a
CONCLUSION
Eternity
One advantage we have in our modern era is science. We understand that the earth is a globe, there is gravity and aerodynamics. We understand lots of stuff the early believers had no concept of.
For example, I was listening to a minister who has since passed away, Chuck Missler. He was a rocket-scientist type of person. The subject of his talk was, “Is the universe a virtual hologram?” Does it have self-correcting micro, atomic software that keeps it working smoothly and intact?” My reaction was, “Huh? What?” No, I didn’t understand it all, but it made me think.
One concept Mr. Missler brought up was that of eternity. We live in four dimensions. Height, depth, length, and time. Time being a dimension. It is believed by some egg-headed physicists that there are as many as ten dimensions.
Since we experience nothing other than space and time, it isn’t easy for us to understand or comprehend eternity. For example, God is omniscient. He knows everything all at once. He doesn’t need to figure things out as we do.
We go to school for decades and we think we have expertise on a certain subject. We call ourselves experts. But God doesn’t need to study anything! He knows everything ABOUT everything already. He can’t change because there is nothing for Him to change into.
He is eternal and omnipresent. He not only knows everything, but he also knows every person who ever lived, in real-time. For example, I would ask you, “Was God present when you were born?” The answer is NO! He was not there when you were born,
He is there right now, watching as you are born. He is there right now, making sure you take your first breath. That’s eternity. He will not be there when you die, He is there right now, aware of you as you are dying.
Eternity has no time or space. The old saying, “you can’t be two places at once,” could very well be wrong. In eternity it is the ever-present NOW!
Another example is this: Have you ever been at an airport or train station and saw a bank of telephone booths against a wall? Each booth is partitioned. As you sit in one booth, you can’t see the person in the next booth, but if you step 20 feet away you could see every booth and every person in the booth’s talking on the phone.
Now, suppose that each day of your life was like being inside a phone booth. You can’t see into tomorrow; it hasn’t arrived yet. You can’t experience yesterday because it is gone; only a memory lingers. But God can see from the point of view as you did when you stepped 20 feet away from the booths. He can see every day of your life in a panorama view. He always sees all of creation, in history, or the future, in real-time, all at the same time.
I’ll give you another example that will astound you. Read the following verses:
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshiped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. Revelation 19:19-20
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:10-15
In these passages, aren’t the words “were” and “was” past tense words? How could a future event be spoken of as if it already happened? Is it because with God’s omnipresence these events HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED? Remember, John’s vision was in Heaven, and Heaven is eternity.
This concept might better explain Bible prophecy. God doesn’t foretell the future through a prophet, then manipulate the circumstances as they unfold – to ensure things happen as He predicted. Could it be, that to Him, time and events have already happened, and he simply tells a prophet what will be because it already has been?
Am I trying to confuse you? No! I wish to make a wonderful point to you that will be helpful when you worship God. Here it is:
Let’s join the twenty-four elders who fall down in Revelation chapter four to worship God and the lamb. I must believe this was not just a vision, but a true, bonafide reality that is happening. John saw what is going on in Heaven. It wasn’t allegory or metaphoric in nature.
He saw the Throne of God! And four angels! And 24 elders; and they fell on their faces and worshiped God; and threw their crowns down! If this is what John saw in Heaven, and Heaven is eternity, then that scene is going on right now. In real-time.
It didn’t happen 2,000 years ago, it’s going on right now, present tense.
If you can comprehend this as reality your worship life will improve immeasurably. In Essence, you go to that scene, (within the imagination of your spirit), and you join the worship service already in progress.
What is the difference between us and those elders who worship God face to face, and bask in the glory of Heaven? It’s our physical body! To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5.8
If God the Father and Jesus are receiving worship from the multitude in Heaven, why can’t we get in on the fun? What if we took the scripture literally which says He is holy, and He inhabits our praise.
The ONE who inhabits our praise is the same ONE who is being worshiped in Heaven.
Why not simply place yourself before the throne and begin worshiping as if you were already there? After all, you do own a white robe, don’t you? Join the elders and use the reality of John’s vision to thank, praise, worship, glorify, and honor the living God and the Lamb.
OK, so you’re sitting on a seat before the throne. You realize the absolute awesomeness of the moment; you catch a wave of euphoria as you realize you are face to face with the living God. You then stand to your feet with sheer pleasure.
You can’t help but feel the humbleness and gratitude for your salvation. You begin to sing and sing and sing these words:
THOU ARE WORTHY, O LORD, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Revelation 4:11
…Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. Revelation 5:13
Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty;
just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints
Revelation 15:3
What if the entire Body of Christ worshipped with understanding and purpose? What if we, as priests, offered the sacrifice of praise to God continually, allowing Jesus to worship through us and create the atmosphere whereby He may MANIFEST HIS PRESENCE in all our churches? What if we created an atmosphere where He would be welcomed and honored 24/7?
Why don’t we try it and find out?
DUPLICATE THE WORSHIP IN HEAVEN,