Reliable Revelation
Revelation: All Things New • Sermon • Submitted
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· 3 viewsTheme: We Can Trust the Revelation of Jesus. Purpose: To Trust Jesus for History and His Second Coming. Gospel: Trust that Jesus will restore all things. Mission: Cling to Faith in Jesus in a Crazy World.
Notes
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The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”
“Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”
I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me.
But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!”
Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near.
Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”
“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.
Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll.
And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.
He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.
Introduction: Today we Say, “That’s A Wrap.” The Story has been told, the Characters have been made known, and the Drama of History from God’s perspective has been revealed. What does it all mean? Are there any concluding thoughts that can summarize this amazing work of Art and Truth that is the Book of Revelation. In fact there is and that is what this last passage is all about. And quite frankly it perhaps the easiest passage to understand.
When we started this Journey of Revelation this was the outline of Week 1.
What is happening in this last Chapter.
John had introduced what this book was all about in the First Chapter, then he shared the visions/story through Chapters 2-22:5, and Now he is wrapping things up to remind his readers what this book is about, and to conclude how they should live in light of this message from God. So in this passage, we see again the major themes from the entire book
Tell them what you are going to say, then say it, then close by telling them what you said.
What was this book about, and what are we called to do about it?
23- Jesus Has Been Revealed.
23- Jesus Has Been Revealed.
one of the themes is who is the source of this book.
Slides 24-25
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his slaves the things which must take place in a short time, and communicated it by sending it through his angel to his slave John,
who testified about the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, all that he saw.
So that forms the structure of conclusion.
The Angel Reminds John that he was sent by God/Jesus to give this message to Him.
John than confirms he is the one who received it and is writing it down.
And Jesus confirms that he is the one who sent the Angel to give the message to John to share with the churches.
26 - Jesus Has Revealed God’s Plan
26 - Jesus Has Revealed God’s Plan
The Primary Source is God
And the Genre of Literature is Apocalyptic Literature,
The Word Apocalypse means to Reveal something that is hidden. The sense is a removing the veil to see beyond our 5 sense world to the unseen world and perspective of God behind it all.
Watch week 1 for more on Apocalyptic literature.
It is God’s Word of Prophecy - Prophecy is not just telling the Future, it is not always a telling forward, but it is always a telling Forth.
When we look back what is God’s Plan?
God is ultimately in control of human history.
Satan deceives the Nations like the Roman Empire to rise up against God to lure people away from God to follow Idols, to worship human beings, and to seek luxury through the exploitation of conquered peoples.
God responds in two ways - Removing his common Grace to allow the destruction of those Idols, other things we worship, and other nations to set in.
Second he sends his Church to share the Gospel so that people will see the destructive nature of the Beastly nations and so repent.
Some do, but often Christians because of this message are persecuted and Martyrd.
But the Good News is God Wins in the end through the Death, Resurrection, Ascension, and Coming again of Christ. Those who receive the Gospel of Jesus by trusting Jesus’ death as forgiveness of their sins and alignment with Jesus receive eternity in the presence of God.
But those who align win the Beastly Nations, Idolatry, and Satan’s lies will be cleaned out of this world along with sin and death and all who promote it.
27 - God’s Plan Has Revealed Jesus
27 - God’s Plan Has Revealed Jesus
Jesus is the one who shares this message from God to the Angel, to John, to the 7 Churches, but it is also the Revelation of Jesus. It shows us who Jesus is.
He is the one who is both Lion and Lamb
He was the only one worthy to not just reveal God’s plan for history (the scroll), but enact it (the seals)
He alone was the one who was redeeming people by his sacrificial blood.
He was the one who vindicated the martyred Church by conquering the rebellious nations with His Word and Judgement - the Gospel.
He was the one who defeated all of God’s enemies, Satan, the Beastly Nations, the False Prophets, Prostitute Societies, Sin itself, and Death.
He is the one who gathered the Bride of Christ into the Kingdom for Eternal Blessing in the presence of God.
He is the promised one from the O.T. the root of David, and the Bright Morning Star.
Slide 28
I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; a star will go out from Jacob, and a scepter will rise from Israel; it will crush the foreheads of Moab and destroy all the children of Seth.
29 - To 7 Churches
29 - To 7 Churches
Vs. 16 again we are reminded that the original audience was the 7 churches of Asia Minor.
That the message had direct application to them vs. 6 which must take place in a short time.
That is that they will undergo great persecution, tribulation at the hand of the Roman Empire
30-33 - Chart explaining what must shortly take place.
34 - That while the immediate Context is that, the pattern in the book will equip later Christians and ourselves even in how to live in a world with Beastly Nations empowered by Satan’s Lies as it is the pattern of our World.
So we interpret this book like those 7 churches did, and we should come to similar conclusions for how we should live. This is not a call to try and match up our newspaper to a prophetic timeline. But we may read in our newspaper about Beastly Nations and we might ask, How would those 7 churches Patiently Endure the pressures they were experiencing, and how can we do the same?
To Glorify Jesus
To Glorify Jesus
John reminds us that he made the mistake in Chapter 19:10 when he fell at his feet to worship the Angel after the Prostitute was destroyed and the Great Crowd celebrated the coming of the Wedding Celebration of the Lamb.
The Angel reminds him that he is a fellow Servant of Jesus, but that we are called to Worship God.
This takes us back to the Major worship scene in Revelation 4 & 5 when the Father and the Son are worshipped, and the smaller scenes throughout Revelation that give Glory to God, the Lamb, and the Spirit.
For Our Blessing
For Our Blessing
Blessed is the one who reads aloud and blessed are those who hear the words of the prophecy and observe the things written in it, because the time is near!
“And behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
“Behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with me, to repay each one according to what his deeds are!
Blessed are the ones who wash their robes, so that their authority will be over the tree of life and they may enter into the city through the gates.
For many reading brings fear (reasons) why, but in reality the message is for our blessing, to reduce fear, to increase confidence in Christ and his victory.
How Revelation is like in building Faith.
How Ben was able to do difficult things when what was going to happen was explained.
When Naomi didn't care what happened during the time she was a sleep.
When we got Ben's diagnosis, we felt a release, not that we didn't think it was not going to be hard, but that the prognosis was better than thought, and encouragement that we could get through this.
35 - We Can Trust the Revelation of Jesus.
35 - We Can Trust the Revelation of Jesus.
When it comes to the book of Revelation it is often dismissed, because of all of its imagry.
Some may call it too allegorical to be True
-Some may say then that we need to interpret it literally in order for it to be true and by reading it so symbolically provides an allegorical approach to reading scripture
Some may call it mythical almost like a work of fiction.
36 - Show a Political Cartoon - Crazy Imagry pointing to true realities.
37 - We don’t interpret all scripture this way just Apocalyptic Literature.
- The Truth of it and Reliability lie in its message givers.
John the Oldest living Apostle who in 1 John said, “That which we saw, and touched.” He knew Jesus in the flesh.
He was correct about the persecution that was coming to the 7 Churches
The Descriptions of the culture of the 7 Churches and what they would experience under Domitian were spot on.
When we read Revelation in its original context we see how it is dealing with Reality.
Finally, It draws its life from the O.T.
Angel sent by Jesus - This probably has more weight in John’s day, however, the Angel points us to the Revelation of Jesus.
Jesus is a real person - and this book points to the fact that he was born, he lived, he died a sacrificial death outside the city of Jerusalem, and I won’t get into the evidence, but speaks to the resurrection of Jesus - which many try to deny, but is well supported historically.
Finally, the orignator of this message is God, who through the O.T., and the Gospels has shown himself to be Faithful. He promised a Messiah who would take away the sins of the World and he delivered. Jesus’ resurrection is undoubted proof that his coming again is a sure thing.
No need to add or take away from this Book
Not talking about the Bible specifically, but that too.
The point is this message is Faithful and True so don’t mess with it. Live by it.
38 - What Now Do We Do With this Revelation?
38 - What Now Do We Do With this Revelation?
39 - Receive Jesus
39 - Receive Jesus
Slide 40
Blessed are the ones who wash their robes, so that their authority will be over the tree of life and they may enter into the city through the gates.
41 - Patiently Endure
41 - Patiently Endure
Not judging, but warning, and persist in Christ’s way
Slide 42-43
And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near!
The one who does evil, let him do evil still, and the defiled, let him be defiled still, and the righteous, let him practice righteousness still, and the holy, let him be holy still.”
Stay Aligned with Jesus
Slide 44
“And behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
Be encouraged with the End which will come like a theif in the night. - Three times Jesus says he is coming quickly.
45-Invite People to Jesus
45-Invite People to Jesus
Slide 46
And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And the one who hears, let him say, “Come!” And the one who is thirsty, let him come. The one who wants, let him take the water of life freely.
Conclusion: