Standing Before God – Come up here, and I will show you things…
Several individuals in the Bible were given a glimpse into the wonders and glories of God’s presence and heaven. When the Apostle Paul spoke of being caught up into the third heaven, he heard such inexpressible words and secrets that were so sacred that no mortal is permitted to repeat them. In the Book of Revelation, when John was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, he heard and saw some wonderful and amazing things that are about to take place in heaven and on earth. Immediately upon arriving he heard a loud voice that sounded like a trumpet that said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last…” He turned to see the voice that spoke to him and He saw One like the Son of Man.
John was standing before God.
Revelation 1:12-13 NKJV Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw… One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.
Revelation 1:14-15 NKJV His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;
Revelation 1:16 NKJV He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
Revelation 1:17-18 NKJV And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
Standing before God — we are given an invitation to come up to heaven and see the glories of God’s throne.
We are being given a glimpse into the glorious throne room of heaven and the Lord Jesus Christ in His resurrected and ascended glory. Notice John’s immediate response to seeing the Lord was to fall at His feet as dead. The wonders and glories of heaven and the majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ were more than he could stand. Jesus wanted John to write down the things he saw so that the church could know what is about to happen. You are being given an invitation to take a look into the glories that have been prepared for the redeemed of the Lord. The first thing that you need to see is the resurrected and glorified Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last. We are not being shown the crucified Savior but the One who has conquered death and the grave and is alive forevermore. This is significant for you because Jesus Christ has the keys of Hades and of Death. The Lord Almighty has already defeated your greatest enemy.
Can you receive this message of eternal realities and blessings? The eternal Son of God is your Conquering King. When John saw this, the Lord immediately showed him the state and conditions of the church. There is one overlapping message that you should hear. God has prepared some wonderful and majestic things for the church that overcomes. In days like this when evil is attempting to overwhelm and destroy, the conquering King of glory wants you to know that He is alive and is in power. The Lord God omnipotent reigns. Regardless of what your spiritual or physical condition has been, if you will persevere and overcome, you will be offered the opportunity to come up there.
To help us understand what we are about to be exposed to, John was shown the throne of God.
Revelation 4:1 NKJV After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”
Revelation 4:2-3 NKJV Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.
As John was standing before God, he was shown things that are happening around the throne of God.
The glorious appearance of the One Who sat on the throne was overwhelming. The radiant glory was like a jasper and sardius stone and there was a rainbow around the throne that had the appearance of an emerald. All of a sudden John beheld those who were clothed in white robes, which is a sign of righteousness. These resurrected saints of God and four mighty cherubim were worshiping and singing praises to God. The four living creatures were saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was, and is and is to come!” Every time they give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, Who lives forever and ever, the resurrected saints of God fall down before Him and worship the Lord God Almighty, and cast their crowns before the throne.
They will worship the Lord saying:
Revelation 4:11 NKJV “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”
Come and listen to the sound of the worship and praise of those who stand before God.
In Revelation 5 they sing a new song of praise.
Revelation 5:9 NKJV And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
Revelation 5:10-11 NKJV And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.” Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,
Revelation 5:12 NKJV saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”
While John saw them singing, worshiping and praising God, he beheld the glory of God proceeding from the throne.
Revelation 4:5 NKJV And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
The seven lamps of fire burning before the throne represents the fullness of the Holy Spirit. All of the fullness of God’s Spirit and glory is around the throne. This is a reminder of the scene at Mount Sinai when God came down and the mountain was covered with a dense cloud and there was fire and lightning. John was seeing a manifestation of the awesome and wonderful power and glory of God. Thunder is mentioned eight times in Revelation (4:5; 6:1; 8:5; 11:19; 14:2; 16:18;19:6). When lightnings, thunderings, and voices are seen and heard, it represents God’s power and presence. These lightnings, thunderings, and voices are a call to attention before God. The awesome and powerful God is present. In the Exodus, when God came down and revealed His glory to Israel, the people experienced similar events and were terrified at the sound and glory of God. In heaven, the whole atmosphere is charged with the glory and majesty of God. His glory, power, and majesty is inescapable.
God is preparing a people who will worship Him in Spirit and in truth.
He is giving us an invitation to preview the glory that awaits. One of these days the Lord is going to offer this invitation, “Come up here, and I will show you things…”
1 Corinthians 15:51 TPT Listen, and I will tell you a divine mystery: not all of us will die, but we will all be transformed.
1 Corinthians 15:52 TPT It will happen in an instant —in the twinkling of his eye. For when the last trumpet is sounded, the dead will come back to life. We will be indestructible and we will be transformed.
1 Corinthians 15:53 TPT For we will discard our mortal “clothes” and slip into a body that is imperishable. What is mortal now will be exchanged for immortality.
1 Corinthians 15:54 TPT And when that which is mortal puts on immortality, and what now decays is exchanged for what will never decay, then the Scripture will be fulfilled that says: Death is swallowed up by a triumphant victory!
Very soon we are going to hear the call, “Come up here,” and we shall see the glories of heaven and will stand before the almighty and glorious God.
Holy, holy– holy, holy– holy, holy— Lord God Almighty;
And we lift our hearts before You as a token of our love.
Holy, holy– holy, holy.