Throughout history many predictions have been made concerning the future.
"Radio has no future. Heavier-than-air machines are impossible. X-rays will prove to be a hoax." - English scientist William Thomson, 1899.
"Television won't matter in your lifetime or mine." - Radio Times editor Rex Lambert, 1936.
"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home." - Ken Olsen, president, chairman, and founder of Digital Equipment Corporation, 1977.
"By 2000, the machines will be producing so much that everyone in the U.S. will, in effect, be independently wealthy." - Time Magazine, 1966.
"Everything that can be invented has been invented." - Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.
"You ought to go back to driving a truck." - Concert manager, firing Elvis Presley in 1954.
"We don't like their sound, and guitar music." - Decca Recording Co., rejecting the Beatles, 1962.
"It doesn't matter what he does, he will never amount to anything." Einstein's teacher to his father, 1895.
When we come to the book of Revelation we find a book with many predictions. 1:3, "Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it: for the time is at hand." At the close we read, "And he says unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand" (22:10).
Revelation is primarily a revelation of Jesus Christ. It is also a book about the future -- a book of prophecy.
The book gives predictions about what will happen in the future.
• John writes with an obvious excitement and spiritual renewal. Fresh from a worship service that really impacts you: tell somebody with excitement.
• Like John the Baptist who doubted while in prison, John the Apostle while on Patmos might have struggled also.
4 John to the seven churches that 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 of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood-- 6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father--to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
The book is written for seven churches. "Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What you see, write in a book, and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia; to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamos, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea."(11)
These seven Churches are not all the Churches that existed at the time the book was written. The number 7 is the number of completion. Seven colors make up the light spectrum.
There are seven notes in the musical scale. There are seven days in one week.
God commanded seven feasts in the Law. Seven secrets in the Christ’s parables of the kingdom.
There were seven sayings of Jesus on the cross.
At Jericho seven priests carrying seven trumpets marched around the city for seven days.
On the seventh day they marched around the city seven times.
In this book, the number 7 is used 49 times, which is 7x7:
• Seven Churches – 1:4 Seven Spirits – 1:4 Seven Stars – 1:16 Seven Seals – 4:5
• Seven Horns – 5:6 Seven Eyes – 6:6 Seven Trumpets – 8:2 Seven Angels – 8:2
• Seven Thunders – 10:3 Seven Heads – 12:3 Seven Crowns – 12:3 Seven Plagues – 15:1
• Seven Vials – 17:1 Seven Mountains – 17:9 Seven Kings – 17:10
• God is our resource for two important things: Grace & Peace
Grace is God’s freely given unmerited favor based upon the finished work of His Son Jesus Christ. Gift wrapped packed with bill attached?
God insists on neither worthiness nor competency. Instead He glories in calling into His service people who are neither worthy nor adequate. He makes them worthy in Christ alone, never in themselves. Then He makes them adequate through the mighty working of His Spirit within them. JERRY BRIDGES
Only reason people stop fighting wars is to give themselves time to reload.
Peace is something the world will never know but the Christian can experience within.
Peace is a fruit of God’s Spirit, an evidence of His working in us.
What comes out of us when the world starts to squeeze?
1. THE FATHER from Him who is and who was and who is to come,
God dwells in all the tenses of time. He is the eternal God.
John defines God as being present in the past, present, and in the future.
There has never been a moment when God did not exist!
Genesis 21:33 that Abraham "called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God."
Psalm 90:2, "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God."
"Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting" (Psalm 93:2).
God is in charge and in control of the past, present, and even the future.
History is simply His-story.
2. THE HOLY SPIRIT and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,
John is not speaking of 7 different spirits but referring to the Holy Spirit in a seven-fold work. The number seven is the number of completion and perfection.
"And 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" (Isa. 11:2). Isaiah presented Him as "seven Spirits" or in His complete work as the Holy Spirit.
John speaks of the Holy Spirit as being “before His throne” in the place of a servant.
He is seen as the executor of God's purposes in the past, the present and in the future.
The work of execution which involves the will of God. He also has the work of glorification.
In all that He does, His aim and objective is the glory of the Lord Jesus. (unpardonable sin)
David Hocking says He has 7 major ministries:
Convicts unbelievers of sin, righteousness and judgment: John 16:8-11.
Regenerates or causes us to become believers: John 3:1-8; Titus 3:5, I Pet 1:23-25; James 1:18.
Indwells and baptizes the believer: I Corinthians 6:19; Romans 8:9; John 14:16; I Cor 12:13.
Seals us: Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30.
Imparts gifts: I Corinthians 12:7-11.
Fills the believer: Ephesians 5:15-21; Galatians 5:16.
Causes us to bear fruit: Galatians 5:22-23.— The characteristics of Jesus Christ.
3. THE SON Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth What a wonderful description of the Lord Jesus.
Prophet, Priest, and King. As Prophet He is the "Faithful Witness." As Priest He is the "First-born from the dead." As King, He is the "ruler of the kings of the earth."
A RELIABLE LORD. He is the "Faithful Witness."
John 18:37 He answered Pilate by saying, "for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth."
Jesus shows us what God is like. He also showed us what man should be:
John 6:38, ‘For I have come down from heaven not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me” (Food and drink, Jn 4:34)
• Others not so faithful: disciples scattered, Peter denied Him, Judas betrayed Him.
• Does my life provide a faithful witness to God? What would people be led to believe about God by looking at my life?
A RESURRECTED LORD. He is the "First-born from the dead." This title means that He was the greatest or highest to be raised from the dead. There were others that had been raised from the dead prior to His resurrection. Highest in rank in supremacy and preeminence.
He is the preeminent One in position, power and purposes.
A RULING LORD. He is the "ruler of the kings of the earth."
Before Pilate: “You would have no authority over Me unless it had been given to you from above” Jn 19:11
Revelation 11:15, "…The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever."
He is the "King of heaven" (Dan. 4:37); "King of the Jews" (Matt. 2:2);
"King of Israel" (John 1:49); "King of the ages" (1 Tim. 1:17); "King of glory" (Psa. 24:7);
"King of saints" (Rev. 15:3); "King of Kings" (Rev. 19:16) and the
"Mighty Prince of the kings of the earth" (Dan. 8:25).
Others were resurrected but only Jesus completely defeated death.
To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father--to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. John not only speaks of Who He is but also what He has done for us. He has "loved" us. The statement is in the present tense meaning that He continually loves us. He also has released us. The word "washed" means "to set free." He has also made us "Kings and priests." Speaks of our association and our access to him.
7 BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen. 8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
The Passion of the Christ was soon to be released in theaters and there were previews of the movie that were shown on TV. It is what we sometimes call a sneak preview.
Revelation 1:7-8 is a trailer, a coming attraction of what lies ahead. In these two verses we are given a sneak preview of the eternal drama entitled The Revelation of the Christ.
A new father was changing his first diaper. It was not one those really bad ones.
He looked at his wife and said, “This is not that bad.”
“Honey,” his wife replied, “that is just a preview of coming attractions.”
Verse 7 begins with the word, “Behold.” It would be like someone hollering, “Hey, you!”
The word is found 25 times in the Book of Revelation. It is a word calling for our attention.
• John must have remembered standing and watching Jesus ascend into the clouds as he thought about Jesus returning in similar manner: Trip back on plane
• “This Jesus who has been taken up from you will come again in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven” Acts 1
John 14:2-3, “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
Both the Old and New Testaments are filled with promises of the Second Coming of Christ.
There are 1,845 references to it in the OT, and a total of seventeen OT books give it prominence.
Of the 260 chapters in the NT, there are 318 references to the Second Coming, or one out of 30 verses. Twenty-three of the 27 New Testament books refer to this great event.
For every prophecy on the First Coming of Christ, there are 8 on Christ’s Second Coming.
Matthew 24:30, “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
Ezekiel 30:3 says, “For the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen.” We often sing about an unclouded day. I am looking for a “cloudy day.” There will come a “cloudy day” when Jesus Christ will come again.
Two descriptions of the Lord’s coming. First, 1 Thessalonians 5:2, “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.”
Revelation 1:7 that “every eye shall see Him.” The description of His coming as a thief in the night suggests that there will be something secretive about His return.
The description of His coming and every eye seeing Him suggests there will be something social about His return. One describes a private event and the other a public event.
The Bible is speaking of two separate returns of Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: [17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
At this return only the redeemed will see Him and hear His voice.
In the hours that follows, the whole world will know that something of astronomical proportions has taken place but they will not see Him or hear Him when He returns.
Can’t hear him now either although He constantly speaks to His own.
Approximately seven years later Christ will come back again.
Revelation 19:11-14, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.”
Revelation 19 describes how at this return He will war with the kings and nations of the earth.
It will be at this return that the whole world will see Him. The first time He comes back, He will come for the saints. The second time He comes back, He will come with the saints. In verse 7 He is seen returning as a victorious Commander to conquer and rule and reign upon the earth.
In verse 8 Jesus is called “the Almighty.” One who is unlimited and universal in His authority. It literally means that Jesus Christ is the “all-ruling” One.
He returns to the earth where He was crucified. He does not come to hang on a tree bus to sit upon a throne. The first time He came as Saviour. This time He is coming as Sovereign.
There will be no doubt as to Who He is. The first time He came as child born in a lowly manger. However, when He comes this time, He will come in all His splendor and glory.
The Middle East will be focus of the world and the main story on every news channel around the world. Reporters and TV stations from around the world will be gathered in one place. Then there will come that moment when Christ will come and the images will be instantly flashed into millions of homes.
Zechariah 12:10, “And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.”Hundreds of years before he was crucified, it was prophesied that that Jesus would be pierced.
Those who pierced him and rejected Him will see that He is indeed the Messiah.
Isaiah 45:23, “I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.”
Romans 14:11, “For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”
Every Christ-rejecter, Christ-hater, and Christ-denier will bow the knee and proclaim Him Lord. Every Jew, every Muslim, every Buddist, every Lutheran or Baptist shall bow the knee and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
All the nations of earth will acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ! Everyone; every tribe, every clan, every race will recognize and acknowledge Jesus as the Christ.
The word “mourn” literally means “to beat the breast with grief.” This will not only be an hour of recognition but it will also be an hour in which His wrath will be poured out upon.
John 1:11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
HARRY WAS A MOUNTAIN MAN: On March 17th of 1980 a Radical thing took place in the state of Washington something that hadn’t happened in at least 123yrs It started when an Earthquake registering 4.1 on the Richter scale was reported near Mt. St. Helens in S.W Washington
Forest rangers were notified of possible dangers that could happen including the Eruption of Mt. St. Helens – Volcano Scientist flew in from all over to access the explosive potential of the Mountain
They painted a frightening scenario of future destruction – residents were warned to evacuate /
Living on that Mt. Was an Old man named Harry – He had lived there for quite some time w/ his 16 cats
Harry bragged – “Nobody knows more about this mountain than Harry & it don’t dare blow up on him”
When Sheriffs deputies ordered Harry to leave – he responded by saying I am having a Heck of a time livin my life alone. I’m king of all I survey, I’ve got Plenty of Whiskey – I’ve got food enough for 15 yrs I am setting high on the hog –I am not going anywhere
But then it Happened – Sunday Morning March 28th The Mountain exploded w/ a force that was 500 times greater than the Bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima
Huge Rocks were sent flying landing 14 miles away / Huge Redwood trees were Leveled The Warnings were over – there was no more time to run!!!
The earthquakes were the coming attractions, previews but now came the prophesied end.
