REVELATION 4 Listen to the Podcast Here
Last week we heard about the most important part of Revelation…What God had to say to the Churches and were told if we had an ear to listen, then do it. Today’s Episode will cover the beginning of Chapter 4, the Rapture!
​
Reminder of the outline that God gave for this book chpater 1:4
It was John speaking to the seven churches sending grace and peace from Him
Which is.  (A paraphrase of the great I AM)
Which was (the past)
And which is to come. (The Future)
In the ESV Version 4:1
After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you must take place after this.”
At once I was in the Spirit and behold, a throne stood in heaven with one seated on the throne.
Did you catch that? According to the scripture we just read, the Rapture was put into God’s timeline of History for mankind. 
If you missed it, lemma essplain
When my brother and sister and I were visiting our Grandfather in Germany, way too many years to mention, we were standing around waiting for a bus, while we overheard a conversation in English. 
In English I asked the couple if there was anything we could do to help.
He replied in English telling me he was trying to confirm the correct bus headed in his direction, but he was Polish and only knew how to speak Polish and English. After getting his info and question, I asked around in German for the info we needed and had them on their bus just in the Nic of time. It only took three languages before things became clear. 

Yes, that was an important rabbit trail. Most of us read our Bible in English. I read the first verse in the English Standard Version, a simpler version to understand than the KJV. I love the beauty of the KJV, but I understand that we don’t all go around speaking like Shakespeare anymore.
Whatever American translation you are reading from, was translated from the original languages…Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic.

No I don’t speak those languages, and don’t even begin to be an expert in translating. However since I speak German as well as English, I do understand that sometimes the translation of words or phrases are not clear cut and need a little understanding. For example, I grew up asking for an “untersetzt” at very important moments. At home with the family they understood, however if I was at someone else place, they didn’t always help quickly enough. So my mind would have to do the translation out loud. I need and untersetzt! The thing that sits under. The thing that sits under this hot pot of spaghetti that will burn me very soon. I need a TRIVET! That’s it, I NEED a TRIVET! In my mind I had to translate from German to English to a borrowed word from French!
After these things, the things I just shared with you from my past, I am moving to the present to share more with you of what I have read and studied in the Bible. What I share on the subject of the Rapture is not meant to be taken to the point of using as ammunition in an arguement. These things that God has taught me through His word are made to comfort us with the thought of His return, not ne used as a weapon in warfare between other believers or a hammer when speaking with unbelievers. 
In fact this is a great place to pivot for some support for this caution. 

If we look into I Thessalonians. This book was written around AD 51 so it was written to a fairly young church of about 20 years, rather young in the eyes of many a believer. And yet, Paul takes the time to speak to them of what was an important matter. Some of those in the early church had died, and they had questions. Will my loved one be in heaven or not since they have missed the Coming of the Lord, His return that has not happened yet. Paul was clarifying what would happen in chapter 4, he did not want them to be ignorant due to lack of information regarding those who had already died. 
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the 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.

A few things stand out to me here, how about you?
There are some today and in recent decades saying that we should remain in the gospels and leave Revelation alone, which is too difficult for the average person to understand, but Paul was clarifying the Coming of the Lord to them through these verses that were to bring them comfort. 
This shows me that as believers in Jesus, we are to find comfort in reading Revelation as we look deeper into the coming of the Lord and how it all plays out. Now that grace and peace from John at the beginning of Revelation always came in that order. Grace first and then peace, for there is no peace with out the grace of God. 
This passage also shows me that the caught up or snatching away of God;s children will not be a silent affair. There will be a voice like the Archangel, like the sound of a loud trumpet! 
This trumpet is referring to the gathering of believers, but in the case of
Matthew 24:31 God sends angels pl. to gather all the elect at the end of the seven year tribulation period, known also as the 70th week of Daniel. 
Thessalonians refers to the believers in Jesus that have already died
And Matthew refers to Jewish, living believers
 In more modern English we read I Thess 4:13-18
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord,[d] that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
 With a bit of a foundation regarding the doctrine of the Rapture, the snatching away or being caught up in His presence, we can continue on to Rev 4:1 with more insight. 

In the ESV Version 4:1-2
After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you must take place after this.”
At once I was in the Spirit and behold, a throne stood in heaven with one seated on the throne.
 At this point we do not see the word Rapture in this passage or any other passage for that matter. However the doctrine of the Rapture is in the Bible, some of which we saw in I Thess. 
Some scholars take this first verse of Revelation 4 and explain that after this, or after these things in the Greek Meta Taute, to English sounds something like being harpooned, translated to Latin and then English we get our word Rapture.
Some scholars say this verse is not to be used as support for the translation of the Rapture of the church here, because it’s a stretch and may cause some to disbelieve the Pre Trib Rapture case once they look into this. 
Again, this is not for our intellectual sparring, but for our comfort. 

When I come upon a passage that gives me trouble, or one that scholars have trouble agreeing on,

• I know that I have to fall back on what I DO know of God’s word. For I, just like you, are responsible for what we know about the Bible and wether we are obedient to it. 
• I know that True believers have the Holy Spirit within us. Jesus sent us the Paracletus, the Holy Spirit, our helper and comforter, and God promised that He would never leave us or forsake us. 
• I know the church is mentioned here and not again until Chapter 19. 
• At this very point in scripture is the jumping off several thoughts of direction. 
• The Pre Tribulation Rapture view begins here at the catching up before the 70th week of Daniel, or the seven year tribulation period, which is the view that I see in scripture.

Others also see:

• A mid tribulation rapture in the middle of the Great Seven year Tribulation
• A pre wrath rapture view- snatched away some time during the Great seven year Tribulation
• The Post Triblustion rapture view, that believers are snatched raptured at the end of the Great Seven Year Tribulation. 
• Some have mentioned the Pan-Trib view: as whenever the rapture happens is fine with them because is till all pan out. 
• And there are more views popping up than ever before.

I have to say that thinking and studying these views has shown me that it is important to study and mine God’s word for His truth because what we know of it, will affect the way we live our lives right now, which affects the way we treat others on this earth, and how we treat God. 

The Thessalonians were clearly looking forward to the imminent return of their savior. They were comforted with the thought of what their future held in Christ. They were not living in fear or dread of what was to come in the Great Tribulation. They were looking forward to the return of their savior Jesus, just like I am !!!!!!!!
Another point of comfort I see is that the young Thessalonian Church was finding comfort not only in Jesus return, but also of being taken with Him. 
Again, if they were looking forward to comfort with being with Him, then this catching away would bring judgement and fear, they would not be comforted. There will be judgement at the Throne of God, but this is not the time. 
There is another passage of scripture that helps us understand.

I Cor 15: starting at verse 51
Behold! I tell 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 trumpet: for the trumpet will sound and the dead shall be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immmotailty, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in VICTORY.

Mystery, Through the idea of an imposed silence
Which is now being revealed! There will be some at the end of the Church age, the age of grace, that will not die before Jesus returns, and those that did die in Christ, those will once again be raised to life. 
Oh death were is you victory?
Oh death where is your sting?
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the VICTORY through our Lord Jesus Christ.
There fore my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 

Now that’s another rally cry of comfort in Christ, through Victory over death! 

Ok, so the body will die or be changed one day. We will trade in this earth suit for our heavenly suit and live with Jesus in heaven for ever!
Mystery is over! It has been revealed!

The conclusion of the matter here in Corinthians?
Paul loved the Corinthian church, but they were not living to their best potential in Christ, but instead chose to live in the flesh rather than choose to be pleasing to God. So the Apostle Paul in this chapter reminds them to be steadfast: to remain in the doctrines of the Gospel, in particular this doctrine fo the resurrection of the dead, to be fruitful, to do the work of the ministry, because God will not forget their labors and He is a rewarder of those who love and serve Him. 
The Bible reminds us that no one will know the day or the hour of our Lords return for us, but we are supposed to watching, listening, and recognize the season. Just like when the snow finally begins to melt and Spring begins to blossom. At that seasonal change, I find myself looking for any small sign of change from the drab of winter to a bit of color in the branches, to those tiny leaves or blossoms beginning to pop up on the landscape.  
After comparing these verses we can see the Rapture on the timeline of God
as a Pre-Trib Rapture point in the near future. The world stage is being set for the rest of what will be revealed in Revelation. 

Now that we have looked at when, let’s take a look at why?
God has a divine purpose for His People Israel, and for the Church. The Church has been grafted into the Vine, which represents Christ. Those of in Christ share in the divine purpose of bringing others into the Kingdom of Heaven with us during this Age of the Church as we look expectantly for the Rapture.
God also has a purpose for Isreal. No the church has not replaced Israel. Israel is on a kind of time out, in the corner for not obeying God. So during this time God will use the spiritual children of Abraham, whether they be Jew or Gentile to spread His word and mission to reconcile souls to Himself. 
Romans 11:25 tells us. Want you to understand this mystery brothers, a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in
(That is, until the full number of Gentiles who will be saved have, in fact become saved!) 

So God has delayed the Kingdom plan for the Jews at this time, until all who will choose Jesus will do it. 
The thousand year plan for Isreal, or the Millennial Kingdom of the Jews, on Earth, is postponed until the timeline of the Church has been fulfilled. 
This is where it gets a bit more complicated to see in our minds eye because the Rapture is only the beginning of the fulfillment of the Church. After being Raptured from the Earth, to be in God’s presence, all those in christ who have lived in faith looking forward to the Messiah, all those who look back to the cross in faith, and all those tribulation saints on the earth that are martyred for their faith, will be The Bride of Christ and take part in activities in Heaven during the seven years of Tribulation that will poured out to those left on the earth after the Rapture. 


During these last days of the Church Age, before the Millennium, God says there will be many false prophets, and false teachers that rise up that will try to deceive us. 

We have a short time for the following:
Time to share the gospel
Time to repent

Remember Ephesus?
The claims I made in the section, I just finished sharing with you is based mostly in the rest of the Book of Revelation, so we will get into those deeper in the future. The rest of the section comes out of a study of the Covenents of the Bible Study we just finished here on Moments with Moni. If you have not gone through Biblical Covenant Series, I would suggest you walk through it with me before continuing through Revelation, as it will give you better insight God’s plans for different people groups and places, and it would take too much time to repeat it all here. 
Of course you may not agree with what I have said, but If that is the case, then I would hope that your view is not based on what you have been told. Don’t take my word for all of this, it’s important for us to be responsible for our own salvation, and sanctification through the word of God.

So what does this spiritual season look like around us?
Some of the things I see working out on the worlds stage remind me of what to expect at the end of the Church Age, while I am looking forward to the Return of Jesus, in the air, with a loud trumpet sound. 

This view is being mocked 

• by many which falls in line with having teachers that tell you what you want to hear
• By false teachers who deceive and teach that the Church Age is already over and Jesus is already here, IN THE FLESH, and the church of the Almighty God is ushering in the THIRD Millennium! Yikes! 
• The falling away from the truth has been growing exponentially,
• Systems are in place for the set up of a one world, religion, one world, economy, and one world government.
• America is not seen on the stage during the tribulation periodPossibly due to:

1. Moral and spiritual decline
2. EMT Attack
3. Catastrophes
4. Or even the Rapture mentioned on the list. 

2 Tim 3:1-7



​

 You can listen to the Podcast Here: The Maiden's Story, An Audio Book
Welcome to another Friday Night Feature Story on Moments with Moni.
This past year we have studied our way through the Book of Song of Solomon. Now that we are done with the Podcast portion, I'd like to share an Audio Book Retelling of the Book of Song of Solomon that I wrote and finally recorded.
If you have read and studied thorugh SOS, you may see the Maiden and the Beloved in this Re-telling.
If you have not read the Book of SOS, I invite you to go through the SOS podcasts on Momentswithmoni. com to give you more insight into the story.
A quick note of insight into the retelling is a version in which the Maiden represents the individual believer in Jesus, and the Beloved represents Jesus.
During this Christmas Season, our hearts and minds turn towards the Christ Child, but don't remain there. He grew to be a man, a Savior that died for all of mankind, but He did not remain dead.
Song of Soloman offers the most beautiful love story ever written to us, while I have condensed and shortened the intensley intimate story.
Feel free to contact me on Facebook or the Blog with questions or comments.
If you would like to partner with me in sharing the Word of God through these Podcasts, just click on the Big Yellow Button, and By Me A Coffee.

An excerpt from the story:

All the world has to offer me does not compare to the intimacy of our relationship. Full assurance of my Beloved's forgiveness and grace brings peace and joy to my heart. When He draws me close I enjoy our time together, and rejoice for the promise of our future. Just the thought of Your name heals my soul. No wonder so many love You.
I realize my unworthiness before You and surrender my own will to Yours.
I am as dark as the black goat hair of the nomad tents in the desert, and yet to Him I am as beautiful as the embroidered curtains in Solomon's Temple. Others kept me hard at work on our vineyards and I had no time to care for myself as I should. I am weary from suffering at the hand of fellow believers who claim to be my family.
My heart cries out to You! Oh, where can I find rest?
As my Shepherd speaks He warns me to take care where I rest and learn of Him.
He encourages me to not sit among the false teachers or the false prophets for they are guided by their sensuality and because of them the way of truth will be reviled and distorted. As His fairest maiden, I am to remain close to His side and close to the flock.
My Beloved compares me to a company of Pharaoh's horses, which I am sure is a wonderful thing and not as bad as it sounds. He praises my strength and agility, and compares my beauty to that of jewels, gold and silver.
In the night, my Beloved is close to my heart as we commune in prayer. The fragrance of His presence surrounds me.
He is ravished with my beauty.
As the mourning dove sings to it's mate for life, I only have eyes for Him.
I am at home in Him.
The enemy surrounds me and it is a struggle to keep focused on my Beloved.
The thorns leave me injured. My weakness is ever apparent. As I bow in surrender to my Beloved and stand in Him I find strength. There are days that I am irritated or trampled, but thankful it is His sweet fragrance that fills the air as I am crushed.
Related Episodes:
Episode #9 of SOS INTRO
Episode #10 of SOS INTRO PART 2
You can listen to more episodes on the Blog or on any of your favorite Podcast Players.

Today’s Episode is on the last three of the seven churches of Revelation

• A bit about their History
• How God revolved Himself to them
• What the commendations were to them
• What the warnings or counsel were to them
• What the promises are to the Overcomer

Blessings and prayers to and for you during this Christmas Season 2020.
Wether you are able to listen now or later, my prayer is that you digging deeper into God’s Word to find the treasures hidden within. Mine God’s Word as if you are mining for gold. For His Word is lamp to show us where and how to step and a Light that exposes darkness and all of it’s pitfalls 

Last week we looked at the first four churches of Revelation. The sister Churches in Asia Minor who were sent a letter. That letter came from Jesus to the Angel to John to those in the seven churches to us today. God’s word transcends time and is a message to our hearts today. 
If you missed the previous episodes you can find the links below.
The next church on the list is Sardis in Revelation 3:1-6
Last time I mentioned how important it is to be aware of the Historical and Geographical context of the scripture. It helps us see the writings of the Churches History, here in Revelation in the true light. If we just do the reading of the story and make a quick judgement based on our own thoughts, we miss the whole picture. Stories online or stories we read can be fairy tales in our minds eye, and dismissed as such. However, if you look at the Historical and Geographical aspects of these seven churches, we get a “3D” picture of Reality.
    
Think of reading one of your grandparents birth certificates. You get the story told to you from a piece of paper that was written by a person with the facts of the story. When you actually meet your grandparents, you get the Real 3D Picture. In a world of two demensional online research, we can be quick to make snap judgements with out knowing the historical and geographical background. So let’s take a look at a bit of the Historical and Geographical information of Sardis before we delve into the scripture to see what God has left us in His letters to us. 
Sardis, once a part of an Ancient Persian Kingdom, Lydia, with a very polytheistic environment liberated in 340 B.C. Sardis means “escaping” and was one of the seven churches in the Roman Provence of Asia, or Modern Turkey, filled with worship of false gods.  Sardis was known for it’s gold and wealth. The city was destroyed in the 16th century by the Persian Army. 
John writes what Jesus told him to say to the church of Sardis. 
Jesus revealed Himself to the Sardis church as ”One with the seven Spirits of God and seven stars in His hands” and quickly tells them, “ I know your works, that you have a name, a reputation of character and reveals it as one who is alive, but dead. Giving us a picture of a corpse who walks around. 
The Commendation: Jesus says to those in Sardis, I know your works.Wake up, be watchful and remain strong in Me. Repent of your wicked works and watch of I will come as a thief in the night. 
To the Overcomers of Sardis Jesus says you will be clothed in white raiment, and I will not erase your name out of the Book of Life. If you do these things, I will confess you before my Father. I will claim you as my own before my Father and before His Angels. 

The Church of Philadelphia which means “brotherly love”
Thirty miles East of Sardis, and about 50 miles from Laodecia, was the church of Philadelphia, representing a faithful church. Founded in AD 17. It was the newest of the cities and almost destroyed by earthquakes in that same year. Philadelphia resisted Moslem take over, and became an island of Christianity.

Jesus revealed Himself to Philadelphia as He who has the Keys of David and He that opens the door that no one can shut, and what He shuts, no one can open. If you studied through the Covenant Series here on Moments with Moni, you might remember the Covenant with David that proclaimed a descendant of his would forever more sit on the throne for eternity. Yes, here is the fulfillment of the New Covenant. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, He now holds the Keys to death and Hell, and is sitting at the right Hand of God, waiting until the time that God puts all of His enemies under his feet. His work is done, and He is waiting in Heaven 
To the Church in Philadelphia Jesus says, I know your works and that you have just a little strength left. I also know that you have obeyed my Word and have not denied my name. 
Jesus continues, and tells the church that I will take care of the satanists, and those who claim to be Jews, but are lying, and will make them bow at your feet, so that you know that I have loved you. “A sort of vindication before the self righteous “Spiritual persecutors.” Because you have kept my word patiently, I will keep you from the hour of temptation. 
Most Bible Scholars see the hour of trial as prophetic reference to the Great Tribulation, on the timeline we are following here as just before the Earthly Kingdom. Jesus has promised to keep the faithful from that hour of trial. 
For it will be a time when those who dwell on Earth will be tested. Mentioned nine times in Revelation, it refers to those who are not believers in Jesus. 
Revelation 17:8
And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world. This test is for unbelievers, not Christians. 
Christians are promised a different outcome through the Covenants. Even though we walk in the world, we are not of it. Our home is in the Heavenly places with Jesus. 
There are some who believe a different time line, and you can study the options if you like such as Pre Trib, Mid Trib, Post Trib or Pan Trib (However it pans out) 
It is best not to take the lazy way out and “Play it so called safe with the Pan Tribe view, because what we believe today will affect how we live our life right now. 

To Philadelphia Jesus promises that He will come quickly. Translated into English a bit better would be sudden and unexpected, not nesscesarily immediately. 
So until He returns, Hold Fast, so no one may take your crown of victory. Stay in the race. As was mentioned by our Pastor this past Sunday, that we may be running this race, or walking in this race, or maybe even just crawling, just keep going! 
Let’s keep our eyes on the finish line. 

To the Overcomers of Philadelphia Jesus promises that He will make them a pillar in the temple of our God and we will NEVER more go in or out. And He will write on them the name of our God and the name of the city of God, the New Jerusalem, which will come down out of Heaven and He says, I will write on him, My new name. One day, true believers will be Co-Heirs with Christ. Hallelujah!

And the Last of the Seven Churches of Revelation: Laodecia 3: 14-22
Laodecia means “People ruling” and represents the unbelieving, materialistic church. It was famous for wealth, banks, and medical school with popular eye salve and textile industry with the most luxurious black goats hair suits. 
To this church, Jesus revealed Himself as the Amen, the Faithful True Witness and the One who was at the beginning with God at Creation.   One of the problems that Laodecia had to contend with was an inadequate water supply. So a series of aqueducts brought water from the Hierapolis hot springs. By the time it arrived, the water was lukewarm and unfavorable. 

Jesus described the Church in Laodecia in a way that they would understand, by telling them He wishes they were at least hot or cold, but because you are lukewarm about Me, like your water, it makes Me want to gag, and spit you out! You think you are rich, makers of healing eye salve, and luxurious black suits, but really, you are Poor, Blind and Naked! 

Jesus then gives this church some advice,
Buy from Me, gold refined in the fire that you may be rich 
That you may have white garments, to cover the shame of your nakedness, that it may not be revealed.
Annoint your eyes with spiritual healing so that you will really be able to see clearly. 
Be serious and repent!
He continues with His advice and counsel
LOOK! WATCH! I AM standing at the door and knocking. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he will eat with me. 
It is sad news when a church goes through the motions of being a church, but leave Jesus outside the doors. 
Be serious and repent. 
To the one who conquers, to the Overcomers, Jesus will give a place to sit with Him on His throne, just as He has overcome and is now sitting with His Father at the Throne of God. 

As we come the the end of the letters to the seven churches, I saved one last thing that was mentioned to each of the Churches for last as they pertain to them all. 

"He who has an ear,  let him hear what the Spirit has to say to the Churches"

As the Sleigh Bells ring this Christmas Season, are you listening to what the Spirit has to say? 

More on the Podcast…….

Introduction to Revelation
Revelation 1
Revelation 2
​Revelation 3
On next week's episode we will be starting chapter 4 which will bring up the topic of the RAPTURE. If you get a chance, read ahead in your Bible. You are invited to contact me with any comments or questions. 
Thanks again for listening.