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.”
Immediately I was in the Spirit, and a throne was set there in heaven. One was seated on the throne, and the One seated looked like jasper and carnelian stone. A rainbow that looked like an emerald surrounded the throne. Around that throne were 24 thrones, and on the thrones sat 24 elders dressed in white clothes, with gold crowns on their heads. Flashes of lightning and rumblings of thunder came from the throne. Seven fiery torches were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. Something like a sea of glass, similar to crystal, was also before the throne.
(Revelation 4:1-6)
This visit starts with an open door and a voice like a trumpet, and then immediately John is before the Throne Room of Heaven. This is a preview of our blessed Rapture!
Notice the 24 elders are:
* Wearing crowns
* Seated on thrones (having authority)
* Dressed in white
The promises to “the victor” in the 2 chapters previous to this one, apply to all of us who have been baptized, covered by His blood, and sealed by His Spirit:
Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. (Revelation 2:10)
But hold on to what you have until I come. The one who is victorious and keeps My works to the end: I will give him authority over the nations — and he will shepherd them with an iron scepter; he will shatter them like pottery—just as I have received this from My Father. (Revelation 2:25-27)
In the same way, the victor will be dressed in white clothes, and I will never erase his name from the book of life but will acknowledge his name before My Father and before His angels. (Revelation 3:5)
I know your works. Because you have limited strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name, look, I have placed before you an open door that no one is able to close. (Revelation 3:8)
Because you have kept My command to endure, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is going to come over the whole world to test those who live on the earth. I am coming quickly. Hold on to what you have, so that no one takes your crown. (Revelation 3:10-11)
Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and have dinner with him, and he with Me. The victor: I will give him the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I also won the victory and sat down with My Father on His throne. (Revelation 3:20-21)
The 24 elders represent all of us, the entire Body of Christ – every Old and New Testament believer:
When He took the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song:
You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because You were slaughtered,
and You redeemed people
for God by Your blood
from every tribe and language
and people and nation.
You made them a kingdom
and priests to our God,
and they will reign on the earth.
(Revelation 5:8-10)
When we were born again as SONS of God, we automatically received an INHERITANCE in CHRIST.
Jesus described to Paul what his ministry would be in Acts 26:18:
“to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an INHERITANCE among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’
Ephesians 1:11: “In Him also we have obtained an inheritance.”
Hebrews 9:15: “He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death… that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance”
Galatians 3:26-29: “For you are all SONS of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and HEIRS according to the promise.”
Galatians 4:4-7: “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are SONS, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a SON, and if a SON, then an HEIR of God through Christ.”
1Peter 1:3,4: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an INHERITANCE incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.”
Colossians 1:12,13: “giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the INHERITANCE of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.”
Romans 8:15-17: “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if CHILDREN, then HEIRS—HEIRS of God and joint HEIRS with Christ.”
In the Middle East, all the major players are picking sides right now, for the upcoming End Times Shia vs. Sunni war, as outlined in the Book of Ezekiel, chapters 38 and 39. Israel is being pushed into a regional peace agreement, in order to form an alliance against Iran.
What will happen next? The Bible gives us the answer:
You nations, come here and listen;
you peoples, pay attention!
Let the earth hear, and all that fills it,
the world and all that comes from it.
The Lord is angry with all the nations—
furious with all their armies.
He will set them apart for destruction,
giving them over to slaughter.
Their slain will be thrown out,
and the stench of their corpses will rise;
the mountains will flow with their blood.
(Isaiah 34:1-3)
What are we, as Christians, doing to be prepared?
The very first event where Jesus demonstrated His power was at a wedding ceremony and the celebrations. When His mother Mary came to Him and explained that they had no wine left, Jesus turned water into wine for the wedding party and their guests. The celebration of the wedding was important to Jesus. He and his disciples enjoyed the dancing because a wedding is a wonderful covenant between a man, a woman, and God.
We will be going to another wedding very soon as we are nearing the time of the redeeming of the covenant people of God to His home in the heavens. How will we be dressed? Will we be dressed in the proper garments? Will our lamps be filled with oil or do we need to go out and buy some? Some are asking how to know that they are ready for the Rapture.
The Parable of the Wedding Banquet
Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
“Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’
“But they paid no attention and went off-one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.
“Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into thedarkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
(Matthew 22:1-14)
Wearing the Right Garment
Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. (Ecclesiastes 9:8)
Note: This is not about natural clothes; this is a clean heart and mind by the shed blood of Jesus through the Cross of Christ and the washing of the Word of God.
The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.” Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the LORD stood by. (Zechariah 3:4)
Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. (Revelation 3:4)
And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:1)
The reason the guest was not accepted was that his was soiled from sin. The garment you need to wear is a robe of righteousness with humility. You receive it by repenting, turning from your sin nature, and accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life. “Redeemed” is what the Father sees when He looks at you when you have done this.
Keeping your Lamp Full of Oil
“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming;go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
“Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”
(Matthew 25:1-13)
This scripture is about ten virgins. Five who were wise and have truly have given their body, mind, and spirit to the Lord and have accepted Jesus as Savior. There were five who were foolish and did not make a commitment to the Lord and were expecting to be taken with the Lord when He arrived. This is why they were refused at the door to the wedding feast, because they did not have a relationship with the Lord Jesus (I do not know you).
It is time to get ready for the banquet!
I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Rev 3:18-22)
If you are not sure that you are saved, you can accept Christ into your life right now, by praying:
“Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Please forgive my sins and give me the gift of eternal life. I ask you in to my life and heart to be my Lord and Savior.”
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Rapture and End Times 