In Revelation 4:1, a door in Heaven is opened. Is this a dimensional opening to another realm? Is this the same door that Jesus had just described in his letter to the church at Laodicea? It seems that when John stepped through that door he found himself in a realm where past, present and future could be seen together, without chronology. From the perspective of first century Patmos, it was visionary, but once he stepped through, it became a pre-tribulation rapture. In Greek, it is called "Apocalypsis loannou," or "Revelation of John." It's title bears the word that comes down to us in English as "Apocalypse," meaning "exposure," "disclosure," or "unveilling." Of course, it also means "revelation," the common title of the Bible's final book. The Apostle John received an extraordinary view of the climax of human history. It prominently features a door between Heaven and Earth. It opens, allowing John to enter the dimensions of Heaven, and to observe a series of decisive events. It is possible that this open door provides us with some important clues about prophetic timing. Many have attempted to place this book into the context of history past, history present and history future. Or as Jesus put it in his instruction to John: "Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter" (Rev.1:19). From that day to this, the faithful have pondered it's details in the hope of placing it's vast prospect into the understandable scope of human perception. John's use of phrases such as "after these things," "after this," and "I saw," beg an interpretation that follows the time line to which we are accustomed as human beings ... past, present and future. Or as the wag once put it, "The present is the future you worried about in the past." Because of the limitations of our present reality, we are forced to view eternity as a long line with a beginning and an end. But as God declared to the prophet Isaiah, his view includes all that there was, is, or ever will be. Furthermore, his stance allows a view from any perspective: "Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure" (Is. 46:9-10). The Revelation begins on the Isle of Patmos on the "Lord's Day," when suddenly, the voice of the Lord announced that John was to receive a vision of the church and the world. The second and third chapters record the vision of the seven churches, in type, symbol, history and destination. Taken as a whole, they represent the life cycle of the body of Christ (the church) in the context of a world controlled by Satan. The church comes to an end in worldly wealth - Laodicea - although it is viewed by the Lord as poor, blind and naked. But the end is really a beginning. This door is far more than the entrance to an earthly residence. It is literally a door between Heaven and Earth. Jesus is offering the opportunity to overcome the world, and enter into the perfection of Heaven. It is of paramount importance that this be understood, since such doorways are seen elsewhere in the New Testament, though they are not always called "doors." After having instructed John, the Lord revealed the future path of the church, in the procession of the seven churches of Asia Minor. As generally understood, we are presently living at the end of that period. After receiving this revelation, John then learned what, exactly, was meant by the term "hereafter." He defined exactly what he meant by that term. It is obviously the period of time that follows the era of the church: "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). If it is permissable to view the "door" as an allegorical reference to the rapture, then it represents a point in real time. "Hereafter" is obviously the span of time that immediately follows the dispensation of the church. Of course, this includes the catching away of the church in the event of the rapture. This door stands at the apex of biblical prophecy, the rapture and the resurrection of the saints. It is also critically placed at the inception of the "Day of the Lord." That day will not - cannot - come until certain historical events have come to pass. If the door does, in fact, represent the rapture, at what point in time does it open? Given the fact that Ezekiel's battle of Gog/Magog comes at the beginning of the Tribulation, we can state with some certainty that the rapture occurs before this battle. Given the order of future events in Revelation, we can state this with certainty.

• published: 25 Jul 2017
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