Revelation

OVERCOMERS: Revelation in One Sermon
Rev 1:1-22:21 May 26, 2019
I. Introduction:
A. Today I have a large assignment – Preach from a PANORAMIC view the
WHOLE book of Revelation in ONE MESSAGE.
B. To do this you need to know where I am COMING FROM and WHY. There
are PRIMARY 4 WAYS people interpret the book of Revelation.
1. Preterist - Revelation is like an ANCIENT NEWSPAPER.
Events already fulfilled in the first century AD.
2. Idealist - see Revelation as a non-historical and non-prophetic allegorical
DRAMA about the struggle between the kingdom of God and the powers of
evil.
3. Historic
a) Revelation is like a HISTORY TEXTBOOK understanding the events in
Revelation as symbolic descriptions of historical events throughout
CHURCH history.
b) Spiritualize the Covenant Promises to be fulfilled by Church.
4. Futurist
a) Revelation is like a ROAD MAP that describes the end of time and the
years leading immediately to the end, things yet to occur.
b) Take Covenant Promises Literally to be fulfilled by Israel
c) Church Participates in Promises through the seed of Abraham and David
– Jesus Christ.
C. I PERSONALLY HOLD the 4th view Futurist, which some call
DISPENSATIONAL. This is the same view MVC has held for over the last 60
years and the same view that MOODY BIBLE INSTITUTE teaches. Let me
give you just 3 REASONS WHY I interpret the book this way.
1. 1st as I said last week the ROOTS of all prophecy are found in the Covenant
promises that God made to Israel. And since the covenant promises and
many prophecies have ALREADY BEGUN to be FULFILLED
LITERALLY it is reasonable to EXPECT THE REST of them to be
FULFILLED LITERALLY.
2. 2ndly Because of Israel DISOBEDIENCE and REJECTION of Jesus as
Messiah – many say that the Church now REPLACES Israel as the New
Israel and thus SPIRITUALIZE many prophecies as being symbolically
fulfilled by the Church. They believe that ISRAEL FORFEITED their right
to these promises.
a) Not only does Romans 11 indicate that God has a FUTURE PLAN for
Israel but Listen to what God says about this in Ezek 36 right before He
talks about GATHERING Israel from the nationS and BRINGING
THEM BACK into their own land in the FUTURE!
(1) at a TIME WHEN:
(a) The land will be FRUITFUL and BLESSED
(b) it will be like the GARDEN OF EDEN again
(c) a time when it will be FORTIFIED, and at PEACE
b) As I read note that God does not ACT or REFRAIN from acting
DEPENDING upon Israel’s good or bad PERFORMANCE but to
VINDICATE THE HOLINESS of His great NAME.
(1) Read Ezek 36:22-24
(2) Then he talks about the NEW COVENANT of forgiveness and a
new Heart with the Holy Spirit inside of it
(3) Read V28 – My friends this is EXACTLY what we see happening
in the book of REVELATION after JESUS RETURNS
3. Finally The CHARACTER of God – His HESED = His FAITHFULNESS
to keep His Covenants and GRACE. – If God could TURN HIS BACK on
Israel when He made COVENANT PROMISES to Israel and BREAK HIS
PROMISES with them what KEEPS HIM FROM DOING THAT to the
Church today.
a) I will tell you what KEEPS Him from not BREAKING HIS PROMISES
with ISRAEL or the CHURCH – it is His FAITHFULNESS and
GRACE. His HESED – His OWN LOVE to FULFILL His covenant
Promises
• So now let’s jump into
II. The Book of Revelation in One Message
A. The Basic OUTLINE of the Book is simple: Read Rev 1:19
1. Things Have SEEN – Ch 1 (VISION of the Glory of Jesus)
2. Things That ARE – Ch 2-3 (7 CHURCHES)
3. Things Which WILL TAKE PLACE AFTER These Things – Ch 4-22
a) TRIBULATION 6-18
b) RETURN of Jesus in Glory 19
c) KINGDOM of God 20-22
B. We learned last week:
1. Theme – The RETURN of Jesus Christ in GLORY as Judge and King to
destroy EVIL and set up His KINGDOM
2. Purpose – To encourage the 7 Churches to persevere in HOLINESS,
ALLEGIANCE to and WORSHIP of Jesus.
C. Let me show you HOW I came up with those, let’s start with the THEME!
1. We saw in verse 1 the book STARTS with these words “The Revelation of
Jesus Christ” – we saw the book is PRIMARILY ABOUT Jesus.
2. Now look at v7 where his FIRST WORDS after he finishes his
INTRODUCTORY words! Read
a) Now look at the END of the book as he COMPLETES THE HEART of
the book and TRANSITIONS to his closing words! Read 22:7
b) The HEART OF THIS BOOK is about Jesus COMING BACK, the
RETURN of Jesus Christ.
3. Now turn to 11:17-18 it reveals to us the heart of WHY HE IS COMING
BACK. As he starts with the WORSHIP of the 24 elders then moves to the
RESPONSE of the nations. Read
4. Thus the THEME of this book –The RETURN of Jesus Christ in GLORY
as Judge and King to destroy EVIL and set up His KINGDOM
D. PURPOSE – To ENCOURAGE the 7 Churches to PERSEVERE in Holiness,
Allegiance to and Worship of Jesus.
1. Read 1:3 Heed
2. We must REMEMBER the book was WRITTEN TO the 7 Church who
currently were experiencing external persecution from Rome and internal
struggles of apostasy and immoral behavior
3. Letters to the 7 Churches
a) The letters to each Church are STRUCTURED basically the SAME –
Essentially it is
(1) VISION of Jesus in His glory
(2) COMPLIMENTS about what they are doing well
(3) CRITICISM of where they are coming up short
(4) EXHORTATION to do something or a WARNING
(5) PROMISE to OVERCOMERS
4. Note that each one of these PROMISES has something to do with a
REWARD in the future KINGDOM!
a) V2:7 – Eat of the TREE OF LIFE in Paradise
b) V2:11 – Will not be HURT by the SECOND DEATH
c) Cr 21:7 – This is DURING the time of the FUTURE KINGDOM of
God
5. This is important because God is encouraging CHURCHES to
PERSEVERE and live HOLY LIVES with full ALLEGIANCE to God
because it is WORTH it, the eternal REWARD FAR OUTWEIGHS the
current STRUGGLE and pain.
6. PAUL would have said it this way Read 2 Cor 4:17-18
E. Then we move to the 3rd section of the book and the LARGEST section – “the
things that TAKE PLACE AFTER these things.” Read 4:1
1. In Chapter 4 we get a vision of the THRONE Room and the one who SITS
ON it followed by WORSHIP of Him.
a) Read v2
b) PURPOSE of this is to REMIND them who is on the THRONE or
simply who is RULING and in CHARGE of these MESSY things going
on earth!
2. Then Chapter 5 we get a vision of Jesus as the one who is WORTHY TO
OPEN the scroll and WORSHIP of Him and the Father.
a) Read v1-5
b) PURPOSE is to show that Jesus is the ONLY ONE WORTHY to bring
about the JUDGEMENT upon the earth that is about to take place.
3. We have MODELED for us from this section and the 7 interludes of
WORSHIP that take place in chapters 6-19 during the severe judgment
upon the world that the proper and natural and HEAVENLY RESPONSE
to Jesus as Judge and King is WORSHIP!
4. And they are there to REMIND us that Jesus is the BACKDROP by which
we should READ ALL OF THESE EVENTS. Reminder it is about Jesus
PRIMARILY and the events SECONDARILY!
F. Then in Chapter 6 the JUDGMENTS BEGIN as Jesus BREAKS the first SEAL
of the scroll. Read v1
1. What we are going to see in Chapter 6-19 are a series of JUDGMENTS.
2. But there are BREAKS IN THE CHRONOLOGY of these judgments by
INTERLUDES that are like side bars that explain a bit more to us what is
going on like
a) Key CHARACTERS and INSTITUTIONS,
b) And 7 interludes of WORSHIP that show us the PROPER RESPONSE
of Heaven and God’s people to these times
c) and then finally we see the RESPONSES OF MAN on earth at the
time of these judgments!
G. So the 1st series of JUDGMENTS are the seven SEALS – These judgments are:
1. Seals:
a) First Seal: White Horse—Conqueror by AntiChrist
b) Second Seal: Red Horse —War
c) Third Seal: Black Horse—Famine
d) Fourth Seal: Pale Horse—Death 1/4th of the Earth
e) Fifth Seal: Martyrs under the altar
f) Sixth Seal: Earthquake, signs in the Heavens
2. Listen to the RESPONSE OF MANKIND to this – read 6:15-17
3. Note the Last Phrase in v17 “WHO WILL STAND?”
Chapter 7 is an interlude in the action that answers that for us telling us
about the 144,000 JEWS who will be SEALED and the great MULTITUDE
from every nation that will be SAVED!
4. Then the multitude breaks into WORSHIP declaring that SALVATION
belongs to God.
H. At the start of Chapter 8 the 7TH SEAL was BROKEN which INTRODUCED the
7 TRUMPETS and their was complete silence in heaven for ½ hour.
1. Trumpets:
a) First Trumpet – Hail, fire, blood
b) Second Trumpet – Fiery mountain in sea, 1/3 of sea becomes blood
c) Third Trumpet –Star falls, 1/3 of rivers Bitter
d) Fourth Trumpet – 1/3 of sun, 1/3 moon, 1/3 stars turn dark
e) Fifth Trumpet—Demon locust from the Abyss to torment mankind
f) Sixth Trumpet—200 million man army kills 1/3rd of mankind
2. Again note MAN’S RESPONSE to all of this read 9:20-21
3. Then in Ch 10-11 we see another INTERLUDE about
a) Ch 10 - a LITTLE BOOK that had 7 PEALS OF THUNDER in them
but the content of these were SEALED and John was not to write about
them
b) Then the 2 WITNESSES in Ch 11 who for 3 ½ years will PROPHECY
for God, be KILLED by the beast and then RAISED again to life and
CAUGHT up into heaven. Read v13
4. Then the 7TH TRUMPET Sounds and Christ’s REIGN right here on
EARTH is foreseen. Listen to 11:15-19.
I. Then in Chapters 12-14 there is another interlude to explain who some of the
main characters are in this tribulation and what their roles are! We learn here
about:
1. The WOMAN – Israel
2. The Red DRAGON – Satan
3. The MALE CHILD – Christ
4. Michael and his angels WAR with Satan and his angels.
5. The BEAST from the SEA – AntiChrist
6. The BEAST from the EARTH – False Prophet
7. The GREAT REAPER – Jesus
J. Then in Chapters 15-16 we move into the FINAL JUDGMENTS the seven
Plagues/Bowls. Read v1
1. Then in v3 we see WORSHIP again where they declare just how GREAT,
MARVELOUS, RIGHTEOUS and TRUE are His judgments
2. The Bowls of WRATH
a) 1st Bowl Painful SORES
b) 2nd Bowl Turns sea into BLOOD
c) 3rd Bowl rivers and springs - BLOOD
d) 4th Bowl—Sun SCORCHES people
e) 5th Bowl—Plunges kingdom of the beast into DARKNESS
f) 6th Bowl—DRIES UP the Euphrates for Battle of Armageddon
g) 7th Bowl—Judgment against BABYLON
3. Note MAN’S RESPONSES to these judgments. Read: 16:9, 11, 21
K. Then in Chapters 17-18 we see the judgment of the Babylon the GREAT
HARLOT her RELIGIOUS and POLITICAL systems during the Tribulation
along with CITY itself and its great COMMERCE!
1. And note the RESPONSE OF MANKIND to this – Read 18:17-19
2. But the SAINTS are actually called to REJOICE over this, listen – v20
L. Then we start Chapter 19 with a great MULTITUDE WORSHIPPING God
1. Read v1-2
2. Then we see the MARRIAGE FEAST of the Lamb with His bride, the
Church
3. Then the Lord appearing as a WARRIOR for His FINAL ACT of judgment
as He RETURNS with the saints and the angels to DEFEAT the anti-Christ
and all his allies who have gathered together for WAR AGAINST the
Lamb.
M. Then finally we move into the KINGDOM of God in TWO FORMS
1. 1st in Chapter 20 – 1000 YEARS here on earth while Satan is BOUND then
at the end of that time he is RELEASED and he deceives the nations into one
more LARGE WAR against the Saints and he is DEFEATED and thrown
into the LAKE OF FIRE where the ANTI-CHRIST and the FALSE
PROPHET already are.
a) This is followed by the GREAT WHITE THRONE Judgment where
everyone whose name was not written in the BOOK OF LIFE will be
thrown into the LAKE OF FIRE
2. In Ch 21-22 we see the ETERNAL ASPECT of the Kingdom of God as a
NEW Heaven and earth is created and God DWELLS right here on this new
earth WITH His people.
a) Read 21:3-4, 7
b) Read 22:1-5
3. This is the CONCLUSION of God’s STORY and the FULFILLMENT of all
His PROMISES!
4. These 2 aspects of the Kingdom are ESSENTIAL because it will REQUIRE
BOTH a 1000 year earthly kingdom and an eternal Kingdom with a new
heaven and earth to FULFILL all the promises and prophecies made by the
PROPHETS in the Old Testament and the promises in the New!
N. And in the final section we see Jesus again PROCLAIMING that He is
COMING Quickly and that His REWARD is with Him.
1. The CRY and PRAYER of the Church, the Spirit and John who wrote this
book was “COME”
2. And the INVITATION to those who are thirsty is “COME”
3. And all of this was written for them, for the Church for you and me who live
in a CULTURE THAT IS NOT FAVORABLE towards Christianity,
(Rome/United States) to persevere in HOLINESS, ALLEGIANCE to and
WORSHIP of Jesus because Jesus Christ is RETURNING in GLORY as
Judge and King to destroy EVIL and set up His KINGDOM
O. PRAY