The Beginning of the End...

Most people love to know the future.  We want to know the future of our family and our health and our money.

 

Some folks even go to the extent of reading horoscopes, consulting psychics, and looking at tarot cards.  Well, today is your day.  Today, we are going to look at the beginning of the end…the book of Revelation.

 

Think with me about 19 years ago.  Do you remember where you were on September 11, 2001?  I had just dropped Christy off at school in Forney, Texas and went to my office at FBC Forney. 

 

When I got inside, the secretaries and staff were gathered around a 13 inch, black and white, television with rabbit hears.  They were trying to make out the events of the morning in New York City and Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania.

 

What if you knew on September 10^th what was going to happen on September 11^th?  What would you do?  Would you warn anyone?  Would make some phone calls?

 

In our study of Revelation, were going to find out the end.  Therefore, you’re going to know the end in advance.  However, what are you going to do about it?  Are you going to warn anyone?  Are you going to make some phone calls, send some text messages, have some hard conversations? 

 

As we look this morning at the first eight verses of this book, I’m going to ask and answer some introductory questions that will get us started in the right direction for our study. 

 

 

1. What is Revelation about?

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ…

 

Look at verse 1.  This book is about Jesus and from Jesus.  Revelation means to unveil.  Therefore, Jesus is going to unveil or draw back the curtain so that we can see Him clearly. 

 

Verse 5 tells us more.  In verses 5, 6, and 8, there are no less than seven truths about who Jesus is.  First, He is the faithful witness so you can trust Him.  Second, He is the firstborn of the dead.  There will be more who will be resurrected, but He was the first.  Third, He is the ruler over the kings of the earth.  That truth speaks to His coming earthly kingdom. Fourth, He loved us.  We know that because we saw Him die on the cross for us in Mark.  Fifth, He washed us with His own blood.  His washing assumes we were stained, and we were with our sins. 

 

In verse 8, He is the Alpha and Omega.  Those are first and last letters in the Greek alphabet.  He is all encompassing.  Seventh, He is the Lord Almighty.  No one is more powerful than Him.

 

 

2. Who is Revelation’s author?

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, 2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.

 

If we’re talking about the human author, that was John.  He was the son of Zebedee and the brother of James and a fisherman.  Revelation is the last of five NT books that he wrote including John, 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John.

 

However, notice this authorial chain beginning in verse 1.  This revelation was from God and given to Jesus who gave it to His angel and then to John. 

 

More than likely, this is the latest NT book, written approximately 95 AD.  John wrote it after he was exiled to island of Patmos when he was pastoring the church at Ephesus because he had gotten cross with the Roman Emperor Domitian. 

 

 

3. What is Revelation’s award?

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.

 

That question may surprise you.  Perhaps a better word would be reward instead of award.  For those that read and hear and keep or obey, there is a blessing.  There is reward or an award. 

 

Also, from this third verse, we found out what type of book this is, and it will go a long way in helping us understand.  Revelation is a prophetic, circular letter that uses apocalyptic language.

 

John said it is prophecy.  That is the prediction of future events.  Therefore, in our understanding, we are going to operate from a futurist stand point.  John even says things which must shortly take place in verse 1.

 

This was a letter written to the seven churches in Asia.  Those are named and addressed specifically in chapters 2 and 3.  However, it was circular letter that was to be read aloud in the worship service.  Notice that one reads and those hear and keep.

 

Finally, because Revelation is apocalyptic, John uses highly symbolic language.  However, we still interpret this book literally even with symbolic language. 

 

For example, Jesus said if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  We take literally the idea of dealing severely with our sin.  However, how no one has plucked out their eye because we know that is symbolic language. 

 

4. Who was Revelation’s audience?

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.

 

As I mentioned a moment ago, John’s primary audience was the churches addressed in chapters 2 and 3: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.

 

However, don’t miss the secondary audience.  Look at verse 1.  God gave this revelation to Jesus to show His servants.  That is us.  We are His servants or bondservants.  Therefore, make sure your eyes and ears are ready each and every week as we open this book together. 

 

John’s salutation reminds us that the book of Revelation is for believers…those who have received the grace of God and who are peace with God through Holy Trinity.  God the Father is who is and was and is to come.  The seven Spirits is the Holy Spirit. 

 

Why seven?  Seven is the number of perfection or completion in the Bible.  He could also be making the correlation between the Holy Spirit being present in each of the seven churches.  However, he may simply be referring to the seven-fold ministry of the Holy Spirit referenced in Isaiah 11:2.

 

Isaiah 11:2, The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

 

 

5. What is Revelation’s announcement?

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. 

 

Are you ready for this? Jesus is coming again.  That’s the announcement, and everyone will know it.  The unbelieving Jews will know it.  The unbelieving Gentiles will know it, and if you haven’t received Him as Lord and Savior, it will be too late.  That is why you will mourn and weep and grieve for eternity. 

 

 

Conclusion/Invitation

So will you receive Him today as Lord and Savior?

 

If you already have, this is your September 10^th.  You know what is going to happen on September 11^th.  What are you going to do about it?  Are you go to warn someone?  Are you going to call someone?  Are you to text someone?  Are you going to have some hard conversations because you love family and friends and you know?