The Things Which Shall Be Hereafter
Chapter four of the book of Revelation represents a dramatic change, in which we now move to the third division of the book. If you will recall, in Revelation 1:19, we learned from the Lord Himself, the proper divisions of the Revelation. There John the Apostle heard the Lord say to him, “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now, and what will take place later (or after this)”.
It is very important to observe these three divisions because by understanding this chronological outline, and understanding the fact that this third section of the book is pointing to events that God revealed to John that for us, are still yet awaiting future fulfillment, will greatly enhance your ability to interpret and understand Revelation. In other words, by viewing Revelation sequentially, it is only reasonable to assume, as I will briefly develop here, that “the things which take place after this” which includes Revelation chapters 6 through the end of the book, describe events that will occur after the age of the Church on earth.
The key phrase that links the third part of the outline in Revelation 1:19 with the beginning of Revelation 4:1, is the phrase, meta tauta, “after these things,” which occurs in both verses. In other words, Revelation 4:1 uses this grammatical link to connect with the third part of the outline in Revelation 1:19. Beginning with Revelation 4:1, John clearly says that in the vision in which God is revealing to him, Heaven now becomes the focal point: “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven” (Revelation 4:1). In essence, after the age of the Church on earth, in chapters 4 and 5, attention is shifted from earth to heaven.
With that backdrop, before moving forward in our study, in order to put this all into perspective, I think that it will be helpful to do a quick review of the significance of the study of bible prophecy, as well has an overview of the divine outline of Revelation, because beginning at Revelation chapter 4, everything that John sees are events that are yet awaiting future fulfillment:
What is Prophecy?
Simply put, prophecy is “history written in advance” or pre-written history. In other words, when we study past important historical events such as, the American Revolution, the Civil War or the Protestant Reformation, we are learning about these events AFTER these events actually occurred. When studying prophecy on the other hand, God who “knows the end from the beginning,” allows us to get a glimpse into the future hundreds and sometimes thousands of years before the events actually take place.
Why study bible prophecy?
There are 404 verses containing over 800 allusions from the Old Testament.
In the Old Testament, there are 1,845 references to Christ’s rule on earth; 17 OT books give prominence to this event.
Of the 216 chapters in the New Testament, there are 318 references to the Second Coming of Christ; the event is mentioned in 23 of the 27 books.
Nearly one-third of all of the old testament prophecies are yet awaiting future fulfillment.
For every prophecy relation to Christ’s first coming, there are 8 that reference His second coming.
Revelation presents the climax of God’s redemption plan for man.
It is the consummation of all things.
Prophecy encourages Godly living– when we do not intentionally think about our eternal future it becomes easy to believe that this earth is all there is, which leads to sloppy spirituality and unrighteous living (1 John 2:28-3:3).
Prophecy gives hope and comfort– we remember that our current troubles are only temporary and a day is coming when all troubles will cease; the best is yet to come (Revelation 20-21).
Prophecy warns to flee from the wrath to come– knowing that an eternity in Heaven or Hell is real should motivate us to live Godly lives, and share the way to Christ with others (Romans 1:8).
Prophecy Verifies the Bible as the Absolute Word of God – Prophecy is God’s signature on world history, and on the future of the world. It should be no surprise that the Holy Bible is the only religious book in the whole world with even a word of prophecy.
Prophecy Reveals God’s Providential Plan – The Lord created the world and set time and history in motion. Many people may think that he has left off attending to the happenings in the world, but in reality, He is overseeing and working through all the affairs of mankind to perform his providential plan of the ages.
Prophecy Alerts us to the “Signs of the Times” – Without the Lord’s conveyance of Bible prophecy, we would have absolutely no idea how close we might be to the Day of the Lord.
Our Lord Placed a Great Deal of Emphasis on the Prophetic Scriptures: The very last message that Christ taught prior to His crucifixion was the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24 & 25); then, the very first lesson that He taught His disciples after His resurrection was explaining all of the Old Testament Prophetic Scriptures concerning Himself (Luke 24:44-48), and finally, at Christ’s ascension back up into Heaven, the final admonition that the two Angles gave His astonished disciples was that, “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11), which of course, was a prophecy concerning Christ’s second coming. So, with the overwhelming amount of emphasis that the word of God has devoted to the subject of prophecy, it would just stand to reason that we as Christians not continue to completely neglect and dismiss a subject that God has placed such a priority, especially in light of current events .
First, John was told to “write what you have seen.” That covers the vision of chapter one. What John the Apostle saw was the Lord himself walking in the midst of his churches. Then he was told to write “what is now.” That occupies chapters two and three, i.e., the letters to the seven churches which is a sweeping prophecy of the present age of the church. Then he was told “write what will take place after this.” It is to this third division in which we now arrive in chapter four of our study, which gives us a panoramic view of the beginning of what will take place after the church age or after the rapture of the church.
AN OPEN DOOR IN HEAVEN
We move now to the third division of the book. As I mentioned previously, chapter four of the book of Revelation represents a dramatic change. Chapters 4 and 5 record glimpses into Christ’s glory. We will see into the throne room of heaven, where God is seated on the throne and directing all of the future events that are to occur. We are now approaching the main body of the Book of Revelation itself and the numerous visions which it presents for our consideration. Revelation 4:1–6 describes the apostle John’s experience of being in the Spirit and being transported to heaven. There, he sees the radiance of God which John describes as precious jewels.
John reports in the opening verse of Revelation 4 that he saw a door open in heaven and heard a voice beckoning him to come up to heaven. From heaven’s vantage point, John would witness future events. Upon his arrival in heaven, John saw God. He was sitting on a throne surrounded by twenty-four other thrones. A sea of glass lay in front of God’s throne, and four living creatures were beside the throne. When the living creatures ascribed honor and praise to God, the elders who occupied the twenty-four thrones fell down and worshiped God. They cast their crowns before Him and praised Him.
The Throne Room of Heaven
Several things need to be noted before we discover what the Church will encounter in heaven. First; there is an open door (4:1). God wants us to know what is happening in heaven while there is tribulation on earth. Next, through the open door we see worship. That will be the primary activity in heaven.
The One John saw seated on the throne in verses 2-3 could only be described by comparison to earth’s most beautiful objects, like precious stones such as jasper and Sardis. These were the first and last stones on the high priest’s breastplate (Exodus 28:17-20) and picture the One who is Himself the first and last. Revelation 3:21 has Jesus promising the over-comers the right to sit with Him on the throne; and we know the Spirit is standing before the throne. So, the whole Godhead-Father, Son, and Spirit-is found on the throne in heaven.
Just as a side note, it is important to keep in mind that regarding the symbolism used in the book of Revelation that has been used as an excuse by many Christians over the years to ignore or dismiss Revelation because of their perceived difficulty to understand, John was probably doing his best to describe and verbalize what he was seeing. In other words, John’s vocabulary probably didn’t have the words to even begin to understand and describe the symbols that he was actually seeing. However, to his credit, John did his very best to impress upon us the wonders indescribable wonders that he was seeing.
This is actually in keeping with the admonition the Apostle Paul gave in his first letter to the Christians in Corinth in which he said that, neither eyes nor ears have seen or heard, nor even have imagined, the things that God has prepared for those that love Him. To put it simply, it is impossible for we has humans and in our natural human understanding to be able to comprehend what things are like in the spiritual realm. And that is in spite of the fact that we have two thousand years of amazing advancements in technology that John in the first century wouldn’t even have been able to even begin to comprehend.
The Silence Concerning the Church in Chapters 4-19
Revelation chapters 4-19 talks about one thing in its entirety, which is tribulation on earth. Everything from chapters 6-19 is about judgment that is going to come upon the earth. And here is the most amazing thing about those chapters: Not once is the Church mentioned. If it were on earth during a time of judgment like the coming Great Tribulation it would be mentioned. And if it is not on earth, then Heaven is only one place it can be.
The Spirit of God Transfer from Earth to Heaven
In Revelation 2-3, the Holy Spirit was in the midst of the churches on earth. But in Revelation 4:5 we find that the Holy Spirit is now in heaven before the throne of God. Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 that someone who is now restraining “the lawless one” will be “taken out of the way.” The lawless one is obviously the man of sin, or Antichrist; who will have free reign during the Tribulation period. The Restrainer is the Holy Spirit who works through the Church (salt and light) on earth. But when the Holy Spirit; and wells, is taken out of the way, literally all hell will break loose upon earth. This complete worldwide, unrestrained and unencumbered evil that will be unleashed on earth, can only happen because the Holy Spirit and the Church have been removed.
A phrase John uses seven times in chapters 2 and 3 is, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (3:6). But when that phrase is used in Revelation 13:9, it has changed: “If anyone has an ear, let him hear.” The Spirit is no longer speaking to the Church on earth, rather there is an invitation to “anyone” to grasp the message being given. Another important clue is how God is referred to in chapters 4-19. The name by which Christians refer to God is “Father,” (Matthew 6:9). But in Revelation 4-19, God is never called “Father.” He is referred to as God, Lord, Almighty and other non-personal names by which He was known in the Old Testament. Why? Because His children are no longer addressing Him from earth; they are with Him in heaven.
THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH
Just briefly, the mysterious event known as the Rapture, is most clearly presented in Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, in which he encourages the grieving Christians that, at the “great snatch,” they will be reunited with those who have died in Christ before them.
In verse 17, the English phrase “caught up” translates the Greek word, which means “to seize upon with force” or “to snatch up.”
“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall 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” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
Although the Rapture is not specifically mentioned in the book of Revelation, it is dearly alluded to in the transition from chapter 3 to chapter 4. It is the only explanation for how and why the venue of Revelation moves from earth to heaven. Several facts help us establish the truth of our assumption:
As we can see from the above passage, while the word “Rapture” is not mentioned, the mysterious event known as the Rapture is most clearly presented in the above passage from Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, in which he encourages the grieving Christians in Thessalonica that, at the “great snatch,” they will be reunited with those who have died in Christ before them. The disciples of Christ who have already died will be resurrected first, and will be joined by those who are still living in Christ. They will all be raised up together in incorruptible bodies to meet Jesus in the air.
“For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:52-53).
Just briefly, consider the following parallels and similarities between Revelation 4:1-2, 1 Corinthians 15, and 1 Thessalonians 4:
A Voice of the Lord: Revelation 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:16.
A Trumpet of God sounding: Revelation 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 15:52.
A Change from physical to spiritual: Revelation 4:2; 1 Corinthians 15:52-53.
The Aftermath
Parenthetically, it is important to point out the fact that, immediately after the Rapture, there will be a brief period from the Rapture to the start of the Tribulation will undoubtedly play an important role in establishing the Antichrist’s reign. All born-again believers will have disappeared. Considering the millions of Christians who will be raptured worldwide, the devastation to the economies, militaries, and social structures of nations could be potentially significant. If the Rapture were to occur today, the United States would be particularly affected, as would South Korea, Canada, and other countries with large numbers of born-again Christians.
Generally, the Rapture and the resulting calamities will send the world reeling. Recent and current history teaches how unruly people can become when the infrastructure they are so used to collapses, even for a brief time. Ask any New York City resident who endured the summer of 1977 when the electricity went out for two days. Looting, robberies, muggings, and the like became epidemic. The Rapture of the church will more than likely produce even worse events around the world.
Political and Economic Systems
But even closer to home, let’s consider also for example, the current WORLDWIDE Covid-19 pandemic that has had such an calamitous impact on world economies. But even more significant, especially as it relates to the aftermath of the rapture, is the speed in which this pandemic effected the entire world. Virtually overnight, countries around the world, including the United States, which also happens to be the greatest economic force in the world, simply shut down their economies because of the pandemic. If the impact of the corona virus can send turmoil into the worlds economies with such speed and impact, what will happen with the sudden loss of millions of people? Worldwide economic collapse will undoubtedly be the result.
Finally, imagine what the world will be like once all of the “restraining forces” (i.e. the church and the Spirit of God) have been suddenly removed from the earth, and the subsequent evil that will be unleashed on those who are left behind. in addition to economic and military chaos and upheaval, the Rapture will also undoubtedly cause political turmoil that will make the political polarization that we are currently experiencing, pale by comparison. If the Lord were to remove His church from the earth today, the United States would be among the countries most heavily affected. Many Christians hold positions of importance in every segment of American society. Not to mention the many Christian pilots who will be in midflight when they are suddenly snatched away, or the millions of Christians will be driving in their cars.
In short, the Rapture will leave the U.S. critically and more than likely mortally wounded and possibly reduced to a second-rate power. With the United States crippled economically and politically, many political changes could occur across the globe virtually overnight. Which is why I also have been encourage anyone who will listen, that as we navigate through this Covid-19 pandemic and the corresponding responses by our government and media, believers especially should never lose sight on the impact on the economy.
While I am fully aware of the controversy and emotions that get stirred when the subject of the economy arises, nevertheless, not for any endorsement of your favorite political party or allegiance, but to be able to DISCERN the signs of the times, and to be able to observe what is proving to be a prelude of things to come. In other words, believers in Christ should never lose sight of the “BIG PICTURE.” Because when the anti-christ is revealed after the rapture, one of the first things on his agenda will be to get a handle on the collapse of the world's economies, hence 666.
Finally, to be fair, there is a segment of Christian scholars who reject the idea of a “pre-tribulation rapture” as I have just outlined but instead, ascribe to a “mid-tribulation rapture” interpretation. Now there are a number of reasons for this disagreement, but to encapsulate, much of their disagreement centers around something that the Apostle Paul said to the Christians at Corinth concerning the second coming, “in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52 NIV). Mid-tribulation proponents argue that this passage is a reference to the 7th trumpet judgment recorded in revelation 11:15.
However, while I can agree that this rational could provide a substantive argument, but for the reasons that I have already highlighted, as well as many other reasons that I could point out, I believe that the mid-trib hypothesis can’t be conclusively proven biblically. For one thing, the mid-trib supposition leaves you with more questions than it provides answers. But the main reason why I have difficulty with the mid-trib premise, can be summed up with a key statement that Jesus Himself made regarding His second coming. While giving His Olivet Discourse, Christ pointed out the following: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (Matthew 24:36 NKJV).
In essence, if the mid-tribulation rapture idea was the correct interpretation, then in theory, believers would be able anticipate the rapture pretty much down to the day. Now, there are many other reasons, why I would disagree with my mid-trib rapture brethren that I won’t go into in this article, but suffice it to say, Christ return is imminent, and He will come like a “thief in the night,” and “at a time that we THINK NOT”.
Chapter 5 – The Lion, the Lamb, and the Scroll
The events of Chapter 4 have to a great degree has served as an introduction the Chapter 5 and the events which are to follow from this throne of judgment. In Revelation 5:1, after describing the awesome view of the throne of God with all of the activities surrounding it, John’s attention is drawn to the Father on His throne. In the Fathers right hand is a scroll, with writing on both sides. And that scroll was sealed with seven seals. The Lamb appears and receives the scroll. The “strong angel” proclaims a question in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll?”
John is in despair that no one in the throne room comes forward to open the scroll and deal with its contents. Scripture declares that no human is worthy, we are all unworthy. The strong angel then declares that the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and the Root of David, He is able to take the scroll. Then, in a glorious addition to the appellation of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Jesus is now identified as the “lamb as it had just been slain.”
In a nutshell, the opening of the scroll in chapter 5, is to bring a release from the curse on the earth and on humanity that has existed since the fall in Genesis 3. It is at this point that we will begin to discover the visual depictions of the successive unfolding of a series of increasingly catastrophic judgments that will be unleashed here on earth and upon all those who have rejected Christ and who are left behind on earth after the Rapture. In other words, the opening of the seven seals of this scroll that is introduced in Chapter 5, puts events into motion that will ultimately lead to the return of Jesus Christ to defeat Satan at the battle of Armageddon and the setting up of the Kingdom here on earth.
This passage ends with a series of praises and responses. Following the receipt of the sealed book (scroll) by the Lamb, the four beasts and 24 elders (the redeemed of God) fall to their knees in worship and submission to the Lamb. The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures sing a song praising Jesus for His worthiness to enact God’s judgment. In response, a mind-boggling number of angels respond by praising Jesus. This praise is then echoed by every creature in creation: “in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them” (Revelation 5:9–14).
He is the One that has secured their eternal blessings. In response to their appreciation for His work on their behalf, the redeemed begin a song of honor and praise for their Savior. In that song, they directly link the work of Christ with His worthiness to receive the scroll.
Basically, they are singing that because Christ was faithful to the Father and willing to give His life for those He loves, He alone deserves to rule the events of the world leading up to eternity and to bestow upon His people the eternal blessings He has acquired for them. As their song continues the heavenly angels and finally the entire creation of God joins with them in this song of appreciation, honor and praise for the Lamb who has done so much for them.
After seeing Jesus take the scroll, John will begin to describe the judgments which follow. These “seal judgments” will be described specifically in Revelation chapters 6 through 8. The seventh seal includes the judgments contained in the seven “trumpet judgments,” which begin in chapter 8.
Chapter 6 begins with the Lamb opening the seals on the scroll, one seal at a time. The opening of the scroll begins the period known as Daniel’s 70th week, or the seven-year tribulation period. A period that will be characterized by unparalleled horror and destruction on the earth.
The aftermath of the Rapture will produce a horrific time on earth. The Lord Jesus Himself called it “great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Mt. 24:21). It is with thanksgiving that born again believers can rest in the knowledge that God will not allow His church to go into that terrifying period of unparalleled suffering. “For God hath not appointed us to wrath but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Th. 5:9). If you are a believer, you will not be around for the “aftermath of the Rapture.” If you are not a believer in Jesus as Messiah and Savior, you need to become one. You can come to Him now. He is waiting.
And finally, I would like to encourage all to always remember to strive to be a Berean:
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