Greg Laurie - The Time Is Near (03/11/2018)
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Pastor Greg kicks off a new series on Revelation at Harvest Orange County, focusing on chapter 1 to unveil the glorified Jesus in full control. He explains this book is pre-written history centered on Christ—not mainly the Antichrist or scary end-times stuff—and promises real blessing to anyone who reads it aloud, truly hears, and lives it out because the time is near.
Starting a New Journey Through Revelation
Well, we're starting a brand new series tonight here at Harvest Orange County. And it's the book of Revelation. Now that's not hard to find. Open your Bible and hang a hard right and go all the way to the end. Don't go too far. You'll end up at the table of contents. But this is the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation. So turn there with me if you would. We're going to explore Revelation chapter 1 in our time before us. And then next time, next Thursday night, we'll be looking at Revelation chapter 2, which seems logical since 2 is after 1, right? All right. Let's pray together.
Opening Prayer for Insight
Father, we ask your blessing on this time. We want to get a better understanding of the times, of the soonness of your coming, and how we should live as a result. Lord, we're eager to hear what the Word of God says. So we commit this time of Bible study to you now as we explore this amazing book called Revelation. Bless it, we would ask in Jesus' name. Amen.
Headlines Today Were Predicted Long Ago
Terrorism. Global chaos. Tension in the Middle East. Hostility toward Israel. Talk of a cashless society. A one world government. The emergence of China as an economic and military superpower. All these headlines from news sites and newspapers were predicted hundreds of years ago. In some cases, thousands of years ago. And many of them come right from this book, the book of Revelation. By the way, it's Revelation, singular. Not Revelations. I don't know why people tend to call it that. Yeah, I'm reading Revelations. No, it's Revelation, singular.
What is Revelation? The book of Revelation is pre-written history. Pre-written history. It is not an allegory. It's not poetry. It's God's clear and direct word to each of us about what is happening. Why is that? It's because God can speak of the future with absolute certainty and accuracy. In fact, He knows the future as well as we know the past. Well, let me restate that. He knows the future better than we know the past. Because a lot of times, I forget details.
Have you noticed how stories will change with the passing of time? And you know, you add parts that weren't necessarily a part of the original story. It always makes me laugh when I'm telling a story to someone of something that happened to me. And my wife interrupts me and says, "That's not the way it happened." I said, "Excuse me, as I recall, you weren't even there when this happened." She said, "No, but you told me right after it happened and I remember the first version." And you know, doggone it, she's right most of the time. So we don't even always remember the past perfectly, but God knows the past, of course, but He knows the future in the same way.
Why God's Predictions Are Always Reliable
Why? Because God lives in the eternal realm. So when God says this is gonna happen, it's not like He's going out on a limb and taking a risk. He's simply describing the reality of something and it's something you can absolutely depend upon. The basic test of the true God, of the true faith, of the true so-called prophet, and of true belief lies in this: Can they predict the future with accuracy? A lot of people can predict the future. But can they do it accurately?
The Bible is the one book that predicts the future, not once, not twice, but hundreds of times. It's worth noting that two-thirds of the Bible is what we would call prophecy, meaning it's speaking of things to come. One half of those prophecies have already taken place. Because, of course, Scripture speaks, for instance, of the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem and all the prophecies about Jesus. One half of these have taken place, but many more are still waiting to be fulfilled. So when God says something's going to happen, you can take it to the bank.
Signs We're in the Last Days
And by the way, one of the signs of the last days, and I do believe we're living in the last days, will be a renewed interest in Bible prophecy. The prophet Daniel wrote about this in the 12th chapter of his book as he was very disturbed about some visions he had had, and he couldn't quite understand them. But the angel who revealed these visions to him responded by saying this in Daniel 12:4, "But 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."
Daniel was being told that his visions were prophetic and that their fulfillment wouldn't be understood by him or anyone else until the end of the age. The angel was telling him at the end of the age, people would have an increased knowledge and understanding of what the theologians call eschatology, which is the study of end times events. And today as we look at things happening before our very eyes, we realize we're living in that time. It's an amazing time to be alive, really. And these are things that Revelation told us about.
Things in Revelation That Only Make Sense Today
In fact, there are things in Revelation that weren't even plausible until the last 100 years. Did you know that? In the last 100 years, we've seen some amazing developments. This is one of the reasons that this book was written in what we might call figurative language. It's because the predictions that John was making, and really I should say that the angel was giving him, John wrote these things down, these predictions were so far removed from the language of John's day that ordinary Greek would not do.
For instance, how would you describe a nuclear war to someone living in A.D. 90? But as we read some of these descriptions in the book of Revelation, we wonder if these are not nuclear exchanges because John describes a horrendous war in which fire and brimstone are rained down from heaven, and a third of the crops are destroyed. Back in his day, the only kind of an event that could produce such a result would be some kind of a volcanic eruption like what happened in Vesuvius covering the city of Pompeii. But now mankind can fulfill what John was predicting at will through nuclear weapons.
Or John's description of mass death, famine, and disease, or the ability of one man to have control over people where no one could buy or sell without his approval. I mean, these are things that one could not even imagine in the first century, but today, oh my, they're happening before our very eyes. Or how about this? John speaks of an army marching of 200 million men. Did you know there were not 200 million men on the earth when John wrote those words, much less any nation that would be able to field an army of that size? But today, that's entirely possible. In fact, China could field an army even larger than that.
Don't Be Afraid to Study Revelation
Yet some people will not study the book of Revelation. They're afraid. They'll say, well, it's too complex. It's too hard to understand. Winston Churchill described Russia as, quote, "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside of an enigma." That would also be a good description of some women I've met, but we won't go there. But it's pretty accurate for how Revelation may appear to some or how Bible prophecy may appear to some.
I went out to dinner some years ago with my friend James McDonald. And we went out with another pastor who will remain unnamed. But we're just talking about different things and what we're all speaking on. And somehow the topic of Revelation came up. I think at that time, James was teaching through Revelation. This other pastor said, "You're teaching through the book of Revelation?" And James said, "Absolutely." And then he looked at me and the pastor asked, "Have you ever done that?" I said, "Oh yeah, quite a few times." That's like, he thought that was insane that you could actually teach through this book. And I'm thinking, that's crazy. You would not teach through this book.
Why? Because it's such a unique book with a special blessing attached to it that I will identify in a moment. But here's a book that says, if you study it, you'll be blessed. Okay, I don't know about you. I want to be blessed. How many of you want to be blessed? Yeah, I do too. So why would I not want to study a book with a blessing attached?
Revelation Pulls Back the Curtain
The book of Revelation tells us about the future of mankind and the world we're living in today. It also sort of pulls back the curtain on the unseen world, the supernatural world that coexists with the physical world, the realm of heaven and hell, the world of angels and demons. And so we see what's going on all around us.
Now, this is very important to understand. The word revelation means to unveil. To unveil. It is not God's desire to conceal truth. It is God's desire to reveal truth. It's not to cover up truth. It's to open up truth. And so through this book, we should see things we had not previously seen. We're going to learn about heaven and hell and angels and demons in the future. We're going to learn about the Great Tribulation, the Battle of Armageddon, and yes, of course, the Antichrist.
And here's the problem with some, is they want to get to the juicy stuff. Yeah, when are we going to talk about Antichrist and the Tribulation period? Oh, it's in there. And there's a bit on it. But you know, that is not the focus of the book of Revelation. And that comes as a surprise to some people. The focus of the book of Revelation is not the Antichrist. The focus of the book of Revelation is Jesus Christ. That's very clear and very important.
Jesus Is the Star of Revelation
One of the main objectives of this book is to reveal who Jesus is. Even a cursory look at Revelation reveals Jesus is the star, if you will, of the book. He's the main theme. Revelation 1:5 reveals Him as the faithful witness, also the firstborn of the dead. Revelation 1:8 reveals Him as the Alpha and the Omega. He is the one who is, who was, and who is to come. He is the Almighty. There are eight references to Jesus in the first chapter alone. This book was written to reveal Jesus to us.
Revelation Comes With Its Own Outline
Here's another cool thing about Revelation that makes it very helpful for anyone giving messages from it. It's the only book in the Bible that comes complete with its own outline. Because that's a challenge sometimes when you're going through books of the Bible and chapters of the Bible is sort of how to outline it in an understandable way. Revelation comes with its own outline. It's found in Revelation 1:19. It says, "Write the things which you have seen and the things which are and the things that will take place after this."
So those effectively are the three sections of Revelation. Number one, the things that you've seen. That's what the Apostle John is describing in chapter one. The resurrected and glorified Christ with all power on heaven and earth. The revealed Jesus who's in complete control of all that is about to happen. The all-powerful Jesus who's coming back again to establish His kingdom.
Then number two, the things which are. And this is a reference to the letters of the seven churches in Revelation chapters two to three. There we see our Lord giving a message to seven different churches. And by the way, if you've ever wondered what Jesus thinks of the church, you'll find the answer in Revelation in chapter two and three.
And so finally, category number three are the things which will take place after these things. These are the future events unfolding in chapters four to 22. So we have the Lord's person. We have the Lord's people. And then we have the Lord's plan or program.
Quick Overview of Revelation's Structure
But chapter one is a revelation of the glorified Christ. Chapters two to three, the entire scope of church history. Chapters four to five, the church taken up to heaven. Chapters six to 19, the great tribulation period. In chapter 20, we have the millennium. And then finally, in chapters 21 to 22, we have the new heaven and the new earth.
Future Events Revelation Will Cover
The book of Revelation will reveal to us the rapture, the coming world leader, the Antichrist, his numbering system, the judgment that God brings on the earth for seven years. We'll also find out who the 144,000 are. By the way, sneak preview. They're not Jehovah's Witnesses, as they claim. We're gonna examine why and when the Jews will rebuild their temple and how important that is in the last days scenario. And we're gonna look at the emergence and ultimate description of Babylon. We're gonna look at the battle of Armageddon and what superpowers will be in it. By the way, you'll probably be surprised by that. We'll also look at the second coming of Christ and His kingdom that He will establish on this earth.
Here's another unique thing about Revelation is it's the only book that was sent and given by angels. It was delivered by an angel of the Lord to the Apostle John. As we read in Revelation 22:16, Jesus declared, "I, Jesus, sent my angel to testify to you of the things for the churches." In fact, angels appear in every chapter of Revelation except chapters 4 and 13. The word angel or angels are used 71 times in the book of Revelation more than any other book of the Bible. So, this particular book has a lot to say about these mysterious supernatural beings.
Why John Was Chosen to Write Revelation
Now, it was given by an angel to the Apostle John. It's interesting that John was chosen. You know, John was the first follower of Jesus Christ. He'd previously been a follower of John the Baptist. And John pointed to Jesus and said to John, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." So, John became his first follower. And then John went out and found his brother and brought him. And so, we find that John had a unique role.
But then as we follow the ministry of the Lord, we see how John always had this special place in the Lord's ring of followers. Of course, it was John that we would often read about who would be leaning on the chest of Jesus so as not to miss a word. It was John who was entrusted with the wonderful privilege of caring for the mother of our Lord after he was crucified when Jesus said, "Behold your son." And then to John, "Behold your mother."
It was also John that outran Peter to the tomb to see the risen Lord. And it was John now that's given this unique privilege. In fact, John wrote a number of books. First, second, and third John were written that we might have eternal life. John wrote the gospel of John that we might believe. He wrote the epistles that we might be sure. And finally, he wrote the book of Revelation that we might be ready.
So, effectively, John is the last man standing. He's been banished to the island of Patmos. It's believed he was perhaps in his 90s at this point. Church tradition tells us that they tried to boil John in oil, but he wouldn't cook. So, they banished him to this island thinking they would never hear from him again.
There was a lot of persecution in Rome at this particular time, starting with Nero, continuing with Diocletian. And the Christians had become the scapegoat in Rome for everything that was going wrong. In fact, it's interesting. The third century leader, Tertullian, noted, quote, "If there is a famine, if there's a plague, the cry is at once, Christians to the lion," end quote.
And I thought, well, things haven't really changed much, have they? How often do Christians get blamed for things going wrong in our culture? Oh, it's the fault of the Christians. Really? I actually think the fault is on the people who disregard what God's Word says. They just get angry at us because we dare to remind them of what God's Word says.
But these believers in the first century were under intense persecution. They were being fed to the lions. They were being arrested. They were being tortured. They were being executed. And they didn't know what was happening. So Jesus gave them this book, Revelation, to effectively say, "I'm in control. I know what's happening. And I'm coming back. And everything is going according to plan."
And as we read Revelation today, it says the same thing to us as well. Don't be afraid. God's in control. And everything is going according to plan.
The Blessing Promised in Revelation 1:3
So here's John on this little island called Patmos. And suddenly, he's in effect put into a spiritual time machine. And he's catapulted into the future. And he's trying to write down what he has seen. The book of Revelation is like the ultimate action thriller. I mean, who doesn't like a great novel or a movie that keeps your attention from beginning to end? Revelation has it all. It has drama, suspense, mystery, and horror. It tells of rebellion and unprecedented economic collapse and the ultimate war of mankind.
But despite these ominous happenings, the book of Revelation bursts with joy and hope. In fact, it climaxes with a happy ending as sin and death are banished forever. Because Revelation 21:4 says, "God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death nor sorrow nor crying and there will be no more pain for the former things have passed away."
The book of Revelation reminds us we win in the end. And that's good to know because sometimes it can seem like we're losing. But we win in the end.
And of course, as I said earlier, there is also a promise, a blessing to the reader of the book of Revelation. In fact, no book in the Bible has such a thing. And that's found in Revelation 1:3. "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keeps those things which are written in it for the time is near."
So there's a blessing promised, but there's three prerequisites to receive the blessing. Number one, blessed is he that reads. And by the way, that can be translated to read out loud. So first, we must read it for ourselves. But it does not stop there. Number two, you must hear the words of the prophecy. You know, you can read something without hearing it. Have you ever had someone talking to you and you're hearing but you're not hearing? They're saying words but you're not listening. You're not paying attention.
Like when you're sitting in a classroom. Hopefully not right now how you're feeling but could be with some. So you are to read it but then you are to hear it. You are to pay attention. Jesus would often say he that has ears to hear let him listen. And then finally, the blessing is promised to those and this is very important who keep the things that are written in it. In other words, you have to apply these words in your life.
That means you're living your life ready for the return of Jesus Christ. You see, hearing and reading God's word isn't going to help you if you don't keep it. It would be like going to the gym seven days a week. And you're saying I go to the gym seven days a week for two hours and I'm not seeing any results. In fact, I'm putting on weight. I'm not losing it and I'm getting weaker not stronger. And you're going to the gym seven days a week. So someone follows you down and notices that when you get to the gym you just find a chair you sit there and you eat twelve donuts every time.
See, going to the gym isn't enough. You need to actually get out there and do something, right? So in the same way we can go to church or we can even read scripture with no intention of applying it in our lives approaching it in an academic fashion and it will have no impact on you at all. So you've got to read it you've got to hear it and you've got to keep it. And if you do that you will receive the blessing.
The Real Reason to Study End Times Prophecy
Why should we study end times events? Some say then it's a waste of time. No, it isn't at all. I'll tell you why you should. The reason we learn about the future is to motivate us to live right in the present. Let me say that again. The reason we learn about the future is to motivate us to live right in the present. Because it has a spiritually purifying effect on our lives as we realize Christ could come back at any moment.
A Quick Flyover of End-Times Chronology
Now before we start reading let me just sort of give you a flyover of what I believe are the order of end times events. The chronology. Because we hear these words Antichrist, tribulation period, millennium, second coming, rapture, and we don't know what happens when. So I'm going to give you what I believe is the order of events.
And we've said this before but I think you all know that I believe the next event on the prophetic calendar is the rapture of the church. When the Lord will come for His people and will be caught up to meet Him in the air. I think immediately following this or in close proximity to it would be the invasion of Magog against Israel. Now we'll talk later about who Magog might be and what that is all about in particular.
Shortly after the rapture of the church this coming world leader also identified as the beast or the Antichrist emerges on the scene. By the way initially He doesn't come off as a bad guy. In fact He comes off as a good guy. In fact He comes off like some kind of a super man. But in reality He's a satanic super man. Because He has an agenda. He will bring about global peace for a period of time. And this will be so impressive that many will hail Him as the very Messiah.
But then He commits what the Bible calls the abomination of desolation. That is after He has helped the Jewish people rebuild their temple and He erects an image of Himself in it and commands people to worship it. And this marks the halfway point of the tribulation period and the countdown to the second coming begins which is three and a half years later.
So once Antichrist emerges because you know this game is on for sure. Things continue on with famine and disease and war on a scale like we've never seen. It culminates in the Valley of Megiddo for the final battles of Armageddon. Then Christ returns in the second coming. And by the way we return with Him as believers. That inaugurates the millennium which means 1,000. That's the 1,000 year reign of Christ and at the end of the millennium the new Jerusalem comes down from heaven to earth and heaven and earth effectively become one really in answer to the prayer of our Lord when He said we are to pray Thy kingdom come Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Reading Revelation Chapter 1 Out Loud
Alright. So that's the introduction. Okay. So let's read now. Let's read let me read aloud the revelation of Jesus Christ not the whole book just some verses out of the first chapter. Go to Revelation chapter 1.
"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants things which must shortly take place." You might want to underline that phrase we'll come back to it. "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 who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep the things which 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 was, Him who is, and Him who is to come, and from the seven spirits which are before the 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 who is to come? The Almighty."
"I, John, both your brother and companion, in the tribulation, in 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 beginning and the end, the first and the last.' And what you see, write in a book, and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea."
"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, 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 his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. His eyes like a flame of fire. His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace. And his voice a sound of many waters. He had in his right hand seven stars, and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and his countenance was like the sun shining in its strength."
"And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. He laid his right hand on me, saying, 'Don't be afraid. I am the first and the last. I am he who lives and who was dead. And behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and death. Write the things that you have seen, and the things which are, and the things that will take place after this.'"
We'll stop there. Hey, is that awesome or what? Come on. If you're bored, you're not alive. Amazing.
Main Points from Revelation Chapter 1
All right, so now let me make some points. And if you're taking notes, you might want to write these things down. Revelation means unveiling, right? What does it unveil?
Events of the Last Days Happen in Rapid Succession
Number one, revelation reveals the events of the last days that are closely linked together. Let me say that again. The book of Revelation reveals the events of the last days that are closely linked together. Look at verse one of chapter one. These events will "shortly take place," or literally what must speedily happen.
I know what some of you are thinking. You're saying, Greg, this book was written some 2,000 years ago. A little slow, isn't it? Well, let's understand what this is actually saying. This is not referring to soonness, but to quickness of execution once there is a beginning. In fact, the word shortly could be translated, they must come to pass with rapidity. In other words, it's from the Greek word from which we get our English word, tachometer, the instrument used to determine the speed of an engine. So it's saying they're going to happen closely together.
Other passages tell us they'll be like labor pains. Now, you girls understand this much better than guys. Oh, I've had some pretty big meals, and I've said to my wife, put your hand here, I think it's kicking. That's just too much salsa. But you ladies know, you mothers in particular, that when you're pregnant, and you're waiting for the baby to come, you have a general due date, but it might come before, the baby might come after, it might come on the due date, but it starts with labor pains. And as the labor pains get closer together, that means baby is coming. Then your water breaks, and now it means get to the hospital quickly.
And that's what the end times events are compared to. Labor pains. You know, one will happen, and then another will happen. But when they get closer together, it means we're getting really close to his return. I look back over my life as a Christian of 40 plus years, and I think of events that would happen every few years, something significant would happen. But right now, with the news cycles that we're in, with the events that are happening in our world, it seems to me that these labor pains are getting closer together. Have you noticed that? It's not like something happens every year, or happens every month. Sometimes it's a couple of things are happening every week that remind us of what the Bible spoke of.
So this is the idea that's being communicated. These things won't happen slowly. It's a lot like dominoes. I don't even know how to play dominoes. I just know how to knock over dominoes, right? So you stack a bunch of them, and they take a little turn here, and then they go straight and come back again, and you get them all set up. And then when they're all there in place, you just tap that first domino, and off they go, and it's a lot of fun. It takes three more hours. It sets them more up. That's what the prophetic events are like. Once the first one happens, the next will happen, happen, happen, happen.
So the big event we're waiting for, of course, is the rapture of the church. Once that takes place, that's like the first domino, and everything begins to happen. That is the idea being communicated here when it says these things will happen shortly. The whole machinery of history will be slipped into high gear to run its fatal course into judgment.
Jesus Reveals Himself in This Book
Number two, revelation is from Jesus Christ revealing himself to us. It's from Jesus Christ revealing himself to us. Who is a better source on Jesus than Jesus? Well, there is no better.
Remember him on the Emmaus Road with those two disciples that left discouraged after he had been crucified? And he joined them incognito? Do you think he had one of those little disguises, the glasses with the nose and the mustache? Probably not. Somehow they weren't able to figure out who he was. And he walked with them. And he talked with them. And he began to open the Scripture to them. And he pointed them to all the passages in the Old Testament that spoke of the coming Messiah. And as these guys listened, they thought, man, this guy knows the Bible. It's almost like he was there or something. Or like he wrote it. Yeah, exactly. You're walking with God in human form. Jesus was telling them about Jesus. He was explaining his mission. And that's what he is doing here for us in the book of Revelation.
Look at verse 5. It's from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness. Notice the word faithful is used. That could also be translated the truthful witness. And the problem with some people is, you know, they lie. When you are sworn in a court of law, you put your hand on the Bible, you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth. If you then tell a lie and you're found out in that lie, that's called perjury. And the problem is not everybody tells the truth in the day and age in which we're living. In fact, some people traffic in lies.
But Jesus is always perfectly truthful. In fact, he said of himself, "I am the way, the truth and the life." And so, he will always speak the truth to each of us. Because sometimes I'll hear a piece of information, did you hear this? First thing I ask is, where did you hear that? I read it on the Internet. Oh, then it must be true. You know there's a lot of crazy things on the Internet that can't be trusted. I hope you know that. Because anyone can post anything about anyone or anything they want to.
And so, I always want to know the source. And they'll say, well, so-and-so told me. And in some cases, I'll immediately dismiss it. And the reason I immediately dismiss it is I know so-and-so often doesn't get the facts right. Or I know so-and-so often strings a few things that are not even related together. And we'll make a case out of nothing. So if the source is not reliable, I'll dismiss it. But then there are other people I know. Man, they say it. I know it's true. They always say the truth. Well, so-and-so said, oh, man, I believe it's true.
When Jesus says it, you know it's true. You know, you can tell the truth to someone, but do it in a mean way. I mean, you might look at someone and let's say they're a very unattractive person. There are unattractive people out there, aren't there? How many of you are? No, I mean, you know. I think every morning we wake up, we all think we're an unattractive person, right? But you can walk up to someone and say, "I just want to speak truth to you, bro. You're ugly." Now, is that technically true? Maybe. But you know what? You're mean. There's a right way to tell truth. If someone's ugly, I don't know if there's any good in actually saying that to their face. The Bible talks about speaking the truth in love. There's a loving way to say something.
And that's brought up here, verse five. "Who loved us." He's the faithful witness who loved us. It's not enough that He's gonna tell me the truth. He's gonna tell me the truth lovingly. In fact, it could better be translated who keeps on loving us. I like that. Don't you? He's the faithful true witness who keeps on loving me. Know this. God has always loved you and will always love you. Always. Without stopping. And so, here we have this on display.
How different this is from our fickle culture today. Our world loves you when you're young and beautiful. God also loves you when you're plain and elderly. Our world loves the famous celebrity. In contrast, God loves the unknown nobody. Our world loves the rich and powerful. God loves the poor and weak. Our world loves the extraordinary. God loves the ordinary people like you and me.
So not only are you loved, but as a Christian, you're cleansed from your sins. Look at verse five. "He washed us from our sins in His own blood." Notice the past tense of that verse. He's done it. God has forgiven you through Jesus Christ for all the wrong that you've done.
Jesus Is Coming Back—That's the Big Message
Okay, number three. The book of Revelation tells us repeatedly that Jesus Christ is coming back again. That message cannot be missed. Verse seven says, "Behold, He is coming with clouds." In fact, this truth of the imminent return of Christ is found in 500 verses throughout the Bible. In fact, it's been estimated that one out of every 25 verses in the New Testament refers to the second coming of Jesus. That's why we need to talk about it. So when someone says, "Well, no, you guys shouldn't talk about those things." No, we should talk about these things. And Revelation certainly does. Because it gives us hope in a hopeless world.
You know, a lot of politicians are making a lot of promises right now. And I hope that we'll elect a godly person to the White House. And I, as I've said to you before, do believe Christians should be informed on the issues. I think they should vote biblically, not emotionally. And I think that we should absolutely make sure we're registered and we're having our voice heard. But, you know, we know that no matter who that person is, they can only do so much. And people generally disappoint us in some way, shape, or form. And there's hopelessness. But I have hope in Christ. This is the blessed hope of the believer. In fact, Titus 2:13 speaks of the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Revelation gives me hope.
Verse 7 says, "Behold, He is coming with clouds." Now, what does that mean? Well, it could simply mean that He's coming in the clouds. It could also be a reference to believers who will be with Him because Colossians 3 says, "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, we will appear with Him in glory." And over in Hebrews 12, it talks about how we're surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses or people who are in heaven already. So maybe that reference to clouds is a reference to the fact that when Christ comes back to the earth, we will return with Him.
So if you've always wanted to go with us on a trip to the Holy Land, you're gone. Maybe not on a bus. But you're going to come back with Him when He returns as King of kings and Lord of lords.
The Second Coming Will Be Visible to Everyone
Number four. When Christ returns, all the world will know. I'm talking about the second coming now. When Christ returns, all the world will know. Because verse 7 says, "Every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him." That's a reference to the second coming. Matthew 24:30 says, "Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
No, great glory. But I'm going to be there too, and you're going to be there. We're all going to be there. Every eye will see Him. You say, "Well, I'm confused, Greg. Because isn't the rapture something where we're just caught up and Jesus says, He's like a thief in the night. And then this is every eye is going to see Him." What's going on? What's going on is the rapture happens before the tribulation, and the second coming happens at the end of the tribulation. You see, what goes up must come down. We're going to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Then we're going to return with the Lord at the second coming. And that, the second coming, will be seen globally. Everyone will be aware of it. Every eye will see Him.
Jesus Declares He Is Almighty God
Number five. Revelation reveals Jesus as God incarnate. Revelation reveals Jesus as God incarnate. Look at verse eight of chapter one. Jesus says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega." Those are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. "I am the beginning and the end says the Lord who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
You know, sometimes people will say, you know, Jesus never claimed to be God. His disciples came up with that later. Nonsense. Jesus did claim to be God. In fact, right here in Revelation is a clear claim of deity. He's referring back to Isaiah 44 where the Lord says of Himself, "I am the first and the last beside me there is no God." Jesus is saying, "I'm the beginning and the end." And Jesus on multiple occasions accepted worship from people. Like when He appeared in the upper room and Thomas fell down and said, "My Lord and my God." If He was not Lord and God He would have said, "Now Thomas, you get up back on your feet. I'm not your Lord and God." No. But He was. So He accepted that worship. And our Lord reminded us that we should worship the Lord God and Him only shall we serve. So this is a clear claim of deity.
But I like the fact that He calls Himself Alpha and Omega. That means that He finishes what He starts. Are you one of those people that starts things and you don't always finish it? How many of you are like that? Don't be embarrassed. Well, you're very organized people. Hey, I'm one of those people that starts things. Now, some things I finish, things I think that really matter, but other things, eh, not so much. You know, generally things I don't want to do like cleaning up rooms. You know, I'm kind of a messy person. My office where I prepare my messages looks like a bomb blew up in there. And so when I try to organize it and put things in the proper place, I get about maybe half done, maybe three quarters done. And I say, well, I'll finish later. But I don't finish later.
Aren't you glad God doesn't do that with us? I'm going to choose that person there and I'm going to show my love to them and I'm going to transform them and I'm going to eh, I'm sick of them. I'm moving on. You're just like, you know. He finishes what He begins. He's the author and finisher of our faith. He's the Alpha and Omega.
John's Vision of the Glorified Christ
So here on the island of Patmos, John is hurtled into the future. Look at verse 10. "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day." Or a better translation would be unto the day of the Lord. Now some commentators think this might be a reference to Sunday. Sunday is often called the Lord's day. But I don't know if that's the proper interpretation. I think He's just speaking of the future. In other words, it's as though John is saying I was taken to the day of the Lord's return. Sort of like He was taken to this place and He was able to see what it would be like when the Lord returned. Back to that you know eternal time machine so called.
Verse 12. "I turned to see the voice that spoke with me." I turned to see the voice that spoke with me John says. And I hope we'll all do this as we study this book. As we're going through it let's not just make this an academic pursuit. This study is not being done to satisfy the curiosity of prophecy aficionados. And there are people like that. They just love to talk about last times events and everything to them is a fulfillment of Bible prophecy. The dog ran away came back it's a fulfillment of something you know. And they're just overboard about everything.
I think it's good for us to have a working knowledge of these things that the Bible speaks of but ultimately the goal is it should impact us in the way that we live. That Bible prophecy properly taught and understood should move our hearts toward God. And if it isn't moving our heart toward God something's not right.
I already reference the fact that if we really believe these things it should spiritually purify us. First John 3:3 says we know that when He comes we'll be like Him and whoever believes this will keep himself pure even as He is pure.
Here's another thing believing that Jesus Christ is coming back should cause us to want to reach others with the message of the gospel. Because 2 Peter 3:14-15 says Dear friends while you're 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 have time to be saved.
Now I've been doing a lot of interviews for Harvest America and I'll do a lot more before it happens and I'm often asked the question why are you doing this? And I'll give an answer that sometimes surprises them I'll say among other things because I believe Jesus Christ is coming back soon and I want to take as many people with me to heaven as I possibly can. That's my answer. Pretty straightforward.
So if I really understand what this book is teaching and Bible prophecy in general it will cause me as we just read there to want to live a pure and holy life and it will cause me to want to bring others with me so they can join me in heaven one day because sometimes you know you can read these things and just not get it.
Remember when the wise men came from the east looking for he that had been born the king of the Jews and I've told you before there weren't the Bible never says there were three of them there may have been nine of them and they were just cheap and they invested in three gifts we don't know. They didn't ride camels they probably rode Arabian steeds these were like very influential people king makers more than kings as a matter of fact they were schooled in astrology and the occult as well as astronomy they were sort of like Jedi knights more than anything else. They would travel with a huge entourage so if you are Herod hanging around in Jerusalem and all of a sudden this big entourage a small army comes into town with these mysterious visitors no wonder Herod paid attention and they said we have seen his star in the east and we have come to worship him.
So Herod gets all the scribes together and says I don't even know what they are talking about figure this out. So all the scribes start searching the scriptures and they say yeah this is the Messiah who is going to be born in Bethlehem. So what does Herod do? Well he runs to Bethlehem no no he kills all the baby boys in Bethlehem and doesn't do anything to get there himself and even more to the point the scribes who knew this didn't make this short journey to see if it was true. This is how some people can be they can be studying scripture and know all the facts and figures and not be moved to take practical action. So it needs to move us.
Notice John turns to see and who does he see but Jesus verse 13 in the midst of the seven lampstands one like the son of man clothed with a garment down to his feet and girded about his chest with a golden band. Now this is fascinating because he has seen Jesus and I have often wondered why there is not one physical description of Jesus in the New Testament. Have you ever noticed that? Could someone in writing four gospels have taken the time to say hey he was like you know six foot one had wavy brown hair and brown eyes and something anything. nothing.
I think it is probably because God knowing our propensity for idol worship would make idols in worship but we have done a pretty good job without even knowing with all of our traditional depictions. Well here now is a description of Jesus Christ really the only one in all of the Bible but as you can see it is largely symbolic.
Revelation 1:14 his head and his hair were white like wool as white as snow his eyes like a flame of fire his feet like fine brass as if refined in a furnace and his voice like the sound of many waters. This is very similar to a description of God in the book of Daniel where he is described as the ancient of days and Daniel 7:9 it says I watched till thrones are put in place and the ancient of days was seated his garment was as white as snow and the hair of his head was like pure wool.
By the way Daniel and Revelation are parallel books. Daniel is the revelation of the Old Testament so they are closely connected and we'll see a lot of connections as we go through Revelation. But look at this verse 14 his eyes are like a flame of fire. Better translation would be his eyes shot fire. Wow. Now this gives you an idea that he's looking at something he does not approve of. His penetrating gaze sees something that he's not pleased with so they shoot fire.
So this is very important. You know when you meet somebody you look into their eyes. You can tell a lot about a person by their eyes. I'm always not sure about people that won't look me in the eye when I talk to them. Then there are people that stand so close to you you go cross-eyed looking at them. I call these people space invaders. And if you're one of those people just stop. No really who are you? Raise your hand stop please. No but here's the space okay. Look pay attention. Not any closer than here. Just don't get this close to me. Unless you're married to me.
But some people that are right in your face you know. But you look in a person's eyes. And Jesus is looking at sinful humanity and his eyes are like fire.
Jesus Holds Authority Over Life and Death
Number seven revelation reveals that Jesus is the one who decides who will live and die. This is our final point. Revelation reveals that Jesus is the one who decides who will live and die. Verse 18 Christ says "I have the keys of Hades and death." Jesus alone possesses the key or authority over death. No one can die apart from his divine permission. So he's aware there's no accidents here.
And Jesus says don't be afraid. Now so many times we're afraid of the wrong things in life. Dental work, audits, public speaking. We fear the wrong things and we don't fear the most important thing or maybe I should say we don't fear the most important person. We don't fear God. The Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
Now to fear God does not mean that we cower in terror before him. A good definition of fearing God is a wholesome dread of displeasing him. If I've sinned it's not the fear of what he will do to me but rather what I've done to him. So I should fear God.
Jesus says don't be afraid. The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God you fear nothing else whereas if you do not fear God you fear everything else. Let me say that again. The remarkable thing about fearing God is if you fear him you will not fear anything else. But if you don't fear God you'll fear everything else.
David said the Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom then shall I be afraid? Only he who can say the Lord is the strength of my life can then go on to say of whom then shall I be afraid.
Don't be afraid. Something scaring you right now? The fear of the unknown? The fear of the situation you're in? The fear of just life and our world today? Don't be afraid, Jesus says. And even if death comes, and of course it will come to all eventually, we don't even have to fear death. Because 2 Corinthians 5 says, we know when this earthly tent we live in now is taken down. When we die, when we leave these bodies, we have a home in heaven. An eternal body made for us by God himself, not by human hands.
You probably heard that rock star David Bowie just died. He had cancer. He died at the age of 69. Right after his death, they released his final album called Black Star. And it appears that Bowie, whose actual name was David Jones, he changed it to David Bowie, spent a good part of his life searching. He admittedly tried, I think pretty much everything this world has to offer. In an interview in 2004, he said, quote, "I was young, fancy free, and Tibetan Buddhism appealed to me at the time, I thought. I thought, there's salvation." But Bowie says, it didn't really work. Then I went through Nietzsche, Satanism, Christianity, pottery, of all things. And I ended up singing, it's been a long road, end quote.
But one of the songs on Bowie's last record, Black Star, is called Lazarus. And some, reading the lyrics, wonder if Bowie believed in Jesus at the end, because he said he tried Christianity. Because the lyrics of this song are, look up here, I'm in heaven. I've got scars that can't be seen. I've got drama that can't be stolen. Everybody knows me now. So is David Bowie in heaven? Well, I don't know. And you don't know. Only God knows. And only David himself knows.
But I'll say this. Regardless of what he did with his life, if he called out to Jesus Christ in the final moments of his life, he was welcomed into heaven. Because heaven is not for perfect people. It's for forgiven people. Because God loves David Bowie. And he loves everyone. But I know if Bowie were here right now, he would tell us this. Eternity is real. God is real. Jesus is real. There will be no doubts about it then.
You say, well, how do you know that? Because the Bible says, every knee will bow one day and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the Father. Democrats are going to bow. Republicans are going to bow. Independents are going to bow. Presidents and prime ministers and kings and queens are going to bow. Movie stars are going to bow. Rock stars are going to bow. But if you wait until then, it will be too late. Better to bow now and be ready to meet him.
If you want to know how you can be sure if you go to heaven, it's very simple. It's through Jesus Christ. Jesus talked about his home in heaven and Thomas wasn't getting it. He says, basically, loose paraphrase, we don't know what you're talking about, Jesus. We don't know where you're going. We don't know the way. Today, Jesus said, Thomas, listen, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. And no man comes to the Father but by me."
See, Jesus holds the keys to hell and to death. I'm so glad he holds the keys because I lose my keys all the time. If I had them, we'd all be wandering around. What do we do now? Jesus has them. They're safe. If you want to go to heaven, that's up to you.
We've just had a little mini glimpse into heaven here in the first chapter. Of things to come for the follower of Jesus. But this is only for the follower of Jesus. Heaven is not the default destination of every person. It's only the destination of those who have turned from their sin and put their faith in Jesus. And then you can know you will go to heaven when you die.
Invitation to Receive Christ
And if you don't know this, let's settle this right now. Maybe you've joined us here and most of you have. That was a joke. Okay. One person claps. One clap. I like that it was one clap. Not even... I mean, what is that? Clap. Okay.
But let me just ask you this really serious question now. If you died today, would you go to heaven? Amen. Well, if you know Christ, you know you will. But if you don't know Christ, you don't know.
Let's settle this right now. You say, well, how do I settle it? What do you mean settle it? I mean, in a moment we're going to pray and I'm going to give you an opportunity to call out to Jesus. And he will hear your prayer. And he will answer your prayer. And he will come and take residence in your heart. And he will forgive you of all of your sin. Why? Because he loves you. He loved you so much he died on the cross for your sin. And then he rose again from the dead. And now he stands at the door of your life and he knocks. And if you hear his voice and open the door, he will come in.
Would you like to open the door of your life and ask Jesus in? Would you like to go to heaven when you die? Then respond to this invitation as we all pray right now. Let's all bow our heads.
Father, we've heard your word. And Lord Jesus, thank you for coming and dying on that cross and rising again from the dead. And now we know that you're ready to enter into those hearts that will open to you. Help people to see their need for you, Lord.
And while our heads are bowed, our eyes are closed, and we're praying, how many of you would say tonight, Greg, I'm not sure if I would go to heaven when I die. I don't know what would happen to me. Well, you can know if you'll say yes to Jesus. Would you like your sin forgiven? Would you like to go to heaven when you die? Do you want Christ to come and live inside of you? If so, wherever you are, would you lift your hand up and I'll pray for you. Lift your hand up saying, I want Jesus Christ tonight. I want to go to heaven when I die. I want my sin forgiven. And I'll pray for you. Just lift your hand up wherever you are.
God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you as well. Anybody else, raise your hand up high where I can see it please. God bless you up here in the front. God bless you there. Anybody else? God bless you there in the back. You need Jesus tonight. You know who you are. He's speaking to your heart. Don't let this opportunity slip by. He loves you and you'll never regret it. But you must just reach out to him. Anybody else? If you haven't raised your hand yet, lift it now. Let me pray for you. God bless you. God bless you. I'll wait another moment. You're ready to say yes to Jesus. God bless you too. God bless you. God bless you as well. God bless you too.
While our heads are still bowed, maybe some would say, man, I've believed in Jesus in my life, but I've walked away from him. I've been a prodigal son or daughter. I'm doing things no Christian should ever do. And I'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired. And I want to come back to Jesus tonight. I want to make a recommitment to him so I can know I'm ready for his return. If that's your desire, would you lift your hand up right now? Let me pray for you. God bless you. Anybody else? Raise your hand up. Let me pray for you. God bless you guys.
Lord, I thank you for each one of these. Give them the strength now to carry on with this commitment and follow you. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Listen, everyone that Jesus calls, he calls openly and publicly. And we're going to do the same tonight. In a moment, the worship group is going to lead us in a song of invitation. I'm going to ask if during that last moment of prayer, you raise your hand saying that you want Jesus Christ to come into your life. You want your sin forgiven. You want to go to heaven when you die. I'm going to ask when this song begins, you would get up out of your seat, walk down these aisles and stand here in the front of this stage. And then when you all get here, I'll lead you in a prayer of commitment.
Say, but Greg, why do I need to walk down there? Well, Jesus said, if you will acknowledge me before people, I will acknowledge you before the Father and the angels in heaven. But then he said, if you deny me before people, I'll deny you before the Father and the angels. This is a way to say publicly, I want to follow Jesus. Maybe you did not raise your hand, but you want to make this commitment or recommitment. You can come as well.
So again, if you raise your hand, even if you did not, but you want your sin forgiven. You want a second chance in life. You want your guilt taken away. You want to go to heaven when you die. You want to be ready for the Lord's return. Or if you've fallen away from him, you want to come back to him. Right now, get up out of your seat. Come on down these aisles. Stand up here in the front. And when you all get here, we're going to pray together. Get up and start coming now. Make your public stand for Jesus Christ.