Book of Revelation Part 1 Revelation 1:1-3

• Uses Vibrant Imagery because it is describing another Realm

1 Corinthians 2:9-10, “No eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love Him 10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.”

• Which leads us to the way we need to approach the Book of Revelations 1 Corinthians 2:12-15, “What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments”

• We cannot neglect or ignore the Book of Revelation Revelation 1:3, “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.”

• (G. Richisin - “Verse by Verse through the Book of Revelation”) If we think of the Book of Revelation like a fairy tale that does not truly exist, then we will not gain assurance of God’s ultimate victory in time. We will allow ourselves to think of the pain of the present as an end in itself. We will never gain a perspective on God’s purpose for time. We will never understand why He allows pain and suffering to come into our lives. Especially, since Revelation is all about Jesus, the Devil does not want us to understand it.

The Writer: • Written by John

- Son of Zebedee: James and John - Sons of Thunder - Leaned against Jesus at the Last Supper - The one that Jesus loved (referred to himself in his Gospel) - Read about him in Acts: Peter and John get pulled before the Sanhedrin for preaching and healing the crippled beggar in the Temple Gate - Rumoured to never die

John 21:20-23, “ Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?””

- Wrote the Gospel according to John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John and Revelation The Occasion: • AD 60 - Emperor Nero blamed the burning of Rome on the Christians and launched the first organized persecution of Christians

30 years before Revelation. • Domitian - New Emperor in AD95 - claimed to be a god. When Christians wouldn’t worship him - the next great persecution

began. - Roman Historian Tertullian report: After being plunged into boiling oil in Rome and suffering nothing from it. It is said that all in the audience of Colosseum were converted to Christianity upon witnessing this miracle.

• Written in the year AD 96 (63 years after Jesus ascended) • On the island of Patmos (1:9)

- A small rocky island in the Aegean Sea - 30 miles from Ephesus - 6-8 miles long and one mile wide

The Book: • Genesis is the book of Beginnings; Revelation is the book of Completion (and the beginning of the next age)

- Revelation means “Apocalypse” which is an unveiling - The Revelation is of Jesus!

- Jesus is the center stage of prophecy. He is the celebrity of all creation. The purpose of creation is to glorify God and His Son Jesus Christ.

• The only book of the Bible that centres on future and prophetic events - What happens to this Earth? - What happens to Satan? - What happens in Heaven? - What happens to people? (Believers and Unbelievers)

Overview

Let’s get into the Book! Revelation 1:1, “The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to His servant John,”

• The Revelation of God, given to Jesus, given to an angel, given to John, who gives it to us “his servants”

• “Servants” - As Christians we are referred to, in the Bible, as children, heirs, kings, ambassadors, bride, but here we (and John)

are referred to as Servants. When it comes to God’s cosmic plan for the human race, we are His Servants. - He is not there for us; we are here for Him! - The Story of Creation isn’t about us; it’s about Him (again, the “revelation” is of Jesus)

• “To show” - specifically events. But understanding that ALL prophetic events reveal Jesus - God is unveiling Jesus to us through

the events outlined. - The Father puts Jesus on display like no other book!

• “soon” or “shortly” = Greek “great rapidity”

- To us it is 2000 years - To God the events will happen with “great rapidity” - Also noted in verse 3 - “the time is near”

2 Peter 3:8-9&15, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance…. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation”

• “angel” means messenger - used 70 times in Revelation

Revelation 22:6-9, “The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show His servants the things that must soon take place” - Understanding that the spiritual realm is the greater reality God uses a supernatural being to deliver the Revelation

• For we are not Bodies with a Spirit; but a Spirit encased in a Body 2 Corinthians 4:5, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but is unseen is eternal.”

Hebrews 11:3, “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”

Revelation 1:2, “who testifies to everything he saw – that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. ” • John witnesses to 3 things:

1. The Word of God 1 Peter 1:23, “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God.” - The Word of God = the Spiritual Realm - Everything of importance (Eternal) must be confirmed in the Word of God

2. The Testimony of Jesus Christ

- Jesus spoke only what the Father told Him John 12:49, “For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken.”

- He was and is the Word of God John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

3. To all things he saw

- “all things that he saw” appears 54 times in the book. - “I saw” occurs 37 times. - A Testimony is the most powerful proof

Revelations 12:11, “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony”

Revelation 1:3, “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” • A Blessing: Happy; Being fortunate or privileged; Favoured

- We will be blessed when we read Revelation because it’s about JESUS!

- Reads 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

• Added Blessing “And blessed is the one who…”

- Hears All through the 2nd and 3rd chapters Revelations 2:29, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” - There’s a difference between listening and hearing (just look at your children) - There’s a difference between wanting Truth and wanting to be Right

- And take to heart (guard; keep)

James 1:22, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” Revelations 22:7, “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” - This is simply another warning not to neglect the Book of Revelations

• Remember: “Blessed” No Matter what you read in this book - the goal is Blessing! RECAP: • Revelation, then, was written to Christians. No wonder non-Christians can’t understand it. • Written to “Tell”, Inform us of End Time events • Let’s Receive the Blessing: Read, Hear, Take to Heart - It is to make us HAPPY!