SERMON NOTES
October 19
Steve Thomas
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Revelation Teaching Notes
Week One - January
Introduction and Chapter 1
This is important but it is not a first order issue. It’s important because it helps us see:
The glory of Jesus
The victory of Jesus
How God feels about evil
The end of evil
The sovereignty of God
God’s ultimate plan
But, there are some things that are not clear and that godly, well-meaning theologians and church members disagree on. Let’s agree to remain brothers and sisters even though we may have significant disagreements about the interpretation of this book.
Some might ask, why is it so unclear? Why does God not make it clear? I cannot say for sure but I suspect that God is fine with people wrestling with different views of interpretation within reason. I think He probably intends for this to be the case.
We need to remember a couple of things whenever we struggle to understand something about God.
A God we can completely understand is not God.
Most of the best scholars of the say missed Jesus the first time. We need to be humble enough to accept the fact that we won’t get it all correct.
I also need to tell you that my views have changed over the years and as I have studied this recently.
I’m going to give you a brief overview of the 4 views of interpretation but before I do, let’s begin where nearly everyone agrees we will end up. Let’s begin in Chapter 20. I am going to read this without comment, mostly.
Revelation 20:1–21:8 (ESV)
1Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain.
2And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,
3and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.
4Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
5The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection.
6Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
7And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison
8and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea.
9And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them,
10and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
11Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.
12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.
13And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.
14Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
15And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
2And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
4He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
5And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
6And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.
7The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
8But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
This is exciting stuff! Let’s take a minute and celebrate the victory of Jesus.
Everyone agrees that this is where we are headed.
Jesus wins
Satan is defeated
God’s people are given an incredible heavenly home
There is a new heaven and new earth
God will dwell with His people
Death and mourning are no more
Here is an overview of the 4 major views of how Revelation should be interpreted. Please note this is a simple description. There are many nuances and variations.
Preterist –
Primarily Catholic
The book was written to the seven churches and all of the events happened within the first century AD.
The second coming of Jesus is assumed to have happened in 70 AD with the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem
Post-millennial
Jonanthan Edwards, R. C. Sproul
The Gospel will continue to transform the world leading to a golden age on earth of 1000 years after which Jesus will return
Outlook for the future: The world will get better
Premillennial
Two types
Dispensational –
John MacArthur, David Jeremiah, Dallas Theological Seminary, Scoffield Study Bible
Furturist – Chapters 4-22 all happen in the future
Rapture => 7 years of Tribulation => 1000 year reign of Jesus on earth => Judgment new heaven and new earth
Outlook for the future: The world will get worse
Historical
Erasmus, John Piper, Darrell Bock
Not futurist, events have been happening since book was written
Tribulation has happened and will continue to happen until Jesus returns
Jesus returns => 1000 year reign of Jesus on earth => Judgment new heaven and new earth
Outlook for the future: The world may get worse
Amillennial
Augustine, Voddie Baucham, Sam Storm
The millennium in not a literal 1000 years but instead refers to a long time
The millennium began when Jesus ascended and will end when He returns
Some believe Jesus is reigning in the intermediate state now
Some believe Jesus reigning on earth now.
Tribulation has happened and will continue to happen until Jesus returns
Outlook for the future: The world may be worse or may stay about the same
The Genre of Apocalyptic literature
Lots of images
Not necessarily in chronological order
The question of how literal it intends to be is to some degree left open.
Let’s begin with Chapter 1
Date:
Either 60-65 AD – during the reign of Nero
Or 90-95 AD during the reign on Domitian
Both were brutal Roman leaders who persecuted the church
Author
While some disagree, in general the author is believed to be John the Apostle
Revelation 1:1–20 (ESV)
1The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
2who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.
3Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
4John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,
5and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood
6and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
9I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
10I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet
11saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”
12Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands,
13and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.
14The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire,
15his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.
16In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last,
18and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
19Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this.
20As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Revelation 1:1–2 (ESV)
1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.
Is it a revelation that reveals Jesus or is it a revelation the belongs to Jesus that Jesus delivers? Reading the book seems to say both. It both reveals Jesus and it tells the rest of the story of Jesus.
Revelation 1:3 (ESV)
3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
There is a blessing for those who read this aloud and for those that hear and keep it.
The time is near – what could that mean?
Revelation 1:4–8 (ESV)
4John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,
5and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood
6and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Notice who the book is addressed to. These are seven churches in what is now western Turkey. There were real churches in real places
Jesus is presented as alive, powerful, and coming.
Revelation 1:9–11 (ESV)
9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet
11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”
John presents his setting as in the midst of tribulation.
Revelation 1:12–16 (ESV)
12Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands,
13and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.
14The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire,
15his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.
16In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
Contrast this picture of Jesus with Jesus on the cross. Jesus is revealed here for who He truly is. This may be how He appeared at the transfiguration.
Revelation 1:17–20 (ESV)
17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last,
18and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
19Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this.
20As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
When you know Jesus, you should not be afraid.
Resources:
Thomas Schreiner
Revelation
Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament
Paige Patterson
Revelation
New American Commentary
Dr. Voddie Baucham
“When is the Millennium?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVbsgUzonK4
Dr. John Piper
“An Evening of Eschatology – Premillennialism, Amillennialism, Postmillennialism”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4S0TQ2dXnms
Thomas Schreiner
“Thomas Schreiner on Revelation A Fresh Take and the Millennium”
Church Grammar Podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thomas-schreiner-on-revelation-with-a-fresh-take/id1449161376?i=1000640943347