Revelation 1

 The book of Revelation is written by the John.  Who was John?  He was a faithful friend and disciple of Jesus.  He was a servant of Jesus.  He wrote 5 books of the Bible – John, 1 & 2 & 3 John, and Revelation.  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 is an eye witness to these things told in Revelation.  This book is the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Revelation is when God shows His truth to us.  In Revelation God shows us what we must do and say.  He shows Himself through Jesus Christ.  It’s all about Jesus.  The Bible is full of God’s prophecy.  It reveals His redemptive story and its final chapter, Revelation.  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.

Themes in Revelation:

Fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan. 

Jesus is coming soon, which gives us hope.

We are not to be afraid, but stay faithful.

Satan will try to accuse us before God, but Christ defeats him.

God will create a New Heaven and a New Earth.

Revelation reveals that John and other fellow Christians suffered, but patiently endured.  They worked hard for God and suffered many hardships, but persevered through and were faithful.  Some lived in poverty, yet they were rich.  There are similarities in the church today.  Christians are suffering around the world.  There is persecution and even death because of their beliefs.  Many have lost their first love like the church in Ephesus.

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 1 – The Things You Have Seen

The Revelation begins 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.  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. 

I hope this verse 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 we are in heaven.  God will reveal to you exactly what you need to know.

The early church read the entire book of Revelation each time they met.  The reader and the congregation that read, 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”.  Keep these things in your mind and remember them.  You will know the truth when trials and temptations come.

“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?

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 and even to the churches today.  You will see what they were doing, what God expected, and where they were falling short.  Hopefully we will see where we too are not living up to God’s standards.

He 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.  What are these 7 spirits?   “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. 

“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.” – Rev. 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.” – Rev. 1:8.  God declared that He existed in the beginning, now and at the end.  I love this verse!

How will you be ready when Jesus returns?

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.”  - Rev. 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. (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.

John was in awe of Jesus.  Can you image?  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 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 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.” – Rev. 1:19.  This is the key verse that unlocks the door to the entire outline of the book.

What will you do when you see Jesus?

Will you be afraid or will you be in awe of Him?

How are you ready to meet Him?

Will your life be pleasing to Him?

Next week we will study Revelation 2 – the churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, and Thyatira.  Hope to see you here.

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God's Prophecy - Introduction to Revelation

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.” – Rev. 1:3.  Revelation is when God shows His truth to us.  God shows us what we must do and say.  He shows Himself through Jesus Christ.  It’s 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.  There are a lot of false prophets and prophecies today so how do we know it they are true?  “For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive the elect…”  No one knows when Jesus will return. (Matthew 24:24-29).  So we need to be discerning, prayerful and ready when He does come.  We can know by false prophets by their fruit or their actions.  Their actions speak much louder than their words. 

The book of Daniel is a book of prophecy and talks about the End Times.  In Daniel 12:4 Daniel is told to close up and seal the words of the scroll or the book until the time of the end.  This was done because it could not be understood until more prophesied events were unfolded.  Then as events predicted would be unfolded, it would be clearer and we could understand the prophecy, the Book of Revelation.  Jesus said He told the future before it happened so when it does happen we will believe.  (John 13:19; 14:29).

There are many, many prophecies that have been fulfilled.  In Isaiah7:14 we see Isaiah’s prophecy of the birth of a Savior, Jesus by a virgin.  In Micah 5:2 we see Jesus birth place of Bethlehem foretold.  In Isaiah 53:3-6 we see that Jesus will be rejected and hated, but will still die for all mankind.

It is important to know that Bible records fulfilled prophecies, because it reveals God’s sovereignty.  It brings us comfort and hope.  It takes away our fears and builds our faith.

The purpose of Revelation is to reveal the full identity of Christ and to give warnings and hope and encouragement to believers.  It shows God’s servants 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.  Jesus speaks through John.  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 and expectant and be ready for what is to come.

The outline of Revelation is found in Rev. 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 the following chapters.

God promises His blessings on us 7 times in Revelation.  Rev. 1:3 is considered to be the key verse 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 that follow those 7 years.

People today want to know the future in many ways.  They go to fortune tellers, use tarot cards, use crystals, read palms, read books on End Times, and even use astrology.  The only future we need to know is what the Bible tells us.  The Bible gives us many prophesies.  2 Peter 2:19-20 tells us true prophecy doesn’t originate with man, but that the prophets spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.  In John 13 Jesus says He is telling us the future before it happens so when it happens we will believe.  God is the only one to know and foretells the future.

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.

Do you tell others about your Jesus?

Do you tell them how He has blessed your life?

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.” – Rev. 1:7.  In 1 Thess. 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 that 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.  Then 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.

What do you need to do to make yourself ready?

Do you trust God's Word?

Who else is more worthy of your faith?

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. 4-5 -the things that are to take place in heaven after these things – the future events. 

Rev. 6-22 - the things which will take place on earth after these things – the future events.

Principles:  

God's people can follow Him with confidence, because He controls the future. 

Prophecy is God confiding in His people for their good.

“Behold, I am coming soon!  Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.” – Rev. 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 study Revelation 1.  Hope to see you here.

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Revelation - The Bible

The Bible is God’s Word.  It’s 1 BIG story.  It’s God’s story.  It’s a story of Himself and His purpose for man.  Who is God?  God was there before all things.  He is the Holy Creator and unlike anyone.  He desires to be with us and wants a relationship with every person.   He created us in His image so we are an exceptional value to Him.  He has a plan for us and the world and nothing can stop His perfect plan.

God reveals himself in many ways, but mainly He chose to reveal himself through his Word.  The Bible was written over 1500 years ago.  It was written by 40 different people, in 3 different languages and on 3 different continents.  Each writer of the books in the Bible reflect his own personality, but the words and truth are God's. 

There are 66 books in the Bible – 39 in Old Testament, 27 in the New Testament.  It has high standards of morality and is the best-selling book that the world has ever known.  No book has ever been more analyzed or criticized.  Why is it attacked?  It’s the revelation of God whose message demands must be destroyed or obeyed.  Many times people have tried to destroy it.

The Bible is about:

How the universe and the human race started, how humans sinned and how the suffering started, and how the human rescue plan of God started - Gen 3:15 (the promise).

The Bible reveals:

God, his creation, his unlimited power and wisdom, his laws, a God of moral standards, history with God in control, Jesus as a God of compassion, God’s solution to sin, his special people in a special place, a special family, a special child:  John 3:16  (fulfillment of his promise)

It also reveals in the book of Revelation the future with a new heaven and a new earth without pain and cruelty.  Only the righteous will be there with the Lord.

75 % of the Bible is Old Testament.  Jesus came to fulfill the OT prophecy.  God tells how, why and when Jesus, the Messiah would come.  Proverbs 30:5-6 tells us His Word is flawless.  Revelation 22:19 tells us not to add or take words away from it.  We should not sit around and argue about what it says.  It implies complete authority and we should not debate over it. 

Hebrews 4:12 – “For the word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”   So matter what your age, 10 – 110, it can speak to us.

When you read the word of God, do you believe it is God speaking to you or do you read it and then just go back to your regular life? 

If God came in person and told you to stop stealing or cheating, or whatever, wouldn’t you say, “OK, I will”? 

Why wouldn’t you do it, if God’s Word says to do the same thing?

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

2 Peter 1:20-21– “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation.  For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit”.

The purpose of the Bible is essential for:

            Salvation – it reveals God, ourselves, our Savior

            Teaching – foundation of what we believe

            Conviction – it’s the test of our action

            Training – the rod of discipline

Why do we believe it’s true?

            The Prophets – spoke for God.

            Jesus – the Spirit will guide you into all truth.

            Paul – we speak in words taught by the Spirit.

            Peter – not clearly invented myths, but an eyewitness.

            John – we proclaim what we’ve seen. 
            It speaks with authority. 
            Many gave their lives for it. 
            By listening and weighing the evidence.

God created Adam and Eve in the beginning.  They chose to act independently from God.  They sinned and died spiritually and because of their sin, they would also die physically.  Now we are all under the curse of sin.  We sin when we gossip, tell lies, with adultery, idol worship, etc.  Because of sin, we are separated from God. 

In the Old Testament God provided a way for man to restore their relationships with Him by setting up blood sacrifices with animals, but this was only a temporary solution.  We needed a Savior.  God Himself came to earth through His Son, Jesus.  Jesus came to save the people from their sins.  He was accused and condemned by religious authorities and the Roman Empire.  He was sentenced to die on a cross.  Jesus went willingly.  He died a horrible death, but after 3 days He arose from the dead demonstrating His power and victory over the consequences of sin, which is death.  His resurrection guaranteed new life for all who believe in Him.

After His death the Holy Spirit was sent to us to guide us how to live.  Jesus promised one day He would return and take His people, the church, to heaven to be with Him forever.  We see this in the end of God’s story in the book of Revelation.  The book of Revelation will be fulfilled exactly how all the other prophecies have been fulfilled.  God started history and He will finish it.  All His plans will come to pass.

Jesus is woven throughout the Bible and Revelation tells us the end of the story.  It ends with the glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus and the judgment of those who do not and will not believe in Him.  What an awesome study this will be!

We, too are part of this story.  We have a chance to change to world.  Like Jesus’ disciples who traveled the world telling others about Him, we can spread the good news about Jesus to the unsaved before it’s too late.

The unsaved don’t know they are headed for destruction and judgment.  Who do you know who needs a Savior?  Will you share His love and truth with them before it's too late?

Principles: 

God created the world and mankind for His glorious purposes.

Sin separates us from God and His perfect plan.

The curse is removed to all who trust in Jesus our living Savior.

Those with faith in Jesus find great hope in God’s promises of perfect restoration.