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Revelation 4 "What is Heaven?"
After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, "Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this." (Revelation 4:1)
Jesus closed His letters to the churches with two doors. To the church in Philadelphia, that kept His word and proclaimed His name, He said, "See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it." To the church in Laodicea who were lukewarm the door was closed. But in His patient and persistent love Jesus continues to knock on that door longing that they will hear His voice and open it. After writing down these messages to the churches John looked and saw a door standing open in heaven. And then he heard a voice, saying to Him "Come up here." I am sure that it was a voice that John remembered saying, "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture." (John 10:9)
There is one door to heaven, Jesus Christ. We are going to learn more about heaven today. It is a place that is really too wonderful for us. John had a hard time even describing it. But it is not hard to get to get there. Jesus has placed an open door to heaven before each one of us, Himself. He does not force us to march through it. He does not catch you and make you go to heaven. He has given each one of us the freedom to choose for ourselves. Even John was given the choice to "Come up here". The only way for us to go to heaven is through Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches clearly that it is only by confessing His name that we can be saved. Perhaps today is the very first time that you have heard about Jesus Christ. You can be saved! You can go to heaven! All you need to know is that God sent His son Jesus to die on the cross for your sins and that He raised Him up from the dead. If you believe this and confess the name of Jesus you can be saved. The door is open! It is your choice to walk through it or not.
Perhaps you have heard a lot about Jesus Christ, you have been to many churches, you have read lots of Christian literature and you just don't buy it. It doesn't make sense to you. You can't believe that Jesus Christ was really God and that He really is alive now to save you. In that case you have shut the door that Jesus had placed open before you. Most likely you have turned your back on it and forgotten all about it. But for some reason here you are today sitting here in church, or listening to this message on tape, or reading it on the internet. The reason why is that Jesus is still persistently knocking on your door, trying to get your attention. He loves you and does not want you to perish. He is calling to you to open the door so that He can come in, so that you can come up to heaven as well.
"Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come!" (Revelation 4:2-8)
The first thing John says about heaven is that he was in the Spirit. John got to experience first what will also happen to us one day. I Thessalonians 4:16-18 tells us, "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." When Jesus says with His trumpet voice, "Come up here!", all those who know His voice will respond. The dead will rise first, and then we will join them in the air. This doesn't mean that suddenly we will be flying through the air with dead bodies all around us. No, like John we will be in the Spirit. Our bodies will remain on the earth, the bodies of those who died in Christ will remain in their graves. But the spirit will be "caught up" a word in Greek that means "raptured", or transported. Once we meet Christ in the clouds, we will always be with Him. This is the most basic meaning of heaven. It is the place where we will always be with Jesus, our Lord.
The first thing that John saw in heaven was a throne and One who sat on the throne. God is the focal point of heaven. He is the center of heaven. "Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool…"(Isaiah 66:1) In ancient times a throne's height symbolized the power and authority of the ruler who sat upon it. Imagine a throne so huge that all of the universe is encompassed within it and the earth is only the footstool. The greatest powers that the world has ever known have never even been able to gain control of the throne of the earth, world conquest. But God’s power is infinitely greater. The earth is only one very small part of all that God controls. It has only been in recent times that we have begun to understand just how expansive the Universe really is. Just a few hundred years ago it was common knowledge that the earth was the center of the universe and that the sun, stars and planets all revolved around us. Now we know that our planet is only one small sphere in one small galaxy in one corner of the Universe that we still have not found the limits of. No wonder John had a hard time describing it. It must have been the most beautiful scene that he had ever experienced and yet there were not words good enough to describe it. The rainbow that is like an emerald, the crystal sea, the thunderings and lightnings in the midst of the throne. And the One on the throne, like jaspar and sardius. Here on earth, we do not get to see the full glory of God. In fact, no one could see God and live. It would be too much for their physical bodies to handle. They would overload. But in the Spirit in heaven we will be able to know the fullness of the glory of God.
The business of heaven is worship. Around the throne are
24 thrones. It would seem that these represent the whole people of God.
All those who are true children of Abraham, whose faith is accounted
to them for righteousness. The twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve
apostles represent all those who are saved by faith. John saw that they
had white robes, meaning that their sins had been washed away by the
blood of Jesus Christ the Lamb of God. They also wore golden crowns,
meaning that they persevered to the end, enduring temptations to receive
everlasting life. With these elders we see another group, which I think
are the worship leaders of heaven! The four living creatures that are
so marvelous and difficult to understand in themselves constantly praise
God, saying, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and
is and is to come!"
Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor
and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and
worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before
the throne, saying: "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and
honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist
and were created."
(Revelation 4:9-11)
Whenever the worship leaders begin they are joined by the elders who fall down out of their thrones, cast off their crowns and worship God who is worthy. Next week we will see that they are joined by all the angels, and all the creatures of the earth and sea and then even later by all those who confess the name of Jesus Christ and are raptured out of the tribulation. The worship in heaven is not a quiet, peaceful strumming of harps. It is glorious and awesome and never ever boring because the One whom we are worshiping will be right before us.
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