Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, For your dew is as the dew of the dawn, And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits. Come, my people, enter into your rooms And close your doors behind you; Hide for a little while Until indignation runs its course. For behold, the LORD is about to come out from His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; And the earth will reveal her bloodshed And will no longer cover her slain.
– Isaiah 26:19-21 (NASB)
The Rapture: the Tribulation
John 14:1-3, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
The Second Coming: the Tribulation
…at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.
1 Thessalonians 3:13, Revelation 19:11-20:6
“In the Spirit” – No more dealing with (v.2)
For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. – Galatians 5:17 (NASB)
John’s First Observations of Heaven:
1st The of the Throne (v.2)
A glorious throne on high from the beginning Is the place of our sanctuary. – Jeremiah 17:12 (NASB)
2nd The on the Throne (v.3)
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. – Philippians 1:6 (NASB)
…and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” – Acts 7:56 (NASB)
3rd There is the Throne (v.6)
…and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal. – Revelation 4:6 (NASB)
Twenty-four Elders: (v.4)
Elders: Presbuteros
Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”
– Revelation 5:8-10 (NKJV)
Crowns: stephanos – a prize in the public games or a symbol of honor
4th There’s a brewing (v.5)
For I was envious of the arrogant As I saw the prosperity of the wicked. …Until I came into the sanctuary of God; Then I perceived their end. – Psalms 73:3-17 (NASB)
Seven Spirits (v.5)
The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. – Isaiah 11:2 (NASB)
The Living Creatures (vv. 6-9)
Ezekiel 1, Isaiah 6
The first thing the Church declares in Heaven is that God really is the (v.11)
Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” – Revelation 4:11 (NASB)