END TIMES REVEALED

Revelation 4-part 1


Rev. 4:1 John saw a door open in heaven: What is the significance of the door opened in heaven? The Holy Spirit tells us in the bible that there is only one door into Heaven. Our Lord Jesus said, “I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture” [ref. John 10:9). Jesus is the only way of access to God.

John writes what he heard through the open door: We see here a clear statement that represents the Rapture of the church: come up; here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”

Our Lord demonstrates the fulfillment of the believer’s “blessed hope.” Calling His bride to heaven. Our Lord promised that He would keep His own from the hour of trial that is to come upon the whole world [Ref. Rev. 3:10.

John said the voice of the Lord “was as it were of a trumpet.” Paul described this in his divinely inspired prediction of the Rapture [Ref. 1Cor. 15:51-52]. This will be the trumpet sound of the present age of grace calling up both those who have died in Christ and those in Him who are alive at the time[Ref. 1Thess. 4:13-18]. This will not be the last trumpet in point of time. Seven more trumpets are to be sounded after the Church is caught up to Heaven, but these are trumpets of judgment sounded by Angels [Ref. Rev. 8:7, 8, 10, 12; 9:1, 13; 11:15]. As the trumpet voice summoned John to Heaven, so we await its sound calling us to the last meeting in the air that will end the Age of Grace the “Church Age.”

Heaven is the vantage point of all true and accurate prophecy, the only safe place of vision. If we are to see future things we must know the plans and counsels of god, and these are laid in Heaven. When John saw as we will be able to see things from God’s view point we will see that God’s revelation of truth is vivid and clear. John saw that the true church was caught up to Heaven. God is on His eternal throne, and manifestations of the divine wrath are in store for the earth dwellers, which have rejected His Son.

The words “after this” “meta tauts” Greek words meaning “after these things,” make it clear that what follows is to take place on the earth after the church Age has run its course.


Rev. 4:2-3 John tells us he was immediately in the Spirit. The translation of John from earth to heaven was “immediately’ (at once). Even so will be the Rapture of the Church that will take place at once, “in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye” [Ref. 1Cor. 15:52].

There were other men before John who had gone into Heaven. There was Enoch [Ref. Gen. 5:24], Elijah [Ref. 2 Kings 2:11], and Paul [Ref. 2Cor. 12:1-5], but they tell us nothing of what they saw. But with John all is different. What he heard and saw he is told to write for the blessing of the whole Church.

In Heaven John saw a great throne with One sitting on it. The sitter upon the throne is not named, but described as His appearance was “like a jasper and a sardius stone,” not as a shape, for deity does not take on any particular shape, but in the brilliance and glory of the splendor of God. Both stones are found on the breast plate of the Jewish high priest [Ref. Ex. 28:17-20], and in the New Jerusalem which descends from God out of Heaven [Ref. Rev. 21:10, 11, 19:20]. The throne’s overall appearance was one of great beauty and color, enhanced by a rainbow, resembling an emerald, which encircled the throne.

Rev. 4:4 Around the principle throne were 24 lesser thrones on which were seated 24 elders. They were dressed in white and were wearing crowns of gold on their head. Who are these favored ones occupying the regal seats in Heaven? They are a royal and priestly company. We know they are not angels, but human beings, for the song they sing show them to be redeemed ones. [Ref. Rev. 5:9]. But why are there 24? We find a representation in 1Chron. 24. Twenty-four elders were appointed by King David to represent the entire Levitical priesthood. The elders in Haven represent the whole heavenly priesthood that is, all the redeemed who have died in the past, or who shall be living at the Lord’s return. There were twelve patriarchs in Israel, and twelve apostles introducing the new Age. The two together would give the complete four and twenty.

The dazzling white garments speak of perfect righteousness, “the righteousness of saints” [Ref. Rev 19:8]. The redeemed and the raptured are now with Jesus, and like Jesus {Ref. 1John 3:2], fashioned like unto Him [Ref. Phil. 3:20, 21], saved from the presence and possibility of sin.

The crowns on their heads disclose this royal dignity. Having been washed from their sins in Christ’s blood, they have been made both “kings and priests” [Ref. Rev. 1:5-6]. They are overcomers, thus all are crowned with the royal authority common to all saints in Heaven. There have been no rewards given out yet. John’s vision here is of that which takes place after the Church is caught up into Heaven. No saints will be crowned until “that day.” [Ref. 2 Tim. 4:7-8]. The expression “at that day” refers to the day of Christ’s coming for His own [Ref. Rev. 22:12].

Rev. 4:5 We must bear in mind that the throne of Deity here is the throne of judgment. There is no throne of grace because the day of grace is already past. The reason God does not judge the world today, in spite of the prevailing wickedness, is because He is seated upon the throne of grace. John tells us that a dreadful storm is about to burst on the earth beneath. Lightning’s, thundering, and voices are symbols of judgments. So we see this is judgment day for the earth, for justice means judgments.