Prelude
With all the things that have happened in the past few months and the fact that we are approaching a new year, I believe that there is an urgent need to look into the Book of Revelation.
You might ask why Study Revelation? Within the words of this last book of the Bible there is a message for all of us today. A profound message that has an impact on each and every person’s future.
It is a message that declares and confirms to us that it is the only book in the Bible that promises a blessing to those that listen, read, and study it.
The Book of Revelation is shied away from, ignored, and misinterpreted.
It is not the Book of Revelations, as some say, teach or preach, but the Book of Revelation.
The word Revelation means the unveiling of, thus being the unveiling of Jesus Christ or the uncovering of Jesus Christ.
There are not several unveilings of Jesus Christ, only one unveiling.
The book of Revelation is an amazing book, a book that can capture ones imagination and yet it is a complex book.
It is a book of mystery, wonder, excitement, drama, and horror.
The book of Revelation along with rest of the Bible gives us a step-by-step account of all the events that has happened, that is happening, and is going to happen.
It cannot be interpreted one its own but must be interpreted using the whole Bible. There are 845 verses not including Revelation concerning end times and 10,854 verses that explain these verses.
Is about the past, present, future and everlasting; Write the things, which thou hast seen, and the things, which are, and the things, which shall be hereafter; Revelation 1:19 (KJV)
Scripture
Please stand and honor God’s written Word as we read from Revelation 1:1-3.
1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. Revelation 1:1-3 (KJV)
Introduction
Hang on to those words I just said concerning Revelation and as we start out the new year we will go on an exciting adventure as we walk through the pages of the book of Revelation.
The Book of Revelation has been misunderstood, misrepresented, and misinterpreted by many, it has been avoided because many seem to believe that it cannot be understood and that reading it, studying and preaching from it will only lead to confusion.
That is sad, because anyone who takes the time to study the Revelation will soon discover that it is not hard to comprehend.
The fact is that it is only be unclear to the unbeliever, And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.
Luke 8:10 (KJV)
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14 (KJV)
A Christian that is lead by the Holy Spirit will soon discover that Jesus Christ is more clearly revealed than He is anywhere else in the Word of God.
This is not a book to be avoided, but a book to embrace, read, and study.
John wrote Revelation at the end of the Emperor Domitian’s reign, between 81-96 AD.
John refused to worship the Roman Emperor (which was the custom of his day).
Just refusing to worship Domitian and add the fact that he helped convert the Emperor's wife to Christianity, led to his exile on the Isle of Patmos.
Everything that we touch, smell, hear, or feel will come to and end, but the spoken word of God will never change of come to and end. God’s spoken word endures though out eternity.
Scriptures tells us what God has spoken does not change.
The Word of God is forever and ever, heaven and earth shall pass away, but the Word of God shall never pass away. Psalms 119:89; Matthew 24:35 (MB)
So if God’s spoken word is so powerful and eternal, then how does one understand what God has spoken?
We can be assured that God has promised us in Revelation says; “to show his servants the things which must shortly come to pass.”
“To show” means by word pictures, by symbols, by direct and indirect representations.
“And he sent and signified it.” That is, he used symbols.
Keep in mind that symbols are symbolic of reality.
2 Peter 1:20 gives us a rule for interpreting prophecy; “knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation,”
Remember no one is to self interpret a single text by itself’ you interpret it in the light of the entire Word of God.
God gave us Revelation (unveiling)
Jesus is the solution to all the problems of this world.
We will see that He is the only hope for fallen man.
We see a world is in turmoil and tribulation as I speak. Never the less Jesus is the answer to the needs of the world.
When everything is gone; when sin, Satan and sorrow have all been defeated; Jesus will still be Lord.
Regardless of what you might be facing today, remember that Jesus Christ is the answer.
He is the only hope for the world.
He is “the way, the truth and the life, and no man cometh unto the Father but by” Him.
Jesus became a man, he voluntarily gave up his royal position, experienced everything that mankind experiences in life.
You will never experience anything that Jesus has does not already understand.
He knows what it is like when you go through trials and tribulations, through life and death, through joy and sorrow, through gain or loss, he knows and he is there with you.
The Message Never Changes
If you watch “The History Channel” you will hear a message different from what the book of Revelation is really revealing to us.
If you listen to the secular teachers and professors you will get a distorted view.
Verse 1 says that He sent and signified, which means to give sign.
What is being said is that the Lord is letting us know that He will be speaking in symbolic language and word pictures.
There is a reason that the Lord is speaking to us in symbolic language and word pictures.
Symbols are spiritual codes. The church in that day was under intense persecution. The language used would have been clear to the redeemed, but a riddle to the lost who might desire to use the message to attack the saints.
Languages change, symbols do not. Trying to see the message of Revelation using the wisdom of the world will ultimately fail.
However seeing it and using symbolic language, word pictures, and the Word of God it will come alive.
Read, Hear, and Keep
1. He that readeth – You only receive a blessing if you read and study Revelation, yourself and to others. There is no blessing by osmosis.
It is one thing to read another thing to read and study. You comprehend little only reading, but reading to study you retain much more.
2. They that hear – You only receive a blessing when you hear and retain Revelation taught and preached. There is no blessing by buying books and carrying your Bible around.
We hear things all the time, but how much that you hear you really retain. When listening to Revelation one must hear to retain.
3. They that keep – This speaks to those who will take this message to heart. Those who hear it, believe it, and live it can expect the Lord to bless them for their efforts in this book.
To keep means to memories, take to heart. The Word of God says “thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee.”
What Can We Expect
We can expect the Lord to feed us, enrich us, and teach us as we move through these series of messages.
We can also expect the Lord to bless us because we are taking Him at His word.
As we read, hear and keep the words of this prophecy.
I encourage you not to miss a single message, not that I am delivering great messages, but that the Word of God is enriching all that read, hear and keep the words of this prophecy.
That is why I would encourage you to invite lost people to come and hear these messages.
I believe the Lord will save them!
Invite other believers; if they come they will be blessed along with us.
Conclusion/Invitation
Now, we are told why this book is so important in the last phrase of verse 3. It says, “for the time is at hand”.
The word “time” in this verse does not refer to time on a clock; it means “due time; a season; an era of time”.
God is telling us that we are nearing the end of this things and this book will give us help and hope as we see the end approaching.
If the time was near 2,000 years ago, why haven’t these things come to pass?
First, God’s clock does not operate like our clock.
Illustration:
“But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” 2 Peter 3:8
God does things in His Own time and on His Own schedule.
Second, God is giving lost sinners time to be saved in this age of grace,
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9
And, “And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation…” 2 Peter 3:15
Third, One day, He will come and it will be too late then.
If anyone here this morning is lost today, you need to come to Jesus and be saved.
Now, if the Lord has spoken to your heart on any level during this message, I invite you to come before Him and do whatever it is He is leading you to do.
