John had to decide that although his freedom was limited in his prison, his spirit and soul were free in Christ.
A look at the sky
Revelation 4:1
1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was open in heaven. The first voice that I heard, like the sound of a trumpet, speaking to me, said: Come up here, and I will show you what will happen hereafter.
The disciple John was exiled to the island of Patmos, where he had to serve a prison sentence, because of the Gospel. His body was imprisoned, but Jean’s spirit was beyond where he was. God saw fit to keep John there until God’s time and purpose had been fulfilled.
I wonder if John would have had the time to draw near to God and in the Spirit in this way, if he had the freedom to preach wherever he wanted? I wonder if we would never have had the revelation of Revelation, and the events to come? Maybe that’s a lesson we all need to learn. God will put us where he wants for his own reasons, which we will not always be able to understand.
I wonder how many times John questioned God? Why, Lord, am I confined to this island while the multitudes die without Christ? Why am I here, what did I do to deserve this punishment. Yes, I’m happy to suffer for the cause of Christ, but could my life be more productive for building God’s Kingdom than sitting on this island? Wouldn’t it have been better if I preached from town to town, establishing churches, training pastors and teachers, or holding revival meetings? Am I only good for this place? But you are God and your will is sovereign. I will trust and adore you no matter my circumstances! I know you are always there.
– Paul and Silas sang the praises of the Lord in the prison. John was in the Spirit of the Lord in the prison. Men had bound them, but could not prevent them from being free in Christ, their bondage could not prevent them from fully experiencing the miracle of God.
– God opened the curtain between heaven and earth and opened a door to heaven for John to hear God’s voice and see things that no one had ever seen before. What an experience that must have been for John, going from a Roman prison to the glorious freedom of the throne of God!
As I watch this event, I am reminded that God always opens this door for those who will turn to Him and listen to His voice. God wants us to be able to see what He has in store for those who love Him. He also wants us to see what is in store for those who reject Him.
The first thing John heard was God saying to him, “Come up here!” If we are ever to experience the glory of God in our lives, we must learn to draw near to God and leave the things of this world behind. God wants us to wait on him. God wants us to rise above illness, poverty, rejection, injustice. He wants us to ride on eagles’ wings to higher places in Him.
God wants every sinner, bound by sin, to be freed from their chains of slavery. Rise above our problems! Rise above our difficulties!
Ephesians 2:6
6 He raised us up together, and seated us together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
Let’s understand God’s promise! If only we would open the door of our heart and then look to heaven, we would see that Jesus has opened wide the doors of eternal life giving us free access to come to him.
