The Book of Revelation reveals to us the climax of the ages. It says in Chapter 1 verse 3 Blessed is he that reads and hears the words of this prophecy. The entire bible is a blessing however God says Blessed is he that reads and hears this book. So there is a special blessing in this book.
The author John was banished to the Island of Patmos and here God gave him this book. He refers to this in verse 9. In verse 17 he saw the Glorified Jesus and he fell to his feet as though he were dead. John walked with Jesus in His ministry for three and half years. However, now he is seeing Jesus in this Glorified body and John can barely handle it and falls to the ground in worship.
Ezekiel said he saw the Glorified Jesus also in Ezekiel 1:26-28. In summary he said Jesus is a Fire from the waist up and a Fire from the waist down. Ezekiel said Jesus has the color of amber and brightness all around him. One of these days we will see him in all his glory!
In Revelation 1:13-15 John continues to describe what the Glorified Jesus looks like. He said Jesus has a golden band across His chest and His head and hairs were white like wool and His eyes were as a flame of fire and His feet are like fine brass as if they burned in a furnace and His voice as the sound of many waters. Wow!
Every testimony I have heard of people having near death experiences and they see The Glorified Jesus they lose all desire to come back to this earth. All it takes is just one glimpse of the Glorified Jesus!
Then Jesus says to John, I am He that lives and was death and I am alive for evermore, Amen; And I have the keys of hell and death.
In verse 11 Jesus tells John to write to the Seven Churches in Asia. Jesus rebuked Five of these Churches and He commended Two of them. He rebuked Ephesus because they left their first love. He rebuked Pergamos because they allowed false doctrine. He rebuked Thyatira because they allowed a Jezebel spirit in the Church. He rebuked Sarduis because they were a Dead Church and not alive with the Spirit. He rebuked the Laodiceans because they were lukewarm.
He commended the Churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia because they Kept their first Love, Preached Sound Doctrine, Lived Holy, were Led of the Spirit and stayed on Fire for God! What Jesus commended these Churches for let this be an example of how we live our lives!
In Chapter 4:1-3 John is caught up to heaven and sees the throne of God and describes it. Since John is a member of the Body of Christ this is a representation of the Church being Raptured. In verses 6-11 it talks about the Winged Creatures around the Throne. It says they do not rest day or night but say constantly Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, which is ,which is to come. They were created for one purpose only to Worship God!
These Winged Creatures represent all of the creatures on earth. One looks like a Lion which is the leader of the wild beasts. One looks like a Calf representing the domestic animals. One looks like a Eagle representing the birds of the air. One looks like a Man representing mankind.
Chapter 5 reveals the first scene that the Church will experience in heaven after the Rapture. The scene is an angel says who is worthy to open the book and loose the seals? John said he wept much because no one was found worthy to open the book. Then one of the elders said weep not. The lion of the tribe of Judah is worthy. Which is Jesus. And the angels began to say with a loud voice Worthy is the Lamb. Then Jesus opens the book which leads to the revelation of the Great Tribulation.
This is the first scene that we will see in heaven after the Rapture of the Church.
Above I covered that in Revelation Chapter 4:1 John being raptured is representative of the Church being raptured because John is a member of the Body of Christ. The things that come to pass in the Book of Revelation are written in the Chronological Order in which they will come to pass. The bible was written on scrolls and later was placed in books with Chapter and Verses included for the purpose of clarity and reference. So from a Chronological standpoint the rapture in Chapter 4:1 is obviously before Chapter 6 which is the Great Tribulation. So the Rapture is Pre-Tribulation and not Mid or Post Tribulation. This passage is one witness of that fact.
A second witness is God delivered Noah and his family “before” the flood. A third witness is God delivered Lot and his family “before” the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Malachi 3:6 says, “I am the Lord, I change not… Well if the Lord does not change that means He will come in the Rapture to deliver His people “before” the destruction of the Great Tribulation just like He delivered His people in the Old Testament.
The Word says out of the mouth of two or three witnesses every word is established. So this is an established Biblical Fact that THE RAPTURE WILL TAKE PLACE “BEFORE THE TRIBULATION”. Before the Rapture takes place Believers will know close to when it is going to take place. I did not say Believers will know the “day and hour” because Jesus said in Matthew 24:36 “…that day and hour knows no man, no not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” However as I said we will know “close” to when it is going to happen. How do I know that? First Thessalonians 5:2-5 says “…the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night. For when they say peace and safety; then sudden destruction comes upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But you brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. You are all children of light, and children of the day, we are not of the night or of darkness.”
So this passage says the Rapture will not overtake us the children of light. The Holy Spirit will let us know “close” to when it is going to happen.
The Nation of Israel has sought for a Peace Treaty for years. Many attempts have failed. However, there is coming a Peace Treaty that will succeed and it will be negotiated and agreed upon with Israel and the Anti-Christ. In Daniel 9:27 it says “He shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end of sacrifice and offering, And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.” So when this Peace Treaty is signed that is the moment the Rapture takes place. First Thessalonians 4: 16-18 says “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of a 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.”
The Rapture will be a Blessing for Believers and a Curse for Unbelievers. Believers will be with the Lord. Unbelievers will still be here on the earth. First Thessalonians 5:3 says. …when they say Peace and Safety sudden destruction will come upon them. Why? In American some statistics say that One Third of our Population are Believers and when One Third of our Population disappears in the “twinkling of an eye” according to First Corinthians 15:51-53 “Behold, I show 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 trumpet will sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” We have to be changed into our Immortal bodies one second before the Rapture because that is the only way we can “meet the Lord in the air.” When the Rapture takes place as I said “It will be a Blessing for Believers but an absolute curse for Unbelievers.” COVID was nothing compared to what destruction will come after the Rapture. For example a Commerical Aircraft carrying 150 passengers and the Pilots are Believers it will be destruction for the passengers that are Unbelievers. Another example a City Bus Driver carrying 100 passengers and the Bus Driver is a Believer it will be destruction for the passengers that are Unbelievers. These examples will be multiplied over and over plus with other forms of transportation. All the Nations of the World will be consumed with the destruction left behind as a result of the Rapture however America will be hit harder than most because America has a larger amount of Believers than most Nations.
Get your heart right with God. Ask Jesus to come into your heart and become your Savior! Pray for all of your Family Members that they also ask God for His Salvation so none of them will be left behind in the destruction that the Word of God says is to come.
Go to our Sermon on Salvation.