Temple Baptist Church - 7-19-2020
Revelation 4:1-3
Introduction:
A. I spent several weeks dealing with the Rapture of the Church and Eschatology (the study of Things of Come or Prophecy). There is much confusion concerning the Church, the Body of Christ. I will not take the time to reiterate it but will say that we are Pre-Millennial, Pre-Rapture in our doctrinal position because that is God’s position!
B. Tonight, we find the Rapture has taken place in verse one and the Church is in heaven.
C. There are things that the Bible either says little or nothing about, so we do not want to get into speculation in our study of Revelation. I want to look at two verses for a few minutes to Biblically explain some things.
1 Corinthians 2:9-10 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (10) But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
D. People normally quote verse 9 but leave out verse 10. Though there are some things that we will not know until we get to heaven, there are some things that God has shed light upon through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost in our Bible.
E. I want to look at two such things tonight as they pertain to our verses in Revelation 4:1-3.
1. We are now in our glorified body.
a. 1 Corinthians 15:50-53 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. (51) 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.
b. But what about those who are with the Lord before we receive our eternal body?
1) Pre-Rapture, both saved and lost have an “intermediate” body of some kind.
Luke 16:23-24 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. (24) And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
2) Samuel when he appeared to Saul - 1 Samuel 28:14 And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.
3) The Old Testament Saints at the death of Christ - Matthew 27:50-53 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. (51) And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; (52) And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, (53) And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
4) The “rich man” who died without Christ had eyes and a tongue. The “beggar,” Lazarus, was visible to the rich man and had a finger to dip into water. Luke 16:23-24 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. (24) And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
5) As to what that intermediate body is, the Bible is silent but dead saints are not just spirit.
2. We are now in heaven. I want to differentiate between Abraham’s Bosom, Paradise, Heaven, and the New Jerusalem.
a) The Pre-Resurrection saints that have died – Abraham’s Bosom is a pre-resurrection place of containment.
1) Abraham’s Bosom is mentioned only 1x and that is found in the New Testament. Jesus gave an Old Testament example of where the redeemed were kept until the resurrection.
Luke 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
2) Though in is called Abraham’s Bosom, Abraham was evidently not the first to go there. The first man who died as a saved man was Abel, so he was the first there.
3) In the Old Testament, 9x the wording “gathered unto his people” is used when speaking of the death of the saints. The First Mention is found in Genesis, chapter 25.
Genesis 25:7-8 And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years. (8) Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.
3. Post-Resurrection - Paradise – mentioned only 3x and all in the New Testament.
Psalms 68:18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.
Ephesians 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
a) Paradise is a post-resurrection place of containment. When the Lord resurrected, He brought those from Abraham’s Bosom to Paradise.
b) Paradise – definition: possible from a foreign origin (possible Persian) meaning an enclosed garden or Eden. As man began in the Garden of God, the saved man returns to such.
Ezekiel 28:13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
c) The Tree of Life is found in three different places in the Scripture and is always found where there is no sin.
1) In the Garden of Eden - Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
2) In the Paradise of God - Revelation 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
3) In the New Jerusalem - Revelation 22:1-2 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. (2) In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
d) The uses of the word “Paradise.”
1) The Thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-43 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. (43) And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
2) The Apostle Paul in his revelation - 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. (3) And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) (4) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
3) The Overcomer in the Church Age - Revelation 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
4. Post Rapture – Heaven – to rise or be elevated as on a mountain above a plain. A happy place and an eternal place.
Revelation 4:1-3 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. (3) 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.
Psalms 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
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