Prologue The Blessings of Revelation

If you have your Bibles with you, open them to Revelation Chapter one. Today we'll examine versus one to three Prologue Revelation Chapter one, Versus one to three. And as we examine the prologue, what you will find is a pattern here in the prologue that is carried throughout the letter. We talked about the importance of numbers, and one of those numbers that was important in the Book of Revelation is the number three. It's important for a number of reasons, not least of which is that it is a number that represents the Triune God. But it's also important because it's a number that gives this letter a rhythm. If you will, it's almost like a waltz one two three one two three one two three. So the number three is not always used to refer to the Triune God. It is sometimes simply used in order to give us a rhythm and the letter. Remember, the letter was meant to be read aloud, And in fact, if you are interested, I would encourage you and even challenge you to memorize the Book of Revelation because there are many aspects of this letter that make it easier to remember, not least of which is this rhythm of one, two three, one two three. The numbers that we find, the colors that we find, the creatures that we find, all very memorable. The overarching pattern of the letter itself very memorable. An example of that is found here in the prologue. So John is not only introducing the letter, but he is also introducing the rhythm of the letter. If you will, he is introducing the waltz. Look with me, beginning in verse one, the revelation of Jesus Christ. Now, no sooner do we pass those words that we find this rhythm the revelation of Jesus, Jesus Christ, which God gave to him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He Jesus made it known by sending his angel to a servant, John, who bore witness to the word of God. So we see God gave the son made known, and John bore witness. But to what did John bear witness? We've seen one two three, number one the word of God, and number two to the testimony of Jesus Christ. The number three even to all that he saw one two three, one two three. And in case you didn't get it, the first two times. Now we see the first beatitude. By the way, this is the first of seven beatitudes in the Book of Revelation. Blessed is the one who one reads aloud the words of this prophecy, And two Blessed are those who hear, and three who keep what is written in it for the time is near. One two three, one two three one two three. There is a rhythm to the letter, and this rhythm is carried out, especially throughout this first chapter. So the numbers that we find here are not just important from the perspective of the type of literature, but they're also important from the perspective of the very real them or cadence of the letter, which again, remember, is meant to be read aloud, so that as you hear it read aloud, important points are emphasized and reiterated again and again and again. But not only do do we see the rhythm here, but we see the source of the revelation. We see that in verse one the revelation of Jesus Christ. And the question there is is this the revelation about Jesus or is this the revelation from Jesus? Well? I believe we find evidence here in the grammar and syntax, and also in chapter twenty two that points to the fact that this is the revelation from Jesus which God gave him. So we have the Father giving this revelation to Jesus to show his servants the things which must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angels, his angel rather to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God, to the testimony of Jesus, and to all that he saw. So we see here this sort of chain of evidence, if you will, the Father to the Son, to the angels, who then communicate further. But when we talk about the source of this, we talk about those first three steps in the chain, or those first three links in the chain, that the Father gives this to the son, who gives this to an angel. The idea of angels being used of God to bring this type of information is not unique to the Book of Revelation. We find it, for example, in the Old Testament prophets, not least of which to the prophet Daniel and Daniel eight, chapter sixteen through nineteen, and nine chapters twenty one through twenty three. We see that the angel Gabriel assists Daniel in interpreting and understanding the vision. And here John is speaking about a vision that is given to him by an angel who helps him with communication and interpretation. We also see this in the New Testament. It's reiterated in the New Testament. Turn with me to the left, if you will. Beautiful thing about being in the Book of Revelation is everything else is to the left. Amen, Turn with me to the left to Hebrews, Hebrews chapter two, Hebrews chapter two, And there we read Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation. It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. So there in Hebrews chapter two we had the same picture of God revealing himself. We see angels there in that chain of the revelation, but also the Lord himself and finally his apostles. In that chain of revelation, Alan Johnson writes the words by sending his angel to his servant. John introduce us to the significance of angels in the worship of God, in the revelation of God's word, and in the execution of his judgments in the Earth. Angels are referred to sixty seven times in Revelation sixty seven times. Oftentimes, when John sees something new, there is the angel who shows him this new thing. In chapter four. In chapter five, we see the angels around the throne. We see this picture of the angels worshiping God. And it's something that we have evidently just become jaded by because we don't talk about it anymore or even sing about it all that much anymore. But the fact of the matter is angels are impressive creatures, which is evidenced by the fact that when they show up in the Bible, their two most common phrases are fear not and get up. And yet these creatures who are awe inspiring worship God ceaselessly, These creatures whose beauty is unlike anything we've ever experienced, worship God ceaselessly. These creatures, by the way, who destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. By the way, God did not send thousands of angels to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. He just sent too, and that was enough to cities to angels no more. And yet these awe inspiring, powerful, beautiful, matchless creatures worship God ceaselessly. Listen to some of these familiar refrains. This one from all Hell, the power of Jesus Name, all Hell, the power of Jesus Name. Let angels prostrate, fall, bring forth the royal diadem and crown him Lord of all. And this one from angels, from the realms of glory. Angels from the realms of glory, wing your feet or all the earth. Ye who sang Creation story, now proclaim Messiah's birth. Come and worship, Come and worship, worship Christ Rist the new born King. How about blessed assurance the refrain, perfect submission, perfect delight. Visions of rapture now burst on my sight. Angels descending, bring from above echoes of mercy, Whispers of love about immortal invisible God. Only wise we find this refrain, Great Father of Glory, Pure Father of light Thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight, all praise we would render, Oh, help us to see. 'tis only the splendor of light heighteth thee and joyful, joyful we adore thee. We find this refrain, All Thy works with joy surround thee. Earth and Heaven reflect Thy raise. Stars and angels sing around thee center of unbroken praise. Who can forget the refrain? And holy, Holy, Holy Cherubim Seraphim falling down before the who word an art and evermore shall be. Where do you think the author of that hymn got that idea? Right here? From the book of Revelation, the angels who worship God ceaselessly, the angels who are messengers of God, who facilitate this message through God's servant John. What about the recipients of the revelation? We see, of course that John is a recipient. We see that there in the second part of verse one. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant, John, his angel to his servant, who then bore witness to his servants. John, we understand, is an apostle. So according to Hebrews Chapter two, we see how he falls within this chain of revelation, of authoritative revelation. But there is also this idea of him as servant. It's a word that's repeated again and again and again in Revelation. I believe fourteen times we find the word, but particularly we see it several times referring to the people of God and Revelation Chapter two, verse twenty. But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrifice to idols. In chapter six, verse eleven. Then they were each given a white robe and told rest a little longer until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. Chapter seven, verse three, saying, do not harm the earth or the sea of the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads. Chapter nineteen, verse two. For his judgments are true and just, for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants. You see in this letter servants always refers to Christians, to those who are faithful, to those who serve God, and they are set over and against those who worship the beast, who accept his mark, who do his bidding, and who walk in sin as opposed to righteousness. This is God's word. It is the word from God to and through his servant. John brought two all of his servants throughout the ages who are faithful to him. We also see the urgency of this revelation. We find that in verses one and three, look at the end of verse one, the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. Look again at verse three. 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. It must soon take place, and the time is near. Gk. Bial writes. The unconsummated aspect of the fulfillment, also included in the two expressions of imminence in verses one and three, refers to the imminent tribulation which has already begun. We see that in one, nine, two, nine, and twenty two, and in the three ten and to the coming of Christ. But as will be seen, the repeated statement in the following that Christ will come quickly likely do not allude primarily to his apocalyptic appearance at the end of the Age, but to all his unseen comings in judgment throughout the age and climaxing with the final parasa or his final coming or appearing. So when John makes this reference to things that must soon occur, he's not making a reference to the fact that the world itself is going to end very soon. He's actually making reference to the fact that what he's talking about is already underway. Look with me, if you will, in chapter one and verse nine. In chapter one, verse nine, we find 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 Patmas on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. In other words, John says, I'm writing you from the island of Patmos. Why because of the testemony of God, because of the word of God and the testimony about Jesus. Why is John on the island of Patmos, because there is persecution of Christians already taking place even at this time. John says that he's our partner in the tribulation. John's not writing about a tribulation that's going to come at some future date. John is writing about a tribulation that, in his mind is now and has continued even to this point. Revelation chapter six, verse nine. When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. Is that something future? I think not, that's something now. Revelation chapter twenty and verse four. Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those who whom the authority excuse me, for those to whom the authority to the judge, was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image, and had not received its mark on their foreheads or on their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. John is talking about something that has already commenced, that is continuing to go on, but that will ultimately come to fruition at the end of the age. This is extremely important for us, because this is why the Book of Revelation is relevant to every Christian in every age. If John is only speaking about things that are going to come right before the end, then it's not had meaning to anyone, and doesn't have meaning to anyone until right before the end. If John is talking about something and has already occurred, as our prediciest brothers would have us believed, then it has no meaning for us and the here and the now, but its meaning is past. But John is talking about something that was occurring even in his own life. In fact, his very imprisonment or exile on the island of Patmos was evidence that it had already begun to occur. He's there because Emperor Domicion is already persecuting those who preach and teach the word of Jesus Christ, those who have as their profession Jesus is Lord. In the midst of a society that requires you to make the confession Caesar is Lord. By the way, John is the only one of the apostles who gets to live to a ripe old age and write a letter at this late a date, at the end of the first century is when he's writing Revelation. So those who would argue that John is writing about some tribulation in the future basically have to argue that he sits there on the island of Patmas in exile, writing about some terrible time that's going to come in the future, while simultaneously thinking about all of his fellow apostles who were beheaded, crucified, upside down, run through with a spear, beaten to death with a branch off an olive tree, boiled in oil. Now, when John writes about tribulation, he's writing about right here, right now, now, he's writing about the church in every age. The fact of the matter is, we're spoiled. We live in a time, and in a place, and in a land where we know nothing of this. We worship today in the open, we worship today in public, and none of us sits here fearing that an armed mob will come through the doors and beat us to death, or worse yet, put chains on the doors and set this place on fire, which happens all over the world. To our brothers and sisters in Christ. This letters to them, This letters to us, to saints in every age who endure. We also see the nature of the revelation. This is important. Notice what John says verse two, who bore witness to the word of God, to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. First of all, John identifies this as the word of God, as the testimony of Jesus Christ, and as all that he saw. He equates what he saw with word of God. In other words, John is saying that God has communicated to us not just in words, but also in images. There is also an allusion here to Daniel chapter two. Turn with me back, if you will, to Daniel chapter two. I know that we were there not long ago, and look beginning of verse twenty eight. But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries by the way that word revelation or apocalypse, the apocalypse of Jesus Christ. That word means to reveal mysteries, something that was hidden but is now revealed. But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries by the way the revelation of Jesus Christ that God gave to him. The God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebeka Nezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dreams and the visions of your head as you lay in bed, are these you, O King, as you lay in bed, came thought? Or to you, O King, as you lay in bed, came thoughts of what would be after this? And who reveals mysteries, And he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be? Do you not hear the same language in Revelation chapter one? But because you hear the same language in Revelation chapter one, you ought to understand what is being communicated here, that the Book of Revelation is a prophetic book, that it is revealing through signs and images. That means that we don't interpret this letter the same way we interpret other parts of scripture. And here's a departure from many who interpret the Book of Revelation. There are many who interpret the Book of Revelation who argue that you should interpret the book literally unless you are told otherwise. So everything in here you look at literally unless there's something that says you interpret otherwise. I believe that is completely backwards. The truth is actually the other way around. We see here in these first two verses that this book is to be interpreted symbolically unless you are told specifically to take something literally. That's the way you interpret the Book of Revelation. When does that make a difference. Let me give you a couple of places where it makes a huge difference. If your argument is that you're to interpret the Book of Revelation literally unless and until you're told that something is figurative, well that's when you go and you add up days and you get a year and a half here and a year and a half there. That's, you know, or three and a half years here, three and a half years there, seven years of tribulation, and then in the middle of the tribulation have pre trip rapture, mid trip rapture, post trip rapture. All of that comes from looking at that three and a half years literally one hundred and forty four thousand Is it literally one hundred and forty four thousand people? Well, if you interpret things literally unless you're otherwise told the yeah, literally, one hundred and forty four thousand people, millennium, thousand years? Is it literally a thousand years? Well, yeah, you're interpreted literally unless you're told specifically that it's not literal. That's how you get there from that hermeneutical principle, that you interpret this literally unless you're told otherwise. Folks, John just told us, by his allusion to Daniel chapter two, by his use of this word for sign, by this word for show seven times, that we find in revelation that what he is communicating here is a vision that is to be understood symbolically unless you're told to take things literally. One hundred and forty four thousand is it literal? No? Significant number? Twelve twelve times twelve gets you one hundred and forty four a thousand, which is humongous, ginormous number, twelve times twelve times one thousand. The number is symbolic one thousand years literally one thousand years. Nope, ten times ten times ten. It's not literal. It's not literal. It's symbolic literally three and a half years and in three and a half years, Nope, symbolic. We understand these things symbolically unless we're told to understand them literally. That changes the way you view the book, changes the way you interpret the book. And I will just say right here up front, it will probably put what you hear over the next few months at odds with much, if not most, of what you've heard over the last several years. And let me just go ahead and put this out there. If you love the Left Behind series, that's just going to get all messed up for you. Amen, somebody, Okay, that is not the interpretive key that we're using here. Listen to this from Simon Kistemacher. Jesus Christ receives the task of showing it in the manner of a pictorial display. The book itself is an eloquent testimony that this display is given by signs, symbols, names, numbers, colors, and creatures. At the beginning of the book, its pictorial characteristics already become visible in the verb to show it is a hint to the reader as to how the book should be read and understood. Turn with me, if you will, to chapter four and verse one. After this, I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven, And the first voice which I had heard, speaking to me like a trumpet, said, come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this. Turn with me to chapter seventeen and verse one. Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bulls, came and said, by the way you see those numbers. Seven came and said to me, Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters. Is that literal absolutely not Come, and I will show you a sign. You interpret this figuratively and not literally. Not only do we understand the nature of this book to be symbolic, but we understand the nature of this book to be worshipful. This is not a book that was designed for us to read with a globe in one hand and the newspaper in the other, so that we could figure out how to be in the right place at the right time, or when to get really really scared. This is a book that's designed to do one thing, and one thing only, bring praise and glory and laud and honor to our God and to his son Jesus Christ. That's the purpose of the revelation. Lick with me if you will, and will now see the blessing of the revelation. Look at verse three. 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. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, those who hear and those who keep what are written in it. There are seven beatitudes in the Book of Revelation. There's this beatitude here. There is one in chapter fourteen, verse thirteen. There's one in chapter sixteen, verse fifteen, one in chapter nineteen, verse nine, one in chapter twenty verse six, one in chapter twenty two, verse seven, and a final one in chapter twenty two, verse fourteen. Seven beatitudes, seven mile markers. We've talked about this number seven and this number of completion, and so we have the complete blessing of the complete people of God by the completion of the revelation of the Triune God. But notice that there is a blessing first for those who read this aloud. There's a blessing for those who read this aloud. Those who read this aloud are doing what in John's estimation? Does John mean that blessed is the guy who stands all by himself, open up his Bible and reads the Book of Revelation aloud. That's not what he's saying. John's writing this letter specifically to whom to seven churches by the way, they're not the only seven churches. We said this before. We'll talk about this again. There are other churches there in Asia Minor. He picks the number seven intentionally, symbolically, it's the complete number of the churches of God. So these letters are written to these churches. How are these letters received by these churches? Is there a copy for every person in the church. That's the way we think, because every one of us has a copy of the Word of God. In fact, we've got multiple copies. You come here and you bring all your Bibles, and everybody in your family's got their own copy. You've got copies of the Bible for people in your family can't even read. Yet. If you can't say amen, you ought to say ouch, right two. It's nothing wrong with that. But is that what happened in Ephesus and Smyrna and Thyatira And no, it's not what happened. What happened. What happened was the letter arrived, And when the letter arrived, someone had the privilege of standing up in the midst of the congregation and reading aloud this letter that was designed to bring encouragement to the saints in the midst of their darkest hours. That's a blessing, Amen, and all of us are blessed. In fact, when we started this process and we looked through the Book of Revelation and sort of lined out who was going to be teaching what and when, I think I can speak for all of those who are scheduled to be up here that initially, when the decision was made that we were going to be teaching through the Book of Revelation, not everybody was just completely and utterly excited. But as we've read and studied and learned and walked through this together, and as we understand how much this book makes of Christ, as we understand the message of this book who's designed for and what it's designed to do, we understand more and more and more every day that it's a blessing just to read this aloud, let alone to acit, blain it to God's people. I've had conversations with several of you just since the introduction last week. There's some of you who you've already been freed up, Amen, just from the introduction on last week, because there's so many who've either never read this letter, been afraid of this letter, heard it, taught and sat there thinking, I have no idea where that comes from or if it fits. Some of you come from places where you have a background where you've been told specifically that some things were going to happen, and now decades later they didn't happen. And the guy who was telling you decades ago that things were going to happen in nineteen eighty four or nineteen eighty six or nineteen eighty eight is telling a whole new crop of people what's going to happen in the next few years. It's a blessing. Even in our day and age, or this book has been maligned, misused, and abused, it's a blessing to stand before you and to teach it in such a way that it is a blessing to you. Secondly, blessed are those who hear? Amen, blessed are those who hear. In order to understand why it's a blessing for people to hear, you have to put that in its context. Why is it a blessing for those who hear. Remember, Paul is talking about persecution. He is experiencing persecution. He has watched all of his fellow apostles die violent deaths. He is seeing the church be persecuted. There's been a persecution under nero. Now there's a persecution under dimission, and there are more persecutions to come. So John says, I'm writing this to you that was revealed to me. Remember this, John is on the island of Patmus in exile. He has no idea what's going to happen to him. He has no idea what the future holds. He has no idea how he's going to die. And Christ sends an angel to say to him, I want to show you something and I want you to write it down. How does John know that it's a blessing to those who are being persecuted to hear this Because he's on Patmos because of persecution, and he got to hear it first. That's how he knows it's a blessing to those who hear. Because when the church is persecuted, she needs to be reminded of the goodness of God, the sovereignty of God. She needs to be reminded who she serves. She needs to be reminded how she was redeemed and why she was redeemed. When persecution comes to the church, the church needs to be reminded that we are those who are here because of one who died a death of persecution, but who rose again on the third day, who overcame not just persecution but death itself. And so John says again and again, looking at the martyrs all over revelation, and they cry out, how long? And the response to them is not, hold on, but hold on, there's more of you. Do you catch that the martyrs are crying out, how long before we're vindicated? Hold on, there's more of you. The vindication is coming, but so is more martyrdom. It's a blessing to those who hear, because we're reminded that even in the midst of our darkest days, our darkest moments, our darkest hours, we serve the risen, resurrected, all powerful, creator, sustainer of the universe, the one at whose feet even the angels bow, but noticed finally, and those who keep what is written in it, those who keep what is written in it. At its core, the Book of Revelation is encouragement to the saints, not just to go hold up somewhere and wait for Jesus to crack the sky. That's not what the letters about. Notice the nature of the Book of Revelation the Book of Revelation says to the saints, not run and hide somewhere until Jesus comes for you. The Book of Revelation says to the saints, endure suffering until Jesus comes for you or calls for you, either through your death or ultimately through his return. But no matter what endure, don't accept the mark, don't worship the beast. Don't bow down in the midst of that pressure. By the way, we're going back again to Daniel. Are we not blessed? Do those who keep these things, who endure these things? Turn to Revelation chapter twenty two, look beginning verse six, and you'll find in here the interplay that we find throughout the Book of Revelation. Revelation is all about a battle. It's all about clear lines being drawn. There is the Father and the Son and the Spirit, and there's the Beast and the false prophet, the dragon. There are the servants of God, and there are those who worship the beast. There are those whose robes have been made white, and there are those who have not. And here in chapter twenty two and the epilogue we see that again. And he said to me, these words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place. Going right back to chapter one, and behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. There is Jesus speaking there again. Behold, I'm coming soon. That we know what he's talking about. Go down to verse ten. I'll just go wake the verse eight. I John, and the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me. But he said to me, you must not do that. I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers, the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God. Amen. And he said to me, do not seal up the words of the prophet, the prophecy of the book, for the time is near. Let the evil doer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the Holy still be holy. Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me to repay everyone for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. One two three one two three blessed those who washed their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers, and the sexually immoral, and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. But it is the difference between those on the inside and the outside, the ones who figured out the symbols. No diference between those on the inside and the outside is those whose robes have been washed and the blood of the Lamb and made white and pure and clean. The difference is those who believe his words and obey his words. That's the difference. But how do they do that? Because the Lamb's blood was shed on their behalf, and they have been washed by his blood, and made clean by his blood, been made whole by his blood, been made righteous by his blood. They belong to him, They are sealed by him, They are his, and they're not going anywhere. They would die by the sword rather than disobey or deny their master, Savior and King. Those are the ones who are blessed. From the first beatitude to the seventh and final beatitude, we see the picture and what revelation is all about. And the question remains for all of us. Are you his? Are you marked by him? Do you belong to him? Do you worship him and serve him? Or do you worship and serve the beast? Have your robes been made white and clean and pure? Or do you remain in your sin? Are you inside or are you outside? What have you done with Christ? No, the blessing in this book is not being able to crack the code. The blessing in this book is the message that resonates with those who belong to the lamb that was slain. The question again is that you see, if you don't belong to Christ, you want a code book because you're trying to figure out what it is that you can do to be ready. If you belong to Christ, quite frankly, you don't need a code book, amen. If you belong to Jesus, you don't need a code book. If you belong to Jesus, what is it that you need to figure out? If you belong to Jesus, what is it that you fear? If you belong to Jesus. What is it that you are trying to defeat in and of yourself. If you belong to Jesus, what is it that you think you lack? You belong to Christ. You recognize that it's a blessing just to read and to hear and to obey. This is not for us to do. This is for us to believe.