Daily Nugget:
Next to the coming to the Earth of Jesus, His death, resurrection, and plan of salvation, this chapter tells of an event that is a most anticipated promise given to believers. Every Christian from the time of the first church anxiously awaited the event that is described in this verse.
Revelation 4:1 describes the long-awaited rapture!
“After this 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 shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.” Revelation 4:1-2
The rapture is when God says, “Enough” of rampant sin and takes his church (saved people), living and dead, out of this earth (I Thessalonians 4:16-18). After the church is removed, then all the prophecies concerning God’s wrathful judgment upon the residents of the Earth will begin. For the living child of God, from this point on in the book of Revelation, all that happens on this Earth will not involve him, as he will be raptured to Heaven! Amen and Amen!
Although Revelation is a record of what John saw and heard revealed to Him by Jesus, it is meant to give us an understanding of what will happen on that day. It is believed that verse one is when the rapture happens because:
- It says, “After this …”. After what? After the seven church ages are completed (Rev. 2-3). The last church age, as compared to the church of Laodicea, pictures perfectly how most churches have become today. It is after God sees the last person has gotten saved that He ends the church ages and starts a new era, a time of His judgments!“… a door was opened in heaven …” A door is a means to pass from one place to another. This “door” moves the dead and living in Christ from this Earth to the next “room,” the “room” where God is!
- In Revelation 3:20 the door was where Jesus was last standing. He gave all an opportunity to trust Him as Saviour one more time during the indifferent, Laodicean church-age. No more answered His pleas, so He opened the door of Heaven and called His own home.
- The trumpet of God was sounded just like it was foretold it would be at the time of the rapture (I Thes. 4:16).
- A voice was heard calling John to Heaven as it was prophesied (I Thes. 4:16) the church would be summoned up: “… Come up hither….”
- After being called up, Revelation 4:2 says John was in the “spirit.” That pictures perfectly the raptured believer going up to Heaven in the spirit, as no sinful flesh can go there.
- God says that those that have been saved will not experience His wrath and the Great Tribulation is His wrath poured out on mankind. The saved will be raptured to Heaven before God’s great judgment begins.
“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,” I Thes. 5:9 - It was prophesied that the Lord would come again when the Earth became like the days of Noah (Mat. 24:37-38. Luke 17:26). Those days are certainly here.After the Lord judged the world of Noah’s time, He sent a reminder of His judgment: the rainbow. In Rev. 4:3, there was a rainbow around God’s throne. The judgment of Noah’s day preserved only God’s own who were inside the ark. The upcoming rapture will also have His own safely preserved in Heaven, while God’s judgment takes place on earth.
- The church is no longer mentioned in what occurs on the Earth from this time on because the church is no longer here!
Since we are currently in the last church age, the rapture mentioned in Revelation 4:1 is the next event in God’s plan. It could be today or tomorrow. The big question is are you positively sure you will be included in the Rapture? If not, now may be your last opportunity to trust Christ as Saviour and be saved!
“When Jesus comes for His own in the air, will you meet Him?”
Read more about this great event at: http://www.openthoumineeyes.com/articles/Rapture.html.
One thing is I refer to the 1611 and the reg KJV bibles but yes as you know I have checked out the older ones and yes I check ! As for the newer ones no don’t like what is it called the NKJV and NIV ? Gosh I see many preachers even on TV using the NIV ones wow . I wish all would just read the true Bible and stop all the fake stuff .
Just like the newer bibles [ yes in small letters ] when someone posts on my FB and use it I look in the KJV and oh yes sometimes even a verse is missing or words are as I call twisted around . I dislike that but I believe those people really believe they are reading God’s word . Now a lot is the same but it only takes a missing word or verse or comma or period to change a meaning in the Book of Life . Then one can look in the 1611 KJV and once I found a period or comma missing from the KJV we have now so I reply on both . I think the older the Bible the more accurate it is .
I agree that the new “bible” are really not the Word of God.
However, it is not safe to say that “the older the bible the more accurate it is.” That is the same argument they use to justify the new bibles. The newer “bibles” All come from, or reference quite a bit, the Latin texts: Vaticanus (the root of the Catholic bible) and Sinaticus. Westcott and Hort in the mid 1800’s tried to convince people that those two codexes were older and more reliable they were not! Westcott and Hort were not even saved!
You’d be safer if you’d stick with the KJV you have (1769 , revision #4), or if you want to the 1611, or just for looks, the Geneva Bible. Even those two did not have uniform English, as written English was more than a couple hundred years old at that time. The commas and other slight changes are part of the non-conformity that required them to be updated four times with about 400 changes.
If you don’t mind spending about $35, I would recommending purchasing “Landmarks of English Bible: Manuscripte Evidence”, by Pastor Robert J. Sargent. He gives accurate data about the history of the true Word of God, and all the other perversions of it.
Gentlemen,
Is the modern church avoiding the topic of the rapture?
The church I grew up in and the churches I attended later never or seldom mentioned it. However, the church I attend now frequently teaches about it and it is the frequent subject of preaching. There was a wonderful message a couple of weeks ago at our local camp meeting about it as well.
Do you all have any feeling that Church people in general are not hearing this warning?
Unfortunately, I have to agree more and more churches are avoiding the issue. Many are doing so they do not have to face controversy about is the rapture before, during, or, after the Tribulation.
Many are not concerned about his coming be they either don’t believe it will happen or that they are so busy with the things of this world that the next world has no importance to them.
I would like to mention a few things: First, I read your article “God Kept His Word” about the KJV and all the subtractions of the other perversions – great article! Very informative since most people (including pastors) teach from other versions! Most people I talk to about the KJV think it’s not a big deal to have a different version, but it does! It makes a difference when sin, baptism, and salvation passages are omitted!
Second, this devotion on the Rapture is phenomenal! Great job! I am pre-millennial, pre-trib! I don’t see how someone can think that the church will go through even 5 seconds of the tribulation!
Third, the rainbow was a promise from God that He would never destroy the earth again with a flood! I think it’s amazing how the homosexual community has taken God’s promise (a rainbow) and turned it into their symbol for “pride” – Proverbs says “pride comes before destruction”
I like the analogy of Jesus standing at the door in Revelation 3:20, and the door opened in heaven (Rev 4:1) – I’ve read that many times and never saw the connection!
I was thinking the same thing about the Rainbow when I was editing the piece. It can’t be a coincidence. There has to be a spiritual connection there somewhere.
My favorite “proof” about the Rapture occurring before the Tribulation is the comparison between Noah’s flood, and the Great Tribulation. One day God will close the door of opportunity for all in the world. Only those safe inside God’s fold because of salvation will be raptured up. Woa to all that remain.