Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro to Revelation - 1:1-3

1.

The Presentation of the Book – 1:1

2. The Purpose of the Book – 1:1

3. The Penman of the Book – 1:1-2

4. The Promise of the Book – 1:3

Introduction – In my view of the world, one of the greatest modern technology inventions is the DVR – digital video recorder.

This thing connects to my TV and allows me to pause a show I’m watching to go get a snack or use the restroom.

It allows me to record a show I want to watch with the push of one button which allows me to watch a show on my timetable not someone else’s.

I have found it to be a huge blessing because it saves me time because I can fast-forward through all the dumb commercials.

This means I can watch a 30 minute show in about 20 minutes; an hour show in about 45.

Its awesome!

One way I really love this DVR thing is when there is a football game I want to watch.

Many times I’ll have a church meeting on Sunday evenings so I record the Ravens game and then after I get home, I’ll sometimes sit and watch the game to veg and unwind from the long day.

For big games, I look forward to sitting down and seeing the whole game from start to finish late at night when the house is quiet.

Uninterrupted football – I love it.

On a day I’m planning to stay up and watch the game after the fact, I’ll do all I can to avoid seeing or hearing the scores.

Sometimes I succeed – many times that plan fails miserably (like with Dad calling me & spilling the beans with the Cowboys/Eagles outcome…).

If my team is on the losing end, I might save myself the sorrow and not watch it.

But what a thrill when I learned the score by accident and my team won.

Knowing the outcome of the game allows me to enjoy and watch with confidence – even when my team is in a tight spot, they fumble or have their backs to the wall, since I know the score, beforehand, I can watch with calm assurance that we win in the end.

Background – Well today we will begin a great adventure together over the next several weeks as we study the Book of Revelation together on Sunday mornings.

The Book of Revelation is kind of like God’s DVR.

It is a “fast-forward” view of what happens at the end of the story of the human race.

It is “The Rest of the Story” as old Paul Harvey used to say.

It is the grand climax of God’s eternal plan for the universe, the final chapter before God’s restored kingdom is ushered in for eternity.

Revelation is the “Happily Ever After” ending all Christians have to look forward to but this is no fairy tale.

It is God’s revelation of what the future holds for the human race, it identifies the final score, who the winners and losers are in the cosmic battle between good versus evil.

It is also a warning for us to take seriously to ensure we are on the winning team, that of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

A Challenge before we begin:

Let me encourage you to enter this study with an open heart and mind and put aside all the preconceived ideas or thoughts you have about this book.

Let us approach the Book of Revelation without some kind of “system” to categorize ourselves – IE I’m pre-tribulation rapture guy, I’m a mid-tribulation, post tribulation – pre-millennial, post millemillennial or amillennial kind of system.

I want us to let the text speak to us and not have it clouded by some system of belief we use as a filter to the Scriptures.

Let us ask the Helper, the blessed Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of His word to us and may our beliefs and understandings flow from the word of God directly.

(Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate the meaning to us).

I also want to say in advance I’ll paint with broad strokes and try to keep the big picture in mind over the next 15 weeks or so and I’ll not solve every issue or question.

(For further study on your own, best resource I have is Dr. Ed Hindson’s book “The Book of Revelation, unlocking the future”.)

Read Text - vs. 1-3

Notice first of all:

I.

The Presentation of the Book – 1:1

Explanation – The first phrase: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” is the correct title of the book.

It is not the revelation of John – he’s not making this stuff up.

It is God’s divine, supernatural revelation of God’s Son, Jesus Christ in His glory and splendor as the 2nd Person of the Trinity in His glorified, resurrected and eternal position as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

The term “Revelation” is very important: Contrary to what people think, God’s intention for Revelation is that God’s people would understand the meaning of the book.

The very title means to “reveal”, not “conceal.”

Greek word is Apokalupsis means an unveiling or uncovering in order to reveal.

Because of the judgments of God are unveiled and revealed, it has become known as the Apocalypse, transliterating the Greek word apokalupsis into our English word Apocalypse.

The dictionary defines “revelation” this way: (1) a surprising disclosure.

the revealing of something previously unknown.

a surprising or remarkable thing.

(2) a divine or supernatural disclosure to humans.

While it is true there is a lot of symbolism and visions of things the Apostle John saw, many of these symbolic things are symbols of things in Old Testament passages.

There are 404 verses in the Book of Revelation and 278 of them are drawn from an Old Testament passage.

A key to helping you interpret and understand the book is to remember four simple rules:

1. Revelation is not a dark book.

It reveals the future to us.

2. It is not necessary to identify every bit of symbolism in order to understand the overall meaning.

I don’t have to be able to identify every tree in the forest and know all about them to appreciate the beauty of the forest as a whole.

3. Observe the rule of literal interpretation and do not spiritualize the meaning of the book of Revelation, or view it was some wild allegorical tale.

Interpret the book literally except where the context or grammar indicates the reference is symbolic or a sign of something else.

Typically in those symbolic instances, John asks what this means and God interprets the meaning for him.

4. Remember most of the book is prophetic in nature which means most of the events have not taken place yet and it deals with the final coming of Christ.

As Revelation reveals the future to us, it is a divine revelation of God’s plan to restore what was ruined by sin in the beginning.

Genesis is the book of beginnings, Revelation is the book of endings.

These books have been placed by God as glorious bookends of God’s story, Genesis introduces us to God and informs us of how we got here as humans.

It reveals our sinful choices and the rest of the Bible is the story of God’s plan to redeem us back from the clutches of sin and Satan.

Revelation reveals how it all ends; it is a book of consummation.

Consider:

Gen. – The commencement of heaven & earth (1:1);

Rev. – the consummation of heaven & earth (21:1).

Gen. – The entrance of sin & the curse (3:1-19);

Rev. – the end of sin & the curse (21:27, 22:3).

Gen. – The dawn of Satan & his activities (3:1-7);

Rev. – the doom of Satan & his activities (20:10).

Gen. – The tree of life is relinquished (2:9, 3:24);

Rev. – the tree of life is regained (22:2).

Gen. – Death makes its entrance (2:17, 5:5);

Rev. – death makes its exit (21:4).

Gen. – Sorrow begins (3:16);

Rev. – sorrow is banished (21:4)

This is the presentation of the Book.

Notice also:

II.

The Purpose of the Book – 1:1

Explanation – the next phrase in vs. 1 is “which God gave Him (Jesus) to show His (Jesus) servants – things which must shortly take place.

And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John.”

This reveals the purpose of the Revelation of Jesus Christ: “to show His servants things which must shortly take place.”

Notice the chain of command if you will in how this purpose is revealed: God gave it Jesus, Jesus gave it to His angel, and the angel gave it to John.

“Servants” – is an important term – literally bondservants.

A bond servant was one who had willingly surrendered their freedom forever to serve their master.

They were a willing slave for life.

They would have their ear pierced through at the town gate in front of all the city leaders as witnesses.

Those who are fully surrendered to the Lordship of Christ as their master should have little difficulty understanding the message and purpose of the book of Revelation.

It is a message from the Master to the servants of what is going to happen.

8 times in Revelation, the admonition “He that has an ear to hear, let him hear…” (2:7, 11, 17, 29, 3:6, 13, 22 & 13:9).

A true servant, a willing servant is one who listens for His master’s voice and is ready to respond in obedience.

The relationship between a Master and His bondservant is a special relationship because it is for life.

In this case, the Master/bondservant relationship between Jesus and His servants is for eternity and the Master has graciously revealed to His bondservants His plans for us.

According to Jer.29:11, His plans are good plans, plans not to harm us, plans to give us a future and hope, to bring us to an expected end.

True bondservants are not scared of their Master’s plans – but if you’re not a bondservant of Christ, you should be afraid!