What Is The Purpose Of The Revelation? Series

Alpha and Omega, Part 24, Revelation Part 1

What is the purpose of the Revelation?

Revelation 1:1-3

Introduction

- Last week we examined Jesus through the eyes of David

- Challenge was to see David laying out for us the coming Christ

-- It challenges us to be intentional, be focused, to “get on with” our mission

- What’s the urgency? Revelation shows us one very clear picture:

-- It gives us a preview of God’s wrath for humanity’s disobedience

-- We know God gives us grace through His sacrifice of Jesus – that this is

-- APP: The ultimate representation of love & forgiveness for our rebellion

- Today, we begin our journey into the book of Revelation

-- I ask for your prayers as I prepare these messages (I am writing them new…)

-- Wed nights resume on July 26, will be “part 2” of that Sunday’s message

-- My hope is that we will finish this by the December – but I want to be flexible

-- Admit: It’s good to have a schedule, but I’d rather toss it out if God leads

- The handout in your bulletin is a roadmap for the book of Revelation (slide)

-- It gives us a visual summary of the events, signs, and the key timelines

-- We will always be able to print more, but hopefully this will help you

-- You’ll notice it coincides with chapters, so it’s “easy” to follow along

- Currently, we reside in the church age on the left-hand side (Ch. 1, 2, and 3)

-- IMP: The one thing we do not have is the date of the rapture (kicks off Ch 4)

-- Life Lesson: Check out Matthew 24 … Jesus simply says: Be ready!

-- We are not in charge of knowing everything, and so in this we must have faith

-- BIG: To know God knows what He is doing – our job is to believe/serve Him

- Big heads up to all: Here is the key to studying this series:

-- You can’t believe “In the beginning” and not believe “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!”

-- PER. CHAL: We cannot pick & choose what we like and disbelieve the rest

-- EX: If you believe God created in 6 days, must believe in its ending OR

-- EX: If you believe Jesus that Jesus is your Savior and eternity is promised …

-- Then you must believe in what is to come at the “end of time” (Revelation)

- Fair enough? Everybody with me?

- Let’s dive in … Read Revelation 1:1-3 / Pray

- TR: Three things to see in the form of an introduction …

Point 1 – John is the author and revealer of Jesus’s words

- John identifies himself 4 times in this book: Ch 1 vv. 1, 4, and 9, and Rev. 22:8

-- This is the disciple John, the same one who wrote the Gospel, one “Jesus loved”

- He uses words that are specific to how John wrote (Galilean, spoke Aramaic)

-- Aramaic would have strongly been influenced by the Greek language

-- EX: He calls Jesus (in the Greek) the “Logos”, which means “the word”

-- John 1:1, “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.” What is the word? It is … Jesus Christ.

- The exact date of the manuscript is uncertain, biblically speaking

-- Most likely, this was written about 95 or 96 A.D. (Jesus ascended in 33 A.D.)

-- Some have interpreted it earlier – perhaps during Nero’s time, around 68 A.D.

- But there are two reasons this earlier timeline does not work out:

1. John was exiled to Patmos where he got this vision, but Nero didn’t exile

-- When Nero persecuted, it was in your face and direct – he thrived on violence

-- He blamed the Christians for Rome’s downturn & took joy in destroying them

-- He martyred hundreds if not thousands of believers – he didn’t exile them

2. Also, the state of churches differs from Paul’s view: approx. 60 or 70 A.D.

-- Revelation pictures the churches have been established for decades

--- For example, he speaks directly about what’s happening in the churches

--- Sardis is dead, and Ephesus has lost its first love … Paul doesn’t speak of these

-- Paul’s writings speak of hope, strengthening, building, cooperating, etc.

-- APP: Paul had a much more encouraging; John was matter of fact reporting

- However, we must conclude that John had three reasons for writing:

1. To allow Jesus to proclaim “Behold, I am coming quickly”

2. To allow Jesus’s followers to declare that “He is coming quickly”, and,

3. To give the church and the world “The Revelation of Jesus Christ”