Greg Laurie - Revelation: The Next Dimension (01/29/2018)
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Pastor Greg Laurie begins a new series on the book of Revelation with chapter 1, titled "Revelation, the Next Dimension." He explains how this book unveils Jesus Christ in glory, the supernatural realm, and future events including the rapture, tribulation, Antichrist, Armageddon, and Christ's return. Using 3D and polarized glasses as illustrations, he shows Revelation lets us see into another dimension—the eternal perspective—urging us to read aloud, hear, and keep its words for blessing, as it reveals God's perfect control, Jesus as the faithful witness who loves us eternally, and our call to live purified and ready for His soon coming.
Entering the Book of Revelation
Today we start a series of messages on the final book of the New Testament, the book of Revelation. So let's all turn over there. Right now, Revelation chapter 1. The title of my message is Revelation, the Next Dimension. Why don't we start with a prayer.
Father, as we open this book, this book given to the Apostle John on the island of Patmos, where he was shown the future, which in part is now our past. And yet he was shown things that are yet to come that is our future as well. Help us to see these things and hear these things and understand how we ought to be affected by what we are about to read. This is gospel truth. Speak to us from your word we would pray now. In Jesus name. Amen. Amen.
The Wonder of 3D – Seeing Another Dimension
Okay. Quick poll. How many of you have ever been to a 3D movie? Raise up your hand. Okay. Most of you. Amazing technology, 3D. I mean it is a lot better than it used to be in the old days where it was rather primitive.
A number of years ago we took our granddaughter Stella to a 3D movie. It was one of these animated films. And she had never seen anything like it. And they put the glasses on her. And as she saw these objects, you know, appearing to move toward her, it kind of freaked her out. And she started crying. So her mom sat with her in the lobby with her grandmother. And I stayed in the movie and watched the rest. Because. I was thoroughly engrossed.
But you know, those glasses they give you, there is no way you can look cool wearing 3D glasses. You know what I am saying? Allow me to. I mean, look at these things. I mean, you just look stupid wearing them.
And then it is funny when you are in a 3D film. No pictures by the way. And you look back at everybody looking at the screen and something is coming and some people are standing there like this, you know. Now it is not real, but it seems real. It seems like another dimension.
Polarized glasses are similar in that regard as well. You know, my wife likes sunglasses but she doesn't care what the lenses are like or if they are polarized or not. She just cares if they look cool, right? They call them fashion frames. And I will get her a case for them. And the next thing you know they are rolling around in her purse all scratched up. That drives me crazy. If I have one scratch on the glass it bothers me.
And I like polarized glass because it reduces glare. Especially if you are around water. It is actually a special kind of filter that blocks intense reflected light through the polarized lens. And when you look in water it is almost as though you can see through it a little bit better because of the polarized lens.
In other words you see things wearing 3D glasses, or for that matter polarized glasses, you do not otherwise see. It is almost as though you see into another dimension.
Revelation Unveils the Supernatural Realm
Well the book of Revelation is a bit like putting on those 3D or polarized glasses. We are seeing another dimension. And that dimension is the supernatural world coexisting with the physical world. The realm of heaven, of hell, of angels, of demons, of God, and of Satan.
Not only do we see the supernatural world but we see time in a whole different way. You see God living in eternity does not have a yesterday or a tomorrow. There just is. It is called a continuum to Him.
So God can look at the future with as much accuracy as you and I could look at the past. In fact even more because I often do not recollect the past accurately. I will have some details jumbled around and so forth. But God has perfect recollection. And He has perfect foresight.
So when He says something is going to happen it is as though in one sense it already happened. You see yesterday or tomorrow is like yesterday to God. And the reason I say this is when God gives a prediction about the future it is not as though the Lord is going out on some kind of limb like this is dangerous. He knows already. It is already an established fact.
Well the book of Revelation is a book that dares to predict the future many, many times over. Yet how often it is neglected. I mean people will get all worked up over something like the Mayan calendar that is predicted that the year we are in right now, 2012 is the doomsday year. Or they will listen to some self proclaimed prophet or guru. And yet they will neglect the Word of God that predicts the future not once, not twice, but hundreds of times with one hundred percent accuracy.
This is the book that we can trust. Now no other religious book does that. Why? Because if they did they would be shown to be not inspired. But the Bible does it over and over again because it indeed is inspired.
The basic test of the true God and the true faith and the true prophet and the true belief is can they predict the future. Well the Bible does all of that and more. In fact it is worth noting that two thirds of the Bible is prophecy. And one half of these prophecies have already taken place.
Therefore if half of them have happened as God said they would do I have any reason to doubt that the remaining ones will unfold exactly as God has said. So when God predicts the future you can take it to the bank. It is as good as done.
This is a very important thing to keep in mind. Because the Bible actually points out that one of the signs of the times of the last days will be a renewed interest in Bible prophecy.
In the twelfth chapter of the book of Daniel the prophet was very disturbed by some visions that he had seen because he couldn't understand them. And the angel who revealed these visions to Daniel said in Daniel 12:4, you Daniel keep this prophecy a secret. Seal up the book until the time of the end. Many will rush here and there and knowledge will increase.
So God was effectively saying Daniel it is not for you to know or understand these things now. But in the end when the return of the Lord is near knowledge will increase. In other words at the end of the age the knowledge of and understanding of Bible prophecy would grow.
And folks I believe we are living in that very time. Many of the things that we are going to read about in Revelation could not have even happened until really the last one hundred years.
Why Revelation Uses Symbols – Describing the Unimaginable
We are going to see how John writes in figurative language. And that is because the predictions of this book were so far removed from the language of John's day. Thus he had to use symbols and metaphors and other techniques to try to communicate what it was like.
For instance, how would you describe a nuclear war living in A.D. 90? There was no precedent. And some of the things that John describes in Revelation sound very much like a nuclear exchange. The only thing that could have produced such widespread destruction in John's day would be the eruption of a volcano like when Vesuvius blew covering the city of Pompeii in ash where they were effectively frozen in time.
But today we could bring about the cataclysmic destruction described in Revelation with a push of a button as we would unleash some of these nuclear weapons that we have stored up.
Revelation speaks of mass death and famine and disease and the ability of one man to not allow people to buy or sell without his Mark. That sounded so futuristic in one day. But today with computer technology it is completely doable.
We read in the book of Revelation of an army numbering two hundred million, two hundred million marching toward the final battle, the battle of Armageddon. There weren't even two hundred million people on the face of the earth when Revelation was written. Now there is far more than that. Well over four billion. And to the point there is a nation that boasts of the fact that they can indeed field an army of that exact size. We will find out more about that later.
But yet with all of this amazing stuff, so many people are reluctant to study the book of Revelation. They will say, well there is just no way that you can understand Revelation. It is far too complex.
Reminds me of a statement that Winston Churchill made about the former Soviet Union. He said, they are a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside of an enigma. And that is how many people view Revelation. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside of an enigma. There is just no way we can understand it.
They will say, I beg to differ. Because what does the word Revelation mean? And by the way it is Revelation singular. Not Revelations plural. I hear people say, well I am reading the book of Revelation. No. The book of Revelation. That just bugs me. Please say Revelation.
But what does Revelation mean? It means the unveiling. It means the uncovering. Sort of like when you go to a car show and they have that new model and it is under the cover and the lights are there and the music starts and they pull it away and everyone sees it.
And that is what Revelation is. It is a revealing. It is an uncovering. But an uncovering of what? Well a lot of things. Revelation reveals the spirit world. We learn more about angels and demons. And we learn about the Great Tribulation and Armageddon. And of course the Antichrist.
But the primary goal of Revelation is not to reveal the Antichrist. The primary objective of this book is to reveal Jesus Christ. It is the unveiling of Jesus Christ.
Jesus – The Central Theme of Revelation
One thing that jumps off the pages of it immediately is Jesus is the star of the book if you will. He is the main theme. In chapter 1 verse 5 he is the faithful witness. Again in 1.5 he is the firstborn of the dead. In verse 8 of chapter 1 he is the Alpha and the Omega. Again in verse 8 he is the one who is and was and is to come. And then he is described as the Almighty.
There are eight references to Jesus in Revelation 1 alone. Another thing about this book that I find amazing is it comes with its own outline. You know when we teach the books of the Bible we often try to figure out what is the outline of this book. In other words how can I break it into sections that will make it understandable.
Well Revelation comes complete with its own outline. And it is found in Revelation 1 verse 19. It says, Write the things which you have seen, the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.
So there are three sections to Revelation. Number one there are the things which are seen. That is what John is describing in chapter 1. As he views the resurrected and glorified Christ who is in complete control of all that is about to happen.
Number two there are the things which are. This is a reference to the seven churches that we are going to read about in Revelation 2-3. Seven churches that give us a chronological look at the church. A history from beginning to present day.
And finally there are the things that are after these things. These are the future events down in chapters 4-22.
So to put it all together we have the Lord's person. We have the Lord's people. And we have the Lord's program. Kind of a flyover of Revelation.
Chapter 1 is the revelation of the glorified Christ. Chapters 2-3 the scope of church history as I said. Chapters 4-5 we have the church caught up in the heaven. Chapters 6-19 we have the great tribulation period. Chapter 20 we have the millennium. Chapter 21-22 we have the new heaven and the new earth. And on it goes.
So this book is going to explain things that we often have confusion about. Like the rapture of the church. The antichrist also known as the beast. The false prophet. The abomination of desolation. The battle of Armageddon. The kings of the east. The two witnesses. The 144,000. Sneak preview. They are not Jehovah's witnesses. The second coming of Christ of the earth. The millennium. The new Jerusalem.
What do all of these terms mean? What are these events all about? We are going to find the answers to those questions and more in our studies in Revelation. Excuse me. Another unique thing about this book. I have to take a drink of water here.
Another unique thing about this book. Look. It is the only book in the Bible that was sent and given by angels. Look at verse... Well no. Actually it is later on. But Revelation 22:16 says, I, Jesus, sent my angel to testify to you of these things for the churches.
So Revelation is full of angels from beginning to end. In fact angels appear in every chapter of Revelation with the exception of chapters 4 and 13. We read about them again and again.
So if you have wondered about these mysterious creatures and what they do and what they are all about. We will learn more about them in Revelation.
Now it was given from Jesus through the angel to the apostle John. Let us think about John for a few moments. John was part of that inner group of three that often accompanied the Lord on special missions. Peter, James, and John.
John was there when Jesus was transfigured with Moses and Elijah and his clothing shined like the sun. John was there in the garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed, He said, He said, He said, He said,
That's one of the reasons Christ gave to him the mission of caring for his mother. When he said, Son, behold your mother. Referring to Mary. Saying in effect, John, you take care of Mary from this point on.
John and Peter, when told that the tomb was empty, ran together. John got there first. At least that is recorded in John's gospel. Which I guess is a perk of writing your own gospel. You get to point out when you beat other people in a race.
But when they got to the gospel it is interesting because John looked in, saw it was empty. There was still the bandages that were wrapped in sort of a mummy like shape around what once was the body of Christ. And we read that John saw it and believed. And Peter, seeing the same thing, walked away wondering what this was all about.
But that was John. He seemed to be a little more perceptive spiritually than the others. Maybe that is because he was always so close to the Lord. We would read of John leaning his head on the chest of Jesus. So he would not miss a single word.
After Christ was risen again from the dead and called to the disciples on the shore of Galilee. It was John before anybody else that said, It is the Lord.
So John was a very insightful person. And now here God gave him this special book. John wrote five books of the New Testament. Of course the gospel of John. And he wrote that so we might believe that Jesus is the Son of God. John 20, 31.
1st, 2nd, and 3rd John were written that we might have eternal life according to 1st John 5, 13. And then of course the book of Revelation.
So John wrote the gospel that we might believe. He wrote the epistles that we might be sure. And he wrote the book of Revelation that we might be ready.
Where did John write these things? On the island of Patmos. Now when we think of this island I don't want you to think of some beautiful little paradise where John is just hanging out catching rays, surfing, having a great old time.
Now this was a lonely little island there in the Mediterranean. It was cold. It was windy. There wasn't a lot of vegetation there. This was not a pleasant place for a person to be.
And they sent John off because the church was under intense persecution at this point. And it started effectively through Nero and continued on through other Roman emperors like Diocletian. But many believers were losing their lives at this point. And there was an uncertainty in the air as to what was going to happen.
Families were being torn apart. Christians were being arrested and put to death. Some were tortured before they were put to death. So the believers were wondering what's going to happen. What are we going to do?
So they took John and according to church tradition put him in a pot of boiling oil. But he wouldn't cook. Amazing little story.
So they thought well he is just an old man. He doesn't have long to live. Let's just banish him to an island. So they sent him off to Patmos never expecting to hear from him again.
Talk about having the last word. Because there on this island God gave to him the book of Revelation.
In many ways Revelation reads like an action thriller. If you love novels you will love this book. It has drama, suspense, mystery, and horror. It contains rebellion, unprecedented economic collapse, and the ultimate war of history.
But despite these ominous occurrences it bursts with joy and hope. It comes to a climax with a happy ending. As death and sin are banished forever.
We will read in Revelation 21:4 God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There will be no more pain. For the former things have passed away.
Revelation reminds us that we win in the end. So it is a good and a very happy ending.
Here is something else. There is a special blessing promised in the book of Revelation. Revelation. To the person who reads and hears and keeps the word of the book.
Now I might add that of the 66 books that make up the Bible today. There is no other book that has a blessing attached.
So let me take a quick poll before we read it. How many of you want to be blessed? Raise up your hand. You want to be blessed. Okay good. How many of you do not want to be blessed? Raise your hand. Good. No one raised their hand.
So let's read that blessing now. Revelation 1:3 Blessed is the one who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things that are written in it for the time is near.
So there are three prerequisites to receive the promised blessing. Number one. You must read it. And by the way the word used here for read means to read it out loud. And we are going to do that in just a few moments. We are going to read out loud the words of this book.
But it doesn't stop there. It is not enough to just read the book of Revelation. Number two. You must hear the words of the prophecy. Jesus would often say, He that has ears to hear, let him listen.
If you were to read this book merely as a great work of literature, which it is, or mere religious writing, you won't necessarily get that much out of it. But if the Holy Spirit opens your spiritual eyes and ears to seeing here what God is saying, it can make all the difference in the world.
So I must read it. I must hear it. And thirdly, I must keep it. Keep the things that are written in it. In other words, I apply these truths to my own life.
If I really get Revelation, it will cause me to want to live a godly life and be ready to meet the Lord. So the reason we want to learn about the future is to help us to live right in the present.
Again, the reason we study the future is so we will learn how to live right in the present.
Flyover of Prophetic Events
So let's do a quick flyover of prophetic events before we start reading Revelation together. It is my opinion that the next event on the prophetic calendar will be the rapture of the church. That is the moment when we are caught up to meet the Lord in a moment in the twinkling of an eye. And we are reunited with loved ones that have gone on before us. And that is when we receive our resurrection body.
Right after or perhaps before the rapture I believe that that large force from the extreme north of Israel identified in Scripture as Magog will attack her. Not long after this is when the Antichrist emerges, inaugurating a period of human history known as the Great Tribulation Period.
At first things look pretty good. He comes as a man of peace. A man with economic solutions. A charismatic individual. He will be loved by many. Some will falsely even think he is the very Messiah. He will even help the Jews rebuild their temple again.
But at the three and a half year point, midway point of the tribulation, the Antichrist erects an image of himself in the temple commanding everyone to worship it. And this is referred to by Jesus in Matthew 24 as the abomination of desolation.
And then a new time in the tribulation breaks out where God's judgment is poured out upon the earth. It is during this time that we have the false prophet doing devilish miracles. It is at this point God raises up the 144,000 preaching the gospel. And He raises up the two witnesses. We will learn more about all of this later. Don't worry about it now. But I am just giving you the flyover.
Everything sort of builds up to the battles of Armageddon, culminating there in the valley of Megiddo in Israel. Christ comes back at the second coming. So we have gone up to meet the Lord in the rapture. And we come back with Him at the second coming. What goes up must come down.
Then the millennium begins, which is a thousand years on the earth, of global peace and Harmony. And then the new Jerusalem comes down from heaven to the earth. And heaven and earth effectively become one.
So that is the big picture.
Now let's read aloud the book of Revelation. Revelation chapter 1 starting in verse 1.
"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the Word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ to all the things that He saw. Blessed is He that reads, and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep the things that are written in it, for the time is near.
John, to the seven churches which are in Asia. Grace to you and peace from Him who is, who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits which are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and ruler over the kings of the earth, to Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Behold He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, says the Lord, who is, who was, and is to come, the Almighty.
I, John, both your brother and companion, in the tribulation and kingdom and Patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island 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 I heard behind me a loud voice as of a trumpet, saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last. And what you see I want to write, you to write in a book, and send it to the seven churches that are in Asia, to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.
Verse 12, Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me, and having turned I saw seven golden lampstands. And in the midst of the seven lampstands was one like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment, down to his feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, and white as snow, and his eyes like a flame of fire. His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and his voice like the sound of many waters. In his right hand he had seven stars. Out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and his countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though I were dead. And he laid his right hand on me, saying, Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last. I am he that lives was dead. Behold, I am alive forevermore. And I have the keys of Hades and death.
Write the things that you have seen. The things which are. And the things that will take place after this."
Alright. So what do we learn together in the book of Revelation in chapter one?
Key Lessons from Revelation Chapter 1
Number one. Revelation reveals the events of the last days are closely linked together. Let me say that again. Revelation reveals the events of the last days are closely linked together.
Verse one says, The things that must shortly take place, or a better translation would be, what must speedily happen.
Now some of you might be thinking, Now wait a second Greg. Wasn't this book written like what? Two thousand years ago? God must be a little on the slow side. You know.
Well wait a second. Let's understand what that is saying. This is not saying that the things that John was describing were going to happen quickly as in during his lifetime. But rather he was referring to a quickness of execution when once there was a beginning.
A better translation would be they would come to pass with rapidity. It is the Greek word from which we get our English word tachometer. That is the instrument that is used to measure the speed of an engine.
The idea is once the first event happens the others happen immediately. Like dominoes. Shall I illustrate? Dominoes.
Now let's look at these dominoes for a moment because each one of these could represent an event that is going to be taking place. This first domino, for instance, could be the rapture of the church or the attack of Magog on Israel.
Then we would have the next domino representing the Antichrist and maybe the tribulation period and then the various events that are going to happen leading right up to the second coming and then the millennium and then heaven coming to earth.
But once the first domino falls the others follow right after. Shall I illustrate? There is the first one. Are you going to get this shot? Shoot down on it. Bring it up. Not sideways. This way. Come up. Give me this camera. Wrong camera. Wrong camera. That is doing nothing for me. Where is the right camera? Fine. I will use my iPhone. Never mind. You are going to have to see it sideways because the camera... Who is the guy that has the camera that can shoot this on the screen? Where is he? Come on over here. Come on. Come on. Bring that camera over here. We are going to get the full effect.
No one wants to see dominoes fall over sideways. Am I right? Here he goes. Give him a round of applause. Good boy. Okay. Get that shot. There. That is what I am talking about. That is what I am talking about.
Okay. Here we go. So the first domino falls. This is not the way it is going to happen in Bible prophecy. Wow. Bye. I am so glad the prophecy is going to be more precise on my dominoes. By the way, first service it went perfectly. So what can I say?
But that is how it is going to happen though. So I use that to illustrate. Now after the service is over, that is all you will remember. Remember the dominoes? But it illustrates what I am trying to say. All these events are closely stacked together. When the first one happens, the others happen quickly.
Number two. Revelation is from Jesus Christ revealing Himself to us. Again, Revelation is from Jesus Christ revealing Himself to us.
Look at verse five. From Jesus Christ the faithful witness. Who is a better source on you than you? Who is a better source on Jesus than Jesus?
Remember when He walked with the disciples on the Emmaus road and they didn't know it was the risen Lord. And He asked them what had been happening and they told them about the crucifixion and so forth. And so He asked them to tell Him more and they did. They had it all wrong.
And then Jesus told them all about Jesus and pointed out all the scriptures that alluded to the fact that He was going to suffer and die. So He is an expert on Himself and He is the faithful witness and He presents Himself here.
And by the way notice He is a faithful witness. Not every witness is faithful. You know sometimes people stretch the truth. Sometimes they lie outright. You will see this in a court of law. People will tell a lie.
And when they are being pressed by the attorney the attorney will see if there is any inconsistencies in their story. And if they are caught lying that is called perjury. And that is breaking the law.
And when someone is arrested and maybe they committed a crime together the police will separate the people and interrogate them. Interview them. And see if their stories match up. The thing is when you tell the truth it always lines up. And when you are telling a lie you will start forgetting things.
And so Jesus is the faithful witness. He truly is the only one that lives in the no spin zone. Ok. He just gives us the truth.
But not only does He tell us the truth but He gives it to us lovingly. You know, you can be truthful and not loving. There are a lot of things that are true that one should not necessarily say out loud.
There are inside thoughts and outside thoughts. Right? I mean you might see someone and just say, I mean they are ugly. I mean you have thought that. Right? Some of you are thinking it right now. Because you just powdered your nose and so on. No I am kidding. And those are the guys. No, no. You are looking at me. Hey. Oh they are tall. They are short. They are fat. They are skinny. I mean we think these thoughts. But we don't say them. Because I would be hurtful to say to someone, you know I feel I should tell you the truth. And you are ugly.
That may be true. But that is not helpful. So I speak the truth in love.
So Jesus is the faithful witness. He always tells the truth. But He does so lovingly. Look at verse 5. He loved us. And a better translation of this would be He keeps on loving us.
Sometimes we may think we must do certain things to merit the love of God. You must know that God loves you. He has loved you. And He will always love you. Ooh. He will always love you. I was doing this song there for a moment. I don't want to sing it for you. I want you to stay not leave.
But you see, the love of God is consistent. And it is persistent. He says, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you to myself.
What a contrast the love of God is to the so called love of our culture or our world. You know our world loves you when you are young and beautiful. God loves you when you are old and not so attractive.
Our world loves you when you are famous and you are a celebrity. God loves you when you are unknown and a complete nobody.
Our world loves the rich and the powerful. God loves the poor and the weak.
Our world loves the extraordinary. God loves the ordinary. People like you and me.
And God has demonstrated this love for us in a tangible way. Jesus said greater love is no man than this. And He laid down His life for His friends.
And Jesus, showing His love, died for us. Bringing this to verse 5. He washed us from our sins in His own blood. I want you to notice that is in the past tense. It is done. He has washed you from your sins. God has forgiven you through Christ for all the wrong you have done.
Jesus Is Coming Back – And Everyone Will See
Number 3. Revelation tells us repeatedly. Jesus is coming back again. Verse 7 says He is coming with clouds. This great truth of the return of Christ appears more than in 500 verses throughout the Bible.
It has been estimated that one out of every 25 verses in the New Testament refer to the second coming. This gives us hope in a hopeless world. Because there are not a lot of promising things happening right now. But God says there is hope. It is a return of the Lord. In fact the Bible refers to this as the blessed hope.
But then it says He is coming with clouds. What does that mean? Well it could simply be a reference to the fact that when Christ comes again He will come in the sky, in the air, in the clouds if you will.
Jesus said as the lightning signs from the east to the west so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Then again clouds may be referring to people. Hebrews 12 says we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. And so maybe this is speaking of the fact that when Christ comes back again He returns with His church.
The Bible says that when Christ who is our life shall appear we shall also appear with Him in glory. As I said earlier. What goes up must come down. We will come back with Jesus to the earth.
So maybe this reference to clouds is speaking of us returning with the Lord.
But number four. When Christ returns all the world will know. When Christ returns all the world will know. Verse seven. Every eye will see Him. Including those that pierced Him this verse tells us.
The Jewish people will become aware of the fact that Jesus was and is their long awaited Messiah. Zechariah 12 says I look upon Him whom they have pierced and mourned for one as one mourns for His only Son.
Number five. Revelation reveals Jesus as God incarnate. It reveals Jesus as God incarnate. Verse eight. He says I am Alpha and the Omega. The beginning and the end. Who is. Who was. And who is to come. The Almighty.
Clearly Christ is saying He and the Father are equal. Now some would say Jesus never claimed to be God. That was the invention of His followers. That is not true. Jesus claimed to be God. Here and many other places in the Bible.
To the point Jesus accepted worship on multiple occasions. And Jesus Himself said worship the Lord God and Him only shall you serve. He is claiming to be God because He was God.
By referring to Himself as the Alpha and the Omega He means He is the beginning and the end. Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Like A and Z.
It would be as though Christ was saying I am the A and Z man. I am the beginning and the end.
This reminds us that when God starts He will finish. God in contrast to me always finishes what He begins. I am notorious for starting big projects and I don't complete because I lose interest.
God is not that way. He is going to finish the work He has begun in your life. And God is going to finish the work in this earth He has created.
Yes man is martyred with his rebellion and sin. But God is going to come and make things right. He is going to complete all of this. He is the beginning and the end of it all.
Now John says in verse 10, He was in the Spirit on the Lord's day. Now that may be an allusion to Sunday. The early church met on Sunday. That is why we meet on Sundays. Because that was the day Christ Rose again from the dead.
So maybe he was just saying, Hey this all happened on a Sunday.
Then again he may be referring to the day of the Lord. In other words sort of the idea that I was taken into the future. You know back to the future. It is almost like John was put in a time machine. Not a DeLorean. But he was sort of catapulted into the twenty first century or perhaps beyond from the first century.
Saw all of this amazing phenomena and then sought to describe it in the language of his day.
And so as all of this is happening, verse 12 he says, I turn to see the voice that spoke with me. I hope that we will all do that as we study this book together. We want to see Jesus revealed and we want to hear what he has to say.
You know there are some people that like to study prophecy more as an academic exercise. They are sort of like prophecy aficionados. You know they see fulfillment of Bible prophecy in everything. Not just the headlines but they read the want ads and say this is a sign of the times.
You know there are actually indications that you might be obsessed with Bible prophecy. Here are some of them. You know you are obsessed with Bible prophecy if barcode scanners make you nervous.
You know you are obsessed with Bible prophecy when you never buy green bananas. Get it? Because you know you can't wait for them to ripen because the Lord is coming back.
I didn't say these things were funny. I just said they are signs of obsession. Clearly they are not funny to you.
You know you are obsessed with Bible prophecy when you can name more signs of the times and commandments. You know you are obsessed with Bible prophecy when you refuse a tax refund check because it is in the amount of 666.
You know you are obsessed with Bible prophecy when you always leave the top down on your convertible in case the rapture happens. The convertible owner just clapped out there. That is what I do.
But listen. If we really get this. If we understand the essential message of Revelation it is the unveiling of Christ and it should move us to a deeper commitment spiritually.
In fact we are told that it should cause us to live more godly lives. First John 3 says, Dear friends we are God's children. We can't even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns and we know when He comes. We will be like Him. And all of us that believe this will keep themselves pure as Christ is pure.
So if you really understand Bible prophecy in the right way you will want to live a pure life.
Number two if you really understand Bible prophecy you will want to reach others with the gospel. This won't be some kind of a holy huddle where it is all about you and me getting to heaven. But it will cause us to want to go and bring others with us.
Second Peter 3 says, Dear friends while you are waiting for these things to happen make every effort to live a pure and blameless life. Be at peace with God and remember the Lord is waiting so people will have time to be saved.
It is amazing how people can study prophecy and it won't move their hearts. Remember when the wise men came from the east looking for the one who was born called King of the Jews.
They arrived in Jerusalem. They appeared before Herod the king asking about this king because they had seen the star in the east. And so Herod called in his theological scholars and those that were experts in these things and they went through the Scripture and they said, Oh yeah Herod. Clearly the Scripture says right here in Micah and other places that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.
So the wise men said thanks to the tip and they went off to Bethlehem to find the Messiah. Why didn't Herod and the others go? How is it that Herod and these theological scholars could read this and see these mysterious visitors from the east and not make a ten mile journey to see for themselves.
This just shows how you can study these things and not be moved by them. But we need to see Jesus in the process. That is what John did.
Verse 13. In the midst of the seven lampstands there was one like the Son of Man clothed with a garment down to his feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.
So here now is the risen Lord appearing. You know it is interesting that Christ is right there. Sometimes we miss that.
Remember when Jesus Rose again from the dead and appeared to the disciples in the upper room? Old Thomas wasn't there. And they told him, hey buddy, you should have been there last night. Jesus showed up.
Thomas said, oh yeah, right. You know he was there. The risen Lord. We saw him. Oh yeah. I'll believe that. When I can put my hand and the wound in his side and I can touch the piercings in his hands.
Well eight days later they were meeting and Thomas was there. And guess who shows up for dinner? Jesus. And he stands up and says, go ahead Thomas. Put your hand in.
Well Thomas didn't need any more proof. But the point is, how did Jesus know what Thomas said the last time? Because Jesus was there. He was listening to this conversation. And he listens to every one of our conversations.
And a lot of times we don't think the Lord is there. But He is always there. Even as He was here in the midst of the seven golden lampstands. We will explain what that means later.
Jesus Holds the Keys – Authority Over Life and Death
Number six, Revelation gives the only actual description of Jesus in the Bible. The only description of Christ is found here. And it's largely symbolic.
Revelation 1.14. His head and hair were like wool. White as snow. His eyes like a flame of fire. His feet like fine brass. As if refined in a furnace. His voice like the sound of many waters.
Now we don't read that literally. We don't think that fire was shooting out of the eyes of Jesus. Or that His feet were made out of brass. Is there speaking of other things?
A fire shooting out of His eye. Speaks of His wrath. His feet made out of brass. Speaks of His righteousness and His justice. His voice like that of many waters. Speaks of His power.
Daniel had a similar vision of Him where He described Him as the Ancient of Days in Daniel 7. And He said the hair of His head was like pure wool. But His eyes shot fire.
Jesus is indignant over something. God's all-knowing, all-seeing eyes miss nothing. And He sees what is happening. And He is going to deal with it.
You know when you meet someone, you look them in their eyes. I am always suspicious of people that won't make eye contact. They look away.
Some people, you know, should look away more. Have you ever seen somebody they stare at you the whole time? You could like blink every now and then. And also they stand too close. What is with people like that? They come and stand like right this close. So you step back and they step right forward. They are like, I call them space invaders.
It is like you are too close. While your lips are moving mine are moving too. It says get away from me. There is like this many inches. Ok. That is your space. This is mine.
This is especially true of men by the way. But Jesus steps in close. He makes eye contact. His eyes shoot fire. He is saying something important.
Number seven, Revelation reveals that Jesus is the one who decides who lives and dies. We don't decide that. God does.
Verse Listen to this. Jesus alone possesses the key of authority over death. No one can die apart from His divine permission.
I am so glad Jesus has the keys. And I don't. Because I am always losing keys. I have extra sets and more sets. Because I lose them. Jesus has the keys to these things.
But then He says, but do not be afraid. Verse 17. Don't be afraid. I am in control of your life. And God was in control of John's life.
Let's close now with just a couple of thoughts about where John was when he wrote this. He was on Patmos. This deserted, lonely, very small little island.
This is not a tropical paradise. This was a place of extreme isolation. Yet in this lonely exile and banishment John saw and heard amazing things.
Maybe you are on your own little island of Patmos right now. In other words you feel imprisoned by life's circumstances. You are living in an unhappy marriage. You are confined to a hospital bed or a prison cell.
But you will find often in the Patmoses of life these are times of great spiritual insight and growth. As God revealed Himself to John He wants to reveal Himself to you.
When you get back that medical report that says things do not look good. When the divorce papers arrive in the mail. When the business goes belly up. When the child runs away.
You can turn from God in rebellion. Or you can turn to Him in prayer. And a lot of times we want to get out of these situations. But the reality is we can learn things there we would not learn anywhere else.
We don't want that island of Patmos. We don't want that Thorn in the flesh. We don't want that storm. We don't want that trial. We don't want that hardship.
But through these hardships God comes near. That is why Paul was able to say after talking about his Thorn in the flesh which many believe He was actually a physical disability.
He said, His strength is made perfect in weakness. So most gladly therefore will I rejoice in these weaknesses. For when I am weak then I am strong.
The words of a crazy man? No. The words of a man that learned that God comes near in times of hardship. Maybe it is because we listen more and we pay better attention.
And if you are in this place right now, God wants to come near to you as He came near to John.
And know this also. Christ is coming back again. He has promised. You can be sure it is going to happen.
I have talked a little bit about the second coming that happens really at the end of the tribulation when Jesus returns to the earth with the church.
But prior to that He is coming for the church. That is why I said the first event on the prophetic calendar, under that first domino that falls, probably will be the rapture of the church where we are caught up to meet the Lord in the air in a moment in the twinkling of an eye.
And my question to you is, are you ready for that event? Because that can happen, friends, today. It could happen tonight. It could happen tomorrow.
And that is why we need to constantly be ready. And He is coming for those that are watching and waiting.
And Jesus even warns about the person that is living in sin and doing ungodly things and is saying to himself, Oh my Lord, delays is coming. It is not going to happen.
Well it is going to happen one day. And when it happens, if you are not ready you will be left. One will be taken and the other left. Which way will you go?
Listen to this. Get right or get left. Get right with God or you will be left behind.
This is not a fairy tale. It is true. It is the gospel.
And I want to close with an invitation for you to get right with God so you will know with certainty that you are ready for the Lord's return. An opportunity for you to get right with God so you will know with certainty that if you are to die you will go to heaven. Not if, but when. Of course it is only a matter of when. We just don't know when that is. But you will know you are right.
And then you You don't have to be afraid anymore. It's not like you want to die, but on the other hand you are not afraid to die because you are ready to meet the Lord.
And maybe some of you have sort of slipped away or you are in a backslidden state right now and you need to make a recommitment to Him. You can do that as well.
Remember we read in Scripture, if you have this hope of the Lord's return you should purify yourself. Meaning you should live a godly life.
If this has been a wake up call for you, I hope that you will respond as we pray together now if you need to.
Let's all bow our heads and everyone praying. Father, thank you for the truth of this great book. Thank you for the promise of forgiveness to those that turn to you and from their sin and receive your forgiveness.
And I pray for anyone listening right now or watching that does not yet know you, help them to see their need for Jesus and help them to come to you.
Now we pray. Now while our heads are bowed and our eyes are closed and we are praying.
If you would like Jesus Christ to come into your life. You would like Him to forgive you of your sin. You would like to know with certainty that you will be ready for the Lord's return.
Or you have fallen away from Him and you want to return to Him now. Wherever you are, would you just lift your hand up and let me pray for you.
If you want Christ to come into your life, you want to be forgiven of your sin, just lift your hand up. I will pray for you today. God bless you. You that are raising your hand, God bless you.
You have fallen away Glory from the Lord. You want to come back to Him again. Raise your hand up. I'll pray for you. God bless you.
You're not sure if you are ready for His return, but you want to be. Raise your hand up. I'll pray for you.
Now there are some of you I can't see you at Harvest Orange County, outside in the amphitheater in the court building. You raise your hand as well if you need to make this commitment, a recommitment to Christ.
Anybody else? Raise your hand now. God bless each one of you.
Alright now I'm going to ask that all of you that have raised your hand if you would please. Stand to your feet. And I'm going to lead you in a prayer.
Again stand to your feet. I'm going to lead you in a prayer right where you stand. And this will be a prayer of committing or recommitting your life to Jesus.
Stand up. Many are standing. So you're not alone by the way. You stand wherever you are. Even if you didn't raise your hand. You want to make this commitment to Christ. Stand to your feet now.
And I'm going to lead you in this prayer. You will not regret this. Anybody else? Stand now. God bless you.
There We are at Harvest Orange County. Stand up. Outside in the amphitheater, in the court building. Stand to your feet now. And I will lead you in this prayer.
One final moment. If you are going to stand, stand now. God bless you. Anybody else? Stand now. God bless.
All right. All of you that are standing I want you to pray this prayer out loud after me. And in this prayer you are asking God to forgive you. You are turning from your sin and putting your faith in Jesus.
Again as I pray, pray this out loud after me if you would. Pray this now.
Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. But I thank you for dying on the cross for me. And paying the price for my sin. And rising again from the dead.
Now come into my life. And be my Savior. And my Lord. And my God. Make me ready for your return. I choose to follow you now. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.