God’s Throne Room in Heaven
Bible Study Guide
It’s a whopping 127 feet wide and stands at an eye popping 69 feet high. It boasts some of the worlds most complex camera and projection systems. The finest digital sound systems are used to produce it’s audio experience. The 3D technology is second to none delivering the most unique visual audio experience to 1800 people in one showing.
The Traumpalast Leonberg Theater located in Leonberg, Germany is the home to the largest IMax Theater and Movie screen in the world. The audio visual experience it produces is like no other on this planet. If that wasn’t enough, it also has motion seats to bring the viewers senses to a whole new level of entertainment.
The visual experience that John is about to embark upon in the next 18 chapters will likely make this IMax theater in Leonberg appear to look like a small screen TV in the average home. With Christ as his guide, John’s audio and visual senses will be raised to a level not comprehensible by anyone of us here on earth.
Move over IMax and motion seats, John is not only going to be taken from earth and temporarily raptured but his visions will have the universe as a back drop. This is no theater that Christ is about to take him to view. It’s much grander than that.
From Words to Visions
The first three chapters began as words coming from the mouth of Christ to John’s ears. Words that were meant to be letters for the ears of the congregation of the seven churches.
John’s overwhelming experience thus far is about to become even more so. Now, what began as words to his ears will be followed by powerful visions for his eyes.
It Begins In God’s Throne Room In Heaven
(Verse 1) Notice how John begins this new section of Revelation. He starts with the words, “After this.” John is letting the reader know the order of things that he’s a witness to. First, Jesus gives John His final warning to the believers (churches), including those who consider themselves believers but have strayed from the faith.
Then, what begins after this is the revealing of the terrible events of the seven year Tribulation. The judgment and wrath that is going to come upon those who have chosen not to believe and follow Christ.
This section most appropriately begins in the throne room of the One who created all things, the author of love, the creator of the institution of marriage and the One who’s hands are on all things for the glory of His name. The God of heaven and earth.
A Glimpse Into God’s Throne Room
God’s throne room is the center of all things that exist. The word is used throughout Revelation. It’s seen 40 times in the entire book and 11 times alone in this chapter.
It’s used at the beginning of the book (Revelation 1:4) and at the close of the book (Revelation 22:3).
As John stands before his vision of the open door to heaven, he has no idea what’s about to happen to his body.
A Trumpet Sound Coming From God’s Throne Room
What John hears is no ordinary sound coming from the throne room. Since the time Moses was instructed by God to hammer out two silver trumpets, the trumpet has been used to gain the attention of God’s people. First, it began with the Israelites in the desert.
““Make two trumpets of hammered silver, and use them for calling the community together and for having the camps set out. When both are sounded, the whole community is to assemble before you at the entrance to the tent of meeting.” (Numbers 10:2-3)
The sound of the trumpet will eventually culminate to the end of the age when it’s sounded for the purpose of Christ returning to gather (rapture) His church (believers) to Himself before the coming wrath of judgment upon the world.
“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”
(1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
Aren’t those just some of the most beautiful words you’ve ever heard. “We will be with the Lord forever.” These words are words we want to know, understand, share and find comfort in. Especially as we see ourselves living in the times of the signs spoken of by Christ.
Raptured to God’s Throne Room in Heaven
In similar fashion as the trumpet has been used throughout the history of Israel up to today and the rapture of the near future, John is also brought to attention and called to come visit God’s throne room by the trumpet.
John obviously has no power to make his way up to God’s throne room in heaven. But God not only has the power to draw him up to heaven, He’s going to do it in way that very few men have experienced before him. It’s an experience reserved only for believers at a day and time in the near future unknown to us. Let’s take a look.
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