Revelation Part 1

REVELATION PART 1

"THE CHRIST"

Rev 1:19 "Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen.

INTRODUCTION

The book of Revelation is often ignored in Bible study groups, and even by preachers because of all the difficult symbolism and sometimes vague sounding visions … but it is the one book in the Bible that God promises a special blessing to those who simply read it.

Rev 1:3 God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and He blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.

Another reason it is often ignored is because it is not understood correctly, and the focus of those who study it is more point toward trying to piece together a detailed plan of the future.

While there certainly are predictive elements to the book about the future this is not the total focus of the book, even its title should help us see this, it is NOT "THE REVELATION OF THE FUTURE" but "THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST."

It is as much about Christ as it is about the future! In fact, this is where the book begins … you cannot look to the future without first coming to Christ who holds the future!

Without Christ there is no guaranteed future, and without hope for a future there is no striving to be better!

The fact is that only Christians have a firm conviction that the future is certain, and we have this because of the book of Revelation which clearly says that God is in control … we have a future to look forward to!

The book of Revelation shows us the glorified Christ and the certainty of His ruling over all things … we are not stumbling toward an uncertain future … but we will not enjoy this future if we are not in fellowship with the King!

Rev 1:1 This is a revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show His servants the events that must soon take place. He sent an angel to present this revelation to His servant John,

Rev 1:2 who faithfully reported everything he saw. This is his report of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Rev 1:3 God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and He blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.

Rev 1:4 This letter is from John to the seven churches in the province of Asia. Grace and peace to you from the One who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before His throne;

Rev 1:5 and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world. All glory to Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding His blood for us.

Rev 1:6 He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God His Father. All glory and power to Him forever and ever! Amen.

The focus is this book is Christ!

There would be no reason to detail the future without first detailing who is in control of it … and so the book of Revelation begins with a vision of Christ, not a vision of future details of history!

John reveals Christ differently here from the Gospels.

In the Gospels we are introduced to the baby Jesus, the Son of man, the one who was the suffering servant … who willingly subjected Himself to wicked humanity and died for our sins.

This was Jesus at His first coming … a man that most were not afraid of, nor was Rome impressed with Him … and certainly the Jews didn't take Him seriously for the most part.

Jesus in the Gospels is the man of sorrow, acquainted with grief, pierced with our iniquities,

Isa 53:3 He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on Him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.

Isa 53:4 Yet it was our weaknesses He carried; it was our sorrows that weighed Him down. And we thought His troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for His own sins!

Isa 53:5 But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.

But here John REVEALS Christ as the King of Glory!

Jesus here is the conqueror, the one in charge of history, the one who alone controls the future, controls the nations, controls all of the universe!

This is the Jesus who is coming!

We must see this Jesus for faith in the future! No other leader has ever emerged that controls the future!

The pride of a man that keeps himself from coming to God is that he believes he is in control of the future without God.

This revelation that only God controls the future should bring us to our knees to acknowledge Him as Lord!

John's view of the future begins with Christ … and so must ours!

What is so amazing here is that John's vision of Revelation moves from Christ to the Church … the body of Christ!

The Church is not some passive actor on the stage of life and this is time to be clear, Jesus as King rules not only the universe, but His Church as well.

One day the Church will rule with Him all of creation!

This vision is given to John to awaken the Church to both who Jesus Christ is as the risen Lord, the Lord of the second coming, and also to call the Church to prepare for the future as the ruling body of Christ!

We cannot afford to be lax in our living as His Church, we should be planning on the future!

Plan ahead--it was not raining when Noah built the ark. -- Croft M. Pentz, The Complete Book of Zingers (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1990).

This Revelation was to stir the Church to being on guard, to live knowing that Christ's return was imminent, that God has a plan that we are to be ready for.

The first part of the book reveals the coming King Jesus in power … and the next part contains messages to the Churches about being ready, and impacting the world while there is still time.

Matt 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

Matt 5:14 "You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.

Matt 5:15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.

Matt 5:16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Jesus specifically defined the role of the church in society as that of salt and light. Salt preserves and seasons. ...

When the church compromises and becomes more like the world, it loses its flavor and, as Jesus said, "is good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men."

Salt is perhaps most well known as a food preservative and flavoring agent. It has been used to preserve food for many thousands of years and is the most common seasoning.

But salt also plays other, lesser-known roles in the food we eat as an essential nutrient, providing flavor and texture, and enhancing color.

Jesus also said, "You are the light of the world." there in verse 14.

Now what is the difference between salt and light?

Salt relates to our character; light relates to our conduct. Salt deals with what we are; light deals with what we do.

We know what light does-it dispels darkness, and it attracts. If you're in a dark place with just one light, all eyes will focus on that light.

Now it ought to be obvious, but the reason why Jesus commands that we shine as light is because this world is in total darkness.

Several times in the Bible we are commanded to shine as light in a dark world.

2 Cor. 4:6 says, "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

Phil. 2:15 says, "*that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world."

Eph. 5:8 says, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light."

Now some of you may be thinking: "Wait a minute. Jesus said, 'I am the light of the world.' How are we to be lights?" Well, it is very simple. You see, Jesus is the sun; we are the moon. He is the light that reveals God; we are to be the light that reflects God.

John 8:12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, "I am the light of the world. If you follow Me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life."

So I went into this because this revelation is given to rouse the Church, to impact the world, to get its own house in order … to be at the ready for Christ's triumphant return.

The Church cannot take the luxury of deciding it has plenty of time, there is a sense urgency to the book of Revelation.

The early Church expected Christ's return at any moment … and so should we … we are closer now to His return than at any other time in history!

John is clear in the Revelation given him that the Church is called to be a nation of priests to serve God … we are on a mission, a time sensitive one!

Rev 1:6 He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God His Father. All glory and power to Him forever and ever! Amen.

The Church of Jesus Christ should not be idle and lazy or afraid but we should be the salt and light of today.

Rev 1:7 Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven. And everyone will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the nations of the world will mourn for Him. Yes! Amen!

Rev 1:8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end," says the Lord God. "I am the One who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One."

John now turns to the future, but still with Christ as the focal point!

He sees Jesus in power, the people of the earth when they view Christ will mourn … those who don't know Him as Savior that is.

Jesus is shown now as the "Alpha and Omega" - the first and the last!

Christ is over all things, this is more than the suffering servant, it is the ruling king!

Jesus will reveal to John a picture of the future, these rumblings of what is to come were meant to cause both the Church and the world to get ready … to prepare for the future God has planned.

These warnings should not be ignored, too often they are!

Today many people ignore the teaching of the Church that Jesus is coming back again … this will prove very unfortunate for those who ignore the opportunity NOW.

Even more tragic is that some Churches don't preach or teach about the second of Christ anymore! How can this be!!!???

This REVELATION was being given to John to send to the 7 churches, the world will not prepare if the Church does not!

2 Peter 3:4 They will say, "What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created."

If you read on in the next few verses, Peter tells about how they have forgot about the power of God and who created this world and who destroy the world by water and will destroy it by fire.

Now look at these verses:

2 Peter 3:8 But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord isn't really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.

2 Peter 3:11 Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live,

2 Peter 3:12 looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, He will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames.

2 Peter 3:13 But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth He has promised, a world filled with God's righteousness.

2 Peter 3:14 And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in His sight.

You see, knowledge about the future was not intended to satisfy our curiosity about specific details on tomorrow, it was meant to change us in the present as we realize that He is coming again with a certain future!

It also was meant to show that evil will not triumphant over God, or His Church.

Rev 1:17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as if I were dead. But He laid His right hand on me and said, "Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last.

Rev 1:18 I am the living One. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.

The 7 churches were being asked to take seriously the future by living seriously in the present, there are practical purposes to prophecy!

This REVELATION from God was meant to drive home the fact that death is the not the final end. We have serious things to consider because we continue to live after death!

ILLUS:

A letter came from Health and Human Services to a resident of Greenville County, South Carolina: "Your food stamps will be stopped, effective March 1992, because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if your circumstances change." -- S. Bowen Matthews, Wilmington, Delaware. Leadership, Vol. 17, no.

Rev 1:20 This is the meaning of the mystery of the seven stars you saw in My right hand and the seven gold lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

The 7 lampstands are the 7 churches.

Notice that Christ is said to be "among the lampstands" -- He is among His Church!

Even in the frightening pictures of disaster that Revelation will later speak about there should be calm in the Church, for Christ is among the church!

But also we have the promise of the second coming of Christ is which is our blessed hope!

John sees the glorified Christ, brilliant and powerful … this picture of Christ's supremacy was meant to inspire fear in the ungodly, but calm to the godly!

Look at:

Rev 1:17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as if I were dead. But He laid His right hand on me and said, "Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last.

How many times did Jesus use the phrase with those He loved, "Do not be afraid, it is I." -- or "fear not"

This view of Jesus is one of power, absolute power … nothing is greater than Christ and this alone should have allayed any fears or nervousness they might have had about the future.

Jesus alone holds the keys of Hell and death and for those who belong to Him the future is only a good one!

Rev 1:18 I am the living One. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.

The book of Revelation is first and foremost a Revelation about Jesus, not just the future -- even the title of the book suggests this: "THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST."

The focus is not just the future, it is the power of God in control of the future.

You can get lost in the symbols and miss the message -- the message is simply,

"GOD HAS A PLAN FOR TOMORROW -- AND HIS CHURCH WILL BE TRIUMPHANT!"

What is your hope of the future based on, and are you ready for it?