The Book of Revelation Series- Revelation, A Special Book- Sermon 1

The Book of Revelation Study- Sermon 1 Revelation, A Special Book Introduction: Revelation is a book of hope about the future and about the present. John the beloved proclaimed our victorious Lord would return to vindicate the righteous and judge the wicked. But Revelation is also a warning! Things were not as they should have been in the churches, so Christ called the members to commit themselves to live in righteousness. Although Jesus gave this revelation to John nearly 2000 years ago, it still stands as a comfort and challenge to God's people today. We can take heart as we understand John's vision of hope. Christ will return to rescue His people and settle accounts with all who defy Him. The Book of Revelation unveils Christ full identity and God's plan for the end of the world, and it focuses on Jesus Christ, his Second Coming, his victory over evil, and the establishment of His Kingdom. I encourage you as we read and study through the book of Revelation, don't focus so much on the timetable of events or the details of John's imagery that you miss the main message-the infinite love, power, and justice of the Lord Jesus Christ! 1. The Title of The Book- Rev. 1:1 Revelation- Translated simply means to uncover, to reveal, to make manifest. Revelation is an open book in which God reveals His plans & purposes to His Church. John's prophecy is primarily the revelation of Jesus Christ, not the revelation of future events. 2. The Author of The Book 1:1b-2 The Apostle John- Used by the Holy Spirit John wrote The Gospel of John, 1,2,3 John & The Revelation. Written about 95 AD under Titus Domitian who demanded he be worshipped as Lord & God it is believed he is the emperor who sent John to the Isle of Patmos The Father gave the Revelation to the Son and The Son shared it with the Apostle John using His angel as intermediary & sometimes Christ conveyed information to John; sometimes an elder (Rev. 7:13). No matter what means he received the Word it was all inspired by the Spirit. The word signified in (1:1) is important. It means to show by a sign. In Revelation the noun is translated as sign (Rev. 15:1), wonder & miracle. As we study Revelation expect to encounter a great deal of symbolism. Why symbolism? For one thing, this kind of "spiritual code" is understood by those who know Christ personally. Also, symbolism is not weakened by time. Thirdly, symbols not only convey information, but it imparts value and arouses emotions. For example, John could have written "a dictator will rule the world", but instead he described a beast. The symbol says much more than the title of dictator. In Understanding John's Symbolism, we must be careful not to let our imaginations run wild. Biblical symbols are consistent with the whole biblical revelation. WE MUST RIGHTLY DIVIDE THE WORD (2 Timothy 2:15)! As the old adage goes, A text without a context is a pretext for a proof text! Nearly 300 references to the Old Testament are found in Revelation. We must anchor our interpretations to what God has already reveled, lest we misinterpret this very important prophetic book. 3. The Readers of The Book- v. 3-4 Originally written to the 7 local churches in Asia Minor, John was clear that any believer can read and profit from it. The verb "read" here means to read out loud! During this time the Church was going through intense persecution & needed encouragement. As they heard this book, it's message would give them strength & hope Even more, the message of Revelation would help them examine their own lives to determine those areas that needed correction. They weren't only to hear the Word but keep it! There are 7 beatitudes in Revelation: 1:3, 14:13, 16:15, 19:9,20:6, 22:7, 14. The number 7 is important in this book as it represents fulness & completion. In this book God tells us how He is going to complete His Great Work and usher in His eternal kingdom. The promise of Jesus Christ's coming should be to all Christians a motivation for obedience & consecration. When Daniel received God's revelations of the future they fell as dead men. (Daniel 10:7-10, Rev. 1:17) 4. The Dedication of the Book- v. 1:4-6 John reminds his readers here that it is the Triune God who had saved them and would keep them through all their fiery trials and suffering. All history is part of God's plan including the world's persecution of the church. Next, the Holy Spirit is seen in His fullness for there is only one Spirit. The 7 refers to Isa. 11:2 Finally, Jesus Christ is seen in His three-fold office as Prophet (Faithful Witness), Priest (first begotten from the dead) and King (Prince of the kings of the earth). Of the 3 persons of the Trinity it is Christ alone this book is dedicated. Why? For all He has done for His people. He loves us, He washed us from our sins, and final He has made us a kingdom of priests and THIS IS THE EMPHASIS OF REVELATION! In His Love, God called Israel to be a kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:1-6) but the failed God and their kingdom was taken from them. Today, God's people (The Church) are His kings & priests (1 Peter 2:1-10), exercising spiritual authority and serving God in this world. 5. The Theme of the Book- v.7-8 The Overriding theme of Revelation is the return of Jesus Christ to defeat ALL evil and to establish His reign. It is definitely a book of victory and His people are seen as overcomers. (Rev. 2:7, 11,17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; 11:7; 12:11; 15:2; 21:7). Behold He cometh with clouds in Rev. 1:7 describes our Lord's return to the earth. This is NOT the same as His return in the air to catch away(rapture) His people (1 Thess. 4:13-18) When Jesus raptures the church it will be "as a thief" (Rev. 3:3) and only those who are saved will see Him. REV. 1:7 will be witnessed by the whole world and will climax the tribulation period. WHAT IS THE NEXT EVENT ON GOD'S CALENDAR? The Rapture of the CHURCH! Christ's promise in Rev. 3:10-11 shows us the Church will NOT go through the tribulation. NOTICE: There is no mention of the word church from Rev. 3:22-22:16- Daniel 9:25-27 says the tribulation will last 7 years. God is Alpha & Omega, Eternal God, Unlimited by time- THE ALMIGHTY! (Rev. 1:8) Conclusion: Church don't be discouraged! We are on the winning side. Our outcome was determined before the foundation of the world. There is no outcome that God does not have an Outline for. We are Glory Bound with the Hammer Down! If you are here tonight and unsure where you stand with God, please come and let me take a copy of God's Word and show you how you can know for sure that you are saved!