As I studied chapter 4 and moved on to chapter 5 I realized that there really is no time divide between the two, and they both take place in heaven at about the same time. I also realized that many scholars seem to think that believers will receive the 'rewards' promised throughout Scripture during this time....so before I went on to chapter 5 I studied the 'rewards.' Here is a part of it.
We all will be judged/rewarded
2 Cor. 5:10
There are rewards for ‘works’:
Col 3:24
1 Cor. 3:-11-14
Heb. 11:16
God wants to give us rewards:
Luke 12:32
Jesus is preparing our rewards:
Jo 14:2
Description of rewards (note we will study ‘crowns’ and ‘reigning with Christ” together in our group)
Being with Christ – Jo 14:3
1 Thes. 4:17
Beholding the face of God - Matt 5:8
Being glorified with Christ 1 John 3:2
Sitting in Judgment with Christ Matt 19:28
Shall be given at the second coming of Christ
Matt. 16:27
Rev. 22:12
Friday, January 28, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Chapter 4 Revelation (and a brief review of the 7 Churches Study)
As I study the Book of Revelation I am particularly interested in Chapter 4. Born-again believers will see the events of Chapter 4!! Here is the study outline that I am using for my personal study. Remember.....the book of Revelation is the "unveiling of Jesus Christ".
STOP! LOOOK! LISTEN!
STOP!
Read chapter 4. Always look for the words “because” ‘but” and ‘for’ (when it means ‘because). Note every time the word “like” is written…what does “like” mean? Also note every time the word ‘throne’ is mentioned (over 10 times). “Throne’ is the focus of this chapter.
LOOK! This is heaven!!!! There seems to be much that we do not understand. You will need to look at a few commentaries for some idea of what this all means.
Note what comes before this chapter, and what comes after this chapter. John goes directly from the letters to the seven churches right to heaven. Chapter 5 tells some things that happen in heaven. The book of Revelation does not mention the rapture in any detail (3:10). Why not?(We can only guess)
Vs 5…what/who are the ‘seven spirits of God” (See 5:6 also)(Read Is. 11:1-2)
Who are the 24 elders?
Who/what are the living creatures (if your translation says ‘beasts’ it is wrong.)
I always write down the ‘titles’ or ‘names’ for Jesus. Note: Jesus is only called “Lion” once in Revelation – He is called “Lamb” approximately 25 times in the book of Revelation. Ask yourself….why would John call Jesus “Lamb” so many times…and “Lion” only once?
Chapter 4 tells us what God looks like….what does God look like?
LISTEN!
What is God trying to teach us in this Chapter?
What if this chapter had been left out of the Book?
How can we apply what we have learned in this chapter to our lives today?
BRIEF NOTES ON THE STUDY OF THE 7 CHURCHES
As I began my study of the seven churches my thoughts were..."here I go again, the same old study of the churches, this will be boring!" Boy was I wrong! I was blessed by my study of the churches and came away with many new insights - in brief:
1. Church must be important to God - One and one half chapters are given over to the topic. This indicates to me that church membership is important...again...no individual, 'Lone Ranger' worship.
2. Each of the churches describes some aspect of God that is mentioned in Chapter One. I saw how his eyes of fire and feet of brass indicated judgment, etc...
3. There is much discussion and disagreement as to the seven churches. Is this just written to individual churches? Individual aspects of people? The seven periods of church development? etc... It does not matter...the messages of faithfulness, service and holiness, are the key.
4. What if these letters had been left out of Scripture? We would have missed so much color and instruction from God.
5. The church is not mentioned again after chapter 3. I agree with those scholars who indicate that the rapture must happen at this point, because as we go into chapter 4 the phrase "after these things' indicates immedately after "these things," the introduction to the book, the scene changes to heaven. The 24 'elderes' in chapter 4 may be desctibing elders of the church...again indicating that the church is removed from the earth before the Tribulation. (3:10).The church does not seem to go through any of the Trubulation - it is in heaven worshiping God and at the Bema Seat for rewards. At the end of the book it is at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
How can I apply this message to my life today?
1. I must watch my own life that I do not become 'lukewarm' or 'worldly' etc.... each of the messages of the 7 churches. I want to be commended...not corrected by what I do as I serve the Lord here on earth.
2. I must watch my own church and the message we give to the world....to be set apart, holy, active in Gods work, fervent in our love for God, and sticking to our holy, set apart lives.
(As I write this I hear on the t.v. behind me that another Christian church in Egypt has been attacked by Muslims. - the persecution of the Christian church goes on and gets worse).
STOP! LOOOK! LISTEN!
STOP!
Read chapter 4. Always look for the words “because” ‘but” and ‘for’ (when it means ‘because). Note every time the word “like” is written…what does “like” mean? Also note every time the word ‘throne’ is mentioned (over 10 times). “Throne’ is the focus of this chapter.
LOOK! This is heaven!!!! There seems to be much that we do not understand. You will need to look at a few commentaries for some idea of what this all means.
Note what comes before this chapter, and what comes after this chapter. John goes directly from the letters to the seven churches right to heaven. Chapter 5 tells some things that happen in heaven. The book of Revelation does not mention the rapture in any detail (3:10). Why not?(We can only guess)
Vs 5…what/who are the ‘seven spirits of God” (See 5:6 also)(Read Is. 11:1-2)
Who are the 24 elders?
Who/what are the living creatures (if your translation says ‘beasts’ it is wrong.)
I always write down the ‘titles’ or ‘names’ for Jesus. Note: Jesus is only called “Lion” once in Revelation – He is called “Lamb” approximately 25 times in the book of Revelation. Ask yourself….why would John call Jesus “Lamb” so many times…and “Lion” only once?
Chapter 4 tells us what God looks like….what does God look like?
LISTEN!
What is God trying to teach us in this Chapter?
What if this chapter had been left out of the Book?
How can we apply what we have learned in this chapter to our lives today?
BRIEF NOTES ON THE STUDY OF THE 7 CHURCHES
As I began my study of the seven churches my thoughts were..."here I go again, the same old study of the churches, this will be boring!" Boy was I wrong! I was blessed by my study of the churches and came away with many new insights - in brief:
1. Church must be important to God - One and one half chapters are given over to the topic. This indicates to me that church membership is important...again...no individual, 'Lone Ranger' worship.
2. Each of the churches describes some aspect of God that is mentioned in Chapter One. I saw how his eyes of fire and feet of brass indicated judgment, etc...
3. There is much discussion and disagreement as to the seven churches. Is this just written to individual churches? Individual aspects of people? The seven periods of church development? etc... It does not matter...the messages of faithfulness, service and holiness, are the key.
4. What if these letters had been left out of Scripture? We would have missed so much color and instruction from God.
5. The church is not mentioned again after chapter 3. I agree with those scholars who indicate that the rapture must happen at this point, because as we go into chapter 4 the phrase "after these things' indicates immedately after "these things," the introduction to the book, the scene changes to heaven. The 24 'elderes' in chapter 4 may be desctibing elders of the church...again indicating that the church is removed from the earth before the Tribulation. (3:10).The church does not seem to go through any of the Trubulation - it is in heaven worshiping God and at the Bema Seat for rewards. At the end of the book it is at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
How can I apply this message to my life today?
1. I must watch my own life that I do not become 'lukewarm' or 'worldly' etc.... each of the messages of the 7 churches. I want to be commended...not corrected by what I do as I serve the Lord here on earth.
2. I must watch my own church and the message we give to the world....to be set apart, holy, active in Gods work, fervent in our love for God, and sticking to our holy, set apart lives.
(As I write this I hear on the t.v. behind me that another Christian church in Egypt has been attacked by Muslims. - the persecution of the Christian church goes on and gets worse).
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