Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction to Revelation

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The letter John wrote to seven churches was written around 95 AD, when John was on the Island of Patmos as a prisoner of Rome.

The letter is a message, to the seven churches, and also to the world of things to take place at a time yet to be determined.

A time only the Father knows (; ).

What is to take place is commonly known as the apocalypse, a time when God will judge mankind.

Some things to note:

I do not know everything written in apocalyptic literature, no one does.

It is important to pray through all that you read and we discuss, prophecy and interpretation of prophecy is from God and not from man ().

There are four theories about the seven year tribulation.

They are Pre, Mid, and Post Tribulation.

There is also a theory where there is no tribulation, this is because some see Revelation as allegorical and not literal at all.

Pre-Tribulation - Jesus will return for the Church (Those whom have put their faith in Him) before the tribulation.

Therefore, they will not have to go through the judgments which await humanity.

Mid-Tribulation - The belief that Jesus will return for His Church after the beast has set himself up to be worshipped in the 3rd Temple.

Post-Tribulation - Jesus will return for His Church after the Great Tribulation of seven years.

Regarding the Millennium, there are Four theories.

Dispensational Premillennialism - Dispensational premillennialism holds that a seven-year tribulation (forseen in ) will precede a thousand-year period () during which time, Christ will reign on the throne of David ().

Historical Premillennialism - Historical premillennialists place the return of Christ just before the millennium and just after a time of great apostasy and tribulation.

Postmillennialism - The postmillennialism believes that the millennium is an era (not a literal thousand years) during which Christ will reign over the earth, not from an literal and earthly throne, but through the gradual increase of the Gospel and its power to change lives.

Amillennialism - The amillennialist believes that the Kingdom of God was inaugurated at Christ's resurrection (hence the term "inaugurated millennialism") at which point he gained victory over both Satan and the Curse.

Christ is even now reigning.

is not considered literal.

Jesus will return for His Church and make all things new.

Revelation

BEB

ἀποκάλυψις (apokalypsis), revelation, what is revealed, a disclosure (; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

God gave Jesus Christ an unveiling to the world, which will soon take place.

This has and will always be part of God’s great plan to judge the world.

Jesus will be revealed to the world at a time only God knows.

Servants

LSJ

δοῦλος (doulos) born bondman or slave, one made a slave

AYBD

✪ δοῦλος (A), Cret.

δῶλος Leg.Gort.1.1,

al., ὁ:—prop.

born bondman or slave, opp.

one made a slave,

LSJ

1528 I. δοῦλος (doulos), ου (ou), ὁ (ho): n.masc.; ≡ DBLHebr 6269; Str 1401 & 1400; TDNT 2.261—LN 87.76 slave, servant (; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ) 1529 II.

δοῦλος (doulos), η (ē), ον (on): adj.; ≡ Str 1401—LN 37.3 subservient to, slavish, servile ((2×)+)

DBL Greek

servants CSB

to … servants ESV

to … slaves LEB

unto … servants KJV 1900

Text Comparison

τοῖς tois

ὁ hothe

ο o the

DDPM article, dative, plural, masculine

G3588 Greek Strong’s

LN 92.24 Louw-Nida

δούλοις doulois

δοῦλος doulosslave

δουλος doulos slave

NDPM noun, dative, plural, masculine

The revelation was given to show those who were slaves of Christ what was to come, to prepare them for what is ahead and to teach others.

Only followers of Christ will understand the hope of His coming, which is part of this prophecy.

It is a promise from God to redeem His people and have a place prepared for them where there will be no more death, pain, sin, and sadness.

G1401 Greek Strong’s

LN 37.3 Louw-Nida

slave noun

Apocalypse Revelation

Prologue 1:1–8

Allusion, Old Testament 1

Angels, Blessing and Cursing, Obedience and Disobedience, Prophecy, Revelation, Service

1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; likewise for servant later in this verse

c ch. 22:16

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches.

I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star!”

Angel

d

And the person who saw it has testified (and his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth), so that you also may believe.

e ch.

6:9; 12:17; 19:10; See

Now when the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been violently killed because of the word of God and because of the testimony they had given.

So the dragon became enraged at the woman and went away to make war on the rest of her children, those who keep God’s commandments and hold to the testimony about Jesus.

12:18 And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore.

Who is this angel?

It does not say.

Why an angel?

Again, it does not say.

However, what we might infer from the passage and a time to come is that Jesus’ time on earth had come to an end and He would not return until the appointed time.

This may be one possibility.

Or, the angel was a messenger sent by God, as has happened many times before.

So I threw myself down at his feet to worship him, but he said, “Do not do this!

I am only a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony about Jesus.

Worship God, for the testimony about Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

just as the testimony about Christ has been confirmed among you—

f ver.

11, 19

John

saying: “Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches—to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”

This is the John whom was one of Jesus’ closest disciples, the one Jesus loved.

John also wrote the Gospel of John, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John.

The letter also notes what kind of servant he was, one who was a witness to the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Therefore write what you saw, what is, and what will be after these things.

John was the oldest living disciple of Jesus and had spent his life witnessing to the world about Christ.

This is the reason why he was on Patmos ().