Revelations 1:1-3
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What is the first thing that goes through your mind when I say we are going to study the Book of revelations?
Its over - Get ready - Time to build a bunker and go to Costco and get cases of Beans, Water and of course toilet paper. It is what we do when we get scared or fearfull.
If you are a young man , you want to get married right away , so you can have some fun before you die.
If you are a total pessimist and mid tribber or post tribbber you say this is going to hurt.
Or some of you might have said
Don’t read it, don’t want to read it, Just tell me how it ends.
If you are Pre-trib- it is like a war movie where we win and as long as the battle is not in my front yard and doesn’t cause me to get out of my chair - I will treat it as a superbowl game.
Revelations - The book of the Apocalypse
The one know one likes to read
It is like a Steven Spielberg Movie
The Title stirs up a cosmic battle between good and evil.
The truth of the matter is - God Wins - Easily may I add
In reality we do have an enemy of our soul that is Satan. He has been destroying lives since the fall and is not about to stop until Jesus deals with him decisively in the end. The war is here even though you are victorious. We recognize it and we can walk in great hope and expectation of an awesome future in Jesus. AMEN
Satan’s Motto to the Nations is; Follow Jesus and the nations will be destroyed. Kill Jesus and the nations will be saved. Leaders that follow Satan ( who mostly are unaware) are doing whatever they can to kill Jesus. Kill His message and remove Godly influence from every area of life. Starting in the education system, government, and everything else that has authority.
Revelations is a book that gives comfort in the storm, Hope where there seems to be no hope, and reveals a God who in His sovereignty comes at the right time , with a divine plan that encompasses all eternity.
It is Victory - over Satan, over evil kingdoms, over antichrist, over everything that sets itself up against Christ and His bride, over
It was written by the Apostle John - for his day and for our day. Written during the time of intense persecution under Domitian. But in the midst of it is Jesus - AMEN
It is defined as an unveiling- Taking the cover off- Its original title would be the apocalypse. It is revealing something that is hidden. It really blows the lid off of church history and the future.
It is full of symbols and visions, #7 = completeness, #6 incompleteness, , 1,000 a long period of time. #666 number of the beast- some say it was Nero because of how it is spelled out.
It this book we have Seven Visions, letters, seals, trumpets, bowl etc seven beatitudes, churches, spirits
We can really safely say that everything that needs to happen will happen.
When the time is complete the end result is Jesus will be ruling, Satan will be dealt with once and for all. We will spend eternity with the King of Kings.
Before I start I want you to know these are the revelations of Jesus
Revelation 1:1–3 (ESV)
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.
Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
The revelation is given by Christ Himself. These are not the words of man moved by the Holy Spirit these are the words of God directly from himself. Do you think that is significant.
God sent an Angel (Messenger) to John. This might be interesting, He uses the Word His angel. That makes it even more personal.
John bore witness to the Angel and what he saw. We immediately get into the vision of Christ whic hwe will talk about next week . This isn’t just a story it is the story from authorized representative.
The revelations concern things to take place soon. When we say soon because this is apocalyptic literature - soon can mean right now, in the near future, and in the distant future. It is History written that will not be altered. The timeline is not as significant as the context. We love a timeline. To God a day is as 1000 years. He does not have to follow our timeline. We can be assured of one thing. If God said is is so, it is so. AMEN.
The early church thought it was in there timeline.
“Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.
“Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.
This is critical for you to understand. This is your Hope. You have a future beyond this short timeline. John is the last of the twelve disciples This message had to be said then and we have to hear it now.
Every Generation is to watch, be on the alert and be ready. It is a test of your motivation. You do not know the time of your death, or Christs return so, live like Jesus is coming today but plan like Jesus isn’t coming yet.
Seventh day Adventists got this one wrong numerous times. People sold all that they had and went and stood in a field expecting Jesus to return on a specific day. He didn’t and they had to start all over again.
Remember Y2K- How many people stocked up and had to figure out how to eat the 100 lbs of rice and beans they bought.
God sent an Angel to accurately give the message about what to expect
The revelation is a Blessing to people who do three things. You are blessed (fortunate). There are seven blessing or beatitudes in the book - We will get into these on Wednesday.
That word means You will experience the positive circumstances surrounding these events. You are fortunate. This book declares you are declared blessed by God. Your future is highly favored.- AMEN
Reads it aloud - This revelation or unveiling or uncovering has power in of itself. It changes the heart of the individual and brings a blessing by reading it aloud. When you recite scripture, or sing scripture or pray scripture you are changing everything. Remember this book wasn’t copied for the general public- it was read aloud in the church - once you heard it you had to take it to heart because it is the word of God.
Hear it - pays attention to it- your listening. How many of us can hear but not listen. I hear my wife say a lot of things but sometimes I’m not listening.
Obey it. This is also translated keep. It is for your well being you are to keep it, regard it as important.
Why do we need to hear it and keep it and do it? Because the time is at hand. God is always trying to move you now.
For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,
waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
Don’t put off what the Lord wants you to get today. Why ? because tomorrow may not come for you
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,
waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!
But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
The events in this book are for believers to grasp. Not the world.
The world is interested in the end times , more for the movies that can be produced and the drama. But it is much deeper than that . It is meant for believers
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
Conclusion
Think of this word for a second. Conclusion the end- the summing up the settling up. The final settling of accounts. The last signature line on the contract. Time runs out. The clock ticks to Zero - The buzzer or in this case the last trumpet sounds. Its over - WOW
We are coming to the conclusion. It is going to be Gods conclusion.
As we embark on this journey through Revelations. God has placed this in front of me for such a time as this
What are you waiting for?
We are in the final hour, the final chapter, the final book.
Some think of this as we will watch this one play out and we will watch the sequal.
Maybe it will go to something like Rocky 7.
What should we be doing?
If this is the superbowl or game seven of the stanley cup and you are in the last couple of minutes. You feel the adrenaline pumping you push like you never pushed before. You make no mistakes and you listen to your coach as he is timing everything.
What did Jesus say- The kingdom of God is at hand - Repent
The world wide movement of souls is underway.
Where do you stand.?
Where do you stand with Jesus?