Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Scripture

Outline

Revelation 1 - Introduction

Revelation 1:1-3 - Prologue & Benediction

Revelation 1:4-8 - Epistolary Introduction

Revelation 1:9-20 - A Vision of the Son of Man

Revelation 2-3 - The Seven Churches

Revelation 2:1-7 - The Letter to Ephesus

Revelation 2:8-11 - The Letter to Smyrna

Revelation 2:12-17 - The Letter to Pergamum

Revelation 2:18-29 - The Letter to Thyatira

Revelation 3:1-6 - The Letter to Sardis

Revelation 3:7-13 - The Letter to Philadelphia

Revelation 3:14-22 - The Letter to Laodicea

Revelation 4-5 - The Throne Room

Revelation 4:1-11 - A Vision of the Throne Room

Revelation 5:1-14 - The Lamb is Worthy

Revelation 6-8:5 - The Seven Seals

Revelation 6:1-8 - The First Four Seals

Revelation 6:9-17 - The Fifth and Sixth Seals

Revelation 7:1-17 - Who can Stand on the Day of the Lord?

Revelation 8:1-5 - Anticipation of Further Judgment

Revelation 8:6-11:19 - The Seven Trumpets

Revelation 8:6-13 - The First Four Trumpets

Revelation 9:1-21 - The Fifth and Sixth Trumpets

Revelation 10:1-11 - The End is Near

Revelation 11:1-14 - The Two Witnesses

Revelation 11:15-19 - The Seventh Trumpet

Revelation 12:1-15:4 - The Seven Visions

Revelation 12:1-17 - The Woman, Child, and Heavenly Hosts Versus the Great Dragon

Revelation 12:1-6 - Christ Defeats the Serpent

Revelation 12:7-12 - Heavenly War Against the Dragon

Revelation 12:13-17 - God Protects His People from the Dragon

Purpose of Book

The purpose of Revelation is to challenge/encourage believers, who are expectantly awaiting the reign of Christ, to live faithfully for Him despite worldly circumstances, persecution, and the cosmic battle between God and Satan.

Main Point

The Christ has defeated the Dragon.

At the Dragon’s defeat he is cast down to earth where he wars against the people of God, but God promises to protect those who are His.

Revelation 12:1-6 - Christ Defeats the Serpent

Three Characters

The Woman - The Covenant People of God

The Child - Jesus the Promised Messiah

The Dragon - The Serpent, Satan

1 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.

A great sign appeared in heaven

A woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars

Clothed with the sun - radiant bride of God

Moon under her feet

Crown of twelve stars

12 symbolizing the fullness of the people of God

2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth.

The rule and reign of the Messiah will become a reality through the Davidic Covenant

3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems.

Another sign appeared in heaven

A great red dragon

Seven heads and ten horns

Seven heads - dangerously powerful

Ten horns

On his heads seven diadems

“complete authority”

4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth.

Notice above - 12 stars representing the fullness of the people of God

Antiochus Epiphanes - persecutes the Jews and profanes the temple in 168 BC

• to speak of the creation of the stars (Gen 1:16);

• to show Abram the innumerable nature of his descendants (Gen 15:5);

• to promise Abraham what his multiplied offspring would be like (Gen 22:17);

• to promise Isaac how his seed would be multiplied (Gen 26:4);

• to symbolize Joseph’s brothers bowing down to him (Gen 37:9);

• to remind the Lord how he promised to multiply the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exod 32:13).

Satan will kill/persecute the people of God, but it will be limited

And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it.

The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth

So that when she bore her child he might devour it

Satan’s intent was to kill the Messiah - Matthew 2:1-18 regarding Herod

5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne,6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.

She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron

Her child was caught up to God and to his throne

In this vision, the ministry and death of Christ are skipped -> Exalted ascension

The woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God

The woman, though still represents the people of God, now becomes those in Christ

The wilderness represents the exiled life we currently live in

God still provided for the Exodus generation for 42 years just as He provides for His people until the 2nd coming

In which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days

Though the enemy still persecutes and kills some of the people of God, God ensures they do not commit apostasy while being persecuted

Revelation 12:7-12- Heavenly War Against the Dragon

7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon.

Now war arose in heaven

This does not specifically mean a chronological flow that connects with the previous passage

Instead a pointing to what occured during the exaltation of the Messiah

Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon

And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.

The dragon and his angels fought back

But he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven

9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

The great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole word

Ancient serpent

The Devil

Satan

The deceiver of the whole world