Rapture Part 2

Good morning.  Bibles.  Rev 1.

We are in the first section of this book.

Chapter 1 – Intro

Chapters 2-3 – Letters

Chapters 4-5 – Throne Room

Chapters 6+ – The rest of the story

The structure of chapter 1

Verses 1-3 – Introduction – Opening statement

Verses 4-7 – A very elaborate greeting – like John can’t contain himself

Verses 9-11 – An explanation – why did you receive this letter

Verses 12-20 – A description of what happened – the beginning of the story of this encounter

Verse 8 – an interjection – a quote – he’s quoting Jesus – “I can’t wait to tell you what he said!”

Review where we are in history – John – Patmos – 90 AD

Review verses 1-3

Jesus Christ – Messiah, Anointed One,

Preterist – requires an earlier writing date for Revelation – Subject of revelation is mostly allegory – fulfilled in 70 AD.

Historicist – the book of revelation is, and has been unfolding throughout history.  It begins shortly and is a description of the different ages of the church for the last 2 millennia.

Futurist – focused on the last few years before the end of the age and the return of Jesus.

The idea of soon is not exact timing – but urgency and certainty and necessity.  It’s the idea of not delaying or slowing down.  That God wants all these things to happen and is diligently at work right now and always to bring these things to pass as soon as possible.

Remember, revelation is connected to the rest of the Bible.  The stories that begin in Genesis find their conclusion in Rev.

Rev does not introduce new subjects.  But it does expand and clarify many subjects that God has already spoken about.

God doesn’t change his mind.  God doesn’t change his story.  Revelation is the same story that God has been telling since creation.

The threads of prophecy in the OT do not come to a conclusion in the first coming.  To say they continue even is not right either.

The threads of prophecy explode in unprecedented ways at the first coming and weave their way even more intricately into the story of the second coming of the Messiah.  The arrival of our King.  The son of man arriving again, this time to conquer and to rule the nations.

John would have understood a lot more about what was happening and it’s connection to scripture better than us because we don’t understand the OT like John and the people of Israel would have.

All the things that he was told and shown in this vision are connected back through the OT and through Jewish history all the way back through Ezra and David and Samuel and Moses and Abraham and Noah and Adam.

Remember who is bringing this revelation to whom.  Jesus wants his friend John to understand and pass on this information.  So it makes sense that Jesus would show and speak in ways that John would understand.  So he speaks as one Jewish man would to another, both being familiar with the Hebrew scriptures.

So one of the most useful questions we could ask when reading and studying and trying to understand this book is “What would come to John’s mind when Jesus showed him this”?  How would John be processing the various things he was being told and shown?

Remember this is the revelation of Jesus Christ.  So what is being revealed to John about Jesus.  The man he remembers from all those years ago.  His friend whom he saw die and come to life again and then leave.

The last time John saw Jesus was 60 years ago as he rose into the sky to go to his Father.  And now John is seeing his friend again.  But he is also his friend in all his glory and power.

So John’s opening here is a little bit confusing.  Maybe the best way to understand what John is writing here is to empathize with how John must have been feeling.  Overwhelmed, excited, awe-struck and joyful and sometimes confused.

As with all the other books in the Bible.  The character and personality and mind and heart of the writer comes through in the writing.  If we want to understand this book we need to remember as we’re reading, that it’s John who is telling us all this.

John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

 

Grace to you and peace

Just like the other letters of the apostles, it’s for the instruction and encouragement of the

church

It is also for all churches and The church

from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before

his throne, and from Jesus Christ 

Trinitarian reference – father son & spirit

and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,

The Holy Spirit

7 is the number of completeness/perfection

Zech 4:2

And he said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it,  – represents the Spirit of God

Isa 11:2 – describes – And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
    the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and might,
    the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

This is a picture of the unity of God in the incarnate son

Col 2:9 is made visible to John – For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily

and from Jesus Christ 

the faithful witness, 

Martyr – Isa 53 – God was going to send someone to die on behalf of his people – so that many

could be made righteous

Jesus, when he was explaining his coming Kingdom and who would be great in it – said to his

disciples – that he came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom

for many.”

the firstborn of the dead,

Who are the dead?  Humanity.

Eph 2:1 – And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

As “firstborn of the dead,” Jesus is both first in time and first in preeminence. As the first to be raised from the dead, Christ is the founder and initiator of the new era God is bringing about through Jesus’ victory over sin and death. Jesus’ resurrection from death opens the way for all who trust in him to follow him in a resurrection like his when he returns.

and the ruler of kings on earth.

Daniel 2 – Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
    to whom belong wisdom and might.
21 He changes times and seasons;
    he removes kings and sets up kings;

Dan 7:13-14 – 13 “I saw in the night visions,

and behold, with the clouds of heaven
    there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
    and was presented before him.
14 And to him was given dominion
    and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
    should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
    which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
    that shall not be destroyed.

To him

who loves us

and has freed us from our sins

loosed, untied, released us

Isa 1:18 – “Come now, let us reason[c] together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
    they shall become like wool.

Psalm 103:11-12 – For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

Luke 4:18 – “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
    and recovering of sight to the blind,
    to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

Rom 8:1-2 – There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.[a] For the law of the Spirit of life has set you[b] free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

by his blood 

Lev 17:11 – the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement

What did Jesus say at the last supper? – Matt 26 – this is my blood of the[c] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Hebrews 9:11 – 11 But when Christ appeared – he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.”

and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father,

Ex 19:6 – you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’

1 Peter 2:9 – you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession

 

to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 

Behold, 

Look.  See.  Pay attention.

he is coming with the clouds,

Deut 33:26 – “There is none like God, O Jeshurun,
    who rides through the heavens to your help,
    through the skies in his majesty.

Ez – Isa – other prophets – God rides on the clouds – God’s judgement comes in clouds

Ez 30:3 – For the day is near, the day of the Lord is near; it will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.

Isa 19:1 – the Lord is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt; and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.

Dan 7 – behold, with the clouds of heaven
    there came one like a son of man,

and every eye will see him,

even those who pierced him,

and all tribes of the earth will wail[b] on account of him.

Zech 12

Even so. Yes.  Indeed.  Amen.  May it be so.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

I am the first and last

The Lord God – Adonai = lord or master, Elohim = God

I am the one who was and who…

The Almighty – the omnipotent one – the one who has all the power

All authority is mine

I am “I am”.

Heb 1:1-3 – Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high

of the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
    the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

Psalm 9:7-8 – says this about God – But the Lord sits enthroned forever;
    he has established his throne for justice,
and he judges the world with righteousness;
    he judges the peoples with uprightness.

John wants to get this in – Jesus is everything he said he was – Jesus is everything God has promised – Jesus is God

All those glimpses of glory in the OT.  God appearing in human form or God showing Ezek and Isaiah

John is like “That’s all Jesus”.

When we worship Jesus we worship the one and only God.  A God who has been forever united with his creation.  A God who has been forever united with his people. 

And a God who has was born to be like us.  To take our place.  So that we could be born again to be like him and stand in his place.

This has been the plan from the beginning.  That the Son of God would be pre-eminent in all.

He is the holy one.  He is on the throne.  He is the object of all worship because He has done it all.

He alone created everything.

He alone has brought salvation.

And He alone will rule.

And He alone will redeem it all and lift all of creation into the Glory that God has planned for this world.

And He alone will make everything and everyone into the Kingdom that has been promised because He alone is worthy of all of it.