Revelation (Part 4)

“After this I looked, and, behold, a door was

opened in heaven”(Rev 4:1)

 

Copyright ã 2003 Rivkah Ministries By M. Larry Perrino

 

 

T he first three chapters of the Book of Revelation are filled with continual references to the “church;” in fact, we have read either the word “church” or the word “churches” nineteen different times in those first three chapters!  As prevalent as the church has been the first three chapters, we will not find the word “church” again for another nineteen chapters.

From nineteen references to the church in three chapters to zero references in nineteen chapters is a significant change!  With the beginning of chapter four the church is somehow completely off the scene until the last chapter of the Book of Revelation where Jesus says, “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches” (Rev 22:16).  Therefore, the Book of Revelation is simply not all about the church; nevertheless, the church plays an important role in the events.

So what exactly happens after chapter three?  Why the sudden change in focus from the church to something completely different?  Our major questions should be, “What is the new focus?” and, “What happens to the Church?”  Through this Bible Study we should answer both of these questions!

Chapter four of the Book of Revelation consists of merely eleven verses.  Let’s begin by reading all eleven verses.  After that, we will outline the content of those same verses and finally we will carefully search for Biblical imagery that provides explanation.  Now close your eyes and try to let the Word of God paint a word picture in your mind’s eye. 

“After 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. 2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. 3 And 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. 4 And 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. 5 And 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. 6 And 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. 7 And 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. 8 And 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. 9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, 10 The 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,11 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” (Rev 4:1-11).

 

The Throne Room in Heaven

1.      After these things

a.       Let’s list the most significant concepts in verse one? “After 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” (Rev 4:1)

b.      The most significant concepts:

                                                   i.      After this;

                                                 ii.      a door was open in heaven;

                                                iii.      the voice of a trumpet;

                                               iv.      come up hither

                                                 v.      things which must be hereafter;

2.      There is a door standing open in heaven and then John hears the voice of a trumpet

a.       Compare with “I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God” (Ezekl 1:1);

b.      John heard the same trump that Israel experienced in the wilderness, “it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled” (Ex 19:16);

3.      Then the command, to "Come up here."

a.       What is the significance of this statement?  With these words, most scholars believe that the church will have been raptured!  (However, many do not hold to this belief!);

b.      The significance of the statement “Come up here” is clarified by the words immediately following, “And I will show you things which must take place “after this;”

c.       Today!  Every day! The church should be experiencing the rapture in prayer; 

                                                   i.      Who are the redeemed? 

                                                 ii.      Where are the Redeemed

4.      The Redeemed pass the baton to the Jews 

a.       Indeed the Book of Revelation begins to take on a very Jewish perspective;

5.      The next principal article that is seen in the vision is a Throne

a.       The Greek word (thronos) originally meant the seat of authority for gods and kings; later in time it also came to be a chair for teachers and judges.

b.      God's throne is described in various ways

                                                               i.      Heaven (“The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool” (Is. 66:1, Mt. 5:34, Acts 7:49)

                                                             ii.      Representative of the authority of a judge “thou satest in the throne judging right” (Ps 9:4, 7-8)

                                                            iii.      Representing the glory of God, “the throne of thy glory” (Jer 14:21);

c.       The throne of God is mentioned forty times throughout the Book of Revelation;

                                                               i.      thirty-nine times throne refers to God’s Throne

                                                             ii.      one time the throne refers to the church, “I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them” – “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?” (1 Cor 6:2);

6.      Glory of God is present

a.       We can observe that Paul apparently saw the throne room of God (2 Cor 12:1-6), however, either he would not speak of it or he may have been restrained by God from giving us that specific description;

b.      The appearance of glorious light around the throne;

                                                   i.      the jaspar, “her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal” (Rev 21:11); this light may well have shimmered or glistened very much like what we know as a diamond;

                                                 ii.      also, there was the appearance of a Sardius which was the stone for which the city Sardis was named, and it was a deep red, like a ruby;

                                                iii.      There was also an appearance of a rainbow around the throne, “he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal” (Rev 21:10-11);

c.       THIS Glory is reminiscent of the things that were observed by Israel on MT. SINAI, “it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. 17 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. 18 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. 19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long” (Ex 19:16-19);

d.      BY THE WAY these things took place on the day of Israel’s Marriage to God!

7.      The twenty-four elders are the key to understanding what happens to the church!

a.       Elder comes from the Greek word “presbuteros” with its root is “presbus” meaning (elderly) or older and wiser.  When we compare this word to the Israelites they had Sanhedrist, which was likened unto a celestial council.  This Greek word meaning “elderly” is used exclusively of the twenty-four elders twelve separate times in the Book of Revelation as follows: (Rev 4:4; 4:10; 5:5; 5:6; 5:8; 5:11; 5:14; 7:11; 7:13; 11:16; 14:3; and 19:4);

b.      Moses and Aaron worked with the elders in Israel, “Moses and Aaron gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel” (Ex 4:29);

c.       The Sanhedrin was appointed by God to assist Moses, “Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people” (Num 11:16);

d.      Elders identified in the New Testament were either rulers of the synagogues or leaders in the church:

                                                               i.      “when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching” (Matt 21:23);

                                                             ii.      “where the scribes and the elders were assembled” (Matt 26:57);

                                                            iii.      The churches, “ordained them elders in every church” (Acts 14:23);

                                                           iv.      Elders as leaders, “the elders obtained a good report” (Heb 11:2)

e.       Elders were well experienced individuals who were put into positions of authority and acted as representatives due their wisdom and understanding;

f.        The twenty-four elders also make an allusion to the Old Testament priests that were divided into twenty-four groups of priests and singers (1 Chron 24.);

g.       These were representatives in the whole nation of the people before God;

h.       The elders in heaven are sitting (Rev 4:4, 11:16)!  This whole concept would be of incredible significance to the Jews because the priests never sat while serving in the temple!   The priests had no place to sit, all of the furnishings were used for temple worship.  Interestingly, their work of offering sacrifices never accomplished rest because the blood of animals could never remove sin;

i.         Notice that the elders are “clothed in white robes;” in Lev 16:4 on the Day of Atonement the high priest entered into the Holy of Holies (the presence of God) wearing only holy garments, “He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired” (Lev 16:4);

j.        The elders also wore “crowns of gold on their heads.”  These crowns come from the Greek word STEPHANOS which is the crown of the victor (not the crown of a ruler); the crown (STEPHANOS) is promised to the church of Smyrna;

8.      The Seven Spirits of God pictured in the menorah

a.       Perhaps a better way to describe these spirits would be  “the seven-fold spirit” of God.  Notice the description in Isaiah 11:2: 

                                                               i.      Spirit of the Lord

                                                             ii.      Spirit of Wisdom

                                                            iii.      Spirit of Understanding

                                                           iv.      Spirit of Counsel

                                                             v.      Spirit of Strength

                                                           vi.      Spirit of Knowledge

                                                          vii.      Spirit of Fear (Awe) of the Lord

9.      The sea of glass, like crystal

a.       This sea of glass & the molten (a large laver full of water  which was cast out of bronze) sea in the temple.  The elders are standing on the sea in heaven;

10.  Four living Creatures

a.       Isaiah & the portable throne of God, “Above it stood the seraphims” (Isa 6:2);

b.      We know both from Isaiah as well as Revelation that these four living creatures are always before the throne of God praising Him, “one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isa 6:3), and “they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy” (Rev 4:8);

c.       Ezekiel describes the angels as messengers of God in Ezek 1:4-14;

d.      These are the same type of angels stationed east of the Garden in Eden who guard the way to the Tree of Life, “he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life” (Gen. 3:24);

11.  The Elders Praise God and cast down crowns

a.       The elders claim that their crowns rightly belong to the LORD who was responsible for their victory, “The 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” (Rev 4:10).

What is the time frame in which all of these amazing visions before the Throne Room take place? 
Now, exactly when does all of this take place?  Our answer is quite amazing and rather powerful; as if to make a special emphasis, the first verse of Revelation chapter four not only starts with the Greek words “meta tauta,” it also closes with those same words.   It becomes even more interesting when we look closely at the first place in the whole Book of Revelation where those exact words appear, “Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter (meta tauta)” (Rev 1:19).  Do you recognize the significance of this verse?  What is the characteristic of this verse that is special to the Book of Revelation?

It is as if John left us a signpost that we would be able to distinguish in order to understand the break-off point between those things, “which are” and those things, “which shall be hereafter.”  Our signpost happens to be the important Greek phrase, (meta tauta) which was translated in Revelation 4:1 as “after this” and “hereafter.”

We Christians must not relegate everything in the Book of Revelation beyond chapter 3 as merely some future reality!    We are completely aware of the location from which Jesus currently operates, “when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places” (Eph 1:20).  Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father!  However, what most Christians fail to properly grasp the literal reality that we now are seated in heavenly places also.  Notice that the Father, “hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised (past tense) us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:5-6).  Our setting should be an ever-present reality that we currently “sit together in heavenly places in Christ!”  Notice that John first saw the thrones, “round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders” (Rev 4:4).

 

The Lamb: Rev 5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

Circle of all of the angels Rev 7:11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God

Larry’s incomplete concept of the Throne Room of Heaven

 

 

Circle of all of the angels Rev 7:11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God

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		Sea of Glass

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It becomes much more clear when we overlay the Camp of Israel and see that the very throne Room of Heaven is laid out in the same fashion as that ancient camp of the Levites (the Priests)!  You may need to flip between the previous page and the graphic that follows several times in order to get a hold of all of the significant items. 

We should get the powerful concept that the elders (church) represent humanity in the same way that the priests represented ancient Israel.  The sons of Levi were the captains on each side of the tabernacle, “And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari” (Gen 46:11).  The Gershonites were encamped on the west side; the tribe of Merari was camped on the north; the tribe of Kohath was located on the south and Moses and Aaron were encamped on the east.  Can you recognize the cross of the camp of Israel by the numbers?

An important concept for us to realize is that even though the church is taken up into heaven during the rapture, “come up hither” (Rev 4:1), God continues to require physical human instruments upon the earth who will represent the Kingdom of God.  Notice after the church is gone that there are individuals upon the earth who are sealed, “And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel” (Rev 7:4).  We should also get a hold of the fact that God will change the group through whom He witnesses to the people of the earth!  At the rapture, God is going to transfer that responsibility back from the church and place it once again upon the nation of Israel, “I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid” (Rom 11:1).  It was Israel who originally received the promises from God, “when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham” (Acts 7:17).  This is more precisely what is meant by the passage in the Book of Romans which says, “unto them (the Jews) were committed the oracles (promises) of God” (Rom 3:2).  If we do not understand that God is dealing with three types of people upon this earth we will scarcely be able understand the Book of Revelation, “Give none offence, neither to (1) the Jews, nor to (2) the Gentiles, nor to (3) the church of God” (1 Cor 10:32).  After the rapture, the focus of the Book of Revelation remains upon the earth; however, the group that the Lord uses to witnesses to the people of the earth switches from the church and back upon the Jews.   (In a future Bible Study on Revelation we will see this in Daniel’s 70^th week prophecy.)

Next, let’s answer three important questions that directly relate to us out of the Book of Revelation:  (1) Who are the Twenty-four Elders? (2) Where are the Twenty-four Elders during the events described in Revelation? and (3) What actions are being taken by these Twenty-four Elders?

It is easy to Remember where we can find the Hebrew connection with Twenty-four elders! We merely need to remember à1 Chronicles 24:

“Now these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron. The sons of Aaron; Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar . . . (these 24 courses represent the circle of Levites –  previous page)

7 Now the first (1) lot came forth to Jehoiarib,

the second (2) to Jedaiah,

8 The third (3) to Harim,

the fourth (4) to Seorim,

9 The fifth (5) to Malchijah,

the sixth (6) to Mijamin,

10 The seventh (7) to Hakkoz,

the eighth (8) to Abijah, (you may remember John the Baptist’ father see below:)

“There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth” (Luke 1:5)

11 The ninth (9) to Jeshua,

the tenth (10) to Shecaniah,

12 The eleventh (11) to Eliashib,

the twelfth (12) to Jakim,

13 The thirteenth (13) to Huppah,

the fourteenth (14) to Jeshebeab,

14 The fifteenth (15) to Bilgah,

the sixteenth (16) to Immer,

15 The seventeenth (17) to Hezir,

the eighteenth (18) to Aphses,

16 The nineteenth (19) to Pethahiah,

the twentieth (20) to Jehezekel,

17 The one and twentieth (21) to Jachin,

the two and twentieth (22) to Gamul,

18 The three and twentieth (23) to Delaiah,

the four and twentieth (24) to Maaziah.

19 These were the orderings of them in their service to come into the house of the LORD, according to their manner, under Aaron their father, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded him” (1 Chron 24:1-19).  First Chronicles 25 likewise goes on to describe twenty-four courses of singers (cantors), “Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals: and the number of the workmen according to their service was” (1 Chron 25:1). 

The courses of the priests and the singers were set-up around a 52-week calendar.  Each course served for two weeks a year; this covered 48 weeks.  The remaining four weeks of Priest and Singer duty took place during the three festival seasons at which time all of the priests and singers were on duty for one hour a day around the clock during those four weeks.

Twenty-four weeks after the Passover Season:

 

Twenty-four weeks after the Tabernalces Season:

 

During the 4 weeks of Holy Days, Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles, the Priests and Singers served for one hour around the clock all four weeks:

 

So, what is the distinction between these Priests and Singers as opposed to the Elders of the church?  Priests and Singers served the nation of Israel, while Elders serve the church.  Notice in Acts, “And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, 22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. 23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed” (Acts 14:21-23).  Paul also writes, “For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee” (Titus 1:5).

It is also important for us to realize in our study of Revelation chapter four that elders cannot be angels as some scholars argue.  Notice how the following passage excludes the angels from being elders, “And all (all means all) the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders (the point is that if all the angels stood “about the elders,” then the elders could not possibly be angels) and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God” (Rev 7:11).

In the last two Bible Studies we focused upon the church; however, let’s notice carefully the “church” scriptures that are used as descriptions to identify these Elders!

We can observe these characteristics of the elders in chapters 2&3, which describes the church!  Notice also that the Twenty-four are all overcomers!  What is common about overcomers? 1 John 5:4-5 “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”  The Twenty-four elders represent the entire body of Christ who have overcome the world!

Our next question should be, “Where are these overcomers (twenty-four elders) located during the Great Tribulation?”

Not one passage places the 24 Elders upon the earth during the entire period of the Great Tribulation!

What do the Twenty-four Elders do while they are in heaven?

 

What do you think we should be doing today in preparation for becoming part of the Twenty-four Elders?  They are falling down and worshipping Him!

What else do the Twenty-four Elders do while they are in heaven?  Let’s remember that the Book of Revelation is tied or associated to the Book of Genesis.  In order to get this picture we simply must go back to the Book of Genesis, which parallels the age of the church. 

From the creation of man in the Garden of Eden, God has continually desired to live with, dwell with, and have fellowship with human beings.  God unveiled the concept of the matrimonial state as early as Genesis chapter 2, “And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Gen 2:23-24).  God has been preparing a bride for his Son (“the last Adam was made a quickening spirit” (1 Cor 15:45)).   Since that first prophecy, God has continued to reveal the marriage of His Son through the patriarchs of Israel in the events of their lives.  He even married a body of people in the earth as we have already observed, “And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do” (Ex 19:8).  Genesis 24 has the specific story of how Rebekah, Isaac’s bride, was discovered and delivered back to him.  This story is a precise spiritual picture of how Jesus, the true Bridegroom will meet and marry His Bride.

Abraham makes his eldest servant, Eliezer, promise that he would go to Abraham’s homeland in order to find a bride for Isaac.  Abraham insisted that this special bride for Isaac was to come from among his own kindred.  Let’s examine the characters in this story and map-out who they spiritually represent: 

1.  Abraham is a spiritual picture of God the Father;
2. Isaac is a spiritual picture of Jesus the Bridegroom;
3. Eliezer is a spiritual picture of the Holy Spirit;
4. Rebekah is a spiritual picture of the church who is Bride of Christ.

Through this spiritual picture, we can see that the Father desires to find a Bride for Jesus. In order to accomplish this goal, God sent His Holy Spirit to prepare a people to meet the Bridegroom Jesus.

Now let’s examine the major events that preceded the marriage between Isaac and Rebekah because these same events will be observable in the bride of Jesus:

1.      Elilezer brought in the camels, “And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.” (Genesis 24:11);

2.      Rebekah was carrying a "pitcher" of water (Genesis 24:14-18, 20, 43, 45, 46);

3.      The bride for Isaac is associated with God's promise to Abraham, “The LORD God of heaven, which took me from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence” (Gen 24:7).

4.      Rebekah was taken from among Abraham’s own people, “thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son” (Genesis 24:4);

5.      Rebekah had to be willing and of her own free will to follow, “if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath” (Genesis 24:8);

6.      The servant took 10 camels (In the Hebrew, ten represents a “minyan” or a complete congregation) (Genesis 24:10);

7.      They lodged in a place which had earlier been prepared for them, “And he (Laban, Rachel’s brother) said, Come in, thou blessed of the LORD; wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels” (Gen 24:31).

8.      Isaac and Rebekah first met at the well, “And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahai-roi; (the well of living waters) for he dwelt in the south country. 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming. 64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel” (Gen 24:62-64). 

All of the preceding events took place prior to the wedding; now, let’s focus on the hidden aspects in the Bible that reveal where the wedding will take place.   Just prior to being crucified Jesus told His disciples, “I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2-3).  From the story of Isaac and Rebekah, let’s recall that Eliezer asked the question “is there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in?” (Gen 24:23)  The Hebrew word “lodge” is “loon” which means “to stay permanently, to abide all night.”  The servant was asking to stay in the room of the father’s house all night (night, is the biblical symbol for the period of tribulation.)  This is a prophetic picture of Jesus and His Bride remaining in the Father's house (heaven) for a short while (most scholars claim that this period will last 7 years; we will scrutinize the length of this period when we examine Daniel’s 70^th week prophecy in a few weeks.)

Notice the Hebrew word “makom;” “is there room (makom) in thy father's house for us to lodge in?” (Gen 24:23)  That same Hebrew word is used by Jeremiah to describe heaven and specifically God's throne, “A glorious high (makom) throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary” (Jer 17:12).  Notice also where the word “makom” shows up in the life of Jacob, “he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place (makom)! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate (door) of heaven” (Gen 28:17).  It becomes clear that the Hebrew word, (makom) is the term for the sanctuary and throne of God.

Let’s carefully examine Jacob’s dream.  He sees a ladder going from earth to heaven and the angels of God ascending and descending the ladder, “he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending” (Gen 28:12).  It is interesting that the precise location where Jacob had that specific dream is labeled as the “place” three separate times in Genesis 28:11, “he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.”  The Holy Spirit is highlighting significance concerning this particular location; we know this because the word (makom) is used three times in the same verse. 

In order to comprehend the significance of what is happening in the life of Jacob we must examine yet one more Hebrew word (shakav) which means, “to lie down.”  The issue is that (shakav) carries a definite sexual connotation!  Notice (shakav) in the lives of Lot and his daughters, “Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie (shakav) with him, that we may preserve seed of our father” (Gen 19:32).  In the English an equivalent phrase would be “sleeping with,” especially when the implication is clearly sexual relations.  In our modern culture we might ask, “How long have they been sleeping together?”  The specific context of that question is focused on the sexual relations and not upon slumber.

Notice the type of sleep that was associated with Jacob’s dream, “he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep (shakav)” (Genesis 28:11).  The Biblical text does not say that Jacob lay down to (shaynah,) which literally means “to slumber;” instead it uses the term (shakav) which alludes to sexual relations; however, Jacob was alone.  We know that Moses who recorded this event in the Bible did not make a mistake about Jacob’s sleep.  Moses used (shaynah) to indicate Jacob sleeping just five verses later in Genesis 28:16 “And Jacob awaked out of his sleep (shaynah,) and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place (makom)” (Gen 28:16). 

Do not take it casually that the Holy Spirit chose to use (shakav) for sleep in Gen 28:11!  Since “Shaynah” means, “to sleep;” and since the Holy Spirit chose to use the word, (shakav) meaning “to lie down in a sexual connotation” in Genesis 28:11, we must conclude that God was spiritually communicating some type of nuptial event through the prophetic images in Jacob's dream.  What is Jacob’s account of this event?  Notice his response, “he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate (door) of heaven” (Gen 28:17). 

Notice the Bible’s description of the opening of the gates of heaven, “Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in” (Isa 26:2).  We find an additional description in Psalms, “Open to me the gates (door) of righteousness:  I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: 20 This gate (door) of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter” (Ps 118:19-20).  Jacob called that place “the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven” (Gen 28:17).  Jacob’s dream essentially represented the spiritual portrayal of the rapture of the Bride into heaven.  Notice the name that Jacob put on this place, “And he called the name of that place Bethel (which in Hebrew means the, ‘House of God’)” (Gen 28:19).  Do you recognize the Hebrew second letter “bet” in the word Beth?

Now we come to Mount Zion which is a Biblical term used to describe the spiritual people of God and the heavenly Jerusalem.  Zion is also a term for God’s Bride!  Consider some of the following scriptures characteristic of Zion:

 

 

Notice how the following passage relates directly to the topic that we have been studying, “For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. 2 And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name. 3 Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. 4 Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzi-bah, and thy land Beulah: (married) for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.  For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee” (Isa 62:1-5).

As we return to Rebekah we realize that she was carrying a pitcher of water and she, “let down her pitcher from her shoulder” (Gen 24:46).  In Biblical terms to carry something upon the shoulder is a symbol of authority, “the government shall be upon his shoulder” (Isa 9:6).  Therefore, the pitcher of water on the shoulder of Rebekah is a spiritual picture of the Bride of Christ ruling and reigning with Christ during the Messianic Age, “I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them . . . and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years” (Rev 20:4).  Rebekah forms a perfect picture of the church marrying the Christ and sitting as the twenty-four elders in the throne room of heaven!

Notice how this Bride of Christ reacts to her Husband, They sing a new song in Rev 5:9-10 “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth”

Notice the individuals who were promised that they would serve as kings and priests?  John the revelator answers this question, “John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; 5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” Rev 1:4-6

What are the events that lead up to the marriage supper of the lamb?  Find out during our next Bible Study!