Greetings!
The Book of Revelation • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 2 viewsNotes
Transcript
Recap:
Recap:
Last week we needed to lay out the foundation of Revelation. Revelation is truly a unique book within our canon of Scripture. All roads started in Scripture find their completion in Revelation. Again the best way to understand this book is to have a good grasp of the whole Bible.
This book’s genre falls under 3 different types and they are all to be interpreted in different ways.
1. Letter: we know this because of the contents of chapters 1-3. Specifically chapters 2-3 deal with the seven churches (Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea).
2. Prophecy: this book/letter is also prophecy. Introducing us to future events, warning of coming judgment, and an overview of God’s plan for Israel/church
3. Apocalyptic: A specific form of prophecy, largely involving symbols and imagery and predicting disasters and destruction.
Comparison of Genesis and Revelation:
God// God
First heaven and earth// Last heaven and earth
First rest// Final rest
Paradise lost// Paradise regained
The tree and the river// the tree and the river
Husband and wife// the Lamb and the bride
Satan victorious// Satan defeated
Judgement pronounced// Judgement executed
The divine face hidden// We shall see Jesus’ face
The curse pronounced// the cursed removed
The gates are shut against us// the gates are never shut
Death overtook all men// there is no more death
All faces wet with tears// All tears wiped away
Terror came with the night// No terror because there is no night
Banished from the tree of life// We have a right to the tree of life
Exiled from the earthly garden// Inheritors of the heavenly city
The cherubim keeping man out// The cherubim welcoming man in
Introduction:
Introduction:
There are 3 major sections for Revelation.
I. The things which John had seen (Chapter 1)
II. The thing which are: 7 addresses to the churches from Jesus (Chapters 2 and 3)
III. The things which will take place after this (Chapters 4-22)
Since there is so much controversy over how to interpret Revelation, it is helpful to know the four basic approaches people have used through the centuries to understand this book.
The Preterist View: This approach believes that Revelation dealt only with the church in John’s day. In the Preterist approach, Revelation doesn’t predict anything. John simple described events of his current day, but he put them in symbolic code so those outside the Christian family couldn’t understand his criticism of the Roman government. In the Preterist view, the Book of Revelation was for then.
The Historicist View: This approach believes that Revelation is a sweeping, disordered panorama of all church history. In this approach, Revelation predicts the future, but the future of the “church age”—not the future of end-times events. This view hold, that Revelation is full of symbols that describe now. And example of this view many of the Reformer s called the Pope the beast of Revelation 13. Believing that Revelation spoke of their time, without necessarily speaking to the end times.
The Poetic View: This approach believes that Revelation is a book full of pictures and symbols intended to encourage and comfort persecuted Christians in John’s day. In the Poetic or allegorical view, this book isn’t literal or historical. Revelation is a book of personal meaning.
The Futurist View: This approach believes that beginning with chapter 4, Revelation deals with the end times, the period directly preceding Jesus’ return. In the Futurist view, Revelation is a book that mainly describes the end times.
Which one is it? Which one is correct?
This is my opinion. Each one is true in some regard. The book of Revelation did speak to John’s day. It speaks to church history. And it does have meaning for our personal life. Along with the understanding that it speaks of a time not yet.
vv. 1-3) Greetings
vv. 1-3) Greetings
[1-2] The book of Revelation is the Revelation of Jesus Christ in the sense that it belongs to Him, He is the one doing the revealing. It is also Jesus’ Revelation in the sense that He is the object revealed; Jesus is the person revealed by the book. If we catch everything in this book but that, and miss Jesus as it’s focus, we missed the whole purpose of Revelation.
We must answer the question: What makes Jesus so important?
How we need a revelation of Jesus!
“The great fault of many professors is that Christ is to them a character upon paper; certainly more than a myth, but yet a person of the dim past, an historical personage who lived many years ago, and did most admirable deeds, by the which we are saved, but who is far from being a living, present, bright reality.”–Spurgeon
Why did God give us this Revelation of Jesus Christ?
He gave it to show His servants. God gave this revelation that it might be shown, not hidden. This is an apocalypse—revelation not an apocrypha (something hidden). Peter tells us in: 2 Peter 1:20
20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,
“Shortly take place:” the phrase is en tachei, which literally means “quickly or suddenly coming to pass.” It indicates a rapid execution after the beginning starts. The idea here is not that the event many occur soon, but that when it does, it will be sudden.
For nearly 2000 years, history has been on the brink of the consummation of all things, running parallel to the edge, not running towards a distant brink.
[3] It is very clear by this verse that God’s intention is what this book should be read in church because He promised a special blessing to the one who reads it aloud and to all those in the assembly who hear it and take it to heart.
This book is filled with signs. It contains 500 allusions to the OT, and 278 of the 404 verses in Revelation (more than 70%) make some reference to the OT.
What is a beatitude?
Beatitude means: supreme blessedness.
In verse 3 we are introduced to the first of seven beatitudes of Revelation.
3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ”
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”
15 “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”
9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”
6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
7 “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
I believe because Revelation is neglected by many, many people miss this blessing. For example, the Anglican Church virtually omits Revelation in its regular schedule of readings for both public worship and private devotions. This is a typical attitude towards this book. Many think that only fanatics wants to dig deep into this book, but really, our desire is to be blessed!
John doesn’t say we need to understand everything in this book to be blessed.
Revelation is so fascinating, John writes this book to be read publicly and promises a blessing for those who not only hear but are obedient to keep its teachings.
All of these things together show that beyond doubt, the book of Revelation claims to be Holy Scripture. A critic can agree or disagree with that claim, but it can’t be denied that Revelation makes the claim.
It is going to be up to each of us to be praying as we read through this book to be aware of what we are to be keeping.
Family we must realize that Revelation has to mean something. It is a book about Jesus after all, and He wanted to show His servant something. Revelation isn’t meaningless or nonsensical. It has a promise of blessing, not a promise of confusion. It is to bring peace to the believer not fear.
Also, I believe that it is clear that Revelation contains predictive prophecy.
Application:
Application:
As we go through this book, we need to make sure our focus is on Jesus Christ. We are His followers, so let us fix our eyes on Him. Let us pray that we do not get lost in the weeds of distractions or debates of minor issues of doctrine. We need to be leaving here with the emphasis to glorify Jesus Christ.
HW:
HW:
What were the seven churches referred to here?
What does the phrase “who is and who was and who is to come” teach us about God?
What may the seven spirits refer to here?
What do these verses teach you about Jesus?
In what way was Jesus the “firstborn of the dead?”
What hope does this give to us?
How should the book of Revelation affect our view of God and His relationship with this world?
What does it mean that He is “coming with the clouds?”
Why is it important that “every eye will see him?”
Who are the ones who pierced him?
How will the earth respond to His second coming?
Why?
In light of this, what should you do?
How does Jesus’ title of the “Alpha and Omega” directly relate to the book of Revelation?
How is this significant for you as an individual?