WEBVTT

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 Good morning, everyone. It's good to see you. It's great to worship with you.

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 If you have a Bible, please open it to Revelation.

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 And if you don't have a Bible, please raise your hand.

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 We'd love to give you one that you can have and you can use while you're here.

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 We most recently finished a full sermon series in the book of Exodus,

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 and we took a short break for a month in the summer to go to the Psalms of Lament.

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 And we're now starting a new series in the New Testament book,

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 the last book of the Bible, Revelation.

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 So it's easy to find. Just flip to the very end and go back a few pages.

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 Let me pray for the reading and preaching of God's Word.

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 Father, we praise you because you are not a deaf or a mute God,

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 but you are a God who hears, and you are a God who speaks.

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 And you are a God who reveals your will, your plan, your Christ, your salvation.

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 So speak to us this morning from these first few verses of the book of Revelation.

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 Reorient us so that the way we perceive the world and the way we live in this world

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 is adjusted to, oriented around what you say is true, what you say is real,

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 and what you say is good.

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 Give us that heavenly perspective, an eternal perspective.

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 In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Please stand, if you're able, for the reading of God's Word from Revelation 1, verses 1 to 3.

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 The revelation of Jesus Christ,

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 which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place.

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 He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,

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 who bore witness to the Word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ,

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 even to all that he saw.

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 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy,

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 and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it,

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 for the time is near.

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 This is God's holy and authoritative Word.

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 Please be seated.

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 When I was in high school,

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 there was a best-selling series of novels inspired by the book of Revelation

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 entitled Left Behind,

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 written by Tim Leahy and Jerry B. Jenkins.

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 Have any of you guys read that or heard of that?

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 Okay, still a good number of you.

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 I read through the entire series in high school,

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 all 12 books in the series.

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 At the time, I've heard that they've added more since then.

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 It's a throwback whenever I visit my parents' house,

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 because I can see all the books on the shelves.

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 And the series has sold 65 million copies.

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 Three of the books have reached number one on the New York Times bestseller list.

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 And the books have been adapted into five different films to date,

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 including one featuring none other than Nicolas Cage.

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 And the most recent one came out this year, I heard, 2023.

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 So it still has a significant following.

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 And at the height of the Left Behind phenomenon,

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 a writer for the Washington Post openly wondered,

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 and he's evidently not a believer,

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 this is him wondering,

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 what on earth is going on?

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 How do you explain this national hunger for made-up stories

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 about the book of Revelation?

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 Is it because we live in a swerving world of widespread terror,

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 spiritual weirdness, and extreme personal dysfunction?

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 Are we so scared to death of death

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 that we hope to crack the code of the Bible

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 and uncover secrets of eternal life?

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 Does the book's success merely prove yet again

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 that there are lots of good stories in the Bible?

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 The premise of the book and the series

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 is that millions of born-again Christians

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 are suddenly taken up to heaven

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 in what the author calls the rapture,

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 leaving those who are left behind

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 to figure out what's going on,

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 to repent of their sins,

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 and to believe in Jesus,

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 and to oppose the Antichrist

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 in the ensuing seven years of tribulation,

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 which is just persecution of believers,

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 before the final judgment at Christ's second coming.

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 The idea of a rapture like that

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 is actually not even from the book of Revelation.

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 It's based on a misinterpretation

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 of 1 Thessalonians 4.17,

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 which speaks of Christ's second coming,

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 and how believers will be taken up into the cloud

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 to meet Jesus as he descends to earth.

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 In the same way, you go out of your house,

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 you have your lodging onto the path

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 to meet a foreign dignitary

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 and important person that's coming

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 in order to escort them back to your dwelling.

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 That's the word that's used in 1 Thessalonians 4.17.

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 So you're not disappearing with him.

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 Actually, you're greeting him

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 and then bringing, coming down together to earth.

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 That's the idea in 1 Thessalonians 4.17.

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 So there will be a rapture

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 in the sense of the old original meaning of the word,

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 a great delight and ecstasy when Christ comes back,

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 but there's not gonna be a rapture

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 like the kind that the book,

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 the series Left Behind, envisions.

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 The Left Behind series subscribes

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 to a system of theological beliefs

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 called dispensationalism,

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 which strictly distinguishes

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 between Israel and the church.

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 So they would disagree with the statement,

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 for example, that I've said before

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 from the pulpit that Christ is the new Israel

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 and that we as New Testament believers

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 are a part of that new Israel

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 because we are in Christ.

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 So dispensationalism would deny that.

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 They teach a literal and chronological understanding

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 of the book of Revelation,

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 which runs into interpretive problems

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 as I'm gonna demonstrate in the coming weeks.

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 Even though the books were published

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 in the category of fiction,

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 LaHaye and Jenkins did not hide the fact

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 that they actually believe

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 that the events of the end times

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 will be similar to what they wrote in the book.

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 So the unfortunate effect of that

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 was that while the books did some good

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 in getting people more interested about Jesus

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 and the coming final judgment,

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 it also has done some bad

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 in popularizing erroneous views

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 of the book of Revelation.

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 The book of Revelation is not a code book

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 that is intended to help us decipher the news

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 and the world events

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 with the fervor of conspiracy theorists.

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 For example, a couple years ago,

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 there were people who were claiming

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 that the COVID vaccine is the mark of the beast.

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 Some of you guys are laughing,

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 but a lot of people actually believe this.

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 This is because the reason why they say

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 is because the word corona has six letters.

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 And if you add up the numerical value

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 of all the letters in the word corona,

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 so for example, C would be three

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 because it's the third letter in alpha.

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 But you add up all the numbers,

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 then you get 66.

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 So there you go, 666,

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 the mark of the beast.

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 So that must be the mark of the beast

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 that the Bible is talking about.

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 So that's what some people were saying.

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 And so this kind of speculation is rampant.

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 And it changes every generation

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 because it turns out that what they said wasn't true.

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 So they find a new thing to latch onto.

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 And it's due to the difficulty

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 of interpreting the book of Revelation

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 and because of how the pictures

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 and the symbols that it employs

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 have captured our imagination,

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 this book, more than any other book of the Bible,

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 has suffered from an inordinate number of creative

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 and sometimes downright bizarre interpretations

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 and applications.

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 But if we get lost in these speculations

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 and predictions about the end times,

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 we're actually missing the point of the book.

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 Revelation was written to remind us

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 that we are in the midst of a cosmic spiritual war

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 which has eternal consequences.

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 We live in a polite society

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 that doesn't like to speak of enemies,

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 but we have real spiritual enemies

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 who are out to destroy us.

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 Our sojourn here on earth

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 is not a sightseeing trip.

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 We are not meant to be tourists,

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 but conquerors,

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 as it says again and again and again

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 throughout the book of Revelation.

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 And I don't mean that in a military sense,

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 but in a spiritual sense,

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 by resisting Satan and his angels

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 and by being faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ

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 on to death.

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 If you look at chapters 2 to 3,

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 the letters to the seven churches,

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 that's the exhortation.

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 And again and again,

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 to the one who conquers,

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 I will grant to eat from the tree of life.

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 To the one who conquers,

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 will not be hurt by the second death.

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 To the one who conquers,

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 I will give some of the hidden manna.

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 The one who conquers,

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 who keeps my works until the end.

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 To him,

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 I will give authority over the nations.

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 The one who conquers,

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 who conquers will be clothed with dust

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 in white garments.

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 And I will never blot his name out

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 of the book of life.

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 The one who conquers,

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 I will make him a pillar

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 in the temple of God.

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 The one who conquers,

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 I will grant him to sit with me on the throne.

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 As I also,

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 Jesus says,

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 conquered and sat down with my father

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 on his throne.

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 The one who conquers,

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 it says at the end of the book,

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 Revelation 21, 7,

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 will have this heritage.

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 And I will be his God

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 and he will be my son.

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 We are meant to be conquerors,

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 not tourists.

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 We are sojourners and exiles here on earth,

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 not citizens or natives

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 of this kingdom of this world.

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 Jesus was on,

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 not Jesus, sorry.

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 John was on the island of Patmos,

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 where he wrote the book of Revelation,

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 as it says in chapter one, verse nine.

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 Not because he was on vacation,

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 that's what we do when we go to islands.

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 No, but he was there in exile

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 as a political prisoner of Rome

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 because of the word of God

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 and the testimony of Jesus

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 that he was proclaiming.

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 God has given us the book of Revelation

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 so that we might be aware

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 of these realities

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 and to be,

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 so that we might be spiritually vigilant.

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 And my prayer for this sermon series

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 is that it would jolt us

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 out of our complacency as believers.

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 This sinful world is full of false religions

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 and ideologies that seek to deceive us.

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 It's also full of pleasures and temptations

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 that seek to seduce us.

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 It's also full of political and economic powers

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 and authorities that seek to persecute and subdue us.

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 And every day,

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 we are flooded with this sinful world's programming.

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 Every day.

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 And the book of Revelation

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 is God's counter-programming.

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 You hear from the world

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 that these things are real,

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 that these things are good,

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 that these things are beautiful,

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 but no, here,

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 this is what is actually true.

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 This is what is actually real.

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 This is what is actually good.

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 So we're getting a glimpse

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 into God's perfect vantage point.

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 Revelation was also written

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 to a suffering, persecuted church

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 to instill courage

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 and inspire faithfulness even onto death.

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 to remind them

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 that God is still reigning,

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 that he's still seated on his throne

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 and he's not worried.

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 He's in control.

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 And that the final victory of God

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 and his Christ is certain.

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 Being persecuted and killed for our faith

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 and our obedience to Jesus

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 might seem like a defeat.

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 It sure looks like that

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 from a world's perspective.

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 But Revelation tells us that it is,

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 in fact, that is how, in fact,

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 we conquer.

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 Because we're following the pattern

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 of the slain Lamb of God.

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 So Revelation imparts to us

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 a glorious vision

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 of the glory of God

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 and his Christ

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 so that we might hope

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 and wait for that fulfillment.

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 And it's that hope

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 that is intended to sustain us

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 till the end.

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 So with these things in mind,

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 let's now jump straight

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 into the first three verses

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 of Revelation

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 which introduce us

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 to the entire book.

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 And the main point

00:12:48.280 --> 00:12:49.540
 of this passage is this.

00:12:49.740 --> 00:12:50.759
 God has revealed

00:12:50.759 --> 00:12:52.840
 the testimony of Jesus to us

00:12:52.840 --> 00:12:55.379
 so that we might keep his word

00:12:55.379 --> 00:12:56.920
 in these last days.

00:12:58.259 --> 00:12:59.280
 And in these verses,

00:12:59.420 --> 00:13:00.060
 we're going to learn

00:13:00.060 --> 00:13:01.080
 about the source

00:13:01.080 --> 00:13:02.040
 of the book of Revelation,

00:13:02.420 --> 00:13:04.180
 the subject of the book of Revelation,

00:13:04.320 --> 00:13:06.120
 the style of the book of Revelation,

00:13:06.399 --> 00:13:07.860
 the structure of the book of Revelation,

00:13:08.100 --> 00:13:09.120
 and the situation

00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:09.860
 or setting

00:13:09.860 --> 00:13:11.540
 of the book of Revelation.

00:13:12.120 --> 00:13:13.000
 First, we learn about

00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:14.300
 the source of the book of Revelation

00:13:14.299 --> 00:13:15.019
 in verse 1.

00:13:15.019 --> 00:13:17.959
 The revelation of Jesus Christ,

00:13:18.500 --> 00:13:20.099
 which God gave him

00:13:20.099 --> 00:13:21.379
 to show to his servants

00:13:21.379 --> 00:13:23.019
 the things that must soon take place.

00:13:23.299 --> 00:13:24.219
 He made it known

00:13:24.219 --> 00:13:25.359
 by sending his angel

00:13:25.359 --> 00:13:27.179
 to his servant John.

00:13:27.599 --> 00:13:29.319
 We see a four-step

00:13:29.319 --> 00:13:31.059
 transmission process here.

00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:32.740
 First, from God the Father

00:13:32.740 --> 00:13:34.000
 to Jesus Christ.

00:13:34.519 --> 00:13:36.000
 Then from Jesus Christ

00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:37.259
 to his angel.

00:13:37.759 --> 00:13:38.339
 And then third,

00:13:38.459 --> 00:13:39.099
 from the angel

00:13:39.099 --> 00:13:40.959
 to John, his servant.

00:13:40.960 --> 00:13:41.900
 And then finally,

00:13:42.080 --> 00:13:42.620
 from John

00:13:42.620 --> 00:13:44.400
 to the rest of God's servants,

00:13:44.600 --> 00:13:45.680
 which includes us.

00:13:46.759 --> 00:13:47.600
 People debate

00:13:47.600 --> 00:13:48.680
 which John it is

00:13:48.680 --> 00:13:49.840
 that wrote the book of Revelation.

00:13:51.259 --> 00:13:52.200
 But as early

00:13:52.200 --> 00:13:53.180
 as the second century,

00:13:53.360 --> 00:13:53.980
 Justin Martyr

00:13:53.980 --> 00:13:55.060
 notes in his dialogue

00:13:55.060 --> 00:13:55.700
 with Trifle

00:13:55.700 --> 00:13:56.420
 that John,

00:13:56.519 --> 00:13:58.019
 one of the apostles of Christ,

00:13:58.320 --> 00:13:59.000
 was the author

00:13:59.000 --> 00:13:59.700
 of Revelation.

00:14:00.660 --> 00:14:02.100
 This is also confirmed

00:14:02.100 --> 00:14:03.540
 by a now lost commentary

00:14:03.540 --> 00:14:04.139
 on Revelation

00:14:04.139 --> 00:14:04.879
 by Melito,

00:14:05.080 --> 00:14:05.860
 bishop of Sardis,

00:14:05.960 --> 00:14:07.139
 dated 165.

00:14:07.240 --> 00:14:07.879
 Sardis is actually

00:14:07.879 --> 00:14:09.460
 one of the churches,

00:14:09.460 --> 00:14:11.460
 the cities where the church is

00:14:11.460 --> 00:14:13.000
 that Revelation 2 and 3

00:14:13.000 --> 00:14:13.639
 is addressed to.

00:14:15.360 --> 00:14:17.220
 But that lost commentary

00:14:17.220 --> 00:14:17.660
 by Melito

00:14:17.660 --> 00:14:18.420
 is referenced

00:14:18.420 --> 00:14:19.940
 by church historian Eusebius

00:14:19.940 --> 00:14:22.019
 and that confirms also

00:14:22.019 --> 00:14:23.180
 that this was written

00:14:23.180 --> 00:14:24.080
 by Apostle John.

00:14:24.620 --> 00:14:25.780
 Second century pastor

00:14:25.780 --> 00:14:26.720
 Irenaeus

00:14:26.720 --> 00:14:27.980
 also confirms the same.

00:14:28.720 --> 00:14:29.400
 So there's a lot

00:14:29.400 --> 00:14:30.519
 of church tradition

00:14:30.519 --> 00:14:31.100
 that confirms

00:14:31.100 --> 00:14:31.680
 that this was written

00:14:31.680 --> 00:14:32.519
 by Apostle John.

00:14:32.860 --> 00:14:33.720
 And common sense

00:14:33.720 --> 00:14:34.540
 also dictates

00:14:34.540 --> 00:14:35.540
 that author is

00:14:35.540 --> 00:14:36.360
 the John

00:14:36.360 --> 00:14:37.780
 that we best know

00:14:37.779 --> 00:14:39.659
 because he wrote

00:14:39.659 --> 00:14:43.000
 here in chapter 1,

00:14:43.120 --> 00:14:43.919
 verses 1 to 3,

00:14:44.159 --> 00:14:44.679
 that he is

00:14:44.679 --> 00:14:45.819
 the servant John.

00:14:46.579 --> 00:14:47.319
 Who else

00:14:47.319 --> 00:14:48.220
 in the first century

00:14:48.220 --> 00:14:49.799
 is well known enough

00:14:49.799 --> 00:14:50.500
 that he could simply

00:14:50.500 --> 00:14:52.399
 just go by servant John

00:14:52.399 --> 00:14:53.419
 and he expects everybody

00:14:53.419 --> 00:14:54.279
 to know who he is?

00:14:54.839 --> 00:14:56.199
 This is John the apostle

00:14:56.199 --> 00:14:57.559
 who wrote the gospel of John

00:14:57.559 --> 00:14:58.819
 and the epistles

00:14:58.819 --> 00:15:00.360
 of John,

00:15:00.459 --> 00:15:01.500
 1, 2, and 3 John.

00:15:02.319 --> 00:15:03.639
 So John is the human author,

00:15:04.079 --> 00:15:05.379
 but the ultimate source

00:15:05.379 --> 00:15:06.259
 of the book of Revelation

00:15:06.259 --> 00:15:07.319
 is not man,

00:15:07.700 --> 00:15:08.580
 but God.

00:15:09.720 --> 00:15:10.580
 This is confirmed

00:15:10.580 --> 00:15:11.740
 in verse 3

00:15:11.740 --> 00:15:13.039
 where John calls his book

00:15:13.039 --> 00:15:14.720
 the words of this prophecy.

00:15:16.100 --> 00:15:17.659
 2 Peter 1, 20 to 21

00:15:17.659 --> 00:15:19.039
 says that no prophecy

00:15:19.039 --> 00:15:19.840
 of scripture

00:15:19.840 --> 00:15:20.819
 comes from someone's

00:15:20.819 --> 00:15:21.860
 own interpretation

00:15:21.860 --> 00:15:23.480
 for no prophecy

00:15:23.480 --> 00:15:24.419
 was ever produced

00:15:24.419 --> 00:15:25.980
 by the will of man,

00:15:26.220 --> 00:15:28.220
 but man spoke from God

00:15:28.220 --> 00:15:29.740
 as they were carried along

00:15:29.740 --> 00:15:30.500
 by the Holy Spirit.

00:15:30.960 --> 00:15:32.259
 So all prophecies

00:15:32.259 --> 00:15:34.059
 are from the Holy Spirit of God

00:15:34.059 --> 00:15:35.939
 and prophecies in particular

00:15:35.939 --> 00:15:36.939
 like Revelation

00:15:36.939 --> 00:15:37.939
 that are recorded

00:15:37.939 --> 00:15:38.819
 as scripture

00:15:38.819 --> 00:15:40.799
 are infallible

00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:41.659
 and inerrant.

00:15:42.639 --> 00:15:43.639
 God has ensured

00:15:43.639 --> 00:15:44.519
 that they are not

00:15:44.519 --> 00:15:45.819
 man's own interpretation

00:15:45.819 --> 00:15:47.339
 and that they are not

00:15:47.339 --> 00:15:48.659
 produced by the will of man.

00:15:49.599 --> 00:15:50.459
 The word of God,

00:15:50.559 --> 00:15:51.000
 the Bible,

00:15:51.199 --> 00:15:52.219
 makes us wise

00:15:52.219 --> 00:15:52.819
 for salvation

00:15:52.819 --> 00:15:53.339
 through faith

00:15:53.339 --> 00:15:54.079
 in Jesus Christ.

00:15:54.479 --> 00:15:54.659
 Therefore,

00:15:54.779 --> 00:15:55.599
 it is authoritative

00:15:55.599 --> 00:15:56.099
 and binding

00:15:56.099 --> 00:15:57.000
 upon all people

00:15:57.000 --> 00:15:57.819
 in all places

00:15:57.819 --> 00:15:58.699
 at all times

00:15:58.699 --> 00:15:59.739
 and that's what distinguishes

00:15:59.739 --> 00:16:01.419
 prophecy that is scripture

00:16:01.419 --> 00:16:03.979
 from other more situational prophecy

00:16:03.979 --> 00:16:04.959
 that we sometimes encounter

00:16:04.959 --> 00:16:05.579
 in our church.

00:16:05.839 --> 00:16:07.120
 That's not for all people

00:16:07.120 --> 00:16:07.579
 in all places

00:16:07.579 --> 00:16:08.120
 at all times.

00:16:08.199 --> 00:16:09.120
 So it's not authoritative

00:16:09.120 --> 00:16:10.240
 and binding for all

00:16:10.240 --> 00:16:11.339
 but scripture

00:16:11.339 --> 00:16:12.279
 like Revelation

00:16:12.279 --> 00:16:13.079
 is.

00:16:16.759 --> 00:16:17.819
 That's the book

00:16:17.819 --> 00:16:18.379
 of Revelation

00:16:18.379 --> 00:16:19.199
 and indeed

00:16:19.199 --> 00:16:20.019
 the whole of scripture

00:16:20.019 --> 00:16:21.519
 is a revelation

00:16:21.519 --> 00:16:23.139
 is foundational

00:16:23.139 --> 00:16:24.019
 for our faith,

00:16:24.219 --> 00:16:25.000
 for our Christian faith.

00:16:25.799 --> 00:16:26.579
 The Greek word

00:16:26.579 --> 00:16:27.480
 that has been translated

00:16:27.480 --> 00:16:28.039
 as revelation

00:16:28.039 --> 00:16:28.860
 in verse 1

00:16:28.860 --> 00:16:30.299
 is apokalypsis

00:16:30.299 --> 00:16:31.959
 from which we get

00:16:31.959 --> 00:16:33.000
 the word apocalypse

00:16:33.000 --> 00:16:34.899
 but the apocalypse

00:16:34.899 --> 00:16:36.199
 in this context

00:16:36.199 --> 00:16:37.039
 doesn't refer to

00:16:37.039 --> 00:16:37.959
 a great disaster

00:16:37.959 --> 00:16:39.159
 or a catastrophe

00:16:39.159 --> 00:16:39.799
 in the way

00:16:39.799 --> 00:16:40.959
 we use the word sometimes

00:16:40.959 --> 00:16:42.159
 but it refers

00:16:42.159 --> 00:16:43.399
 to an unveiling

00:16:43.399 --> 00:16:45.199
 or a disclosing

00:16:45.199 --> 00:16:46.299
 or a revealing

00:16:46.299 --> 00:16:47.219
 of something.

00:16:47.959 --> 00:16:48.500
 Isn't that amazing?

00:16:48.579 --> 00:16:49.099
 It's not meant

00:16:49.099 --> 00:16:49.879
 to be cryptic.

00:16:49.959 --> 00:16:50.279
 It's not meant

00:16:50.279 --> 00:16:51.679
 to hide stuff from us.

00:16:51.779 --> 00:16:52.979
 Revelation is revealing

00:16:52.979 --> 00:16:53.959
 something to us.

00:16:54.659 --> 00:16:55.059
 Christianity

00:16:55.059 --> 00:16:56.240
 is not a religion

00:16:56.240 --> 00:16:57.039
 that is based

00:16:57.039 --> 00:16:58.319
 on a discovery.

00:16:58.320 --> 00:17:00.700
 something that

00:17:00.700 --> 00:17:02.200
 someone found

00:17:02.200 --> 00:17:03.480
 or figured out.

00:17:04.580 --> 00:17:04.980
 Christianity

00:17:04.980 --> 00:17:05.960
 is a religion

00:17:05.960 --> 00:17:06.940
 that is founded

00:17:06.940 --> 00:17:08.160
 on revelation.

00:17:09.100 --> 00:17:09.799
 Something that

00:17:09.799 --> 00:17:10.980
 God himself

00:17:10.980 --> 00:17:11.720
 revealed

00:17:11.720 --> 00:17:12.920
 or gave

00:17:12.920 --> 00:17:13.820
 to us.

00:17:15.220 --> 00:17:16.340
 So it's not

00:17:16.340 --> 00:17:17.980
 a man-initiated religion

00:17:17.980 --> 00:17:20.100
 but a God-initiated

00:17:20.100 --> 00:17:20.820
 religion.

00:17:21.400 --> 00:17:22.279
 If the Bible

00:17:22.279 --> 00:17:22.840
 were something

00:17:22.840 --> 00:17:23.880
 that man invented

00:17:23.880 --> 00:17:24.680
 or developed

00:17:24.680 --> 00:17:25.340
 then it would be

00:17:25.340 --> 00:17:26.320
 open to rejection,

00:17:26.759 --> 00:17:27.620
 open to critique

00:17:27.619 --> 00:17:28.339
 and modification

00:17:28.339 --> 00:17:29.299
 and improvement.

00:17:30.139 --> 00:17:31.219
 But since this is

00:17:31.219 --> 00:17:31.799
 something that

00:17:31.799 --> 00:17:32.819
 God revealed

00:17:32.819 --> 00:17:35.019
 the only proper

00:17:35.019 --> 00:17:35.859
 posture for us

00:17:35.859 --> 00:17:36.439
 as we engage

00:17:36.439 --> 00:17:36.779
 with it

00:17:36.779 --> 00:17:37.500
 is humility,

00:17:38.299 --> 00:17:38.879
 acceptance,

00:17:39.799 --> 00:17:40.279
 belief,

00:17:41.059 --> 00:17:41.799
 and submission.

00:17:43.799 --> 00:17:44.799
 If a random

00:17:44.799 --> 00:17:45.279
 passerby

00:17:45.279 --> 00:17:45.959
 tried to talk

00:17:45.959 --> 00:17:46.199
 to you

00:17:46.199 --> 00:17:46.879
 about the state

00:17:46.879 --> 00:17:47.599
 of our country,

00:17:47.719 --> 00:17:48.179
 the United States

00:17:48.179 --> 00:17:48.619
 of America,

00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:49.000
 I mean,

00:17:49.579 --> 00:17:50.419
 maybe if you're

00:17:50.419 --> 00:17:50.979
 really nice

00:17:50.979 --> 00:17:51.719
 you might indulge

00:17:51.719 --> 00:17:52.239
 him for a few

00:17:52.239 --> 00:17:52.879
 minutes and listen

00:17:52.879 --> 00:17:53.299
 to him but

00:17:53.299 --> 00:17:53.839
 eventually you're

00:17:53.839 --> 00:17:54.199
 going to lose

00:17:54.199 --> 00:17:54.719
 interest because

00:17:54.719 --> 00:17:54.939
 I mean,

00:17:55.000 --> 00:17:55.439
 what do you know?

00:17:55.500 --> 00:17:55.879
 You're just a

00:17:55.879 --> 00:17:56.679
 random passerby.

00:17:56.680 --> 00:17:58.200
 But if the

00:17:58.200 --> 00:17:58.660
 President of the

00:17:58.660 --> 00:17:59.180
 United States

00:17:59.180 --> 00:18:00.120
 tried to sit

00:18:00.120 --> 00:18:00.519
 you down and

00:18:00.519 --> 00:18:00.640
 say,

00:18:00.720 --> 00:18:00.840
 you know,

00:18:00.900 --> 00:18:01.259
 I'm going to

00:18:01.259 --> 00:18:01.700
 give you a

00:18:01.700 --> 00:18:02.580
 detailed breakdown

00:18:02.580 --> 00:18:03.060
 of the state

00:18:03.060 --> 00:18:03.560
 of our country

00:18:03.560 --> 00:18:03.940
 and the things

00:18:03.940 --> 00:18:04.279
 that are going

00:18:04.279 --> 00:18:04.400
 on,

00:18:04.440 --> 00:18:04.880
 you'd probably

00:18:04.880 --> 00:18:05.460
 pay attention

00:18:05.460 --> 00:18:06.720
 because you'd

00:18:06.720 --> 00:18:07.279
 expect him to

00:18:07.279 --> 00:18:08.000
 know something

00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:08.600
 that's going

00:18:08.600 --> 00:18:08.860
 on.

00:18:08.940 --> 00:18:09.560
 So if when

00:18:09.560 --> 00:18:10.320
 the creator

00:18:10.320 --> 00:18:11.320
 of the universe,

00:18:12.279 --> 00:18:12.880
 the cosmic

00:18:12.880 --> 00:18:13.539
 ruler and

00:18:13.539 --> 00:18:14.320
 sustainer of

00:18:14.320 --> 00:18:14.820
 the universe,

00:18:14.980 --> 00:18:15.779
 God himself

00:18:15.779 --> 00:18:17.420
 reveals something

00:18:17.420 --> 00:18:18.060
 to us and

00:18:18.060 --> 00:18:18.340
 says,

00:18:18.600 --> 00:18:19.460
 here is something

00:18:19.460 --> 00:18:20.320
 that is real,

00:18:21.799 --> 00:18:22.759
 then we pay

00:18:22.759 --> 00:18:24.299
 attention to that.

00:18:24.299 --> 00:18:26.399
 we listen to

00:18:26.399 --> 00:18:26.680
 that.

00:18:27.279 --> 00:18:27.980
 We obey

00:18:27.980 --> 00:18:29.039
 that.

00:18:31.700 --> 00:18:32.119
 Secondly,

00:18:32.240 --> 00:18:32.919
 John tells us

00:18:32.919 --> 00:18:33.859
 what the subject

00:18:33.859 --> 00:18:34.680
 of the book of

00:18:34.680 --> 00:18:35.500
 Revelation is in

00:18:35.500 --> 00:18:36.299
 verses 1 to 2.

00:18:36.359 --> 00:18:36.779
 He says in

00:18:36.779 --> 00:18:37.180
 verse 1,

00:18:37.240 --> 00:18:38.059
 the revelation of

00:18:38.059 --> 00:18:38.720
 Jesus Christ,

00:18:38.819 --> 00:18:39.579
 which God gave him

00:18:39.579 --> 00:18:40.259
 to show to his

00:18:40.259 --> 00:18:41.799
 servants the things

00:18:41.799 --> 00:18:42.940
 that must soon

00:18:42.940 --> 00:18:44.299
 take place.

00:18:45.419 --> 00:18:46.319
 This is a key

00:18:46.319 --> 00:18:47.079
 recurring phrase

00:18:47.079 --> 00:18:47.759
 throughout Revelation

00:18:47.759 --> 00:18:48.399
 that occurs at

00:18:48.399 --> 00:18:49.519
 major transitional

00:18:49.519 --> 00:18:50.279
 junctures in the

00:18:50.279 --> 00:18:50.480
 book.

00:18:51.039 --> 00:18:51.460
 For example,

00:18:51.579 --> 00:18:52.480
 119 says,

00:18:52.700 --> 00:18:53.220
 write there for the

00:18:53.220 --> 00:18:53.660
 things that you

00:18:53.660 --> 00:18:54.019
 have seen,

00:18:54.100 --> 00:18:54.700
 those that are

00:18:54.700 --> 00:18:55.380
 and those that

00:18:55.380 --> 00:18:56.279
 are to take

00:18:56.279 --> 00:18:57.740
 place after this.

00:18:58.299 --> 00:18:59.180
 4.1 says,

00:18:59.259 --> 00:18:59.960
 come up here and

00:18:59.960 --> 00:19:00.500
 I will show you

00:19:00.500 --> 00:19:01.480
 what must take

00:19:01.480 --> 00:19:02.860
 place after this.

00:19:03.259 --> 00:19:03.539
 Again,

00:19:03.600 --> 00:19:03.940
 at the end of

00:19:03.940 --> 00:19:04.160
 the book,

00:19:04.220 --> 00:19:05.100
 22 verse 6,

00:19:05.160 --> 00:19:05.720
 these words are

00:19:05.720 --> 00:19:06.380
 trustworthy and

00:19:06.380 --> 00:19:06.660
 true,

00:19:07.059 --> 00:19:07.460
 and the Lord,

00:19:07.539 --> 00:19:08.000
 the God of the

00:19:08.000 --> 00:19:08.519
 spirits of the

00:19:08.519 --> 00:19:08.839
 prophets,

00:19:08.940 --> 00:19:09.480
 has sent his

00:19:09.480 --> 00:19:10.120
 angel to show

00:19:10.120 --> 00:19:10.640
 his servants

00:19:10.640 --> 00:19:12.360
 what must soon

00:19:12.360 --> 00:19:13.799
 take place.

00:19:14.799 --> 00:19:15.720
 These phrases

00:19:15.720 --> 00:19:16.920
 are an allusion

00:19:16.920 --> 00:19:18.660
 to Daniel chapter 2,

00:19:19.160 --> 00:19:19.799
 where the

00:19:19.799 --> 00:19:20.839
 Babylonian king,

00:19:20.960 --> 00:19:21.720
 Nebuchadnezzar,

00:19:21.839 --> 00:19:22.579
 has a mysterious

00:19:22.579 --> 00:19:23.339
 dream that

00:19:23.339 --> 00:19:24.059
 frightens him,

00:19:24.419 --> 00:19:25.019
 and he wants

00:19:25.019 --> 00:19:25.539
 someone to

00:19:25.539 --> 00:19:26.199
 interpret it for

00:19:26.199 --> 00:19:26.379
 him.

00:19:26.759 --> 00:19:27.259
 In the dream,

00:19:27.319 --> 00:19:27.819
 he sees a

00:19:27.819 --> 00:19:29.220
 glorious human-like

00:19:29.220 --> 00:19:30.779
 statue that has

00:19:30.779 --> 00:19:31.699
 a head of gold

00:19:31.699 --> 00:19:32.399
 and the arms and

00:19:32.399 --> 00:19:33.119
 chest of silver

00:19:33.119 --> 00:19:33.659
 and the middle

00:19:33.659 --> 00:19:34.419
 and thighs of

00:19:34.419 --> 00:19:35.299
 bronze and the

00:19:35.299 --> 00:19:36.039
 legs of iron

00:19:36.039 --> 00:19:36.740
 and the feet

00:19:36.740 --> 00:19:37.839
 partly of iron,

00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:38.899
 partly of clay.

00:19:39.839 --> 00:19:40.659
 But a stone

00:19:40.659 --> 00:19:41.679
 suddenly appears

00:19:41.679 --> 00:19:42.240
 out of nowhere,

00:19:42.419 --> 00:19:43.039
 and it's obvious

00:19:43.039 --> 00:19:43.579
 that the stone

00:19:43.579 --> 00:19:44.259
 was not caught

00:19:44.259 --> 00:19:45.039
 by human hands,

00:19:45.099 --> 00:19:46.159
 so it's a stone

00:19:46.159 --> 00:19:47.299
 of God's design,

00:19:47.439 --> 00:19:48.639
 divine stone in a way,

00:19:49.039 --> 00:19:49.980
 and that stone

00:19:49.980 --> 00:19:51.319
 destroys the statue.

00:19:51.319 --> 00:19:52.599
 It breaks the

00:19:52.599 --> 00:19:53.779
 iron legs and

00:19:53.779 --> 00:19:54.339
 the feet,

00:19:54.740 --> 00:19:55.200
 and then it

00:19:55.200 --> 00:19:55.939
 brings all the

00:19:55.939 --> 00:19:56.379
 rest of it

00:19:56.379 --> 00:19:57.059
 crumbling down,

00:19:57.200 --> 00:19:57.839
 and it crushes

00:19:57.839 --> 00:19:58.539
 everything to fine

00:19:58.539 --> 00:19:59.319
 dust, so it blows

00:19:59.319 --> 00:19:59.919
 away like a

00:19:59.919 --> 00:20:00.679
 chaff in the wind,

00:20:00.980 --> 00:20:02.059
 and then that stone

00:20:02.059 --> 00:20:03.379
 becomes a large

00:20:03.379 --> 00:20:04.359
 mountain, it says,

00:20:04.379 --> 00:20:05.319
 a great mountain

00:20:05.319 --> 00:20:06.519
 that fills the

00:20:06.519 --> 00:20:07.399
 whole earth.

00:20:08.639 --> 00:20:09.379
 So while no

00:20:09.379 --> 00:20:10.519
 other diviner or

00:20:10.519 --> 00:20:11.259
 wise man in

00:20:11.259 --> 00:20:12.500
 Babylon could give

00:20:12.500 --> 00:20:13.119
 the dream its

00:20:13.119 --> 00:20:13.759
 interpretation,

00:20:14.619 --> 00:20:15.439
 prophet Daniel,

00:20:15.919 --> 00:20:16.960
 without Nebuchadnezzar

00:20:16.960 --> 00:20:17.619
 even telling him

00:20:17.619 --> 00:20:18.419
 what the dream is,

00:20:18.500 --> 00:20:19.299
 tells him what the

00:20:19.299 --> 00:20:20.279
 dream was, and

00:20:20.279 --> 00:20:21.059
 then interprets it

00:20:21.059 --> 00:20:21.659
 for him.

00:20:22.319 --> 00:20:23.240
 The various parts

00:20:23.240 --> 00:20:23.819
 of the statue

00:20:23.819 --> 00:20:25.059
 represent various

00:20:25.059 --> 00:20:26.359
 successive kingdoms

00:20:26.359 --> 00:20:27.919
 that diminish in

00:20:27.919 --> 00:20:28.899
 glory from gold to

00:20:28.899 --> 00:20:29.740
 silver to bronze,

00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:31.460
 and then the fourth

00:20:31.460 --> 00:20:32.139
 kingdom will be a

00:20:32.139 --> 00:20:33.220
 strong kingdom like

00:20:33.220 --> 00:20:34.359
 iron that crushes

00:20:34.359 --> 00:20:35.659
 other things that

00:20:35.659 --> 00:20:37.299
 strike against it,

00:20:37.659 --> 00:20:38.799
 but it will become a

00:20:38.799 --> 00:20:39.779
 divided kingdom so

00:20:39.779 --> 00:20:40.980
 that it becomes partly

00:20:40.980 --> 00:20:42.000
 of brittle clay and

00:20:42.000 --> 00:20:43.659
 partly of strong iron,

00:20:44.079 --> 00:20:44.980
 but eventually God

00:20:44.980 --> 00:20:45.720
 says the God of

00:20:45.720 --> 00:20:46.259
 heaven will,

00:20:46.440 --> 00:20:47.659
 Daniel says one

00:20:47.660 --> 00:20:48.779
 day, God of

00:20:48.779 --> 00:20:49.420
 heaven will set

00:20:49.420 --> 00:20:49.860
 up a kingdom

00:20:49.860 --> 00:20:50.700
 that shall never

00:20:50.700 --> 00:20:51.420
 be destroyed,

00:20:51.779 --> 00:20:52.500
 and that shall

00:20:52.500 --> 00:20:53.720
 break in pieces all

00:20:53.720 --> 00:20:54.940
 these kingdoms and

00:20:54.940 --> 00:20:55.680
 bring them to an

00:20:55.680 --> 00:20:56.800
 end, and that

00:20:56.800 --> 00:20:57.460
 kingdom of God

00:20:57.460 --> 00:20:58.820
 shall stand forever

00:20:58.820 --> 00:20:59.640
 just like that

00:20:59.640 --> 00:21:00.480
 stone that became

00:21:00.480 --> 00:21:01.660
 the great mountain.

00:21:02.519 --> 00:21:03.480
 And after giving

00:21:03.480 --> 00:21:04.300
 that interpretation,

00:21:04.820 --> 00:21:05.580
 Daniel says in

00:21:05.580 --> 00:21:06.440
 Daniel 2.45,

00:21:06.980 --> 00:21:08.440
 God has made known

00:21:08.440 --> 00:21:09.700
 to the king what

00:21:09.700 --> 00:21:11.900
 shall be after this.

00:21:12.160 --> 00:21:13.380
 Same phrase as

00:21:13.380 --> 00:21:14.300
 the recurring phrase

00:21:14.300 --> 00:21:15.680
 that we see in

00:21:15.680 --> 00:21:16.840
 Revelation.

00:21:17.660 --> 00:21:18.340
 Revelation 1.9,

00:21:18.360 --> 00:21:18.759
 the things that

00:21:18.759 --> 00:21:19.700
 are to take place

00:21:19.700 --> 00:21:20.880
 after this.

00:21:21.440 --> 00:21:22.460
 John is intentionally

00:21:22.460 --> 00:21:23.540
 using the language

00:21:23.540 --> 00:21:24.860
 of Daniel to

00:21:24.860 --> 00:21:25.600
 indicate that he

00:21:25.600 --> 00:21:26.480
 is writing about

00:21:26.480 --> 00:21:28.300
 the fulfillment of

00:21:28.300 --> 00:21:29.019
 what Daniel

00:21:29.019 --> 00:21:30.360
 prophesied about.

00:21:33.000 --> 00:21:34.500
 In Daniel 2.28,

00:21:34.620 --> 00:21:35.540
 he tells Nebuchadnezzar

00:21:35.540 --> 00:21:36.080
 that the dream

00:21:36.080 --> 00:21:36.880
 describes what will

00:21:36.880 --> 00:21:37.740
 be in the latter

00:21:37.740 --> 00:21:39.380
 days, but here in

00:21:39.380 --> 00:21:40.380
 Revelation 1.1,

00:21:40.500 --> 00:21:41.480
 Daniel says that

00:21:41.480 --> 00:21:42.160
 these things must

00:21:42.160 --> 00:21:43.440
 soon take place,

00:21:43.740 --> 00:21:44.400
 and in verse 3,

00:21:44.500 --> 00:21:45.220
 that the time is

00:21:45.220 --> 00:21:45.759
 near.

00:21:45.759 --> 00:21:47.579
 Throughout the book

00:21:47.579 --> 00:21:47.980
 of Daniel,

00:21:48.079 --> 00:21:48.720
 Daniel receives

00:21:48.720 --> 00:21:49.799
 many visions from

00:21:49.799 --> 00:21:50.460
 God and through

00:21:50.460 --> 00:21:51.160
 his angel about

00:21:51.160 --> 00:21:51.680
 the future,

00:21:52.240 --> 00:21:52.839
 but the angel

00:21:52.839 --> 00:21:55.920
 tells Daniel in

00:21:55.920 --> 00:21:57.400
 chapter 8,

00:21:57.440 --> 00:21:58.420
 verse 26,

00:21:59.019 --> 00:22:00.079
 and chapter 12,

00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:01.900
 to seal up the

00:22:01.900 --> 00:22:02.819
 vision until the

00:22:02.819 --> 00:22:03.579
 time of the end,

00:22:03.700 --> 00:22:04.500
 for it refers to

00:22:04.500 --> 00:22:05.940
 many days from now.

00:22:06.400 --> 00:22:07.279
 So God tells Daniel,

00:22:07.379 --> 00:22:07.859
 here's all these

00:22:07.859 --> 00:22:08.240
 things that are

00:22:08.240 --> 00:22:08.660
 going to happen.

00:22:08.759 --> 00:22:09.279
 He's showing him

00:22:09.279 --> 00:22:09.599
 the vision,

00:22:09.680 --> 00:22:10.079
 and he says,

00:22:10.279 --> 00:22:11.059
 don't tell anybody,

00:22:11.220 --> 00:22:11.720
 seal it up,

00:22:11.759 --> 00:22:12.240
 because it's not

00:22:12.240 --> 00:22:13.119
 for a long time.

00:22:13.119 --> 00:22:14.819
 But then Revelation

00:22:14.819 --> 00:22:15.659
 22.10,

00:22:15.839 --> 00:22:16.779
 angel tells John,

00:22:17.239 --> 00:22:18.579
 do not seal up the

00:22:18.579 --> 00:22:19.639
 words of the prophecy

00:22:19.639 --> 00:22:20.319
 of this book,

00:22:20.399 --> 00:22:21.799
 for the time is near.

00:22:21.919 --> 00:22:22.859
 That's an intentional

00:22:22.859 --> 00:22:24.279
 contrast from the

00:22:24.279 --> 00:22:24.879
 book of Daniel.

00:22:25.939 --> 00:22:27.079
 Because for Daniel,

00:22:27.179 --> 00:22:28.239
 the time was far off,

00:22:28.359 --> 00:22:28.919
 but for John,

00:22:28.979 --> 00:22:29.839
 the time is near.

00:22:30.199 --> 00:22:30.539
 In fact,

00:22:30.559 --> 00:22:32.039
 it will soon take place.

00:22:32.899 --> 00:22:33.839
 Sometimes we hear

00:22:33.839 --> 00:22:35.500
 words like near and

00:22:35.500 --> 00:22:36.559
 soon, and we hear

00:22:36.559 --> 00:22:37.500
 not yet.

00:22:37.899 --> 00:22:38.659
 That's the emphasis

00:22:38.659 --> 00:22:39.159
 we hear.

00:22:39.539 --> 00:22:40.039
 But actually,

00:22:40.099 --> 00:22:40.819
 the point of those

00:22:40.819 --> 00:22:41.539
 words in Scripture,

00:22:41.539 --> 00:22:43.460
 like near and soon,

00:22:43.799 --> 00:22:44.980
 is to emphasize the

00:22:44.980 --> 00:22:46.899
 already aspect of the

00:22:46.899 --> 00:22:47.500
 kingdom of God.

00:22:47.559 --> 00:22:48.579
 That's already begun.

00:22:48.700 --> 00:22:49.839
 That's already here.

00:22:50.799 --> 00:22:52.299
 Mark 1.15 is a case

00:22:52.299 --> 00:22:53.440
 in point where Jesus

00:22:53.440 --> 00:22:55.259
 says, the time is

00:22:55.259 --> 00:22:57.460
 fulfilled, and the

00:22:57.460 --> 00:22:59.759
 kingdom of God is at

00:22:59.759 --> 00:23:00.279
 hand.

00:23:00.339 --> 00:23:01.119
 That's the same word.

00:23:01.500 --> 00:23:02.599
 The kingdom of God is

00:23:02.599 --> 00:23:03.259
 near.

00:23:04.180 --> 00:23:05.000
 The kingdom of God

00:23:05.000 --> 00:23:07.079
 that is near means the

00:23:07.079 --> 00:23:08.720
 time is fulfilled.

00:23:09.099 --> 00:23:10.319
 It's already here.

00:23:10.319 --> 00:23:11.299
 It's not yet fully

00:23:11.299 --> 00:23:11.679
 here.

00:23:12.019 --> 00:23:12.740
 It's not yet

00:23:12.740 --> 00:23:14.279
 consummated, but it's

00:23:14.279 --> 00:23:15.259
 already inaugurated.

00:23:15.939 --> 00:23:17.299
 So that's the emphasis

00:23:17.299 --> 00:23:17.740
 here.

00:23:17.839 --> 00:23:18.839
 So the time that was

00:23:18.839 --> 00:23:19.980
 not yet for Daniel is

00:23:19.980 --> 00:23:22.359
 now here with John in

00:23:22.359 --> 00:23:23.240
 the book of Revelation.

00:23:24.200 --> 00:23:25.279
 That's why he has to

00:23:25.279 --> 00:23:26.240
 not seal up the words,

00:23:26.319 --> 00:23:27.279
 but instead reveal it.

00:23:27.980 --> 00:23:28.759
 This has important

00:23:28.759 --> 00:23:29.819
 implications for us for

00:23:29.819 --> 00:23:30.779
 understanding this book.

00:23:31.439 --> 00:23:32.079
 This means that

00:23:32.079 --> 00:23:34.159
 Revelation was not

00:23:34.159 --> 00:23:35.559
 written as a newspaper

00:23:35.559 --> 00:23:36.460
 from the future.

00:23:36.460 --> 00:23:39.460
 That would only have

00:23:39.460 --> 00:23:41.180
 relevance for people

00:23:41.180 --> 00:23:42.819
 who live 2,000 or 3,000

00:23:42.819 --> 00:23:43.460
 years later.

00:23:45.400 --> 00:23:47.360
 Ed will talk about this

00:23:47.360 --> 00:23:48.420
 more next week, but

00:23:48.420 --> 00:23:49.420
 Revelation is written in

00:23:49.420 --> 00:23:50.500
 the form of a letter.

00:23:52.500 --> 00:23:54.019
 Verse 4 says, John, to

00:23:54.019 --> 00:23:54.940
 the seven churches that

00:23:54.940 --> 00:23:56.180
 are in Asia, grace to

00:23:56.180 --> 00:23:57.279
 you and peace from him

00:23:57.279 --> 00:23:58.259
 who is and who was and

00:23:58.259 --> 00:23:59.480
 who is to come, and from

00:23:59.480 --> 00:24:00.500
 the seven spirits who are

00:24:00.500 --> 00:24:01.279
 before his throne.

00:24:01.319 --> 00:24:02.380
 That's an epistolary

00:24:02.380 --> 00:24:02.720
 greeting.

00:24:02.880 --> 00:24:03.799
 It's what you write in a

00:24:03.799 --> 00:24:03.980
 letter.

00:24:03.980 --> 00:24:06.039
 Likewise, it ends with an

00:24:06.039 --> 00:24:07.120
 epistolary farewell.

00:24:07.299 --> 00:24:08.140
 The grace of the Lord

00:24:08.140 --> 00:24:09.420
 Jesus be with you all.

00:24:10.620 --> 00:24:11.579
 While the book of

00:24:11.579 --> 00:24:13.019
 Revelation was written

00:24:13.019 --> 00:24:15.180
 for us, for our benefit

00:24:15.180 --> 00:24:16.920
 as God's people, and

00:24:16.920 --> 00:24:18.660
 therefore it applies to

00:24:18.660 --> 00:24:20.400
 us and it is relevant to

00:24:20.400 --> 00:24:22.120
 us, we need to note that

00:24:22.120 --> 00:24:23.360
 the book of Revelation

00:24:23.360 --> 00:24:25.799
 wasn't written to us as a

00:24:25.799 --> 00:24:25.980
 letter.

00:24:26.559 --> 00:24:28.079
 It was written to the

00:24:28.079 --> 00:24:30.120
 early church in the

00:24:30.120 --> 00:24:31.259
 first century, who are

00:24:31.259 --> 00:24:32.319
 the first recipients, the

00:24:32.319 --> 00:24:33.799
 original audience of that

00:24:33.799 --> 00:24:34.279
 book.

00:24:34.759 --> 00:24:36.779
 So any interpretation of

00:24:36.779 --> 00:24:37.680
 the book of Revelation

00:24:37.680 --> 00:24:39.259
 that has all the

00:24:39.259 --> 00:24:40.940
 relevance for us, but

00:24:40.940 --> 00:24:42.839
 zero relevance for them

00:24:42.839 --> 00:24:44.259
 2,000 years ago is

00:24:44.259 --> 00:24:45.720
 automatically suspect.

00:24:46.539 --> 00:24:48.279
 It doesn't conform to the

00:24:48.279 --> 00:24:49.279
 actual form of the book

00:24:49.279 --> 00:24:49.779
 of Revelation.

00:24:51.039 --> 00:24:51.859
 From a biblical

00:24:51.859 --> 00:24:53.379
 standpoint, the end

00:24:53.379 --> 00:24:55.339
 times or the last days

00:24:55.339 --> 00:24:56.579
 are already here.

00:24:57.399 --> 00:24:58.460
 And they have been here

00:24:58.460 --> 00:24:59.359
 for 2,000 years.

00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:02.000
 In Acts 2, 17, Peter

00:25:02.000 --> 00:25:03.079
 preaches that Joel's

00:25:03.079 --> 00:25:04.140
 prophecy concerning the

00:25:04.140 --> 00:25:04.940
 outpouring of the Holy

00:25:04.940 --> 00:25:06.200
 Spirit in the, quote,

00:25:06.259 --> 00:25:08.259
 last days has been

00:25:08.259 --> 00:25:09.960
 fulfilled with Pentecost

00:25:09.960 --> 00:25:10.640
 and the coming of the

00:25:10.640 --> 00:25:11.140
 Holy Spirit.

00:25:12.380 --> 00:25:13.960
 So that means since the

00:25:13.960 --> 00:25:15.940
 death and resurrection and

00:25:15.940 --> 00:25:17.519
 the ascent of Jesus to the

00:25:17.519 --> 00:25:18.319
 right hand of the Father and

00:25:18.319 --> 00:25:19.579
 the corresponding descent of

00:25:19.579 --> 00:25:21.319
 the Holy Spirit to earth, to

00:25:21.319 --> 00:25:22.779
 his people, we have been

00:25:22.779 --> 00:25:23.740
 living, people have been

00:25:23.740 --> 00:25:25.579
 living in the end times.

00:25:25.579 --> 00:25:27.559
 The book of Revelation,

00:25:27.699 --> 00:25:29.319
 therefore, has had end

00:25:29.319 --> 00:25:31.220
 time relevance for all

00:25:31.220 --> 00:25:32.960
 Christians since the time

00:25:32.960 --> 00:25:34.059
 of Christ's first coming

00:25:34.059 --> 00:25:35.799
 and until the time of his

00:25:35.799 --> 00:25:36.599
 second coming.

00:25:37.319 --> 00:25:39.199
 The hourglass has been

00:25:39.199 --> 00:25:39.779
 turned over.

00:25:40.639 --> 00:25:42.059
 The clock is ticking.

00:25:42.839 --> 00:25:45.019
 The end has already begun.

00:25:46.799 --> 00:25:48.339
 That's why Jesus Christ is

00:25:48.339 --> 00:25:50.319
 the ultimate subject of the

00:25:50.319 --> 00:25:51.000
 book of Revelation.

00:25:51.899 --> 00:25:53.339
 John says this explicitly in

00:25:53.339 --> 00:25:53.819
 verse 2.

00:25:53.819 --> 00:25:55.460
 What was John bearing

00:25:55.460 --> 00:25:57.159
 witness to that got him,

00:25:57.720 --> 00:25:58.379
 made him a political

00:25:58.379 --> 00:25:59.599
 prisoner and an exile?

00:26:00.439 --> 00:26:02.279
 It says, to the word of

00:26:02.279 --> 00:26:04.579
 God and to the testimony of

00:26:04.579 --> 00:26:06.000
 Jesus Christ.

00:26:07.480 --> 00:26:09.019
 Whether you interpret that as

00:26:09.019 --> 00:26:10.559
 testimony that is from

00:26:10.559 --> 00:26:12.259
 Jesus Christ or you

00:26:12.259 --> 00:26:13.139
 interpret that as testimony

00:26:13.139 --> 00:26:14.779
 that is about Jesus Christ,

00:26:14.859 --> 00:26:16.419
 it's irrelevant because

00:26:16.419 --> 00:26:17.939
 Jesus says plainly in John

00:26:17.939 --> 00:26:19.179
 8, 14 to 18 that he

00:26:19.179 --> 00:26:21.399
 himself bears testimony or

00:26:21.399 --> 00:26:22.960
 witness about himself.

00:26:23.819 --> 00:26:26.700
 So whichever way you slice

00:26:26.700 --> 00:26:28.539
 it, what John bore witness

00:26:28.539 --> 00:26:30.119
 to is Jesus.

00:26:30.779 --> 00:26:33.179
 Who Jesus is, the Son of God,

00:26:33.259 --> 00:26:35.000
 the Messiah, the Christ, the

00:26:35.000 --> 00:26:36.220
 Savior of the world, the Lamb

00:26:36.220 --> 00:26:37.439
 of God who takes away the sin

00:26:37.439 --> 00:26:39.139
 of the world and what he did

00:26:39.139 --> 00:26:40.359
 in his death and resurrection

00:26:40.359 --> 00:26:41.740
 to bring God's redemption and

00:26:41.740 --> 00:26:42.859
 salvation to us.

00:26:43.439 --> 00:26:45.559
 That's what John is bearing

00:26:45.559 --> 00:26:47.679
 testimony and witness about in

00:26:47.679 --> 00:26:48.480
 the book of Revelation.

00:26:48.480 --> 00:26:54.059
 Jesus Christ is the one around

00:26:54.059 --> 00:26:55.960
 whom the ages turn.

00:26:57.140 --> 00:26:57.279
 Right?

00:26:57.339 --> 00:26:59.279
 We mark human history as either

00:26:59.279 --> 00:27:01.420
 before Christ, B.C. or

00:27:01.420 --> 00:27:03.819
 Anno Domini, A.D., the year of

00:27:03.819 --> 00:27:04.240
 our Lord.

00:27:05.759 --> 00:27:07.339
 Jesus Christ is the one who

00:27:07.339 --> 00:27:09.579
 reverses the tide of death that

00:27:09.579 --> 00:27:11.880
 has engulfed humanity in all of

00:27:11.880 --> 00:27:14.059
 its history by being the first to

00:27:14.059 --> 00:27:15.480
 rise from the dead permanently,

00:27:15.480 --> 00:27:16.700
 permanently, forever.

00:27:17.819 --> 00:27:19.339
 He's the first fruit of the

00:27:19.339 --> 00:27:19.740
 resurrection.

00:27:19.900 --> 00:27:22.099
 He begins to reverse that tide.

00:27:23.319 --> 00:27:25.160
 Jesus Christ is the ancient of

00:27:25.160 --> 00:27:26.940
 days as we are singing.

00:27:27.299 --> 00:27:29.420
 The Alpha and Omega, the beginning

00:27:29.420 --> 00:27:30.680
 and the end.

00:27:31.120 --> 00:27:32.839
 And Jesus Christ is the one who

00:27:32.839 --> 00:27:35.620
 canceled our debt of sin that stood

00:27:35.620 --> 00:27:37.440
 against us by nailing it to the

00:27:37.440 --> 00:27:37.880
 cross.

00:27:38.660 --> 00:27:40.700
 Jesus Christ is the one who disarmed

00:27:40.700 --> 00:27:42.440
 the spiritual rulers, the evil

00:27:42.440 --> 00:27:44.680
 rulers and authorities and put

00:27:44.680 --> 00:27:46.920
 them to open shame by triumphing

00:27:46.920 --> 00:27:47.560
 over them.

00:27:48.240 --> 00:27:49.780
 Jesus Christ is the one who has

00:27:49.780 --> 00:27:51.840
 been exalted and is seated at the

00:27:51.840 --> 00:27:54.060
 right hand of the Father far above

00:27:54.060 --> 00:27:56.400
 all rule and authority and power.

00:27:57.560 --> 00:28:00.580
 His name is above every name.

00:28:01.580 --> 00:28:04.180
 The book of Revelation is not about

00:28:04.180 --> 00:28:04.860
 us.

00:28:04.859 --> 00:28:09.199
 And it's not about our time or our

00:28:09.199 --> 00:28:10.599
 place in human history.

00:28:11.059 --> 00:28:13.719
 It's first and foremost about

00:28:13.719 --> 00:28:15.339
 Jesus Christ.

00:28:17.079 --> 00:28:19.179
 Revelation tells us that Jesus was

00:28:19.179 --> 00:28:21.599
 the true and faithful witness who was

00:28:21.599 --> 00:28:22.659
 faithful unto death.

00:28:23.279 --> 00:28:24.779
 And that's what inspires us to follow

00:28:24.779 --> 00:28:25.539
 him in his footsteps.

00:28:25.719 --> 00:28:27.500
 That's the subject of the book of

00:28:27.500 --> 00:28:27.859
 Revelation.

00:28:29.279 --> 00:28:31.799
 Third, verses 1 to 2 also give us

00:28:31.799 --> 00:28:33.459
 hints about the style of the book of

00:28:33.460 --> 00:28:34.960
 Revelation.

00:28:34.960 --> 00:28:36.579
 We're told in verse 1 that this is the

00:28:36.579 --> 00:28:39.259
 revelation of Jesus Christ.

00:28:40.000 --> 00:28:41.740
 Remember that word is apocalypse

00:28:41.740 --> 00:28:42.500
 revelation.

00:28:43.460 --> 00:28:45.440
 We don't interpret all of scripture

00:28:45.440 --> 00:28:45.940
 literally.

00:28:46.140 --> 00:28:47.759
 I think most of you already know this.

00:28:48.480 --> 00:28:50.200
 Rather, we interpret all scripture

00:28:50.200 --> 00:28:51.319
 literarily.

00:28:52.680 --> 00:28:54.660
 According to its natural and plain

00:28:54.660 --> 00:28:56.660
 meaning based on its literary genre.

00:28:57.819 --> 00:28:59.220
 So, for example, if you're reading the

00:28:59.220 --> 00:29:00.720
 book of Leviticus, which deals with

00:29:00.720 --> 00:29:02.779
 detailed legal stipulations for

00:29:02.779 --> 00:29:04.779
 maintaining covenant holiness, you

00:29:04.779 --> 00:29:07.160
 better not interpret that as just like

00:29:07.160 --> 00:29:08.279
 a, oh, it's just figurative.

00:29:08.399 --> 00:29:09.740
 People back then didn't have to follow

00:29:09.740 --> 00:29:09.920
 it.

00:29:09.960 --> 00:29:11.579
 No, they really have to follow that.

00:29:12.139 --> 00:29:12.879
 That's the law.

00:29:13.960 --> 00:29:15.299
 You have to interpret that literally

00:29:15.299 --> 00:29:17.119
 first for the original audience and

00:29:17.119 --> 00:29:18.660
 then apply to us through Christ.

00:29:19.440 --> 00:29:20.700
 But if you're reading the book of

00:29:20.700 --> 00:29:22.000
 Psalms, which is a collection of

00:29:22.000 --> 00:29:25.139
 poetry and songs, you better be alert to

00:29:25.139 --> 00:29:27.379
 figurative language, imagery, and

00:29:27.379 --> 00:29:28.000
 metaphors.

00:29:29.000 --> 00:29:30.200
 Otherwise, you're going to run into

00:29:30.200 --> 00:29:30.539
 trouble.

00:29:32.160 --> 00:29:33.960
 Psalm 19 verse 10 says that the law of

00:29:33.960 --> 00:29:35.900
 the Lord is sweeter than honey.

00:29:38.120 --> 00:29:40.440
 But I don't think any pastor wants you to

00:29:40.440 --> 00:29:41.920
 go home and start licking your Bibles.

00:29:45.039 --> 00:29:46.880
 Likewise, we need to be aware of

00:29:46.880 --> 00:29:48.180
 Revelation's genre.

00:29:49.340 --> 00:29:50.279
 It's an apocalypse.

00:29:51.319 --> 00:29:53.080
 And apocalyptic literature is not

00:29:53.080 --> 00:29:55.360
 primarily rational or propositional,

00:29:55.480 --> 00:29:56.860
 though it has both of those elements.

00:29:56.859 --> 00:30:01.059
 It uses signs and symbols to engage our

00:30:01.059 --> 00:30:01.799
 imaginations.

00:30:02.839 --> 00:30:05.359
 It's meant to be evocative and

00:30:05.359 --> 00:30:06.199
 provocative.

00:30:06.979 --> 00:30:09.879
 So think of it more as a picture book

00:30:09.879 --> 00:30:12.179
 and less as a textbook.

00:30:13.000 --> 00:30:14.259
 I know you guys are in Cambridge.

00:30:14.339 --> 00:30:15.259
 You guys all like textbooks.

00:30:15.579 --> 00:30:17.459
 But look at it more like a picture book.

00:30:18.639 --> 00:30:21.219
 A young American girl named Joanne

00:30:21.219 --> 00:30:23.399
 Lancaster once wrote to C.S. Lewis asking

00:30:23.399 --> 00:30:24.679
 for some writing advice.

00:30:24.680 --> 00:30:26.720
 And Lewis actually wrote back to her

00:30:26.720 --> 00:30:30.299
 on June 26, 1956, and he said this,

00:30:30.860 --> 00:30:33.080
 Don't use adjectives which merely tell us

00:30:33.080 --> 00:30:34.820
 how you want us to feel about the things

00:30:34.820 --> 00:30:35.640
 you are describing.

00:30:36.259 --> 00:30:38.220
 I mean, instead of telling us the thing is

00:30:38.220 --> 00:30:40.680
 terrible, describe it so that we'll be

00:30:40.680 --> 00:30:41.180
 terrified.

00:30:41.980 --> 00:30:43.500
 Don't say it was delightful.

00:30:43.700 --> 00:30:45.880
 Make us say delightful when we've read

00:30:45.880 --> 00:30:46.420
 the description.

00:30:47.200 --> 00:30:49.259
 You see, all those words, horrifying,

00:30:49.539 --> 00:30:51.779
 wonderful, hideous, exquisite, are only

00:30:51.779 --> 00:30:54.259
 like saying to your readers, please, will you do my

00:30:54.259 --> 00:30:55.039
 job for me?

00:30:57.119 --> 00:31:00.480
 The book of Revelation does this well.

00:31:01.859 --> 00:31:04.279
 It doesn't merely tell us things.

00:31:04.400 --> 00:31:06.000
 It shows us things.

00:31:07.339 --> 00:31:10.140
 The description of Jesus in Revelation 1,

00:31:10.200 --> 00:31:11.819
 12 to 16 is a case in point.

00:31:12.339 --> 00:31:14.319
 Instead of telling us that Jesus is both

00:31:14.319 --> 00:31:16.859
 king and priest, it tells us that Jesus is

00:31:16.859 --> 00:31:19.200
 clothed with a long robe, priestly robe,

00:31:19.500 --> 00:31:21.440
 and a golden sash around his chest,

00:31:21.519 --> 00:31:22.339
 which is a sign of royalty.

00:31:22.339 --> 00:31:25.399
 Instead of telling us that Jesus is ancient

00:31:25.399 --> 00:31:28.240
 and wise, verse 14 tells us that the hair

00:31:28.240 --> 00:31:30.779
 of his head wore white like white wool,

00:31:30.939 --> 00:31:31.699
 like snow.

00:31:32.079 --> 00:31:34.339
 It's a picture of wisdom in antiquity.

00:31:35.019 --> 00:31:36.839
 Instead of telling us that Jesus is a

00:31:36.839 --> 00:31:39.299
 righteous judge who perceives and sees all

00:31:39.299 --> 00:31:42.679
 things, verse 14 shows us that his eyes were

00:31:42.679 --> 00:31:44.279
 like a flame of fire.

00:31:44.980 --> 00:31:47.980
 Instead of telling us Jesus is pure and that he

00:31:47.980 --> 00:31:50.399
 crushes his evil enemies underneath his feet,

00:31:50.400 --> 00:31:53.400
 verse 15 shows us that his feet were like burnished

00:31:53.400 --> 00:31:57.140
 bronze, refined in a furnace, purified over and over

00:31:57.140 --> 00:31:57.460
 again.

00:31:57.840 --> 00:32:00.620
 Instead of telling us that Jesus speaks with authority

00:32:00.620 --> 00:32:04.000
 and might, verse 15 shows us that his voice was like the

00:32:04.000 --> 00:32:05.860
 roar of many waters.

00:32:06.560 --> 00:32:10.460
 Think of how mighty that sounds and how grand that sounds.

00:32:10.960 --> 00:32:13.480
 Instead of telling us that Jesus is sovereign and that he

00:32:13.480 --> 00:32:15.500
 holds the fate of the righteous in his hands,

00:32:15.940 --> 00:32:19.560
 verse 16 shows us by saying that in his right hand he holds the

00:32:19.559 --> 00:32:20.519
 seven stars.

00:32:21.240 --> 00:32:24.839
 Instead of telling us that Jesus' weapon is no ordinary sword but

00:32:24.839 --> 00:32:29.099
 the word of God with which he pierces souls and discerns the

00:32:29.099 --> 00:32:30.579
 thoughts and intentions of the heart.

00:32:31.079 --> 00:32:35.579
 Verse 16 shows us by saying that from his mouth came a sharp

00:32:35.579 --> 00:32:36.779
 two-edged sword.

00:32:38.679 --> 00:32:43.099
 Instead of telling us that Jesus is glorious, it shows us by saying

00:32:43.099 --> 00:32:48.000
 that his face was like the sun shining in full strength.

00:32:50.379 --> 00:32:53.339
 That's why I encourage you to just read through this book.

00:32:53.779 --> 00:32:58.219
 It will leave you in tears when you read the description of Jesus and

00:32:58.219 --> 00:33:04.759
 you see how glorious he is, how beautiful he is, how good and true and

00:33:04.759 --> 00:33:06.019
 faithful he is.

00:33:06.099 --> 00:33:07.939
 It gives you a picture of that.

00:33:07.940 --> 00:33:10.860
 That's what it's meant to do.

00:33:13.400 --> 00:33:18.920
 And that's why he says in verse 1 that revelation is intended to show to his

00:33:18.920 --> 00:33:21.420
 servants the things that must soon take place.

00:33:22.700 --> 00:33:26.360
 Notice it says the word show, not tell.

00:33:27.120 --> 00:33:31.019
 It's a verb that is derived from a Greek noun that means sign.

00:33:31.019 --> 00:33:31.099
 Sign.

00:33:31.980 --> 00:33:36.019
 And it literally means to show by sign or symbol.

00:33:37.299 --> 00:33:39.579
 To signify something.

00:33:40.099 --> 00:33:43.180
 Yes, it can more generically mean to make something known.

00:33:43.460 --> 00:33:47.900
 But I think in this specific context, I think it refers to showing by sign.

00:33:49.460 --> 00:33:54.579
 And that's why it says in verse 2 that John bore witness to all that he saw.

00:33:54.579 --> 00:34:01.679
 John saw visions and wrote them down in the book of Revelation so that we too who hear

00:34:01.679 --> 00:34:06.039
 the word can envision it, see it in our mind's eye.

00:34:06.839 --> 00:34:11.299
 That word saw occurs 52 times with John as its subject.

00:34:11.900 --> 00:34:12.819
 It's a key word.

00:34:13.019 --> 00:34:15.420
 Revelation is a record of what John saw.

00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:18.299
 And that's why we also need to try to see it.

00:34:18.380 --> 00:34:19.619
 It's a book for seeing.

00:34:19.619 --> 00:34:25.980
 And the book of Revelation often surprises us by telling us that the way things seem

00:34:25.980 --> 00:34:28.980
 to be or appear to be are not always the way things actually are.

00:34:30.039 --> 00:34:34.440
 And with its signs and symbols, it exposes the true reality of things.

00:34:35.480 --> 00:34:38.799
 For example, the Lamb of God looks slain and defeated.

00:34:39.759 --> 00:34:42.759
 But he is the conquering Lion of Judah.

00:34:42.760 --> 00:34:52.000
 And because Revelation is apocalyptic and is full of signs and symbols, a good interpreted

00:34:52.000 --> 00:34:56.320
 rule of thumb, which doesn't apply to other books of the Bible that are not apocalyptic,

00:34:56.780 --> 00:35:01.980
 is that we should assume that John is being figurative rather than literal wherever possible.

00:35:03.760 --> 00:35:09.480
 To give you a foretaste of this, numbers are highly significant and symbolic in the book

00:35:09.480 --> 00:35:09.980
 of Revelation.

00:35:09.980 --> 00:35:15.760
 For example, the number seven, taken from the seven days in which God completed his creation,

00:35:16.019 --> 00:35:17.420
 represents completeness.

00:35:17.940 --> 00:35:21.079
 So there are seven churches representing all of his people.

00:35:21.440 --> 00:35:28.440
 And the Lamb has seven horns and seven eyes, representing his completeness of his power and the completeness

00:35:28.440 --> 00:35:29.400
 of his knowledge.

00:35:30.019 --> 00:35:35.920
 That God's judgments upon the sinful world come in series of seven.

00:35:35.920 --> 00:35:39.340
 Seven seals and seven trumpets, seven bowls.

00:35:39.980 --> 00:35:45.679
 Number four is also significant because it signifies universality or cosmic completeness.

00:35:45.760 --> 00:35:50.980
 For example, when it refers to the earth's four corners or the four winds, it's referring

00:35:50.980 --> 00:35:56.659
 to the whole world coming from the east, east and west and north and south.

00:35:57.360 --> 00:36:03.139
 When it uses the fourfold formula, it is referred to every tribe, tongue, people and nation.

00:36:03.139 --> 00:36:08.819
 It's referring to all types of people, people from all kinds of places and backgrounds.

00:36:09.819 --> 00:36:12.159
 And number 10 is also significant.

00:36:12.500 --> 00:36:14.900
 And its multiples, like thousand, is significant.

00:36:15.339 --> 00:36:18.619
 It signifies the enormity or the immensity of something.

00:36:19.199 --> 00:36:25.839
 So for example, the beast has ten horns to indicate the enormity or the immensity of its persecuting power.

00:36:25.840 --> 00:36:32.100
 And the saints in Smyrna, their period of tribulation is called, set to last ten days.

00:36:32.180 --> 00:36:35.300
 Not literal ten days, because that's not so bad, ten days.

00:36:35.720 --> 00:36:38.500
 But it refers to an extended period of time.

00:36:38.940 --> 00:36:44.280
 And one thousand years probably likely also represents a vast number of years.

00:36:45.380 --> 00:36:50.519
 Number 12 is a significant number in the book, because it stands for the people of God.

00:36:50.519 --> 00:36:55.539
 From the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles of the Lamb, as we see in chapter 21.

00:36:56.119 --> 00:37:03.500
 The new heavenly Jerusalem, which signifies the people of God, is 12,000 stadia in length and width and height.

00:37:03.820 --> 00:37:05.519
 That's 12 times 1,000.

00:37:05.619 --> 00:37:08.500
 It has a perfect dimension to refer to the people of God.

00:37:09.239 --> 00:37:15.440
 And then its walls, the new Jerusalem's walls are 144 cubits long, which is 12 times 12.

00:37:15.440 --> 00:37:21.200
 And the full number of the redeemed people of God is said to be 144,000.

00:37:21.400 --> 00:37:22.559
 You guys know the math.

00:37:22.659 --> 00:37:23.000
 What's that?

00:37:23.179 --> 00:37:25.639
 12 times 12 times 1,000.

00:37:26.260 --> 00:37:28.179
 To refer to all of God's people.

00:37:30.059 --> 00:37:35.800
 So this is what, it's a mistake if you like the Jehovah's Witnesses, for example, take that number literally.

00:37:35.940 --> 00:37:43.740
 Because Jehovah's Witnesses think that only 144,000 Christians will be resurrected in heaven, add to heaven as immortal spirits.

00:37:43.739 --> 00:37:46.719
 It's not meant to be a literal number.

00:37:47.279 --> 00:37:48.199
 It's figurative.

00:37:49.339 --> 00:37:55.979
 As you can see from this sampling, the symbols and pictures that Revelation employs primarily come from the Old Testament.

00:37:57.139 --> 00:38:02.519
 Revelation contains more Old Testament references than any other New Testament book.

00:38:03.439 --> 00:38:10.139
 It depends on how you count and how explicit the allusion or reference has to be for you to count it.

00:38:10.139 --> 00:38:16.799
 But some scholars claim up to 1,000 Old Testament references in the book of Revelation alone.

00:38:17.759 --> 00:38:22.900
 And if that number is high, there's definitely more than several hundreds in the book of Revelation.

00:38:23.440 --> 00:38:27.539
 So if you want to grasp the book of Revelation, if we want to understand Revelation,

00:38:27.679 --> 00:38:35.319
 we need to be steeped in the characters and the stories and the images and the patterns and the words of the Old Testament.

00:38:35.320 --> 00:38:43.940
 And so as we study this book together, keep that style of Revelation in view because we're going to try to interpret it according to its genre.

00:38:45.340 --> 00:38:49.860
 Verses 1 to 3 don't tell us that much about the structure of the book of Revelation,

00:38:50.539 --> 00:38:54.320
 but I still need to tell you about it because it's my first sermon in the series,

00:38:54.519 --> 00:38:58.100
 and I want you to have some kind of roadmap as we go through this series.

00:38:58.099 --> 00:39:03.119
 I already mentioned to you how John emphasizes the importance of seeing in verse 2.

00:39:03.360 --> 00:39:06.799
 Revelation is a series of visions that Jesus gave John through an angel.

00:39:07.299 --> 00:39:11.920
 So tracking those visions is naturally going to provide a helpful outline for us.

00:39:12.599 --> 00:39:14.460
 And thankfully, John has very clear markers.

00:39:15.000 --> 00:39:21.099
 Chapter 1, verses 1 to 8 is the prologue, and the chapter 22, 6 to 21 is the epilogue, those everybody agree on.

00:39:21.559 --> 00:39:24.039
 And then within the body, there's four main divisions,

00:39:24.039 --> 00:39:27.880
 and each of them begins with John saying something along the lines of,

00:39:28.259 --> 00:39:29.619
 I was in the Spirit.

00:39:30.599 --> 00:39:32.699
 He carried me away in the Spirit.

00:39:32.820 --> 00:39:36.900
 So it's the beginning of a new prophetic vision when he was carried away in the Spirit.

00:39:37.460 --> 00:39:43.960
 So if you see that, yeah, so that's the outline we're broadly going to follow.

00:39:44.860 --> 00:39:47.880
 And there's also kind of the corresponding matching vision.

00:39:47.980 --> 00:39:50.300
 So if you actually take a more detailed look at it,

00:39:50.300 --> 00:39:54.340
 you can also divide the book in a chiastic way,

00:39:54.519 --> 00:39:59.539
 so that the two halves of Revelation match up and reinforce one another.

00:39:59.980 --> 00:40:01.740
 And so if you have the next slide for that,

00:40:02.300 --> 00:40:03.220
 it's a little smaller.

00:40:03.300 --> 00:40:04.100
 I hope you can see it.

00:40:05.100 --> 00:40:11.820
 The prologue has words and phrases that match the epilogue.

00:40:12.360 --> 00:40:15.019
 And it begins with the vision of the imperfect church

00:40:15.019 --> 00:40:17.519
 and then ends with the vision of the perfected church.

00:40:17.519 --> 00:40:22.139
 And then it starts the judgment of Christ upon the sinful world

00:40:22.139 --> 00:40:24.039
 with the throne room vision.

00:40:24.519 --> 00:40:28.619
 And then it concludes Christ's judgment and ends with the throne room vision.

00:40:29.199 --> 00:40:30.739
 And then it has the seven seals.

00:40:31.059 --> 00:40:32.559
 And then it has the matching seven bowls.

00:40:32.900 --> 00:40:35.019
 And it has 144,000 of God's people.

00:40:35.199 --> 00:40:37.380
 And then again, it has 144,000 of God's people.

00:40:37.739 --> 00:40:39.579
 And in the middle is the seven trumpets,

00:40:39.679 --> 00:40:41.800
 which includes the three woes,

00:40:42.119 --> 00:40:44.059
 which includes the war of the ages,

00:40:44.059 --> 00:40:48.139
 the final conflict that's depicted between the enemies of God

00:40:48.139 --> 00:40:49.000
 and the people of God.

00:40:49.860 --> 00:40:52.099
 So it's an elaborate outline.

00:40:52.360 --> 00:40:56.360
 Revelation is structured majestically.

00:40:56.519 --> 00:40:59.860
 I mean, it's got so many ways you can outline it

00:40:59.860 --> 00:41:04.119
 because it has so many parallels and interlocking elements in the book.

00:41:04.119 --> 00:41:08.539
 It's really a magnificent piece of literary work,

00:41:08.819 --> 00:41:11.159
 even apart from the fact it's the word of God.

00:41:12.519 --> 00:41:15.219
 A significant feature of Revelation structure,

00:41:15.339 --> 00:41:16.839
 as you can discern from these outlines,

00:41:17.000 --> 00:41:18.699
 is a series of repetitions

00:41:18.699 --> 00:41:21.659
 that the Bible scholars call recapitulation.

00:41:22.460 --> 00:41:25.239
 There's a series of recaps throughout the book.

00:41:25.719 --> 00:41:28.539
 And this can create confusion if we're not aware of it.

00:41:28.859 --> 00:41:29.960
 You'll say, well, wait a minute.

00:41:30.639 --> 00:41:32.980
 Didn't this already happen a few chapters ago?

00:41:32.980 --> 00:41:36.119
 Didn't the wrath of the Lamb already come?

00:41:36.880 --> 00:41:39.340
 Didn't it already say in Revelation 6.14

00:41:39.340 --> 00:41:42.119
 that every mountain and island was removed from the place?

00:41:42.539 --> 00:41:45.679
 Well, then why does it say again in Revelation 16.32

00:41:45.679 --> 00:41:49.360
 that every island fled away and no mountains were to be found?

00:41:49.840 --> 00:41:51.800
 Where did those islands and mountains come from?

00:41:52.300 --> 00:41:53.900
 All of a sudden, I mean, if they were already removed.

00:41:54.539 --> 00:41:57.059
 So, for example, the three sets of seven judgments,

00:41:57.579 --> 00:42:00.679
 the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven bowls,

00:42:00.679 --> 00:42:05.699
 they repeat a pattern of judgment and salvation in a cyclical way.

00:42:06.480 --> 00:42:09.980
 The seventh seal, the trumpet and bowl,

00:42:10.219 --> 00:42:12.119
 each, the seventh, the last of those,

00:42:12.239 --> 00:42:15.639
 each of them reach a climactic point of universal judgment.

00:42:16.179 --> 00:42:19.419
 But then it begins the next series of judgments.

00:42:20.219 --> 00:42:24.359
 The seventh seal opens the way to the seven trumpets,

00:42:24.360 --> 00:42:29.160
 and then the seventh trumpet opens the way to the seven bowls of judgment.

00:42:29.579 --> 00:42:32.620
 It's like a Russian doll or like a nesting doll.

00:42:32.880 --> 00:42:34.280
 Like, you know, like you open one up,

00:42:34.519 --> 00:42:36.640
 and then there's another Russian doll like sitting under it.

00:42:36.760 --> 00:42:38.340
 You open that one up, and then there's another one.

00:42:38.400 --> 00:42:42.160
 It's like a, it's like judgments again and again repeating that pattern.

00:42:42.240 --> 00:42:45.720
 Except that analogy would be perfect if the Russian doll,

00:42:45.840 --> 00:42:47.440
 every time you opened it, actually got bigger.

00:42:47.440 --> 00:42:49.559
 Because that's what happens in Revelation.

00:42:50.059 --> 00:42:51.280
 It intensifies.

00:42:52.360 --> 00:42:57.320
 And so, so you can see this cyclical aspect clearly in Revelation 11, 14, 18,

00:42:57.320 --> 00:43:00.240
 with the final kind of seven trumpet blows.

00:43:00.659 --> 00:43:05.440
 It describes the kingdom of the world becoming the kingdom of our Lord, his Christ.

00:43:05.860 --> 00:43:08.500
 And there's praise and worship to God for his judgment.

00:43:08.720 --> 00:43:11.659
 It describes like, like the end of the world has come.

00:43:12.059 --> 00:43:13.440
 Like everything's been fulfilled.

00:43:13.440 --> 00:43:15.720
 The judgment and the wrath has all been poured out.

00:43:15.719 --> 00:43:18.639
 And Christ has won.

00:43:19.719 --> 00:43:21.919
 But then, it's not over.

00:43:22.639 --> 00:43:23.859
 The series continues again.

00:43:24.959 --> 00:43:27.980
 So this is where people try to interpret Revelation

00:43:27.980 --> 00:43:32.159
 in a linear, chronological way run into problems.

00:43:32.980 --> 00:43:34.599
 Revelation is not linear.

00:43:35.119 --> 00:43:36.259
 And not all of it, at least.

00:43:37.159 --> 00:43:39.299
 And it's more cyclical.

00:43:39.659 --> 00:43:41.439
 But it's not an endless cycle.

00:43:41.439 --> 00:43:45.519
 It's actually a progressive cycle that has a definite end point.

00:43:46.480 --> 00:43:51.079
 My children have been playing recently with a toy called Marble Run.

00:43:51.779 --> 00:43:52.519
 Have you guys seen that?

00:43:53.039 --> 00:43:58.559
 So it's like a, it's a kinetic toy that basically uses gravity and a series of slides and pulleys

00:43:58.559 --> 00:44:01.199
 to make marbles run all over by itself.

00:44:01.319 --> 00:44:04.799
 And it's really fun to watch once you set it up and you watch it run.

00:44:05.320 --> 00:44:09.140
 And there's a section of it, you know, that has a cone.

00:44:09.960 --> 00:44:14.480
 And a marble comes down a slide and then it, boop, it hops off the slide and then it goes

00:44:14.480 --> 00:44:15.060
 into a cone.

00:44:15.460 --> 00:44:19.340
 And then once it lands at the cone, it starts making this wide loop in circles.

00:44:20.160 --> 00:44:22.720
 At first, it seems a little slow because it's making a wide loop.

00:44:22.780 --> 00:44:24.539
 And then it gradually speeds up.

00:44:24.539 --> 00:44:26.059
 And then again and again and again.

00:44:26.119 --> 00:44:31.340
 As it gets closer to the middle, it spins really fast until it drops down and sinks

00:44:31.340 --> 00:44:33.699
 down to the next phase of the marble run.

00:44:34.099 --> 00:44:38.739
 And that's actually a really great picture of the way this progressive cycle works.

00:44:39.059 --> 00:44:44.800
 The cycle of judgment and salvation getting closer, closer, closer, faster, faster, more

00:44:44.800 --> 00:44:49.659
 and more intense, intense until the coming of Christ, the second coming of Christ.

00:44:49.659 --> 00:44:51.000
 It's like a conical spiral.

00:44:51.980 --> 00:44:54.779
 And the effect of the structure is powerful.

00:44:55.319 --> 00:44:59.500
 And I'll quote Bible commentator Gregory K. Beale here because I can't improve on his

00:44:59.500 --> 00:44:59.739
 wording.

00:45:00.339 --> 00:45:05.679
 He says, one overall figurative effect of this repeated complex patterning is that the reader

00:45:05.679 --> 00:45:12.699
 is left with the impression of God's all-encompassing will being like an elaborate spider web in which

00:45:12.699 --> 00:45:14.480
 Satan and his forces are caught.

00:45:15.420 --> 00:45:19.480
 Though they attempt to free themselves from divine sovereignty, they cannot escape.

00:45:19.480 --> 00:45:20.420
 Ultimate defeat.

00:45:21.139 --> 00:45:26.679
 The repetition of the numbers and the repeated series of numbers highlight the idea that nothing

00:45:26.679 --> 00:45:28.380
 is haphazard or accidental.

00:45:29.139 --> 00:45:31.599
 The analogy of a chess game is also appropriate.

00:45:32.240 --> 00:45:38.740
 The sacrificial move of Christ at the cross puts the devil in checkmate, deals the devil a

00:45:38.740 --> 00:45:41.860
 mortal wound so that his defeat is inescapable.

00:45:42.699 --> 00:45:46.820
 Nevertheless, the devil continues to play the game of rebelling in which he struggles to avoid

00:45:46.820 --> 00:45:48.000
 final defeat.

00:45:48.000 --> 00:45:49.739
 Isn't that amazing?

00:45:51.019 --> 00:45:52.880
 Oh, I love this book.

00:45:54.019 --> 00:46:00.039
 This is a good place to mention the four main interpretive approaches to the book of Revelation.

00:46:01.559 --> 00:46:03.880
 I'm sorry this is a little bit dense, this sermon.

00:46:04.219 --> 00:46:06.820
 It's not always going to be this dense as we go through Revelation.

00:46:07.219 --> 00:46:08.099
 It's the first one.

00:46:08.199 --> 00:46:09.840
 So give me a little bit of a break here.

00:46:09.840 --> 00:46:11.620
 You guys are doing great though.

00:46:12.100 --> 00:46:18.420
 And the four main interpretive approaches are preterists, historicists, and futurists,

00:46:18.539 --> 00:46:19.260
 and idealists.

00:46:20.600 --> 00:46:24.820
 Preterists think that the vast majority of Revelation was already fulfilled with the

00:46:24.820 --> 00:46:27.820
 fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple in 70 AD.

00:46:27.820 --> 00:46:33.880
 So they interpret most of Revelation to apply only to Israel, the nation, and not to God's

00:46:33.880 --> 00:46:34.740
 people in general.

00:46:35.940 --> 00:46:41.900
 And historicists think that most Revelation has been fulfilled through the course of church

00:46:41.900 --> 00:46:42.420
 history.

00:46:43.460 --> 00:46:46.440
 And so they'll apply to various major events throughout church history.

00:46:47.120 --> 00:46:51.100
 Futurists think that the vast majority of Revelation has not been fulfilled.

00:46:51.099 --> 00:46:55.480
 And in fact, it's still awaiting fulfillment which will happen shortly before Christ's

00:46:55.480 --> 00:46:56.299
 second coming.

00:46:56.659 --> 00:46:57.420
 That's left behind.

00:46:58.319 --> 00:47:07.819
 Now, the idealists think that Revelation doesn't depict specific events necessarily, but instead

00:47:07.819 --> 00:47:13.199
 illustrate general principles that should function for Christians throughout the church

00:47:13.199 --> 00:47:14.739
 age, throughout the entire church age.

00:47:15.380 --> 00:47:19.259
 So to give you a specific instance of how these different views take a part of Revelation,

00:47:19.260 --> 00:47:27.420
 preterists will say that the beast of Revelation 13, the beast, is a Roman emperor that persecuted

00:47:27.420 --> 00:47:27.880
 Christians.

00:47:28.200 --> 00:47:33.040
 They will say probably that it was Nero, or Domitian, some people.

00:47:33.160 --> 00:47:39.160
 Now, historicists will say that the beast was the Catholic pope during the time of the Protestant

00:47:39.160 --> 00:47:41.840
 Reformation who persecuted the true believers.

00:47:43.060 --> 00:47:48.360
 And the Catholic historicists will say that the beast was Martin Luther, right?

00:47:48.360 --> 00:47:54.220
 And the futurists will say that, no, the beast has actually not yet come.

00:47:54.860 --> 00:47:59.660
 And it represents the future Antichrist, the man of lawlessness described in 2 Thessalonians

00:47:59.660 --> 00:48:00.420
 2, 3, 8.

00:48:01.180 --> 00:48:07.500
 And idealists will say that the beast represents any governing authority that persecutes Christians

00:48:07.500 --> 00:48:10.019
 using their authority and power to do so.

00:48:10.019 --> 00:48:15.559
 The problem with the preterist view is that because it sees most of Revelation as pertaining

00:48:15.559 --> 00:48:20.460
 to the first century Israel, it misses the clearly universal scope of God's judgment.

00:48:21.039 --> 00:48:25.119
 And it loses relevance for subsequent generations of believers like us.

00:48:25.980 --> 00:48:31.559
 The problem with the historicist view is that its identifications and applications throughout

00:48:31.559 --> 00:48:37.579
 church history tend to be very Western church focused because it doesn't know much of other

00:48:37.579 --> 00:48:39.619
 history, other global church history.

00:48:40.279 --> 00:48:50.699
 The problem with that also is that it's so subjective, no one can really agree on what's

00:48:50.699 --> 00:48:54.900
 the beast and what's the dragon and what's the prophet, what's the great prophet.

00:48:55.019 --> 00:48:58.559
 It's like because there's so many events throughout church history that you can potentially apply

00:48:58.559 --> 00:48:58.779
 it to.

00:48:59.840 --> 00:49:04.099
 The problem with the futurist view is that it would have had no significant relevance for

00:49:04.099 --> 00:49:07.159
 the first century believers, and we've already talked about why that's a problem.

00:49:07.599 --> 00:49:13.179
 It misses the reality that Revelation is structured as a letter to first century Christians.

00:49:14.579 --> 00:49:19.799
 All three of these views, preterists maybe less so, but preterist, historists, and futurists

00:49:19.799 --> 00:49:26.319
 tend to interpret Revelation in a more linear and sequential way that doesn't fully grapple

00:49:26.319 --> 00:49:28.940
 with its progressively cyclical nature.

00:49:28.940 --> 00:49:36.320
 That's why I primarily subscribe to an idealist interpretation, but I'm not a strict idealist

00:49:36.320 --> 00:49:41.260
 that denies that these things in Revelation don't have any specific referent.

00:49:41.559 --> 00:49:47.579
 I believe that they can have real specific fulfillment and referent both in the first century and throughout

00:49:47.579 --> 00:49:53.760
 church history and in the future beyond because it has relevance, timeless relevance, generation

00:49:53.760 --> 00:49:54.960
 after generation.

00:49:54.960 --> 00:50:00.119
 So this view, you can call it eclectic, you can in a way incorporate the preterist and

00:50:00.119 --> 00:50:04.340
 historicist and futurist views because there are things in the Revelation that have already

00:50:04.340 --> 00:50:07.699
 happened and are happening and will happen.

00:50:08.099 --> 00:50:10.159
 It has all of those things in it.

00:50:11.519 --> 00:50:13.659
 Sorry if that sounds like a cop-up, but I don't think it is.

00:50:13.760 --> 00:50:16.079
 I think that's the balanced point of view.

00:50:17.059 --> 00:50:20.559
 Finally, let's talk about the situation or the setting of the book of Revelation.

00:50:20.559 --> 00:50:25.940
 Most scholars now opt for the date of 95 AD as the date of composition during the reign

00:50:25.940 --> 00:50:29.599
 of Emperor Domitian in the Roman Empire.

00:50:29.920 --> 00:50:34.639
 A minority of scholars opt for an earlier date, shortly before the destruction of Jerusalem

00:50:34.639 --> 00:50:40.900
 in 70 AD, largely because they want to support their interpretation of Revelation that it refers

00:50:40.900 --> 00:50:42.299
 to the destruction of Jerusalem.

00:50:44.420 --> 00:50:50.299
 However, there are various arguments on both sides, but there is no compelling evidence to

00:50:50.300 --> 00:50:58.160
 overturn the consensus of the earliest church fathers, like Irenaeus, Victorinus of Petau,

00:50:58.380 --> 00:51:05.060
 Eusebius, Clement of Alexandria, and possibly Origen as well, that Revelation was written during

00:51:05.060 --> 00:51:06.560
 the reign of Emperor Domitian.

00:51:07.060 --> 00:51:09.500
 So that's a later date, 95 AD.

00:51:10.460 --> 00:51:15.120
 Both Eusebius and Tertullian mention a major persecution of Christians during the time of

00:51:15.120 --> 00:51:19.420
 Domitian, which would fit with the context that we're seeing in the book of Revelation.

00:51:19.420 --> 00:51:22.300
 But the precise date isn't important.

00:51:23.240 --> 00:51:27.960
 What's really more important is the situation or setting in which the Revelation was written.

00:51:28.639 --> 00:51:34.800
 And it was clearly written to encourage and strengthen a suffering and persecuted church

00:51:34.800 --> 00:51:39.800
 with, to infuse fresh faith and hope and strength and endurance.

00:51:39.800 --> 00:51:46.720
 That's why verse 3 says this, blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy,

00:51:47.160 --> 00:51:53.980
 and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

00:51:54.680 --> 00:51:56.280
 Notice that word, keep.

00:51:57.300 --> 00:52:03.200
 That word suggests that Revelation is not merely predictive Revelation for us to know in our

00:52:03.199 --> 00:52:09.259
 heads, but also imperative Revelation that we are to keep and obey.

00:52:10.519 --> 00:52:16.639
 Faith in Jesus and faithfulness to Jesus is not something that you just mentally, cognitively

00:52:16.639 --> 00:52:17.480
 ascend to.

00:52:17.919 --> 00:52:19.519
 It's something you keep.

00:52:20.099 --> 00:52:21.460
 Something you hold on to.

00:52:21.559 --> 00:52:23.719
 Something you obey and follow.

00:52:23.879 --> 00:52:25.099
 It should govern your life.

00:52:25.099 --> 00:52:30.860
 And that blessing, so that statement of blessing, blessed is he who does this, blessed is the

00:52:30.860 --> 00:52:34.339
 one who does this, occurs a number of times in the book of Revelation.

00:52:34.679 --> 00:52:35.699
 Let me have you take a guess.

00:52:35.739 --> 00:52:36.980
 How many times do you think it comes out?

00:52:38.259 --> 00:52:39.199
 You can say it out loud.

00:52:40.380 --> 00:52:40.779
 Seven.

00:52:41.079 --> 00:52:41.860
 Yes, you guessed it.

00:52:41.960 --> 00:52:42.099
 Yeah.

00:52:42.599 --> 00:52:44.159
 It's not an accident.

00:52:45.319 --> 00:52:48.139
 Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.

00:52:49.099 --> 00:52:52.679
 Blessed indeed, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors.

00:52:52.679 --> 00:52:56.500
 Behold, I am coming like a thief.

00:52:56.719 --> 00:53:01.859
 Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked

00:53:01.859 --> 00:53:02.879
 and be seen exposed.

00:53:04.339 --> 00:53:07.819
 Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

00:53:08.619 --> 00:53:13.539
 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection, over such the second

00:53:13.539 --> 00:53:14.639
 death has no power.

00:53:15.599 --> 00:53:19.219
 Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.

00:53:19.219 --> 00:53:24.759
 Blessed are those who wash their robes so that they may have the right to the tree of life

00:53:24.759 --> 00:53:28.279
 and that they may enter the city by the gates.

00:53:28.599 --> 00:53:34.419
 All of the beatitudes, all of the blessing statements in Revelation have something to do

00:53:34.419 --> 00:53:40.319
 with encouraging us to be faithful and to persevere till the end.

00:53:40.320 --> 00:53:44.059
 That's the burden of the book of Revelation.

00:53:44.380 --> 00:53:51.080
 Not just for you to know, but for you to keep and to endure to the end with faith and obedience.

00:53:52.320 --> 00:53:55.100
 And here's why this is relevant for all of us.

00:53:55.280 --> 00:54:00.960
 Like, we don't face overt persecution, but we are increasingly marginalized in the culture

00:54:00.960 --> 00:54:02.640
 and society and look like crazies.

00:54:03.500 --> 00:54:04.820
 Looked at like crazy people.

00:54:04.820 --> 00:54:10.120
 But if you go to other parts of the world, there are Christians who are dying for their faith.

00:54:10.880 --> 00:54:16.420
 I was just on the update call with Abdullah Mohammed Emmanuel, who leads the ministry called

00:54:16.420 --> 00:54:19.840
 Hebron Home, and I'm going to actually bring a proposal to you guys at our members meeting

00:54:19.840 --> 00:54:24.800
 so that our church could financially support this invaluable, amazing ministry that's going on.

00:54:25.300 --> 00:54:31.840
 There is this man who's a convert through a sheer miraculous intervention of God.

00:54:31.840 --> 00:54:36.760
 Jesus just appeared to him in a vision and told him how he can go and hear the gospel and be saved.

00:54:37.220 --> 00:54:41.980
 And now he's leading a charge in Nigeria and meeting a missions movement.

00:54:42.660 --> 00:54:46.300
 And his great-grandfather was the one who brought Islam to Nigeria.

00:54:47.059 --> 00:54:49.780
 Like, really prominent Islamic heritage and lineage.

00:54:50.140 --> 00:54:51.120
 He's now a Christian.

00:54:51.740 --> 00:54:55.579
 And in their five years of ministry, 5,000 people have come to faith in Jesus Christ.

00:54:56.380 --> 00:54:59.840
 And they're now spreading beyond the borders, going to Niger and Chad.

00:54:59.840 --> 00:55:04.800
 And now what's happening, but however, what's happening along with that amazing progress of the gospel

00:55:04.800 --> 00:55:08.980
 is that 300 people have already been killed for the gospel in Nigeria.

00:55:09.760 --> 00:55:11.539
 300 people out of 5,000.

00:55:12.860 --> 00:55:13.660
 Sorry, I'm missing it.

00:55:13.720 --> 00:55:15.120
 300 people have been exiled.

00:55:15.420 --> 00:55:16.019
 They've been refugees.

00:55:16.140 --> 00:55:17.420
 100 people have been killed.

00:55:18.400 --> 00:55:19.440
 That's a lot of people.

00:55:19.700 --> 00:55:23.660
 When you become a Christian, and then you lose all your economic power,

00:55:23.740 --> 00:55:26.000
 you lose your job, and you're disowned by your family.

00:55:26.000 --> 00:55:30.320
 And then you're being persecuted by people who literally want to kill you.

00:55:31.340 --> 00:55:35.000
 Emmanuel was jailed by his dad for becoming a Christian.

00:55:37.059 --> 00:55:40.300
 When that's the reality that you live with, you wonder,

00:55:40.440 --> 00:55:41.860
 God, are you really sovereign?

00:55:43.239 --> 00:55:44.840
 Are you really king?

00:55:46.639 --> 00:55:49.699
 Are you really coming back to redeem your people?

00:55:49.699 --> 00:55:52.899
 Are we really the victors?

00:55:53.119 --> 00:55:54.519
 Are we really the conquerors?

00:55:54.559 --> 00:55:55.799
 And you wonder that.

00:55:56.339 --> 00:55:59.299
 And so the book is given to us to encourage us.

00:55:59.439 --> 00:56:03.379
 When you start to doubt, when you start to wonder, yes.

00:56:04.119 --> 00:56:09.379
 Because when you see the vision of Jesus, you see the lamb, but he looks like he's slain.

00:56:09.639 --> 00:56:10.539
 Because he was.

00:56:11.239 --> 00:56:17.039
 When you see the glorious vision of Jesus, the word of God, riding on that white horse.

00:56:17.039 --> 00:56:20.099
 It says that his robe looked like it was dipped in blood.

00:56:21.380 --> 00:56:23.219
 Because he died.

00:56:24.480 --> 00:56:26.159
 Because he was killed.

00:56:28.719 --> 00:56:35.519
 So Revelation assures us, if that's happening to you, take heart.

00:56:36.440 --> 00:56:40.679
 Because that is how you win.

00:56:43.679 --> 00:56:46.920
 By being faithful unto death.

00:56:47.840 --> 00:56:48.639
 For Jesus.

00:56:50.259 --> 00:56:52.840
 And that's the title of our series in the book of Revelation.

00:56:53.380 --> 00:56:54.880
 Faithful unto death.

00:56:56.920 --> 00:56:59.000
 Pray that God would make us, all of us,

00:56:59.500 --> 00:57:03.000
 but faithful unto death as we go through this book together.

00:57:03.420 --> 00:57:03.900
 Let's pray.

00:57:03.900 --> 00:57:03.940
 Let's pray.

00:57:03.940 --> 00:57:18.820
 Father, we stand in awe of you.

00:57:19.820 --> 00:57:21.079
 You're so glorious.

00:57:22.240 --> 00:57:24.119
 You are seated on the throne.

00:57:26.539 --> 00:57:28.500
 None can gainsay you.

00:57:28.500 --> 00:57:32.380
 None can stand against you.

00:57:32.380 --> 00:57:38.960
 You are the beginning and the end.

00:57:39.960 --> 00:57:41.480
 Everything is from you.

00:57:41.599 --> 00:57:43.659
 Everything is redound to you in glory.

00:57:43.659 --> 00:57:54.799
 And thank you for bringing us through Jesus Christ, in Jesus Christ, and through your Holy Spirit into that amazing story.

00:57:54.800 --> 00:57:58.480
 For making us a part of that.

00:57:59.980 --> 00:58:01.220
 Your reign.

00:58:02.600 --> 00:58:03.960
 And your triumph.

00:58:04.640 --> 00:58:05.560
 Your glory.

00:58:06.220 --> 00:58:07.180
 Your victory.

00:58:07.179 --> 00:58:12.139
 Help us as we go through this series.

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 Help us now, today, to experience and believe more of that.

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 In Jesus' name we pray.

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 Amen.