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Week 6 - The Golden Key to the Book of Revelation

Last week we looked at Jesus holds the Keys, we seen the title, target group, subject, author, publisher, dedication, and then we seen four things about the Lord Jesus Christ: His grace, glory, gentleness, and government.

Tonight we are looking at the Golden Key which helps us to better understand the Book of Revelation.

That is there is three sections to Revelation, the first two are short, with the last section taking up the majority of the the book.

The Golden Key

The Lord Jesus commissioned John to write three things.

First, what you have seen.

What did John see?

A vision of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is things that are past.

Second, Jesus told him to write about what is.

This refers to the present things - the church age, which is recorded in chapters 2 and 3.

In that time there were seven churches in Asia Minor: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.

While these were actual churches, they represent all churches throughout all ages, even including in today’s time.

Today we are still living in the church age, and in the second section the what is - the present things.

Third, is what will take place after this.

The remain chapters of Revelation, chapters 4 - 22 make of this last section, this final part, what we refer to as the prophetic time.

These things tell us that Jesus has come.

Jesus is here today with us.

And He is coming again.

The Book of Revelation gives us a look at history and the future from the eyes of God.

Not a guess, but a sure word from Almighty God.

Now let’s look at a panoramic view of prophecy as told in the Book of Revelation.

The Rapture of the Church and the Departure of the Saints

From this verse to the end of the book, the word church is no longer mentioned because the church will be raptured by that point.

According to Revelation, the rapture occurs before the tribulation, and the church then stands before the judgment seat of Christ and attends the marriage feast of the Lamb.

Those who remain on earth will enter the great tribulation.

The rapture will constitute the end of the church age.

We will see this in more detail in a few weeks.

A voice like a trumpet will shout, Come up hither!

This is not the second coming as Jesus never steps foot on earth only comes in the clouds.

When will the rapture take place?

at any moment.

We are not looking for some sign.

We are not looking for some prophecy to be fulfilled before Jesus can come for His church.

it could happen before this service is over.

Jesus is coming like a thief in the night.

A burglar never writes a note and says, I’ll be at your house tonight.

Do you believe that?

If you really believe it, then be ready.

The Rise of the Beast and the Deceptions of the Devil

The church is the salt of the earth.

So when the church is raptured, that which preserves, heals, and restrains is removed.

This ungodly world system resents salty saints.

It wishes we were gone.

And one day we will be.

That is when corruption will really set in and the beast, with devilish deception, will come on scene.

Revelation 13:1–3 (CSB)

1 And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea.

[in Bible prophecy the sea represents peoples and nations, in turmoil] It had ten horns and seven heads [seven is the perfect number; ten is the complete number; heads speak of wisdom; ten horns speak of power].

On its horns were ten crowns [this speaks of dominion], and on its heads were blasphemous names [this speaks of his character; he blasphemes God]. 2 The beast I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth.

The dragon [Satan] gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority.

3 One of its heads appeared to be fatally wounded, but its fatal wound was healed.

The whole earth was amazed and followed the beast.

Satan’s superman, who is also called the Antichrist (the counterfeit Christ), is coming into this world.

And when he does, he will turn the world into a vast concentration camp with all of the inmates numbered.

No one will be able to buy or sell unless they have the validating mark given by this man, who is the beast.

John Phillips has described the beast in this way:

He will be a most attractive person - a genuine savior to a world careening like an express train without throttle, wide open, out of control, and without a man at the helm.

No doubt his personal charm will be great, his intellectual genius immense, his wealth and influence proverbial, his authority overpowering, his passions and hatreds extraordinary, his organizing shill unsurpassed, his techniques superb.

Men will follow him to death.

Women will swoon at his feet and children will say his name as savior of the world and the hope of mankind.

Yet for all of that, he will be totally and thoroughly bad.

He is the man of sin.

The Great Tribulation and the Devastation of the Earth

Jesus was once the sacrificial Lamb, but He will not always be that way.

The Lamb becomes the Lion.

During the tribulation, not only will the beast deceive the nations, but God will also pour out His fury upon the world.

It will be so terrible that people will desire to die and will not be able to do so.

Death will flee from them.

In this panorama of prophecy, first there will be the rapture, second will come the rise of the beast, and third will be the great tribulation, which will last for seven years.

there has never been a time like this.

Hell will have a holiday.

Calamities across the world will occur - hail, fire, a burning mountain cast into the sea, a bitter star named Wormwood that poisons the waters, boils, cosmic darkness, locusts (which are really demon spirits), horseman who ride forth to bring pestilence, and the worship of the Antichrist.

The vials of God’s wrath will be poured out. the sea and rivers will turn to blood.

There will be great heat and great darkness.

The Euphrates River will dry up.

It will be horrible beyond description.

Armageddon and the Defeat of the Beast and His Armies

The tribulation will end with a battle called Armageddon.

At this battle the beast and his armies will be defeated.

Revelation 16:13–16 (CSB)

13 Then I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming from the dragon’s mouth [Satan], from the beast’s mouth [the Antichrist], and from the mouth of the false prophet [who counterfeits the Holy Spirit].

14 For they are demonic spirits performing signs, who travel to the kings of the whole world to assemble them for the battle on the great day of God, the Almighty.

15 “Look, I am coming like a thief.

Blessed is the one who is alert and remains clothed so that he may not go around naked and people see his shame.”

16 So they assembled the kings at the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.

The vast plain you can see from atop Mount Megiddo in Israel is where the battle of Armageddon will take place.

What a day this will be!

The Antichrist will come and rally the demon spirits to draw the world leaders to fight against the Jews and Jerusalem.

Then Jesus will come in power and great glory to judge Babylon the Great.

At this time He will be coming not for his saints (they will have already been raptured).

But instead Jesus will be coming with his saints to defeat the beast and his armies.

He will fight the battle with one weapon - the sword in His mouth.

What is this sword?

Well we see it used in the Garden of Gethsemane, as Judas walks up to deny Jesus to the Roman guards, and the Jewish officials.

When Jesus said I am he, the people stepped back and fell to the ground, the words that came forth out of Jesus’ mouth are so powerful that they cause people to fall to the ground.

So the sword that is in Jesus mouth is, the very words that he speaks.

The Millennial Reign of Peace and the Dominion of Jesus