The Reason For Revelation Series

THE REASON FOR REVELATION

REVELATION 1:1-3

Purpose: To understand why Revelation was written.

Aim: I want the listener to rejoice in Christ’s present exalted state.

INTRODUCTION: Just the mention of the book of Revelation will often bring a dejected sigh that, “No one can really understand this book.” But, if we can’t understand the message of this book then why did God give it to us? Why is this the only book that promises a blessing (Vs.3) if we read it and obey it?

I fear that a lot of Christians have unknowingly thrown away a lot of blessings by not reading and studying the book of Revelation. It’s like the story of book collector who ran into a friend who had just thrown away a Bible that had been stored in the attic of his ancestral home for generations. "I couldn’t read it," the friend explained. "Somebody named Guten-something had printed it." "Not Gutenberg!" the book lover exclaimed in horror. "That Bible was one of the first books ever printed. Why, a copy just sold for over two million dollars!" His friend was unimpressed. "Mine wouldn’t have brought a dollar. Some fellow named Martin Luther had scribbled all over it in German." [Our Daily Bread, June 7, 1994.]

We tend to think of this book as shrouded in mystery, but the very title of the book is the “Revelation of Jesus Christ.”

The word REVELATION is a noun that means:

1. apokalupsis (ἀποκάλυψις, 602), lit., “an uncovering, unveiling” (apo, “from,” kalupto, “to hide, cover”), denotes “a revelation, or appearing” (Eng., apocalypse). It is translated “the appearing” in 1 Pet. 1:7, KJV (RV, “revelation”). .[Strong, J. (1996). The exhaustive concordance of the Bible : Showing every word of the test of the common English version of the canonical books, and every occurence of each word in regular order. (electronic ed.) (G602). Ontario: Woodside Bible Fellowship.]

Before we look at the message of Revelation let’s look at the Bible as a whole. The overall message of the Bible is actually very simple.

➽The Main Message of the Bible

➽#1 The perfection of God

God is holy, righteous, eternal, pure, completely separate from sin, all powerful, the Creator, and gloriously beautiful.

➽#2 The problem of sin

Adam and Eve chose to rebel against their loving Creator and everyone of us has inherited their rebellious nature.

➽#3 The promise of salvation

God announced the first promise of salvation to Satan, Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.” (NAU)

Then God killed an innocent animal in order to make coverings for Adam and Eve.

➽#4 The plan of a sacrifice

Romans 3:23-25 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness … (NAU)

➽#5 The power of the Savior

The book of Revelation is the only book of the Bible devoted entirely to teaching us the last area, so it makes the picture of the Bible complete. The Bible is not complete without the book of Revelation. This why Paul said, 2 Corinthians 5:16 … we have known Christ according to the flesh, [i.e. by what He is in the flesh] yet now we know Him in this way no longer. (NAU)

The Bible as a whole is a mystery to most people, but if we have four things we CAN understand the main message of the Bible.

➽Requirements for Understanding the Bible

➽#1 Receive Christ’s forgiveness

1 Corinthians 2:14-15 14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things… (NAU)

➽#2 Trust what God says

We must approach the Bible wanting to learn what God says. We should not come to the Bible skeptical of what God says.

Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, … (NAU)

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. (NAU)

➽#3 Ask God for help

Psalm 119:18 Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. (NAU)

Psalm 119:169 Let my cry come before You, O Lord; Give me understanding according to Your word. (NAU)

“God wants you to know the message of Revelation more than you personally want to understand it.” David Hocking [Strong, J. (1996). The exhaustive concordance of the Bible : Showing every word of the test of the common English version of the canonical books, and every occurence of each word in regular order. (electronic ed.) (G602). Ontario: Woodside Bible Fellowship.]