Our Father in HEAVEN

The Bible speaks about war in heaven. War between spirit beings, the most powerful beings that exist. The mindset that drives this war, this opposing mindset, this struggle for power, is shown in Isaiah 14. We begin in verse 12 of Isaiah 14. We find here, speaking of one referred to as Lucifer, in verse 15, it says, For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven. I will ascend into that third heaven. I will ascend into the realm of God Almighty and Jesus Christ, in the realm of the holy angels, in the realm of the throne of God with the twenty-four elders. I will ascend there, and I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I also will sit on the mount of the congregation, on the farthest sides of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the cloud. I will be like the Most High.

There comes the mind that causes the division, the contest, that ends up in war. This war, this battle, is going on. We don't know about in heaven when it takes place. But we do know that it is constant, as we're going to see today through Scripture. Satan is very, very busy in heaven. Let's go to Revelation 12 and verse 10.

Revelation 12 and verse 10. Here we are told something that happens in this heavenly realm that you and I don't normally perceive. I heard a loud voice in heaven. It says there in verse 10. In verse 10, now salvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ, have come. For the accuser of our brethren, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been cast down. Satan is very busy. Where? In heaven, before the throne of God, day and night. It's a very strong battle, as it were. A battle of wills, a battle of wits. We know that Satan is busy deceiving the whole world. We know that he has fought Jesus Christ at every turn. He will fight him when he returns. He's out to get rid of you, get rid of me, the church. And we have a contest with him, of which we are to put on the armor of God so we can resist him. A very important question in this context is, where is God the Father? Where is God the Father? Is he floating around in a bush somewhere? Is he in a bright light or talking through a donkey or something? Where is God the Father? Today we're going to open God's Word, and we're going to listen to God about where he is, about what he does. We're going to find out where God was in the Old Testament, in the New Testament, right now, today. And where he is and where he will be in the future. The title of the sermon today is taken from the Bible. It is, Our Father in Heaven. To begin with, none of us came here today praying for good opinions to be given.

None of us here are to hear human speculation. We didn't show up and take this day out of our week to come and get some idea from other human beings. Rather, there's only one source of truth, and that truth is God himself. God himself. What God reveals to us in his written Word, what he has revealed to his prophets, his apostles, that is what we come to regard as truth. The rest is philosophy, opinion, speculation. We're not here for that. So let's ask God, where do you, God, say that the Father is? All the time. Every time. Forever. No change. Ever. Is it in a holy place? Replica? Temple? Is it hiding behind the curtain? Where is it? Let's go to the dedication of the temple and see where God shows us he is. In 1 Kings 8 and verse 22, it is very important for us to listen to God. Otherwise, we can come up with all types of human philosophies and try to support those human philosophies with human reasoning. That seems logical, followed, and bracketed with a lot of, I think and I feel. We're here to listen to God. Let's listen to God. 1 Kings 8 will begin in verse 22. Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord. This is the altar now. This is where the sacrifices take place. And Solomon here at the dedication of this temple stands before the altar. In the presence of all the assembly of Israel, he spread out his hands toward heaven. And he said, Lord God of Israel, there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like you, who keeps your covenant and mercy with your servants, who walk before you with all your heart. Now let's continue on here in verse 24. You have kept what you promised your servant David, my father. So we see here, this is a very, very important time. And all of Israel is gathered. And they're at this temple. Now let's drop down to verse 29. This is 1 Kings 8 and verse 29. He's praying here to God in verse 28 that, Oh God, listen to the cry in the prayer which your servant is praying before you today. Verse 29, that your eyes may be open toward this temple. Oh, open towards this temple. Night and day, toward the place of which you said, My name shall be there.

Oh, what's at the temple? God tells us, He said, My name shall be there. That you may hear the prayer which your servant makes toward this place. Now you find in Scripture that people will pray toward the temple when they're away from there.

They'll pray, say, at Babylon, in captivity toward Jerusalem. Here we're talking about what God would hear when somebody makes a prayer toward this place where His name is. Let's notice something a little more carefully here. We've just seen that God is not in the temple. Verse 31, when anyone sins against his neighbor and is forced to take an oath and comes and takes an oath before your altar in this temple.

Verse 32, then hear in heaven and act. In verse 33, when your people, Israel, are defeated for an enemy because they've sinned against you, and when they turn back to you and confess your name and pray and make supplications to you in this temple. Then, verse 34, hear in heaven and forgive them their sins. Dropping down to verse 36. Then hear in heaven and forgive them the sin of your servants, your people. Verse 39. See how consistent this is? Verse 39, just before that, when someone spreads out his hands towards this temple, then hear in heaven your dwelling place.

Where is God? Where is God? Always? He's always in heaven. That's where he lives. That's where he dwells. That's where he resides. Now, we might say, well, is that always the case? Well, let's look at verse 43. When someone comes and prays towards this temple, hear in heaven your dwelling place. Let's look at verse 45. When someone goes out to battle, etc. Then, verse 45, then hear in heaven their prayer.

Verse 49. When somebody is taken away captive and they pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city which you have chosen, and the temple which I have built for your name, then hear in heaven your dwelling place. That's where God always is. Where God was back then. Why is this? Let's go to Hebrews 9, verse 22. Hebrews 9, verse 22 tells us why they prayed towards that temple, why His name was there, why the sacrifices took place there. Hebrews 9, verse 22.

He's talking here about the sprinkling of things with blood. Then, according to the law, almost all things are purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no remission. Back at the physical temple, we saw the animals were sacrificed, and blood, and there was sprinkling of blood, even back in the Holy of Holies behind the curtain on the Day of Atonement.

Why? Well, in verse 23. Therefore it was necessary that the copies of things in the heaven should be purified with these, the copies of the things. See, these are copies on earth. The things in the heaven are the reality. God's throne is in heaven. God's temple is in heaven. God's dwelling place is in heaven. But the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these, thus the blood of Jesus Christ. That is what appears before the throne of God in heaven. That's where the Lamb comes, as slain comes before the throne of God in heaven.

That is the reality. Now, let's hear from David. David, a man after God's own heart. Where was God? Psalm 11 and verse 4. Psalm 11 and verse 4. The Lord is in his holy temple. The Lord's throne is in heaven. His eyes behold, his eyelids test the Son of Man. Can God see from heaven? Can God know the number of hairs on your head? Can God send his spirit that would guide and convict us and bring us the heavenly gifts from the Father of lights that come down from the Father?

We know these things. We know these things, but as we're going to see in a little bit, we need to also act on these things. In Psalm 103 and verse 19, the Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. So David was right there with the tabernacle in his day. His son built the temple. God was always in heaven. His throne was always in heaven. In the booklet, Who is God?, it says, it is through the Spirit of God that he is able to be present everywhere at once throughout the universe and affect it at will.

Now, he really is at his throne, but through his Spirit, he can have power, influence, directives throughout the universe, whatever his will is. Let's go to Psalm 139 and verses 7 and 8. Psalm 139 verse 7, David very eloquently shows us that God can know and in that sense have a perception everywhere. Psalm 139 verse 7, Where can I go from your Spirit?

David understood. You and I understand. Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend into heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in the grave, behold, you are there. Dropping down to verse 23, the last two verses here, in this context, David then says, Look, I'm down here on earth. Search me, O God, and know my heart.

Try me and know my anxieties. And see if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. God and Jesus Christ, the living Word is powerful, like a two-edged sword to whom we must give account. He knows the thoughts. God the Father knows the thoughts.

They can lead us and guide us with their Spirit to lead us by that Spirit. Those who are led by that Spirit, these are the children of God. Let's go to 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 16. 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 16. It's kind of silly to think that God would need to come down to earth and hang out in some man-made building when, in fact, you and I are the temple of God through His Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 16.

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

God is a masterful, powerful being, a Spirit being. He is greater than all. He and His Son, Jesus Christ, have existed forever. Here we are as vapors, human beings, trying to grasp what we can.

But let's not go beyond what God says He is and where He is and what He does. Let's just appreciate that we can be a receptacle of that Holy Spirit and be led and guided by it if we allow Him to mold and shape us like clay. You know, from the very beginning of the Bible, from the very first verse, we find out that God's Spirit is the way that He interacts. Here, let's notice. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now we think, wow, okay, He's going to create heavens and earth. So He comes down here to create heavens and earth. Really? Is that what it says? It says, verse 2, There's that Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God. Now, when God creates, how does the Bible say? It says in verse 3, then God said, let there be light. In verse 6, then God said, in verse 9, let there be light. Let there be light. In verse 6, then God said, in verse 9, let then God said. God is a very powerful God, and whatever He says will happen in the way that He makes it happen. God doesn't provide the scientific interactions, the processes that He uses to intervene and enter fear, as it were, with the physical realm. Scripture is very careful to not try to tell us that mechanical or spiritual way in which God does those things. An example is in 2 Peter, chapter 1, verse 18. Peter was with Jesus Christ when He was transfigured before them. And, you know, we're not told the science behind that transfiguration, are we? And so Peter here doesn't try to give it to us either, but he says in 2 Peter, chapter 1, verse 18, and we heard this voice, interesting, we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. Of course, we find in verse 17, the verse before that, for Jesus received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the excellent glory, and said, this is my beloved Son, in whom I well pleased. God the Father did that from the throne. You notice the words that are used there. He received from the Father. What did He receive? Glory and honor. When such a voice came from heaven from the excellent glory. See how the terms are? They're not some sort of a scientific...

This is how the telemetry took place.

Can God the Father make Himself heard from heaven? Or does He have to come down and speak in our ear? I ask that kind of jesting in a way to us as humans, to me too, because I ask myself, can God speak from heaven?

You have heard a voice from heaven. You might not think so. But yes, you have heard a voice from heaven, not God's voice. The voice said, and you'll recognize it as soon as I tell you, that voice said to you, one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. It came from the moon.

We heard that. Well, yeah. Humans can do it. But God, can He do it? It's a silly question, isn't it? Every time you pick up a phone and call somebody, you're actually talking from heaven, as it were. Why? Well, because it has to go to satellites and bounce between satellites and come back down. We think nothing of this. What does Jesus Christ say regarding where God the Father is? Luke 11, verse 2. None of this is hidden from us. But sometimes an idea might get circulated that would speak against what God tells us. So, let's sort of remember here the words that we all live by. Jesus said, when you pray, this is also found in Matthew 6, when you pray, say, our Father in heaven. There's the title for the sermon today. Our Father in Heaven. Jesus says the Father's in heaven. Jesus always says the Father is in heaven. He never refers to the Father not being in heaven. You can look up from Genesis to Revelation where the Father is. He's always in heaven. He says, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. See, that's where God the Father is. He says in Matthew 23, verse 9, that we shouldn't be swearing. We shouldn't go around and try to make our statement more believed by others by swearing. And then he comes down and says, do not call anyone on earth your Father. Either.

Your pater. The originator of your faith. The originator of things. For one is your Father. He who is in heaven. He who is in heaven. He says in Matthew 23, verse 32, and he who swears by heaven, as I mentioned just a moment ago, swears by the throne of God and by him who sits on it. Where's the throne of God? In heaven. Who's sitting on it? God.

Again, these things aren't rocket science.

If we come to God, how do we do that? Let's go to Hebrews 4, verse 14.

Sometimes we think, well, if God speaks or I speak or whatever, how do we do that to the third heaven, to the spirit realm, in other words, to the very throne of God? Well, let's see what God tells us. Hebrews 4, verse 14.

Seeing then, this just follows verse 13, where all things, nothing is hidden from his sight, but everything is naked, to the eyes of him, to whom we must give account.

So God sees, he knows, Jesus Christ knows. Seeing then that we have a high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God. So there is one who comes to earth and goes back to heaven. We'll find he's going to come back to earth, and he's going to go back to heaven, and he's going to come back to earth. And then to a new heaven. You know, that's what Jesus Christ does.

He interfaces quite often here on earth. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

In verse 14, seeing here that we have a high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God. Let us hold fast our confession, for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. We interface with him. He helps us. Now, verse 16, let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace. How do we come to the throne in the third heaven of the gifts from the Father of lights? How do we get there? Wow! That we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Anybody here been to heaven lately?

Waiting on Elon Musk to make a starship for us? Does God have to come down every time to hear our prayer? And yet it says, come boldly before the throne of grace. How do we do that?

The Bible tells us, Ephesians 6 and verse 18. Every one of us believes that our prayers are heard. Every one of us believes we can go right before our Father in heaven, have a Father, and just make our approach to him.

And he hears, how is this done? Ephesians 6 and verse 18. He's talking here about taking on the sword of the Spirit. In other words, having God's Holy Spirit, which is the Word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.

That's how we do it. God speaks to us through the Spirit. God interfaces with us. He knows through His Spirit. He gives us His Spirit. We use that Spirit to communicate back to Him, and He hears us.

It's a very effective way of instant communication directly to the throne of God.

Now, there are instances in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament and some in the New Testament, where there was a personal interaction by a single God being. We know, for instance, that Jesus Christ appeared after His ascension back to several individuals. The Apostle Paul was taught by Jesus Christ.

We also know that in the Old Testament, the one who is Jesus Christ interacted with Abraham, with Adam and Eve. Let's notice something regarding details of who this individual is. Start in Numbers 22. This is the account of Balaam. Balaam is kind of a fun account.

But when you read through it, you may miss what God tells us as to who spoke to Balaam and who Balaam spoke to and who Balaam told others was speaking to Him. Let's follow this. In Numbers 22, verse 8, Balaam says at the end of the verse, As the Lord speaks to me, Lord all caps, that's Yahweh. As Yahweh speaks to me. Now let's drop down to verse 9. Then God, this is the Hebrew word Elohim, came to Balaam and said. Who's the one speaking to Balaam? Well, it's Yahweh. It's also called Elohim.

Dropping down to verse 13, Balaam is now telling others, saying, The Lord Yahweh has refused to give me permission to go with you. The one who refused to give him that permission was God, Elohim. But he calls him Yahweh. In verse 22, the angel of the Lord, or the melech, the messenger of the Lord, stands in the way.

He stands in the way of the donkey. And verse 34, Balaam said to the messenger of the Lord. Verse 35, in the angel of the Lord, this messenger of the Lord, said to Balaam, Now Balaam, notice carefully, Balaam, go with the men, but only the word that I speak to you, the messenger of the Lord, that I speak to you, only that shall you speak.

So Balaam goes away, and he tells them, verse 38, The word that God, Elohim, puts in my mouth, that I must speak. So God and the messenger of God are the same individual, and the Lord Yahweh is the same individual. Notice, continuing on in chapter 23, verse 5, the Lord Yahweh put a word in Balaam's mouth. Hmm. Well, could this be two people speaking to Balaam, or three? Let's see what Balaam says. Verse 8, How shall I curse whom God, Elohim, has not cursed? And how shall I denounce whom Yahweh has not denounced? It's all the same individual, same title, same names. And these names are used in various times for both God the Father and Jesus Christ. Verse 22, Who brings Israel out of Egypt? God, Elohim, brings Israel out of Egypt. Verse 26, and finally, Balaam wraps it up with, All that Yahweh speaks, that I must do. All that Yahweh, Elohim, Malach, they're all the same individual. Now let's go to Exodus chapter 3 and verse 2. See the exact same thing happening here. Exact same individual.

Exodus chapter 3, verse 2, And the Malach of the Lord, the messenger of the Lord, appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of the bush. So we have the flame of fire, and that's the messenger of the Lord. And now we go to verse 4. So when Yahweh saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, Moses, Moses. Same individual. Malach, God, and Lord. All three names, same individual. Verse 16.

In verse 16 it says, Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, appeared to me, saying, Surely I have visited you.

Angel of the Lord.

The Malach. The Elohim, God. The YHWH, Yahweh. Are all the same individual. And right here, he once again makes the same statement, that this individual has spoken to Moses. Moses tells us who spoke to him. In the Keel and Dalich commentary it says, The transition of Angel of Jehovah to Jehovah, and then Jehovah to Elohim, proves the identity. It's a single individual. A single individual. Same basic thing is said by other commentaries, including Adam, Clark, etc. Now, where does Jesus say the Father is? Once again, Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter in the kingdom of heaven, Matthew 7.21, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. My Father in heaven. Where does God the Father say he is? Let's go to Isaiah 66, verse 1. You might be thinking, oh, this is a bunch of technicality, and it's boring. That's fine. It's going to get real interesting here in a minute. Thus says the Lord, Heaven is my throne. Heaven is my throne. That's where God's throne is. Now, who leaves God's throne in heaven and reigns on earth? Let's go to a few scriptures in the New Testament. Colossians chapter 3, verse 1. If you then were raised with Christ, if you were baptized, the old man died, and the new one came up to walk a new life, Paul says in Romans 6, the first six verses talks about this, then seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. You and I now are to begin to seek things in the third heaven, the right hand of God, the throne of God. That's important for us. We should know where God is. We should know where the seed of God's power is. We should know about this war that's going on, this constant pressure and turmoil. We should understand God's plan of salvation and how the enemy is trying to thwart us from this. And we should be thinking and seeking those things that are where Christ is at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above. Verse 3, For you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. For when Christ, who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. We are going to appear with Jesus Christ in glory. And we're told that when we're resurrected, we will be with Him where He is. And where is Jesus Christ? And where is that glory all throughout the future? These are important things for us to be focused on, to be seeking, and to be desiring, not distracted by some personal theory, etc. In 1 Thessalonians 2 and verse 19, just a page over, 1 Thessalonians 2 and verse 19, Satan is hindering Him in the previous verse, For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? That is what we're here for. That is what we're striving for, is to be in Christ's presence, which means a resurrection, the first resurrection, the first fruits with Christ in His presence, at His coming. Who's coming? Jesus Christ. Remember, He comes, He goes back, He comes, He goes back, He's been back, He's coming back, and we're supposed to now join Him. And what do you think we do when we join Him and we're ever with Him? We're going to be coming and going a bit. This is pretty exciting. Let's go to chapter 3 and verse 13. So that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father. Oh, we're going to be established before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. This is the Godhead, this is the God family. We are called sons and daughters of God. We are being transformed now mentally and ultimately into spirit beings transformed.

We have a good booklet called Transforming Your Life, and ultimately those who are transformed in a spiritual sense will be transformed in a literal body sense.

Going on to chapter 5 and verse 33. That would be 2nd Thessalonians. Let's go to 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 1. Now brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, Ah, He is coming back, you see. He moves.

He is coming back. Now we'll go to 2nd Peter. Let's go to 2nd Peter chapter 1 and verse 16.

2nd Peter chapter 1 and verse 16. For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. There's a lot in those words right there. This is not somebody's doctrine. This is not somebody's idea. This is not somebody's opinions or speculation. When we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, He is the one who is coming. Once again, He is the one who moves back and forth from the Father. Verse 17. For He received from God the Father honor and glory.

This is what God the Father gives to Him. He is coming back with that honor and glory and all that power. Now, do God the Father and Jesus Christ share roles? I gave a sermon series here on the nature of God. God is one, was the first one. It shows how many times in Scripture what God does is done by both of them. But what about the names of God? Do they share names and titles? Let's let the Bible say. If we look in Revelation 1 and 4, John to the seven churches which are in Asia, Grace to you and peace to you from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before His throne, whose throne? And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, firstborn from the dead and ruler over the kings of the earth. Once again, Jesus Christ is the ruler over the kings of the earth. He's sent here and being sent here for that purpose. He is the firstborn of the dead. But we see here in verse 4 that it is God the Father before His throne who noticed who was and who is to come. Who is, who was, and who is to come. That's a statement about God the Father.

If we drop down to verse 5, now we see Jesus Christ.

In the verse before it says, To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, He is coming with the clouds.

He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him. Verse 8, I am the Alpha Omega, the beginning of the end, says the Lord, Who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. Who is that? That's Jesus Christ. Oh, wait a minute. I thought the other one was God the Father. Same term, same title. Who is and was and is to come is referring to both.

If we go back, go on to chapter 4 and verse 2. Chapter 4 and verse 2, Immediately I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And He talks about that. And verse 8, The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes, around and within. They do not rest day and night, saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. God the Father. Verse 11, You are worthy, O Lord, to receive honor and glory and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.

God creates, and yet nothing was created without it being done through Jesus Christ. God is the Lord God Almighty. God is Yahweh at times. These names, these titles, these roles are what the Godhead does. Let's look in Revelation chapter 1 verse 10, about the Alpha and the Omega.

Who is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end? Revelation chapter 1 verse 10. I was in the spear on the Lord's day, or the day of the Lord, and I heard behind me a loud voice as of a trumpet, saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last. Verse 12, I turned to see the voice that spoke to me, and having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the middle of the lampstands, one like the Son of Man. Dropping down to verse 17, and when I saw him, I fell at his feet, but he laid his right hand on me, and saying to me, do not be afraid. I am the first and last. I am he who lives and was dead. Behold, I am alive forevermore. Who is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end? Let's go to Revelation 21 and verse 3. Revelation 21 and verse 3. I heard a loud voice from heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God, this is with the Father, is with men, or former men, and he will dwell with them and be their people. God himself will be with them and be their God, and he will wipe every tear from their eyes. In verse 5, he who sat on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. Right for these words are true and faithful. And he said to me, it is done. I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. See? They both are Alpha, Omega, beginning and the end. In Revelation 22 and verse 6, then he said to me, These words are faithful and true, and the Lord God of the Holy Prophet sent his angels to show his servants the things which must shortly take place. Who is the Lord God of the Holy Prophet? Well, he was the one who sent his angel to show his servants the things that must take place. And he says, Behold, I am coming quickly. That's Jesus Christ. But if you want to get technical here, let's break this down because God gives us the answer to who is the Lord God of the Holy Prophets who sent his angel to show his servants the things that must shortly take place. It's kind of important that we understand this.

Let's go to Revelation chapter 1. Revelation chapter 1 and verse 1. We just read back here that the Lord will send his angel, and that angel will show his servants the things that must shortly take place. It's important to remember those four elements. Verse 1. The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Jesus to show his servants things which must shortly take place. And he sent and signified it by his angel to his servant John. There's the servant, who was John. Jesus sent an angel to teach John. God sent Jesus, who sent an angel to teach John to tell the churches what must shortly take place. Who is the Lord God of Israel back there? The Lord God of the Holy Prophets who sent his angel? It's Jesus Christ. Adam Clark says, Thus we find it came from God the Father to Christ, from Christ to the angel, from the angel to John, and from John to the church. So where's the Father? Revelation chapter 7 and verse 10. As we start to wrap this up. Revelation chapter 7 and verse 10 says, And crying with a loud voice. We have the lamb clothed with white robes in verse 9. Crying with a loud voice, saying, the angels are crying, Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne and to the Lamb. And the angels stood all around the throne. The entire record of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, shows God on the throne in heaven. It is Jesus who comes and goes from heaven to earth. Now, let's get this personal from Jesus' lips about our role with him. In John chapter 14 and verse 2, you and I need to get ready to travel. Because we're going to marry an individual that does a lot of traveling. John chapter 14. Well, let's start here in verse 2. In my Father's house. So, in the Father's home, as it were, the translators say, are many mansions. Now, that word, mansions, actually means residences. But the word mansions isn't a bad term because you know if God has made residences for us, they're going to be pretty nice. He didn't say they're little rooms or little storage closets. No, he says, they're residences. In my Father's house are many residences.

If we're not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and I will receive you to myself that where I am, there you may be also.

This is all good. We're going to be with him. Now, as we think about the plan of salvation, about the calling we're given, about this Holy Spirit that's the lead and guide us, what's our responsibility? He gives it to us in verse 4. And where I go, you know, and the way you know. We're supposed to go there, too. We're supposed to not only know where he goes, which is the third heaven, the throne of God, the way to that we know, because he is the way, the truth, the life. We have to become Christ-like. We have to become like our Father in heaven. And we are expected to do what he has done. We are expected to join him.

Revelation 19, verse 11. Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And he who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. Dropping down. This is the one whose robe was dipped in blood. His name is called the Word of God. Verse 14. And the armies, or the multitude. Notice, in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Who are those? We just back up to verses 7 through 9. You'll find it's the bride, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. They followed him on white horses. So from heaven, they follow him down to earth. Where is the Father going to be in the future? Where will he be?

In 1 Corinthians 15, verses 24 through 26, you'll find the answer. 1 Corinthians 15, beginning in verse 24.

Then comes the end. If you back up just a bit, he's talking about the resurrection, each in his own order. Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ, it is coming. So you have the resurrection. And then comes the end. At some point will come the end of this human physical life, the human realm, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when he puts an end to all rule and authority and power. For he, Jesus Christ, must reign until he has put all enemies under his feet. And verse 26, notice, the last enemy that will be destroyed is death.

So when Jesus Christ puts everything back to the Father, and the Father will come and dwell with men, is after death is destroyed. It's after the last resurrection. That's after the great fire that will burn up all things, dissolve the heavens and the earth.

Then new heavens and new earth take place, you see. And then we go to Revelation 21 and we pick up the story. After this last event happens in the end of verse 20, the second death, and everyone who was not found written in the book of life was cast in the lake of fire. Once that is done, now, chapter 21 of Revelation, I saw new heaven and a new earth. Who makes this heaven and earth? Is it Jesus Christ? No. In verse 5, then he who sat on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. It's God the Father. First heaven and first earth, and the first verse here, have passed away. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with former men, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people. He'll wipe away the tears. No more pain. Just like we just read in Corinthians. This is when God the Father is now going to be with people.

In verse 7, He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. See, we're going to be sons like Jesus Christ. We're going to sit on the throne with Jesus Christ.

In verse 7, He who overcomes will be my son. That's God the Father talking, because Jesus Christ doesn't have any sons.

We're brothers of Jesus Christ. Brothers and sisters at this point. But God the Father here is talking about sons, not going back to a lamb's wife in verse 9, if you drop down. Then one of the angels said, Come, and I'll show you the bride, the lamb's wife. That's a different relationship than the one speaking in verse 7.

Now, if we go down to verse 22, But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.

So there you have God the Father on the throne, chapter 22. He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

There's God still on His throne, still in the heavenly realm, still seated in full power.

And in the middle of the street, on either side, there was the tree of life. Verse 3, And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.

Those who are called to be the bride of Christ will dwell in the headquarters city, New Jerusalem. That's where the Godhead, that's where the royal will be. Talks about here, kings of the nations will come to that city and bring their glory to that city.

We don't know a whole lot about it.

But we do need to ask this question in conclusion. Where will you be during the Kingdom of God?

Where will you be as a bride in the Kingdom of God? Let's let the Bible say. Revelation 3, verse 19.

Jesus Christ Himself.

As we conclude, Revelation 3, verse 19, He says, To His church, as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten, Be there for zealous and repent.

Verse 21. To Him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, As I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

Our Father and Jesus Christ are on their throne in heaven, And they will rule there forever. Let's work hard to be counted worthy to dwell there with them.