Revelation – Lesson 7

 

Acts 2:1-47 – The History and Purpose of God’s People

Revelation describes God’s future plan for His people.  Who are God’s people?  This lesson will remind us of who they are and trace their history as they await the glorious end of the story He has planned.

It began with Adam and Eve.  God gave them everything, but they wanted more.  They were deceived by Satan and sin entered the world.  Through their sins humanity was divided – believers and non-believers.  God still loves His people and wants all to repent and believe in Him.  He provided a way to be redeemed.  He sent His Son, Jesus to be the Savior of the world.

Jesus was rejected by men, died on the cross for our sins, and then He was raised to life.  Before He went to be with His Father, He promised to send the Holy Spirit to be with us as our counselor.  In Acts 2 this promise was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost as Peter spoke to the crowd.  Peter spoke to the people that day and explained the gospel in detail. 

Peter told them to repent and be baptized and their sins to be forgiven. Then they will receive the Holy Spirit.  The people heard the message and were “cut to the heart”, because they realized they had sinned and needed to repent.  The people responded and by the power of the Holy Spirit and about 3,000 became new believers that day; the church was born.

I think they realized because of their sin they were responsible for the death of Jesus.  The whole world is responsible.  If we had not sinned, He would not have had to die.  So you see, we are all responsible for His death.  We all need to repent and be baptized.  The Holy Spirit unites believers.  As believers God has set us apart giving us a unique identity.  We are His church.

Now we receive the Holy Spirit when we accept Jesus as our Savior.  He becomes the voice in our heads that tells us when we are about to do something we shouldn’t or when we should do something we should.  He’s there to guide, direct, and convict us of sin.

Principle:  Repent and be baptized and your sins will be forgiven; you will receive the Holy Spirit.

Romans 11 – Unified by the Holy Spirit

God has a special relationship with the Jews.  He sent Jesus to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles.  In Romans 11 we see that God didn’t reject the Jews.  God knew the Jews wouldn’t believe, but He had a plan.  He always has a plan.  Actually by coming to the Gentiles it made the Jews jealous so they would accept Jesus. 

Romans 11:16-17 talk about the root, the broken branches and the wild shoot.  The root is the believing Jewish ancestors like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  The broken branches are the unbelieving Jews who rejected Jesus.  The wild olive shoot is the Gentiles who are grafted in and are now included in God’s people.

Romans 11:22-23 - God displayed His grace by allowing the Gentiles to be grafted in (join in) believing Jews in salvation.  Even though some of the Jews did not believe, He didn’t cut them off, but extended mercy and grace giving them the chance to repent. 

Principle:  God has a plan to bring all people to salvation.

Ephesians 4 – The Unity of God’s People

Ephesians 4 gives us ways we are called to live in unity of the Spirit.  We are to live holy lives being humble, gentle, patient, and loving.  We are to help others, live in peace with others, and build up the body of Christ.  We are not to spread rumors or malice against others.  We are not to argue, but always offer kind words. 

We are to “put off your old self and put on the new self”.  Our old self is the old way of life we practiced before we were saved.  We put on a new self by modeling Christ.  We stop those addictive behaviors and urges like anger, bitterness, fear or whatever it is.  We refuse to give in to those desires.  We change our attitudes.  Real change happens when we change our thinking and our desires of self.

Let God change you.  We can continue renewing our minds by going to the Word daily.  We need to keep being reminded of what we are to do and how we are to act so we don’t become stagnant and complacent letting our old self sneak back in.

Principle:  We are called to live in unity of the Spirit.

Next week we will study some of Daniel before getting back to Revelation.  – I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Revelation – Lesson 6

 

Revelation 3:7-22

Revelation 3:7-13 – Philadelphia, The Faithful Church

Philadelphia was located at the east end of the broad valley.  Its soil was rich and good for agriculture.  It was on the main road from Sardis.  They had a lot of trade and was famous for its temples.  Its name means “love of a brother”.

John wrote to the church at Philadelphia telling them that these are the words of Him who is holy and true and holds the keys of David. 

Jesus is described as holy, true, and holds the key of David.

Holy is described in Hebrews 7:26 as someone who is blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.  

True is described in 1 John 5:20.  It is exactly what it says – we know that Jesus, the Son of God has come and we have been given understanding that we may know Him who is true.

Isaiah 22:22; Matthew 16:19; Revelation 1:18 tell us that Jesus has been given key to heaven, the honor and authority that only He controls.  No one can shut and what He shuts no one can open.  The door of heaven is opened only by Jesus.  He Himself is the door.  “I am the door; if anyone enters through me, he shall be saved…” – John 10:9.  This means Jesus has great power and is in control of all that happens. 

Jesus commends the church at Philadelphia.  He knows their deeds.  He knows they have little strength, but they have kept His Word and haven’t denied His name.  They remained faithful.  Jesus will make those of the “synagogue of Satan” fall down at Philadelphia’s feet.  These were a group of unbelieving Jews who were persecuting Christians. One day our enemies and the enemies of God will be forced to bow down before Him.  They will know that Christians were right in following Jesus.

Believers can hold on to the promise that Jesus is coming soon and they are to hold on to what they have and let no one take their crown.  The crown is the crown of eternal life.  More about the crown is found in 1 Corinthians 9:25; 2 timothy 4:8; James 1:12; Revelation 2:10. 

Jesus promised He will never leave those who are victorious. If we keep His commands and endure patiently, Jesus said He would keep us from the trials to come.  Jesus promised to protect His church from the time of trouble.  Some believe this implies pre-tribulation rapture.  This is what I believe.  Christians will be removed from the earth before this real trouble starts.  This great trouble is also known as the Great Tribulation.  We will learn more about this later in our study of Revelation.  This removing of the church is what is called the rapture.  But remember, Jesus does not promise that Christians won’t suffer in this world and we should not assume that we will be removed before this great trouble takes place.  We don’t know when this will happen or when Jesus will return.  Until then, Christians must continue to believe in Him and not be deceived.  Revelation 4-22 tells us the things which will happen to those who dwell on the earth during the Great Tribulation.  He will write on them His name.  “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” – Rev. 3:13.

Revelation 3:14-22 – Laodicea, The Lukewarm Church

Laodicea was about 40 miles southeast of Philadelphia.  It was the riches of the cities.  It was the major commercial and financial center.  They were famous for their medicines and medical school.  They had indoor plumbing, but they had no water supply so they brought water in from about 6 miles away. 

John wrote to the church at Laodicea telling them that these are the words of the Amen who is faithful and a true witness, the ruler of Gods’ creation.  The Amen acknowledges that Jesus is valid, binding, true, and trustworthy.  Jesus was there when God created all things.  Here again, Jesus knows all and sees all things.  He knows their deeds and He knows ours.  They are neither hot nor cold.  He wishes they would be one or the other, but they are lukewarm.  Because they are lukewarm, Jesus is about to spit them out of His mouth.  In other words, He is about to vomit them out. -  It sounds much worse when you say it like that.  They are rich and are proud of their wealth and think they don’t need anything.  Jesus told them they didn’t realize they are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

This describes some churches today.  Many are prideful, complacent, and indifferent.  They have become preoccupied with what they have or even the work they do.  They work for sake of working.  They just go through the motions.  They, like the Laodiceans are self-sufficient, have material comfort, and think everything is OK.  Does this describe you?  Remember if this is you, Jesus is about to vomit you out of His mouth.

Jesus talked about true riches and white clothing.  The true riches are not earthly wealth the Laodiceans had, but heavenly riches.  White clothing is a symbolic of innocence through the blood of Christ for our sins that are taken by the cross.

Those Jesus loves He rebukes and disciplines.  Jesus told them to be earnest and repent.  “Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and they with me.” – Rev. 3:20.  Discipline is always hard but it benefits the person.  Believers response to God’s corrective discipline should be – to recognize the hand of God, to repent of your sin, and rejoice in the Lord for His love us.

“To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcome and sat down with my Father on his throne.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” – Rev. 3:21-22.

The 7 letters in Revelation close with a promise to those who overcome.  Who are overcomers?  Overcomers are followers of Christ who successfully resist the power and temptation of the world.  They have complete dependence on God for direction, purpose, fulfillment and strength.   They are those who overcome the world, the anti-Christ, and Satan. 

God promises rewards to those who overcome:

Rev. 2:7 – will be given the right to eat from the Tree of Life.

Rev 2:11 – will not be hurt by the second death.

Rev 2:17 – will be given hidden manna, a white stone with a new name.

Rev 2:26-28 – will be given authority over nations.

Rev. 3:5 –name will not be blotted from the book of life.

Rev. 3:12 – a pillar will be made in the temple and he never will leave it and the name of God will be written on him.

Rev. 3:21 – will be granted right to sit on His throne.

Do you have any characteristics like that of the 7 churches?

Are you faithful?    

How are you true to Him Name?

In what ways do you tolerate false teaching?

Are you lukewarm?

Do you need to repent?

Next week we will study Revelation 4. -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Revelation – Lesson 5

 

Revelation 2:12-17 – The Church In Pergamum, Holds to false teachings

The Lord gave the church in Pergamum positive attributes.  He said they remained true and faithful  even though Satan had his throne there (Rev. 2:13).  Pergamum was the center of the government in Asia and the people worshiped many gods.  There was an altar to the Greek god Zeus.  Caesar was the emperor and called himself a god and was worshiped by some of the people. (Note:  There are no churches in Pergamum today.)

The church was divided and the Lord had some things against them.  There were false teachings in the church; some practiced the teachings of Balaam who enticed the Israelites to eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality (Num. 22-25; 31:16).  They also obeyed the teachings of the Nicolaitans like in Ephesus. 

Jesus told them they needed to repent or He would come and fight against them with the double edged sword of His mouth.  The sword is His judgment.  Jesus will not tolerate rebellion forever; there will be consequences.  Jesus words are important and true.  They needed to change the direction of their lives.  Jesus tells us we can fight against wrong teaching by putting on the armor of God in Eph. 6:10-18.

Jesus promised rewards to those who overcome. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  To Him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna.  I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.” – Rev. 2:17.  Don’t stop listening to the Holy Spirit.

In the Old Testament God sent manna from heaven to feed the Israelites.  The manna was a picture of Jesus.  He is the bread of life and the true bread from heaven.  This hidden manna probably means food for the spirit while we are on earth.  This is a promise that we will dine with the Lord in heaven.  If anyone eats this bread, he will live forever (John 6:35).

The white stone declares a person is innocent (1 Peter 2:5).  The new name represents a new person you become when you receive Christ as your Savior.  You are born again.  You are not defined by who you were or what you’ve done or what’s been done to you, but what Jesus has done for you.  You are clean.  You are loved.  You are forgiven.  Your old nature is gone.  The Holy Spirit will begin to empower your life.  You will have a change of mind.  You are a changed version of yourself.  You will get new desires.  You will want to read and study your Bible.  You will want to meet with God’s people.  You will want to stop sinning.  You will want to learn and grow.

Principle:  Jesus will not tolerate rebellion forever; there will be consequences. 

Revelation 2:18-29 –The Church In Thyatira (Holds to teachings of Jezebel)

The church in Thyatira was commended for some things.  Jesus is aware of all that his people do and He knew all the things the Christians in Thyatira did.  They believed and trusted God completely.  They had love, faith, service, perseverance, and they were doing more than they did at first.  Their faith had grown.  He is pleased for the most part.

But there were negative similarities that existed between the church of Pergamum and Thyatira.  They tolerated a woman He called Jezebel.  Jezebel in the Old Testament called herself a prophetess.  A prophetess brings a message from God, but her message was a false one.  She was the wife of King Ahab.  She was wicked and taught sexual immorality and eating of food sacrificed to idols making Israel turn from God.  You can learn more about Jezebel in 1 Kings 16, 19 and 2 Kings 9. 

Jesus said He had given her time to repent, but she was unwilling.  He said He would soon punish her.  He would cause her suffering and strike her children dead.  These children could be her children or her followers.  God is patient, but He will not tolerate sin forever.  Jesus knows the hearts and minds and will repay each according to their deeds. 

Comparing verse 19 and 23 we learn that Jesus knows everything – our deeds, our love and faith, our service and how we persevere.  He also searches our hearts and minds and will repay each of us according to our deeds.

Jesus encouraged the believers in Thyatira.  He would not put any others burdens on them.  They are to hold on to what they have until He comes.  This will be His second coming.  That will be a great and wonderful day.  There will be a great reward for all believers.  Believers will have authority over the nations and will share in His power.  True Christians will share the rule and authority with Christ and will share His glory.

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” – Rev. 2:29.  Not only does the church at Thyatira need to listen to the Spirit, but we do as well.

Principle:  Jesus knows the hearts and minds and will repay each according to their deeds.

Revelation 3:1-6 – The Church In Sardis, The dead church

John wrote to the church at Sardis telling them that these are the words of Jesus who holds the   7 spirits of God and the 7 stars.  What are these 7 spirits?   The 7 spirits of God are the work of the Spirit in the churches.  The stars are the angels over the churches.  This all means that Jesus looks after the 7 churches. 

Jesus knew their deeds and that they had a reputation of being alive, but they were dead.  They once had strong faith, but over time their faith had become weak.  This is like some churches today.  Faith became weak over time.  It was a slow process and no one saw it coming.  The church seemed to be full of life, but Jesus knew it was dead.

Deeds are your actions or your works.  What do deeds have to do with our relationship with the Lord? 

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” – Eph. 2:8-10.  James 2:14-26 tells us “… faith without deeds is dead.”  The Sardis church heard the Word of God, but didn’t do anything with it.

Jesus told them to “wake up” and strengthen what remains and what was about to die.  They needed to be aware of what was happening.  They needed to be ready for His return.  He commanded them to remember what they have been taught and heard.  They must come back to the Lord and obey His Word.  They must repent.  If they don’t wake up, He will come and not announce His coming.  He will deal with them and they will be judged.

People today don’t live like Christians should.   Like the church in Sardis, they only play church.  Their beliefs make no difference to their lives.  Jesus gave promises to those who stand firm and who are victorious in Him.  They would walk with Jesus dressed in white; God would never blot their names out of the book of life; Jesus would acknowledge their names before God the Father and His angels.

What is the book of life?  God has a book of life.  In it are the names of every person written before the foundation of the world.  If your name remains in the book, you will all go to heaven.  If you don’t accept Jesus as your Savior, your name will be blotted out of the book.  If your name is blotted out of this book, you cannot go to heaven.  We will see more about this book in Revelation 13, 17, and 20. 

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” – Rev. 3:6.

Principle:  If you don’t accept Jesus as your Savior, your name will be blotted out of the book of life.

Next week we will study about the church in Philadelphia and Laodicea.  --  I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Revelation 2:1-11 – Lesson 4

 Revelation 2:1-7 – The Church in Ephesus, Left Their First Love

Through John Jesus identified Himself to the church at Ephesus.  He said He held the seven stars in His right hand and walked among the seven golden lampstands.  This emphasized His authority and presence in the church.  He knew all about the church; nothing was a mystery to Him.  He knew their deeds, hard work, patience, and perseverance. 

He encouraged them by telling them He knew how patient they were and that they couldn’t tolerate wicked men.  Nevertheless He had something against them.  They had forsaken their first love.  They once had the love they didn’t have anymore.  He wanted them to remember where they used to be in their love for God and one another.  They were to remember how they used to spend time in the Word and praying; remember how excited they were telling others about Jesus.  He told them to repent meaning to change direction before it was too late or He would remove His presence from the church. 

Remember from Revelation 1:20 the seven stars represent seven angels who watch over the churches and the seven golden lampstands represent the seven churches.  If they didn’t change direction, His presence would be removed.

Ways you can discern between true and false teaching are found in these passages...

Acts 17:11 – know and examine the Scriptures.

Romans 12:2 – don’t conform to the worlds pattern, but renew your mind to what is good and pleasing to God.

1 Corinthians 12:3 – if a person is specking by the Holy Spirit, they will not say Jesus is cursed but will say Jesus is Lord.

2 Timothy 3:16 – all Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training.

Jesus said in Matt. 22:36-40 that the first and greatest commandment is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”  If you have forsaken your first love, then you might have stopped reading and studying the Word because you were too busy with life. God isn’t in the center of your life as He once was.  You put others things before Him.  You become self-absorbed and think only of yourself before the welfare of others. 

Ways to express your love for God is by praying, studying the Bible, loving those around you, tithing, fasting, and being encouraging and hopeful.  Show it in your words and your actions.

Repent means to stop doing what you are doing and turn around and do the opposite with the intention of never doing it again.  It’s a change of heart and mind that brings you closer to God.  It’s turning from sin and turning to God for forgiveness.

Genesis and Revelation talk about the Tree of Life.  Genesis tells us that God planted a garden with all kinds of trees and in the center of the garden He put the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  He told Adam and Eve to eat from any tree except the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  We know they disobeyed and ate from it anyway.  They were cursed and banished from the garden.  Now because of Jesus and the salvation He gives to those who believe and trust in Him, we can once again have access to the Tree of Life – the reward of eternal life in heaven.

Revelation 2:8-11 – The Church in Smyrna, The Suffering Church

Jesus describes Himself as the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.  He knew the church’s afflictions and poverty – yet they were rich.  He knew the slander of those who say they are Jews but are a synagogue of Satan.

He encouraged them by saying to not be afraid of what they are about to suffer.  They are to be faithful and He will give them the crown of life.

I think when Jesus said they were in poverty but rich, He meant they were in material poverty but they were rich in spirit.  They were storing up treasure in heaven instead of here on earth (Matt. 5:3; 6:19-20).  Jesus willingly became poor in suffering and died on the cross, yet He was rich and secure in the glory of heaven (2 Cor. 8:9).

Jesus faced slander and persecution and suffering; Smyrna too will face what He faced.  All believers will face persecution (John 15:19-20; 16:1-3; 2 Tim. 3:12).  The Apostles faced persecution; they were arrested and jailed and even killed for their performing miracles.  Christians today face the same persecution.  They’re mocked, thrown in jail, tortured, and some even killed for their faith.

Jesus told the Smyrna believers not to fear suffering.  Matt. 10:28-33 tell us “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.”

Knowing Christ equips believers to be faithful in suffering.  Suffering and trials are part of our journey; it’s what makes us stronger, gives us endurance, and builds up our faith.  It causes us to turn to Him bringing us closer to Him.  Sufferings and tribulations don’t break our faith; it strengthens it.

Next week we will continue the study in Revelation.  –  I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Revelation – Lesson 3

 

Revelation 1:1-3 – Purpose of Revelation

Revelation begins with the revealing of Jesus Christ.  It was given from God to Jesus to His angel to John and then to us.  John is to tell all he saw and be a testimony of Jesus Christ.  The revelation is that Jesus Christ is Lord of all.  It is the revelation of God’s power and glory.  “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”. - Rev. 1:3.  The book of 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.

To be blessed means happy or fortunate.  It implies there is great benefit to those who study and understand.  When read and obeyed, the Word of God rejoices the heart.

To “take to heart” implies courage knowing Christ’s victory overshadows all troubles.  We gain courage and confidence by being more hopeful.

“The time is near” is true more so for us today than people thousands of years ago.  We are closer to the end.  The rapture of the church is imminent.  We don’t know when, because God’s timing is different from ours.  It may be in a 100 years or it may be tomorrow.  We must know the truth and be ready.  Are you ready?

Revelation 1:4-8 – Greetings to Seven Churches

John started by giving grace and peace from Jesus Himself, which is comforting because in Revelation we will see a lot of judgments, earthquakes, and destruction of the earth and its people.  He also mentioned the 7 spirits before His throne.  “And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.” – Isaiah. 11:2.  These spirits of God are the Holy Spirit in His completeness.  Jesus is described as being a faithful witness, the first born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

In Rev. 1:4-5 we learn that God the Father is eternal, existing in the past, present, and future; Jesus is the faithful witness.  He and His Word have authority because He is the Creator.  He and His Word are dependable.

These passages relate to truths about Jesus as we see in Rev. 1:5-6 ….

1 Cor. 15:3 – Christ died according to the Scriptures, buried, raised on third day according to the Scriptures.

1 Cor. 15:20 – Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.

Phil. 2:9-11 – God exalted Jesus to the highest place, gave Him the name above every name, and everyone will confess that He is Lord.

When Jesus returns every eye will see Him and every knee will bow before Him.  Rev. 1:7 – “Even those who pierced Him and all the peoples of the earth will mourn.”  They will mourn because they missed the opportunity to believe in Jesus’ death on the cross for their sins.  All will recognize Him.  Those who pierced him may refer to the nation of Israel.  Remember they cried out in Matt. 27:25 – “We will not have this Man to rule over us” and in Luke 19:14 – “Let His blood be upon us and on our children.”  They will recognize their error of rejecting Christ as their Savior.

Revelation 1:9-20 – Heavenly Vision

John was exiled on the island of Patmos because of His testimony of Jesus. He lived in poverty and probably faced loneliness because he lost connection with the world; he didn’t know what was going on in Asia.

Followers of Jesus face hardships today.  They face resistance from the world, are mocked and rejected for their beliefs, and some even killed.

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.”  - Rev. 1:11.  He saw Jesus and described His hair, eyes, feet, voice, hand, mouth, and face.  In His hand was 7 stars and out of His mouth came a sharp double-edged sword.  His face was like the shinning sun.

When John saw Him, he fell at His feet as though he was dead.  Jesus told him not to be afraid and that 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. (Rev. 1:17-18)  Having the keys to death and Hades mean 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. 

He gave instructions to John to “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.” – Rev. 1:19.  This is the key verse that unlocks the door to the entire outline of the book.

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. (Rev. 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.

Next week we will continue our study with Revelation 2 – the churches in Ephesus and Smyrna. -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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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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