THE TEMPLE OPENED IN HEAVEN
Revelation 11:14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly. 15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. 16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, 17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. 18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. 19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
What is “the second woe?” To begin to understand, let us look back to Revelation 8:13. And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound! Then in the very next verse of Revelation 9:1 we read “And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.”
There are three “woes,” and three trumpets yet to sound. So the last three trumpets are going to be more woeful, or severe, than the first four. And therefore, the first “woe” is then the fifth trumpet, as is shown in that Revelation 9:1 verse, just listed. Then the second “woe” is the sixth trumpet, and the third “woe” will be the seventh trumpet.
Revelation 9:12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter. 13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
Revelation 11:14 ¶ The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly. 15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
So we can understand that in the sounding of the last three trumpets God’s judgments become progressively worse as they are listed not only as judgment trumpets, but as severe “woes!”
Then we must also seek to understand who that temple in heaven is. For it is a person and not a thing! How do we know this? The scriptures reveal it into us. For therein is recorded both the instruction of the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit telling us so! John 2:18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? 19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? 21 But he spake of the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. And so must we believe this scripture and the words of our Lord in stating that his body is the very temple of God.
We also read in Revelation 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
And since the organism of the spiritual church – Christ’s Bride – is joined unto Him, they are but “one spirit.” 1 Corinthians 6:16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. 17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Therefore we understand that their bodies are also God’s temple. 1 Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. 2 Corinthians 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Ephesians 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
And we must also take careful notice that this temple of God was opened in heaven. And since we have clearly seen that this temple is the Lord Jesus Christ, we must not lose the awareness that He is in heaven. For there he has continuously occupied the glorious esteem of reigning at the right hand of the majesty on high! For Jesus Christ is the presently reigning Lord! Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; And just when did he began his mediatorial reign? He began it just as soon as he had by himself purged our sins! He did so upon his ascension, after he completed his work of redemption upon the cross! 1 Corinthians 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: (meaning that the redemption is fully accomplished), and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. God the Father was satisfied with redemption as a finished work. Isaiah 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore the Father has highly exalted the Son up to his throne! Philippians 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Acts 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Therefore we clearly see that the temple opened in heaven is but the Lord Jesus Christ sitting and ruling from his exalted throne in the heavens.
And we read that the first thing mentioned to be seen in the opened temple is the ark of the testament. For Christ is the God of the law. Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Romans 7:12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. 13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. 14 ¶ For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: Then there are seen lightnings, and voices. And we have previously read that it is by these “great voices” that the world’s kingdoms are proclaimed to become the very kingdoms of our Lord. Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
For it is by these lightnings that we see both the destruction of Satan’s power over the world and the advancement of Christ’s kingdom continuing to proceed without fail. The Lord Jesus informed his seventy evangelists that as they went forth preaching the kingdom of God was at hand, he could visualize Satan beginning to fall “as lightning.” Luke 10:17 ¶ And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. 18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
He saw the beginning of the destruction of Satan’s bondage upon the souls of mankind; the setting at liberty those that were subject to this bondage. Luke 11:20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. 21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: (That’s the false peace of Satan’s incarceration of the souls of lost mankind.) 22 But when a stronger than he (that’s Christ) shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. Hebrews 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
And the Lord also tells us that the advancement of his kingdom would be “as the lightning.” Matthew 24:27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For it is obvious from the preceding verses that our Lord is here referring to the spread of his gospel kingdom and not his second coming. For he previously speaks of anyone trying to pinpoint any permanent location for the Spirit’s revelation of Christ. For those seeking to ascribe a permanent and specific location to the work of the Spirit provide opportunity for false Christ’s and false prophets to thrive! Carefully read these verses:
Matthew 24:23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25 Behold, I have told you before. 26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
Our Lord informed his followers that the gospel would travel as lightening from Jerusalem to Judaea, to Samaria and on to the uttermost parts of the earth. Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. The Lord also revealed it to his disciples not to think it strange to be driven from city to city by persecution. Matthew 10:23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
The Lord states that he is both “the light of the world,” and “the light of life.” John 8:12. And light travels at 168,000 miles per second! And when lightnings rip through the atmosphere at that speed, it produces a sonic boom, which we call thunder. Therefore light in motion produces sound! Consider this verse: Job 38:24 By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth? Hence the Lord by the Spirit raises up the sound of the gospel. And we read in our Revelation 11:19 verse that “there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake,” and all such issue forth from the opened temple in heaven. Therefore the Apostle Peter speaks of the gospel as sent down from heaven. 1 Peter 1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
And all who are truly peaching the spiritual and effectual truth of God, have heard that which is originally derived from the Father! The Lord Jesus did. John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. John 8:26 I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.
And so does the Holy Spirit “hear” from the Father that which he reveals to us. John 16:12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
And the ministers of Christ do so as well. 1 Corinthians 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
And this entire book is entitled, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him.” Revelation 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Pastor Gene Breed
October 22, 2022