Revelation – Lesson 2

 

Revelation’s Themes and Overview

These passages sum up the theme of Revelation:

Revelation 1:4-8; 22:7 – the coming again of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 2:9-10; 13:10b; 14:12 – be faithful, even to the point of death, don’t fear what you are about to suffer, be patient and endure.

Revelation 12:10-17; 13:5-7 – there is real evil in the world who makes war with believers, Satan will try to accuse us before God, but Christ will defeat him.

Revelation 19:6-9; 11-16 – Jesus will commence His physical reign on earth.

Revelation 21:1-4; 22:1-5 – God will create a New Heaven and a New Earth; believers will dwell with God. 

Revelation’s Writer and Recipients

The book of Revelation was written by the John.  Who was John?  He was a faithful friend and disciple who loved Jesus.  He was a servant of Jesus.  He wrote 5 books of the Bible – 1, 2, & 3 John  and Revelation.

Matthew 4:21-22; 17:1-3 – John was one of the first disciples called by Jesus.

John 19:25-27 – John was at Jesus’ crucifixion; Jesus asked John to take care of his mother.

John 20:1-10 – John was one of the first to see that Jesus had risen and was referred to as the one Jesus loved.

John 21:20-25 – at the Last Supper John asked Jesus who was going to betray Him.

Acts 4:13 – John along with Peter spoke before the Sanhedrin who saw their courage and were astonished because they were unschooled, ordinary men.

These passages reveal the suffering of some of the original recipients of the book –

Revelation 1:9 – John suffered, but had patient endurance.  He suffered because of his beliefs and his boldness in speaking of Jesus Christ.  He was exiled on the island of Patmos and left there to die.  There on Patmos he had a vision of Christ and was told to write the book of Revelation.  He was an eye witness to these things told in Revelation.  This book is the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 2:2-3 – the believers at the church in Ephesus persevered and endured hardships, but did not grow weary. 

Revelation 2:9-10 – the church in Smyrna suffered poverty and slander, but were rich.

Believers still suffer today.  Christians are mocked and ridiculed because of their beliefs.  They are even hated, despised, and persecuted.  Some suffer in prison due to false charges.  Others are subjected to terrorism, kidnappings, assault and martyrdom. 

Revelation Shows God on Display

Attributes of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are revealed:

God is holy.  He is sovereign.  He is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come.  He is to be worshiped and will be continually worshiped in Heaven by all, because He is creator of all things. 

Jesus is the only one worthy to open the scroll, because He was slain.  The Holy Spirit speaks to all who will hear Him.  All make up the Trinity.  Each is an entity, but are the same. 

Revelation is when God shows His truth to us.  In the book of Revelation is all about Jesus.  God shows us what we must do and say.  He shows Himself through Jesus Christ.  The Bible is full of God’s prophecy.  It reveals His redemptive story.  This book describes the glorious fulfillment of God’s eternal plan.  It tells us about the future climax of world history with God’s final judgment.  He will judge those who don’t believe in Him.  For those who do believe it is a book of joy.

Revelation is apocalyptic literature, full of symbolism.  Each image represents something literal.  People interpret it differently so we are focusing on the themes of the book. 

Revelation 1:3 – “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near”.   Revelation is the only book in the Bible that says you will be blessed when you hear, read, and put in practice what it says.  The early church read the entire book of Revelation each time them met.  The reader and the congregation that read and hear and heed the teaching taught here will be blessed.  In other words your life will be changed.  You will live your life differently.  You will realize the collision course the world is on and the terrible times that are coming for those who are not saved.  You will have a clearer picture of God’s plan for the saved and the unsaved.  You will know “the end of the story”.  You will know the truth when trials and temptations come.  Keep these things in your mind and remember them.

I hope verse 3 convinces you to read this book.  Don’t be afraid that you won’t understand, because none of us completely understand it all and never will until it is revealed to us in heaven.  God will reveal to you exactly what you need to know. 

John began by writing to the 7 churches in Asia that existed at that time.  7 actually signifies completeness in the Bible.  He was actually writing to all the churches which applies to the churches today.  You will see where they are doing what God expects and where they are falling short.  Hopefully we will see where we too are not living up to God’s standards.

“Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him.  So shall it be! Amen.” – Revelation 1:7.  John praised Jesus and told of His return when He will come in the clouds and that every eye will see His returning.  Everyone will mourn over Him.  It will be a day of judgment when Jesus will pour out His wrath on the earth.  The Lord said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega… who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” – Revelation 1:8.  God declares that He existed in the beginning, now and at the end.  I love this verse! 

John was exiled on the island of Patmos because of His testimony of Jesus.  John was filled with the Spirit and heard a voice like a trumpet which told him to, “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches:  to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.” – Revelation 1:11.  

John saw Jesus and described His hair, eyes, feet, voice, hand, mouth, and face.  Jesus was walking in the middle of the 7 lampstands.  The 7 lampstands represent the 7 churches.  They are lamps that hold the light of Christ.  They must show His light to the world.  Jesus was holding 7 stars in His right hand, which are the angels of the 7 churches. (Revelation 1:20)  These angels are probably angels who watched over the churches.  Some believe these stars are the pastors of the churches who lead and watch over the people. 

Revelation Gives Us Eternal Hope

John was in awe of Jesus.  Can you imagine?  How wonderful it will be when we see Him for the first time?  John fell to his feet in worship of Jesus.  Jesus told him not to be afraid.  He said He was the First and the Last, the Living One, was dead and now alive for ever and ever, and that He held the keys of death and Hades. (Revelation 1:17-18)  Having the keys to death and Hades means He has the power over them.  He proved that because He rose from the dead.  John was told to write down everything and not leave anything out.  “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.” – Revelation 1:19.  This is the key verse that unlocks the door to the entire outline of the book. 

Knowing Christ’s return should impact our perspective and actions in our broken world.  We should tell others about Jesus so they can live forever with Him.  Acts 1:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:51-55; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 22:12-13 tell us that He will come back in the same way He went into heaven.  When He returns, we as believers will be changed in a twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet.  The dead will be raised imperishable. Death is swallowed up in victory.  He will come down from heaven, the dead will rise first, those left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and we will be with Him forever.  He will bring His reward with Him and give to everyone according to what he has done.  He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, The Beginning and the End. 

Principle:  God promises eternal victory which gives believers hope and assurance. 

Hope to see you here for our study of Revelation 1. – I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Revelation - Lesson 1

 

God reveals Himself in many ways, but mainly He chose to reveal himself through his Word.  The Bible has many prophecies which reveal God’s plan for creation.  The book of Revelation is a book of prophecy and foretells God’s glorious plan.

The Significance of Prophecy

2 Peter 1:19-21 tell us about prophecy.  Prophecy is important because we need to be aware and prepared so we can stand firm and not be afraid of what is coming.  In John 13:19 and John 14:29 John said God reveals future events to us before it happens, so when it does happen we will believe.

Biblical prophecy connects us to the character of God Himself because it shows us He loves and cares for us.  He wants us to be with Him in heaven forever.  It reveals God’s sovereignty.  It brings us comfort and hope and it takes away our fears and builds our faith.

Prophecy Declares God’s Plan

The future alarms many people because they are not sure of God and just who He is or even if He is real.  Some are completely ignorant about the future or don’t even want to know about it.  Others are simply intrigued while some are obsessed with it.  They go to fortune tellers, crystals, read palms, read books, and even use astrology.  The only future we need to know is what the Bible tells us.  The Bible gives us many prophesies. We’re told in Revelation 1:3 that there is a special blessing to the person who reads, hears, and takes to heart what is written. 

There are many Scriptures that talk about prophecy ----

Isaiah 45:21 – “Declare what is to be, present it – let them take counsel together.  Who foretold this long ago…”

Amos 3:7 –“Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets”.

2 Timothy 3:16 – “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”

Hebrews 11:32-40 – “God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”

2 Peter 1:10-12 – “So I will always remind you of these things…”

These Scriptures give us confidence because God wants us to know His plans.  He wants us to be  prepared for the future.  He wants us to live happily and confident.  It strengthens our faith and proves the integrity of Scripture.  It protects us and prepares us for the last days.

These Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in the New Testament ----

Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7; Luke 1:26-27 – They told us of the virgin who would give birth to a Son and He would be called Immanuel.

Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:1-6 – They told us He would be born in Bethlehem.

Isaiah 53:3-6; Matthew 27:22-26 – They told us that Jesus would be despised and rejected by men and would die on the cross for our sins and transgressions, which would bring us peace.

In Matthew 7:15-20 we learn to watch out for false prophets and teachings because they come in sheep’s clothing.  We can tell them by their fruit; in other words their actions speak much louder than their words.

It is very important to know the Bible records fulfilled prophecy.  Fulfilled prophecies show the reliability of the Bible.  The Bible is the most unique book ever written and is accurately foretells specific events.  It strengthens our belief that God’s Word is accurate and should be trusted. It’s evidence of God’s existence.  It points God’s people to Jesus, the Messiah.

Deuteronomy 18:15-19; 34:10; John 5:46; and Acts 3:18-23 tell us that the prophet Moses pointed toward Jesus who is the greater Prophet.  He told the people that God would raise up a prophet like him.  He also pointed to Jesus by holding up a bronze serpent on a pole and anyone who looked at the serpent would be healed.  This is a foreshadowing of Jesus who was lifted up on the cross so that anyone who looks to Him in faith may be saved.

These passages give us confidence in the promises ----

Matthew 16:27 – Jesus is going to come in His Father’s glory with His angels and then will reward each believer according to what he has done.

Luke 24:44-47 – Everything written about Jesus must be fulfilled.

John 14:3 – Jesus is preparing a place for all believers and will come back to take them where He is.

Principle:  Fulfilled prophecies show the reliability of the Bible.

Now that we have been introduced to the importance of prophecy, next time we will begin with the study of Revelation 1.  Have a blessed day -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Revelation Introduction 2024

 

Well, it’s here!  We will start our Revelation study next week.  Get ready for the life changing book of the Bible.  It is possibly the most difficult book in the Bible to understand.  So many people just ignore it, but it has so much to say to us.  It not only tells us we’ll be blessed when we read it, but it reveals what will happen in the future and we all want to know the future.  We may not understand everything in the book, but we don’t have to.  God will reveal what He wants us to know in His time.  Get ready for a great study and remember to trust God to reveal many things to you.

Revelation is a book of prophecy.  God wants to bless us through prophecy and anchor us with a firm foundation.  “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” – Revelation 1:3.  This is considered to be the key verse.  Revelation is when God shows His truth to us.  God shows us what we must do and say.  He shows Himself through Jesus Christ.  The book is all about Jesus.  It tells us about the future climax of world history with God’s final judgment.  He will judge those who don’t believe in Him.  For those who do believe it is a book of joy.

Prophecy is from God.  God speaks through prophets.  True prophecy is not manipulated by man.  Bible prophecy is always fulfilled, because God is sovereign and controls history.  We can know when a prophecy is true when it doesn’t contradict scripture, when it keeps God in the center, and when it’s confirmed by events in history.

The purpose of Revelation is to reveal the full identity of Christ and to give warnings, hope and encouragement to believers.  It shows God’s servants the things that will take place in the future.  It is for all of us, because we are all His servants.  It shows all the events leading up to the “Day of the Lord” referenced many times throughout the Bible.  John is the author as Jesus speaks through him.  He says these things will take place soon.  It may be today, tomorrow or next week.  In God’s timing “…with the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day” - 2 Peter 3:8.  Whenever this happens, we can see He is giving us a warning to be watchful, expectant and be ready for what is to come.

The outline of Revelation is found in Revelation 1:19 -“Write therefore the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall take place after these things.”  The events in Revelation were prophesied in the book of Daniel.  These prophesies have been and are being fulfilled and others will be fulfilled.  This vision of John will unfold in its chapters.

God promises His blessings on us 7 times in Revelation.  This is the only book that promises a blessing to those who read and hear its message.  The blessing is for everyone.  You however must do what it says.  It tells you what to expect and what to do when the wonderful as well as terrible times come.  During the last 7 years Satan will reign over the earth.  This is called the Great Tribulation.  We need to know all the things that will happen and how to handle all the events.

Jesus through John writes to 7 churches.  These churches represent all the churches of God, now and throughout history.  He also writes to the angels of the 7 churches.  They are responsible for getting the message to the churches, just as we are responsible to get the message of Jesus to others.

Revelation tells of the “second coming” of Jesus.  “Look, he is coming with the clouds and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him.  So shall it be!  Amen.” – Revelation 1:7.  In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 there is more about His return.  This is hope for all believers!  We will see throughout Revelation more and more details of His coming.

He gives warnings to the churches and the consequences what will come to those who continue in disobedience and unbelief.  Then Jesus will open 7 seals and judgments for mankind and earth.  Then there will be Jesus’ second coming and His 1,000 year reign called the Millennium with Satan being bound.  Afterwards Satan will be released for a short time after which he and his followers will be destroyed in the Lake of Fire.  Then we will see the Great White Throne judgment, which is the final judgment and then there will be a new heaven, a new earth, and a New Jerusalem.  God is then finished with His work.

Revelation is divided into 3 sections:

 Rev. 1 - the things John had seen in his vision of Christ. 

Rev. 2-3 - the things which are, what is now – the situations of the 7 churches. 

Rev. 4-22 -the things that are to take place after these things – in heaven and on earth.

“Behold, I am coming soon!  Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.” – Revelation 22:7. 

As you begin to study God’s Word, remember the truth is being revealed.  Do your part.  Study and allow God to do His part so He can guide you to His truth.  Always begin with prayer.

Now get ready to be amazed and enlightened by what you are going to read and learn.  Join me next week when we will start the study Revelation.  Hope to see you here.  – I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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John Lesson 28 – John 21

Last time we learned of Jesus’ resurrection.  His resurrection proved He was really God’s Son.  He had defeated death.  This shows us that death is not the end, but the beginning of a new life with God.  We learned that He appeared to Mary Magdalene, the disciples and many others over a 40 day period proving His resurrection.

John 21:1-14 – The Miraculous Catch

Jesus had told the disciples to go to Galilee and wait there for Him.  So after the resurrection some of the disciples went to Galilee and waited for Him.  Peter decided to go fishing.  Thomas, Nathanael and 2 other disciples followed.  Scripture doesn’t tell us where the others were.  They worked all night, but didn’t catch any fish.  Then early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore.  He called out to them and asked why they had not caught any fish, but they didn’t recognize Him.  They answered, “No”.  Then He told them to throw their net on the right side of the boat and they would find fish.  They did and there were so many fish they were unable to haul the net into the boat. (John 21:1-6)

The disciples gave up waiting and went back to what they knew - fishing.  It seems they had lost their purpose and really didn’t know what to do.  They had been given instructions to proclaim the gospel, but instead the grew impatient and went back to their old familiar ways.  We grow impatient waiting on God sometime and go back to our old ways.  God has commanded us to be still and to patiently wait on Him.  They could have waited by praying and trusting Him. 

What is keeping you from waiting patiently and trusting in God and His timing?

How often have you worked hard and had nothing to show for it?

Do you get frustrated when your prayers are not answered when you think they should be?

Where has Jesus directed you to spend time fishing for people?

They were experienced fishermen and were frustrated when they had not caught any fish.  They answered Jesus’ question with a discouraging “no”.  Jesus wasn’t looking for information.  He knew they didn’t catch any fish.  He wanted them to recognize they didn’t have the ability on their own.  They needed Jesus’ help.  Just as we need His help.  Remember He said, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5.  The lesson here is if you do what Jesus commands, He will bless you.

John was the first to recognize Jesus and said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” – John 21:7.  When Peter heard this, he was so excited to see Jesus that he dove into the sea.  The other disciples followed in the boat with a net full of fish.  John tells us it was 153 fish.  Why is the amount of 153 fish important?  It was an extraordinary thing that happened, because someone extraordinary was there.  It provided further evidence to the disciples that the resurrected Jesus had power over nature as He had before the crucifixion.

 When they landed at the shore, Jesus was there with a fire of burning coals where bread and fish were already cooking.  He invited them to come for breakfast and to bring what they had caught.  They knew who He was and never questioned Him.  Then Jesus gave thanks for the bread and fish.  This was the 3^rd time Jesus had appeared to His disciples after His resurrection. (John 21:7-14)

Jesus provided for the disciples.  He encouraged them by His appearance.  He supplied them with their lots of fish meeting their physical needs.  His appearance encouraged them when it seemed they didn’t know what to do now that He was not with them.  They probably were discouraged as they waited for Jesus.  He always provides us with our needs.   

Jesus used the work of fishing to the work they were called to do.  He said that He would make them fishers of men.  “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” – Matt. 4:19.

Principle:  God always provides for us; it’s better to wait for His provision and direction.

John 21:15-17 – Peter’s Commission

After they finished eating, Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him.  Each time Peter answered, “yes”.  Jesus told him to “Feed my lambs”, “Take care of my sheep”, “Feed my sheep” – John 21:15-17.

Jesus had privately appeared to Peter after the resurrection and restored him.  But now Jesus wanted to publicly restore Peter as He commissioned him as a leader.  Jesus showed love and kindness when He questioned Peter.  Three times Peter denied Jesus so Jesus asked him three times if he loved Him.  This showed Peter and the other disciples that Peter’s sins were forgiven.  He did this publicly so they wouldn’t question Peter’s leadership in the future.  I am sure this humbled Peter as he looked back on his sin.  It is always humbling when we look back at our past sins.  Jesus knew he was grieving over his denials and He wanted him to know he was truly forgiven.  Loving Jesus because He has forgiven all your sins is essential for serving Him.

This love is referring to God’s love for people and our love for Him.  It is Agape love.  It’s an unconditional love.  It’s the kind of love that sacrifices itself for others.

The phrases “Feed my lambs” and “Take care of my sheep” refers to the church – to all believers.  We are not to put down other Christians even though some are self-centered and difficult to be around.  Sometimes we are not all lovable.  Jesus loved them enough to die of them so we have to love them, too. 

Principle:  Jesus wants to use every believer to help feed and shepherd His sheep.

John 21:18-25 – The Reliable Witness

Jesus tells Peter that from now on his life will change.  He predicted Peter would die because of his faith.  He would die stretching out his hands (meaning crucifixion).  Peter asked Jesus what will happen to John.  Jesus told him that it was none of his business as to what happens to John.  “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?” – John 21:18-19.

Jesus knew what would happen to Peter, which proves that He knows all things.  His sovereign plan determines the future.  Following Jesus doesn’t guarantee an easy life or a peaceful death.  We all have to die, but our aim should be to glorify God even in death. 

By Peter asking what would happen to John could have been out of curiosity or maybe concern.  Maybe he was like us comparing ourselves to others.  Peter was not to be concerned with John.  We are not to be concerned or compare ourselves with others.  We all serve Him differently.  He determines how we serve Him and how we die.  He uses each person differently based on our individual needs, personality and the work He has for us.

How are you comparing yourself to others?

“This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down.  We know that his testimony is true.” – John 21:24.  John is speaking of himself.  He said there are so many other things which Jesus did that he didn’t write down, because the world would not have room for all the books that would be written. (John 21:25).

John assured us that he is an eyewitness to these accounts.  He is testifying to the truthfulness to all he has written.  He wants us to believe his testimony and put our faith in Jesus, the Son of God and our Lord and Savior.

Have you put your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savor and Lord?

If so, are you trusting Him for your future?

How are you putting into practice the truth about Jesus?

Principle:  God uses each person differently based on our individual needs, personality and with work He has for us.

This is our last study on The Gospel of John.  What a wonderful study it has been!  I love this book.  It is my favorite.  Join me next fall when we study the book of Revelation.  Have a blessed day and thanks for visiting my site.  – I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Resources:

The Holy Bible NIV

Bsfinternational.org

Bibleref.org

Enduringword.com

Gotquestions.org