship of himself in it. At Christ’s second coming, anti-Christ and his false prophet will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev 19:20). [Ryrie Study Bible]. {mine. No such pact has been made. No such temple exists.}
II. Conclusion.
A. The events of Revelation, Chapters 4 and 5, will occur after the rapture of the church occurs (Jn 14:2-6, 1 Cor 15:50-54, 1 Thes 4:13-18). The raptured church will not be on earth while the tribulation is taking place, but will be in Heaven worshiping God. We are not in the tribulation now. The anti-Christ has not made a peace treaty with Israel, which will mark the beginning of the Tribulation. Israel is not now living in peace.
B. What is necessary for a person to be present during the worship of God, as explained in Revelation, Chapter 4?
1. We must be born again. John 3:3, “unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
2. We must have an intimate relationship with God the Father, through God the Son, being empowered by God the Holy Spirit. John 17:3,
“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
Eternity 