46. The Revelation of Jesus Christ

Introduction

General: The end of The Wizard of Oz, when Toto pulls the curtain back to reveal what’s really going on behind the scenes.

Personal: Do you ever wonder what’s going on “behind the scenes” in the real world? Why does “power tend to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely”? Why are children in Africa starving to death while America throws away nearly 40% of its food supply each year? Why do corrupt rulers in Africa block aid to their people by requiring bribes to release food shipments? Why does Russia invade Ukraine? Why does China threaten Taiwan? Why is there never really peace in the Middle East? Do you ever wish you could pull the curtain back and see what’s driving all this?

Biblical: You can. That’s exactly what the Book of Revelation does.

“revelation” = ἀποκάλυψις (or “apocalypse”) = unveiling, revealing

Revelation was written by the Apostle John to Christians living at the end of the first century… Whatever Revelation means for us must be anchored to what Revelation meant for them.

Not everything in Revelation is meant to be taken literally.

The locust-scorpion hybrid hoard in Revelation 9 is not John’s best attempt to describe Apache attack helicopters.

Revelation is not just a sequence of final events yet to take place but rather a series of patterns that cycle throughout human history.

Four series of seven: seven seals, seven trumpets, seven thunders, and seven bowls of wrath. Some people see them as four sequences of events yet to take place, but my understanding is that they are John’s way of revealing the spiritual patterns and cycles of evil throughout history until the final cycle and the final judgment.

In one sense, the events in Revelation are true of every generation, the reality revealed is true in every generation, and the application to life is true for every generation.

“Nero Caesar” in Hebrew adds up to 666.

Subject: What does the Book of Revelation reveal? What is behind the curtain that the Book of Revelation pulls back?

Body

History’s Pattern: All human kingdoms eventually become Babylon. Every human society becomes corrupt.

Exposition:

Babylon was a real Old Testament city that the Bible uses as the archetype of humanity’s rebellion against God.

The Four Horsemen (Rev 6:1-8): Conquest, War, Famine, Death. The pursuit of power leads to conquest, cruelty, and tyranny. The hatred of others leads to abuse, senseless violence, and war. Greed leads to exploitation of the poor, scarcity, and famine. Lust and gluttony lead to disease, plague, and death.

Babylon was a kingdom whose military might and economic prosperity became corrupted by pride, power, greed and lust, and turned to evil, oppression, tyranny, persecution and death.

Human kingdoms eventually become Babylon because behind the scenes there is another character at work: the dragon (Rev 12:9).

The Bible has various names for the devil: Job 1:6, Satan (adversary or accuser); Matt 6:13, the evil one; John 8:44, the father of lies; Matt 12:24, Beelzebul (lord of the flies); 1 Peter 5:8, diabolos (the devil); and Gen 3:1, he makes his first appearance as the serpent.

From the beginning, Satan has been lying to us to make us (1) question God’s Word, (2) doubt God’s goodness, and (3) take matters into our own hands.

We trusted the serpent instead of trusting God, and we became enslaved to sin and death. And now, all human kingdoms eventually devolve into evil. Led by the dragon, human kingdoms become Babylon. Power and wealth become corrupted by sin and lead to oppression and death.

Illustration: This pattern repeats itself throughout human history. Babylon > Egypt > Assyria > Persia > Greece > Rome > Europe > USA. It’s the story of Animal Farm by George Orwell.

Application: We’re stuck in a cycle of death. And we can’t break free… Psalm 146:3-5 (NET).

Psalm 146:3–5 NET

3 Do not trust in princes, or in human beings, who cannot deliver! 4 Their life’s breath departs, they return to the ground; on that day their plans die. 5 How blessed is the one whose helper is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God,

God’s Promise: Jesus will return and remove evil from his world. Christ will come back to destroy evil.

Exposition: Revelation 5:6-14...

Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He is the final Redeemer.

Just as there is a pattern of human kingdoms becoming Babylon, there is a pattern of God sending a redeemer to save his people from the evil of Babylon.

Noah built the ark and saved his family from the flood.

Moses brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt.

David defeated Goliath and established Israel as a nation.

But none of those redeemers could break the power of sin. Even Israel, God’s chosen people, eventually became corrupted by power, greed, and lust. They turned into Babylon, so God sent them into exile in the real Babylon.

The only thing that will break the cycle of Babylon is a Redeemer who can break the power of sin, overcome death, and defeat the dragon. And that’s exactly what Jesus does. He came to break the devil’s power, destroy the devil’s work, and set the captives free.

Revelation 20:7-10… Satan is utterly defeated and evil is destroyed forever.

Application: Revelation 20:11-15… Is your name written in the Book of Life? In which kingdom are you?

Our Purpose: Overcome evil by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. Resist Babylon by following Jesus and sharing him with others.

Exposition:

Revelation 12:9-11… Evil is not overcome by violence but by the suffering of Christ and the proclamation of the gospel: that Jesus saves sinners.

It is through the power of God at work in our lives, our example, and our witness that hope and freedom are revealed.

It is through our willingness to suffer, our love for one another, and our faithfulness to Christ that the way of life is revealed.

We become a revelation of God’s kingdom when we patiently endure tribulation together in Christ.

Application: People will be saved by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.

Conclusion

Meditate on John 16:33 as we prepare to receive Communion.