Revelation Review
Revelation, Chapters 1-10 Review
Because of the nature of weekly preaching, as well as the rhythm of our church’s calendar (Easter, Pastor Matt’s sabbath vacations, etc), it can be difficult to sit under the preaching of Christ’s Revelation and recall the current passage’s connection to all that we’ve learned so far.
So, as a service to you, the Body of Christ, here’s a review of what the Lord has shown to his disciple, John—which was given to him to give to us, the Church.
Blessings!
Revelation Chapter 1: The Apostle John, now an old man in his 80’s and exiled on the remote island of Patmos, is worshipping Jesus on the Lord’s Day
He is visited by the risen and glorious Jesus and given a vision of him
He is Lord God, terrifying and majestic in his glory and authority
He tells John that he is to write what is told to him--to the churches of Jesus, for their blessing
Revelation Chapter 2-3: 7 letters are written to the 7 churches of Asia Minor, representing all of the churches that belong to Jesus
Each church is given a message from the Lord, specific to their time and place and circumstances
They are encouraged, corrected, warned, and given the means by which they are to overcome evil and find salvation in the King of Heaven, Jesus
Revelation Chapter 4: A series of “windows-visions” are given to John, starting with this one
John is shown the Throne Room of God in Heaven
God the Father is seated on the throne, worshipped by beast-like angelic beings, as well as 24 elder-kings who sit on thrones given to them
He is shown to be mighty, eternal, and holy--separated and transcendent above Heaven and Earth
Revelation Chapter 5: In the hand of the Father on the throne, John sees a sealed scroll
This scroll represents the entire redemptive plan of God, established and written before the creation of the Universe--all that God has purposed to make use of righteousness and evil, saint and sinner is concealed in this scroll, closed up by 7 seals
No one on the earth or in Heaven is found who is worthy to open it and John weeps in despair
Suddenly, however, John is told to look--he sees a lion-like Lamb, who is worthy
This person strides across the throne room and receives the scroll from the hand of God the Father
Everyone then falls to their knees, singing and praying in worship to the Lamb who is worthy to take and open the scroll
This Lamb is Jesus, the Son of God
Revelation Chapter 6: The “window” of visions shifts now to the opening of the 7 seals that have kept the scroll shut
As each seal is broken by the Lamb, a “pre-judgment” of God is released
“The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” are unleashed, under the authority of God, to do the will of God
At the 5th seal’s breaking, the martyr’s who have lost their lives for the name of Jesus and his gospel cry out, pleading for the Lord’s justice to set the world aright
Upon the breaking of the 6th seal, John sees and hears terrible calamity upon the earth, and those who continue to rebel against God plea for the mountains to fall on them, killing them
Revelation Chapter 7: Another “window” is opened and John again sees the Throne Room of God
He sees and hears the innumerable multitude of God’s angels and people worshipping
John is told that the Lamb is their God, they are his people, and all of his promises to his people are fulfilled
Revelation Chapter 8-9: The 7th seal is broken and there is a solemn and ominous silence in Heaven for half an hour
The Lord then commands 7 angels with 7 trumpets to sound out over the earth
With each trumpet, further pre-judgment calamities strike the earth, and the people of the earth
The Lord “lengthens” Satan’s “leash,” permitting him to release his servants--demons--to torture and then to kill the unrepentant
Those who are sealed with the “mark” of the Holy Spirit, however, will not be permitted to be touched by the demonic activity
The unrepentant people of the earth, even after and in the midst of the power and judgment of God being put on display, continue in their stubborn unrepentance
Revelation Chapter 10: The Lord then lets John see through another “window”
Now, John sees and hears a mighty angel from the Lord
This angel is gigantic and has authority to speak on behalf of Christ
He holds a small, opened scroll, likely a similar one (if not the same) as the scroll of the Lamb in chapter 5
7 “thunders” are heard and, as John prepares to write down his experience, he’s told not to
The Lord declares that this time is being “cut short” and the pre-judgments of the Lord are drawing to a close (see Matthew chapter 24, the “Olivet Discourse”)
John is instructed to take the little scroll and eat it—it is sweet in his mouth but bitter in his stomach
He is then commissioned to prophecy about and against many “peoples, nations, languages, and kings”