The End Times as God Reveals Them Pt. 34 Worship Fills Heaven; Rebellion Fills the Earth.

We are coming to the end of Revelation 11 and we are halfway through this tremendous book dealing with the End Times. 

Worship will fill heaven after the 7th trumpet sounds.

Revelation 11:16-17  And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, 17)  Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. 

John saw the 24 elders fall on their faces again after the declaration that the kingdoms of the world were given to Christ. It will be a doxology of praise. They will give much thanks which is something that all believers should do because our Father has done everything possible and needed to bring us to Himself. They will worship the God of eternity (past, present and future) because He is going to take up His power to establish His kingdom.

1 Timothy 6:14-16  That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: 15)  Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 16) Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen. 

Paul wrote about the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ and said that when that time arrives, Jesus Christ will be revealed as the blessed and only Potentate. The word "potentate" refers to a high prince or king with great authority, in this case Christ is in view. He will be King of all kings and Lord of all lords. No ruler will compare to Christ in His glory.

Paul reminds us that Jesus Christ is the source of eternal life. John recorded 7 "I Am" statements of Jesus including "I am the way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6) and "I am the resurrection and life" (John 11:25). Thus, Christ alone has immortality. He dwells in the light because God is light. He dwells in the light because He is the light of the world. He is worthy of all honor and power.

This worship will  fill all heaven at this point in time because all the saints at the throne of God know the Lord's prayer is being answered "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven"(Matthew 6:10).

All nations will continue in rebellion and be worthy of judgment.

Rev 11:18  And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. 

The resurrection of life will have taken place at the rapture of the church prior to the 7 years of tribulation (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). All of the born again believers taken in the rapture will have received their rewards or loss of rewards from the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 14:10-12 & 1 Corinthians 3:11-15).

The servants in this text who are being rewarded will be those tribulation saints who responded to the 144,000 Jews who were sealed to serve God throughout the world.

Psalm 2:1-6  Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? 2) The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, 3) Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. 4)  He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. 5) Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. 6) Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. 

Praising saints and elders will go on to talk about conditions on the earth. All the nations will be angry and rebellious just as Psalm 2 describes. The rebellion of man against God will be deeply entrenched when the Anti-Christ is ruling the world. The people left on earth at this time will be enslaved to sin and choose to satisfy their sensual lusts. They will believe the seducing lies and miracles of the Anti-Christ and reject Christ.

John tells us that all heaven is ready for God to pour out His wrath and for the resurrection of damnation (John 5:24-29). 

God will vanquish those who have plunged the earth into ruin and defiled it with flagrant sins. Satan is a destroyer (1 Peter 5:8), a murderer and a liar (John 8:44).  He blinds the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot believe the gospel of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4) and he comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). 

However, Satan is also a defeated foe because God will crush his head under His feet and Christ  through His own death destroyed the devil who has the power of death (Romans 16:20, Hebrews 2:14).

Final judgment from God is forthcoming.

Rev 11:19  And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail. 

John saw something else that is rare and amazing. He saw the Temple of God opened in heaven. This heavenly Temple is the Divine Pattern for the tabernacle made by Moses and the Temple constructed by King Solomon. The open temple indicates that God is being worshipped in heaven and that the blood of the Lamb provides access for all the born again.

John saw thundering, lightning, voices and earthquakes and great hail when the Temple of God was opened to view. These are harbingers of more judgment falling upon the world from God. Things will get worse, not better as the great tribulation runs its 7 year course.

All the redeemed can enter God's temple!

Psalm 24:3-6  Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? 4) He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. 5) He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6) This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah. 

The saints of God from the Old or New Testament are washed clean by the blood of Christ and have received a pure heart from God (Ezekiel 11:19; 18:31; 36:26). The Temple is opened to all who come to God through the blood of the Lamb and faith in His name. Read through the worship texts contained in the Psalms because they often describe what believers will be doing in heaven throughout eternity.

Points to Ponder...

First, heaven is Christ centered and full of non-stop worship and praise for the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. Are we praising Him each day regardless of our circumstances?

Second, the rebellion, sin, hatred and degradation that dominates our culture today, will increase and wax worse until Christ comes bringing the final judgment of the Day of the LORD. Our mission remains the same. Are we living for the glory of God today?

Third, the future of all redeemed people is secure, bright and something we should have great anticipation for. The moment that we are born again, we receive all spiritual blessing in the heaven because we are "in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 1:1-3) and part of these blessing include access to the throne of God (Hebrews 4:14-16). Are we going to the throne of grace to seek help and mercy each day? Are we consistently confessing our sins and failures to the Father and seeking His forgiveness? (1 John 1:5 to 2:2)

We must let these truths settle down into our souls so that we might serve Him, love Him and seek to glorify God. May He grant us strength to live in a way that honors Him, strength for witnessing for Him, strength to study His Word and strength to pray as we ought. 

Bob