REVELATION 4:2-7
The Heavenly Scene
"And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne" (Revelation 4:2).
Why was John "in the spirit"? Because flesh and blood cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.
"And one sat on the throne." This is the great, beautiful throne of God. As John looked at God, he didn't see any form.
"And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone" (Revelation 4:3). Jasper is a diamond-like, clear, crystal stone with a purple hue. The sardine stone is blood red. The sardine stone was the first stone and the jasper stone
was the last stone that the high priest in the Old Testament wore on his breastplate (Exodus 28:17-20).
"And there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald" (Revelation 4:3).
John saw God sitting upon His throne in majesty on high.
What an awesome sight this must have been! He saw the brilliance of God like the brilliance of the jasper and sardine stones - a mixture of clear, crystal, purplish hue with blood
red - and an emerald green rainbow "round about the throne" of God.
"And round about the throne were twenty-four smaller seats"
The word translated seats in the King James is the Greek word for "thrones." "And upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold" (Revelation 4:4).
There are many Bible expositors who believe that the twenty-four elders are actually representative of the church.
They have white robes, as does the church in Revelation 19:8, which is the righteousness of the saints.
The twenty-four elders also have crowns of gold upon their heads. We the church have been promised the crowns of life, the crowns of righteousness by our Lord.
Many Bible expositors see the elders representing the church on its throne, ruling and reigning with Christ in heaven.
This is a very possible interpretation.
It is also possible that these elders represent the saints from the Old and the New Testaments - the twelve tribes and the twelve apostles.
It is also possible that they're created beings of God like angels and cherubs. These elders may be created beings for the specific ministry of sitting on the twenty-four thrones around God's throne.
We cannot know for sure.
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 (Revelation 4:5).
Again, I refer you to Isaiah 11:2 for the seven-fold working of the Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ (see Revelation 1:4 commentary).
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 [proper translation is "living creatures"] (Revelation 4:6).
These are not beasts like wild or dumb animals; they are actually highly intelligent created beings of God. As they are described in and compared with Ezekiel 1 and 10, we know that these are cherubim about the throne of God.
These four living creatures were "full of eyes before and behind. The first living creature was like a lion, and the second was like a calf, and the third had a face as a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle" (Revelation 4:6-7).
Some see these creatures as manifestations of Christ in the Gospels.
In the first Gospel, Matthew presents Jesus as the lion of the tribe of Judah. Mark presents Him as a calf, a beast of burden representing a suffering servant. Luke presents Him as the Son of man.
John presents Him as the Son of God, the eagle
representing the Divinity.
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Monday, March 2, 2015
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
REVELATION l 4:1 l The Rapture l Chuck Smith l Bible Teaching University l School of the Bible
4. The Rapture
REVELATION 4:1
Here we enter into the third division of the book of Revelation. Chapter 4 begins with the Greek phrase meta tauta or "after these things."
After these things [the things of the church] 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 show thee things which must be hereafter [also meta tauta - 'after these things'] (Revelation 4:1).
We have now come to the end of the church history upon the earth and the final message to the churches.
In His messages to the last four churches, Jesus spoke of His second coming. He warned the churches of His return.
"Behold, I come quickly," He said.
If they didn't repent they would be cast into the Great Tribulation. If they kept the word of His patience, Jesus promised that He would keep them from the hour of temptation.
"After these things" - after the church has finished her testimony upon the earth and God is through with us - there shall come from heaven, The voice of the archangel, and the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 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 (I Thessalonians 4:16-17).
The church will be transported into heaven for a seven-year period during which t ime there wi l l be Great Tribulation upon the earth. (For an expanded commentary on the rapture of the church, see Snatched Away! by the author.)
After the church's witness and work upon the earth is completed, the trump of God shall sound. The trumpet sound will be saying to the Christians, the body of Christ, "Come up hither!"
While in summer camp, I've heard the trumpet say "Rise and shine!" and I've heard the trumpet say "Go to bed."
I've heard the trumpet say "Come and eat!", and at football games I've heard it say "Charge!"
But I'm waiting for the trumpet to say "Come up hither!"
I don't know what kind of a trumpet call it will be - but I'll understand it and recognize it the minute I hear it!
When the trump of God shall sound, the dead will be raised incorruptible. And "we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye" (I Corinthians 15:51-52), "caught up... to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be
with the Lord" (I Thessalonians 4:17).
The Bible does not say that we shall be in heaven forever. It says that we shall be "with the Lord."
Wherever Jesus is, that's where everyone who is a Christian will be, because we're all part of the body of Christ. We'll never be separated from Him.
While He is in heaven, we'll be in heaven. When He comes back to earth, we'll come back to the earth. When He goes into the new heaven and the new earth, we'll go into the new heaven and the new earth.
The Jehovah's Witnesses say, "I don't want to go to heaven and twiddle my thumbs for eternity."
Born-again Christians don't intend to. We intend to be
there for seven years while the earth goes through the Tribulation.
We'll enjoy the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in heaven. Then we expect to come back to reign with Christ upon the earth.
We'll reign with Him as kingdom priests on the earth for one thousand years, then enter into the new heaven and new earth wherein dwells righteousness, and we'll live and reign with Him forever.
If the Lord told me to sit on a cloud and twiddle my thumbs, I'd be the happiest thumb-twiddler in all the universe!
I'm not afraid of what God has in store for me. I can hardly wait! I'm sure it'll be more exciting than twiddling my thumbs.
I feel sorry for those people who degrade heaven. They say, "You're always talking about the 'sweet by and by' or the 'pie in the sky.'
You should be more concerned with the 'here and now'."
It was Jesus who encouraged us and gave us this glorious hope. I'm looking forward to going to heaven. I don't care what they say, I'm anxious to see it.
Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:2-3).
There's the clue. Where Jesus is, that's where I'll be, and in His presence is fullness of joy.
It took seven days for the Lord to create this beautiful world. He's been preparing heaven for two thousand years. Imagine what it must be like by now!
And you don't want to go there? Friend, you can stay here in all this pollution if you want to, but I'm going up!
I believe that the rapture of the church takes place in verse one of Revelation 4 - after the things of the church history are completed.
John heard a voice as a trumpet saying, "Come up hither, and I will show you things that shall be after these things."
Now John will see the things that shall take place after the church
is gone.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
REVELATION l 3:18-22 l Laodicea l Chuck Smith l Bible Teaching University l School of the Bible
REVELATION 3:18-22
Those of Laodicea had their own opinion of themselves. The Lord had a different opinion of them.
"I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that you may
be rich; and white raiment, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten" (Revelation 3:18-19).
"My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord... for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth" (Hebrews 12:5-6).
If you're not chastened then you're a bastard.
You're really not His son. God only chastens His sons. Don't get down on God when He chastens you. Rejoice! At
least it proves you're His son. If He didn't care, He wouldn't even bother.
This is His first cure for being lukewarm.
The second cure for lukewarmness: be zealous.
Get out of that lukewarm rut.
Get out of that tepid state. Become zealous for the Lord. The final cure for lukewarmness is to open your heart to God and repent.
"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him [or eat supper with him], and he with me" (Revelation 3:20).
The Lord is inviting Himself into the closest, deepest, most intimate communion and fellowship with you - eating together with you, partaking with each other, becoming a part of each other by supping together.
"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne" (Revelation 3:21).
We'll be ruling with Christ and sitting by Him on His throne even as Jesus has been exalted and is sitting at the right hand of the throne of the Father on high.
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" (Revelation 3:22).
Monday, February 2, 2015
REVELATION l Laodicea l 3:14-17 l Chuck Smith l Bible Teaching University l VidDevoChurch
REVELATION 3:14-17
Laodicea
Write, "These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God" (Revelation 3:14).
In Revelation, Jesus is referred to as the true and faithful witness of God. "The beginning of the creation of God" the Greek does not signify that Jesus is a created being, but that He is the original cause of creation.
For "all things were created by Him, and for Him: and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist" (Colossians 1:16-17).
"All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made" (John 1:3). Jesus is the origination of the creation powers or the origin of God's creation.
So He is actually the creative force, and that's what Revelation is speaking of here - the creative force of the creation of God.
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would that you were cold or hot. So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue you out of my mouth (Revelation 3:15-16).
The reason for the lukewarm conditions: "Because you say, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing" (Revelation 3:17).
Their trust in materialism has brought them to a lukewarm state. "You cannot serve God and mammon" (Matthew 6:24).
Mixing the two wi l l lead you into becoming lukewarm.
"You know not that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked" (Revelation 3:17).
The contrasting views one was their own view about themselves, the other was God's view about them. Jesus said that you do err if you judge yourself by men (Luke 18:9-14).
Many times we look around and judge ourselves by man's standard. We might think we're all right. But man's
standard isn't the standard by which we're to judge ourselves or by which we'll be judged.
Jesus Christ is the standard.
He demonstrates to us what God intended man to be. Hold yourself up next to Him and see how you look. That
will give you an idea of what the true judgment will be like.
If you say, "Well, I'm better than Chuck Smith" - that's not going to buy you anything!
Jesus said, "Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:20).
You'll never make it on your own righteousness. The only
righteousness which is acceptable is the righteousness which God has imputed unto you by your faith in Jesus Christ.
The righteousness which is of Christ through faith is the only way you'll get an entrance into the kingdom of heaven.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
"REVELATION 3:7-13" l BTU - The Book of Revelation l Chuck Smith l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch
REVELATION 3:7-13
Philadelphia
The church of Philadelphia is God's faithful church in the last days. God help us that we would be the church of Philadelphia.
To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that opens, and no man shuts; and shuts, and no man opens. I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name (Revelation 3:7-8).
"You have kept my word."
God help us to be faithful to the Word, to study the Word, and to keep the Word as the paramount issue within the church. And we've not denied the name of Jesus Christ; we've not
denied Him and who He is.
Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee (Revelation 3:9).
In the kingdom age the Jews will know that God has loved the Gentile church.
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth (Revelation 3:10).
Here is God's promise to the faithful church to keep them from the Great Tribulation.
In Luke 21 Jesus said as He was talking of the events of the great tribulation, "Pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things... and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21:36).
Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of
heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches (Revelation 3:13).
This is the promise that we'll be a pillar in the temple of God.
We will be actually a part of the kingdom age and rule and reign with Him in the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
"REVELATION 3:1-6" l BTU - The Book of Revelation l Chuck Smith l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch
3. Three Messages
REVELATION 3:1-6
Sardis
And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, (Revelation 3:13).
Protestantism has a name that is alive but is dead.
It's tragic what has happened to the Protestant churches. A great percentage of the ministers don't believe in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. They don't believe in His atoning death. They
don't believe in heaven or hell. They practically deny the faith.
So many Protestant churches are just a social club and a social organization, the term, born again, is meaningless to them. They have a name that they're alive but really they're dead.
The Lord encourages them to strengthen those things which
are left, because He has not found their works complete.
One thing about the Protestant Reformation - it didn't reform enough. Actually, the Protestants continued to use the many pagan customs adopted by the churches of Pergamos and Thyatira.
They still had infant baptism. They still had so many pagan symbols. They still had the pagan holidays. Their reformation
was incomplete.
The Lord says, "I've not found your work complete before God. Remember how you received and heard? Hold fast and repent. If you will not watch, I will come as a thief and you'll not know what hour I will come."
He's warning the Protestant churches of His coming; but if they're not watching for His coming, He'll come upon them as a thief.
They'll be taken by surprise.
Jesus said that we should watch and be ready for we know not what hour our Lord will come (Matthew 24:42,44).
Paul the apostle said that "we are not the children of darkness that the day should overtake us as a thief, but we're children of light; therefore, walk as children of light" (Ephesians 5:8).
"Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white," the Lord said.
For they are worthy. He that overcomes, the same shall be clothed in white raiment and I will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels (Revelation 3:4-5).
What does Jesus mean about blotting names out of the Book of Life?
He means just that.
Don't think I'm going to take away from this book. For in the final chapter it says that if any man shall take away from this book, his name will be taken out of the Book of Life (Revelation 22:19).
I don't want mine blotted out!
You say, "What did He mean by that?" I don't know but I won't try to explain it away.
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" (Revelation 3:6).
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
"REVELATION 2:23-29" l BTU - The Book of Revelation l Chuck Smith l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch
REVELATION 2:23-29
"And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.
But that which you have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
And I will give him the morning star. He that
hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" (Revelation 2:23-29).
The promise to the overcomers is that beautiful promise of ruling with a rod of iron in the Kingdom of God and being given the morning star, Jesus Christ.
The rod of iron signifies the type of reign during the kingdom age.
People will be forced to be good.
Our duties as the church reigning with Christ will be to enforce His righteousness.
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