The Church Triumphant Series

Dr. Bradford Reaves

CrossWay Christian Fellowship

Hagerstown, MD

Watch this sermon at: https://mycrossway.churchcenter.com/episodes/93685

Introduction

We’ve spend the last couple of months covering 7 letters from Jesus to 7 Churches in Asia Minor or modern day Turkey. These were 7 real churches with real congregations in real cities with real struggles. These letters from Jesus are part of the opening chapters of the Book of Revelation.

What I want to do tonight is a bit of a review of the opening chapters of Revelation, including the letters to these churches. The reason for this is because we are about to enter into a major transition in our study of Revelation. That transition in this portion of Scripture is the transition the entire world is about to experience: the rapture of the church and the start of the 7 year tribulation.

Revelation Background

The ancient Greek word translated Revelation is apokalupsis (apocalypse) which means “a revealing, an unveiling.”

This is the revelation of who? Jesus Christ (Rev 1:1)

"To show the things that must soon take place” (Rev 1:1): This describes when the events of this book will take place – they will happen shortly; can also include the translation suddenly. Revelation is a prophetic book.

It joins the rest of the Bible’s prophetic writings. The Bible is over 305 prophetic in nature.

There are 8,362 prophetic verses contributing to 1,817 prophecies about 737 subjects. (Missler).

Every verse in Revelation has a OT Reference

“The New Testament in in the Old Testament concealed; The Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed

Written by the Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos

John appears in each of the lists of disciples in the New Testament (Matt 10:2–4; Mark 3:16–19; Luke 6:13–16; Acts 1:13). He was part of Jesus’ inner circle (along with Peter and James) that followed Him on important occasions, including:

The raising of Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:37)

The transfiguration (Mark 9:2)

The agony in the garden of Gethsemane (Matt 26:37)

The entrustment of Mary to John at the Cross

There is a Divine Outline that we must pay attention to, especially in our transition: (Rev 1:19 “19 Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this.”)

Write the things which you have seen (Rev 1)

The Things which are (the 7 Churches) (Rev 2-3)

The things which are to come (the post-church period) (Rev 4-22)

Revelation is a fascinating book with a promise (Rev 1:3 “3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.” )

This is the first of seven beatitudes of Revelation (Revelation 1:3, 14:13, 16:15, 19:9, 20:6, 22:7, and 22:14).

The people in Berea. Acts 17:11 “11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”

10 Major Prophetic Themes

The Rapture of the Church

Israel/Jerusalem

The return of the Temple

The return of Babylon

Russia

China

One-world Government & the Rise of the Anti-Christ

One-world Religion

One-world Economy

The triumphant return of Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords

The Prevalence of the Number 7

Seven Churches (1:4, 11, 20, 2; 3)

Seven Seals (5 ;6)

Seven Trumpets (8, 9)

Seven Bowls (15:1-17:1; 21:9)

Seven Lampstands (1:12, 13, 20; 2:1)

Seven angels (of the 7 churches) represented by

Seven stars Revelation 1:20.

Seven lamps of fire (not the same as the lampstands)

Seven Spirits of God Revelation 4:5.

Seven seals on the Scroll Revelation 5:1.

Seven horns and Seven eyes on the Lamb who had been slain

which are the Seven Spirits of God who go out in to the whole earth Revelation 5:6.

Seven angels who “stand before God” with Seven trumpets Revelation 8:2.

Seven thunders who sounded their voices, when the mighty angel spoke out when he was above the waters Revelation 10:3-4.

Seven thousand people die at the earthquake within the hour that the Two Witnesses are raised from the dead Revelation 11:13.

Seven heads on the dragon with Seven diadems (crowns) Revelation 12:2.

Seven angels with the last

Seven plagues which are transported in

Seven bowls Revelation 16:1,21:9.

Seven heads of the beast Revelation 17:7

Seven mountains of the beast with

Seven kings Revelation 17: 9-10.

Seven Beatitudes (Rev 1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7; 22:14)

The Seven Churches Review

Each letter in chapters 2 & 3 are letters from Jesus to the churches. These letters were to be read aloud in the

church and I believe that all the churches were each to read all the churches. Each letter concludes in some manner with Jesus’s words “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). In other words, these were public letter meant to edify every believer of every church.