Revelation - Part 4 - Lecture 12

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Kay Arthur

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Rev Pt4: Lecture 12:
Where is the Church
In the Book of the Revelation?
Kay Arthur

Click following for literal chapter by chapter chart summary of:
Revelation 4-10
Revelation 11-16
Revelation 17-19
Revelation 20-22

Translated: When will the Church be RAPTURED?

THE CHURCH IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION:

Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must shortly take place; and He sent and communicated [it] by His angel to His bond-servant John, (Jesus > Angel > John > Bondservants ~ Church) 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near. 4 John to the seven CHURCHES that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne; 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, (The first to be raised from the dead) and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood, 6 and He has made us (THE CHURCH) to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Even so. Amen.

So John wrote what the angel gave him to show us the things that must shortly take place and the 3 things he wrote are outlined in Rev 1:19: ''the things which you have seen , and the things which are, and the things which shall take place after these things'' which equate with Chap 1 = The things John saw on Patmos, Chap 2&3 = The things which are: The Letters to the 7 churches (containing commendation, reproof, and exhortation). At the end of every message to every church was a word to the OVERCOMERS = True Believers in the church.

THE OVERCOMERS

1). (Ephesus) Will eat of the tree of life:

Rev 2:7 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.'

2). (Smyrna) Will not be hurt by the second death

Rev 2:11 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.'

3). (Pergamum) Receive Hidden Manna & a White Stone with a New Name:

Rev 2:17 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.' In John's day a white stone with a signature was used as a ''ticket'' to allow entry into special places (cf, the ''special'' event =the coming of the Lord).

4). (Thyatira) Right to rule with a rod of iron:

Rev 2: 26 'And he who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS; 27 AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My Father;28 and I will give him the morning star.

5). (Sardis) Receive White Garments & Name not erased from the Book of Life:

Rev 3:5 'He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels.

6). (Philadelphia) A Pillar in the Temple of God & a New Name (of the Lord)

Rev 3: 10 'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from THE HOUR OF TESTING, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth. (THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION FOR THIS CHURCH) 11 'I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, in order that no one take your crown. 12 'He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.

7). (Laodicea) Will Sit with Jesus on His Throne

Rev 3:21 'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

All the churches had this message: 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'" So review of the message to each church gives a summary of what is to be the inheritance of those who are truly His, who are the OVERCOMERS.

THE THINGS WHICH ARE

AFTER THESE THINGS

Rev 4:1 AFTER THESE THINGS I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place AFTER THESE THINGS."

Summary of Rev 4 & 5: the throne, the sealed scroll, the Lamb Who is worthy, those who are redeemed

The Lamb breaks 6 seals: and in the 6th seal we see:

Rev 6:12 And I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood…15 And the kings of the earth and the great men ….16…said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; 17 for the great day of their wrath has come; and who is able to stand?"

At the 6th seal: Sun Dark, Moon Blood BEFORE the Day of the LORD (Joel 2:31, Acts 2:20). The MEN OF EARTH say ''Hide us… the great day of their wrath has come.'' > Just before the 7th Seal: Sealing of 144,000 Jews > Breaking of 7th Seal brings forth 7 Trumpets (Rev 8:1-2)

6th Trumpet: (Second Woe - cp Rev 8:13 = recall in Rev 8:12 the 4th Trumpet had just sounded and Rev 9:1 the 5th Trumpet and Rev 9;12 = 1st Woe Passed) 2 Witnesses Killed after witnessing 1260 days and Kay believes this goes all the way back to Seal #1

7th Trumpet Blown: Mystery of God is finished. Leads to 7 Bowls. Marks the middle of Daniel's 70th week, the Antichrist (beast) is empowered by Satan and begins to reign, the Woman (Israel) flees and Satan goes off to make was against her offspring. The Antichrist rules for 3 1/2 years and causes the earth dwellers to receive a mark which equates with his name. Evaluating every character of Antichrist's name in Hebrew would be a numerical equivalent that adds up to 666. Everyone who receives that mark on their forehead or on their right hand will never go to heaven. In contrast, the OVERCOMERS, have written on them a new name, the name of their God and the name of the city of their God.

SO THE 7^TH TRUMPET IS THE PIVOTAL POINT

IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION.

The question is: Where is the church? Is the Church experiencing the Day of the Lord (DoL), the last 3 1/2 years of Daniel's 70th Week. We have seen that this DoL could not happen until after the Sun > darkened and the Moon > blood. We also saw that in the first 5 trumpets one sees blood, fire, smoke that also precede the Day of the Lord. In addition, ELIJAH has to come before the DoL. And if in fact Elijah is one of the 2 witnesses it suggests that Elijah comes before the 7th Trumpet, before the DoL begins. From 2 Thes 2 we also know that the DoL cannot come until there is an apostasy and the man of lawlessness takes his seat in the Temple of God, declaring himself to be God. So at the 7th Trumpet the Antichrist reveals himself for who he truly is. Where is the Church, the ekklesia (''called out ones'')? The church per se is not mentioned after Rev 4-19 even though there is mention of people who hold to the commandment of God and keep the testimony of Jesus Christ. There is a mention of those in white robes and of those who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. There is no mention of the CHURCH until Rev 19 where there is a celebration because of the destruction of Babylon (@ the 7th Bowl).

Rev 19:7 "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His BRIDE has made HERSELF ready." 8 And it was given to HER to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 And he said to me, "Write, 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'" And he said to me, "These are true words of God."

WHY IS THE BRIDE = THE CHURCH?

Eph 5:22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24 But as the CHURCH is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the CHURCH and gave Himself up for HER; (so we see CHRIST = BRIDEGROOM & the CHURCH = BRIDE).

PAUL'S DESIRE FOR THE CHURCH:

A BRIDE WHICH WAS NOT DEFILED.

2Cor 11:2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. 3 But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. And Paul goes on to discuss how Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

So Bride of Rev 19:7 = CHURCH

JEWISH WEDDING TRADITION

In Jewish weddings when the man and woman were engaged a contract was signed, a marriage covenant, prior to the consummation of the marriage. E.g., Mary and Joseph had a marriage covenant that they were going to be married to one another. Then the bridegroom would return to his father's house where he would prepare a place for the bride to live in his father's house. The houses in those days would have many apartments' set around a courtyard. Then when the father would tell the son that it was time to get the bride (the son couldn't go until the father told him). The son would take his groomsmen and they would go out in a procession usually at night with torches lit to fetch the bride. When they got to the bride's home, her attendants would come out and they would go back to the bridegroom's home, the father's home. Then they would have a wedding supper and invite all their friends. Then the bride and groom would consummate the marriage. In Revelation we have gone from the Rev 1:1 seeing this as a message to the CHURCH. Then in Rev 2& 3 we saw the message to the CHURCHES was that they were to live pure, holy, overcoming lives.

1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has OVERCOME the world-- our faith. 5 And who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Then you don't hear about the church until you get to Rev 19 where you see a celebration going on in heaven.

Rev 19:7 "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB has come and His BRIDE has made HERSELF ready…. 11 And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war…. 13 And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; (The BRIDE is clothed in fine linen white and clean…the righteous acts of the saints) and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the ARMIES which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.

WHO ARE THE ''ARMIES''?

Mt 24:31 (and 2 Thes 1:7) teach when Jesus comes He has His holy angels with Him. From Rev 17:14 we see in addition that those that are with the LAMB "are the CALLED, CHOSEN AND FAITHFUL." We saw last week in John 15:16 that we did not choose Jesus, but He chose us that we should go and bear fruit, and that our fruit should remain. Before He ever chose the CHURCH there was the Father (before the Son came to the earth recognizing that the Father Son & Holy Spirit have always existed.) Before Christ's incarnation God the Father had a WIFE, Israel. From Gen 12 where God called Abraham to the incarnation of Jesus Christ, we see God the Father in relation to HIS BRIDE, ISRAEL, who is called an ELECT nation, SAINTS (Dan 7) or HOLY ONES. When Christ comes and was made sin for us, He shed His blood and obtained a BRIDE, the CHURCH.

So the Father has a Bride, Israel, (see Jer 31:32… "My covenant which they--Israel-- broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD.'') and the promises God made to Israel stand because ''the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.'' (Ro 11:29).

Christ has a body, the Church, composed of Jew and Gentile who have believed in Him. The Church is marked by one specific thing --- it is indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God as we saw at the day of Pentecost of which Joel had spoken saying that "it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD Will be delivered…" (Joel 2:32; quoted in Acts 2:21). We also know that there is a certain group of people who will come into the Church and that they have been marked out in Eph 1:4 ''He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world''.

John 10:27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;28 and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.

Referring to Gentiles Jesus said:

John 10:16 "And I have other sheep, (Gentiles) which are not of this fold; fold; I must bring them also, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock with one shepherd.''.

And just before Jesus went to the Cross He prayed:

John 17:12 …I was keeping them in Thy name which Thou hast given Me; and I guarded them, and not one of them perished but the son of perdition,

So the CHURCH is a distinctive entity. When Christ comes back to earth, He is coming to rule and reign. But He had made a promise in:

John 14: 3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

So if the Church is in heaven coming back to earth with Jesus when He comes to rule and reign, the question is ''When did the Church get to heaven? What has the Church been doing in heaven?" We know from 2 Cor 5:10 and Rom 14:10 that the Church must stand before the judgment seat of Christ

2Cor 5:10 For we must all appear before the JUDGMENT (BEMA) SEAT OF CHRIST, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

So sometime apparently before the Church comes down to earth it seems there has to be a Judgment Seat of Christ. When Christ returns there will be ANGELS with Him. There will be the CHURCH, clothed in fine linen, bright and clean, the called, the chosen, the faithful, the overcomers, who have held to the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Kay believes the Judgment Seat has to occur BEFORE THE CHURCH RETURNS.

THE DAY OF CHRIST

Phil 1: 9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until THE DAY OF CHRIST;

Kay believes that the ''Day of Christ'' which is mentioned several times in Scripture, is the time when Jesus comes and takes His Church to be with Him where she is judged at the Judgment Seat (2Cor 5:10) and prepares His Church to come back to earth. If you don't agree with Kay's explanation of the Day of Christ, that is fine…just go to the Scriptures and let the Spirit teach you.

HOW AND WHEN DOES THE CHURCH GET INTO HEAVEN?

In 1 Thessalonians Paul is writing to the Church at Thessalonica, a church which has come to the Lord under great persecution. In Chap 4 Paul is burdened for them because they are uniformed about those who are ''asleep'' (dead).

1 Thes 4: 13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope.14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. (When a believer died during the Church era, his body was buried. But since when we are ''absent from the body we are present with the Lord" when the believer died, his spirit went to be with Jesus.)15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep.16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first.17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord.18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

So Paul is saying that when a person dies, their spirit leaves their body and goes to be with Jesus. When Jesus comes back just because that person was not on earth does not mean that he is going to miss this resurrection. Jesus will leave heaven and will catch up from earth those who are alive together with those who have died. He will bring the soul of the dead with Him, put it in the dead body, who will be resurrected and be caught up with those who are alive to meet the Lord in the air.

1CORINTHIANS 15

In 1 Cor 15 Paul is showing that if Christ was raised from the dead, so those who have believed in Christ will be raised from the dead.

1 Cor 15: 21 For since by a man came death, by a man (Christ) also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, (Rev 1:5 ''firstborn'') after that those who are Christ's at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God & Father, when He has abolished all rule & all authority & power.

So when Christ comes to earth to establish His Kingdom you have the first resurrection. Then the beast and the false prophet are thrown into the Lake of Fire and thrones are set up and He takes His rule.

WHEN ARE THE FOLLOWING GROUPS RESURRECTED?

The believing Jews, the Church, those that suffer in the Great Tribulation.

All of these make up part of the FIRST RESURRECTION. After that there is no resurrection that takes a person to eternal life. At the end of 1 Cor 15 Paul goes on to show us a mystery, something that had previously been hidden:

PAUL TELLS A MYSTERY

1 Cor 15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. 55 "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?"

So the mystery is for them not to mourn because God will come and take those who are alive and remain up to meet Jesus in the air. We won't all die but we will all be changed and get new heavenly bodies that are like Jesus Christ.

WHEN ARE WE CAUGHT UP TO MEET JESUS IN THE AIR?

WHEN DOES THE RAPTURE OCCUR?

The Latin word is translated ''RAPTURE''. Kay believes that this has to happen before the Day of the Lord (DoL) begins. In 2 Thes 2, we see the Church at Thessalonica upset because they thought the DoL had come. But Paul said

2 Thes 2: 3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it (DoL) will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

So the DoL cannot come until the apostasy comes, the restrainer is removed (identity of the ''restrainer'' is debated but Kay believes it is the Holy Spirit indwelling the Church and ''restraining'' the powers of evil because we are bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh and we have authority over the enemy through Jesus Christ and that is the ''restrainer''.) and the man of lawlessness is revealed.

Kay believes that the Church has to be RAPTURED sometime BEFORE the 7th Trumpet,

because 7th Trumpet signals the beginning of the Day of the Lord.

THE CHURCH IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE WRATH OF GOD

1 Thes 5:1 Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you.2 For you yourselves know full well that the Day of the LORD will come just like a thief in the night.3 While they are saying, "PEACE AND SAFETY!" (and there will be a period of relative ''peace'' for the Jews during the first 3 ½ years) then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that THE DAY (Day of the LORD) should OVERTAKE (means to lay hold of or to seize like a thief) you like a thief; 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; (DoL is ''A day of darkness and gloom" Joel 2:2…the Church was looking for the Day of Christ when they would be with Him without spot or blemish) 6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night.8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.9 For God has not destined us (THE CHURCH) for WRATH, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

The Day of the LORD is called ''a day of wrath'' Zeph 1:15. In Rev 6:17, at the 6th Seal men say the ''great day of their wrath has come'' but the Revelation teaches that the day of wrath is when God pours out the 7 Bowls on the face of the earth and that the Day of God's Wrath begins at the blowing of the 7th Trumpet.

1 Thes 1:10 "…JESUS, WHO DELIVERS US FROM THE WRATH TO COME."
The WRATH TO COME here does NOT refer to the Lake of Fire, to eternal punishment, but the ''Wrath to Come'' refers to the Day of the Lord.

WHERE WILL THE CHURCH BE IN THE DAY OF THE LORD?

Kay believes the CHURCH will be raptured sometime before the 7th Trumpet sounds. Is it before the Seals? Kay does not say but reaffirms that she feels that beyond a shadow of doubt that the Church will not be here for the Day of the Lord. So then you ask is Kay a ''Pre-Trib'' or "Mid-Trib'' Rapturist? What difference does it make? Are you ready for the coming of the Lord? Are you walking as a son of day? Are you walking as a son of light? You and I do not know the day nor the hour He is coming. The Church was waiting for Him in Thessalonica. So we are to know this: We are to be ready. Don't split company. Don't split hairs. Just know that you won't be here if you belong to Jesus (an overcomer) for the beginning of the Day of the Lord. There will come a day encompassed by the Day of the Lord when overcomers will rule and reign with Him (the 1000 year earthly reign of Christ). But remember sometime before Jesus Christ comes to begin His 1000 year rule and reign on earth there has to be a Judgment Seat at which the Church is judged. This Judgment Seat of Christ has to be sometime before the Church leaves heaven and come with Christ to earth.

The DAY OF THE LORD is coming
and
you and I are sons of light and sons of day.
That day is not going to overtake you as a thief.
So don't be shaken and don't be disturbed
because
you know that that day cannot come until certain things happen.
YOU AND I WON'T BE HERE!