To get the weight and balance of the whole book, an overview of Revelation will prepare us for the immediate future, the distant future, and the eternal future. To understand the book's flow of thought, its structure, and the main points made in each section will help us rightly understand the smaller units of the book in context when we study them. So we'll look at
- the Opening (1:1–8),
- the Vision (1:9–22:9), and
- the Closing (22:10–21).
Rev 1:1–8: The Apocalyptic Prophecy's Epistolary Opening
Genre. One of the most important things when trying to understand any writing is to understand the genre of what we are reading. We know what to expect from comic strips, blogs, novels, and nonfiction books. So it is important to understand the genre of Revelation to know what to expect.
Apocalypse, an uncovering/unveiling of the end of history. The opening words identify it as an "Apocalypse of Jesus Christ" (1:1). An apocalypse typically concerns itself with what will take place at the end of history, whereas prophecy usually deals with what will take place in the flow of history before it reaches its consummation. That Revelation is an apocalypse leads us to expect that it will "unveil"—the etymological meaning of "apocalypse"—what will take place at the end of history. It claims to "uncover" how history will be concluded.
Prophecy. John also pronounces a blessing in Rev 1:3 on those who read, hear, and keep what is written in "this prophecy." So John not only describes his book as an apocalypse, he also tells us that it is a prophecy. Revelation, then, is an apocalyptic prophecy.
Letter. Beginning in Rev 1:4 John takes up the same format as in Paul's letters: the author identifies himself, the recipients of the letter, and wishes them grace. It also ends similarly to the way many NT letters end: "The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen" (Rev 22:21). The churches mentioned as the recipients of the book in Rev 1:4 are further identified in Rev 1:11, and then they are directly addressed in chapters 2-3. These churches appear to be named in the order in which a letter carrier would have gone from one church to another, starting from Ephesus. What we have in Revelation, then, is "an apocalyptic prophecy in the form of a circular letter" to encourage Christians in churches.
Encouragement. The whole book was probably intended to be read aloud, in one sitting, in a worship gathering of the local church. In writing to 7 churches (a number of completion/wholeness), John writes to all churches. Being an apocalyptic prophecy, this letter reveals the future; it pulls back the veil and lets us see reality and the world as it truly is: the glory of God in his justice, which highlights the gracious and free character of his mercy. It is God's purpose to display his glory in these ways is one of the blessings of reading and studying this book.
Rev 1:9–22:9: John's Vision on the Lord's Day
Sequence. John tipped us off to the structure of Revelation by using "in the Spirit" near the beginning of the major sections of the book (1:10; 4:2; 17:3; 21:10). In Rev 1:9, John recounts the way Jesus appeared to him in glory (Rev 1:9–20), dictated to him specific letters addressing the 7 churches (Rev 2:1–3:22), and called him up into the heavenly throne room to see the worship of God (Rev 4:1–5:14). In the throne room, John sees Jesus take a scroll from the Father. When the scroll is opened, the writing on the scroll describes the events that will bring history to its appointed consummation. Jesus opens the 7 seals on the scroll (Rev 6:1–8:1); then 7 angels blow 7 trumpets (8:2–11:19). John describes the conflict between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent in cosmic terms in Rev 12-14. Then 7 seven bowls of God's wrath are poured out in Rev 15, 16.
In Rev 17—22 we have a harlot, the King, and his bride. Rev 17:1–19:10 personifies the wicked world system as a prostitute named Babylon, and the outpouring of God's wrath results in her fall. King Jesus then comes and sets up his kingdom in 19:11–21:8. His coming is followed by the description of the people of God personified as the pure bride of the Lamb, the new Jerusalem, descending from Heaven for the marriage supper
of the Lamb (21:9–22:9).
Let's look more closely at each of these sections to see the overarching point of each part of the body of Revelation.
Rev 1:9–3:22: Jesus and the Letters
Contrast between Jesus and the churches. There is a striking contrast between the obvious glory and authority of the risen Christ in Rev 1:9–20 and the beleaguered, persecuted, oppressed, sinful, unimpressive, insignificant state of the churches addressed in Rev 2-3. 5 of the 7 churches are rebuked for some specific sin and called to repent. The 2 churches that are not rebuked are opposed by the "synagogue of Satan" (Rev 2:9; 3:9) and are told that they will suffer (Rev 2:10). Jesus promises to preserve them through suffering (Rev 3:10).
Sinful churches. Most of us are probably not facing life-threatening persecution like the church in Smyrna (Rev 2:10), but we are all aware of plenty of reasons to be discouraged about the state of the church. Like Ephesus and Laodicea, we either know that our love is not what it was at first (Rev 2:4), or we know those in the church who are lukewarm (3:16). We don't have to look far, either, to find false teaching, idolatry, immorality, and spiritual death in churches (cf. Rev 2:14, 20; 3:2). Until Jesus comes, as long as there are people in churches, there will be problems in churches.
Jesus stands among the sinful churches. We might be discouraged by the letters to the 7 churches, for they tell the truth about the sinful, challenged, seemingly weak state of the churches. But the vision of the risen Christ in Rev 1:9–20 shows that Jesus is standing among the churches, holding the angels of the churches in his right hand, attending to their well-being, and possessing all glory and power and authority. Then as Jesus addresses the churches, the opening of each letter proclaims some aspect of his glory. He shows his love for the churches by disciplining them (Rev 3:19), and promises breathtaking rewards to those who overcome.
God preserves his people. When seemingly weak Christians who are unappreciated by the wider society maintain their faith and continue to proclaim the gospel in spite of every temptation and opposition, God shows his glory in his ability to preserve his people. These people also testify that Jesus is their treasure, which condemns the treasures of the world as worthless. When the unimpressive, insignificant church is vindicated, the things that are impressive by worldly standards are condemned, and the wisdom and power of God are displayed.
God will save and judge. As the churches are compelled by the glory of Christ (Rev 1:9–20) to obey what he calls them to (Rev 2:1–3:22), we see that in spite of the way things seem now, God is the central reality of life. He is going to save the righteous and judge the wicked. And the righteous are those who have been freed from their sins by the blood of Jesus (Rev 1:5).
Unimpressive. If it seems that the church is unimpressive, may I suggest that this is the way God intended the church to seem. Jesus, too, was unimpressive by worldly standards. He is now exalted. To those who overcome Jesus guarantees that exaltation will follow humiliation:
- in Rev 2:7 the overcomers will eat of the tree of life;
- in Rev 2:11 they will not be hurt by the second death;
- in Rev 2:17 they are promised hidden manna and a new name on a white stone;
- in Rev 2:26 they are promised authority over the nations;
- in Rev 3:5 they are promised white garments and Jesus' acknowledgment before the Father;
- in Rev 3:12 they are promised the right to a place in God's temple with the name of God and Jesus written on them;
- in Rev 3:21 they are promised the right to sit with Jesus on his throne.
Rev 4:1–16:21: The Throne and the Judgments
Contrast between sinful churches and glorious throne in heaven. Just as there is a stark contrast between the exalted Christ in Rev 1 and the lowly churches in Rev 2-3, there is a similar contrast between the lukewarm, sinful churches in Rev 2-3 and the throne room of Heaven in Rev 4-5. This contrast is intended to jolt the churches out of lukewarmness into the same passionate worship of God that is happening even now in Heaven. The description of the radiant glory of God in Rev 4 is meant to put the spotlight on the beauty of holiness and the wretchedness of sin. This is meant to purify the churches.
Revelation of God's wrath warns against the inescapable judgement of God. Flowing out of the heavenly worship scene are the judgments of the seals, the trumpets, and the bowls. Rev 4:5 says that "From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder." Then we find lightning and thunder after the 7th seal (Rev 8:5), after the 7th trumpet (Rev 11:19), and after the 7th bowl (Rev 16:18). This is one of the features in Rev that connects the judgments of the seals, trumpets, and bowls with the throne: these judgments come from God. When we feel the magnetic force of temptation, we need to visualize the inescapable judgment of God described in Rev 6—16. We need to pray that God will use the revelation of his wrath to bulldoze the wickedness that is wooing us.
God preserves his people. Interspersed through these chapters are also several sections that show God's ability to preserve his people. Between the opening of the 6th seal in Rev 6:12–17 and the 7th seal in Rev 8:1, Rev 7 describes the saints of God being sealed (Rev 7:1–8) and worshiping God in Heaven (Rev 7:9–17). Similarly, between the 6th trumpet in Rev 9:13–21 and the 7th trumpet in Rev 11:15–19, Rev 10:1–11:14 presents the divine origin and protection of the church's prophetic witness.
God protects his people from all Satan's schemes. God's protection of his people is also dramatically illustrated in Rev 12—14 where the cosmic conflict between Satan and the people of God is described. Satan presents a cheap imitation of the crucifixion and resurrection of the Lamb of God in the form of a 7-headed beast with one head that was mortally wounded and then healed (Rev 13:1–3). Everyone worships the beast, the fake christ (Rev 13:3)—everyone, that is, except those whose names God wrote in the Lamb's book of life before the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8).
Satan then counterfeits the Trinity (cf. Rev 12:17; 13:1, 11; 16:13). He has faked the crucifixion, and now he produces a cheap imitation of the Holy Spirit (Rev 13:11–14). This beastly fake holy spirit then produces a cheap imitation of the sealing of God's saints when he compels the world to receive the number of the beast (Rev 13:16–18). Satan is a fake. Don't be taken in by his schemes. Don't be tempted by his false offers. See him for what he is—for what Revelation reveals him to be: a perverse twister of the beauties of God.
The judgments get progressively worse as we proceed through Rev 6—16. The seals affect 1/4th of the world (Rev 6:8), the trumpets affect 1/3rd of the world (Rev 9:18), and the outpouring of the bowls will complete God's wrath as no one escapes his judgment (Rev 16:1–21).
God redeems and spares the ransomed. God's justice is perfect. He is holy. All deserve to be consumed by it. But again and again in Revelation God spares some, and they declare in Rev 7:10, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" In Rev 5:9 Jesus "ransomed people for God." In Rev 14:4 they "follow the Lamb wherever he goes" and were "redeemed from mankind." So we must ask: is it possible to join the ranks of those described in Rev 7:3, who receive the seal of God on the forehead? Is it possible to become one who is redeemed, as Rev 1:5 describes, one who is freed from sin by the blood of Jesus?
Do not refuse to repent. First, let's look at what Revelation shows us not to do. We should not be like those who see the outpouring of God's wrath and refuse to repent. After the 6th trumpet, we read in Rev 9:20, "The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent." After the 4th bowl is poured out, Rev 16:9 says, "They did not repent and give him glory." After the 5th bowl is poured out, in Rev 16:11, "They did not repent of their deeds." And after the 7th bowl, in Rev 16:21, "they cursed God."
Failing to see the mercy God folded into his judgment is the cause of those who refused to repent. The outpouring of God's wrath is meant to condemn everything else that you trust. God's judgment is actually his kindness in disguise. He uses it, while we live, to lead us to repentance and salvation. God judges us so that he can save us.
A universal proclamation of the gospel. Rev 14:6-7 says, "Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, 'Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.'"
God's salvation comes through the judgment of the idols we trusted. Rev 1:3 promises a blessing to those who "hear, and keep what is written" in the book. Through this book you are intended to hear of the coming judgment, believe what it says, and keep the words of this book by repenting of sin and worshiping God. And God will be glorified in your salvation, which came through the judgment of all the false things you trusted.
Have you noticed how nothing seems to last in this world? How nothing works out exactly the way we hoped it would? How all your best intentions often come to nothing? Jesus is your only hope. If you don't already trust him, turn to him and place your faith in his ability to save you.
Rev 17:1–22:9: The Harlot, the King, and the Bride
Rev 17—22 tell us about the harlot, the King, and the bride. The section on the King is in the middle, and John marks off the boundaries of these 3 sections by using similar language at the beginning and end of the sections on the harlot and the bride.
So the wording of the beginning of the section on the harlot is matched by the wording of the beginning of the section on the bride.
Table 1.2: Matching Language Opening the Sections on the Harlot and the Bride:
"Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, 'Come, I will show you . . . And he carried me away in the Spirit" (Rev 17:1, 3).
"Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls . . . and spoke to me saying, 'Come, I will show you . . . And he carried me away in the Spirit" (Rev 21:9, 10).
"Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls . . . and spoke to me saying, 'Come, I will show you . . . And he carried me away in the Spirit" (Rev 21:9, 10).
Similarly, the wording of the ending of the section on the harlot is matched by the wording of the ending of the section on the bride. The harlot is a symbol for the world system that is opposed to God. She is called Babylon because in the Bible Babylon is the capital of those who rebel against God. Chapters 17, 18 show her debased and exposed, and all her seductive power comes to nothing.
Table 1.3: Matching Language Ending the Sections on the Harlot and the Bride:
". . . And he said to me, 'These are the true words of God.' Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, 'You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God'" (Rev 19:9-10).
"And he said to me, 'These words are trustworthy and true.' . . . I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, but he said to me, 'You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God'" (Rev 22:6, 8-9).
"And he said to me, 'These words are trustworthy and true.' . . . I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, but he said to me, 'You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God'" (Rev 22:6, 8-9).
Satan wants to turn God's children from the bride of Christ to common whores. Let me put that another way: the things that tempt us are exposed. They are nothing but the devil's attempt to make the bride of Christ into a harlot. We who believe are the bride of the Lord Jesus Christ. Satan wants to make us common whores. He wants to lure us into spiritual adultery with his cheap imitations of true pleasure. Revelation shows us that these pleasures will not satisfy and do not last. They will be destroyed with the wicked world system ranged against God.
Jesus is coming to take his bride into his kingdom. Then the King comes, conquers his enemies (Rev 19:11–21) and sets up his kingdom (Rev 20:1–21:8), and his glorious bride descends from Heaven (Rev 21:9–22:9). The bride is a symbol of the people of God, the redeemed, those who trust in Jesus. She is called the new Jerusalem because Jerusalem was the dwelling place of God in the OT, the city where the Lord chose to put his name, and in the new covenant God's people are his dwelling place.
May the blazing purity of Jesus be more desirable than the filthy pleasures by taking to heart the splendor of the wedding of the Lord Jesus and his pure bride. Jesus cleanses his bride with the water of the Word. He laid down his life for his bride (cf. Eph 5:22–33). Fix your heart on the glory of that wedding day. Point your whole life toward that glorious consummation, and let everything you do between now and then be informed by that moment when Jesus will come. Live for him now so that you will enjoy him then. Meditate on these texts until the blazing purity of the Lord Jesus is more desirable to you than the filthy pleasures that are nothing more than twisted parodies of his good gifts. And do everything you can to make sure that your day-to-day activities are done in a way that honors the King. God has given Revelation to us so that we will live in light of the punishing and rewarding Jesus will do when he comes.
If you knew on 9/10 what would happen on 9/11 what would you do? We want everyone we know to enjoy Jesus with us, to escape the judgment of God, to realize that "the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night" (1 Thess 5:2). Something worse than 9/11 could happen to them at any moment. Is your heart hardened to what could happen to people you know? If it was Sept 10, 2001, and someone you knew worked at the World Trade Center or was scheduled to be on one of those planes, you would communicate with them, wouldn't you? Any minute now something worse could happen to every unbelieving person you know.
Rev 22:10–21: The Apocalyptic Prophecy's Epistolary Closing
The future has been unveiled. This book is "The revelation of Jesus Christ" (Rev 1:1). And it is given to us because the angel speaking to John told him what we read in Rev 22:10, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near."
Why could that not happen today? Why not thousands converted? Why not the Bible preached and the gospel cherished and the churches full to bursting? Why not so many people in so many gospel churches that the whole society is reshaped around God's Word? Why not today? God's arm is not too short to save.
Is your imagination too small? Is your love too little? Is your Bible reading too infrequent? Are your evangelistic efforts too seldom? Are your prayers
too self-centered? God's arm is not too short to save!
- Jesus your Savior and Lord? Why not today?
- The power of sin broken in your life? Why not today?
- Devoted to prayer and Bible study? Why not today?
- Eager to tell others about God's work in salvation and their need to respond in faith? Why not today?
Jesus is King.
Live in a way that matches what the unveiling, the book of Revelation, has shown us about the way things really are. This is our task. Jesus is coming quickly, bringing his recompense (Rev 22:12).
Only 2 options: either praising God for his salvation or displaying his eternal justice. "Every eye will see him, even those who pierced him" (Rev 1:7). Every knee will bow and every tongue confess him as Lord (Phil 2:10, 11). Every action, word, and thought will be measured by the standard of God's glory. Every transgression or disobedience will receive just retribution (cf. Heb 2:2). You will either be among those praising God for saving you from his wrath through the judgment of Jesus on the cross, or you will be judged to display the eternal, almighty justice of God. Trust in Jesus. He is humanity's only hope. If you trust him, live for him. He asserts in Rev 22:20 that he is coming soon.
God's awful wrath highlights his tender mercy. May you know him in his saving and judging glory, in his awful wrath that highlights his tender mercy. May you abide in this Revelation, and may "The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen" (Rev 22:21).
Intro:
The sermons have a straightforward structure: Introduction, Body, Conclusion. Five things with preaching:
- Attention. Grab attention.
- Need. Raise awareness of a real need that people have, a need that is addressed by the text. The goal is to make people feel that they need to listen closely. Ideally, the need we have will be connected somehow to the opening attention-grabber.
- Point. State the main point of the text. The main idea of the text is the main idea of the sermon. This main idea seeks to meet the need that has just been raised.
- Structure. Preview the structure of the text that will be preached. The structure of the text will become the structure of the sermon.
- Context. Give the wider context of the passage. Depending on the details of the text, the wider context will focus on either the book of Revelation or the whole canon of Scripture, and relevant information from the historical background might be introduced as well.
Expository preaching happens when the main point of the text is the main point of the sermon and the structure of the text is the structure of the
sermon. More gifted expositors may be able to exposit texts in a variety of ways. The rest of us are helped by "cookie-cutter" structures like Mark Dever's "Application Grid".
- Attention: Something worse, eternally worse, than 9/11 is coming--the judgment of God. In the past, God spoke through Moses, Samuel, Josiah, Ezra. God reveals himself so that we will know reality. In Revelation, God unveils the world as it really is.
- Need: We have been lulled to sleep by the ordinariness of our lives. Our senses have been dulled by the humdrum of one day after another. We need to see God as he is; be convinced that Jesus is reigning as the risen King; have him speak to the situation in our churches; know that God is right now on his throne, in control in Heaven, worshiped by myriads upon myriads of the heavenly host; see that God will pulverize wickedness, obliterate those who oppose him, and set up his kingdom. Revelation has exactly what we need.
- Main Point: "The revelation of Jesus Christ" and of what will "soon take place" (Rev 1:1) so that we can know/enjoy him and live in light of reality and of the way history will be brought to its consummation. God wants us to know the glory of his mercy and his justice. What we see in Revelation: history culminates in climactic demonstrations of the glory of God in salvation through judgment. To say it another way, God gave us Revelation so we can know him in his glorious justice and mercy and live worshipfully by faith.
- Structure: Broadly three parts:
Rev 1:1–8 The Opening: the Apocalyptic Epistolary Opening
Rev 1:9–22:9 The Vision: John's Vision
Rev 22:10–21 The Closing: the Apocalyptic Epistolary Closing
1:9–3:22 Jesus and the Letters
4:1–16:21 The Throne and the Judgments
17:1–22:9 The Harlot, the King, and the Bride - Context: Revelation, appropriately placed at the end of the canon, catches up and weaves together all the Bible's lines of prophetic revelation. John writes in such a way that his book is the capstone of all the prophecy in the Bible.
The Structure of Revelation
1:1–8, Revelation, Blessing, and Epistolary Opening
1:9–22:9, John's Vision on the Lord's Day1:9–3:22, The Risen Christ to the Seven Churches22:10–21, Revelation, Blessing, and Epistolary Closing
4:1–16:21, The Throne and the Judgments
4:1–5:14, The Throne Room Vision17:1–22:9, The Fall of the Harlot, the Return of the King, and the Descent of the Bride
6:1–17, Six Seals
7:1–17, The Sealing of the Saints and Their Worship
8:1–5, The Seventh Seal
8:6–9:21, Six Trumpets
10:1–11:14, Prophetic Witness
11:15–19, The Seventh Trumpet
12:1–14:20, Conflict Between the Seed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent
15:1–16:21, Seven Bowls
- The Revelation of the Glory of God's Justice and Mercy (1—22)
- The Blessing of the Revelation of Jesus Christ (1:1–8)
- John's Vision of the Risen Christ (1:9–20)
- The Risen Christ to the Seven Churches (2, 3)
- First Love (2:1–7) [Discernment Without Love]
- Faithful unto Death (2:8–11) [The Riches of Poverty]
- Repent of Nicolaitan Teaching (2:12–17)
- King Jesus versus Jezebel (2:18–29) [Love Without Discernment]
- Wake Up! (3:1–6)
- An Open Door No One Can Shut (3:7–13)
- I Will Spit You out of My Mouth ( 3:14–22) [The Poverty of Riches]
- The Throne Room Vision (4:1–5:14)
- The One Seated on the Throne (4:1–11)
- The Lamb Standing as Though Slain (5:1–14)
- God's Plan to Save and Judge (6—16)
- The Seals on the Scroll (6:1–17)
- The Sealing of the Servants of God (7:1–17)
- Trumpeting the End of the World (8:1–13)
- The Unimagined Horrors of God's Judgment (9:1–21)
- Eat This Scroll (and Prophesy the History of the Future) (10:1–11)
- Bearing Witness 'til Kingdom Come (11:1–19)
- The Seed of the Woman Conquers the Serpent (12:1–17)
- The Beast (13:1–10)
- The False Prophet (13:11–18)
- The Song of the Redeemed (14:1–13)
- The Harvest of the Earth (14:14–20)
- Seven Angels with Seven Plagues (15:1–8)
- The Seven Bowls of Wrath (16:1–21)
- The Harlot and the Beast (17:1–18)
- Lamenting or Rejoicing over Babylon's Fall? (18:1–24)
- The Harlot and the Bride (19:1–10)
- The Return of the King (19:11–21)
- The Millennium (20:1–15)
- A New Heaven and a New Earth (21:1–8)
- The New Jerusalem (21:9–27)
- They Will See His Face (22:1–9)
- Come, Lord Jesus! (22:10–21)
Previous postings on Revelation:
- The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Rev 1:1-20).
- I Have This Against You!: Overview of Revelation 2-3.
- Christian, Listen Up! (Rev 2:1-3:22).
- Discernment Without Love (Rev 2:1-7): Ephesus.
- The Riches of Poverty (Rev 2:8-11): Smyrna.
- Remaining True to Jesus Yet Compromising and Defiled (Rev 2:12-17): Pergamum.
- Love Without Discernment (Rev 2:18-29): Thyatira.
- False Impression, False Self-estimation (Rev 3:1-6): Sardis.
- Keeping God's Word With Little Strength (Rev 3:7-13): Philadelphia.
- The Poverty of Riches (Rev 3:14-22): Laodicea.
- Whats Goin' On In Heaven? (Rev 4-5).
No comments:
Post a Comment