Revelation

The Apocalypse of John.

Introduction:

This book is notoriously difficult to interpret because it is in the ancient genre of Apocalyptic writing, which we are unfamiliar with in our culture.

Some people just stay away.

Others dive in and get a little too enthusiastic.

For 2000 years, Christians have claimed this book means the world will end very soon. Yet here we still are.

Other Christians claim everything prophesied in this book was fulfilled in the first century of the church.

These things are written as as code, full of strange symbols, so it is easy to come away with many different interpretations -- more so than any other biblical book.

Before descending into the endless debates about what all the mysterious images mean, we will focus on the clearest teachings:

that God gave Jesus the power to rule over all the earth, and that Jesus is giving believers that power as well.

1. The Vision of the Son of Man

John who?

4: Seven spirits?

Jesus Christ is the RULER of KINGS.

He has made Christians a kingdom.

7: Coming with clouds is a reference to Daniel 7. Compare.

All tribes on earth will wail -- shouldn't people be happy at the coming of Jesus?

10: In the spirit?

11: Seven churches - where are they now?

19: 'Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this.' Note this book is about some things that are already going on in the church 2000 years ago. It's not necessarily about the far future.

2. To the Churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira

What does it mean that the churches have angels over them?

What does it look like to test false apostles?

4: Faithful toil without love. Unfortunately, many conservative churches are like this. What's your evidence that your church does not need this as a reminder?

5: The lampstand seems to refer to the power and light Christ gives a church to be his witness in a given city or location. Back then, there was only one church community per city. Now in America we have so many churches in every town, who sometimes don't even speak to each other or know each other or want to know each other. Is that a problem we can solve?

9: The synagogue of Satan are those Jews who did not submit to Jesus and did not love his chosen people.

11: 'The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’' What is the second death?

13: Jesus keeps his eye on all his witnesses.

14: What is the teaching of Balaam? Compare with 2 Peter 2:15 and Jude 1:11. From the beginning of the church, there are teachers who have tolerated sexual immorality and those who have sought to use their office to make money. It is a perpetual problem to this very day. It's not just liberal churches who suffer from this, but also many so-called conservative churches will not discipline their members for divorce, adultery, and sexual wrongdoing, and many, many pastors work in the church just for a steady salary and a comfortable lifestyle.

15: The Nicolaitans?

16: Sword of his mouth?

17: Hidden manna? White stone?

19-23:

Loosely, we could today criticize some liberal churches as being like Thyatira, those who are being diligent to love and serve the needy, but theytolerate women who teach sexual immorality. That has to be stopped right away -- Jesus promises to strike her children dead.

But there were some in Thyatira who did not hold that teaching. So regardless of what sort of community you are apart of, or any potential sins and heresy in your town, Jesus searches your mind and heart and knows if you're on his side or the world's. Jesus will give to each of you according to your works. Many Christians forget that though we are saved by God's grace through faith, our reward is through our works.

The deep things of Satan?

24: As long as we hold fast to purity and love and faith, rejecting promiscuity and idolatry, Christ does not lay on us any other burden.

26: Good works of love and mercy are the way we receive authority over the nations.

27: What does it mean for the believer to rule with a rod of iron? Consider Psalm 2. God rules and has given rule to Jesus. Jesus promises he will give rule of the nations over to the one who believes in him.

3. To the Churches in Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea

Already in the first generations of the church, believers in Jesus became hypocritical and corrupt. It has always been thus.

5:

Repeatedly the believers in churches are exhorted to conquer. What does that mean? Conquering sin?

Remember, we are not just to confess the name of Jesus. We want Jesus to confess our name before God and the angels.

7: the key of David?

Opening and shutting -- binding and loosing?

8: Jesus doesn't need us to be powerful. He'll make us powerful when he wants us to be. First he just wants us to keep his word and hold fast to what we've been given and honor his name.

9: The synagogue of Satan will learn who Jesus loves, who are the true Jews.

10: Jesus tests those on earth, but some are exempt -- tribulations are distributed unevenly, although it's still fair to say it's the 'whole earth' being tested.

16-18:

Those who have comfortable things in life sometimes use those to cover up the fact that they are spiritually very hollow and and wretched. This is true of many Americans. We need the spiritual garments of Christ's righteousness to clothe our shame.