Come
Notes
Transcript
Warren Brosi
10/27/24
Dominant Thought: God invites you to come to Him.
Objectives:
I want my listeners to understand the different invitations in Revelation.
I want my listeners to feel drawn to deeper relationship with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
I want my listeners to choose one of the invitations listed to focus attention this week.
When someone wants your attention, they may say, “Come here!” They may say, “Come, check this out.” If someone is in danger, you may politely tell them, “Come over here by me.” When grandma comes to visit, she may say to her grandkids, “Come here and give grandma a kiss.” Today’s command of victory in Revelation is “Come.”
Before we come to the text of Revelation, let’s review the four keys to understanding Revelation. They all begin with the letter, “S.”
1. Style. The style of literature in Revelation is apocalyptic, prophetic, and letter. We expect to encounter visions and images to give hope and encouragement to follow Christ in difficult time. The prophetic portions will guide us to some future events. However, even more, they will proclaim the message of repentance and encouragement to Christ’s followers. This book is written to seven churches in Asia Minor near the end of the first century A. D. It was written to them for us.
2. Setting. The setting of Revelation takes place during the Roman empire. Emperor worship and the idolatry of the trade guilds forced Christians to decide if they would compromise Christ to fit in to society. John, the apostle, was living in exile on the Island of Patmos for his commitment to the word of God and the testimony of Jesus (Revelation 1.9).
3. Symbols. I encourage you to ask three questions when you encounter the symbols of Revelation. First, “Is this symbol good or bad?” Second, “Is this symbol in heaven or earth?” And third, “Is this symbol found in the Old Testament?”
4. Structure. There are two general views of the structure of Revelation. One view looks at Revelation in chronological order. It is written from start to finish in clock time order. A second view looks at Revelation much like verses in a song with a chorus. During the three different sets of seven: seals, trumpets, and bowls, they appear to bring us to the end of the world (Revelation 8.5; 11.19; 16.18). With each set the intensity of the wrath of God grows. I find this second view more helpful in understanding the story of Revelation.
With that review, we are ready to look at our second command of victory: Come. We encounter this command about a dozen times in Revelation. There are a few different forms in the original language, but the idea is generally the same. As we survey this command, we’ll view them as four invitations from God to follow Him closer. Again, I want to give credit to Dr. Mark Scott for his Bible study on these commands from the North American Christian Convention in 2013.
First invitation, Come and see heavenly worship (Revelation 4). In Revelation 4.1, John hears the voice from Revelation 1.10. It sounds likes a trumpet and says, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this” (Rev. 4.1). John is in the Spirit and sees a throne in heaven. It is a powerful scenes with stones like jasper and ruby and a rainbow like an emerald. Around the throne are 24 other thrones with 24 elders. From the throne are flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder (Rev. 4.5). Seven lamps blaze that are the seven spirits of God or the sevenfold Spirit. The number seven could be John’s way to describe the complete or full Spirit of God. It could be a reference to the Holy Spirit.
In the center of the throne are four living creatures covered with eyes. One creature looks like a lion. Another looks like an ox. A third looks like a man. The fourth like a flying eagle. They are flying and saying day and night, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come” (Revelation 4.8). This scene sounds like Isaiah’s vision of God in Isaiah 6. The living creatures sound like Ezekiel’s vision (Ezekiel 1). This scene looks like Daniels 7.9-14.
“When these living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits and throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne...” (Revelation 4.9-10).
John is invited to this scene of heavenly worship. How does this picture of worship contrast with your view of worship?”
A second invitation, Come and see the power of resurrection (Revelation 11). There’s another set of invitations in Revelation 6 we will see in a few moments, but let’s move to Revelation 11. In this chapter, we encounter two witnesses that remind us of Moses and Elijah. We encounter fire, plagues, and the power to keep it from raining. They may be reminding us of the Law and the prophets. They are testifying for God. When they finish their testimony, a beast from the Abyss will attack them, overpower and kill them and they will not be buried (Revelation 11.7-10). This is one of the more difficult texts in Revelation. The people of the earth will gaze on their bodies, refuse them burial, celebrate by sending each other gifts. The prophets who tormented the earth are dead.
This scene in Revelation 11 is quite a contrast from Revelation 4. In Revelation 4, we have the heavenly worship scene with jewels, crowns, and honor for the one who is on the throne. In Revelation 11, we are back on earth and God’s prophets killed and the people of the earth rejoicing over their deaths.
The scene changes in Revelation 11.11, “after three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.” In the opening pages of scripture, see God breathing into the nostrils of Adam with the breath of life and he becomes a living being (Genesis 2.7). In Ezekiel 37, Ezekiel has a vision of dead dry bones. He prophesies to the bones and the breath of life enters them and they stand up as an army (Ezekiel 37.5,10-14). The people who sees this witnesses come to life are afraid. Then they heard the voice from heaven calling tot he two witnesses, “Come up here” (Revelation 11.12). These two witnesses went up to heaven as their enemies looked on. An earthquake happens, part of the city collapses, and 7,000 people killed. Those who survived the earthquake were “terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven” (Revelation 11.13).
Do we live as people who trust in the God who raises the dead? As followers of Christ, do we walk with confidence knowing our faith is founded upon the God who rose Jesus from the dead and will raise us up to Him? Do we walk with resurrection confidence? Do you remember the words of Jesus?
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Third invitation, come and see the judgments of God (Revelation 6 and Revelation 17). In these two chapters, we see invitations to coming judgments. Between the heavenly throne scene in Revelation 4, and the 4 horses of the coming judgment in Revelation 6, John sees a scroll in heaven with seven seals upon it. He weeps because no one is worthy to open the scrolls. The, they see the Lion of the tribe of Judah who has triumphed and is able to open the scroll (Revelation 5.5). In Revelation 5.9, they 24 elders sing a new song, “You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.”
Jesus, the Lamb, is worthy to open the seals of the scroll. Now, we come to Revelation 6 and four times, we hear the voice from living creatures say, “Come!” Each time they say come a different horse and rider come (Revelation 6.1, 3, 5, 7). The riders come out on conquest, to take peace from the earth, holding a pair of scales, and kill with sword, famine, and plague. The fourth rider’s name is Death and Hades was following close behind him (Revelation 6.8). So, with this symbol we ask, “Is this a good or bad?” It’s bad. Judgment has come.
In Revelation 17, we see another invitation to see the judgments of God. “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute. She commits adultery with the kings of the earth and the inhabitants are drunk with the wine of her adulteries (Revelation 17.2).
Later in Revelation 17.15-18, we see the beast hating the prostitute. Evil turns on itself. The beast will bring her to ruin and leave her naked. The beasts and the horns will eat her flesh and burn her with fire (Rev. 17.16). God oversees this destruction over the prostitute also called the great city that rules over the kings of the earth (Rev. 17.18).
Will these pictures of judgment change the way we see the consequences of sin?
Contrast this invitation to see the judgments of God upon the prostitute with another invitation to see the bride of Christ.
Fourth invitation, come and see the bride of Christ (Revelation 21). In Revelation 21.9, one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls of the last plagues says to John, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” John is carried away and shown a city. Much like the prostitute was compared to a city, like Babylon. The bride of the Lamb is compared to the holy city, Jerusalem. Earlier John sees the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven like a bride prepared for her husband (Revelation 21.2).
In contrast to the pride and adulteries of the prostitute in Revelation 17, we encounter a beautiful bride. We see the holy city described much like that heavenly throne room in Revelation 4: brilliant, precious jewels, streets of gold, the glory of God (Revelation 21.11-14, 21). There is no need for the sun or the moon for the Lamb is its lamp. The gates of the city are never shut (Revelation 21.22-27). It’s a safe, pure, intimate, and holy relationship between the bride and the Lamb.
How does this picture of the bride of Christ draw you closer to Him? Mark Scott asks, “Do you admire the bride of Christ?”
There’s one final set of invitations that close. It’s actually and invitation. It’s in Revelation 22.17.
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.
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” You are invited to come to Jesus. Those who are thirsty, come. Those who want the free gift of the water of life, come. Come to Jesus today.
God invites you to come to Him.
This blessed book closes, “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. (Revelation 22.20-21)
