Featured Church Rapture seen in Revlation 4:1-4

Revelation 4:1-4 seems very clear that Snatching away or Rapture of the church has taken place at this point in Revelation just before the Tribulation starts.

Here is a quote I found from a commentary on Revelation 4:1-4.

"To prepare John for the vision, a trumpet was sounded, and he was called up into heaven, to have a sight there of the things which were to be hereafter. He was called into the third heavens. (1.) There is a way opened into the holiest of all, into which the sons of God may enter by faith and holy affections now, in their spirits when they die, and in their whole persons at the last day. (2.) We must not intrude into the secret of God's presence, but stay till we are called up to it.

To prepare for this vision, the apostle was in the Spirit. He was in a rapture, as before (Revelation 1:10), whether in the body or out of the body we cannot tell; perhaps he himself could not; however all bodily actions and sensations were for a time suspended, and his spirit was possessed with the spirit of prophecy, and wholly under a divine influence. The more we abstract ourselves from all corporeal things the more fit we are for communion with God; the body is a veil, a cloud, and clog to the mind in its transactions with God. We should as it were forget it when we go in before the Lord in duty, and be willing to drop it, that we may go up to him in heaven. This was the apparatus to the vision. Now observe, The vision itself. It begins with the strange sights that the apostle saw, and they were such as these: - 1. He saw a throne set in heaven, the seat of honour, and authority, and judgment. Heaven is the throne of God; there he resides in glory, and thence he gives laws to the church and to the whole world, and all earthly thrones are under the jurisdiction of this throne that is set in heaven. 2. He saw a glorious one upon the throne. This throne was not empty; there was one in it who filled it, and that was God, who is here described by those things that are most pleasant and precious in our world: His countenance was like a jasper and a sardine-stone; he is not described by any human features, so as to be represented by an image, but only by his transcendent brightness. This jasper is a transparent stone, which yet offers to the eye a variety of the most vivid colours, signifying the glorious perfections of God; the sardine-stone is red, signifying the justice of God, that essential attribute of which he never divests himself in favour of any, but gloriously exerts it in the government of the world, and especially of the church, through our Lord Jesus Christ. This attribute is displayed in pardoning as well as in punishing, in saving as well as in destroying sinners. 3. He saw a rainbow about the throne, like unto an emerald, Revelation 4:3. The rainbow was the seal and token of the covenant of the providence that God made with Noah and his posterity with him, and is a fit emblem of that covenant of promise that God has made with Christ as the head of the church, and all his people in him, which covenant is as the waters of Noah unto God, an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure. This rainbow looked like the emerald; the most prevailing colour was a pleasant green, to show the reviving and refreshing nature of the new covenant. 4. He saw four-and-twenty seats round about the throne, not empty, but filled with four-and-twenty elders, presbyters, representing, very probably, the whole church of God, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament state; not the ministers of the church, but rather the representatives of the people. Their sitting denotes their honour, rest, and satisfaction; their sitting about the throne signifies their relation to God, their nearness to him, the sight and enjoyment they have of him. They are clothed in white raiment, the righteousness of the saints, both imputed and inherent; they had on their heads crowns of gold, signifying the honour and authority given them of God, and the glory they have with him. All these may in a lower sense be applied to the gospel church on earth, in its worshipping assemblies; and, in the higher sense, to the church triumphant in heaven mh."

Clearly this commentary shows the Church in heaven notice "to the church triumphant in heaven." At this point in Revelation 4:1-4 we see this commentary which reveals the church, "in their whole persons at the last day will be with God and Christ, the Last Days of this the church age.

the four and twenty elders we see are "the representatives of the people" that is the righteous because " We know they are the church because "They are clothed in white raiment, the righteousness of the saints, both imputed and inherent; they had on their heads crowns of gold, signifying the honour and authority given them of God, and the glory they have with him."

we see here "All these may in a lower sense be applied to the gospel church on earth, in its worshipping assemblies; and, in the higher sense, to the church triumphant in heaven" the triumphant church in heaven.

Very clear the dispensational pre-trib, pre-mil, view of the passage.

 

Just to let you guys know the commentary is from Matthew Henry, Revelation 4. Seems Henry saw "four-and-twenty elders, presbyters, representing, very probably, the whole church of God, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament state; not the ministers of the church, but rather the representatives of the people." This way before Darby ever came along.

 

No Darby didn't Henry knew the truth and this post just proved it. You guys attacked the commentary as if a pre-trib guy wrote it, which proves before Darby taught it Henry did too!

 

Seems by the commentary he expanded on Matthew Henry's work, thus before Darby there was the teaching of Henry on Pre-trib church in heaven. Before him were many other groups and the early chruch fathers.

 

The period of the church was a mystery to the old Testament prophets. God foreknew the church period would come and had it planned from eternity past. Just as He foreknew the choices each person would make concerning salvation and presdestinated them based on that foreknowledge of their choices.
His plan for her.

Israel was God's chosen people, nation, ALL mankind was to be saved by Grace through Faith, even in the O.T., From Adam all the way to the Calling of Abraham people were saved, by Grace through Faith. Then from Abraham to Christ the chosen people were to be the witnesses to all mankind, they failed and were set aside for a short period, that is 2000 years. Then the judgment of the whole earth comes before nation Israel is completely and fully restored in the Kingdom that will last according to John 1000 years.

The custody and control of the Gospel that is the preaching of Christ was removed from Israel for a season, that season is the dispensation of Grace taught by Paul as the mystery revealed to Him. Very simple the church was always in God's plan.

 

You just read his commentary and saw pre-trib as did all the posters in this thread. They saw in those read outlined portions and started saying how Darbyites in that commentary were reading pre-trib into it, and yet the Commentary stands alone as predating Darby's pre-trib views, Henry was pre-mil and pre-trib by this commentary.