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5-27-2018 Weekly Message
The Meditation of the Week: Psalms 99:1-9
Text: Revelation 4:1-11
The title of the Word: If you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above

Apostle Paul, who received Christ and received eternal for the saints who received life:

” If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. “(Colossians 3: 1-4).

What he said was vaguely not in the heavens but in a concrete place, the third heavenly God’s throne, and the place where Jesus Christ is sitting on the right hand side. He exhorted the Christians to seek the things above

. He went out with his soul and went to the third heaven where Christ was sitting and saw everything. He spoke as if someone else had seen it:
” And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)

4How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. (2 Cor. 12: 3-4)

When he ascended to the third heaven, he was blessed to see glorious God, who sat on the throne, and Christ, who sat on his right hand. In addition, he might see  many of the Old Testament saints  who were in the underground paradise. They resurrected when Jesus rose again. He might have had  tremendous amount of excitement when he met many of them as they were moved to the third heaven. Apostle Paul, who saw the spectacle of the great third heaven might  have felt like a hell seeing the present world to perish.

He shows us the glorious sight of heaven with the throne of God through his faithful servants in the age of Old testament showing His glory.

The prophet Isaiah testified of his vision:

 “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.

2Above 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.

3And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. 4And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. “(Isaiah 6: 1-4)

            When the throne of God comes down to the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ after the Great Tribulation, the Bible says:

” The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.” (Psalm 99: 1)

Isaiah saw the terrible sight of God’s throne in the temple. God also demonstrated to the prophet Daniel the glory of coming forth in the form of the Son of Man, judging and setting up his kingdom:

” I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels asburning fire. 10A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

…… I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. “(Dan. 7: 9,10,13).

God finally brought John, the last apostle, up to heaven, showing the very sight of the heavenly sight shown to  Apostle Paul in great details. The Lord  showed to John in advance through his letters to the seven churches about what will happen in the Church age. And after speaking to the last Laodicea church, he showed John a door to heaven. When he saw the door, He heard the voice  speaking in a trumpet-saying. “Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must hereafter.

     At the same time just as he heard the word, he was moved to the heavenly throne in spirit. As if to say, “Let there be light!” The power of God’s creation appeared as if there was light when he spoke. What Apostle John experienced is that the Lord will soon open the doors of heaven and show up in the air to call  the Saints to snatch them to heaven. The same thing will happen when he says to his church, “Come up hither!” Also, through Apostle John  are showing us what is in heaven. Through the Holy Spirit we are able to preview our spirit in the Word. It is also necessary to save things that are there.

             We see a throne in heaven in the Holy Spirit, and one is sitting on the throne. His seat is like Jasper and Psalms, and the rainbow around his throne is  something like an emerald.

             We also see   the twenty-four elders who represent the Old Testament as well as New Testament, and they are wearing white robe and  crown of gold.

            Also on the throne we see lightning, thunder, and voices prepared to judge the world in the future, and the Seven Spirits of God burning like lamps.

             Around the throne are the four beasts with full of eyes, and they are  representing all the creatures on this earth. All animals, including man, and cattle, and beasts and the fowl, speak without ceasing day and night, saying, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord  God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.” In the Spirit. The prophet Isaiah also testified that he heard this sound.

          When the beasts sit on the throne and give glory, honor, and thanks to the one who lives forever, the twenty-four elders bow down to the one who is sitting on the throne, worshiping the one who lives forever and ever and casting  their crowns before the throne saying, “Thou 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.”

     When two or three children of God are gathered together in the name of the Lord, they are to praise the Holy One before the throne of God who comes through the Holy Spirit who comes in the Spirit, and give Him all glory, honor and power. No one is entitled to a crown because the Lord has done all the work alone. We also need to realize that we are not entitled to the crown and present it before the Lord.

       Apostle John saw Jesus, the Lamb of God who took a book sealed by seven seals. It is the book in which the judgments that are to come on this earth for the next seven years are recorded. The seal cannot be opened by anyone except Jesus. It is because Jesus is the Lamb slain for the sins of the peoples of the world. Therefore, he deserves to be the Judge.

             As soon as Jesus took the book, four  beasts and twenty  four elders  praised the Lord, falling down before the Lamb with a harp, full of harp and incense, singing new songs praising the One who  judges. The four beasts representing all creations as well as the saints redeemed through the blood of the Lamb of every tribe, language, people, and nation are  looking forward the time when they will judge the world and say, ” And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.. “

             In the believers redeemed by the blood of Christ Jesus, the kingdom of God in heaven is already dwelling within them. The heavenly throne seen by the prophets and apostles is in the Holy Spirit within them. Therefore, we must live a life of worshiping the holy God and offering both glory, honor and power, just as four beasts and twenty-four elders in the heavenly throne. We have to live  singing the new song of the blessing that we shall receive when the Lord Jesus come to build his kingdom.

           Because of this, Apostle Paul warned that not living this life is idolatry:

 ” Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

6For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: “(Colossians 3: 5-6)

Amen! Hallelujah!