Revelation Study Series 1 - God's Mysterious Plan Fulfilled
10.03.21
Message…
“In the 1960s, the Russians sent the first cosmonaut into outer space. He circled the earth, and when he came back down, he did a press conference and said, “I searched the heavens, and I looked for God, and I did not see Him anywhere. Therefore, there is no God.” The Communists, which was an atheistic [socialist] regime, said, “We now have scientific proof that there is no God.”
About six months later, John Glenn went into space, circled the earth three times on Gemini, came back down, and held a press conference. He said, “I saw God everywhere! I saw His glory in the galaxy. I saw His splendor in the universe. I saw His majesty in the stars.”
Which one was right? They both were. Jesus said, “Unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3).
-http://rickwarren.org/listen-online/using-the-bible-to-make-decisions-part-1/daily-radio
The word “Revelation” is “apokalypsis” in the Greek.
It means, “uncover” –John MacArthur Study Bible; “...be revealed” -Strongs, 601
The book of Revelation is the “uncovering”...”revealing” of Jesus Christ. It is the revealing of His future return and the setting up of His kingdom. And, therefore we, those that are His...are to be prepared for His return.
Revelation 1:1-3
1 This is a revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants the events that must soon take place. He sent an angel to present this revelation to His servant John,
2 who faithfully reported everything he saw. This is his report of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
3 God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and He blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.
This revelation was from God to Christ...who then revealed it to His servant, John to then be revealed to His servants.
All the things that John witnessed with Jesus as a disciple...all of the miracles he saw...the people Jesus healed, the people John saw Jesus bring back to life… John was right there...an eyewitness to it all.
And, yet what was about to be revealed to him is beyond anything he could have imagined.
You will never exhaust your knowledge, understanding, or working of our Lord!
We read these events “...must soon take place” and, “the time is near”...
Now, we’ve had over 1900+ years since John wrote these words that were given to him.
That does not seem “soon to take place”, nor a “time is near” time frame. Does it to you? We do not know God’s timing.
Jesus said, ...“The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know.” (Acts 1:7)
“However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son Himself. Only the Father knows. (Mark 13:32)
“And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert!” (Mark 13:33)
The question isn’t “when”...the fact is it will! Therefore, be ready!
Revelation 1:3
3 God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and He blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.
There is a special blessing attached to the book of Revelation and it’s prophecy.
It has been said that there is not any other portion of scripture with that promise. -J R Rice, Behold He Cometh, p. 24
I cannot tell you what that precise blessing is. But, there are three parts to that blessing. Blessing to the one who reads it to the church. Blessing to those that hear. Blessing to those that obey it.
If you want to be blessed, read it, hear it, obey it!
Again we were told ...“the time is near”...
James 5:8 You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.
1 Peter 4:7 The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined
in your prayers.
Romans 13:11 This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
Anyone here ready to be blessed?
Revelation 1:4-8
4 This letter is from John to the seven churches in the province of Asia. Grace and peace to you from the One who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before His throne;
5 and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world. All glory to Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding His blood for us.
6 He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God His Father. All glory and power to Him forever and ever! Amen.
7 Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven.
And everyone will see Him—
even those who pierced Him.
And all the nations of the world
will mourn for Him. Yes! Amen!
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the One who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.”
Alpha and Omega...first and last letter of the Greek alphabet. ?(It’s like us saying something is A-Z, complete.)
He created it all!
John 1:1-3
1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He existed in the beginning with God.
3 God created everything through Him,
and nothing was created except through Him.
He will finish it all! (Fulfill and Accomplish)
2 Peter 3:10
10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.
He will transform/redeem all that are is His!
Revelation 21:6
6 And He also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.
He is the Almighty One! Complete control!
Daniel 2:21
21 He controls the course of world events;
He removes kings and sets up other kings.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the scholars.
Revelation 1:9-11
9 I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus.
10 It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast.
11 It said, “Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
These seven churches are in our modern day Turkey.
And, then this place called Patmos is a tiny island (only about 7.5 miles long and 6 miles wide), it is barren (no trees), and it is rocky. John was sent there as a political prisoner for preaching the Gospel of Christ.
The great Evangelist, Billy Graham authored a book several years ago called, “Approaching Hoofbeats”...he wrote about what John’s life would have been like there…
“...John’s face is wrinkled, burned almost black by the sun. His arms are gnarled, his knees knobby. His feet and hands are rough and callused.” “John carries granite chipped from cliffs.”
“The gravel will be used for the foundations for the temple and palaces of the [emperor]...or to pave roads across the [Roman] empire.”
“We can imagine that John, stumbling under the loaded straw basket strapped to his forehead, uses both hands to grasp his staff and pick his way painfully down the treacherous trail. Even the Roman guards must wonder at the determination of this gray-bearded Jewish Christian who works alongside the other prisoners by day, then spends his evenings writing stories they cannot understand.”
Revelation 1:12-16
12 When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands.
13 And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across His chest.
14 His head and His hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And His eyes were like flames of fire.
15 His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice thundered like mighty ocean waves.
16 He held seven stars in His right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from His mouth. And His face was like the sun in all its brilliance.
John said he saw, “someone like the Son of Man”. John had walked with Jesus. He had walked, eaten, slept, and fished with Jesus. But, he had not seen this view of Jesus before…
John is seeing and describing the Son of God in all of His glory and holiness…
It has been recorded that, “His white hair indicates his wisdom and divine nature; His piercing eyes symbolize judgment of all evil; and the golden band across his chest reveals Him as the High Priest who goes into God’s presence to obtain forgiveness of sin for those who have believed in Him.” -Life Application Study Bible Notes
“His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace” speaks of His divine judging…
And, “His voice thundered like mighty ocean waves” ...speaks of His authority. –John MacArthur Study Bible, paraphrased
Vs. 16 says…
“...a sharp two-edged sword came from His mouth…”
Hebrews 4:12
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. -NKJV
...and “His face was like the sun in all its brilliance.”
Remember in science class observing a partial solar eclipse...the teacher warned of not looking at the sun directly...you had to look at it through a punched out pinhole onto another piece of paper.
“The Sun's brightness-- ...-- is comparable to that of 4 trillion trillion, one-hundred-watt, light bulbs.” -observe.arc.nasa.gov
"If the sun were 99% blocked, and you only saw 1% of the sun’s crescent rays peeking around the moon...it’s still enough to blind you." -Karl S. Kruszelnicki Pty Ltd 2004. More 'Great Moments'
There is only one response to being in the presence of the Son of God…
17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as if I were dead. But He laid His right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last.
Many treat God as if He is a genie in a bottle...they will say a little prayer...as if rubbing a magic lamp...hoping to get whatever they’ve wished for…
John was in the presence of the glorified Son of God...and he didn’t have a wish list.
John didn’t ask for a nicer place to live...he was a prisoner, exiled to a barren island, remember. He didn’t ask to be freed.
When you are in the presence of the Holy One...nothing else will matter.
John fell down as if he were dead...motionless... speechless...in awe...overcome by Christ’s glory!
Every man, woman, and child will one day stand in this same presence of the Lord…
Romans 14:11 For the Scriptures say, “As surely as I live,” says the Lord, “every knee will bend to Me, and every tongue will confess and give praise to God.”
The Lord said to John...“Don’t be afraid...”
John had heard those words before. Jesus had uttered them many times to people...and to the disciples…
18 I am the living One. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.
The last time that John had seen Jesus...Christ had ascended on the Mt. of Olives to heaven. And, now John is seeing Him in His glorified body!
I am the living One! I was dead...I resurrected...remember John, you saw the empty tomb...you saw Me after I resurrected...you saw Me ascend to heaven John...I’m alive John!
“I hold the keys of death and the grave.”
Jesus stands in complete control of physical life/death, and of spiritual life/death!
19 “Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen.
20 This is the meaning of the mystery of the seven stars you saw in My right hand and the seven gold lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Tell them John what you are seeing (present)...and tell them what will be...(future; prophetic).
What was a mystery to John...Jesus spelled out plainly...
The stars represent the angels...messengers of the churches…
The seven lampstands represent seven churches…
The number seven in the Bible represents “completeness”.
While this was a message to these seven specific churches, they are examples for all churches to come.
It is interesting that Christ chose these lampstands to represent the churches. A lampstand is used for light.
In the OT tabernacle and temple there was a golden lamp stand. (Ex. 25)
It had a main stem or shaft, with three branches coming out one side, and three coming out the other.
The High priest would fill it with oil...and the golden lamp stand was the only source for light in the tabernacle.
It represented Christ. It was a picture of Christ as the Light of the world.
It represented Christ as the only source for Light.
John 9:5 But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.
But, then in the book of Matthew Christ said...
Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world-like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.
The fact that we are the light of the world...that we are to reflect that light that is Jesus...sets up His message to those seven churches.
Jesus is alive! Jesus is coming back! Jesus wants you ready for His return!
Jesus wants you ready to be in His awesome presence!
Jesus has a message for you!
This revelation to John, who was probably 80-90 years old, while on this tiny barren island of Patmos as a prisoner...received one of the greatest message/word from the Lord!
God doesn’t care where you are! (You can’t be banished somewhere where He isn’t)
He doesn’t care how old you are! He will use anyone willing!
He doesn’t care about your status...prisoner or free!
He wants you to live expecting His return!
Jesus wants to bless you for reading, hearing, obeying what He has to say to you!
