King James Version, with Nii Okai's journal notes · 7 notes
1After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
Okay, so we had the things which thou hast seen, i.e. the Son of Man appearing in his glory,
Then we had the things which are, that is the current issues pertaining to the churches and the mind of God for them, and now,
Without ambiguity, the passage here says these are the things that must be hereafter.
These 3 distinctions are so clear.
The things which are was sandwiched 🥪 between the things which were seen by John and this proclamation commencing that which must be hereafter.
There is a way to hide in plain sight truths through the letters of the ink 🖋.
In writing, much can be hidden in plain sight, such that the discerning and wise of heart —
i.e. the one willing to spend some more time in 📖 reading 📖 and meditating 🧘♂️ on that which is written — ends up receiving and 🔓 unlocking the hidden gems 💎 in the text.
In writing you can hide your pearls from the swine and give it to him that is truly deserving.
There are many interpretations that can be inferred from what 'hereafter' meant.
It's worth noting that when it came to events of hereafter, John leaves the 🌎 earth and journeys to the heavens...
1. So firstly, the visions of the Son of Man 👨 refer to what thou hast seen.
2. The visions of what is concerns the interpretation of the vision John saw and the issues of the churches.
3. Now he is told this part of the revelation has to do with what shall be hereafter.
The question is, 'hereafter what?'
Dakes says it's the things after the church age, i.e. the church is raptured and not here when these things happen.
One thing is clear though: John was caught up to heaven to see events in heaven and as they affect the earth 🌎.
And these events are after the message to the church and the events of the church ⛪.
I do not know if that meant it happened after the rapture, but we see that it happens after the church has been given warnings for earth and blessing in the end of time ⌚.
And the next thing we see is the end of time activities. So then the church's time on earth 🌎 to prove their obedience is over. There is no more time to do any more works or heed any more instructions.
It's now time for the blessings or punishment as need be.
This does not necessarily mean the church vanishes from the earth and appears in heaven.
Even though we see saints in heaven by the time John is told to Come up hither.
But those could be dead saints.
DAKES argues that there is no mention of the church in the book of Revelation from after chapter 4. Thus proving the church has been raptured to heaven.
But it is worthy of note that the church was not mentioned as being in heaven either. The church is neither named in heaven nor earth.
Rather, we see mention of saints, both in the heavens and in the earth. I think the word church is missing in heaven because by definition church is the term for ecclesia, i.e. the called-out ones.
But in heaven we are all called out; that is why we made it there in the first place. So then why is the name church not maintained in the earth?
I don't know. Maybe that may be alluding to the church no longer being on earth but has been raptured, maybe, maybe not. So Dakes may be right, but that only alludes to it but doesn't provide evidence to the rapture.
2And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
His being in the spirit immediately was because he was called up 👆
3And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
4And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
5And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
Voices — was it that he who sat in the throne, as he speaks, he speaks with multiple voices, or is it that there is more than one person in that glorious light?
6And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
7And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.
8And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
9And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
10The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
In a sense, this anointing on the beasts in a form rests on music ministers today; as they give praise and glory and worship, we sense the power of God and we lie prostrate before him.
11Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.