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Revelation 4 begins with the words, “After these things…” After what things? After Jesus spoke to the churches, preparing them for the events of the latter days, he describes the hope of heaven.

There will be many troubles that come upon the earth. The church will go through that period Jesus described as birth pangs. “There will be wars and rumors of wars, nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom and in various places there will be famines and plagues and earthquakes. But all these are merely the beginning of birth pangs,” Jesus said. In other words, troubles and trials will increase with greater intensity as the end draws near.

But ‘after these things’ comes the hope of heaven. Paul endured many trials and troubles in his life and ministry, but he endured all these things because he had the hope of heaven.

Romans 8:18, For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

When you are enduring or even suffering, you need something to hold onto that’s beyond the suffering. You need a future that has hope. This world is filled with troubles; life itself can be difficult, but there is a future glory. You can endure the troubles of this life when you have such a hope!

For the believer in Jesus Christ, that future glory, that future hope is heaven itself. If you don’t have that hope, if you don’t have that assurance, let this be the day you find it. God is pursuing you; he’s knocking on the door of your heart. He wants relationship to you.

But what is heaven like? Many would love a view into heaven. What is this future glory God has in store for those who believe in Jesus Christ? Is it a place of beautiful golf courses, or perfect fishing lakes or perhaps a place where you can eat the most incredible delectable food… and never gain weight!!

In chapter 4, John is taken up to heaven and instructed to write what he sees. There are no words, however, to adequately describe what his eyes see. It’s like comparing the colors a hummingbird can see to what we can see.

We are brought with John into this glimpse into heaven. If we could only see what his eyes saw, but we have this description of what he saw.

There is a phrase I have come to truly appreciate; “We are changed in the presence of a Holy God.” These verses draw us into God’s presence and gives a deeper understanding of His heart and character.

John describes the scene: there was a throne standing in heaven and One sitting on the throne, radiant in glory. Around the throne were 24 thrones and upon the thrones were 24 elders sitting, clothed in white with golden crowns on their heads.

There were also four living creatures before the throne who never cease to say, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty.”

What is holiness? Oftentimes, when I’m teaching a class, I will ask that question. The common answer is that holiness is the absence of sin. But holiness is much more than that. Holiness is the character of God.

God wants you to be changed to be like Him in holiness. It means that God wants you to have His heart and character.

The four living creatures before the great throne are angels like nothing we can imagine, but these four living creatures represent the nature of Jesus Christ and the holiness of God.

The prophet Ezekiel also had a view into heaven. He also described the four living creatures before the throne of God. Jewish Rabbis taught that the four faces of these creatures in Ezekiel’s vision represent God’s greatest creations. They were also the images on the ensign, the standard, used by each of the lead tribes when Israel camped in the desert.

Pastor Rich Jones
Pastor Matthew Dodd
Rich Jones Calvary Chapel
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Calvary Chapel Hillsboro
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