The Apocalypse is Here!
Notes
Transcript
Announcements:
Announcements:
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Introduction: Revelation
Introduction: Revelation
What do you think of when you think of the book of Revelation?
Judgement
End times
The Rapture
The Tribulation
Beheading of Martyrs
Heaven
Before we get started, I’m curious—How many of you have specific questions about Revelation?
How many of you have read the book of Revelation?
How many of you were confused at some point?
That is okay. Revelation is quite possibly, the hardest book in the Bible to understand
You need to know the whole Bible to understand it
It is full of symbolism
And so many people have so many opinions on the book—it seems like you have to take sides and divide as Christians over how we interpret this book
And I’ve seen this personally
So today, as we start this series, I don’t want to get lost in each detail
I want us to see the big picture of the entire book
What is it’s message?
What does it actually mean for you and me today in 2026?
You see, probably the largest problem I see with people interpreting Revelation today is that they focus so much on the future—they lose the meaning of the book right in front of them
Now, I do believe Revelation speaks about the future—but it is not a codebook—waiting to be deciphered at just the right time in history
It is a letter to the early (suffering and persecuted Church)
John (the last remaining disciple) is writing this
Do you think the final book of the Bible—written to the suffering church is:
Here is a codebook that you will never really understand—I know you’re suffering but just preserve this book for some future generation thousands of years from now
I don’t believe so! — Revelation was a powerful word for the early church and in contains a powerful message for us today.
So what is that message?
To answer that we have to look at the Title of this book and the first verse:
1 The revelation of Jesus Christ that God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, whatever he saw.
This word ‘Revelation’ is the title of the book and is key to understanding it
In Greek this word is ‘apokalypsis’
Does that sound like any word we know?
Apocalypse
So in Greek it reads like this:
“The Apocalypse of Jesus Christ that God Gave him to show his servants what must soon take place.”
That sounds how we expect the book to sound—The end of the world!
But that isn’t what the word means
Bear with me as I nerd out on some Greek
Apokalypsis comes from the root word: Kalypto
Kalypto simply means to veil or cover something
24 Suddenly, a violent storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves—but Jesus kept sleeping.
8 Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.
16 “No one, after lighting a lamp, covers it with a basket or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand so that those who come in may see its light.
So ‘apokalypsis’ simply means the opposite—to uncover, to unveil, to expose
And “apocalyptic” writing isn’t only found in Revelation
Its actually all throughout the Bible
Specifically in the prophets
And the way I like to think about it is an uncovering what is really behind the scenes
Colosseum (backstage)
We know there is a spiritual reality behind everything
We can only see the physical
And at times God sends prophets to unveil what is behind the scene
And sometimes it can be a little crazy
Example: Beasts in Daniel 7 // Ezekiel 37 — Valley of Dry Bones
There is a spiritual reality behind the scenes
And when a revelation or apocalypse occurs — the curtains are pulled back
So this book starts with:
1 The revelation of Jesus Christ that God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place.
It is an unveiling of who Jesus is and what must soon take place
So as we spend the next several weeks in this book, this is my aim:
That we can see more clearly than ever—what is happening in this world—and who Jesus really is
That these truths are uncovered, unveiled, and exposed for us to see
So with all of that said: What does a revelation/apocalypse of Jesus look like?
What does it look like when Jesus is unveiled?
Are you tracking with me?
For John—It is a reminder of Jesus’s glory and power—He walked this earth with Jesus
12 Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me. When I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was one like the Son of Man, dressed in a robe and with a golden sash wrapped around his chest. 14 The hair of his head was white as wool—white as snow—and his eyes like a fiery flame. 15 His feet were like fine bronze as it is fired in a furnace, and his voice like the sound of cascading waters. 16 He had seven stars in his right hand; a sharp double-edged sword came from his mouth, and his face was shining like the sun at full strength.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. He laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid. I am the First and the Last,
Throughout the book of Revelation, and actually throughout the Bible we see revelations of God like this—And when we do—it is a double edged sword:
To those who are going against God and his people and plans: A revelation of Jesus is scary—It is a wake-up call and a call to repentance —YOU ARE GOING THE WRONG WAY
To those who are following God and are suffering, discouraged, and weak: A revelation of Jesus is the greatest comfort, encouragement, and hope
It is the same revelation of Jesus: but the question is where we are
The same Sun either melts wax or hardens clay
Some examples (outside of Revelation) include:
Gen 16 — Hagar—Where are you going? I have heard your cry of affliction Gen 16 13
13 So she named the Lord who spoke to her: “You are El-roi,” for she said, “In this place, have I actually seen the one who sees me?
Acts 9 — Paul on the Road to Damascus
And as we look at the book of Revelation as a whole:
We see both
For those who are opposing God—Revelation is a terrifying book
God will bring every injustice to light—and bring judgement on this earth
For those who are persecuted and oppressed — Revelation is filled with hope that God will win in the end
Even though everything is coming against us—We know how the story ends
Does this make sense?
In my own life:
College experience — I’m on the wrong path and I had a revelation from God—and it was terrifying
I can continue on the road — but I knew where it ended
I was so aware of my own sin, brokenness, and need for a savior — That it was the definitive moment where I gave myself completely to the Lord
Betrayal from a Friend — Revelation — Jesus knows
Jesus is constantly trying to reveal himself in our lives and speak to us
But often we don’t let him — we are too busy or too comfortable
We know we aren’t living life how he would want it—but we ignore that feeling
Or we are suffering but we actually refuse the comfort of God—My hurt is too much—and we isolate
But what if we waited on the Lord for a fresh revelation?
To hear what he might want to speak to us?
I think we would all find him with something for each of us
So I want you to hold that in your mind
And as we continue through this series, hopefully we can begin to see Jesus and the things in this world more clearly
But I want to draw our attention to chapters 2 and 3
In chapters 2 & 3 — Jesus has John write a letter to the church in each of 7 cities
Some of them have problems that need addressing
Some of them are suffering and are in need of encouragement
And we see Jesus revealed in each of their contexts
We see an apocalypse of Jesus brings comfort, conviction, and sometimes both.
Very briefly, I’m going to break down the message to each church—but we are going to break up into small groups to read through these letters together:
To the church in Ephesus, Jesus acknowledges their endurance in keeping sound teaching, while pointing out the error of abandoning their first love, ultimately calling them into repentance.
To Smyrna, a suffering and poor church, an apocalypse of Jesus is one of comfort and encouragement.
To Pergamum, they are commended for ‘holding onto Jesus’s name and not denying their faith’, but it is pointed out that they had let false teachings creep into their community, and we again see a calling of repentance.
To Thyatira, we see the flip side of the Ephesians, they are growing in their love, faithfulness, service, and endurance, but they have also tolerated false teachings that have led them into sin. This too is followed by another charge to repent from this error.
To Sardis, the church with a reputation for being alive, an apocalypse, an unveiling, reveals that this church is actually dead. These hard words are followed by yet another call to repent.
To the church in Philadelphia, who has followed Jesus and endured persecution, Jesus brings hope and comfort regarding their certain future.
Finally, to the Laodicians, Jesus points out their complacency and confidence in their wealth and tells them, “As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be zealous and repent.”
In all of this, even the harsh words come from a place of love. To each church, Jesus offers a promise to the one who overcomes. Our churches and individual lives can often reflect many of the circumstances these early churches found themselves in. What is it that Jesus would reveal to us today? Would we find ourselves like the suffering church of Smyrna in need of encouragement? Or like the church of Sardis, do we have a reputation of being alive—but really its all a show? Let’s seriously consider what these words mean for us today. As Jesus said to each of the seven churches, “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.”
If we humble ourselves, and listen to the Lord—He will reveal himself to us
We’re going to split up to read through these in a few groups and read chapters 2 and 3
Don’t get bogged down on every detail, but try and focus on what Jesus is saying to each of the churches
Small Group Questions:
Small Group Questions:
Icebreaker: Never Have I Ever with 4 lives
Does anything Jesus has to say to the seven churches stand out to you?
2. What do you make of the invitations to listen to the Spirit and the promises to the one who conquers that Jesus makes to every church?
3. What would it mean if Jesus showed up right now in your life?
What do you think He would have to say?
Pray for each other
