SF829 - THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING THE REVELATION (Revelation 1 19)
Revelation 1:19
INTRODUCTION
Revelation is the final book because it finishes the story!
This verse gives the key to understanding the Revelation and the Bible as a whole!
God outlines Revelation in three points - This is an overview...
God’s Glory (Chapter 1)
“What you have seen...”
God’s Grace (Chapters 2-3)
“What is now” = the church age!
God’s Government (Chapters 4-22)
“What will take place after this”
1A. GOD’S GLORY (1:12-18)
This is a vision of the glorified Christ!
He saw Jesus...
As sovereign
As judge
In His glory!
Revelation is written to reveal Christ in all his glory!
2A. GOD’S GRACE (2:1 - 3:22)
Seven literally churches
They are also representative
Key word = “church”
Beginning with chapter four, the church disappears.
Begins with Ephesus - Left first love
Ends with Laodicea - Lukewarmness = “the worst form of blasphemy”
3A. GOD’S GOVERNMENT (4:1 - 22:21)
1B. The Rapture of the Church - The First Resurrection (4:1)
John called up by a trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:50-53)
We will be called up! (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17)
The word Rapture is not found in Bible
Ø Neither are the words, trinity, missions, millennium
2B. The Great Tribulation (9:6)
(Matthew 24:21) For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now‑‑and never to be equaled again.
It will last seven years
The Beast (Antichrist) - Dominant political leader (Revelation 13:1-8)
The False Prophet - Religious leader/right hand man (Rev 13:11-17)
Ø [Also called "another beast"]
This will be a time of God’s wrath and judgement on sin.
Ø Men will seek death (9:6)
Those who trust Christ will suffer extreme persecution.
The Antichrist will set himself up as God
Ø Israel will refuse to worship him
Ø He will lash out against them
Anti-Christ will gather the armies of the world to the valley of Armageddon
(Zechariah 12:3) On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves.
Ø His purpose will be to exterminate the Jews
It will end with the Battle of Armageddon (16:16; 19:19-21)
3B. The Second Coming
Jesus will descend from Heaven (19:11 - 13)
His saints will accompany Him (19:14)
He will conquer the Beast and the False Prophet (19:20)
Then He will destroy those who sided with the Beast (19:21)
He will bind Satan for a thousand years (20:1-3)
The Jews will then look to Jesus.
(Zechariah 12:10) "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.
4B. The Millennium (20:6)
Only believers will enter this perfect environment
It will be a time of the perfect reign of Christ!
Ø 1000 years
God fulfills his promises in the Disciples prayer and the beatitudes
Matthew 5:5 (NKJV) 5Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.
Three views
Ø Amillennialist - no millennium
Ø Post - millennialist - Jesus will come after the millennium
Ø Pre - Millennial - Jesus before
Satan will be freed and will deceive some of those born during this time. (20:7-9)
The Lord will destroy these unbelievers and cast Satan into the Lake of Fire (20:9-10)
5B. The Great White Throne Judgement - The Second Resurrection (20:11-15)
The final judgement follows the millennium - Why?
Ø Because judgement cannot come until the final record is in.
This is not a judgement to determine salvation
Romans 8:1 (NKJV) 1There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,£ who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
This is a final sentencing
Ø Hades = the abode of the dead = the soul
Ø Death = has the body
Ø Here they are re-united
Ø There will be different degrees of punishment.
6B. The New Creation (21:1 - 22:21)
God will create a new universe
2 Peter 3:13 "But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness."
Revelation 21:1 "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea."
God will remove all pain and sorrow
Revelation 21:4 "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
APPLICATION
God has planned in exact order His redemptive history.
No one will be left out of God’s plan.
The rapture could happen at any time!
We must be ready when He comes!
THE KEY TO UNDERSTAND THE REVELATION
Sunday, April 18, 1999
Revelation 1:19
1A. GOD’S _____________________ (1:12-18)
2A. GOD’S GRACE (2:1 - 3:22)
3A. GOD’S GOVERNMENT (4:1 - 22:21)
1B. The ____________________ of the Church - The First Resurrection (4:1)
2B. The ________________ Tribulation
The _______________ (Antichrist) - Dominant political leader (Revelation 13:1-8)
The _______________ Prophet - Religious leader/right hand man (Rev 13:11-17)
This will be a time of God’s wrath and judgement on sin.
Those who trust Christ will suffer extreme persecution.
Last seven years and will end with the Battle of Armageddon (Rev 6-18)
The Antichrist will set himself up as God
3B. The _________________ Coming
He will _____________________ the armies of the world to the valley of Armageddon (16:16; 19:19-21)
Jesus will ______________ from Heaven (19:11 - 13)
He will conquer the Beast and the False Prophet (19:20)
Then He will _________________ those who sided with the Beast (19:21)
He will ________ Satan for a thousand years (20:1-3)
The Jews will look to Jesus.
4B. The Millennium (20:6)
Only ___________ will enter this perfect environment
It will be a time of the ____________ reign of Christ!
God fulfills his promises in the Disciples prayer and the beatitudes
Three _________________
Ø Amillennialist - no millennium
Ø Post - millennialist - Jesus will come after the millennium
Ø Pre - Millennial - Jesus before
Satan will be ___________ and will deceive some of those born during this time. (20:7-9)
The Lord will ___________ these unbelievers and cast Satan into the Lake of Fire (20:9-10)
5B. The Great ______________ Throne Judgement - The Second Resurrection (20:11-15)
The ___________ judgement follows the millennium
This is ________ a judgement to determine salvation
This is a __________________ sentencing
6B. The _____________ Creation (21:1 - 22:21)
God will create a ____________ universe
2 Peter 3:13
Revelation 21:1
God will remove all ___________ and _____________
Revelation 21:4