1. Write the things which thou hast seen,
2. and the things which are,
3. and the things which shall be hereafter;

Illustration: Compare Rev. 4:1 with 1:19, "hereafter"
Definition of "hereafter" literally means "after these things"

1. Suddenly there is no more mention of the church

2. A door is opened in Rev. 4:1

3. Next time we see the church, she is in Heaven, Rev. 19:11-14; NOTE: Jude 14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

1. Trumpet and the Shout; Rev. 4:1 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16 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: 17 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. NOTE: Rapture means "to seize or snatch away"

2. The Lord Himself - He's not going to send for us, He is going to come for us.

3. 1 Corinthians 15:51 Behold, I show 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
   "Mystery is something God has hidden to man until He decides to reveal it"
   Illustration: Rev. 13:11-18 - no one in the past or the present knows what 666 means. Why? Because God will not reveal it to His Church but only to those who need to know during the Tribulation Period for wisdom.

1. Referred to as "The Day of the Lord"
   • Isaiah 13 "Behold, the day of the LORD cometh" v.9
     
   • Joel 1,2 "Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come." v.1:15
     
   • 2 Thessalonians 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

2. Referred to as "The Day of Jacob's Trouble"
   • Jeremiah 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.

3. Referred to as "A Time of Trouble, such as the world has never seen"
   • Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

4. Other Verses
   • Matthew 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
     
   • 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.
     
   • Revelation 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
     
   • NOTE: Also Revelation 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

5. Revelation Chapters 6-19 Describe the Tribulation

1. Outline of the Book given by Jesus Himself 1:9
   1. Some other verses
      • John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

      • Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

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

      • 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.

   2. One Judgement we will face:
      • 2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

   3. There is not one verse in Chapters 6-19 that even hints that the Church is on the earth.

2. Teaching of Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2

3. The Types we find in Scripture - Luke 17:22 And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. 23 And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them. 24 For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. 25 But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation. 26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
   • Enoch - taken out before the Flood, Genesis 5:24

   • Noah was the great-grandson of Enoch - Those saved through the Flood Genesis 6

   • Lot - 2 Peter 2:6-9; Genesis 19:12-16, Matthew 17:1-13 (Moses - the dead, Elijah - the living)

4. The Promises of Comfort and Hope to the Christians
   • Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

   • Philippians 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

   • Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

   • 2 Peter 3:1-4,10-14 1 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: 2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: 3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

   • 2 Timothy 4:6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

• God will open the door in Heaven (4:1) for those who opened the door of their heart (3:20)

• The tighter men close the door of their hearts, the closer we come to the opening of the door in Heaven.

• Illustration: "great falling away", "the love of many shall wax cold", etc.

1. Both are stones set in the breastplate of the high priest (Exodus 28:17-20)
2. Both are mentioned among those describing the glory of the King of Tyre (Exekiel 28:13)
3. Mentioned in the description of the Holy City, New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:19-20)
4. Here they are used to symbolized the brilliant glory and splendor of God
   1. Jasper symbolizes the pure holiness of God (Revelation 21:11)
   2. Sardus symbolizes the blood atonement

5. In comparison to Exodus 28 we find their order reversed

1. Green - eternal freshness
2. Emerald - wedding stone of ancient times
3. Rainbow encircled the throne symbolizes the unbroken power, love and mercy of God

1. "White rainment"
2. "Crowns"
3. Revelation 5:9-10

1. Twenty-four represented the whole Priesthood - 1 Chronicles 24, Luke 1
2. Twenty-four represents The Old and The New Testament Saints

1. The number four refers to the world God had made
   Illustrations: Four Seasons, Directions, Winds and Elements
2. Four faces represent Four Forms of Life
3. Represents the Character of God

1. Isaiah 6:1-3 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
2. Genesis 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

1. The Rapture
2. The Reunion
3. The Rewards