Happily Ever Hereafter (Revelation 4:1, 1:18-19)

Hereafter is Imminent (After this)

After the church age! When is the end of the church age? WE DON’T KNOW! This is imminent! (ready to take place)

We must discern between scripture specifically to the Jew and to the Church. (These are not the same but different.) If you take certain scripture that pertains specifically to the Jew, you put the church through the tribulation.

The Purpose

Daniel 9:24 “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.”

They people = Daniel 9:20 “And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God;”

Holy city = Nehemiah 11:1 “And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem: the rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts to dwell in other cities.”

End of sins = 1 John 3:9 “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”

Reconciliation for iniquity = Romans 5:10 “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

2 Corinthians 5:18 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;”

Colossians 1:20–22 “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:”

Everlasting Righteousness = 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

The purpose of the tribulation is not for the church to have and end of sins, to reconcile them because of iniquity, or to bring in everlasting righteousness, BECAUSE THAT WAS SETTLED AT CALVARY! The purpose of the tribulation is for the JEWS to realize that Jesus Christ is their Messiah and to bring them back to God!

Jeremiah 30:7–9 “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: It is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; But he shall be saved out of it. For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, That I will break his yoke from off thy neck, And will burst thy bonds, And strangers shall no more serve themselves of him: But they shall serve the Lord their God, And David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.”

2. The Plan (Daniel 9:25-27)

There is a plan for the Jews to finally accept their Messiah and be brought back to God. AND IT’S THROUGH THE TRIBULATION. But when is it?

Messiah had to come and die for the sins of the people/cut off (Isaiah 53:8 “He was taken from prison and from judgment: And who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living: For the transgression of my people was he stricken.” )

Christ came unto His own, but His own received Him not.

When Steven preached to the Jews in Acts 7, Jesus is STANDING in heaven, on the right hand of God. STEVEN SAW HEAVEN OPENED. IF THE JEWS HAD ACCEPTED CHRIST THEN, HE WOULD’VE COME TO SET UP HIS MILLENNIAL REIGN.

Acts 7:55–56 “But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.”

Revelation 19:11 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.”

Since they rejected their Messiah, we are now in the Church Age.

After this rejection, the Church starts spreading (Acts 8:2–4 “And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.” )

When the man of sin confirms the covenant for one week (seven years) this will be the beginning of the tribulation. (Daniel 9:27, Daniel 8:23-25)

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12)

We do not know when the antichrist will sign the peace treaty. THAT’S WHY WE DON’T LOOK FOR THE MAN OF SIN, BUT FOR THE SON OF MAN.

1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. (Acts 1:6–7 “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.” )(In other words, don’t worry about that. Just go and win souls!)

For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; (peace treaty) then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (Breaking of covenant/Matthew 24) But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. (What are we looking for? CHRIST! NOT THE SIGNS, BUT THE SAVIOR!) For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, (We obtained salvation upon asking Christ to save us. We already have salvation, thus Paul is talking about a future salvation: the salvation from the presence of sin at the rapture!) Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.”

Hereafter is Immediate (Revelation 4:1-2)

IMMEDIATELY John was in the spirit.

1 Corinthians 15:51–52 “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, (just as in Revelation 4:1) and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

The first voice we’ll hear is Christ!

Come up hither! CHRIST CAN’T WAIT TO TELL US TO COME ON UP!

Because the rapture of the church could happen any second, we could hear the voice of the Savior at any second.

1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

Hereafter is Incredible (Revelation 4:2-3)

The first thing John saw was a throne and one that sat on the throne!

His Majesty (2-11)

Jasper - God’s purity and perfection

Sardine (ruby) - red, representing our Redeemer (first stone in the first row of the garments of the high priest)

Emerald - glowing stone

Revelation 5:9–10 “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”

2. His Might (Revelation 5:1-6)

He’s able to loose the seals and give life to sinners!

3. His Magnifying (Revelation 5:9-13)

OUT OF EVERY NATION (Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” (dead in Christ shall rise first) In Revelation 7:9, there are those that are of all nations, kindreds, and people. (These are tribulation saints)(Plus, white robes are never affiliated with New Testament church saints/only Gospels and Revelation)

REDEEMED US TO GOD BY THY BLOOD/ MADE US KINGS AND PRIESTS (Revelation 1:5–6 “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” )

4. His Manifesting (Revelation 19)