COME UP HERE

Revelation 4:1 begins, “After these things.” This is exactly the phrase that is used in Revelation 4:19, giving the outline. It refers to a specific time, namely, after the church age. So, after the church age, John says, “I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven.” This reminds us of three very important things. First, Jesus Christ is the door and identifies Himself as such (John 10:7). What kind of a door is He? He’s an open door to heaven. Second, Jesus Christ opened the door. We see that in Luke 23:45, where He cries out in the agony of separation from the Father and says, “the veil in the temple was rent from top to bottom,” signifying that the way into God’s presence is now open. The veil symbolized the fact that there was a barrier between God and man which was removed on the cross. Finally, the “door” reminds us that He has opened to us a door for evangelism. Remember, with the Church of Philadelphia, He said that He “would open for them a door that no one could close (Revelation 3:8).” You also see the apostle Paul in 1st Corinthians 6:9 asking the Corinthians to pray for him because he said, “a great door for effective service has been opened to me and there are many, many adversaries.” So, the open door is significant because it all centers around the finished work and victory of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Revelation 4:1 says, “I saw a door open in heaven.” I should point out to you that the verb here is perfect. The door opened in the perfect hands, and means it opened in the past, with the result that it remains opened in the present. Jesus Christ opened the door in the past through the work of the cross, and it remains open to the present time. When John saw the door standing open in heaven, he “heard the first voice that he had heard.” The first voice that he heard was the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ. So, he’s hearing the voice of our Lord speaking with him like the sound of a trumpet. This voice, like the sound of a trumpet, gives him a command, and the command is “COME UP HERE.” Now, it’s significant that at the end of the section dealing with church history, John should hear the command, “Come up here,” and he hears it in a voice of a trumpet. You’ll remember in 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18, we are told that “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with a voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God, the dead in Christ will rise first, and then we are alive and remain will be caught up together in the clouds, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” Also, in 1st Corinthians 15:51-58, the Apostle Paul talks about how, “we shall all be changed in a moment. In the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet.” That trumpet, I believe, is the very voice that John hears in Revelation 4:1. And what that voice says, what is said there. When the rapture of the church takes place, believers are going to hear the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ in the same manner. You might just read through John Chapter 5, because in His explanation of the resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ said, “the hour is coming, and now is when those who are in the grave will hear his voice and they shall arise.” So, I believe that the voice that brings the dead in Christ from the ground and catches up those who are living is the very voice that we hear right here. What this portrays in verse one is the rapture of the church. Let me just point out again that while the term “church” and “churches” has been used 19 times in the Revelation Chapters one to three. You will not see the word “church” occur again until Revelation 22:16. Not until God’s plan is finished. Not until we’re in the eternal state is the church mentioned again. What we find in the interim is symbolic language in Revelation Chapters 4 and 5 in heaven. In Revelation Chapter 6 through 19, the section dealing with the tribulation period, the emphasis is all on Israel. Why? Because that’s annual 70th week. We looked at that last time. That’s the time when God is finishing His work in the nation of Israel.
“After these things” is used twice in Revelation 4:1. This is emphasis and very Hebrew. It’s a very Hebrew thing to speak something twice for the purpose of emphasis and to display perfection.
Believers are going to hear the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ. A voice that brings the dead in Christ from the ground and catches up those who are living. This is the very voice that we will hear, “COME UP HERE.”

Gene Cunningham - January 28, 2003

Hebrews 03

Hebrews teaches more than any other book what Jesus Christ is doing right now. Theme: Superiority of Jesus Christ in His High Priestly ministry Heb 8:2 Three main division of the book: 1. Theme and the Uniqueness of Christ in His Person Heb 1:1-14, Heb 2:1-18, Heb 3:1-19, Heb 4:1-16, Heb 5:1-14, Heb 6:1-20, Heb 7:1-28, Heb 8:1-5, 2. Superiority of His Work Heb 8:6-13, Heb 9:1-28, Heb 10:1-39, 3. Practical application, superiority of faith vs. works Heb 11:1-40, Heb 12:1-29, Heb 13:1-25 Five warning sections (all referring to the same problem. Christ already accomplished His work on the cross, and the temple was still standing. Revolts started by the Jews against the Romans. In about 67 AD, the author wrote it as a warning. The warning is the Savior has come, His work is complete, so do not reject Him. He is talking to believers.) 1. Warning against neglect and apathy Heb 2:1-4 2. Warning against the voluntary hardening of the heart Heb 3:7-19, Heb 4:1 3. Warning against falling short or failing the grace of God Heb 5:11-14, Heb 6:1-8 4. Warning against the willful sin (refusal to engage in the ministries God has given with you as well as meeting with other saints) Heb 10:26-39 Acts 1:8 These warnings were due to apathy to His word, but also a failure to fulfill His purpose for us as a priesthood, to share the things with God to others. To hear the word and not apply it makes it a curse for you, because now you are accountable. Heb 10:19-25 reveals all the ministry of the believer (priesthood, ambassadorship, ministry to other believers) 5. Warning against refusing to be corrected Heb 12:25-29 All warnings are about the same thing, about its progression. Superiority of Jesus to angels Heb 1:4-14 Superiority of Jesus: Sonship Heb 1:2, Heirship Heb 1:2, Creator Heb 1:2, Revealer of God Heb 1:3 Joh 1:18, Sustainer of universe by His verbal word Heb 1:3, Redeemer Heb 1:3, High Priest Heb 1:3 Heb 1:4 the humanity of Jesus is better than the angels. Heb 1:1-3 is what Jesus did in His incarnation, as a man. This is the largest passage in the Bible on angels. Lucifer was the greatest of all the angels. It is significant that as a man Jesus is greater than Satan too. Passages that reveal the divinity of God: Joh 1:1-51, Col 1:1-29 Heb 1:1-14 Love of God in Christ-so far beyond our understanding we have to bring it down to application. He would have died for the whole world even if only one person believed Him. Because Jesus was willing to come to our rescue as a man, He was elevated above everyone. Phi 2:5-11 The exalted humanity of Jesus is greater than the angels. Our exalted standing or seating in Christ, places on us maximum accountability. We’ve been given greatest eternal resources in Christ and this is at our disposal. But it’s of no value unless we spend it. You can’t out-give God. Who are you in Christ? Everything He is, you share, you as seated with Him. We have more in Christ than any of the Old Testament believers, our cloud of witnesses, so we see what they did without the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit, without this endless treasure-store of resources. Seven superiorities of Jesus to the angels: 1. Heb 1:4 Christ has inherited because of His obedience in His humanity. The name speaks of the honor and integrity and renown of the person, because of His humility and submission to the word of God. Psa 2:7 Written a thousand years before Christ, and that day is referring the day of the virgin birth. Everything God was going to do, He told in advance. 2. Heb 1:6 The angelic realm was to worship the person of Jesus, in His humanity. 3. Heb 1:7 Angels minister to Jesus 4. Heb 1:11 He will remain in His glorified humanity 5. Heb 1:13 There is a war in the universe. God declared ahead of time how it would end. The genius of God’s plan, after God’s completed work on the cross, He sat down to watch it work out, through it church.

Scripture References: Hebrews 1:4, Hebrews 7:1-28, Hebrews 1:2, Hebrews 12:1-29, Hebrews 1:3, Hebrews 8:2, Hebrews 6:1-8, Philippians 2:5-11, Hebrews 6:1-20, Hebrews 1:2, Hebrews 1:13, Hebrews 11:1-40, Hebrews 1:3, Hebrews 5:11-14, Hebrews 1:1-14, Hebrews 5:1-14, Hebrews 1:4-14, Hebrews 1:11, Hebrews 10:1-39, Hebrews 1:3, Hebrews 4:1, Colossians 1:1-29, Hebrews 4:1-16, Hebrews 12:25-29, Hebrews 1:7, Hebrews 9:1-28, John 1:18, Hebrews 3:7-19, John 1:1-51, Hebrews 3:1-19, Hebrews 10:19-25, Hebrews 1:6, Hebrews 8:6-13, Hebrews 1:3, Hebrews 2:1-4, Hebrews 1:1-3, Hebrews 2:1-18, Acts 1:8, Psalms 2:7, Hebrews 8:1-5, Hebrews 1:2, Hebrews 13:1-25, Hebrews 1:4, Hebrews 1:1-14, Hebrews 10:26-39