Revelations 1 Introduction
Video Here:
https://youtu.be/VIC3biD-gNw
Please read Revelation 1, Daniel 7, Daniel 10 and Matthew 24
Bible Study Group Questions Below.
Revelation 1
Video Here:
https://youtu.be/VIC3biD-gNw
Bible Study Group Questions at the end.
I John, who also am your brother, and
companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was
in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony
of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a
great voice, as of a trumpet. – Revelation 1:9-10
John, the apostle, was the longest to live of
the apostles. All of the other apostles had been martyred by the time John this
last book of our bibles. And John’s life
was not sweet either. Domitian the Roman
Emperor had commenced a persecution against Christians. Irenaeus and most other ancient witnesses date
the book's writing late in the first century, at the end of the reign of
Domitian (A.D. 81-96)
Suetonius
writes of the emperor Domitian (a.d. 51–96),“after making free with
the wives of many men, he went so far as to marry Domitia Longina, who was the
wife of Aelius Lamia.” Suetonius also relates that when
his brother Titus “was seized with a dangerous illness,”
Domitian “ordered that he be left for dead, before he
had actually drawn his last breath.”When Cornelia, the
chief vestal virgin, was found guilty of having a lover, Domitian had her“buried alive; and her lovers were beaten to death with rods.” Domitian“slew Aelius Lamia for joking remarks, which were reflections on him,
it is true, but made long before and harmless.”He seduced
his niece, who was married, and eventually “became the
cause of her death by compelling her to get rid of a child of his by abortion.”
Domitian
was a moral catastrophe of a man, and he was also physically unimpressive.
There is an account of him vigorously scratching a festered wart on his
forehead and drawing blood. He is described as being “sensitive about his
baldness” and as having “a
protruding belly, and spindling legs.”This weak and
wicked Caesar insisted on being addressed as “Lord and
God” (Dominus et deus).
The
Roman Caesars were pictures of human depravity. Roman culture lacked the benefit
of the restraining influence of Christianity. The nature of Roman virtue and
what Roman culture valued presents a stark contrast with Christian virtues and
values. Imagine living in a world ruled by a man who would leave his brother to
die, seduce his own niece, kill people for making jokes about him, and then
demand to be addressed as “Lord and God.” Irenaeus tells us that John “beheld the apocalyptic vision . . . towards the end of Domitian’s
reign.”
The
book of Revelation is written by John when on the prison island of Patmos.
If
anytime we should have sympathy with John it is now. He was in isolation. He
was under persecution (although Western Christians feel persecuted, it is our
brothers and sisters in many Asian and African countries that experience harsh
persecutions).
John
had his isle of Patmos. Paul had his prisons. John Bunyan, a middle aged
Baptist pastor was imprisoned in Bedford Gaol, located in the walls of a bridge
over a river, for 12 years.
There
are problems that beset us, causing us to feel isolated, alone and even
forsaken by God.
Paul
had his “thorn in the flesh,” and we are going to have adverse circumstances
and situations.
Like John, we can discover in the book of Revelation the last book of the Bible, hope and confidence that can take us through times of isolation.
In fact, after the Lord
Jesus gave this Revelation to John, John’s heart breaks out in a
benediction! Spurgeon preached: “He had hardly given his name and stated from whom the
message came when he felt that he must lift up his heart in a joyful doxology!
The very mention of the name of the Lord Jesus, "the faithful witness, and
the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth,"
fired his heart. He could not sit down coolly to write even what the Spirit of
God dictated—he must rise; he must fall upon
his knees—he must bless and magnify, and adore the Lord Jesus! This text
is just the upward burst of a great geyser of devotion. John's spirit had been
quiet for a while, but all of a sudden the stream of his love to Jesus leaps
forth like a fountain, rising so high that it would seem to bedew Heaven,
itself, with its sparkling column of crystal love!”
There is something about the Lord
Jesus that turns disasters into doxologies.
Does your heart feel like it needs refreshing? Do you feel like life has
become dull and boring and your spiritual life feels staid. The firs verses of the Psalm tell us God
promises a rich blessing to those who read the words of this book!
Listen again to Spurgeon:
“Look at the ascending flood as you read the words,
"Unto Him that loved us, and
washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion
forever and ever. Amen." Now, in the matter of this bursting out of
devotion at unexpected times, John is one among the rest of the Apostles. Their
love to their Divine Master was so intense that they had only to hear His footsteps and their pulse began to quicken.
And if they heard His voice, they were they carried clean away—whether
in the body or out of the body, they could not tell—but they were under
constraint to magnify the Saviour's name! Whatever they were doing, they felt compelled
to pause at once and to render direct and distinct homage unto the Lord Jesus
by adoration and doxology. Observe how
Paul breaks forth into doxologies—"Now unto Him that is able to do
exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power
that works in us, unto Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout
all ages, world without end. Amen." Again—"Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only
wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." The same is
true of Jude, who cries—"Now unto Him that is able to keep you from
falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with
exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion
and power, both now and ever. Amen." The Apostles overflowed with praise! “
And our hearts should overflow with
praise! As we read this book of
Revelation our hearts will be challenged to praise God deeply. I pray you will discover new wonders concerning
our Saviour that will lift your heart! 1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to
show to his servants
the things that
must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant
John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the
testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this
prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it,
for the time is near.
There is blessing
for the person who reads this book. There is blessing to those hearing this
book. There is blessing for those who
keep the words of this book.. who hold these truths close to their hearts, who
have God’s word here deep. These words affect
our lives our way of thinking our worldview, our hope.
Patmos
is a barren, rugged chunk of land to this day. Ten miles long and six miles
wide, 15 km by 10 kilometres. It is
located a few miles off the Asia Minor coast of the Mediterranean. It is
desolate, uninhabited and mountainous. Not a place to escape to, or from, not a place
to live on. The Romans used it as a penal colony — a place to exile hard-core
convicts, revolutionaries and the insane and the murderous. Sort of like Australia!
The
Roman Caesar considered himself a god, constructing statues of himself and
having them placed in worship areas throughout the Empire. By imperial edict
the people were supposed to worship the images or statues and cry out loud,
“Caesar is lord.” If people refused, they met a terrible fate. Polycarp, the
pastor of the church at Smyrna, was burned at the stake. Ignatius, the pastor
at Antioch, was torn apart by wild beasts. With the exception of devout
Christians, the majority of Roman subjects bowed down and worshiped Caesar.
Innumerable followers of the Christ were brutally tortured and murdered merely
because they would not repeat the phrase, “Caesar is lord.” Their rebuttal,
“Jesus Christ is Lord.” could only bring exile as a revolutionary.
John’s surroundings
were bad, his situation was worse. Surrounding Patmos was the vast sea.
John
had to scrounge for food. A cave was the
night time refuge, it is believed, of this man in his eighties. The cold dirt
was his resting place.
As Believers were
harshly persecuted in the first century and all seemed so uncertain, so in our
time things seem so uncertain. Covid still appears to reign. China appears a very real threat to world
peace: “The ‘One Belt, One Road’ (OBOR)
initiative is a Chinese economic and strategic agenda by which the two ends of
Eurasia, as well as Africa and Oceania, are being more closely tied along two
routes–one overland and one maritime. Supporters suggest that the initiative
permits new infrastructure and economic aid to be provided to needy economies.
Critics claim that it facilitates Chinese economic and strategic domination
of the countries along these routes. OBOR provides a global context for China’s
growing economic links with Australia.
The initiative envisages the
building of six major economic cooperation corridors and several key maritime
pivot points across Eurasia: On land, the plan is to build a new Eurasian land
bridge and develop the economic corridors of: China-Mongolia-Russia;
China-Central Asia-West Asia; the China-Indochina peninsula; China-Pakistan;
and Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar ... On the seas, the initiative will focus
on jointly building smooth, secure and efficient transport routes connecting
major sea ports along the belt and road. China’s dream (as iterated by
President Xi in 2012) is “the ‘great revival of the Chinese nation’. Such
revival requires a restored global position and identity for China. “[i]
To enforce this
China has acted with deliberate cyber intrusions into some countries. Believers
in China are severely persecuted.
In these troubled
times, as James
Hamilton writes “We need to see God
as he is. We need to be convinced that Jesus is reigning as the risen King. We
need to have him speak to the situation in our churches. We need to know that
God is right now on his throne, in control in Heaven, worshiped by myriads upon
myriads of the heavenly host. We need to see the way that God will pulverize
wickedness, obliterate those who oppose him, and set up his kingdom. The book
of Revelation has exactly what we need.”
Chapter
1 of the book of Revelation brings us immediately into the presence of God in
our times of need.
I John, who also am your brother, and
companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was
in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony
of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a
great voice, as of a trumpet. – Revelation 1:9-10
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and
heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet. – Revelation 1:10
John may have felt
deserted by the Christians of his day. He may have felt desperately lonely on this
island of punishment. But “I was in the
Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a
trumpet. “
The apostle Paul
awaited execution in a prison cell in Rome some years before.
He rued that 16 At my first defense no one came to stand
by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! 17 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened
me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the
Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil
deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever
and ever. Amen. 2
Timothy 4:16-18.
In the same way in John’s despair He “ heard behind me a great voice.” saying “Write what you see in a book and send
it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to
Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” 12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to
me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13
and in the midst of the lampstands one
like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his
chest. 14 The hairs of his
head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of
fire, 15 his feet were
like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of
many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth
came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full
strength. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.
But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living
one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death
and Hades. 19 Write therefore the things that you have seen,
those that are and those that are to take place after this. 20 As for the
mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden
lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven
lampstands are the seven churches.
You Can Be Assured Of The Presence Of God
God
neither slumbered nor slept but kept watch over him. God is a very present help
in the time of trouble. He had a new
experience of the risen Lord Jesus Christ!
God’s
promised presence is yours too as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.
|
In the words of hymn
writer John Newton, Begone, unbelief, My Saviour
is near, Though dark be my way, Since He is
my Guide, His love, in time past, Forbids me
to think |
You Can Be Assured Of The Power of God.
God’s Power is seen in the triunity of the
Godhead. “Grace to you and peace from him who is
and who was and who is to come.” The one“who is and
who was and who is to come”is the Father, but the grace John wishes
to the churches is not from the Father alone. He continues,“and from the seven spirits who are before
his throne, and from Jesus Christ” (1:4, 5) The
reference to“the
seven spirits who are before his throne” (1:4) is a reference to the Holy Spirit,
and so by greeting the churches with
grace and peace from the Father, the Spirit, and the Son, John has greeted them with grace from all three
persons of the Godhead. Following this Trinitarian formula,
John identifies Jesus in three ways in 1:5.
He is, first, “the faithful witness.”He is the truth. No matter how terrible
your situation, you can know there are some absolute truths that stand like a
mighty rock against the stormy tempest of your emotions and thoughts.
God’s
Power is seen in the Truthful Witness of the Saviour.
God’s
Power is seen in the Resurrection Proof of the Redeemer. The second way in which Jesus is identified in 1:5 is
as “the
firstborn of the dead.” This phrase points
to the way that Jesus has pioneered the resurrection from the dead. He is the
first whose resurrection is not merely resuscitation of bodily
life. When Jesus rose, he rose in a glorified body. Revelation
20:4 indicates that those who are faithful unto death like he was will be
raised from the dead like he was.
Because of the resurrection of Jesus, we can face
suffering, imprisonment, testing, and
tribulation without fear. Because of the
resurrection of Jesus, we can be wakened from death and made alive (cf. 3:1,
2). The power of his indestructible life has broken the
back of death itself.
God’s Power Is Seen In Rule of the Messiah. The third description of Jesus in 1:5 is that he is “the ruler of kings on earth.” However powerful
Domitian or any other ruler might be, they all answer to Jesus. He will call
them to account. Jesus is the King. Just as it is said in Psalm 2. Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and
against his Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” 4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. 5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, 6 “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” .. 9 You shall break them
with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's
vessel.” 10 Now therefore, O
kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with
fear, and rejoice with trembling.
12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to
me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13
and in the midst of the lampstands one
like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his
chest. 14 The hairs of his
head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of
fire, 15 his feet were
like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of
many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth
came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full
strength. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.
Daniel
7:13, 14: I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was
presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an
everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall
not be destroyed.
From
the context of chapter 1 it is clear that this passage has influenced John’s
thinking about Jesus—look back at 1:7, where the phrase “Behold,
he is coming with the clouds” alludes to Daniel
7:13,
“. . . and
behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man.”
The
“son of man” in
Daniel 7:13, 14 receives an eternal kingdom, which means that by alluding to
this passage John is describing Jesus in royal terms. John also presents Jesus
in priestly terms because he stands among the lampstands, which were part of
the furniture of the temple, and it was the job of the Levitical priests to
tend and maintain the lampstands in the temple. Jesus will tend and maintain
the lampstands by calling the churches to repentance.14 Jesus’ clothes in 1:13 should probably be interpreted as the robe and
golden sash of the heavenly high priest (cf. Daniel 10:5).
John
seems to have understood that just as Daniel’s vision concerned“the latter days” (10:14) but Daniel was instructed to “shut
up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end” (12:4), so now he, John, was receiving a vision that concerned “the things that must soon take place” (1:1).
Unlike Daniel, John was told, “Do not seal up the words
of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near”
(22:10). Thus, what was prophesied by Daniel is fulfilled in Revelation.
In
1:14 John unfurls the banner of the divinity of Jesus. He does this by
describing Jesus in terms that match the description of the Ancient of Days in
Daniel 7:9, where we read that “the hair of his head [was] like pure wool.”
When John writes of Jesus that “The hairs of his head
were white, like white wool, like snow,” he is
describing Jesus in the same terms used to describe the Ancient of days in
Daniel 7:9.
Daniel 10 compared to Revelation 1
|
10:5,
“clothed in
linen, with a belt of fine gold” |
1:13,
“clothed with
a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest” |
|
7:9,
“the hair of
his head like pure wool” |
1:14a,
“the hairs of
his head were white, like white wool” |
|
10:6c,
“his eyes
like flaming torches” |
1:14b,
“His eyes
were like a flame of fire” |
|
10:6d,
“his arms and
legs like the gleam of burnished bronze” |
1:15a,
“his feet
were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace” |
|
10:6e,
“and the
sound of his words like the sound of a multitude” |
1:15b,
“and his
voice was like the roar of many waters” |
|
10:6b,
“his face
like the appearance of lightning” |
1:16c,
“and his face
was like the sun shining in full strength” |
Jesus
is God and has all power. You Can Be Assured Of The Power of God.
You Can Be Assured Of The Purposes of God.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as
though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear
not, I am the first and the last, 18
and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive
forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. 19 Write therefore the things that you have seen,
those that are and those that are to take place after this.
God was in control.
The
things in the past demonstrated to John
that the things of the future were in
the Lord’s hands.
Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold
I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
And
the things of the present and the future were all still in the hands of the
Lord.
At least 60 years before, Jesus had spoken these
prophetic words to his followers: “3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the
disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be,
and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus
answered them, “See that no
one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the
Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of
wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is
not yet. 7 For nation will
rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and
earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the
birth pains.
9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put
you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then many
will fall away
and betray one
another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and
lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love
of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be
saved. 14 And this gospel
of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to
all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:3-14.
You Can Be Assured Of That God’s Purposes
Extend To Every Area Of Life.
God’s Purposes Extend to Spiritual Things
“See that no
one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the
Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.
The apostle Paul wrote of the falling away, the
rebellion, when men’s hearts would grow cold, and the deception that would come
upon humanity as they followed the antichrist.
2Thess 2:3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For
that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of
lawlessness
is revealed, the
son of destruction,
4 who opposes and exalts himself against every
so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of
God, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still
with you I told you these things? 6 And you know what is restraining him now
so that he may be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already
at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. 8 And then the
lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of
his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. 9 The coming of the
lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and
wonders, 10 and with all
wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the
truth and so be saved. 11 Therefore God sends them a strong
delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12
in order that all may be condemned who
did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Even this is part of God’s Sovereign
purposes for humanity!
God’s Purposes Extend to Sinful Things
“See that no
one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the
Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 7 For nation will rise against nation,
and kingdom against kingdom,
God’s Purposes Extend to Sad Things
and there will
be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the
birth pains.
God’s Purposes Extend to Soulish Things
9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put
you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then many
will fall away
and betray one
another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and
lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love
of many will grow cold.
God’s Purposes Extend to Special Things
13 But the one who endures to the end will be
saved. 14 And this gospel
of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to
all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:3-14.
This is what the world is about. This is the centre
of God’s purposes for you and I. Endure
to the end. Proclaim the gospel.
But, as
in the Olivet Discourse recorded in Matthew 24, the Lord told His disciples
about the adverse circumstances that would proceed towards the end of the age,
and in fact signal the beginning of the end of the age.
15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken
of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place ( let the reader
understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the
mountains. 17 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down
to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not
turn back to take his cloak. 19 And alas for women who are pregnant and
for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20
Pray that your flight may not be in
winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great
tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now,
no, and never will be. 22 And if those days had not been cut
short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days
will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the
Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24
For false christs and false prophets
will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if
possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say
to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he
is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27
For as the lightning comes from the east and
shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” Matthew 24:15-27.
He
had spoken of a time of great tribulation (v.21). We should not be surprised that the Revelation
God gave to John speaks of “the Great Tribulation” (Rev 7) as well.
And,
as in the Revelation to John, so the Lord also spoke of His return to His
disciples when He was on the Mount of Olives.
7 Behold, He comes with the clouds, and every eye will
see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all the families of the earth will
mourn over Him. Yes, amen. 8"1 am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who
was and who is coming, the Almighty."
"Behold"
indicates a special divine intervention.
The
content of v. 7 confirms the topic of the whole book: the coming of Jesus
Christ. To do so, it uses a conflation of two OT passages: Dan. 7:13 and Zech.
12:10. Jesus Himself had earlier used the same combination of passages in His Olivet
discourse to speak of His second advent (Matt. 24:30) in a statement John had
heard with his own ears about sixty-five years before penning these words (cf. Mark 13:4).
John Rejoiced In The Promise Glorious Return of
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Just as
the Lord Jesus spoke of His return so John will lift our hearts in rejoicing as
we look forward to that time when our Saviour shall return for His people.
“29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the
sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will
fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will
appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the
earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of
heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a
loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one
end of heaven to the other.”
Matthew 24:29-31.
The next
big event is the return of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And this is what the book of Revelation is
all about.
The
assurance that all things that befall you are under the Providential hand of
the Living God, are in the direct purposes of the Lord Jesus Christ and
culminate in His second coming should lead us to hope in trying times.
|
Why should I complain Of want or
distress, |
|
How bitter that cup No heart can
conceive, |
|
Since all that I meet Shall work
for my good, |
The
Conqueror’s Song.
Are you
living on Patmos? Do you feel limited? Isolated and cut off? I beg of you not
to fall into a Patmos fixation. God is on the throne, even on your Patmos. With
all of the limitations, it is easy for us to forget that Jesus is Lord.
His
Presence is even there.
His
Providence guides all history.
Yes Patmos was lonely. John probably had few companions. “He was
surrounded by human jackals, hard-hearted men who probably left John to
himself. John must have longed for his family and friends and for his brothers
and sisters in the church at Ephesus.”[ii]
Perhaps
you feel you are living on a Patmos. You
are isolated. You feel alone.
Perhaps
it is family problems. Perhaps it is church problems.
You
could look at your Patmos situation and feel despair. You could allow it to
make you feel bitter and angry and resentful to God and man!
Some
have eyes only for Patmos. They never look beyond the rocks and the sea. Their
eyes are riveted on their problems. Loneliness looms large.
Over these
next few months we shall explore the Book of Revelation.
We
shall discover afresh the Presence of the risen Lord Jesus Christ, not only on the
island of Patmos, but alive as your Lord and Saviour, Your Sovereign and guide.
We
shall discover afresh the Purposes of God, as the Lord gives us insight into
how his plan for the ages will unroll. We shall be encouraged to know that
there is nothing that catches God by surprise. In fact, the machinations of
evil men and nations, of supernatural powers are all held under the Sovereign
hand of our God to work His purposes as we move towards the end of the age.
We
shall refresh our hope at the spring that reminds us that the culmination of
all things in the return of our Saviour matters more than anything else on
earth.
Paul
wrote to Titus that we as God’s people are
“looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God
and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from
every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for
good works.”
Titus
2:13,14
Please
join me each week. We shall learn each week how to transform our despair into
Doxology! We shall learn and experience
the Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Purposes of our great God as this
world moves towards its culmination at the return of our Lord Jesus, and we
shall have our hope refreshed as we are encouraged to look forward to that day
of His return.
Most of
all, God-willing, we shall be refreshed in our hope!
These
studies will be developed on each new page on this blog.
Study 1
will introduce us to Revelation 1.
I will
provide a link to the Youtube preaching of each passage. I will provide he
transcript for each chapter on each page. And I shall provide questions that you can discuss together either around
the family table, or if you wish, on a zoom bible study evening meeting, or a
zoom bible study day time meeting.
If you
wish to join together (God permitting under Covid restrictions) in a small
group in your location, I will endeavour to assist you to meet with other
like-minded people.
Thank
you for joining me on this journey. If you have friends that would like to
participate at any time, they are welcome to join. If you wish to use these
materials for a home bible study or church, you are very welcome.
Every
Blessing,
Steve
Bible Study Group Questions
1. Read through the book of Revelation.
What would you say is the main theme of the book?
2.What does it mean to have the
expectation of the imminent return of Christ? How does this affect the way we
live?
2. John’s Revelation is prophetic and
apocalyptic. What does it mean to “keep what is written” in such a book?
3. Discuss the importance of who Jesus
is and what He has done in each of the following: revelation, resurrection,
rule, redemption, and reign.
4. Why is it significant that Jesus’
return will be seen by all?
5. What false teachings does this truth
rule out?
6. Why is it a privilege to suffer for
Christ? How does this logic go against worldly interests?
7. Why is Jesus’ presence in the midst
of the lampstands/churches comforting to us?
8. What parallels are there between
Revelation 1 and Daniel 7? What do these suggest about who Christ is?
9. What is most striking to you about
the portrait of Jesus as seen in verses 13-16? Why?
10. Why does Jesus emphasize His
eternality when revealing Himself to John? What significance does this carry
for the rest of Revelation?
11. Verses 17-18 show Jesus’ authority
over death. What does this mean for you?
[i]https://www.aph.gov.au/about_parliament/parliamentary_departments/parliamentary_library/pubs/briefingbook45p/chinasroad#:~:text=links
with Australia.-,The 'One Belt%2C One Road' (OBOR) initiative, President Xi Jinping
in 2013.
[ii] O.S.Hawkins,
sermon.
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