Sermon Tone Analysis

The end is near, and it's coming to a theater near you, or right into your own living room.

Over 250 end-of-the-world movies have been produced, with more than 100 appearing since 2000.

The pace of apocalyptic drama shows no sign of slowing down.

The number of apocalypse-themed movies from 2000 to 2009 doubled over the previous decade, and is on pace to double again by the end of this decade.

In the past few years you could have seen the following end-of the-world films: Tomorrowland, Terminator Genisys, San Andreas, and Mad Max: Fury Road—to name a few.

The first end-of-the-world movie was the appropriately named 1916 Danish film, The End of the World, featuring a near-miss by a comet which triggers worldwide natural disasters and social upheaval.

A variation of the doom-from-space scenario, the "alien invasion apocalypse," got a classic start in 1953 with the film version of H.G. Wells' novel The War of the Worlds.

Spielberg helped remake that film in 2005.

Then there was the blockbuster Independence Day (1996), which features a horde of alien barbarians, roaming the galaxy to plunder planets for their resources.

The most popular world-ending scenario for the last few years has been the "zombie apocalypse, The Road, The Hunger Games, Brad Pitt's World War Z, and the list goes on and on.

Could it be that deep down we know that our history has its appointed conclusion, that the end of our story has already been written?

Could it be that people are looking to the movies for some kind of answers to where we are going in the end.

Movies like these have given us a skewed perspective of the overall purpose of the book of Revelation.

INTRODUCTION

Why I have not preached through Revelation?

It is probably one of the most significant books for the Church today and at the same time one of the books that is filled with great pitfalls and misunderstandings.

I do not claim to be an expert on the book of Revelation however, I think this book is not going to be what you anticipate.

What do we do with the book?

We can ignore it as unknowable.

We can interpret it according to our understanding and miss the mark.

We can dive deep into the book and rely on the Holy Spirit to reveal truth where truth is clear and admit where there are things we just do not know.

Revelation consists of 3 different genres of literature:

Apocalyptic

Prophecy

Letter

Revelation is best known for its apocalyptic writing.

Apocalyptic contains the revealing of heavenly secrets by an otherworldly being or seer who guide its readers into transcendent reality that take precedence over current situation and encourages readers to persevere in the middle of their trials.

Messenger of the Revelation

1st and foremost it is a Revelation of Jesus Christ.

In Revelation Jesus is the Supreme messenger of God.

(four stage process of it’s writing: God gave it to Jesus, Jesus gave it to the angels, and the angels mediated it to John who wrote it down for the Churches)

IT ALL BEGINS AND ENDS WITH JESUS

Note: If you are reading revelation to discover some hidden secret of when Jesus is coming back you will be dissapointed.

Revelation is a Revelation of the Rule and Reign of Jesus Christ.

The book begins with “the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

The word for which the book is named is the Greek word apokalupsis, which means “to reveal, unveil, uncover, or disclose Jesus Christ.

”

This is the only time the word appears in the entire book.

It tells us God is pulling back the curtain in order to show us something previously hidden and unknown about the true identity of Christ”

Jesus is not the subject of the book but, the author of the book, and the revealer of the book.

God gave John this Revelation to reveal to us the things by Jesus and about Jesus.

Note: John makes the statement that these are things that “must” take place.

(non-negotiable statement)

What does it mean to have the expectation of the imminent return of Christ?

How does this affect the way we live your life today?

He made it known by sending an angelic messenger.

(Angels are mentioned 67 times in Revelation)

THE FUTURE LOOKS GOOD FOR THE TRUE DISCIPLE

Back to the Future

Everyone remembers the movie staring Michael J. Fox Back to the Future.

The premise of the story is that Fox’s character gets to back in time to rewrite the future.

However, the reality is that none of us get a “do over in this life.”

Eternity is coming and the risen Christ is bringing with him rewards for those who persevere to the end and judgement for those whose hope is not in Christ alone.

The writing of Revelation should be seen to discourage a way in the future view of the book.

The Revelation of Daniel was written to show us what was going to happen in the latter days.

We know that for the early Church that when the Christian era began we are now living in the end times.

It is true that for the word “soon” (must soon take place) could also be translated as suddenly.

Time for What?

Time for the end of time and all that is associated with it.

Time for a long series of happenings that will usher in the end.

Time for some immediate trouble and persecution ushering in the end.

Look at Daniels vision of the future.

*Working to establish a Kingdom that will never end.

“Notice that John is designated as the one who bore witness to Jesus Christ, the word witness in scripture is martyr all believers are called to be witnesses or martyrs for Jesus Christ”

(witness, Martyria)

Witness refers to the fearless public proclamation and authentication of Jesus Christ to the world.

Usually in the face of enormous persecution and hardship.

HERE YOU HAVE THE 1ST OF SEVEN BEATITUDES IN REVELATION

1. Receive the Blessing for the True Disciple.

Revelation is a Book of Worship

BLESSED

Blessed in the OT Baruk when used in relation to God it has a sense of praise and when used in relation to humanity it denotes a state of happiness.

N.T. equivalent is Markarios has a strong spiritual connotation as in the beatitudes in Matt. 5.

The word seems to carry with it a congratulatory element.

People who are blessed may outwardly be pitied by the world but from a spiritual standpoint they are envied, congratulated and should be imitated.

*Blessings for the Reader

“Blessed are the ones who read aloud this prophecy”

The is the first of 7 Beatitudes in the book of Revelation.

Note: in scripture we see God’s word being written to be read out loud for the Church.

Revelation must be characterized not as apocalyptic but as prophetic-apocalyptic.

Its purpose is not merely to outline the future intervention of God or to portray the people of God symbolically in light of that divine reality but to call the saints to accountability on that basis.

This is a prophetic book of warning as well as comfort to the church

*Blessings for the Heeder

“The words of Revelation demand a response from those who are listening.”

The Blessings come with our personal response of obedience.

The basic principle of perseverance comes to those who are “keeping God’s instructions.”

This becomes one of the major themes throughout the book of Revelation.

THE HEARER IS DEFINED IN TWO CATEGORIES

1).

Those who hear

2).

Those who hear and do what they hear.

Those who hear the instructions properly will “Take it to Heart!”

Its like your kids when you give them important instructions.

There are some things you tell your kids that probably do not have life or death consequences to them.

The problem is that many times kids have trouble differentiating what between what are more important words that are life and death and what are not.

This is why parents will say to their children, repeat back to me what I just told you.

Why do parents do this, because they want to make sure you not only hear but that your hearing leads to actions.

Note: Hearing and Obedience are synonymous in scripture.

It is a given that if you are hearing the words of God then you are heeding them leading to obedience in your life.

How often in scripture do you see the word “Hear” or “listen”?

Romans 10:17

So, saving faith comes through hearing, and this kind of hearing leads to obedience to the words of Christ.