Revelation 1:1-7 The Unveiling  4/25/99

 

Intro: How many of your enjoy Garage Sales / Flee markets or Swap meets

A)   Recall  true story  that happened several yrs ago! Bargain of the Decade

 

THE PLACE: Pittsburgh P.A.

THE PURCHASE :  A simple Picture

THE PERSON WHO PURCHASED THE PICTURE – bought it for 18 dollars because He liked the Wood Frame –

 

He left that Garage sale Happy feeling that He had really made a Bargain

At home – He began to look closely at the wood on this Frame – and as he pulled back the Canvas to separate the Picture from the Frame He discovered that wedged between the Picture & the Frame was an Original Copy of the

          DECLARATION OF INDEPENCE

 

B)   He later sold that 18 dollar investment for – 4.5 Million Dollars

1)                  MAKES YOU WANT TO GO TO A GARAGE SALE

 

 

Now today we are Beginning a study in the book of Revelation

A)   What we find here is another very Valuable UNVEILING !!!

 

B)   For in the Book of Revelation we are invited by the Lord to take a BACKSTAGE VIEW of the FUTURE

1       1) In doing so we DISCOVER where we will be 100 yrs from now

       I can Guarantee it .

 

 

Of all the Books in the Bible the study of the Book of Revelation – Ignites varying reactions among Christians

A)   When I announced we were going to study Rev.  Some were Excited – Great I have always wanted to study that book –

B)   Many told me – So glad you are going to teach that – when start?

1) HOW MANY FIRST TIME – FORMAL STUDY IN REV.

 

C)   But I Know that there were also some who’s hearts were filled w/ Apprehension -  Why that Book

1)                 It is a Book that makes a Lot of people Nervous

 

A)    In-fact more & more Churches & Seminaries no longer teach it / it is a book that has been radically Neglected by much of the Church

1)                 LABELED- Confusing / Controversial / & Hard to Understand

 

A)    But that shouldn’t be the Sentiment at all Because Rev. is the only book in the Bible that Has a Divine Outline v.19

 

19     "Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.        3 SECTIONS

 

Section 1 Ch. 1 Presents The Lord’s Person-He whom He has seen –

 

Section 2 Ch.’s 2&3 Addresses the things which are – Churches -THE CHURCH AGE – Focus is  The Lord’s People

 

Section 3 Ch’s 4-22 The details of the things that are yet to come –

  There we discover       The Lord’s Program !!!

 

So There you have the Divine outline – Seen / Are / Yet to come –

A)    Begin – reading v.1-7

 

As we Begin There are 4 main points that we want to focus on today THE BOOK / THE BIOGRAPHER / THE BLESSING PROMISED /  THE BLESSED ONE

 

B)    1ST THE BOOK –

 

 

I.  TITLE – THE REVELATION -  The word “revelation” is from the Greek word apokalupsis.

 

A)    It gives us our English word apocalypse ( What think of?) 

     Apocalypse Now -     Think of War / chaos and catastrophe.

 

B)   But The word simply means the UNVEILING

1)                 Mike Rozell – Unveils the Big Pot /  able the see that which was a Mystery . – What is under there? – OO’s & Awe’s

 

A)    Like unwrapping a Present reveals what is in the Box – reveals what had been a Secret !!!

 

B)    Remember when I was a kid – Birthday – Friends  ( Big Box – Heavy) What is in there ?    Bricks /Newspaper – 20 dollar bill

1)                 I have to admit I was so Disappointed –

 

A)    Now if you are a Christian I can Guarantee – You will not be

      Disappointed by what this book Reveals

     Notice again the title in v. 1 It is the The Revelation of J. Christ

 

 Listen to what the great  Pastor Martin Luther had to say about the book of Rev.

My Spirit cannot Adapt itself to this book – the reason that I do not Esteem it Highly is that Christ is neither taught nor Recognized

 

A)    M. Luther couldn’t have been further from the Truth w/ that Statement

 

B) It is  NOT the Rev. of St. John the Divine / Nor is it the book of REVELATIONS

 

The Focus IS NOT the  unveiling of a bunch of Futuristic events that are going to Happen in the World – (though that is covered)

1)                 The FOCUS however is to Reveal to us the Person of Jesus Christ & His  Plan for the World

Jesus is the Central Character & main focus of this Book / He is the Main Subject/   seen all through in many different lights

A)    In Revelation 1-3, Christ is seen as the exalted Priest-King ministering to

     the churches.

 

B)    In Revelation 4-5, He is seen in heaven as the glorified Lamb of God,

      reigning on the throne.

1)  In Revelation 6-18, Christ is seen as the Judge of all the earth.

 

C)    And in Revelation 19, He returns to earth as the conquering King of

      kings.

1)                           And The book closes with the heavenly Bridegroom ushering His bride, the church, into the glorious heavenly city.

 

c) SO IT IS THE REV. OF JESUS CHRIST

 

A)    Now Some of you Desperately need  this book / some of you Desperately need a Revelation of Jesus Christ /  See Him / Know Him

 

B)    As you study this book, get to know your Savior better.

Last thing that SATAN wants to see happen in Your Life

 

Lewis T. Talbot – The Devil has turned countless thousands away from this portion of God’s Word . He doesn’t want anyone to read this book that tells of His being cast out of heaven / Nor is He anxious for us to read of the Ultimate Triumph of his #1 Enemy, Jesus Christ

 

A)    True that the more you study this book the more that you understand that Satan wants to keep people from it

 

 

II.  A BOOK OF PROPHECY – V.3   Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of THIS PROPHECY,

 

A)   Prophecy is God telling the Future in Advance

B)   Revelation is a Book of Prophecy – not a book of Allegories that you can spiritualize to mean anything –

1)                 It is God revealing real things that are going to Happen

 

A)   It is FUTRUISTIC -  there are Predictions in this Book – God talks about the Future w/ the Same degree of Confidence we Discuss the past

1)                 See When God makes a Prediction it is because He knows the end from the Beginning

 

 Now why is that important to us ?

A)   For this Reason we live in an Age of High Anxiety where people really want to know what is going to happen tomorrow

 

B)   People right now are wondering about WWIII/ war in Yugo / People are Concerned about the Yr. 2000

1)                 People wonder will there be an Armageddon / Is Jesus really going to Physically return to the Earth – if so when

 

A)    Some people  Deny – those things / Scoff – Never Happen

 

Back in 1870 a Pastor was visiting a Bible College & was staying at the home of one of the Instructors -  that night after dinner / discussion

Pastor made this statement – I Believe that the Bible teaches that nothing else will be invented

 

The Instructor replied – I Disagree in fact I believe that w/ in 50 yrs men will be able to sour through the sky like birds

The Pastor rebuked him & said  I suggest that you keep your opinions to yourself – lest anyone accuse you of Blasphemy for we know that Flight is reserved solely for the Angels

 

The ironic thing about that Story is that the Pastors name was Milton Wright

A)    That Pastor who made that Statement that men would never be able to fly was the Father of 2 famous Boys / Orville / Wilbur Wright

B)   Those two Brothers – 30 yrs after their father made that statement defied gravity & flew

 

C)   And every time that we fly the Friendly skies we testify of the Fact that Milton Wright was WRONG .

 

 

Now as I mentioned there are those who look at the Prophetic events of the Bible and they scoff – that will never Happen

A)   2 Pet. 3 Scoffers a sign of the last days 

 

3  knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4  and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation."

 

B)   But all you have to do is a simply study of Bible Prophecy to discover

      that –Much of what God had Predicted has already come to pass

1)                 read the Newspapers – to Discover – Getting Close

 

 

For us who Know the Lord this is simply an Unveiling a Back stage view Lord is saying I want you to know the end of the story

A)   So when you see Crazy things going on in your World You can – Have confidence – You know How it Ends

 

B) You Know that it is going to get worse & More Corrupt before it gets

1        Better –

1)                 Sometimes that is the only comfort – after witnessing things like what took place in LITTLETON

 

1       So Know the Lord – Simply  Unveiling ( Don’t Utter Horror – No Hope

 

 

Book of Prophecy – As we go through this book we will Define the rapture & the 2nd Coming

 

A) We will be introduced to a coming world Leader who will establish a

      World economic System

1)                 We will read of a Radical judgement that God Brings upon the earth for 7 yrs

 

A)   We will be introduced to a group called the 144,000 / we will find out exactly who they are & what their Purpose is

1)                 We will examine the when & why the Jews are going to rebuild their temple in Jerusalem

 

A)   We will read of the Emergence & Ultimate Destruction of Babylon & what that means

1)                 We are going to consider all of those Prophecies & More as we Study the Book of revelation

 

 

But As we go through this Prophecy & Learn about these things I have a personal prayer

A)   I pray that we won’t just walk away w/ a bunch of new information & tidbits about Gog & Magog / AntiChrist / mark of the beast

 

B)   But I pray that we will walk away each week after examining God’s Prophecy & that we will trust Him more than we ever have Before !!!!

 

C)    Been said that every tomorrow has 2 handles the Handle of Anxiety & the Handle of Faith

1)                 Many People are Grabbing a Hold of the Handle of Anxiety –

 

A)   But I pray that every time we read this Prophecy it will move us more toward that handle of faith & trust in the Lord !!!

 

 

III. Notice also it is a Special Kind of Prophecy – Signs & Symbols v.1

Rev 1:1  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants; things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,

 

A)    Word Signified = Revealed Through signs or Symbols

A book full of symbols –

 

B)    Vials / Bowls & trumpet Blast – there is the Weird Vision of Jesus

1)                 Seven Churches / 7 Bowls / 7 Trumpets / Seven Spirits / 7 thunders

 

A)    Seven is a significant # why? PERFECTION – No!!! But  Completion –

1)                 Not Perfect number it is the complete #   important to realize that – so not confused when see Satan having 7 heads

 

A)    Sevens speaks of Completeness / 7 yrs of Trib. = Complete Judgement

7 Churches speaks of  the Complete – Church age

 

Why the Symbols – Why the Weird Language /

A)Why didn’t God say – Point #1 This is the rapture / Point #2 After the

     Rapture this will Happen / Point #3

 

A)   Reason I believe is 3 fold –

1)                 1st to provide Protection – Written during a time of Intense Persecution A.D. 95 – Domitan – Caesar -  Lord & God

 

A)   But this was written in such a way that it would make no sense to the enemies of the Church

1)                 But to those who had a grasp of  the O.T. Scriptures it would not be hard to understand at all. ( Skip H.  better understand than us )

 

A)   Much of the Imagery is very O.T. – in-fact there are 404  verses in the Book of Revelation- and at least 360 quotations are from the O.T.

1)                 So first to Provide Protection

 

2nd reason was to Convey information : See symbolism is not weakened by time-  where as Language is

A)      Symbols  are Cross Generational – where as Language is not

 

B)      King James Bible from NIV – Versions today that attempt to put the Bible into Modern easier to understand Language

1)                    We don’t talk that way any more

 

3rd REASON – TO AROUSE OUR EMOTIONS

A)    Symbolism arouses strong emotions – and paints vivid pictures in our Imaginations ( Lord wants to not just educate minds / but Stir our hearts)

 

B)    Ex. It is one thing to say that a Dictator will appear on the Scene – But that doesn’t arouse your emotions & Imaginations like saying

1)                 A Beast AROSE out of the Sea

 

A)    Instead of saying a World Govt. will be Developed – He calls it Babylon the Great

 

D) John could have said the system is going to be Evil – Kind of Abstract  

1)                           but when He describes it as a Woman who is drunk w/ the Blood of the Saint/ that Generates an Emotional response / Vivid Picture

 

A)    So for those reasons the symbolism is involved !!!

 

 

IV. It is a Prophecy that will be Fulfilled v. 1 Must Shortly take place –

A)   First notice the word Must – this is Contractual / Covenantal – as sure as the sun will come up tomorrow these things are going to happen

 

B)    2nd – word Shortly - seems like a Paradox – didn’t John Write this 2,000 yrs ago what does he mean – Shortly

 

C)   Word in the Grk that means swiftly – From it we get our English word Tachometer – that which accelerates quickly

D)   When these begin to unfold it is going to Happen in Rapid Fashion

1)                 Signs on the FWY – the Closer you get to your Destination the more signs there are – telling you you’re almost there

 

A)   Same idea here – Things will occur swiftly

1)                 John is telling us that There is coming a time when the Machinery of  World History will kick into High Gear !!!

 

But not going to Happen Now – Why ? We are still living in a time that Theologians call the Dispensation of Grace

A)   A time where God is not Judging – but drawing & Wooing

 

B)   Still seeking to Save those who are Lost !!!

1)                 Turning tragic situations that Satan meant for evil – into opportunities for Eternal good to take place

 

C) PETE NELSON – LITTLETON

 

 

THE BIOGRAPHER – God is the Writer – but the Vision was given to John to Write down –

A)   John the Apostle / brother of James son of Zebedee & Salome

 

B)   Disciple whom Jesus loved – told us that Himself – and He was the one Head on Jesus Chest at last supper

1)                 Great place to be Your head near His Heart

 

A)   John was the Last & Only disciple at the Cross / First one to the tomb

 

B)   Heavy Persecution under Domitian – Boiled in oil – but didn’t burn so He was banished to this Island called Patmos / Isolated in his 90’s

1)                 Yet note this it was in that place of Isolation that John received His greatest Revelation

 

A)   Word to us not to Despise those times of Isolation / Difficulty

THE BLESSING PROMISED V.3

3  Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

 

A)   No other book in the Bible makes a statement like that -

 

B)   Now we are blessed when we read any part of the Bible – but this is the only book in the Bible that has a Built in Promise – like this

1)                 Listen the more you read this book the more you study this book & understand this book –

 

A)   The more you will understand about Jesus / about your Future & the More blessed you will be

 

But Notice it says – those who read it / hear it / Keep it /

A)   Now we are going to read it - & Hear it / and study it together – but the Keeping part we can’t do together – Individual

 

B)   I can’t Keep it for you & You can’t keep it for me

1)                 In other words we all must make a choice to live in the light of eternity

      – or to live only in the temporary  - what we can see!

 

A)   But if you live in the light of eternity – you see the glorified – Lord – plan

      for world – your life – you will be a happier person:

 

Psalm 19: 7  The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;

8  The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;

 

Here is what is sad However / the Bible is Available – 97% of world’s  population – But so few actually read it!

A) Been Translated in more languages and is available to more people than any other book in history yet it is one of the most unread books

B) It’s there  - it’s owned but it is not read- Recent survey – 25%  -   Ό of all people who claim to be born again Christians daily read the bible

1) Owned but unread- More unkept than unread

 

C) But blessing comes in the reading , the hearing and the keeping

 

B)   Pray  that when we walk away from each study in this book ask question – What did this teach me – that I can apply to my life

1) How can I put into practice – this week / Pray it in – before leaving:

 

 

But notice that Before jumping into the Contents of the Prophecy We are taken back to looking at Jesus THE BLESSED ONE V.4-6

4  John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,

5  and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,

6  and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father,

 

3 things are quickly brought to our attention in this initial greeting of Our Lord –      1st His Place of authority

A)   HE IS THE ONE WHO TRANSCENDS TIME – V.4 HE IS THE ONE  who is and who was and who is to come,  I AM -

 

B)   He Lives in the Present / He lives in the past / He lives in the Prospective tenses of time – Beg. /Ending /everything in-between

 

 

C) HE IS THE FAITHFUL WITNESS -  Witness = Martus

          The ORIGINAL meaning was: “One who was WILLING to die for               what he believes.”

 

C)   Jesus was willing to Die for Us – Fulfill Plan of the Father – He is the Faithful witness of the Father – Phillip Show us the Father – Sufficient

1) Phillip Haven’t I been w/ You long enough – Seen me seen father

 

               

He is the "faithful witness,"/  what he says is true. You can count on it. A) He utters absolute basic reality. I love that in reading the Bible we  understand that here is the revelation of things as they really are.

 

B)This is a confusing world in which we live. We are bombarded by

      conflicting philosophies, many ideas are widely different,

1)                 many value systems are wholly antagonistic to others, and we must often ask ourselves, "Which is right?"

 

C)Well, here is the word from the Faithful Witness, the one who tells us the

     truth.

 

 

HE IS THE FIRSTBORN FROM THE DEAD

A)  This does NOT mean first man raised from the dead.

 

B)There were people raised from the dead in BOTH the Old and New

     Testaments BEFORE Jesus was.

          1) BUT - Jesus is the FIRST to die and come back with a NEW body.

 

C) The Bible said that He is the FIRST FRUITS of what is to come.

                   He is the PROTOTYPE.

 

D) He is like the one who goes into the water first and says, come       on in the

      waters fine.

 

APPLICATION: He has gone into death and conquered it so that we need not be afraid of it.

Death, where is your sting, grave where is your victory? Jesus said: I hold the keys to death and hell. “I will take you through it & give you a new body.”

                                               

RULER OF KINGS : Isn’t that  encouraging?

A)     Today we have  All these powerful leaders which we  today claim to be sovereign ( So many are Corrupt ) Power corrupts ….. absolutely

 

B)    But here we are told that the one who Transcends time / the Faithful Witness / the Firstborn from the Dead – Jesus our Hero is

1) THE RULER OF KINGS

 

C)    He sets the limits in which the others must live. Thus he is the great law

     maker, king over all other kings.

          1) One day He is coming say – Move over Guys

 

So he is introduced here, as the truth teller, the life giver, and the law maker.

 

 

So that describes His Place of Authority – Then we have His Plan of Redemption:

A)   First, he loves us.  Note That is in the present tense. It is not past tense.

 

B)   It is true that he loved us. He loved the whole world for "God so loved the world he gave his only begotten Son," {cf, John 3:16}.

1)                 But Jesus loves us now. That is the point John makes. Everything in the life of a believer ought to be based upon the love of the Lord Jesus.

 

C) In fact Jesus knows what we are and loves us.

     1)There are some people you find harder to love as you get to know them.

          Jesus knows us perfectly, yet He KEEPS on loving us.

         

ILLUSTRATION:  You can tell the depth of a well by how much rope you have to lower to reach the bottom.

 

APPLICATION: When I see how much rope God had to lower; when I see the length He had to go to in order to save me, I DON'T see how GREAT I am. Instead, I see how LOST I was.  How Great He is

THANK God that He keeps on loving me. His love NEVER fluctuates.

Jer. 31;3  The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore w/ lovingkindness I have drawn you.

 

Also Washed us –

A)    Word Washed = Loosed or made free !!! He "has freed us from our sins by his blood."

 

B)    He breaks the shackles of evil habits in our lives. He sets us free from the dependencies that we have allowed to harass us, shackle us, and limit us.

 

C)    Some of you here, I am sure, have struggled with drug dependency or alcohol dependency

1)                 and you know what a horrible grip they can get upon your life. But here is one who frees from our sins!

 

A)    We are all sinfully dependent people. We have all been shackled by evil of one sort or another:

1)                 Selfish attitudes and hot tempers, or lustful passions, or angry self-centered talk,

 

A)    But Jesus plan for us is one of Complete Redemption

 

 

HIS PURPOSE  FOR THE BELIEVER V.6a

A)    He  "has made us a kingdom of priests to serve the Lord our God."

 

B)   A priest's work was to heal the sense of alienation which people felt with God. Sinners feel estranged from God.

 

C)   They cut themselves off by their behavior from a God of holiness and justice. But they are to be brought near by priests.

1)                 In the Old Testament, the priests explained the meaning of the sacrifices and thus brought people near.

A)   That is the work of believers today. We are to help people in their agony and their injury, their darkness and lostness,

1)                  realize that God is longing to draw them to himself and to heal their alienation.

 

Well At this point John Breaks into Praise –

, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

7       Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

 

         

Dad relate story – Boy buy time – Picture of world cut up – BUY SOME TIME – 4 minutes later boy was back – here the Picture dad – Let’s Play

A)    How did you put that together so fast ?  Easy – boy answered on the Back on this picture of the world was a picture of a man

 

B)    I just put the man back together & the world came together as well !

 

C)   True the World will be put back together – when men put together

1) Jesus is going to return - & He will put the World back together but Presently He is seeking to do so – One Person at a time !!!!

 

Do you need put together today? – Redeemed us so that he would have the right to reign in our Lives !!!!!

 

Today – Your Lord – rule in your life