Study of End Times week 15

Praise & Prayer

The Throne Room of Heaven - April 13th

Last week we looked at the rapture and the end of the church age, as the letters to the churches ended, and John was taken up to heaven.

John is writing the Book of Revelation as a prisoner on the lonely island of Patmos. He had just been instructed to write to the church of Laodicea at the end of their letter in Revelation 3:20-21

Revelation 3:20–21 CSB

20 See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 “To the one who conquers I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.

As John was recording these words to the Laodiceans, a door was suddenly opened into heaven, and he was taken into the presence of God.

Revelation 4:1–11 CSB

1 After this I looked, and there in heaven was an open door. The first voice that I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2 Immediately I was in the Spirit, and there was a throne in heaven and someone was seated on it. 3 The one seated there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian stone. A rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald surrounded the throne. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones sat twenty-four elders dressed in white clothes, with golden crowns on their heads. 5 Flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder came from the throne. Seven fiery torches were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. 6 Something like a sea of glass, similar to crystal, was also before the throne. Four living creatures covered with eyes in front and in back were around the throne on each side. 7 The first living creature was like a lion; the second living creature was like an ox; the third living creature had a face like a man; and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings; they were covered with eyes around and inside. Day and night they never stop, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God, the Almighty, who was, who is, and who is to come. 9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the one seated on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before the one seated on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne and say, 11 Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things, and by your will they exist and were created.

I. What a Heavenly Scene?

What we are seeing is a heavenly scene, and John is in the third heaven.

According to Scripture, there are three heavens, in 2 Corinthians 12:2-4, Paul states that he knows a man who was caught up to the third heaven.

2 Corinthians 12:2–4 CSB

2 I know a man in Christ who was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether he was in the body or out of the body, I don’t know; God knows. 3 I know that this man—whether in the body or out of the body I don’t know; God knows—4 was caught up into paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a human being is not allowed to speak.

So what are the three heavens?

The first heaven is the shy - that is our atmosphere and clouds.

The second heaven is outer space - all that lies beyond earth, which includes the stars, the sun, moon, planets, and the galaxies.

The third heaven is the dwelling place of God Himself.

In the early years of space exploration, there was a Russian astronaut that had went into space, who looked out the window and reported to say, he didn’t see God.

Well that is because he was in the second heavens, not the third. If he had taken off his space suit for just a moment, he would have seen God face to face.

So where is the third heaven, if the first heaven is all around us, and the second is outer space, where lies the third heaven, where God dwells.

Is it beyond the galaxies? If so, can we develop a telescope to see it, no, because physical distance is not the problem.

I think the third heaven is may be closer than we realize. I believe it is all around us, just unseen.

Let me explain, and back that up with Scripture.

See there is a story that I love about Elisha and his servant had fled the king of Aram, because God gave Elisha the knowledge of where Arameans would be camped, and Elisha sent word to the King of Israel so that they could stay clear of the camp.

Well Elisha and his servant fled to Dothan, and that is not Dothan, Alabama Tom.

We see this story in 2 Kings 6:15-17

2 Kings 6:15–17 CSB

15 When the servant of the man of God got up early and went out, he discovered an army with horses and chariots surrounding the city. So he asked Elisha, “Oh, my master, what are we to do?” 16 Elisha said, “Don’t be afraid, for those who are with us outnumber those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed, “Lord, please open his eyes and let him see.” So the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw that the mountain was covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Elisha then asked God to blind the Aramean soldiers and Elisha lead them to Samaria where the Samarians captured them.

Through this story we see that God’s dwelling place, the third heaven could very well be around us, it can be wherever God desires it to be.

Whatever it is or wherever it is, the third heaven is the dwelling place of God Himself. And John found himself caught up into that glorious scene.

II. Who is in the Storm?

Revelation 4:5 CSB

5 Flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder came from the throne. Seven fiery torches were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.

These are all symbols of judgment in the Scriptures. From the safety of Heaven, John can see that a storm is brewing on Earth.

That storm will be unfolding in the Great Tribulation, but believers will be safe in God’s arms, in the sanctuary of Heaven.

Didn’t Jesus promise that?

Remember what He said to the church at Philadelphia in Revelation 3:10

Revelation 3:10 (CSB)

10 Because you have kept my command to endure, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is going to come on the whole world to test those who live on the earth.

The church, the bride of Jesus Christ, will not go through the Great Tribulation. We will have tribulations, yes, and Jesus told us that.

But we will not be on Earth to face the outpouring of God’s wrath on a world that has rejected His Son.

We will see the Tribulation storm on Earth from the vantage point of Heaven, or to some extent we will have a perspective of what is happening on earth.

As there is some Scriptures which we will get into in other times that describes that we have some perspective of things going on still on Earth, but for the most part we are more concerned with God.

I believe we will know more in heaven in our glorified state than we know on earth. I think we will have memories and be aware of earthly doings, but with God’s perspective on it all.

III. When in Heaven?

We have seen what a heavenly scene that John seen, then we seen who was or who was not in the storm, now we are going to look at when in heaven?

Revelation 4:8 CSB

8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings; they were covered with eyes around and inside. Day and night they never stop, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God, the Almighty, who was, who is, and who is to come.

Revelation 4:11 CSB

11 Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things, and by your will they exist and were created.

Awestruck, John watched what was going on around him in heaven, trying to take it all in. He saw magnificent angelic creatures worshiping.

He saw the twenty-four elders falling down in worship. He heard their worship cries and songs and wrote down the lyrics.

Heaven will be all about worship. And why not? Why shouldn’t we engage in unbridled worship? We will know all things.

All of our questions will be answered. All of our pain will be removed. All of our tears will be dried. So we will be worshiping.

For some that sounds a little boring - as through heaven were one long church service.

Not at all.

Yes, we will be worshipping, but we will be doing much more than that. We also will be busy doing God’s work, moving through the new heavens and the new earth.

Revelation 22:3 CSB

3 and there will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will worship him.

Revelation 7:15 CSB

15 For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve him day and night in his temple. The one seated on the throne will shelter them:

Heaven is also a place of rest, but I do not know about you, but I can only rest for so long. Some people say they can’t wait to retire.

You ask what are you going to do? They say, golf, fish, sleep in, travel.

Roger our Gideon told me, he said, he retired and moved up here a few years ago to catch red fish, he said, he dreamed of the day he could retire and fish every day and catch red fish all day.

Well, he said it did not take him long to realize that after a few weeks of fishing every day, that you need something else to do from time to time, that fishing can get old too.

Then God called him to be a Gideon, praise God for that.

See he started using his free time for the Lord. He volunteers as a Gideon, doing something good for other people. Sharing the good news of Jesus Christ to others.

You and I have been put on this earth to glorify God, not to just please ourselves.

Heaven will be a place of rest, certainly. But it will be far from boring. We can’t even begin to conceive of the activities and opportunities the Lord has lined up for us.

Paul told the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 2:9

1 Corinthians 2:9 CSB

9 But as it is written, What no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived— God has prepared these things for those who love him.

IV. Why Walk with God?

Revelation 4:1 CSB

1 After this I looked, and there in heaven was an open door. The first voice that I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”

Both the Bible and events in our contemporary world point to a soon return of Jesus Christ for His own.

So what are we supposed to do until then?

When a California pastor predicted the day of Jesus’ return, people did some pretty crazy things.

Some divorced their mates. Others ran up huge credit card bills, believing they would never have to pay them.

But that’s not how God wants us to respond.

Remember Enoch? What did he do?

He walked with God.

What does it mean to walk with God? Walking speaks of effort, regular motion, and consistency.

The Bible doesn’t say that Enoch sprinted with God.

They simply walked together through life, one step at a time. And the Bible says that we are to do the same.

The apostle Paul said in Galatians 5:16

Galatians 5:16 CSB

16 I say, then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh.

He also said in Colossians 2:6-7

Colossians 2:6–7 CSB

6 So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in him, 7 being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude.

Enoch walked with God, and that is my goal in life too.

In the Old Testament book of Amos, we read, Amos 3:3

Amos 3:3 CSB

3 Can two walk together without agreeing to meet?

In other words, if we are going to walk together, then let’s walk together. I usually walk fast, which presents a problem when I walk with my wife, because her pace is slower.

The idea of walking together is that we need to accommodate our pace to one another. And it’s the same in our walk with God.

We shouldn’t lad behind Him or run ahead of Him. We let Him set the pace.

Sometimes He might say, step it up a bit, Chris. I have got something for you to accomplish today.

At other times He might say, slow down a bit, Chris, I want to show you something. Stay with Me.

That’s the goal: staying with Him and living in harmony with Him.

That verse from Amos, may be better understood as, Can two walk together unless they have made an appointment?

The Hebrew word implies a meeting at a fixed place at a fixed time.

Can you imagine being late for an appointment with God?

Have you ever made time in your schedule to meet with someone, and they come strolling in 15 minutes late?

You know they make up those excuses, or maybe they don’t.

I hate being late for anything.

I love the saying, Early is on time, on time is late, and late is never acceptable.

Can you imagine being late - or not showing up - for an appointment with God? When you think about who He is and what He has done for us, maybe the best idea would be showing up fifteen minutes early.

The lesson here is to set and keep an appointment with God every day of your life. Start the day in the Word of God, listening to His Holy Spirit.

Start the day in prayer, spreading out your schedule before Him, seeking His counsel, and giving Him thanksgiving and praise.

Think of Him. Focus on Him. Commit your life to Him afresh each and every day.

This is what it means to walk in harmony with God.

Then make a point to be fifteen minutes early to each of your appointments you have during the day, as you never know what God may use your for at that appointment or may have waiting at that appointment.

Pray asking God use me today, use me to share your love, use me to be a blessing to others, to share your good news.

And if this is the day I go to heaven, fine. If it is tomorrow, great. If it is thirty years from now, that is up to Him, and it is not my concern, it is all in His timing.

One day, when our life on Earth ends and we enter eternity, every one of us will have a face-to-face meeting with our Creator.

You might think you know when that day is or imagine that you have a pretty good idea.

But you don’t. Only God does.

So always be ready.