Jesus Christ, Heaven's Chief Beauty

Revelation 1:1a ¹ The Revelation of Jesus Christ....

As we continue to explore what Heaven is like in the book of Revelation, our line of vision is still arrested by the Person of Jesus Christ.  This is why I find it so remarkable that in the Bible, we find Heaven to be so God centered, and that its glory is Jesus Christ.  We witnessed yesterday the twin truths of Christ's full humanity and undiminished Deity.  As He exists and occupies the portals of glory, Christ is excercising three offices on behalf of the believer.  In Revelation 1:5-7 we find a description of these three offices:

1. Christ is our Prophet
Revelation 1:5a states - "and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead..."  A Prophet in the Bible functions to represent and explain God to the people.  Christ is described in this passage, as well as others, of His capacity and office as Prophet.  Hebrews 1:1-3 describes Him as the "radiance of God's glory, and the exact representation of His being".  That same text also explains how "in former times God spoke to us in many ways but in these last days He is speaking to us through Jesus Christ."  Now Christ never communicates anything apart of scripture - which testifies about Him (please compare John 5:39).  As God, Jesus Christ alone is qualified to reveal God in His fulness.  As man, He enables all true believers to know God and to interract with Him - since He Himself is God.

2. Christ our King
Revelation 1:5b continues -  "and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood . . ."  Now Christ is referred to as King - Ruler of the Kings of the Earth.  John here is demonstrating the authority and Majesty of Christ.  Stretching back into the Old Testament, Isaiah for instance in Isaiah 6 saw a vision of the True King, seated upon His throne.  Who was that King which He saw?  According to John 12:41 it was none other than Jesus Christ.  The John who wrote those words is now writing here, giving us a full length description of the King of Kings.

3. Christ our Priest
Revelation 1:6 says - "and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."  This third office, that of our Priest, is also used to identify the saints.  Because Christ is our Chief Priest - our High Priest - all who are connected to Him by faith constitute a royal priesthood.  That simply means that the Christian has the right to represent people to God in prayer, since Christ most perfectly, and completely does that for Christians.  Just as a prophet represents God to the people, the priest represents the people to God - Christ our Highpriest, and Christians as "a kingdom of priests" serving un Him.

Thus we have witnessed Jesus Christ as God and man, as well as Prophet, Priest and King.  May your heart today desire to see Jesus Christ, and be with Him. 

Jesus Christ, the Darling of Heaven

Revelation 1:2 "who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw."

Who is Jesus Christ in Revelation?
We began yesterday with an overview of the five major chapters in Revelation that describe Heaven. Today we begin by noting the Darling of Heaven, Jesus Christ.  In the Bible some 200 names are used to describe Jesus Christ.  Amazingly, 40 such names are found here in one chapter, Revelation 1!  As we consider the 40 titles used by John in Revelation 1, five major themes emerge to describe the Darling of Heaven.  The first two themes speak to the dual nature of Jesus Christ as God and man, and the final three themes speak to the main offices  He occupies as he reigns at the Right Hand of God the Father.  Today we will note the themes of Christ's humanity and Deity in Revelation 1, with a focus on His three main offices tomorrow.

1. Jesus Christ's humanity in Revelation 1
When we begin at verse one, we discover that first name, "Jesus".  Clearly we are dealing with a revelation of a man, for in Matthew 1:21 that was to be his name given at His birth.  As you go down the chapter, we discover in verse 5 that for all true believers, their sins are washed in His blood.  When Jesus returns in Revelation 1:7, those who look upon Him will notice His nail pierced hands and feet. 

Clearly through the rest of the chapter, Jesus is someone you can see (Revelation 1:11), He has a hand (1:16), He was once dead, but now is alive (1:18).  Undeniably this Jesus is fully man, occupying and residing in Heaven.  However.....

2. Jesus Christ's Undiminished Deity in Revelation 1
This same Jesus, who is so much man, is unquestionably fully and completely God.  He states for instance in Revelation 1:8 that He is "Alpha and Omega". He is the origin of all things (Alpha) and He is the end of all things (Omega).  He is the Creator and Completor.  In that same verse He is called "The Almighty", a title given exclusively to the Lord in the Old Testament. 

In the remainder of the chapter, Christ is described as the "Son of Man", a title of Deity that is connected to Daniel 7.  There we see "The Son of Man" equated with the "Ancient of Days", clearly a reference to the Deity and power of God. 

No doubt about it, this Jesus Christ is so much man as if he were not God, and yet He is so much God as if he were not man.  When I behold his nail prints and wounded side, I see a man, a perfect man, my repesentative, in a glorified, resurrected body.  When I look into His eyes, I see uncreated flame, unending depths.  I see His glory, the glory of which He has shared with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit from Eternity.  Indeed, He is the Darling of Heaven, Jesus Christ - God and man!

A personal Tour of Heaven

Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John

Heaven's Featured Attraction
Out of all the books in the Bible, none gives us a more detailed picture of the reality of heaven than the book of Revelation.  Only the Bible can give you accurate, true descriptions of this place.  As wonderful as it is, and as true as it is that it is the destination of those who have by grace alone through faith alone trusted in Christ alone, the place is not the focus.  If anything, the Person of Christ occupies the central theme of Heaven.  Jesus Christ is indeed the darling of Heaven. 

With that said, I would like to take the next several blogs to explore Heaven, and understand how the Bible communicates the glory of God through the visions of John in Revelation.  My prayer is that you, dear believer, will find encouragement and hope as we look together at these exquisite chapters of God's word.  If you are reading this blog, and have never experienced salvation through Jesus Christ, my prayer would be that the Holy Spirit would so move in your heart to receive and embrace Heaven's treasure - Christ Jesus.

How Revelation Communicates the Reality of Heaven
Five chapters in Revelation deal with the subject and reality of Heaven.  In giving a broad sweeping glance of Revelation 1, 4, 5, 7, 21 and 22, we can note the following observations about Heaven:

1. Heaven is God centered.  Revelation 1 alone mentions some 40 names or descriptions of Jesus Christ.  In Revelation 4 and 5 we find the throne of God, and the Lamb, dominating the scene.  Revelation 7 depicts God being surrounded by His saints, and the angels, praising Him for salvation.  Then in Revelation 21 and 22 we see the new Heavens and the New earth, centralized around the uncreated glory of God.

2. Heaven's Glory is Jesus Christ.  In Revelation 21:23 we discover that the glory of God is the light of the Heavenly reality to come, and that Christ is described as the lamp. 

3. Heaven's pleasure is God's people enjoying their God.  In Revelation 4 and 5 we see the 24 elders, representative of the Saints of all ages, casting their crowns at the Savior's feet.  Throughout Revelation we find the saints of God singing songs of praise, doxologies, to the glory of God.  Heaven is far from boring.  It is unendingly joyful.  For the people of God, beholding one another, behold the glory of God in and through and among them. 

4. Heaven is a real place.  Heaven is not an ethereal dreamscape, floating on clouds.  It is a real place, being built by Jesus Himself (John 14:1-6).  The New Heavenly Jerusalem, described in Revelation 21-22, is enormous.  As it comes out of Heaven, its boundaries would be large enough to cover almost all of North America, however its height, 1500 miles, would extend out into space.  There is enough square footage in the New Jerusalem to hold literally billions of people.  And that's just the city, not counting what will be the New earth!

Tomorrow we will continue with our tour of Heaven.  May the Lord bless you dear reader this day. 

When Christians will defy gravity

Acts 1:9 - And when he (Jesus) had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

1 Thessalonians 4:17 - 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.

What is the "rapture"

    We saw in the last blog the truth of resurrection.  The resurrection of believers at the end of the age occupies one of the eight "definites" outlined in part one of this particular blog series on eschatology.  As we consider the Lord's return, another doctrine surfaces that has connection to the resurrection of believers - namely the believer's catching away by Christ or what is called  "The Rapture".  The word "rapture" comes from a Latin term "rapturo", which in turn is a translation of the Greek word from the original language of 1 Thessalonians 4:17 - "to be caught up". 

The reality of the rapture

    Almost no one disputes the reality of the rapture or "catching away" of Christians at Christ's return.  With His return will come the total and unmingled wrath of God on this world.  1 Thessalonians 1:10 reminds us that Christians do not have to worry about enduring God's wrath.  Clearly the rapture, much like our physical resurrection, has direct connection to the Lord ascending into Heaven in Acts 1:9.  No doubt the miraculous ascent of Christ will be repeated corporately in the life of every Christian.  If a Christian has already went to be with the Lord, upon Christ's return, that saint will be resurrected in a new body and then raptured, followed immediately by the living saints' bodies being transformed and raptured.  1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 gives us the fullest treatment of this mass miracle.  Other passages too give hints to the details surrounding this event in passages such as Matthew 24; 1 Thessalonians 5; 2 Thessalonians 2 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-57.

The question about the rapture's timing and occurence

    As we can include this doctrine in the definite doctrine of the believer's resurrection, we do have one area of which there is no consensus - namely the rapture's timing.  If you will recall, we gave three categories of doctrine: definites, positions and opinions.  In regards to the timing of the rapture, we would have to state that a number of opinions exist as to when it will occur. 

Pre-trib, Mid-trib or post-trib?    

    Three major opinions exist as to when the rapture will occur.  Many Bible teachers point to a period of time in which God's wrath will be unleashed upon planet earth that is called "The Great Tribulation".  From texts such as Daniel 9:23-27, we come to realize that this period will last 7 years.  Questions of course center around whether or not the church will be raptured "before", "mid-way" or "towards the end" of this period.  The opinions are respectively referred to as "Pre-trib", "mid-trib" and "post-tribulationalism". 

   

    If space permitted, we could appeal to many texts to rally support for each of these opinions.  Being that the Lord has purposely inserted a "mystery" element into the chronology of prophetic events, piecing together the sequence of events on Bible prophecy can prove challenging.  The reader is encouraged to look at passages such as Matthew chs 13 and 24-25; Daniel 9:23-27; Jeremiah 30; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and ch 5; 2 Thessalonians 2 and Revelation 3,6,7,14 for further study.  I will let the reader determine from the scriptures where they fall on this issue.

Some further observations about the tribulation   

    The one thing all three opinions have in common is that all who engage in such a discussion are Pre-millennialists.  A-millennialists and Post-Millennialists tend to view the tribulation period as either having occured at the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D or as a general reference to the "tribulation" all Christians suffer for Christ through the church's history.  Views such as these are called "Preterism" (which is a word meaning past) and use such texts such as Matthew 24 in an attempt to rally biblical support.  Though some respectable Bible teachers hold to these views, this author is not a preterist (believing that the tribulation occured in the past).  As always, our reasons for holding truth lies not in who holds them, but whether or not the Bible teaches such things.   

So why does the rapture matter?

    1 Peter 3:15 states - "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear".  The point of any definite doctrine, position or opinion on prophetic matters is to give reasons to the world why Christianity alone possesses hope for the here and hereafter.  Every Christian should have a good enough understanding of what they believe to help unbelievers see the hope of Christ.  This includes where one stands on the rapture. 

    Whether or not I believe the next big event is the rapture, the revelation of the anti-Christ or some major war does have immediate bearing on how I will live.  Being able to grapple with questions about the problem of evil and suffering, tsunamis and starving children are examples as to why it is our responsibility to live out our theology and have a living theology. 

Bible Prophecy and the resurrection

Philippians 3:10-11 -  "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;  ¹¹If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead."

Salvation or Christian faith in its three stages
    When we talk about salvation, it is common to speak of salvation occuring in a three-fold way: What happened in my human spirit at a point and time in the past - regeneration/conversion through faith; what is occuring as a process in my human soul right now - sanctification and what will occur in the future when my soul and spirit are untied with my transformed human body - glorification. 
   
  The first has to do with God convicting and quickening in my human spirit so that I by faith can see the awfulness of my sin and the awesomeness of Christ - thus SAVED FROM THE PENALTY OF SIN (Romans 5:1). 

    Following from this is the ongoing process of the Spirit making me more like Christ in my soul, and I co-operating with His work by prayer and the word in sanctifcation - thus SAVING ME GRADUALLY FROM THE POWER OF SIN (Romans 6:4-11; 8:1-5). 

    When we speak of what will occur when I as a believer go on to be with the Lord, salvation is then spoke of in future terms - whereby I WILL BE SAVED FROM THE PRESENCE OF SIN (Philippians 3:21; 1 Peter 1:9).  It is with this last stage of salvation that the idea of resurrection takes center stage.
 Resurrection was first revealed in the Old Testament
    The idea of resurrection was given by God to man almost immediately from the fall.  We see inklings of it in Adam's naming of Eve (life-bearer) in Genesis 3:20, indicating his reception of God's promise of salvation to her in Genesis 3:15.  Abraham of course is the first person credited in history for believing in it, since in placing Isaac on the altar he believed God could raise his son from the dead (Hebrews 11:19).  Job, the oldest book in the Bible, mentions the faith of Job in seeing God with his own eyes in resurrection (Job 19:25).  In prophetic scriptures such as Daniel 12:1-3 the resurrection forms the hub of events in the final judgment.    

Resurrection fully revealed in the New Testament
     The New Testament gives us a complete and detailed picture of what to expect at resurrection.  As much as this concept is used to illustrate what happens spiritually at conversion (see John 5:24-25; 1 Peter 1:3); our concerns here deal with the physical resurrection that every Christian can look forward to at Christ's return.  1 Corinthians 15:45-58 gives us the fullest treatment on the importance and explanation of the resurrection.  In other words, we can note five pairs of truths about the resurrection from 1 Corinthians 15:45-58....
1.  15:45-49 The believer's resurrection will be formed upon Christ's resurrection
2.  15:50-51  The believer's resurrection will involved being transformed from this decaying body into a non-decaying body
3.  15:52   It will be an instant event, not an ongoing process like our current sanctification
4. 15:52    The resurrection will occur instantly at Christ's return
5. 15:53   The resurrection will be taking the old and changing it into a new body
6. 15:53   The resurrection  will bring to pass the completion of salvation for every Christian
7. 15:54-55 The resurrection will signal that death is done for8. 15:54-55 The resurrection will signal that sin is done away
9. 15:57  It reaches back into our present to give us power for the Christian life
10. 15:58 It reaches back into our present to give us purpose for Christian service
When surveying the more than 40 passages that speak of resurrection in the New Testament, we can offer this conclusion about the doctrine of the resurrection for our Christian identity....
Resurrection is rooted in Christ's first work - the cross and empty tomb, reassures about Christ's current work - sanctification and renders proof of Christ's future work - His return

How God governs history and prophecy

REVIEW FROM YESTERDAY

In yesterday's blog we considered the area of Bible prophecy that deals with how God is governing both past and present, as well as the future.  The first view we looked at - dispensationalism, pictures our world and universe like a big house - over which God is the Chief Sovereign.  In today's blog we want to consider a second system, which suggests God governs our world and prophetic events by means of covenants.  We will then offer a third suggested picture that combines the best of both these valid options. 

WHAT IS COVENANT THEOLOGY?

    The second position suggests that God uses a more "covenantal" approach in promoting His plan of salvation.  Two covenants are proposed by what is called "Covenant theologians".  The first is the covenant of works, which was given by God to Adam and Eve.  Based upon their obedience to certain commands, God would determine whether or not they would attain eternal fellowship with Him.  They failed of course and so God had to offer a second covenant called "The Covenant of Grace", whereby through faith in His promise, Adam and his descendants could be saved by grace through faith. 

    Throughout history, God offered versions of the covenant of grace to Abraham and David, with the ultimate fulifllment in Jesus Christ.  Through His obedience to the Father Christ fulfilled the broken Covenant of works, thus being our New Adam (compare Romans 5:11-21).  Furthermore, Christ paid for the Covenant of Grace on the cross.  Covenant theologians tend to see all of the promises to Israel being fulfilled in the church, and thus consider the church to be "The New Israel".  Since Israel forfeited her role as God's chosen nation, the church has replaced her as God's covenant people.  Most of the time, but not always, folks who are into covenant theology will either be A-millennial or Post-millennial. 

A SUGGESTED POSITION - COMBINE THE STRENGTHS OF BOTH

        Both positions are ways of taking the biblical record and determining how it is God is administering salvation and how He will end the world.  Dispensationalism has the strength of keeping the distinction between Israel and the church.  It also matches best with what Paul writes in Romans 11 about God's dealings with Israel and the Gentiles.  Being that Dispensationalism by nature is into making "distinctions", it can sometimes run the risk of drawing lines too sharply.  

       Covenant theology's strength best explains how the events of the first three chapters of Genesis relates to the rest of the Bible.  The weakness of Covenant theology is in how it replaces Israel and makes all of her promises applicable to the church.   If we are recipients of Israel's blessings, then we must also be willing to accept the curses too.
        

       It is the opinion of this blogger that combining the strengths of both systems might be the best approach in understanding Israel, the church and God's purposes for prophecy.  Of course the reader is encouraged to search the scriptures, since the Bible alone can form our conclusions on whatever matter we may be studying.  

REMEMBER, ESSENTIALS UNITY, NON-ESSENTIALS FLEXIBILITY, ALL THINGS LOVE      

Maintaining the continuity of what took place in the fall with the ultimate purposes of God in Bible prophecy will provide a necessary starting point for one's eschatology.  Furthermore, understanding that God still has a plan for Israel, and that plan is seen in the coming of Christ will provide the appropriate end point for one's eschatology as it relates to The church, Israel and Prophecy.

Prophecy, Israel and the church

Romans 11:26 "And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob"

2 Thessalonians 2:1 "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him"

1 Thessalonians 1:10 "And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come."

One sure thing, God's people won't have to suffer wrath

    One of the "definites" of eschatology is the fact that the people of God will not have to suffer the wrath of God at the end of the age.  If you will recall from part one of this blog series, "definites" comprise the core area of any Bible doctrine.  The fact that God's saints won't have to undergo the final outpouring of wrath in the end is an unmoveable truth (please compare 1 Thessalonians 1:10).  Its the one fact that distinguishes the destiny of the saints from those who reject Christ ultimately and finally.

   
    Now in today's blog we want to consider positions that stem from this definite conviction.  When it comes to identifying the people of God in the Bible, the Bible tells us that there are two such designations - Israel and the church.  The place where differences arise is in whether or not these are two different names for God's people, or whether thet are two distinct categories with distinct characteristics.  We will now briefly consider the major positions on these, as well as there implications for understanding Bible prophecy.  The first position we will consider is what Bible teachers call "dispensationalism".

Two positions on how God has administered salvation in human history

POSITION ONE: DISPENSATIONALISM

      How God deals with His people and how He runs our world and salvation is a major discussion in the study of eschatology.  The first position pictures our world as "God's house" over which God has placed human beings and His people to manage and run.  In the Old Testament it was Israel, and in the New Testament it is the church.  This system or "economy" of God's dealing with Israel, and then the church, is what we call "dispensationalism". 

What is a dispensation?

 A dispensation is a period of time by which He administrates salvation and tests human beings in response to whether they will trust in Him or rebel.  Dispensationalists see Israel and the church as two sets of God's people, with Israel being now set aside but later restored.  Dispensationalists differ on how many "periods" or "dispensations" there have been in history.  Typically the scheme is to have a dispensation of law, followed by the current church age, with a final age of the Millennium (which is why dispensationalists are typically Pre-millennial).

This description of course is very general and does not take into consideration that various adjustments that have occured in this viewpoint over the years.  However for now this will suffice in helping us understand this particular approach to the Bible as it pertains to eschatology (or the study of prophecy).  In tomorrow's blog we will look at a second approach to understanding how God guides history and prophecy - Covenant theology