REVELATION CHAPTER ONE
LESSON 2
Revelation
1:3 3 Blessed is he that
readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things
which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
The word
revelation means the uncovering, the unveiling or the disclosing of Christ
Jesus, as the revealing of the person of Christ, or the revealing of what he
intends to do, starting with the church age, and running through to the end of
time.
The church
age is that period of time that the church is on earth the church is of course
the followers of Christ Jesus, the church age started fifty days after Jesus
was raised from the dead, on that Jewish holy day called Pentecost.
It will end
when the church is raptured. The word rapture refers to the catching away, or
caught up, Joining Jesus in the air.
1 Thessalonians 4:15-16 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which
are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which
are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ
shall rise first:
First of all the Christians who have died will rise from their
graves, then together with them, we who are still alive and remain on earth
will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with him
forever. We are to comfort each other with these words.
I don’t want to get ahead of myself on this study so lets reveal what
was said to these seven churches in chapter one.
Revelation 1:4 4 John
to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him
which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which
are before his throne;
Jesus speaking vs 11, 11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the
last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven
churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos,
and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
Jesus is forewarning the seven churches.
Revelation 3:21-22 21 To him that
overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame,
and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches.
He is also warning the churches of today to be ready for his
appearance in the clouds to take us away.
Mark 13:30-33 30 Verily I say unto you, that this
generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.
31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels
which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
Jesus went away in the clouds and he is coming back in the clouds.
Jesus told the seven churches to wake up and stay awake, that there was certain
aspect of their faith that they were backslid in and needed to return to his teachings.
Revelation 3:2 2 Be
watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I
have not found thy works perfect before God.
He was saying the steps have not yet reached Gods standards. It is
not enough for a church to hold right doctrines or go through a form of
worship. For a church (believer) to have a valid relationship with God, it must
be backed up by His word and receiving his son Christ Jesus as Lord and savior.
Many people confuse the book of life with the Lambs book of life. They
are completely different. The book of life is a list of all who were born once,
every person who has ever lived. The Lambs book of life is a list of all who
are born twice. In other words, all who have truly accepted Jesus as Lord and
Savior, born of the spirit.
Jesus also promised to acknowledge the names of the saved before
God and his holy angels. Wouldn’t it be great to hear your name called out in Heaven?
Jesus said in
Matthew 10:32-33 32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me
before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny
before my Father which is in heaven.
I think that gets right to the point.
Revelation 3:10 10 Because
thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of
temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon
the earth.
Jesus promised to keep believers out of the hour of trial that
would come in the future. He will not permit his church or the one who follow
him go through the tribulation period.
It will be a time of famine, natural disasters, epidemic sickness,
war and murder. It will come upon the whole world. Believers should rejoice
that faithful church members won’t have to go through that. This is why John
began the next chapter with the example of the rapture.
This next period is so important to understand that I will do my
best to break it down very carefully.
Revelation 3:15-16 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither
cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I
will spue thee out of my mouth.
Cold signifies formal or without spiritual life. Lukewarm means
indifferent or one foot in church and the other foot in things of the world. Hot
means you are passionate to serve God, in total obedience.
I will have more on this subject next week.
Stay in the word,
Brother Andy
