²At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.

The central object of heaven is the throne of God, referred to eight times in 4:1-6 and eighteen times altogether in chapters 4-5. It seems to be a fixed point, with everything else in heaven located in relationship to it. The remainder of chapter 4 conveys to us seven distinct characteristics of the throne of God.

1. The Triune God
• Verse 2-3 indicate all three members of the triune God.
• Christ in His priestly role.
2. The Twenty-Four elders
   • 24 thrones around God’s throne
   • Most believe the 24 are human brought up in the rapture to represent the total priesthood.
   • Some believe them to be the 12 patriarchs of the Old Testiment and the 12 apostles
3. The Signs of Judgment
   • lightning
   • rumblings
   • peals of thunder
4. The Seven Spirits of God
   • the Spirit of the Lord
   • the Spirit of wisdom
   • the Spirit of understanding
   • the Spirit of counsel
   • the Spirit of power
   • the Spirit of knowledge
   • the Spirit of the fear of the Lord
5. The Sea of Glass
   • Two suggestions on what it represents.
     1. the Church at rest
     2. the Word of God
6. The Four Living Creatures
   • Seraphim (Isa. 6:1-3)
   • Six wings and cry, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty”
   • Four Forms
     1. A lion – leader of the kingdom of wild animals.
     2. A calf – leader of domestic animals.
     3. A man – leader of the angelic hosts responsible for the human race
     4. A flying eagle – leader of the kingdom of the fowls of the air.
7. The Heavenly Worship of Christ
   • The Lord Jesus Christ is the object of worship in heaven
   • Celestial beings sing songs of glory and honor to God because He is the Creator of all things.

What a wonderful picture. And to think, when we are taken up to be with Jesus, we will see it all, live and in living color.
That just blows my mind!

Curiosity has got a hold of me
Tell me how it’s gonna be – when
One day I’ll see you coming back for me
And all together we’ll fly away
One day I’ll hear that trumpet loud and clear
And all together we’ll fly away
O how I long for the day
When we fly away

Don’t ask me why I keep starin’ at the sky
It’s just I’m lost in anticipation
I know it will be in the twinkling of an eye
It’s just I get lost in my imagination

(lyrics to Fly Away by FFH | Windows Audio Clip )

I love the words to the song Fly Away by FFH.  I can relate!  Sometimes I get thinking about Jesus coming back and what it will be like, that I end up wasting time right now!  I need to be telling somebody about this!

So, where would I find the most detailed description of the Rapture of the Church?  Revelations?  Nope! 

Paul was in Thessalonica for only a few weeks before a few irate Jews drove him out of town.  While he was there, he taught the church that Christ would come and rapture Christians out of this world to be with Him.  After Paul left, some members had died and consequently the young Christians were perplexed about the status of their dead Christian members. So, the church wrote Paul a letter requesting an explanation.  First Thessalonians is Paul’s answer to them.  Note 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 carefully,

The Coming of the Lord

    ¹³Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. ¹⁴We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ¹⁵According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸Therefore encourage each other with these words.

There, I feel better. I can go back to day dreaming again!

When we talk about the end times, we sometimes refer to it as Christ’s second coming.  There are two parts of Revelations that talk about Jesus coming to earth. The first is when He comes and raptures his followers into the sky to be with him.  The next time is when He comes to set up his kingdom on earth.  So which is the second coming?  The answer is both of them.  In his book, Revelation Unveiled, Tim LaHaye says that "there is only one "Second Coming," but it occurs in two phases. The first phase is only for His church, that is, all living and dead believers since the church was founded in A.D. 33.  The second phase is for all those living on the earth at the end of the Tribulation.  In studying the passages that speak about Jesus coming again, he identified 15 different contrasting events that describe the two phases of our Lord’s coming. 

taken from Revelation Unveiled, by Dr. Tim LaHaye

[Time - Before the tribulation]

[HEAVEN] Opening of the seven sealed scroll (4:1-5:15) 

[EARTH] The Rapture (4:1)

1. Jerusalem will be rebuild in times of trouble and then shortly after that the Anointed One would be cut off.

The commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem was given in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes (Neh 2:1-8) which was around 445 B.C. and the city was rebuilt in times of trouble. After another 434 years the Anointed One (Jesus) appeared precisely as prophesied.  Biblical scholars have calculated very carefully that exactly 483 years after the decree of Artaxerxes, Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem at the conclusion of His earthly ministry (Lk 19:28-38) Then, within a few days, He was "cut off" by the events of the crucifixion.

2.  The people of the coming ruler would destroy the city and the sanctuary after the Anointed One was cut off.

In 70 A.D. when the Roman army destroyed the city of Jerusalem it broke down its walls, burned the sanctuary and pried apart the very stones of which it was built. The Jewish nation thus ceased to exist as a sovereign nation. Its people were scattered to the ends of the earth.

3.  The coming ruler (Antichrist) will make a peace agreement with the Jewish people that will last for 7 years.  Halfway through, three and one-half years, he will break the agreement, stop Jewish religious practices.  He will set up a desecrating abomination in the temple until he himself is finally destroyed.

The events of the last seven years have yet to be fulfilled. Why has there been such a long time between the first two sections of the prophecy and the last?  Our textbook lays out a wonderful argument as to the reason for the separation.  You can read it but I’ll try to summarize.  God made it very clear to the nation of Israel as it entered into the Promised Land that obedience to His laws would bring benefits. He also stated clearly the evil that would follow His peoples’ disobedience.  So, the Israelites disobeyed and so God finally permitted His people to be dispersed from their land.   God then made the land desolate.  The Roman conquest scattered the people and the land was a desert until recently. So, we can assume that it was because of the Israelites’ disobedience that led to the break in the time frame that God established.  So, when will these last seven years take place?  Nobody knows for sure but there are signs that events are coming together nicely for the eventual fulfillment of the last part of Daniels prophesy.

a. Through a series of events that began around the first part of this century, God has recalled his people from the very ends of the earth (Isaiah 11:11-12). God used various means to gather them until eventually, in May 1948, the returned Jews proclaimed the birth of the modern state of Israel.

b. After Israel became a nation again, they stared rebuilding the ruined cities and live in them. They have created a beautiful land out of a desert fulfilling Isaiah 35:1-2. (Also Amos 9:14-15)

c. When the Jewish people started returning to Israel, the Palestinian’s, who had inhabited the land, were displaced to other Arab countries. This had caused a friction between them that will have future ramifications.

That brings us to our next subject, the "coming ruler" as mentioned in verse 26.  We’ll continue that tomorrow!

We know that churches are made up of a community of believers.  Let’s take a look at seven different communities that have existed.  Which can you identify?

1.  The Proud Church.  When this church first formed, it was one of the earliest churches in the area.  They loved Jesus and loved each other.  Over the years, the church grew and grew until it was the largest church around. The community became diluted and they lost their fire for Jesus. They were more proud of their importance instead of glorifying Christ. Their belief became half-hearted and indifferent.

2.  The Suffering Church.  This church was composed of poor people but their faith made them rich in Christ. In size, they were the opposite of the church above. Over time, they were subjected to persecution and many were martyred in Christ’s name. Through this, their faith became stronger.

3.  The Tolerant Church.  Even though this church faced persecution and martyrdom, they tolerated false teachings. The false teachings were the right of Christians to indulge in heathen immoralities. Although the leadership of the church wasn’t propagating these false teachings, they tolerated them in the congregation.  They were in a difficult spot as their location was in the center of an area that was referred to as Satan’s Throne.  Even though faithful, their tolerance of false teaching was dangerous to their faith.

4.  The Church of Compromise.  This church grew and grew and was faithful to a point. They had a false teacher as one of their pastors and tolerated both true teachings and also false teachings.  Not everyone tolerated the false teaching but they also thought that this pastor could help win over the whole city so they accepted the pastor into the church as an equal.

5.  The Dead Church.  This church was a church in name only. This church consisted of mostly wealthy believers.  After a while, it became more of a social club.  They gathered to be seen and not to glorify Christ.

6.  The Humble Church.  This church was always content to exemplify the Life of Jesus in the midst of a corrupt society.  These believers were lovers of God’s Word and intent on keeping it.  With any blessing that came their way, they gave Christ the glory.

7.  The Lukewarm Church.  This church built a beautiful temple with riches. They dressed to impress.  They were a church operating in the Name of Christ but all too evidently for the benefit and glorification of the people in control, with Christ Himself little in evidence.

I am sure that you may have recognized one or more of these churches. You may even have recognized yourself in one of these.  Do you want me to tell you where these churches are? 

John, in the book of Revelations wrote letters to seven churches.  It is believed that he sent the whole book of Revelations to each of these churches.  He chose these churches as a representation of a fair cross section of the churches of that generation.  In fact, in some degree, they represent churches in all generations.  Churches existing in varying degrees of Truth and falseness.  Churches humanized with worldly traditions.  Churches largely the product of its leadership, with varying proportions of faithful leaders and faithful members.  Indeed, many congregations today are a pitiful mixture of church and world, True and False.

If you read Revelations 2, you notice that of the seven churches, two were good: Smyrna and Philadelphia, two were very bad: Sardis and Laodicea, and three were part good and part bad: Ephesus, Pergamum, and Thyatira. 

Our examples should be the churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia.  Smyrna, the suffering church, was promised the “Crown of Life”. Where is it today? It has survived through all the centuries, it houses the second largest population of Turkey. It’s modern name is Iz-mir (1). Philadelphia became Amman and served as the ancient and modern capital of Jordan.(2) 

The Roman Road to Salvation

]]> http://www.dipshtick.com/2005/07/30/what-is-the-bible-really-lesson-83.htm/feed 0 http://www.dipshtick.com/2005/07/28/too-busy-to-write-lesson-82.htm http://www.dipshtick.com/2005/07/28/too-busy-to-write-lesson-82.htm#comments Thu, 28 Jul 2005 05:32:17 +0000 Dave http://spaces.msn.com/members/cornerstonesoftruth/Blog/cns!1pLnjnJJCMpdnz1aL8R3I7ww!265.entry

(verb)

1. To commit an offense or a sin; transgress or err.

2. To commit an unlawful injury to the person, property,

or rights of another, with actual or implied force or

violence, especially to enter onto another’s land wrongfully.

3. To infringe on the privacy, time, or attention of another.

(noun)

1. Transgression of a moral or social law, code, or duty.

2. The act of trespassing.

3. A suit brought for trespassing.

4. An intrusion or infringement on another.

Because of sin, we see evidence throughout the Bible of the need for government in society. I will be the first to admit that I don’t like over-reaching governments. I don’t like to pay taxes. I think that too many people have become too dependent on government instead of God. I have all sorts of problems with human forms of Government.

Many people dream of a place called Utopia. This is an idealistic place where perfect justice and social harmony exist. Everyone minds his own business, gladly contributes to the welfare of the rest, and enjoys the good things of life to the fullest. If you are honest with yourself, you know that a utopian society can not exist on earth. Human beings are sinners. They are selfish, prideful and rebellious by nature. No one is immune from this. Communism and Socialism are examples of failed attempts to create these types of societies. There is always someone who will grab more power or control for himself. Then others will follow until you have a corrupt society.

I am still amazed at the brilliance of our founding fathers. The government they set up is as fair as you could get. Even after 200 years, the original government structure is still in place. We see indications that it could start falling apart. Through human sin, we see corruption at all levels of our government. It isn’t perfect is it?

When Jesus comes again to rule on earth, it will be much different. You can read it in Revelation 21 and 22. Here is my translation. The earth will completely be healed. The old heaven and earth are gone and there will be a new heaven and earth. A new city of Jerusalem will come out of heaven and settle on the earth. It will be a glorious city. God will make His home there. There will be no need for a sun as God’s glory will light up the earth. The walls will shine like gems. The streets will be gold. A pure river with the water of life will flow down the middle of the main street. There will be a tree of life on each side. Each tree will bear 12 different fruits that will always be replenished. There will be no more death or sorrow. No crying, no pain. No hunger and no thirst. Nothing will be cursed. There will be no night. No evil will be allowed in the city.

Sounds like a wonderful place right? Want to know how to get there? Recognize that you are a sinner. Ask for forgiveness and tell Jesus that you accept His gift of salvation. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you the rest of your life.

God said that only those who are victorious will inherit all these blessings. Don’t be left outside the walls.

Take one look at me and you know that I don’t have any will power! I love food. Let me restate that – I really love food. Without over-analyzing the situation, I realize that this is one temptation that I just can’t overcome on my own.

I used to have another bad habit. For about 25 years, I smoked at least a pack of cigarettes a day. I’m not proud of that but I tell you to illustrate a point. I used to think that I didn’t have any will power to stop smoking either. Every time I would try to quit on my own, I would start right back up again. I used to joke that I quite 100 times, I just started 101 times. One day a few years ago, I thought I was having a heart attack. It wasn’t anything but it was enough to think that I might want to be around longer for my kids. I knew that I was powerless over cigarettes and I needed God’s help. I prayed that night and asked God to give me the strength to resist the temptations that were going to come my way when I tried to quit smoking. The next day, I woke up and I didn’t have any cravings. I just kept waiting for that overwhelming urge to smoke. Day after day I waited. Anytime I thought about having a smoke, the thought passed quickly. I was conscious that God was strengthening my will to resist. I could choose to smoke or not to smoke. God wasn’t preventing me from smoking, He just made it easier for me to choose the right action. It has been a few years now since I quit smoking and I don’t even have a memory of what it was like to moke. God not only strengthened my will to resist temptation, he has now even removed any memory of what it was like to smoke. Praise God!

Yesterday I talked about our conscience and how it is our built-in monitor that lets us know what is right and wrong. We have another attribute that is connected to our conscience. God gave us a will. The will is our faculty of choosing or deciding between possible courses of action. We can freely choose to do anything that is consistent with our nature. When man was created God gave him the power of choice: to sin or not to sin.

We also have the power to accept God or reject God. We can accept Christ as Savior or reject Him. He doesn’t force us to do so. By an act of will, we can accept the offer and become a child of God; or we can reject His offer and remain under His judgment. In this process, both the will of man and the will of God are involved.

In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says, “Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends.” You have to act on that knock. You can either get up and open the door or you can leave Him standing out in the cold. It’s up to you. You have free will.

“The devil made me do it,” was the cry.

And the audience would howl it’s approval. After all, what a great excuse! It’s not my fault. I had to do it. The devil made me do it.

God made man with a conscience. The conscience monitors (warns of or instructs about) the rightness or wrongness of attitudes that are taking shape or of actions that we are about to carry out. I have seen it in my children first hand. I watch as they do something even though they know that it is wrong. They are always trying to test my limits. Their conscience tells them that they are about to do wrong but they lack the discipline not to do it.

The Holy Spirit is our helper in these situations. As Christians, we can lean on the power of the Holy Spirit to resist temptation and follow rightness. In fact, we can say that our conscience speaks to us under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

Our conscience can also become corrupt. Before his conversion, Paul was very conscientious in his wrong conduct. He thought he was doing the right thing. He had adopted a wrong interpretation of the Old Testament and his conscience witnessed on the basis of that interpretation, and it led him astray. That is why later, after his conversion, when he was accused, he said in Acts 24:16, “So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.”

We need to always be on guard that our conscience does not become corrupt. If we strive like Paul to always keep our conscience clear before God and man, then the Holy Spirit can and will influence our conscience to guide us toward rightness.

Let your cry be, “The Holy Spirit made me do it!”

And the deacons said “Amen!” Thank you Reverand Leroy!