The Apocalypse of Jesus Christ
Theres A Man Going 'Round Taking Names • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Friedrich Moritz August Retzsch called, “Checkmate”. In the painting, a man is playing chess with the devil. The devil is grinning ear-to-ear because he has the man cornered.
So today we begin to dig into the book itself. The first 5 chapters are relatively easy in their symbolism.
I have titled this lesson the Apocalypse of Jesus as apocalypse it is the first word on the book. And it simply means Revelation, to Reveal.
Today we get our first glimpse of Jesus in this book, and maybe it will connect the dots for us when we consider this glimpse in light of the other 65 books of the Bible.
That is another boundary. Our understanding needs to come from what has been revealed in the other 65 books of the Bible.
It’s not new information, just the same information told a different way.
Let us read together chair Bible 826
4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne;
5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood,
6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Even so. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Are you ready for the message God has for us today?
Great! Let’s Dig in!
So one thing we see right away is the audience of the letter and the chain in which the message got to the churches.
1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must shortly take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John,
4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne;
So here is how Revelation came:
Originator God
Gave it to Jesus
Who Gave it to an Angel
Who Gave it to John
Who wrote to the Seven churches of Asia
And we read it today
So first We are not the intended direct audience of the message. That belongs to the Seven Churches.
That said, we are the later audience of the book.
We would be included then in the blessing of verse 3
3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.
This will be true many times in the book, and will help us in our understanding of some of the symbolism. Even the really bizarre and fanciful images!
How urgent is the message?
How urgent is the message?
Note the phrase in verse one “the Revelation of Jesus Christ” so three things here:
Is it the Revelation about Jesus Christ?
Is it the Revelation given by Jesus Christ?
Does Revelation belong to Christ?
Which might it be?
All are technically true!
I lean towards it being a Revelation about Jesus, especially as the chapter continues
The message according to verse 1 concerns things which “must shortly take place” because “the time is near” Verse 3
These two phrases are tied together.
“A clause that anticipates the content of the rest of the book. Unfortunately, this brief clause has also served as the source of a considerable number of speculations about the end times. But as the narrative will soon unfold makes relatively clear, this phrase has less to do the end as such, and mostly to do with the somber events awaiting the churches of John’s day.”
You would think that the word “must” in verse 3 does not mean much but it actuality does.
“Must” here means to be necessary, to be unavoidably determined by prior circumstances.
These are things that cannot be avoided and they are coming, tying directly to being prepared.
These phrases imply that what is coming is unavoidable and happening soon, not necessarily thousands of years from their time.
Revelation ends with this same idea.
6 And he said to me, “These words are faithful and true”; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must shortly take place.
10 And he *said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.
What I find interesting is in another place God tells a prophet to seal the scroll
4 “But as for you, Daniel, aconceal these words and bseal up the book until the cend of time; dmany will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.”
9 And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and asealed up until the end time.
See it seems in scripture that if it was intended as a far off prophecy then John would be asked to seal it, perhaps, just as a thought.
Words of this prophecy
Words of this prophecy
The Greek word for prophecy is interesting
Prophecy is a representative declaration of the mind, will, or knowledge of God. Especially concerning past, present, or future manifestation of the outworking of God’s will or other events.
Where do you think we so often hang our hat? The Future. There are elements of that in the Revelation, but is that Revelation as a whole?
We should remember that in the New Testament prophecy was more than future telling, and certainly there are future elements to what John is writing. However, in Revelation prophecy is often a word spoken into the present situation of the 7 churches, remember they are the direct audience of what we are reading.
Also the primary urgency is not about the final future event but the near future for John and his readers.
Verse three also reminds us of the way teaching was done in the early church.
Remember Paul brought this up in Philippians.
9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you.
So then this letter in the seven churches and likely other churches as this letter would make the rounds was read aloud to hears.
They would then learn form both reading and hearing.
The same is true for us as we read it and hear it, it is still teaching us today. There is a great deal for us to learn in this book.
Jesus among the Churches
Jesus among the Churches
12 And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands;
13 and in the middle of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His breast with a golden girdle.
14 And His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire;
15 and His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been caused to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters.
16 And in His right hand He held seven stars; and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.
17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as a dead man. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,
This is our first glimpse of Jesus.
This is the vision John sees as he turns to see who is speaking to him.
This vision of Jesus calls back to the vision of the Ancient One and the Son of Man in Daniel.
9 “I kept looking Until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow, And the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, Its wheels were a burning fire.
13 “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him.
Again we see that God will often pull from what is in other books of the Bible to help us understand some of what is seen.
This vision of Jesus is a vision revealing Him among His churches.
Implying that nothing escapes His sight. This will become ver apparent in Chapters 2-3.
John is also told by Jesus of His connection to God and the divine.
17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as a dead man. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,
18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.
Jesus Christ has always been and is without end
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever.
Conclusion
So we see right away that the other 65 books of the Bible can help us understand some of what this Apocalypse is revealing to us.
We see the importance of historical context namely that the direct audience of this book is not us, but the 7 churches of Asia, and that context is key to unlocking much of the symbolism and visions of the book.
We also learn an important truth, in His Churches Jesus is still walking among the lampstands, nothing in the church escapes the sight of Jesus!
He is very concerned about what happens in and to His churches, and that is still true today!
3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.
Are you ready to meet Jesus?