Soon & Very Soon Series

Following the many year-end recaps, are the new year projections. Everyone from economists, politicians, meteorologists, farmers to everyday families attempt to look at past data related to present circumstances. Naturally, they seek to glean useful information from that data in order to make intelligent choices for the future. Regardless of how much date is available, all such attempts to discern the future, however, are in vain. There is only One who knows and declares the future: God (Isa. 44:7; 45:21; 46:9–10). Only in Scripture can truth about the future be found. The Old Testament prophets, particularly Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Zechariah, provide glimpses of the future. So did Peter and Paul in their inspired writings as well as our Lord in His Olivet Discourse, that we looked at last weak from Mark 13. But the book of Revelation provides the most detailed look into the future in all of Scripture. The fitting capstone of God’s revelation to humanity in the Bible, the book of Revelation unveils the future history of the world, all the way to history’s climax in the return of Christ and the consumating up of His glorious earthly and eternal kingdom. In salvation history the events indicated in the book have already begun to “come to pass” and await the final consummation (Osborne, G. R. (2002). Revelation (p. 55). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.).

In Revelation 1:1-6, believers can experience grace and peace through understanding the 1) Prologue (Revelation 1:1-2), 2) People (Revelation 1:3-4) and 3) Praise (Revelation 1:5-6) to the One who is coming “Soon and Very Soon”.

In seeing the One who is coming “Soon and Very Soon”, believers can experience grace and peace through understanding the:

1) Prologue (Revelation 1:1-2)

Revelation 1:1-2 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. (ESV)

The term “revelation” (Apokalupsis) appears eighteen times in the New Testament, always, when used of a person, with the meaning “to become visible.” Peter (1 Pet. 1:7) used this term to refer to the revelation of Christ at His second coming. The book of Revelation contains truths that had been concealed, but have now been revealed. Though it nowhere directly quotes the Old Testament, 278 of its 404 verses refer or allude to Old Testament prophetic truth, and it amplifies what was only initially suggested in the Old Testament. The visions of this book are presented as an “uncovering of hidden truths,” namely the hidden reality of God’s sovereign control of the future, of how he is going to bring an end to the seeming success of the forces of evil in the present age. (Osborne, G. R. (2002). Revelation (p. 53). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.)

• This is how God intended Revelation to be such a hopeful book. Instead of considering it a bunch of mysterious riddles, think of the descriptions as God triumphing over evil. As we seem to face insurmountable foes and betrayals, the hope of Revelation is that evil will not succeed. God will bring about the completion of His plan for our good and His glory

While all Scripture is revelation from God (2 Tim. 3:16), in a unique way the book of Revelation is the revelation—the revelation of Jesus Christ (apokalupsis Iesou Christou). While this book is certainly revelation from Jesus Christ (cf. 22:16), it is also the revelation about Him. The Gospels are also about Jesus Christ, but present Him in His first coming in humiliation; the book of Revelation presents Him in His second coming in exaltation. Every vision and description of Him in Revelation is one of majesty, power, and glory.

Please turn to Philippians 2 (p.980)

This is “the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him” The book of Revelation is the Father’s gift to the Son. As a reward for His perfect, humble, faithful, holy service, the Father promised to exalt the Son. Paul explains:

Philippians 2:5-11 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (ESV)