Sermon Tone Analysis

Revelation 4:1-4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Caswell © 2004

Behold I Come Quickly

 

A minister was preaching on the imminence of Christ’s return.

To make his point the preacher said very passionately, */Behold I Come quickly!/*

The congregation didn’t catch his enthusiasm, so he said it again with greater expression.

Again the congregation didn’t respond much.

A third time he pronounced the words */Behold I Come quickly!/* this time thumping the pulpit for added emphasis.

Unfortunately the pulpit couldn’t take this kind of force and he crashed down onto a little old lady sitting in the front row.

He profusely apologized to her.

However, she said to him it’s not your fault reverend, it’s mine.

You warned me 3 times that you were coming.

I should have been ready.

A few months ago we began this series on the Book of Revelation.

John was told to write down /the things he had seen, the things which are and the things that will happen after that./

*/This forms the outline for the entire book; the past, the present and the future./*

We now come to the third part of the book of Revelation; */The things that will take place after this.

/*John commences with the rapture of the Church.

This morning we will see the */Who, When, Where/* and */How/* of the */Rapture./*

*/ /*

The view I hold to is the Pre Millenial View.

This view of prophecy is described in the */Left Behind/* series of books and films.

Some Christians hold to other views such as the Amillenial View, the Post Millenial View and the Pan Millenial View.

/Firstly, /When Will It Happen?

 

*Revelation 4:1:* */After these things/*/ I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven.

And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, Come up here, and *I will show you* *things which must take place after this*./

Down through the ages many Christians and non Christians have set dates for Christ’s return.

Each time they have set a date they have been wrong.

Jesus Christ said that no one knows the time of His return in *Matthew 24:36.*

So I can’t tell you the day, the month or the year.

In *Revelation 4:1* it says, that /after these things/ John was summoned to heaven.

/After what things?/

The Church Age.

In chapters 2 and 3 John describes the 7 Churches and the 7 Church Ages they represent.

After the Church Age is finished John is caught up to heaven.

When the bride is complete, Jesus Christ will return for her.

*/It will happen according to God’s program, unexpectedly.

It will happen very suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye./*

There will be no time to get ready then; you will just be left behind.

Ready for the Rapture

 

After church, where she had been taught about the Second Coming, a little girl was quizzing her mother.

/Mommy, do you believe Jesus will come back again?/

Yes.

/Could he come this week?

/Yes.

/Could he come today?

/Yes.

/Could he come in the next hour?/

Yes.

/Could he come in a few minutes?/

Yes, dear.

/Mommy, would you comb my hair?* **Are you ready for the rapture?

You won’t have time to prepare once it happens!*/

Now, I will give some reasons why I am convinced that the rapture will take place before the Great Tribulation.

*Revelation 3:10:* /Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the *hour of temptation*, *which shall come upon all the world*, to try them that dwell upon the earth./

*1 Thessalonians 5:9:* /For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.

/

/ /

·    /After this/ refers to the /Church Age/ described in Chapters 2 and 3. /Ephesus// – Laodicea./

·    The word Church isn’t found after ch 3 because it’s in heaven.

Tribulation is on earth.

·    John, a member of the Church saw the vision of the Great Tribulation from heaven.

·    Christ promised to keep the Church from the tribulation sent upon the whole earth.

·    The Church celebrates the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in heaven before coming back to the earth with Jesus Christ to judge and reign.

Revelation 19:1-21

·    We’re told to be ready; Jesus Christ might return at any time.

His return is imminent.

·    If the Church must first go through 7 years of world wide tribulation it wouldn’t apply.

·    Believers saved in the tribulation are called saints, martyrs, faithful; never the Church.

·    The events described in Revelation chapters 4 to 20 describe 7 years of tribulation.

·    This is Daniels 70th week; a time when God helps Israel to recognize the Messiah.

·    It’ called the time of Jacob’s Trouble and involves Israel & the world, not the Church.

/Secondly, /Who Will Be Taken?

 

*Revelation 4:2:*/ Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne./

/a.

Spirit’s Seal/

/ /

The Apostle John was a believer.

John says that he was in the Spirit when he was called up into heaven.

The Holy Spirit resides in John and in fact in every believer.

The Holy Spirit indwells us from our conversion and empowers us to live the Christian life.

His presence also marks us as God’s children.

*/Like cattle are branded./*

*2 Timothy 2:19:* /Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, *having this seal: The Lord knows those who are His*, and, Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity./

Electromagnet

 

Have you ever seen a giant electromagnet operating in a scrap metal yard.

Before the power is turned on the giant magnet can’t attract anything.

Yet once it is activated it picks up huge amounts of steel without any trouble whatsoever.

Electro magnets are very discriminating.

They pick up steel whilst rejecting everything else.

Other metals aren’t attracted.

So too, Christ draws believers to Himself in the clouds.

Others are left behind.

*/God knows those who have His Spirit! /Romans 8:16, 23: */The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

*God will only take those with the Holy Spirit.

*/

/b.

God’s Guarantee  /Lay By Shopping

 

When you go shopping sometimes you can’t afford to buy an article, so you put it on lay by.

You pay a deposit and then pay it off.

The shop knows you want to buy it because you pay 10% as a deposit.

*/God has shown His intention to come back and collect us by giving us His Holy Spirit! /Ephesians 1:13:* /In Him (Christ) you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were *sealed* with the Holy Spirit of *promise*,/ /who is the *guarantee* of our inheritance until the *redemption* of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

/

/ /

/c.

Christ’s Bride  /The Jewish Wedding Ceremony

 

A wedding ceremony was a big event in the life of the Jews.