Why Study The Book of Revelation?
Dear Saints:
We know much about Jesus while He was here on earth. We know about His birth, 3 years of ministry, His humiliation, death, burial and resurrection and ascension into heaven.
Don’t you want to know more about Jesus Christ, the conquering King and Lord of lords? Jesus Christ has revealed more of Himself in the Book of Revelation. His Kingdom is different from the kingdoms of this present world regardless of what we are going through right now.
It’s “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place.” It’s not the spooky book you have heard about and may not have read as often as you should.
I am very excited about this study. Disclaimer: We are not studying the book of Revelation because of the craziness of our time and the COVID-19 of these days. We are not studying to make predictions of world events of our time. We are studying because of our love for our Lord and Savior who wants us to know Him more in all facets. Jesus is the exalted One, the Conquering Jesus and He is the King of kings and Lord of lords who will rule and reign forever.
Apostles John writes from exile as it was revealed to him. This was a great time of persecution for the church then and now. The book of Revelation was and still is a great HOPE for the Church then and now.
The whole of the Bible is all about God and Christ who is also God. The book of Revelation brings the whole prophecies in the Bible together and to fulfillment.
Jesus introduces Himself to us: 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
The book of Revelation is divided into three sections: There is what is, what was and what is to come. There is what was and what is now which is the glorified Christ and His Church age chapters 1-3. Then there are things that will soon take place which is the conquering of Satan and the Antichrist, the judgment and rule and reign of Jesus on the earth for a thousand years – chapters 4-20. And finally there is the great wedding of the bride of Christ; the restored new heaven and new earth which will be our dwelling place for eternity with God forever and ever -chapters 21-22. Let’s clear the air; It is not a difficult book to understand.
It is exciting to see what is to come (covered in chapters 4-22) which starts after the rapture of the believers in Christ (see 1 Thessalonians 4). However, the entire Bible and the book of Revelation is not just for our excitement because of the great HOPE it offers us; but for living godly now and to be transformed and conformed to Christ. From the increased knowledge of Christ in the book of Revelation, we will gain much wisdom for today as we trust Him more; and be much more motivated to love one another and be good examples for the world to see and know Christ and put their faith and trust in Him.
We will speak to those yet-to believe in Christ with much confidence, boldness and compassionate warning in light of the wrath of God that is surely coming; and as we introduce them to Jesus Christ the only Savior and Lord and King of kings.
This book Is a thriller. Once you start, you will not stop reading. I encourage you to read Revelation all at once. It takes about one and half hours for a slow reader like me. We will later take our time for in-depth study. May we see and know Jesus more than before as we read and study the book of Revelation. Amen. Let’s just get a taste of the first chapter as follows:
Revelation Chapter 1:
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
Greeting the Seven Churches
4 John, to the seven churches which 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, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.
To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Vision of the Son of Man
9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, 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.”
12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;
15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. 20 The mystery of the seven stars which 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 which you saw are the seven churches.
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