1 00:00:03,064 --> 00:00:04,447 Good morning. 2 00:00:07,214 --> 00:00:21,146 So we have concluded the book of 1 Timothy and I've been asked by a number of people to begin a study of the book of Revelation. 3 00:00:21,146 --> 00:00:32,025 So we're going to take our Sunday morning class and we're going to do that uh at this time and we'll begin introducing it today. 4 00:00:32,025 --> 00:00:35,278 We're not gonna go too terribly far into 5 00:00:35,762 --> 00:00:40,347 the introduction of it uh by way of a lot of details. 6 00:00:40,347 --> 00:00:54,530 I want us to spend some time this morning with the descriptions of Jesus that we find in the first three chapters of the book of Revelation and we'll continue our study of the 7 00:00:54,530 --> 00:01:01,876 book of Revelation as we uh have opportunity through the weeks leading up to the end of the year. 8 00:01:02,220 --> 00:01:06,632 But let's begin with a word of prayer and then we'll get into our study. 9 00:01:07,632 --> 00:01:18,116 Gracious Father in heaven, we bow before your throne, grateful for the day that you blessed us with, for the life that we have, for the opportunity that we have to serve you. 10 00:01:18,177 --> 00:01:21,388 We pray that you will be with us in our time of study. 11 00:01:21,388 --> 00:01:31,542 May the things that we say and the things that we read be those things which we can uh bring our hearts and our minds closer to your word and closer to your will. 12 00:01:31,599 --> 00:01:34,840 that we might grow in faith and knowledge and in understanding. 13 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:46,944 Lord, we pray that you will be with us, that we might have uh a heart ready to serve others, willing to forgive when others do us wrong, that we might show mercy and that we 14 00:01:46,944 --> 00:01:49,125 might receive mercy in return. 15 00:01:49,125 --> 00:01:52,436 All this we pray and ask in Jesus' name, amen. 16 00:01:54,784 --> 00:02:01,517 Revelation one opens with the revelation of Jesus Christ. 17 00:02:01,517 --> 00:02:18,395 uh Now, the first thing to note is that as John, the apostle, the one who is the penman of this book, opens this letter to the churches, because this is a letter, it's kind of 18 00:02:18,395 --> 00:02:19,285 funny. 19 00:02:22,490 --> 00:02:31,873 The way we teach things at times, we teach things in a certain way because there's important details in it. 20 00:02:31,873 --> 00:02:42,355 But if you were to think back to your days of teaching the children about the books of the New Testament, you would say, all right, well, the first four are what? 21 00:02:42,996 --> 00:02:44,056 The gospels. 22 00:02:44,056 --> 00:02:45,996 And the book of Acts is what? 23 00:02:47,297 --> 00:02:50,778 History, or the beginning of the church. 24 00:02:50,778 --> 00:02:51,342 uh 25 00:02:51,342 --> 00:02:54,534 and then the the next 13 or what? 26 00:02:56,202 --> 00:02:57,863 Letters to the churches. 27 00:02:58,825 --> 00:03:09,718 Except that, let's see, Timothy, that's two letters, Titus, that's another letter, Philemon, that's a fourth letter, those are all letters to individuals. 28 00:03:11,490 --> 00:03:14,749 But then what's the last division? 29 00:03:18,904 --> 00:03:19,836 Say what? 30 00:03:20,385 --> 00:03:21,669 Prophecy. 31 00:03:21,875 --> 00:03:22,847 All right. 32 00:03:24,533 --> 00:03:41,025 except that when you notice that the book of Luke is uh the first part of a letter to Theophilus, and the book of Acts is the second part of a letter to Theophilus, and 33 00:03:41,025 --> 00:03:50,061 furthermore that the other records of Matthew, Mark, and John are all written to be sent to the churches. 34 00:03:50,061 --> 00:03:51,232 They're all letters. 35 00:03:51,978 --> 00:03:57,141 And then you consider that the book of Revelation is a letter to seven churches. 36 00:03:57,141 --> 00:03:59,422 The answer is there's 27 letters. 37 00:04:00,663 --> 00:04:02,183 They're all epistles. 38 00:04:02,624 --> 00:04:04,124 They're all letters. 39 00:04:04,605 --> 00:04:18,643 They're all being sent either to a church, to an individual, or to the church collectively, for instance, the book of Hebrews, or the book of James, what they are 40 00:04:18,643 --> 00:04:21,174 written to be sent out. 41 00:04:21,912 --> 00:04:24,486 They're all letters. 42 00:04:25,008 --> 00:04:28,615 And especially the book of Revelation is a letter. 43 00:04:28,615 --> 00:04:30,828 It happens to be a letter to who? 44 00:04:33,390 --> 00:04:38,093 All right, to seven churches in Asia Minor. 45 00:04:38,754 --> 00:04:50,884 So the letter of, or the epistle as we call it, of Galatians is a letter to the churches of Galatia, because Galatia is not a city, it's a region. 46 00:04:51,405 --> 00:05:03,564 Well, here you have one of the cities that is a recipient of one of these letters, that is the book of Revelation, is Ephesus. 47 00:05:03,810 --> 00:05:13,035 That's one of the cities that Paul went to, one of the cities where Paul began the work and the church through his uh missionary journeys. 48 00:05:13,035 --> 00:05:18,138 And so these aren't even cities that haven't had other letters written to them. 49 00:05:18,518 --> 00:05:21,479 This is a letter. 50 00:05:22,260 --> 00:05:27,083 This is a letter from Jesus Christ to seven churches. 51 00:05:27,283 --> 00:05:31,645 But then consider that the word begins revelation. 52 00:05:31,645 --> 00:05:33,126 uh 53 00:05:33,442 --> 00:05:37,865 What does the word revelation mean? 54 00:05:39,342 --> 00:05:41,588 All right, unveiling. 55 00:05:41,588 --> 00:05:45,930 It is to reveal, look at the base word of it. 56 00:05:46,202 --> 00:05:51,154 All right, that which is made open. 57 00:05:51,535 --> 00:05:56,938 In the Greek, the word is apocalypsis. 58 00:05:58,019 --> 00:06:02,592 Have you ever heard of the uh English term apocalypse? 59 00:06:03,478 --> 00:06:10,700 Aren't there a bunch of people who are all worried that one day there's going to be a coming apocalypse? 60 00:06:10,700 --> 00:06:12,960 You want to know where they got that idea? 61 00:06:13,301 --> 00:06:30,485 Because they just exchanged the Greek letters of the word apocalypsis, meaning to reveal, of a Greek word and said, look, all this stuff, all this talk about end times, that's all 62 00:06:30,485 --> 00:06:33,266 apocalyptic language. 63 00:06:34,818 --> 00:06:47,252 But the word, apocalypsis, that is the title as we have in the record, or in the text, of the name of the book, just simply means to reveal. 64 00:06:48,972 --> 00:06:53,360 This is the making aware. 65 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:56,526 This is the revelation. 66 00:06:56,526 --> 00:07:02,206 This is the revealing that belongs to Jesus Christ. 67 00:07:04,236 --> 00:07:13,133 which God gave him to show his servants, things which must shortly take place. 68 00:07:13,814 --> 00:07:19,779 And he sent and signified it by his angel to his servant John. 69 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:32,970 Before you get out of the very first verse of Revelation, there is a time marker. 70 00:07:34,690 --> 00:07:46,598 before you make it into any uh figurative language, before you make it into any long discussion about visions. 71 00:07:48,406 --> 00:07:52,071 you have a time marker on the book. 72 00:07:53,034 --> 00:08:01,416 What is the time marker that God and Jesus and John hand us in verse one? 73 00:08:03,906 --> 00:08:23,966 these things that are being written, these things that are being shown, revealed to the church, this message which was from God through Christ to the church was of things that 74 00:08:23,966 --> 00:08:28,780 would shortly take place. 75 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:36,971 Jesus came. 76 00:08:39,574 --> 00:08:42,815 And when he arrived on this earth... 77 00:08:45,272 --> 00:08:52,167 there was a recognition as he was brought and presented in the temple. 78 00:08:53,248 --> 00:09:11,011 It's recorded in the book of Luke and there's this recognition by this old man who had been waiting because they had been prophesied of him that he would be alive to see the 79 00:09:11,011 --> 00:09:13,012 Messiah come. 80 00:09:15,308 --> 00:09:30,102 And as he's there in the temple and the child is brought to pay all the things that the Old Testament law said a poor family had to pay with the first birth of their firstborn. 81 00:09:32,834 --> 00:09:42,186 He proclaims that he has seen the Savior, the salvation of Israel. 82 00:09:43,810 --> 00:10:02,250 You move forward from that time and as the cousin of Jesus, John, John the Baptist as we refer to him, begins to preach in the wilderness around Judea, he starts preaching a 83 00:10:02,250 --> 00:10:07,002 message of repentance for the remission of sins. 84 00:10:07,683 --> 00:10:13,238 He starts teaching all Israel because all Israel came out to hear John. 85 00:10:13,238 --> 00:10:19,107 that they needed to repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins. 86 00:10:20,151 --> 00:10:22,614 But what was the other part of his message? 87 00:10:28,162 --> 00:10:38,092 He was telling them time after time after time, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 88 00:10:41,454 --> 00:10:43,293 Well then Jesus comes along. 89 00:10:44,938 --> 00:10:57,262 and after John in his ministry points out, behold the Lamb of God, and he points to Jesus, we have record of that in John chapter 1, John chapter 2, Jesus begins to preach. 90 00:10:59,496 --> 00:11:07,284 and Jesus will preach the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 91 00:11:09,418 --> 00:11:17,900 And when the disciples are sent out, the disciples will preach the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 92 00:11:20,116 --> 00:11:32,993 and the message that was conveyed to the people in Israel was the Kingdom of Heaven is due to arrive in the next few millennia. 93 00:11:33,294 --> 00:11:34,154 Right? 94 00:11:36,362 --> 00:11:37,242 No. 95 00:11:37,483 --> 00:11:53,324 Matter of fact, I think it would be safe to say that there was not a single Israelite who came away from John's preaching thinking, it's definitely not coming in my lifetime, or 96 00:11:53,324 --> 00:12:00,288 came away from Jesus' preaching going, there's no way it's going to get here before I'm dead, unless they were really old. 97 00:12:03,050 --> 00:12:11,530 or came away from the disciples' teaching saying, it's a long way off, many generations of the future, the kingdom will arrive. 98 00:12:14,604 --> 00:12:22,396 They didn't walk away with that interpretation because the message was clear. 99 00:12:23,177 --> 00:12:29,418 The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 100 00:12:29,838 --> 00:12:34,600 In Mark chapter 9, Jesus will even make it more clear. 101 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:42,102 In Mark chapter 9 verse 1, he will say to some of his disciples and those who are around, he said, some of you 102 00:12:43,372 --> 00:12:54,624 who are standing here will not taste death until you see the kingdom of God come or present with power. 103 00:12:56,780 --> 00:13:02,318 Now, some of them would die before it arrived. 104 00:13:02,939 --> 00:13:07,786 Of his disciples, which one would die before the kingdom arrived? 105 00:13:10,488 --> 00:13:14,271 Judas because he would go out and hang himself. 106 00:13:16,738 --> 00:13:33,696 But all throughout those four gospels that we think of as very literal records of what was said and what occurred that are not highly figurative, though they certainly have 107 00:13:33,696 --> 00:13:35,798 figurative language in them at times. 108 00:13:38,486 --> 00:13:44,894 We read the words at hand and we go, it was about to arrive. 109 00:13:47,638 --> 00:13:53,492 And we read the words, you will not taste death till you see this happen. 110 00:13:53,955 --> 00:13:57,322 And we think they were going to be alive when it occurred. 111 00:14:00,386 --> 00:14:03,401 and yet individuals will come to the book of Revelation. 112 00:14:04,962 --> 00:14:16,462 trying to hold on to a number of different theories, one of which is premillennialism, in which they claim that the kingdom has still not come, two thousand years later, making 113 00:14:16,462 --> 00:14:26,840 John a liar, Jesus a liar, the apostles liars, and I'm not sure quite why we're believing the Bible if we're gonna call John, Jesus, and the apostles liars. 114 00:14:27,161 --> 00:14:28,842 Not to mention all the prophets. 115 00:14:31,394 --> 00:14:37,618 but they will come to the book of Revelation and say this book is all about the end of time. 116 00:14:44,022 --> 00:14:46,209 the very first verse. 117 00:14:48,320 --> 00:15:04,158 of the very beginning of the book says, I'm going to show you things which will shortly come to pass. 118 00:15:08,556 --> 00:15:17,352 but further it says, and he sent and signified it by his angel. 119 00:15:18,293 --> 00:15:31,942 One of the things that you find in this book is that you have this book given not primarily in normal prose. 120 00:15:33,183 --> 00:15:37,866 It is not given in didactic teaching. 121 00:15:39,188 --> 00:15:45,713 It is given in signs and symbols and pictures. 122 00:15:47,404 --> 00:15:50,025 We all understand how this works, by the way. 123 00:15:52,034 --> 00:16:09,536 When you're driving down the road and you see a yellow triangle, or no, a yellow uh diamond, I guess, technically, and it has a deer leaping. 124 00:16:11,522 --> 00:16:17,705 Do you immediately assume that the sign is the danger? 125 00:16:19,574 --> 00:16:20,374 No. 126 00:16:21,236 --> 00:16:32,729 Do you immediately perceive that if there had only been a long paragraph of descriptive text, you could have understood what it meant? 127 00:16:33,931 --> 00:16:34,362 No? 128 00:16:34,362 --> 00:16:36,534 Okay, then tell me what the sign means. 129 00:16:38,872 --> 00:16:39,276 But where? 130 00:16:39,276 --> 00:16:41,415 Deer crossed this part of the road. 131 00:16:43,276 --> 00:16:45,153 Why do you think the sign's there? 132 00:16:45,579 --> 00:16:47,465 Is it because there's always deer? 133 00:16:49,152 --> 00:16:51,349 No, it's because there could be deer! 134 00:16:53,214 --> 00:16:56,676 There's prevalently deer here. 135 00:16:57,756 --> 00:17:06,561 And for the most part, especially people who have grown up in America, especially this part of America, by the way, those signs are not very prevalent in a lot of places in our 136 00:17:06,561 --> 00:17:09,472 country except the eastern part of the country. 137 00:17:13,024 --> 00:17:17,062 A lot of other places I go, I have no idea what this is warning me about. 138 00:17:17,154 --> 00:17:18,816 But it doesn't look good. 139 00:17:21,666 --> 00:17:32,926 But instead of having to have a big long paragraph of text placed on a great big giant sign that you can read from a mile away, we just put a picture. 140 00:17:34,558 --> 00:17:40,246 And the picture is, as they say, worth a thousand words. 141 00:17:42,412 --> 00:17:48,944 When you open the book of Revelation, you are opening a picture book. 142 00:17:50,144 --> 00:17:53,442 Now it's given in words, true. 143 00:17:53,442 --> 00:17:55,306 It's not given in paintings. 144 00:17:55,306 --> 00:17:58,507 It's given in words, but it's a picture book. 145 00:17:58,927 --> 00:18:06,509 It's, you're supposed to look at the sign, you're supposed to look at the picture and ask, what does the picture mean? 146 00:18:06,649 --> 00:18:08,440 Now we've gone through this before. 147 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:10,146 We did it in the book of Daniel. 148 00:18:10,146 --> 00:18:23,741 and we asked repeatedly, and as we will here in the book of Revelation, when we look at the text, are we supposed to look at the text and go, that's what it says, therefore 149 00:18:23,741 --> 00:18:32,490 that's what it means, or are we supposed to look at the text and say, that's what it says, now what does it mean? 150 00:18:34,210 --> 00:18:35,310 The latter. 151 00:18:35,531 --> 00:18:48,640 Because when you're dealing with pictures, just like the sign on the road where you see the picture and you interpret the meaning, you're supposed to do the same thing with the 152 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:49,861 book of Revelation. 153 00:18:50,181 --> 00:19:02,540 You're supposed to see the picture and not assume that it's actually going to be fully black, two-dimensional, stick-figured deer jumping out on the road. 154 00:19:04,142 --> 00:19:12,222 that rather these might be a little bit more dangerous to your vehicle than those deer that are just pictures. 155 00:19:13,462 --> 00:19:16,842 You're supposed to interpret the actual meaning. 156 00:19:17,402 --> 00:19:21,102 But we don't do that randomly. 157 00:19:21,822 --> 00:19:29,482 As a matter of fact, the Old Testament is your guide to interpreting the book. 158 00:19:29,962 --> 00:19:33,202 And that's where a lot of people struggle. 159 00:19:34,368 --> 00:19:36,679 is they don't know their Old Testament very well. 160 00:19:37,320 --> 00:19:44,983 They're not familiar with the prophets of the Old Testament, therefore the pictures are a struggle. 161 00:19:46,064 --> 00:19:56,440 So as we go through the text and as we look at the things that are in this book, we're going to have to spend some time in the Old Testament looking at the pictures there and 162 00:19:56,440 --> 00:20:04,290 what they meant and going, look, John's using the picture from Daniel, from Ezekiel. 163 00:20:04,290 --> 00:20:18,155 from Isaiah, from others, and he's using it over here, and when Isaiah or Daniel or Ezekiel tells us what it means, we're able to see clearly what the picture in Revelation 164 00:20:18,155 --> 00:20:19,756 means, okay? 165 00:20:20,016 --> 00:20:25,478 Furthermore, it's important to notice that this book is not intended 166 00:20:27,726 --> 00:20:31,305 to hide truth. 167 00:20:33,302 --> 00:20:37,686 It is intended to reveal truth. 168 00:20:38,587 --> 00:20:41,590 Now that's not to say there's not individuals. 169 00:20:43,458 --> 00:20:53,758 who will come along and because they will not actually read the book, interpret the book by what it says, they will not confuse the truth, but the point of the book was not to 170 00:20:53,758 --> 00:20:58,191 hide truth, it was to reveal it. 171 00:20:58,933 --> 00:21:06,980 It was to open it up where anyone could understand it if they would simply pay attention to what's written. 172 00:21:06,980 --> 00:21:09,142 Go to the end of the book of Revelation. 173 00:21:18,828 --> 00:21:34,417 Revelation chapter 22 and in verse 18, we read, I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book, if anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the 174 00:21:34,417 --> 00:21:37,528 plagues that are written in this book. 175 00:21:38,249 --> 00:21:46,808 And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the book of life. 176 00:21:46,808 --> 00:21:51,774 from the Holy City and from the things which are written in this book. 177 00:21:55,734 --> 00:22:18,013 When God gives the declaration of what is in the book of Revelation, God warns those who open the book not to manipulate what's in the book, not to add to what's in the book, 178 00:22:18,474 --> 00:22:23,658 rather to leave it exactly as it is 179 00:22:24,790 --> 00:22:26,213 and understand it. 180 00:22:27,418 --> 00:22:33,244 Now even that statement is borrowed from the Old Testament. 181 00:22:35,006 --> 00:22:40,229 almost everything in the book of Revelation is borrowed from the Old Testament. 182 00:22:40,930 --> 00:22:50,156 It's borrowed from there because that's your that's your glossary, that's your index to go back to to understand the pictures. 183 00:22:50,897 --> 00:22:52,998 Turn to Deuteronomy chapter 4. 184 00:23:04,226 --> 00:23:18,277 Deuteronomy chapter 4 in verse 1, in the last year of Moses' life as they are about to go into the promised land, the time of Moses, the time of the prophet who was Moses, the time 185 00:23:18,277 --> 00:23:20,698 of the lawgiver was over. 186 00:23:21,899 --> 00:23:31,018 And the people were, while they were going to have Joshua and then the judges, they were going to move into a new period of time where 187 00:23:31,018 --> 00:23:36,560 Those who they had always relied upon for the last forty years were gone. 188 00:23:37,441 --> 00:23:42,383 And the whole first generation that came out of Egypt, gone. 189 00:23:43,523 --> 00:23:45,064 They were all dead. 190 00:23:45,964 --> 00:23:47,805 Or about to be dead. 191 00:23:48,566 --> 00:23:51,166 Save Joshua and Caleb. 192 00:23:52,047 --> 00:23:59,500 They were moving into a brand new phase of their existence as they went into the land. 193 00:24:00,930 --> 00:24:08,114 And they were going in without all those who had experienced everything that had come before it. 194 00:24:10,272 --> 00:24:21,737 And so Moses, as he begins to instruct the people in the very last year of his life, says in chapter 4 verse 1, Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I 195 00:24:21,737 --> 00:24:32,121 teach you to observe, that you may live and go in and possess the land which the Lord your God, sorry, the Lord God of your fathers is giving you. 196 00:24:32,121 --> 00:24:39,404 And then notice the warning, you shall not add to the word which I command you. 197 00:24:39,700 --> 00:24:54,795 nor take away from it that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you." This isn't the only time in the book of Deuteronomy where God through Moses 198 00:24:54,795 --> 00:25:02,738 is going to tell this second generation, do not change my words. 199 00:25:05,122 --> 00:25:08,643 Do not add to my words. 200 00:25:09,144 --> 00:25:13,005 Do not take away from my words. 201 00:25:14,386 --> 00:25:17,748 I'm giving you what you need to have. 202 00:25:18,428 --> 00:25:22,430 Your job is to do it, to obey it, to keep it. 203 00:25:23,751 --> 00:25:30,754 So in Revelation, as the message concludes and as the message goes forth to the church, 204 00:25:32,896 --> 00:25:37,971 John warns the church like Moses had warned Israel. 205 00:25:38,813 --> 00:25:40,494 Don't change the words. 206 00:25:41,296 --> 00:25:43,077 Don't change the message. 207 00:25:43,839 --> 00:25:47,392 Don't change the commandments of God. 208 00:25:49,002 --> 00:26:01,834 And John further says, if you do, then all the things which this book has told you are shortly to come to pass are going to come upon you. 209 00:26:05,964 --> 00:26:07,636 Back in chapter one. 210 00:26:10,316 --> 00:26:24,152 we read this is 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 211 00:26:24,152 --> 00:26:34,116 servant John who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ to all things that he saw. 212 00:26:34,777 --> 00:26:37,758 Notice it's a picture book 213 00:26:38,824 --> 00:26:43,437 and John bore witness of the things which he saw. 214 00:26:44,519 --> 00:26:52,174 Furthermore, John already had been a faithful witness in what he had seen. 215 00:26:52,174 --> 00:26:54,560 Turn to 1 John chapter 1. 216 00:26:58,798 --> 00:27:10,632 1 John chapter 1 and in verse 1, that which was from the beginning which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands have handled 217 00:27:10,632 --> 00:27:12,582 concerning the word of life. 218 00:27:12,982 --> 00:27:24,756 The life was manifested and we have seen and bear witness and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father was manifested to us, that which we have seen and heard we 219 00:27:24,756 --> 00:27:26,126 declare to you. 220 00:27:26,466 --> 00:27:33,531 that you also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 221 00:27:33,531 --> 00:27:38,574 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. 222 00:27:40,224 --> 00:27:54,248 If you go back to John chapter 1, you read concerning the Word which was with God and was God, the Word that took on flesh and we beheld His glory. 223 00:27:54,248 --> 00:27:56,789 The glory as of the only begotten of the Father. 224 00:27:58,092 --> 00:28:03,417 John says, I'm going to tell you what I saw. 225 00:28:03,417 --> 00:28:04,788 That's the book of John. 226 00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:11,102 John says, I'm going to tell you what I heard and saw. 227 00:28:11,102 --> 00:28:12,572 That's 1 John. 228 00:28:13,833 --> 00:28:25,598 Revelation opens with John who's been faithful to tell you what he heard and saw before is now going to tell you what he has been shown. 229 00:28:27,854 --> 00:28:45,772 The book of Revelation was faithfully given, it was not manipulated, it was not altered, and you have before you the words which Christ intended to give to the church. 230 00:28:47,554 --> 00:29:00,409 But furthermore, we read, who bore witness to the Word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw, blessed is he who reads and those who hear the 231 00:29:00,409 --> 00:29:08,002 words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it, for the time is near." 232 00:29:10,068 --> 00:29:25,068 as the opening words are given, just like the way we read the closing words, where there's a warning and a curse to those who do not keep the words, who do not keep the message, who 233 00:29:25,068 --> 00:29:28,410 are not faithful to what they have been given. 234 00:29:29,572 --> 00:29:34,515 God says all the curses you find in the book, coming on you. 235 00:29:35,436 --> 00:29:37,877 The book opens with the opposite message. 236 00:29:37,877 --> 00:29:38,990 You read this. 237 00:29:38,990 --> 00:29:45,090 You understand this and you will be blessed in so doing. 238 00:29:50,647 --> 00:29:51,614 John? 239 00:29:53,332 --> 00:30:02,536 is going to be one of the apostles and one of the writers of the records of the life of Jesus that does not include the Sermon on the Mount. 240 00:30:05,206 --> 00:30:15,521 Matthew includes it, Mark includes it, Luke includes it, in some form or fashion, they don't all include the exact same event or the exact same giving of all of the things 241 00:30:15,521 --> 00:30:16,022 there. 242 00:30:16,022 --> 00:30:21,630 But John doesn't include, for instance, the Beatitudes in the book of John. 243 00:30:23,530 --> 00:30:28,992 except you have, in essence, a set of beatitudes in the book of Revelation. 244 00:30:29,993 --> 00:30:43,999 You have a number of occasions throughout the book where John says, blessed are those, blessed are those, blessed are those, and those blessings are found here within this book. 245 00:30:44,779 --> 00:30:51,662 But the very first one of those beatitudes, as they've been called, is blessed is he who reads, 246 00:30:53,812 --> 00:31:00,052 and those who hear, and those who keep the things that are written. 247 00:31:02,258 --> 00:31:10,666 If the book cannot be understood, is there a blessing in hearing it? 248 00:31:12,588 --> 00:31:13,439 Nope. 249 00:31:14,823 --> 00:31:21,254 If the book cannot be understood, is there a blessing in reading it? 250 00:31:23,660 --> 00:31:28,809 I think there may be a few people who along the way have concluded there's not any blessing in reading it. 251 00:31:28,809 --> 00:31:30,863 As a matter of fact, there's no point in me reading it. 252 00:31:30,863 --> 00:31:32,906 I won't understand anything that's in it. 253 00:31:36,396 --> 00:31:39,198 And yet the book opens telling you the exact opposite. 254 00:31:44,728 --> 00:31:49,461 But he also says there's a blessing for those who keep it. 255 00:31:53,038 --> 00:32:09,130 And Jesus is about to write through John to a group of churches that are about to start struggling in a very substantial way. 256 00:32:11,338 --> 00:32:25,773 and Jesus is going to write to them making sure they understand that though they're headed into hardship, though they're headed into persecution, though they're headed into 257 00:32:25,773 --> 00:32:36,806 tribulation and trials, though some of them will even lose their life for their faith, they need to know before it ever begins. 258 00:32:38,679 --> 00:32:40,031 He's already won. 259 00:32:41,751 --> 00:32:44,082 that they are already victorious. 260 00:32:45,143 --> 00:32:47,384 That this thing which is... 261 00:32:47,384 --> 00:32:51,361 wait a minute, what did he say here right at the end of verse 3? 262 00:32:51,887 --> 00:32:57,485 This thing for which the time is near. 263 00:32:59,660 --> 00:33:01,673 and they were gonna live through it. 264 00:33:03,500 --> 00:33:12,450 was something that they would go through and some of them would die as a result. 265 00:33:14,328 --> 00:33:16,137 but if they were faithful. 266 00:33:18,082 --> 00:33:19,845 they'd receive a crown of life. 267 00:33:21,129 --> 00:33:26,018 That ultimately the one who's writing them the book, Christ, 268 00:33:28,012 --> 00:33:33,682 had already conquered those who were going to persecute them. 269 00:33:36,810 --> 00:33:39,285 much like the Old Testament prophets. 270 00:33:41,090 --> 00:33:42,771 for instance, Habakkuk. 271 00:33:43,731 --> 00:33:54,157 Habakkuk's going to be told Babylon is coming, the Chaldeans are coming, and they are going to bring judgment on Israel. 272 00:33:55,158 --> 00:34:05,173 And in that short book that Habakkuk writes, he writes concerning the fact that the Chaldeans were going to come and they were going to overthrow Jerusalem, they were going 273 00:34:05,173 --> 00:34:11,246 to overthrow Israel, and he is confused as to how God could use a wicked people 274 00:34:12,162 --> 00:34:15,309 to judge God's people. 275 00:34:17,292 --> 00:34:26,194 but he's firmly convinced God knows what he's doing and he'll wait to be instructed as to what God is doing and why it's right. 276 00:34:28,428 --> 00:34:33,768 and there in chapter two God will tell Habakkuk. 277 00:34:35,340 --> 00:34:47,227 that though this judgment is coming on the nation and though these things are going to be brought upon God's people who are really no longer God's people because they've turned 278 00:34:47,227 --> 00:35:01,196 away from God that rather God knows who belongs to him and Habakkuk is told that just shall live by faith. 279 00:35:03,490 --> 00:35:12,402 Habakkuk is told that those who belong to God, God fully knows who they are. 280 00:35:13,484 --> 00:35:21,044 That God knows how to protect the righteous while delivering the unrighteous to judgment. 281 00:35:26,668 --> 00:35:41,354 And as Habakkuk is told concerning those things, God makes clear that the same people who He's using to judge Israel, He will in turn judge. 282 00:35:44,856 --> 00:36:06,908 here in this book, here in this epistle to seven churches, God is going to tell them these things are going to shortly take place and the time is near and He's going to convey that 283 00:36:06,908 --> 00:36:09,150 message twice and we're not even out of verse three. 284 00:36:12,972 --> 00:36:15,314 Then you have John's opening. 285 00:36:15,314 --> 00:36:20,388 Revelation chapter 1 verse 4, John to the seven churches which are in Asia. 286 00:36:21,169 --> 00:36:39,603 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 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness the firstborn 287 00:36:39,603 --> 00:36:42,946 from the dead and the ruler over the kings of the earth 288 00:36:42,946 --> 00:36:48,898 to Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood. 289 00:36:50,570 --> 00:36:58,176 John, as he opens the letter to these churches, identifies seven churches. 290 00:36:59,418 --> 00:37:02,820 Now, are there only seven churches in all of Asia Minor? 291 00:37:04,021 --> 00:37:05,172 Probably not. 292 00:37:06,712 --> 00:37:09,146 So why are there seven that are addressed? 293 00:37:09,929 --> 00:37:13,075 Was this letter supposed to go to those seven and no more? 294 00:37:14,379 --> 00:37:18,056 Probably not, because we still got it. 295 00:37:20,470 --> 00:37:34,424 Rather, you're going to begin to see in the book at the very outset with the individuals and the churches that it's addressed to that numbers are going to play a large part in 296 00:37:34,424 --> 00:37:38,948 this book, that numbers are going to have meaning. 297 00:37:40,350 --> 00:37:44,844 And so you're going to read about seven churches. 298 00:37:46,466 --> 00:37:51,251 But you're not just going to read about seven churches here in these first few verses. 299 00:37:51,251 --> 00:37:54,514 You're going to read about seven spirits. 300 00:37:57,356 --> 00:38:00,108 Now, before we get too far. 301 00:38:01,728 --> 00:38:11,524 as we start looking at the pictures, are we supposed to look at the picture and say, that's what it says, therefore that's what it means? 302 00:38:12,845 --> 00:38:13,885 No. 303 00:38:14,686 --> 00:38:20,960 So when you read concerning the one who is on the throne, 304 00:38:22,796 --> 00:38:24,368 That is God the Father. 305 00:38:25,290 --> 00:38:36,538 And when you read about Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, the ruler over the kings of the earth, the one who loved us and washed us in His blood, 306 00:38:36,538 --> 00:38:38,060 that's Jesus Christ. 307 00:38:41,090 --> 00:38:48,311 And when you read about the seven spirits that are before the throne of God, are you supposed to assume that there's not one Holy Spirit? 308 00:38:48,311 --> 00:38:49,674 There's actually seven. 309 00:38:52,702 --> 00:38:59,360 Why should you not assume that there are now seven Holy Spirits and not one? 310 00:39:06,616 --> 00:39:09,027 That's exactly the answer I was looking for. 311 00:39:09,647 --> 00:39:14,848 Because the rest of the text in Scripture has already told us there's one. 312 00:39:15,989 --> 00:39:22,110 John is not writing this book to contradict all the rest of Scripture. 313 00:39:23,371 --> 00:39:28,432 He's writing this book because they know the rest of Scripture. 314 00:39:29,632 --> 00:39:35,458 And now he's giving them pictures and numbers and signs and symbols. 315 00:39:35,458 --> 00:39:47,458 to mean something and to communicate to them about what they're reading. 316 00:39:47,980 --> 00:39:49,700 So how many churches were there? 317 00:39:52,621 --> 00:39:53,521 Seven. 318 00:39:55,296 --> 00:39:59,104 and in each of those churches in the first century. 319 00:40:00,790 --> 00:40:14,348 Were there those most likely in that assembly where the Holy Spirit had been given to them as part of the handing off of the miraculous gifts and the uh works of the miraculous 320 00:40:14,348 --> 00:40:22,782 gifts so that they might have knowledge and revelation and faith and these ability to perform miracles by the laying on of the Apostles hands? 321 00:40:24,003 --> 00:40:24,903 Yeah. 322 00:40:25,704 --> 00:40:27,845 Most likely in every single one of those churches there was. 323 00:40:27,845 --> 00:40:29,526 We know there was an Ephesus. 324 00:40:30,060 --> 00:40:41,443 and we know that Paul was the one who primarily went throughout this region and that others came after him and Paul had the ability to hand off the ability to perform miracles 325 00:40:41,443 --> 00:40:43,425 and have these miraculous gifts. 326 00:40:43,425 --> 00:40:47,980 So was the Spirit represented in all the churches? 327 00:40:52,596 --> 00:41:08,168 As a matter of fact, when you read each of the letters, beginning in chapter 2, every one of them will close with a reference to the Spirit. 328 00:41:11,821 --> 00:41:13,182 the picture. 329 00:41:14,958 --> 00:41:31,458 is that there's God the Father on the throne, and there's Christ who came and died and washed us in His blood, and there before the throne is their representative of every 330 00:41:31,458 --> 00:41:34,950 single church in the presence of God. 331 00:41:37,090 --> 00:41:48,338 that God is not dealing with the church and with these people who are about to go through these persecutions and these troubles and these trials. 332 00:41:48,338 --> 00:41:52,841 He's not dealing with them as though they're some far-off community. 333 00:41:53,942 --> 00:41:58,545 He's not dealing with them as though they're some forsaken group. 334 00:41:59,146 --> 00:42:05,794 He's not dealing with them as though they're some group of people who He has no real association with, no. 335 00:42:05,794 --> 00:42:18,354 from the very beginning of the picture, John says, your representation is right there before the throne. 336 00:42:21,068 --> 00:42:35,676 that your representative of what is going on in your church is right at the very foot of the throne of the Father. 337 00:42:37,474 --> 00:42:39,575 You're not going through this alone. 338 00:42:40,837 --> 00:42:44,680 You're not going through this with a God who's unaware. 339 00:42:46,002 --> 00:42:56,170 Rather, you are going through this with a God who is on the throne in contrast to the other God that will be talked about in the book. 340 00:42:58,450 --> 00:43:09,520 and you're going through this with the Christ who has already come, who has already died, and who has already purchased your redemption. 341 00:43:10,801 --> 00:43:13,383 And He paid for it with His own blood. 342 00:43:14,785 --> 00:43:24,994 And you're going through this thing which is going to shortly take place and the time of which is near 343 00:43:27,628 --> 00:43:36,786 and your representative in the form of the Holy Spirit is there before the throne of God on your behalf. 344 00:43:38,999 --> 00:43:40,062 this book. 345 00:43:41,674 --> 00:43:43,657 not written to hide things. 346 00:43:44,761 --> 00:43:48,688 This book is not written to conceal things. 347 00:43:49,812 --> 00:43:53,418 This book is written so that you can look at the picture. 348 00:43:55,018 --> 00:44:11,705 and get the message that Christ is victorious, that the church, though it will be persecuted, will be victorious and will come through that persecution not battered, 349 00:44:11,705 --> 00:44:22,700 bruised, not failing and miserable, not in tatters, but glorious and victorious. 350 00:44:23,978 --> 00:44:25,355 and conquering. 351 00:44:27,126 --> 00:44:34,086 and that God is with those Christians every step of the way. 352 00:44:34,086 --> 00:44:37,450 All right, thank you for your attention. 353 00:44:37,450 --> 00:44:41,045 We'll pick up uh there in chapter one next Sunday.