Rapture: The Secrets of the Open Door, part 4

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."

Immediately I was in the Spirit;

and behold, a throne set in heaven,

and One sat on the throne.

--John, Revelation 4:1-2, NKJV

This is not the first time that The Door is used as Rapture imagery in the Scriptures.  Like I've said before, there is nothing new to be found in The Revelation.  It is a summary of all things prophetic that had already been revealed and recorded.  If you read the rest of the Bible first, nothing in Revelation should be a surprise.

In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus said Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

In Luke 13:24-25, Jesus said Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.  When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us,' and He will answer and say to you, ' I do not know you, where you are from.'

The door to eternal life, to salvation, and to heaven is standing open to any and all who would believe on Jesus Christ and be faithful to him.  It cannot be too strongly emphasized that the open door of Revelation is given to the faithful church, those believers who are doing what they are supposed to be doing, and living the way they are supposed to live.  The other churches that Jesus addressed were given warnings about their behavior, warnings that if they did not change, they would be extinguished as lights, removed as candlesticks, killed and cast into great tribulation for their destruction.

But something else that the Bible makes clear is that the door will not always remain open.  There is coming a time when the door, both to salvation and entrance into heaven, will be closed.  Revelation 10:6-7 tells of Christ standing on the earth and sea and making this declaration:  There will be no more delay; the mystery of God is finished.  Revelation 14:14-20 describes two great harvests at the hands of Jesus, a final harvest of souls for salvation, and a harvest of wrath for the unbelievers.  Revelation 15:8 reveals the heavenly temple being filled with God's presence, preventing anyone from entering or performing any of the ministries of grace until the wrath of God was completely poured out on the earth.  As a result, Revelation 16 reveals repeatedly the cursing and blasphemies of a humanity that will not repent.

Referencing the days of Noah, Jesus said there would be direct correlation between them and the days of his coming.  When we read the story of Noah in Genesis 6-7, we discover that after a century of building and preaching, Noah has finished his little construction project and the ark stands complete and ready for launch.  All they need now is to load up and wait for the rain.  In Genesis 7:1, the Lord speaks to Noah and says Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation...for after seven more days I will cause it to rain...and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made."  The Bible goes on to say that on that very same day, Noah did as the Lord commanded, and the Lord shut him in.  What is curious to me is Jesus remark in Matthew 24:38-39 that people carried on about their business until the day Noah entered the ark, and they did not know until the flood came and took them all away!  After a hundred years of hearing him preach and pound nails, no one missed his voice when it fell silent inside the ark.  No one noticed that the door was shut, until it started to rain and they couldn't get in.

Jesus also taught of that door being closed, not just in Matthew and Luke as quoted above, but also in Matthew 25, in a parable that has especially significant connections to the Rapture of the Church.  It's about the ten bridesmaids assigned to keep the bride ready for her groom and waiting in anticipation.  On the night when the bridegroom calls, when the cry of his friend rings through the streets, "The Bridegroom is coming, the Bridegroom is coming," the bridesmaids rush out into the night with their lamps to light the way to the bride.  Only on this night, the Bridegroom is delayed.  The night waxes dark, the stamina of the bridesmaids is diminished, and soon their lamps sputter out and they all drift into sleep.

When the cry of the approaching Bridegroom stirs them from slumber, they all arise and trim their lamps, and five of their number produce jars of oil with which to fill their lamps.  The other five were foolish and forgot to bring extra oil, and when they beg to borrow from their wiser sisters, they are told to go find some for themselves, lest the Bridegroom be delayed longer and there not be enough.  But while the deficient five are out looking for more oil, the Bridegroom comes.  Those who are ready go in with him to the wedding, and the door was shut.

Arriving late--and Jesus does not tell us whether or not they found any oil; I am personally doubtful--the oil-lackers pound on the door crying out, "Lord, Lord, open to us!"  But the answer came back, "I do not know you."  And they were left outside.

To the faithful church, Jesus alone claimed the power and authority to open that door, and to shut it.  But once it is shut, there is no one who will be getting in until he opens it again.  The Open Door is something you don't want to miss.  You want to go through it now, while it stands open for your entrance.  You want to be among that number that hears the call, "Come up here!" and goes to heaven through the Open Door.  You don't want to wait until it closes.