part 17: Revelation Reboot 3

Feb. 17

Puzzled About Revelation, Feb. 17, 2022

“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.”

— Rev 1:3 ESV

Revelation 1:3

How do we “KEEP” the words of this prophesy?

FEAST on the Scriptures: They must become life to us!
FIGHT for the Scriptures: We must CONTEND for the faith, we must pull down the STRONGHOLDS of ARGUMENTS that exalt themselves against the truth of God’s Word (Prov. 21:22; 2 Cor. 10:4-5)

Recap

“Jewish Cruciform Apocalypticism” (Joel Richardson, FAI) (The Capstone of Jewish Cruciform Apocalypticism)

Based on the opening chapter of Revelation, we can deduce/conclude that Scripture will not allow for the following interpretations:

o Amillennialism, Replacement Theology: Greekworldview that embraces intellectual, allegorical/spiritualized views of the Bible, Israel, the Church, and prophecy.

o Postmillennialism, Roman Catholic)

o Preterism/Historicism

o Pretribulation “rapture” (“Left Behind Pop-Cultural Christianity”)

Why does it matter?

“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”

— 2 Tim. 4:3-4

Rev. 22:18-19: “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.”

Revelation 1:4-11

“John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” 9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”

— Revelation 1:4-11

Things to consider:

1) To Him who loves us… The Book of Revelation was given to JOHN, the BELOVED disciple, while he was EXILED on the island of Patmos for the Word of God and testimony of Jesus (1:4,9). How would he have understood this message in the context of SUFFERING?

2) Revelation was given to the SEVEN CHURCHES (1:4). It is to be read and lived out in COMMUNITY.

3) Revelation is PASTORAL. It is written as a LETTER from John the Elder to real people, facing real challenges, needing real hope, encouragement, and exhortation (1:4,9-11).

4) Revelation 1 reveals the PERSON of Jesus and the Godhead (1:4-5a,8,12-18).

5) Revelation 1 reveals the WORKS of Christ on behalf of His people (1:5b-6).

6) Revelation 1:9 reveals THREE REALITIES that belong to the saints IN JESUS:

1. TRIBULATION

2. KINGDOM

3. ENDURANCE

Acts 14:22: “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”

1 Thess. 3:2-3: “…that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. 4 For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know.”

7) Revelation 1:7 is foundational to understanding the SECOND COMING of Christ as a thoroughly ISRAEL & JERUSALEM-CENTRIC THEOPHANY. It is also the CAPSTONE of all Old Testament prophecy.

“ Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.”

— Revelation 1:7