1 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:16,199 Now you have a handout and I want you to go to the very back page 2 00:00:16,199 --> 00:00:19,840 and the very bottom as we begin, because I want you, I want 3 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:22,000 to let you know what is available. 4 00:00:25,930 --> 00:00:27,450 I'm a great believer in. 5 00:00:27,530 --> 00:00:29,450 And I suppose from an early. 6 00:00:29,450 --> 00:00:32,890 Well, I say an early age earlier than now, whenever I was 7 00:00:32,970 --> 00:00:37,210 a late teenager, listening again to something I discovered was 8 00:00:37,450 --> 00:00:39,090 even better for me than listening. 9 00:00:39,090 --> 00:00:40,090 For the first time. 10 00:00:40,570 --> 00:00:43,610 And so we put everything on the church website. 11 00:00:44,490 --> 00:00:44,890 Everything. 12 00:00:45,050 --> 00:00:46,570 Every service, even. 13 00:00:46,970 --> 00:00:50,650 I even put up the Calhorn Good Friday service on our website. 14 00:00:50,890 --> 00:00:51,070 The. 15 00:00:51,380 --> 00:00:52,580 So it's all there. 16 00:00:52,900 --> 00:00:57,340 Because if it's of benefit once, trust. 17 00:00:57,340 --> 00:00:58,740 Me, it'll be of benefit twice. 18 00:00:59,460 --> 00:01:05,620 And in fact, I had a lovely email on Monday from a lady I do 19 00:01:05,620 --> 00:01:08,260 not know who went to the church website. 20 00:01:08,260 --> 00:01:10,980 And at the bottom there's a little form to fill in, to contact. 21 00:01:11,780 --> 00:01:15,260 And she said, thank you for the. 22 00:01:15,260 --> 00:01:17,710 Series on the tabernacle. 23 00:01:18,670 --> 00:01:19,870 Do you remember that? 24 00:01:20,750 --> 00:01:21,830 I had to remember. 25 00:01:21,830 --> 00:01:23,390 When on earth did we do that? 26 00:01:23,870 --> 00:01:26,990 And she has been going through that herself over the past number 27 00:01:26,990 --> 00:01:29,790 of weeks and said she has found it a deep blessing. 28 00:01:30,430 --> 00:01:32,110 Now, how are we able to do that? 29 00:01:32,750 --> 00:01:35,550 Quite frankly, because of the money you put on the plate on a Sunday. 30 00:01:35,550 --> 00:01:38,190 Morning, pay us for that kind of thing. 31 00:01:38,750 --> 00:01:42,510 So that someone who we know nothing about, she may be a regular 32 00:01:43,230 --> 00:01:46,870 attendee at a church somewhere on this island, or she could be somewhere 33 00:01:46,870 --> 00:01:47,710 across the seas. 34 00:01:48,190 --> 00:01:52,510 All I know is she's an Anglo Saxon name, but she has benefited 35 00:01:52,590 --> 00:01:52,910 from. 36 00:01:52,910 --> 00:01:54,430 What we're able to do here. 37 00:01:55,230 --> 00:01:57,270 And so that's why it goes up. 38 00:01:57,270 --> 00:02:01,470 Trust me, I don't get paid any extra for every click, as some people 39 00:02:01,470 --> 00:02:01,710 do. 40 00:02:01,710 --> 00:02:04,270 But if you look there in the bottom, you can go to the website. 41 00:02:05,310 --> 00:02:10,120 And we do put up just the sermons, not the whole service, just 42 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:10,840 the sermons. 43 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:13,520 And you can select by series, by. 44 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:15,120 Book and by speaker. 45 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:17,680 And so if you've never gone on your phone or a computer at home 46 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:20,200 or a tablet to the church website and seen what's there, I 47 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:21,040 would encourage you to go. 48 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:23,600 There's also a calendar that tells you even what's happening in 49 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:24,360 2028. 50 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:27,720 So if you need to plan anything, you never know, it might 51 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:28,200 be there. 52 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:36,810 But also these devices we have mainly our phones, I listen to these 53 00:02:36,810 --> 00:02:37,970 things called podcasts. 54 00:02:37,970 --> 00:02:41,370 I must listen to about 10 a week when I'm driving up and down 55 00:02:41,370 --> 00:02:42,490 the road, wherever I'm going. 56 00:02:42,490 --> 00:02:44,850 And even if I'm going up and down the length of Annalong, I'll 57 00:02:44,850 --> 00:02:46,890 stick it on for four minutes and I'm listening to the likes Of 58 00:02:46,890 --> 00:02:47,810 RC Sproul. 59 00:02:47,890 --> 00:02:49,370 I'm listening to Alistair Begg. 60 00:02:49,370 --> 00:02:51,290 So there's a Presbyterian and a Baptist for you. 61 00:02:51,290 --> 00:02:52,850 I'm trying to be evenly balanced here. 62 00:02:53,730 --> 00:02:55,010 As well as other things that I. 63 00:02:55,010 --> 00:02:57,730 Can't confess to because you'd laugh at me and mock me. 64 00:02:58,770 --> 00:03:03,060 But it's a good way if you're out on a shorewalk or in your car, 65 00:03:03,060 --> 00:03:07,420 as I do, just plug in your phone or Bluetooth it to whatever 66 00:03:07,420 --> 00:03:09,700 and listen maybe again to some of this stuff. 67 00:03:09,700 --> 00:03:13,500 And so we have up specifically the Exodus series, we have specifically 68 00:03:13,500 --> 00:03:14,380 the Roman series. 69 00:03:14,380 --> 00:03:17,340 Do you remember that from a few years ago on Sunday evenings 70 00:03:17,500 --> 00:03:18,620 and the Revelation. 71 00:03:18,860 --> 00:03:20,220 I looked at the Revelation. 72 00:03:20,460 --> 00:03:23,500 Do you know how many people have listened? 73 00:03:24,540 --> 00:03:31,380 804.50Since September have listened on their devices to Revelation. 74 00:03:32,100 --> 00:03:34,420 Do you know the number one country they've been listening to 75 00:03:34,500 --> 00:03:35,620 or listening from? 76 00:03:36,660 --> 00:03:37,460 America. 77 00:03:38,020 --> 00:03:41,100 That fascinates me even more as we will get into next week to 78 00:03:41,100 --> 00:03:41,860 discover why. 79 00:03:42,180 --> 00:03:44,980 But even one person in Mongolia. 80 00:03:46,500 --> 00:03:48,740 So it's there. 81 00:03:49,460 --> 00:03:51,860 Let not the rest of the world show us how to use it. 82 00:03:52,220 --> 00:03:54,220 But it's all there online and different. 83 00:03:54,220 --> 00:03:55,700 Things to point you to get to that. 84 00:03:55,700 --> 00:03:58,780 But another thing we're going to try differently is this. 85 00:03:58,860 --> 00:04:01,020 If I was in the youth fellowship now they'd all be going 86 00:04:01,020 --> 00:04:01,660 ooo. 87 00:04:01,900 --> 00:04:03,340 But I'm not Gidges. 88 00:04:03,500 --> 00:04:05,900 This is not just a screen to display. 89 00:04:06,060 --> 00:04:09,460 This is a smart board that they use in the classrooms and schools 90 00:04:09,460 --> 00:04:12,500 and I'm going to use it in these couple of evenings in midweek 91 00:04:12,500 --> 00:04:15,900 acting taking me back into the classroom as a teacher. 92 00:04:16,140 --> 00:04:17,700 Now I don't want any comments. 93 00:04:17,700 --> 00:04:20,500 Oh it's a bit like election night in the BBC but it's. 94 00:04:21,690 --> 00:04:23,530 So we're going to start with our introduction. 95 00:04:23,930 --> 00:04:27,370 You have your hand out and we're going to turn over that. 96 00:04:28,650 --> 00:04:29,930 The book of Revelation. 97 00:04:30,650 --> 00:04:35,570 In fact the word Revelation, you have it there or you will have 98 00:04:35,570 --> 00:04:37,330 it on the back of it. 99 00:04:37,330 --> 00:04:39,530 But don't turn to that just now. 100 00:04:39,930 --> 00:04:47,880 But the word revelation is a Greek word that basically means oops, 101 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:48,360 this is. 102 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:51,120 How bad you're going to see my handwriting is and why I should have 103 00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:52,840 been a doctor in the first place. 104 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:56,120 But it is apocalyptic. 105 00:04:56,440 --> 00:05:01,400 The Greek word apologos apocalyptic. 106 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:03,240 Now apocalyptic. 107 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:06,680 The movies have not helped us in understanding what apocalyptic 108 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:07,000 means. 109 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:09,480 Apocalyptic means desolation. 110 00:05:10,280 --> 00:05:15,580 If you watch any American film that talks about an apocalypse it 111 00:05:15,580 --> 00:05:20,060 means everything is wiped out except for maybe five people who 112 00:05:20,060 --> 00:05:21,700 are left alive now. 113 00:05:21,860 --> 00:05:25,620 My wife and my sister in law have been watching an apocalyptic 114 00:05:25,620 --> 00:05:28,980 program and they're now into the second season of it. 115 00:05:29,140 --> 00:05:31,220 And all of a sudden these people are alive. 116 00:05:31,300 --> 00:05:34,220 And all of a sudden all of their motor cars which have survived 117 00:05:34,220 --> 00:05:37,620 this apocalypse have fuel in them and can drive everywhere. 118 00:05:37,620 --> 00:05:39,980 So we think there's some holes in that storyline because if it was 119 00:05:39,980 --> 00:05:42,260 a true apocalypse, nothing would be left. 120 00:05:43,190 --> 00:05:47,270 But actually, apocalypse doesn't mean devastation. 121 00:05:48,710 --> 00:05:52,230 Apocalypse, which is the first word in Greek. 122 00:05:53,990 --> 00:05:57,990 In the Greek text of Revelation, apocalyptic simply means 123 00:05:58,150 --> 00:06:03,590 revealed or revealing. 124 00:06:06,550 --> 00:06:08,960 The curtain is being pulled back. 125 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:11,360 We're being allowed to see. 126 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:13,240 And why do we use the image of a curtain? 127 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:15,840 Because what was the one curtain you couldn't pull back? 128 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:18,560 You couldn't pull back the curtain of the temple. 129 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:21,200 You couldn't pull back the curtain of the tabernacle. 130 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:25,720 You couldn't see the holy of holies, be it in that tent or in 131 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:26,640 that physical building. 132 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:30,680 And what God is revealing to us through Revelation by this pulling 133 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:34,910 back the curtain is to actually see what, what is not human, 134 00:06:35,390 --> 00:06:36,590 but what is divine. 135 00:06:37,390 --> 00:06:39,630 And the divine nature of God. 136 00:06:40,430 --> 00:06:46,230 And so as we look at this in church, you all sit very well and 137 00:06:46,230 --> 00:06:48,190 you don't say boo to a goose. 138 00:06:49,230 --> 00:06:50,190 This is different. 139 00:06:50,270 --> 00:06:51,310 This is midweek. 140 00:06:51,310 --> 00:06:53,870 You know now how to talk around your tables. 141 00:06:55,230 --> 00:07:01,240 I personally enjoy the book of Revelation and it is interesting. 142 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:05,240 More and more if you do look around, Revelation has been preached 143 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:11,520 in Presbyterian churches, in Baptist churches, and I've actually 144 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:16,520 had wonderful conversations with free Presbyterians and Baptists, 145 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:20,280 and we all agree on the same thing about Revelation. 146 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:23,000 It's been truly amazing to have those conversations. 147 00:07:25,170 --> 00:07:27,410 And so this is to be a conversation. 148 00:07:28,610 --> 00:07:32,690 Next week we're going to be looking at interpretation. 149 00:07:32,930 --> 00:07:34,650 How do we interpret Revelation? 150 00:07:34,650 --> 00:07:36,850 Or what are the different ways to interpret it? 151 00:07:37,090 --> 00:07:39,730 But tonight, as you'll see at the top, we're thinking of the where, 152 00:07:39,890 --> 00:07:43,330 the who and the why of Revelation. 153 00:07:43,970 --> 00:07:46,530 But right at the very beginning, as we read the book of 154 00:07:46,530 --> 00:07:48,770 Revelation, we must remember something about it. 155 00:07:48,770 --> 00:07:50,450 It is a beautiful book. 156 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:55,280 And it's a beautiful book for the main reason it's about Jesus. 157 00:07:56,160 --> 00:08:00,800 And if anything is about Jesus, surely then it is beautiful. 158 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:02,720 How could it not be? 159 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:06,120 Even we can look upon Calvary's cross and say it was a 160 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:09,200 beautiful moment because it was the salvation of our souls. 161 00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:13,360 Yes, horror filled for humanity to look on and gruesome. 162 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:17,840 But yet for us, was it not a beautiful moment of what Christ did? 163 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:22,900 For not that we glory in it and the gruesomeness, but we recognize 164 00:08:22,900 --> 00:08:23,100 the. 165 00:08:23,100 --> 00:08:26,500 Beauty of Christ displayed on the cross. 166 00:08:27,460 --> 00:08:32,180 And so as we look at Revelation, it is a book about Jesus. 167 00:08:32,980 --> 00:08:35,780 Often we think, well, that's just the Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke 168 00:08:35,780 --> 00:08:36,180 and John. 169 00:08:36,660 --> 00:08:39,580 But actually, revelation is as much of the beauty of Jesus than 170 00:08:39,580 --> 00:08:39,900 any of. 171 00:08:39,900 --> 00:08:43,220 The Gospels, because it shows us to. 172 00:08:43,870 --> 00:08:49,310 It shows him to us in his glorified person, the glorified Christ 173 00:08:49,550 --> 00:08:52,670 who will come back again. 174 00:08:54,030 --> 00:09:00,470 And so what this tells us is not just the glory of Christ, but 175 00:09:00,470 --> 00:09:03,150 it shows us the vindication of God. 176 00:09:05,150 --> 00:09:07,230 You might say, well, why does God. 177 00:09:07,230 --> 00:09:08,510 Have to be vindicated? 178 00:09:09,640 --> 00:09:11,880 Well, it proves. 179 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:14,840 Revelation proves that everything that God has done in the 180 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:18,600 salvation of his people through covenant promise is true. 181 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:25,000 And so as the world will look on, as the world will see Christ 182 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:29,240 returning, they will then realize, be it too late, that indeed 183 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:32,720 God has been true to his word and done exactly. 184 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:33,800 What he has said. 185 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:37,960 So there's a beauty, but there's also a vindication, because 186 00:09:38,770 --> 00:09:43,250 the judgments of God will be fair and will be just, because he 187 00:09:43,250 --> 00:09:46,210 is a fair and a just God. 188 00:09:47,090 --> 00:09:48,810 So that's how we will be looking. 189 00:09:48,810 --> 00:09:51,410 But I want you to have a pair of glasses on. 190 00:09:52,130 --> 00:09:54,529 This is my best attempt at drawing a pair of glasses. 191 00:09:54,850 --> 00:09:56,050 You can tell that I grew up. 192 00:09:56,050 --> 00:09:57,410 In the 1800s, can't you? 193 00:09:57,730 --> 00:10:04,740 If they're looking like that, I want you to look and I want you 194 00:10:04,740 --> 00:10:06,580 to understand Revelation. 195 00:10:06,580 --> 00:10:08,300 Even though we're now at chapter 15,. 196 00:10:08,300 --> 00:10:09,660 There's very few chapters left. 197 00:10:10,140 --> 00:10:13,780 But as we consider Revelation and some of its themes and some of 198 00:10:13,780 --> 00:10:20,780 its difficulties, the primacy of Revelation is Jesus. 199 00:10:22,620 --> 00:10:27,060 It's not about what will happen when, nor is it understanding 200 00:10:27,060 --> 00:10:29,020 who is what in this book. 201 00:10:29,990 --> 00:10:32,950 Those are secondary, maybe even tertiary. 202 00:10:33,990 --> 00:10:37,910 What it is about is about the risen Lord Jesus Christ. 203 00:10:38,950 --> 00:10:43,030 And by the end of the Book of Revelation, he must be glorified, 204 00:10:43,590 --> 00:10:43,870 for. 205 00:10:43,870 --> 00:10:48,470 What he has done, is doing and will do. 206 00:10:49,990 --> 00:10:53,910 So turn in your Bibles, please, to Revelation, chapter one, 207 00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:58,160 and we're going to read the first nine verses. 208 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:01,680 I know we read this in September, but this is where we're 209 00:11:01,680 --> 00:11:04,400 going to focus on, because this is what's going to help us tonight. 210 00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:07,120 Revelation 1:1:9. 211 00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:10,080 And this is what John says in. 212 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:12,960 Verse one, beginning in chapter one, in. 213 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:17,200 His prologue, the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him 214 00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:20,740 to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. 215 00:11:21,610 --> 00:11:24,810 He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who 216 00:11:24,810 --> 00:11:28,490 bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus 217 00:11:28,490 --> 00:11:30,970 Christ, even to all that he saw. 218 00:11:31,690 --> 00:11:34,570 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, 219 00:11:34,570 --> 00:11:38,410 and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it. 220 00:11:38,730 --> 00:11:45,210 For the time is near, John, to the seven churches that are in Asia. 221 00:11:45,290 --> 00:11:49,450 Grace to you and Peace from him who is and who was and who is 222 00:11:49,450 --> 00:11:49,930 to come. 223 00:11:50,630 --> 00:11:55,110 From the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus 224 00:11:55,110 --> 00:11:59,550 Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and the 225 00:11:59,550 --> 00:12:01,670 ruler of kings on earth. 226 00:12:02,070 --> 00:12:04,150 To him who loves us and has fed us. 227 00:12:04,230 --> 00:12:08,070 Sorry, Freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, 228 00:12:08,070 --> 00:12:12,190 priest to his God and Father to him be glory and dominion forever 229 00:12:12,190 --> 00:12:12,790 and ever. 230 00:12:12,790 --> 00:12:13,430 Amen. 231 00:12:13,830 --> 00:12:18,150 Behold, he is coming with the clouds and every eye will see him 232 00:12:18,150 --> 00:12:20,060 and even those who pierced him. 233 00:12:20,060 --> 00:12:23,180 And all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. 234 00:12:23,420 --> 00:12:24,380 Even so. 235 00:12:24,700 --> 00:12:25,420 Amen. 236 00:12:26,220 --> 00:12:30,340 I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who 237 00:12:30,340 --> 00:12:32,940 was and who is to come, the Almighty. 238 00:12:33,180 --> 00:12:36,780 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the 239 00:12:36,780 --> 00:12:40,140 kingdom and the patient endurance that are in. 240 00:12:40,540 --> 00:12:44,900 Jesus was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of 241 00:12:44,900 --> 00:12:45,460 God and. 242 00:12:45,930 --> 00:12:47,930 And the testimony of Jesus. 243 00:12:48,810 --> 00:12:51,970 So we're going to be picking a few verses from there and taking 244 00:12:51,970 --> 00:12:57,290 those out and seeing what we learn about this where, who and why. 245 00:12:57,850 --> 00:13:00,170 So let's look at the where. 246 00:13:00,570 --> 00:13:04,690 And you have the map, you have the text, and you also have the picture 247 00:13:04,690 --> 00:13:05,050 there. 248 00:13:05,130 --> 00:13:06,170 So the where. 249 00:13:06,410 --> 00:13:08,730 Where is all of this coming from? 250 00:13:09,130 --> 00:13:11,900 Well, I hope we know by now that. 251 00:13:12,140 --> 00:13:13,740 Let me change the color of things. 252 00:13:13,820 --> 00:13:15,500 So that we can see what we're. 253 00:13:15,500 --> 00:13:18,860 Talking about, that we know that we're on the island of Patmos. 254 00:13:19,180 --> 00:13:22,980 Patmos is a great holiday destination now, but back then it 255 00:13:22,980 --> 00:13:26,740 was a prison island where troublemakers such as John would 256 00:13:26,740 --> 00:13:27,260 have gone. 257 00:13:27,660 --> 00:13:30,380 And basically that's where they had to live out their lives. 258 00:13:31,100 --> 00:13:35,180 Now, whenever you look at Patmos, we read that indeed John 259 00:13:35,260 --> 00:13:37,900 tells us he was in Patmos, there in verse nine. 260 00:13:38,220 --> 00:13:39,980 But why is he there? 261 00:13:40,590 --> 00:13:46,950 He says that he was there on account of the word of God and his 262 00:13:46,950 --> 00:13:48,990 witness of Jesus, his testimony. 263 00:13:49,870 --> 00:13:54,790 So word of God is proclamation, and testimony is that 264 00:13:54,790 --> 00:13:57,310 personal profession of faith of who Jesus Christ is. 265 00:13:57,630 --> 00:14:00,990 So this is a mixture of the formal preaching as well as the simply 266 00:14:00,990 --> 00:14:02,750 living out the things of Jesus. 267 00:14:02,990 --> 00:14:04,350 This is why he's in trouble. 268 00:14:04,750 --> 00:14:07,030 What do we call this in today's world? 269 00:14:07,030 --> 00:14:07,660 And all. 270 00:14:07,810 --> 00:14:11,650 All of the things that we hear from open doors, we call this persecution. 271 00:14:13,650 --> 00:14:17,330 And we'll come to this again as to understand why persecution 272 00:14:17,330 --> 00:14:22,530 is such a theme of this book, because this book is set in a context, 273 00:14:23,250 --> 00:14:27,890 and we must remember that all the books of the Bible are set in 274 00:14:27,890 --> 00:14:29,890 a context of their time. 275 00:14:31,090 --> 00:14:36,130 But yet they speak for the generations, including revelation 276 00:14:36,130 --> 00:14:41,990 now 2000 years on, has spoken to every generation since it was 277 00:14:41,990 --> 00:14:43,230 first revealed to John. 278 00:14:44,190 --> 00:14:50,150 So Scripture, all scripture has its place where it began, but 279 00:14:50,150 --> 00:14:54,670 it also has a place in every ensuing generation so that they will 280 00:14:54,670 --> 00:14:56,350 know the truths of God. 281 00:14:57,630 --> 00:15:01,350 Now, that might cause issue for us whenever we come and we've 282 00:15:01,350 --> 00:15:03,750 read it here that Jesus is coming soon. 283 00:15:03,750 --> 00:15:05,190 Well, how soon is soon? 284 00:15:05,190 --> 00:15:07,720 It turns out 2000 years isn't soon. 285 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:14,600 There's I know of an account where a Sunday school teacher, including 286 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:17,360 one of my own Sunday school teachers, Bible class teachers back 287 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:22,560 in Katie, they didn't give us much hope as teenagers that actually 288 00:15:22,560 --> 00:15:25,280 we were going to be alive to be married or get driving licenses 289 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:27,560 or anything like this because Jesus was coming soon. 290 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:29,720 But every generation has said it. 291 00:15:31,480 --> 00:15:34,280 So whenever we read these words that Jesus is coming soon, 292 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:35,320 the question is,. 293 00:15:35,320 --> 00:15:36,230 How soon is soon? 294 00:15:38,060 --> 00:15:39,980 Because what does Scripture already tell us? 295 00:15:41,420 --> 00:15:43,380 A day in the sight of the. 296 00:15:43,380 --> 00:15:46,300 Lord is as a thousand years. 297 00:15:49,660 --> 00:15:52,220 Now, I'm not saying that Jesus couldn't come right now. 298 00:15:52,299 --> 00:15:53,180 Of course he could. 299 00:15:54,780 --> 00:16:00,500 But that doesn't mean that soon means that it is what we're 300 00:16:00,500 --> 00:16:01,820 called to is. 301 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:03,960 And the Greek word here for soon. 302 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:06,000 Or is coming is actually quickly. 303 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:09,400 In other parts of the New Testament, it's interpreted. 304 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:10,640 It's only used eight times in the. 305 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:14,720 New Testament, it's interpreted as quickly or quicken. 306 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:19,040 And so what John is trying to tell us here, there is an urgency, 307 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:23,200 but it's not an urgency that we might think because often we think 308 00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:25,160 it's an urgency to save the lost. 309 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:28,320 But Revelation was not written to the lost or for the lost. 310 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:31,120 Revelation, as we will discover at the. 311 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:33,240 End of this evening, was written for believers. 312 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:37,160 And so they had to know quickly that Jesus was coming so 313 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:41,760 that they could live for him as revealed in Revelation, in the 314 00:16:41,760 --> 00:16:42,200 Tribulation. 315 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:44,759 And again, what does John say here? 316 00:16:44,760 --> 00:16:48,600 He's a partner in the tribulation. 317 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:54,360 So he's experiencing tribulation, not at some point in 318 00:16:54,360 --> 00:16:58,360 the future, but that is an imperative that is in the present 319 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:01,560 tense, whenever you look at the original language. 320 00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:03,560 He is in tribulation. 321 00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:07,440 I mean, wouldn't any of us describe being in prison and persecution 322 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:08,680 as being tribulation? 323 00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:10,680 Of course we would. 324 00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:14,760 And so John is saying that he is a partner in the tribulation. 325 00:17:16,120 --> 00:17:19,280 So this is the where he is under persecution. 326 00:17:19,280 --> 00:17:21,320 He is on the island of Patmos. 327 00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:25,200 And what a vantage point he has from this island. 328 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:29,610 Because from here, the vision that's given to him is about all 329 00:17:29,610 --> 00:17:32,570 of the churches that really, if he had a set of binoculars, he'd 330 00:17:32,570 --> 00:17:35,450 be able to see some of them or a good Telescope. 331 00:17:36,090 --> 00:17:41,010 And so these churches in what is modern day Turkey, the vision 332 00:17:41,010 --> 00:17:41,930 is given to them. 333 00:17:42,170 --> 00:17:46,850 And what is unique about them, well, there's really nothing unique 334 00:17:46,850 --> 00:17:51,050 about them in and of themselves because they're all warned 335 00:17:51,050 --> 00:17:52,090 about persecution. 336 00:17:52,850 --> 00:17:56,850 They're all warned about, to use John's language, tribulation. 337 00:17:58,610 --> 00:18:00,810 And they're all told to stand firm. 338 00:18:00,810 --> 00:18:03,330 Now, of course, we know, because we've read it, that each 339 00:18:03,330 --> 00:18:06,930 of these churches, the seven churches, are at different stages. 340 00:18:07,170 --> 00:18:08,850 There's different things going on. 341 00:18:09,890 --> 00:18:12,530 Some are neither hot nor cold, but look warm. 342 00:18:13,250 --> 00:18:16,050 We know that some are commended because they haven't given 343 00:18:16,130 --> 00:18:19,340 themselves over to the things of the world. 344 00:18:20,380 --> 00:18:26,380 But each one is facing persecution and each one is warned 345 00:18:27,340 --> 00:18:33,180 that to fall to the ways of the world, well, then that's really 346 00:18:33,740 --> 00:18:36,060 trouble for them because. 347 00:18:36,060 --> 00:18:40,780 It demonstrates that they love the world more than they love God 348 00:18:41,260 --> 00:18:43,100 and that questions their salvation. 349 00:18:45,170 --> 00:18:50,050 And so whenever we look at these, where John is and the proximity 350 00:18:51,650 --> 00:18:55,370 in and of themselves, that they're normal churches, but they're 351 00:18:55,370 --> 00:18:59,930 used as examples for us, for the church in all time, so that we 352 00:18:59,930 --> 00:19:03,330 will be aware from this combined learning and this. 353 00:19:03,570 --> 00:19:03,970 These. 354 00:19:04,130 --> 00:19:08,370 Well, it's one letter, but combined with seven churches of who 355 00:19:08,370 --> 00:19:13,920 we are to be as the church while we wait for the coming of Jesus. 356 00:19:15,280 --> 00:19:19,040 And indeed we're still waiting for that day. 357 00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:26,520 But the context of where the fact that John is on Patmos tells 358 00:19:26,520 --> 00:19:31,120 us that the cultural context of the time was such that people 359 00:19:31,120 --> 00:19:33,080 like him couldn't live freely. 360 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:35,040 So again, we come back to the word of persecution. 361 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:37,920 And the reason being is this man here. 362 00:19:38,460 --> 00:19:42,700 And this is where you're going to see my spelling is not maybe correct 363 00:19:43,260 --> 00:19:44,380 as I write it. 364 00:19:45,900 --> 00:19:48,220 My terrible scrawly handwriting. 365 00:19:48,940 --> 00:19:50,380 Emperor Domnician. 366 00:19:50,940 --> 00:19:54,940 Now, he was the third in succession. 367 00:19:55,100 --> 00:19:57,700 His father was killed, so his older brother became the emperor. 368 00:19:57,700 --> 00:20:00,900 Then his older brother was killed and he then became emperor. 369 00:20:00,900 --> 00:20:02,780 He actually was emperor for 14 years. 370 00:20:03,180 --> 00:20:06,340 That was one of the longest in this period of emperors ruling for 371 00:20:06,340 --> 00:20:07,460 14 years was quite long. 372 00:20:07,460 --> 00:20:09,530 He ended up being killed by one of his courtiers. 373 00:20:09,840 --> 00:20:12,720 So I don't think anyone should have aimed for the top job in that 374 00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:13,120 sense. 375 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:15,760 But what Emperor Domitian did, he was very. 376 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:19,280 He hid in the shadows while his father and his brother were ruling 377 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:19,800 the empire. 378 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:23,280 But as soon as he took hold, he really. 379 00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:31,440 Romanized was almost like nationalism, pagan, Roman. 380 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:33,200 That was the call. 381 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:41,670 Worship the Roman gods, be fully invested in Rome and Romanity 382 00:20:42,390 --> 00:20:46,910 all over the known world, and then you're truly Roman and then 383 00:20:46,910 --> 00:20:47,830 you're in the club. 384 00:20:48,630 --> 00:20:49,510 Don't do it. 385 00:20:50,630 --> 00:20:54,870 And you'll find out, because what he brought about in the Empire 386 00:20:55,030 --> 00:20:58,630 was what we've called a few times Emperor worship. 387 00:20:59,030 --> 00:21:03,230 This is the man who first really on large scale introduced 388 00:21:03,230 --> 00:21:03,510 it. 389 00:21:03,710 --> 00:21:08,430 He was forcing people to worship him, to call him God, to 390 00:21:08,430 --> 00:21:14,430 call him Lord, to see him as the deity in the pantheon of gods. 391 00:21:15,310 --> 00:21:19,270 And that's why John, because of his witness and his proclamation 392 00:21:19,270 --> 00:21:22,790 of the Word and of Jesus Christ, is why he's on an island. 393 00:21:22,790 --> 00:21:27,990 Because it didn't fit in with the Roman world, a Roman world that 394 00:21:27,990 --> 00:21:30,970 was antagonistic towards Christians. 395 00:21:32,010 --> 00:21:37,370 Now domination was really popular amongst the people. 396 00:21:40,730 --> 00:21:42,170 He revalued the currency. 397 00:21:42,810 --> 00:21:46,770 And so it was a moment where they were able to know wealth and 398 00:21:46,770 --> 00:21:47,530 prosperity. 399 00:21:47,850 --> 00:21:49,610 And of course, any nation that knows. 400 00:21:49,610 --> 00:21:51,290 Wealth and prosperity, or in this case,. 401 00:21:51,290 --> 00:21:54,570 An empire, well, everyone then gets on the bandwagon so they can 402 00:21:54,570 --> 00:21:55,530 get the fruits of that. 403 00:21:57,010 --> 00:22:01,210 But he was hated by the Senate, so the people loved him. 404 00:22:01,210 --> 00:22:04,010 Popular populist vote, as it were. 405 00:22:04,010 --> 00:22:06,290 Not that he was voted in, but populist love. 406 00:22:07,170 --> 00:22:09,010 But he was hated by the leaders,. 407 00:22:09,250 --> 00:22:10,850 He was hated by the Senate. 408 00:22:11,090 --> 00:22:16,090 And what that did was that then drove him more in the populist 409 00:22:16,090 --> 00:22:17,890 thinking of the empire. 410 00:22:18,450 --> 00:22:24,430 And in 14 years, he completely changed the focus of the empire. 411 00:22:24,830 --> 00:22:26,910 That led it on for the next 200 years. 412 00:22:26,910 --> 00:22:28,830 This is about 90 AD. 413 00:22:29,310 --> 00:22:30,830 Well, he died in 96 AD. 414 00:22:31,870 --> 00:22:33,190 It led it to that road of. 415 00:22:33,190 --> 00:22:37,470 Persecution of Christians up until Constantine became a Christian 416 00:22:37,949 --> 00:22:39,710 and persecution ended. 417 00:22:40,750 --> 00:22:43,230 So the where is right at the. 418 00:22:43,230 --> 00:22:46,110 Heart of the Roman Empire. 419 00:22:47,150 --> 00:22:51,410 And so all of the pressure and all of the things, things that were 420 00:22:51,410 --> 00:22:54,690 going on were not just a vision, they were real. 421 00:22:55,730 --> 00:22:59,490 They were felt reality of people's daily lives. 422 00:22:59,490 --> 00:23:03,970 If they wanted to worship Christ and live for him, it was a 423 00:23:03,970 --> 00:23:04,450 struggle. 424 00:23:05,810 --> 00:23:11,650 So this first word in Revelation is the word, as we've 425 00:23:11,650 --> 00:23:14,770 seen, apocalyptic. 426 00:23:14,930 --> 00:23:16,050 And that leads us on then. 427 00:23:16,050 --> 00:23:19,370 Well, if that's what where this is about, you know, this revealing 428 00:23:19,450 --> 00:23:22,690 and we now know Rome well as it's revealed to us from where it 429 00:23:22,690 --> 00:23:22,890 is. 430 00:23:22,890 --> 00:23:24,330 The question is to who? 431 00:23:26,250 --> 00:23:27,610 So who is it? 432 00:23:28,010 --> 00:23:29,610 Who's involved in all of this? 433 00:23:30,170 --> 00:23:33,450 Well, the first question to ask ourselves is who wrote it? 434 00:23:33,770 --> 00:23:35,690 And we'll all say John. 435 00:23:36,490 --> 00:23:38,890 The question is, which John? 436 00:23:39,690 --> 00:23:48,900 Because there is John the Apostle, but there's also John the 437 00:23:48,900 --> 00:23:49,380 Elder. 438 00:23:50,740 --> 00:23:53,340 And if you read some books in Revelation, they're going to present 439 00:23:53,340 --> 00:23:54,820 you with these two names. 440 00:23:55,060 --> 00:23:57,980 But it actually turns out, if you do a little bit of deeper digging, 441 00:23:57,980 --> 00:23:59,540 that this is the same person. 442 00:24:00,260 --> 00:24:02,500 And it's just it has been misunderstood. 443 00:24:02,820 --> 00:24:06,100 In a writing of Polycarp who was a disciple of John. 444 00:24:06,500 --> 00:24:10,610 And it was misunderstood about 150 years later that it was this 445 00:24:10,610 --> 00:24:12,090 man, John the Elder. 446 00:24:12,330 --> 00:24:14,330 Now, some people will say, well, the Greek's different. 447 00:24:14,490 --> 00:24:16,770 But you have to remember, when John wrote his Gospel, there was 448 00:24:16,770 --> 00:24:19,130 a period of time that changed and language changes. 449 00:24:20,250 --> 00:24:24,650 If you listen to any young person today, they say things differently 450 00:24:24,810 --> 00:24:28,290 than you did in your infancy or even potentially. 451 00:24:28,290 --> 00:24:31,490 I'm looking around the room as the youngest person here, even, as 452 00:24:31,490 --> 00:24:33,370 I said, in my infancy. 453 00:24:33,770 --> 00:24:36,280 And so we know language changes, changes. 454 00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:41,000 But one of the strongest reasons why it is John the Apostle 455 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:45,000 and these two are the same people are because of what John writes 456 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:48,360 in his Gospel and what John writes in his Epistle. 457 00:24:48,360 --> 00:24:52,600 So you cannot read Revelation without understanding how John writes 458 00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:56,520 in the Gospel and in the Epistle. 459 00:24:56,520 --> 00:25:00,080 So if you think of the gospel, first of all, why is the Gospel of 460 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:01,560 John different from the other three? 461 00:25:02,470 --> 00:25:05,430 Matthew, Mark and Luke give you a timeline. 462 00:25:05,830 --> 00:25:07,670 They tell you from the birth. 463 00:25:07,830 --> 00:25:10,990 Well, except Mark, he jumps in into. 464 00:25:10,990 --> 00:25:12,550 The actual ministry of Jesus. 465 00:25:12,550 --> 00:25:15,350 But they give you a timeline of what happened when. 466 00:25:15,910 --> 00:25:19,990 And so they take you on a story, a narrative of the life of 467 00:25:19,990 --> 00:25:20,550 Jesus. 468 00:25:21,190 --> 00:25:22,470 John is different. 469 00:25:23,350 --> 00:25:25,270 John works in themes. 470 00:25:26,790 --> 00:25:32,390 And so the themes of John, you have the I am sayings that Jesus 471 00:25:32,390 --> 00:25:33,430 talks about himself. 472 00:25:33,670 --> 00:25:34,910 I am the bread of life. 473 00:25:34,910 --> 00:25:36,190 I am the living water. 474 00:25:36,190 --> 00:25:37,470 I am the light of the world. 475 00:25:37,470 --> 00:25:39,670 I am the good shepherd, I am the door. 476 00:25:40,550 --> 00:25:44,070 So John focuses on who Jesus says he is. 477 00:25:44,070 --> 00:25:46,150 It doesn't matter to John if it's in the right order. 478 00:25:47,430 --> 00:25:53,030 What's important for John is communicating the themes of who Jesus 479 00:25:53,030 --> 00:25:55,960 is and does not start to sound a wee bit like revelation. 480 00:25:57,240 --> 00:25:59,240 Certain themes running through it. 481 00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:05,600 Another thing about the Gospel of John is John focuses on this idea 482 00:26:05,600 --> 00:26:11,960 of Lamb of God, or indeed, let's throw in the word Messiah as 483 00:26:11,960 --> 00:26:12,280 well. 484 00:26:12,920 --> 00:26:16,120 Yes, Matthew talks about Messiah from a Jewish perspective, 485 00:26:16,840 --> 00:26:19,920 but John looks at these things beyond this world. 486 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:25,190 He looks at it beyond Calvary and beyond the empty tomb. 487 00:26:26,870 --> 00:26:31,110 Because in his prologue, which gives us the summary of what he's 488 00:26:31,110 --> 00:26:34,470 about to write, it's very much like the prologue of Revelation. 489 00:26:35,750 --> 00:26:40,190 And so John was the perfect person to give this to because he 490 00:26:40,190 --> 00:26:40,710 was already. 491 00:26:41,110 --> 00:26:44,310 He had a mind that already thought in themes. 492 00:26:45,350 --> 00:26:49,190 He had a mind that wasn't necessarily from A to B. 493 00:26:49,350 --> 00:26:52,870 He might have taken us around E, F, and G before he got to B. 494 00:26:53,350 --> 00:26:56,670 Because what was important was the understanding rather than the 495 00:26:56,670 --> 00:27:00,150 literal day by day, week by week, month by month, activities 496 00:27:00,150 --> 00:27:01,270 of the life of Jesus. 497 00:27:02,470 --> 00:27:06,150 So in the Gospel, then we have these themes, but then what about 498 00:27:06,150 --> 00:27:07,030 his letters? 499 00:27:08,630 --> 00:27:12,390 Well, we know already that if you read John 3:16 and look up first 500 00:27:12,390 --> 00:27:14,970 John 3:16, you're getting roughly the same thing. 501 00:27:14,970 --> 00:27:17,250 Now, John didn't write in chapters and. 502 00:27:17,250 --> 00:27:18,490 He didn't write in verses. 503 00:27:18,730 --> 00:27:22,650 But isn't it amazing, though, that whenever it was put down that 504 00:27:22,810 --> 00:27:26,250 what you Read in John 3:16 and 1st John 3:16 are similar? 505 00:27:27,130 --> 00:27:30,570 And so John is already writing to churches who need to hear that 506 00:27:30,570 --> 00:27:31,610 Christ loves them. 507 00:27:32,810 --> 00:27:36,730 And it is really a letter of Love, you know, first John 4:7, 8. 508 00:27:36,730 --> 00:27:38,650 Beloved, let us love one another for love. 509 00:27:38,990 --> 00:27:39,590 Love is of God. 510 00:27:39,590 --> 00:27:42,670 He that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is love. 511 00:27:44,430 --> 00:27:45,790 And what does he tell us? 512 00:27:46,750 --> 00:27:52,110 He shows us the demonstration of God's love in Revelation, where 513 00:27:52,110 --> 00:27:57,590 he hears the cries and prayers of the martyrs, but also where he 514 00:27:57,590 --> 00:27:58,910 demonstrates his love in. 515 00:27:58,910 --> 00:28:00,670 Preserving and keeping his people. 516 00:28:00,990 --> 00:28:04,590 And just as we were thinking on Sunday night, there in Revelation 517 00:28:05,830 --> 00:28:11,950 14:15, where we're looking at that with punishment, yes, that's 518 00:28:11,950 --> 00:28:12,550 one aspect. 519 00:28:12,550 --> 00:28:14,390 But it can't all be about punishment. 520 00:28:14,390 --> 00:28:15,350 There has to be good. 521 00:28:16,230 --> 00:28:18,030 And so with God's goodness comes punishment,. 522 00:28:18,030 --> 00:28:19,750 But also with punishment comes God's goodness. 523 00:28:19,750 --> 00:28:20,510 That's how it works. 524 00:28:20,510 --> 00:28:21,430 It is a balance. 525 00:28:22,390 --> 00:28:26,910 It's a skill not to measure it away, but it's that balance of the 526 00:28:26,910 --> 00:28:29,750 goodness of God to his people, but the punishment of those who reject 527 00:28:29,750 --> 00:28:32,380 him in his fairness and his equity. 528 00:28:33,500 --> 00:28:37,940 And so we see then in his letters this message of love, the 529 00:28:37,940 --> 00:28:41,540 love of God, but also the love that John has for the churches. 530 00:28:41,540 --> 00:28:44,220 So John is already a churchman. 531 00:28:44,940 --> 00:28:47,339 He has a heart for the church. 532 00:28:49,420 --> 00:28:52,900 So there's no mistake then why he is the one that's given this vision 533 00:28:52,900 --> 00:28:57,030 to write to the church is because he has a genuine heart for 534 00:28:57,030 --> 00:28:57,350 them. 535 00:28:59,510 --> 00:29:03,790 Now, the next part of the who is a little bit of homework, or not 536 00:29:03,790 --> 00:29:05,270 homework, but a little bit of work for you. 537 00:29:05,270 --> 00:29:07,990 You have it there in the 1, 2, and 3. 538 00:29:09,190 --> 00:29:12,550 The next question is, well, who is this given to? 539 00:29:13,270 --> 00:29:17,270 Who are the main characters in the book of Revelation? 540 00:29:17,750 --> 00:29:20,750 And so whenever you read Revelation, chapter one, verses one 541 00:29:20,750 --> 00:29:23,150 and two, well, the first person you see is. 542 00:29:23,300 --> 00:29:24,180 Is Jesus Christ. 543 00:29:24,180 --> 00:29:28,260 So the first person that we understand that this book is about 544 00:29:28,420 --> 00:29:29,700 is Jesus Christ. 545 00:29:30,820 --> 00:29:35,300 We're told that this is his Revelation, this is his revealing, 546 00:29:35,380 --> 00:29:37,540 this is his apocalyptic. 547 00:29:38,180 --> 00:29:41,780 This is his showing us what is going to happen. 548 00:29:44,100 --> 00:29:47,180 And so this shows to his servants the things that must soon 549 00:29:47,180 --> 00:29:47,700 take place. 550 00:29:47,700 --> 00:29:52,250 That's why whenever we read Revelation, remember, get your spectacles 551 00:29:52,250 --> 00:29:54,290 on so that you can see. 552 00:29:54,690 --> 00:29:57,170 I've just realized these are Very Postman Pat spectacles. 553 00:29:57,490 --> 00:30:00,450 I had a Postman Pat teddy bear who had spectacles just like that. 554 00:30:01,170 --> 00:30:05,410 But whenever we are looking at Revelation, we must look at it and 555 00:30:05,570 --> 00:30:07,730 see the glory of Jesus. 556 00:30:08,130 --> 00:30:10,050 Don't start looking for anything else. 557 00:30:10,770 --> 00:30:14,050 Don't start looking for numbers, don't start looking for 558 00:30:14,210 --> 00:30:16,980 dates, don't start looking for things, themes. 559 00:30:18,020 --> 00:30:19,780 Look for Jesus. 560 00:30:20,500 --> 00:30:22,220 And he is presented to us. 561 00:30:22,220 --> 00:30:26,940 And he's presented to us in many ways, again echoing what we've 562 00:30:26,940 --> 00:30:27,780 already known. 563 00:30:27,780 --> 00:30:29,540 In Scripture about him. 564 00:30:30,260 --> 00:30:34,420 And so Jesus Christ is the who of Revelation. 565 00:30:35,860 --> 00:30:38,180 He is the lamb before the throne. 566 00:30:38,580 --> 00:30:40,820 He is the one on the throne. 567 00:30:42,430 --> 00:30:46,750 So here we have a perfect picture of who Jesus is. 568 00:30:48,110 --> 00:30:51,630 But of course, as we know, John is key to this as well. 569 00:30:51,630 --> 00:30:53,590 So who does this involve? 570 00:30:53,590 --> 00:30:54,270 Well, John. 571 00:30:54,270 --> 00:30:57,909 If it wasn't for John, and if he didn't already have a heart for 572 00:30:57,909 --> 00:31:01,270 much of the content and indeed hadn't already been inspired by the 573 00:31:01,270 --> 00:31:04,630 Holy Spirit to write on some of these things, well, then it would 574 00:31:04,630 --> 00:31:05,550 have been completely different. 575 00:31:05,550 --> 00:31:07,150 But of course, that's not how God works. 576 00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:11,400 John was the one to whom God revealed it, because God had already 577 00:31:11,720 --> 00:31:13,800 revealed such things to John. 578 00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:15,880 Now John is living. 579 00:31:15,880 --> 00:31:19,040 And this is a wee bit back to the where in the context in which 580 00:31:19,040 --> 00:31:23,439 John is living, possibly even up to a century before John receives 581 00:31:23,439 --> 00:31:24,120 the revelation. 582 00:31:24,120 --> 00:31:27,360 But let's say for 50 years there was a huge movement. 583 00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:31,400 You can go to the museums of the world and see these examples 584 00:31:32,760 --> 00:31:36,430 somewhere in that 50 to 100 years prior, prior to John receiving 585 00:31:36,430 --> 00:31:40,470 the revelation, the Roman Empire, the Roman culture, had adopted 586 00:31:40,550 --> 00:31:42,630 the writing of fantasy. 587 00:31:43,590 --> 00:31:47,190 Whenever something would happen or there was a big personality, 588 00:31:47,510 --> 00:31:49,990 it would not be written plainly as history. 589 00:31:49,990 --> 00:31:51,830 Well, there would be the historians doing that, but there'd 590 00:31:51,830 --> 00:31:57,790 be the more artistic who would draw images that weren't exactly 591 00:31:57,790 --> 00:32:02,360 a man, in case of an emperor, but perhaps an eagle or, or a bull, 592 00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:08,560 or they would draw an image of an event that wasn't a direct drawing, 593 00:32:08,560 --> 00:32:11,840 as if it was an English countryside landscape painting by 594 00:32:11,840 --> 00:32:12,440 Turner. 595 00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:18,040 It was an image to help the people not just understand something 596 00:32:18,040 --> 00:32:21,680 had happened, but to depict how it happened in the most vivid 597 00:32:21,680 --> 00:32:22,200 of terms. 598 00:32:22,920 --> 00:32:26,800 And so what John sees in the revelation was already existing a 599 00:32:26,800 --> 00:32:29,590 style of literature in the culture of the day. 600 00:32:30,070 --> 00:32:34,470 And so John would have been aware of this and he would have known 601 00:32:34,470 --> 00:32:37,350 how to receive what had been given to him. 602 00:32:37,750 --> 00:32:40,150 You see, nothing's by mistake of God. 603 00:32:40,950 --> 00:32:47,190 It's about Jesus Christ, and it is John who is the agent, but 604 00:32:47,350 --> 00:32:49,510 it's also about us. 605 00:32:51,110 --> 00:32:54,860 You see, the three people involved in Revelation the whole 606 00:32:55,090 --> 00:32:56,050 is Jesus Christ. 607 00:32:56,770 --> 00:33:00,450 It's John, but it's also believers. 608 00:33:04,290 --> 00:33:09,250 We're the ones who receive it, we're the ones who get it. 609 00:33:09,730 --> 00:33:11,170 This is for us. 610 00:33:12,930 --> 00:33:16,570 There's a word we're going to come to and not quite sure where 611 00:33:16,570 --> 00:33:17,250 it is yet. 612 00:33:17,250 --> 00:33:20,010 Well, we'll come to it in the why, which will lead us onto. 613 00:33:20,010 --> 00:33:22,380 But this is a blessing to us. 614 00:33:24,220 --> 00:33:26,140 Revelation is supposed to be a blessing. 615 00:33:26,700 --> 00:33:30,460 And so let's move into the why then of Revelation. 616 00:33:31,180 --> 00:33:34,860 And so whenever you read it, we see in the first word, blessed 617 00:33:34,940 --> 00:33:36,540 is the one who reads aloud. 618 00:33:39,020 --> 00:33:40,700 It is to be a blessing to us. 619 00:33:42,060 --> 00:33:43,580 We shouldn't be afraid of it. 620 00:33:44,460 --> 00:33:45,500 We really shouldn't. 621 00:33:45,990 --> 00:33:49,270 We may not understand it, but let me ask you, do you understand 622 00:33:49,350 --> 00:33:51,430 Song of Solomon's or Song of Solomon? 623 00:33:51,590 --> 00:33:52,870 Do you understand Song of Song? 624 00:33:52,870 --> 00:33:53,910 Do you understand Job? 625 00:33:54,790 --> 00:33:56,310 There's many books in the Bible. 626 00:33:56,630 --> 00:34:00,750 Do you understand Isaiah, particularly in his last 10 chapters? 627 00:34:00,750 --> 00:34:05,110 My goodness, you'd need a year in those 10 chapters alone. 628 00:34:05,750 --> 00:34:08,630 There's lots of scripture we don't understand on first reading. 629 00:34:08,630 --> 00:34:09,950 And revelation's like that. 630 00:34:09,950 --> 00:34:14,739 But revelation is more, gives us more images that perhaps we feel 631 00:34:14,739 --> 00:34:16,779 we must understand and should understand. 632 00:34:16,939 --> 00:34:19,859 And therefore because we can't, then we say no, can't be bothered 633 00:34:19,859 --> 00:34:20,299 with that. 634 00:34:21,419 --> 00:34:27,419 But actually to read this is to be a blessing because these are 635 00:34:27,419 --> 00:34:28,578 words of prophecy. 636 00:34:28,578 --> 00:34:34,939 Now again, this word prophecy, prophecy has two meanings. 637 00:34:36,859 --> 00:34:40,020 And this is where I get my spelling wrong. 638 00:34:40,100 --> 00:34:44,660 Sometimes prophecy, prophecy is about future events. 639 00:34:44,820 --> 00:34:45,700 Absolutely. 640 00:34:47,620 --> 00:34:50,740 Is that not what the prophets foretold in the Old Testament of 641 00:34:50,740 --> 00:34:51,380 what would come? 642 00:34:51,380 --> 00:34:52,180 The Messiah? 643 00:34:52,180 --> 00:34:55,620 Is that not even what God prophesied in Genesis 3? 644 00:34:55,700 --> 00:34:58,860 That there would be one who would come and who would crush the 645 00:34:58,860 --> 00:34:59,380 serpent? 646 00:34:59,460 --> 00:35:03,180 What the boys and girls are learning as the serpent crusher or 647 00:35:03,180 --> 00:35:04,130 the snake crusher. 648 00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:07,320 And so prophecy is a future foretelling. 649 00:35:07,640 --> 00:35:11,400 But if you go into the major and minor prophets of the Old Testament, 650 00:35:11,480 --> 00:35:15,480 you will discover that their prophecy is about the present. 651 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:23,160 They are being prophetic about the natural course if things continue 652 00:35:23,240 --> 00:35:24,280 the way they are. 653 00:35:24,600 --> 00:35:27,880 And the only way you can do that is to understand what's happening. 654 00:35:28,520 --> 00:35:30,890 So what does Isaiah and Jeremiah write? 655 00:35:31,280 --> 00:35:32,480 Woe to you. 656 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:38,640 What does Jesus say as our prophet, priest and king, but in 657 00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:43,040 the office of prophet, he says, woe to you, Tyre and Sidon. 658 00:35:45,120 --> 00:35:46,000 This isn't a. 659 00:35:46,880 --> 00:35:51,280 Whenever we read these things in the prophets and what Jesus says, 660 00:35:51,280 --> 00:35:54,800 this is an assessment of what is currently happening. 661 00:35:54,880 --> 00:35:59,330 And if people do not move from that point, then this will be the 662 00:35:59,330 --> 00:36:00,010 consequence. 663 00:36:00,810 --> 00:36:04,090 And isn't that what is beautiful about the book of Revelation, 664 00:36:05,050 --> 00:36:07,450 it tells us that there is still time. 665 00:36:08,170 --> 00:36:09,970 There is still time to know Christ. 666 00:36:09,970 --> 00:36:13,410 And that's why often it is preached as an evangelistic book, 667 00:36:13,410 --> 00:36:14,290 and rightly so. 668 00:36:14,290 --> 00:36:17,370 But it is not first and foremost an evangelistic book. 669 00:36:17,930 --> 00:36:19,770 It's not supposed to be a book of fear. 670 00:36:20,330 --> 00:36:23,850 It's not supposed to make us go to our beds and car and think, 671 00:36:23,850 --> 00:36:25,210 oh, is Jesus coming tonight? 672 00:36:26,440 --> 00:36:30,760 It's actually supposed to bless us that those who know Christ 673 00:36:31,080 --> 00:36:35,880 can go to bed and rest, secure that if he. 674 00:36:35,880 --> 00:36:40,600 Comes tonight, as our eyelids close in sleep, so they will open 675 00:36:40,680 --> 00:36:43,720 in a bright eternity as Christ comes. 676 00:36:45,080 --> 00:36:48,440 That's why we are blessed when we read it. 677 00:36:48,920 --> 00:36:54,620 It's a prophetic message that may be speaking about future events, 678 00:36:55,340 --> 00:36:57,580 but it also talks about the present reality. 679 00:36:57,580 --> 00:36:59,420 Is that not what the seven letters are about? 680 00:37:00,380 --> 00:37:04,460 Talking about the present reality of those seven churches as 681 00:37:04,620 --> 00:37:08,660 a model for the present situation of every church in human 682 00:37:08,660 --> 00:37:09,020 history. 683 00:37:10,860 --> 00:37:15,620 And so prophecy is given to us both, but not exclusively to future 684 00:37:15,620 --> 00:37:18,400 events and to present as a assessment. 685 00:37:19,360 --> 00:37:22,800 And look at the blessing, though the blessing is conditional, 686 00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:30,080 blessed are those who hear and keep what's in it. 687 00:37:30,400 --> 00:37:31,760 So this is conditional. 688 00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:35,280 Now, why is it conditional? 689 00:37:36,640 --> 00:37:41,320 It's conditional because we can say, well, okay, I'll just read 690 00:37:41,320 --> 00:37:43,730 this aloud every day, and that's me sort of it. 691 00:37:44,290 --> 00:37:47,970 And you know as well as I know you can read something, in fact, 692 00:37:47,970 --> 00:37:50,810 you can read a lot of things and then forget exactly what you've 693 00:37:50,810 --> 00:37:51,250 just read. 694 00:37:51,490 --> 00:37:52,450 That's humanity. 695 00:37:53,010 --> 00:37:54,770 Maybe it's just old age, I don't know. 696 00:37:56,210 --> 00:37:57,890 But there's an intentionality here. 697 00:37:57,890 --> 00:37:59,529 And if you haven't guessed in the. 698 00:37:59,529 --> 00:38:00,730 Seven and a half years I've been. 699 00:38:00,730 --> 00:38:02,690 Here, intentionality is a big word of mine. 700 00:38:02,770 --> 00:38:10,420 Intentional conditional means intent on hearing and keeping what 701 00:38:10,420 --> 00:38:17,340 it says so that we may remain blessed. 702 00:38:17,340 --> 00:38:19,820 Now, in a couple of weeks time, I'm going to give you a few 703 00:38:19,820 --> 00:38:24,620 book suggestions and one of those books that I have loved. 704 00:38:25,260 --> 00:38:30,380 And I was mortified whenever Pamela met her in person in Belfast 705 00:38:30,380 --> 00:38:33,900 and said, oh, my husband loves all your books, as she shook hands 706 00:38:33,900 --> 00:38:34,935 with her Nancy. 707 00:38:34,935 --> 00:38:37,690 Nancy Guthrie wrote a book and she spoke in Belfast. 708 00:38:37,690 --> 00:38:38,450 Was it last year? 709 00:38:38,450 --> 00:38:40,170 The year before last year? 710 00:38:40,170 --> 00:38:42,570 Well, Pamela embarrassed me even though I wasn't there. 711 00:38:42,570 --> 00:38:44,570 So per Nancy Guthrie. 712 00:38:44,570 --> 00:38:46,370 But Nancy wrote a book called Blessed. 713 00:38:46,530 --> 00:38:46,930 Why? 714 00:38:47,170 --> 00:38:51,650 Because isn't it the opening words of Revelation? 715 00:38:52,290 --> 00:38:53,810 Blessed we are blessed. 716 00:38:53,890 --> 00:38:56,690 We're not to be fearful, we're not to be frightened. 717 00:38:56,690 --> 00:38:57,810 We are in Christ. 718 00:38:58,210 --> 00:39:00,500 And therefore revelation is given to us. 719 00:39:01,210 --> 00:39:03,850 As a book of blessing. 720 00:39:03,930 --> 00:39:05,370 But it is conditional. 721 00:39:05,610 --> 00:39:08,490 We must hear and we must keep. 722 00:39:08,490 --> 00:39:14,010 In other words, we must hear and we must do so. 723 00:39:14,650 --> 00:39:20,530 Revelation is given to us, as I say in that last paragraph, it's 724 00:39:20,530 --> 00:39:20,730 given. 725 00:39:20,730 --> 00:39:22,570 To us so that we may take it to heart. 726 00:39:23,450 --> 00:39:27,070 That actually we may take it and read it and love it. 727 00:39:27,710 --> 00:39:30,870 That actually we won't just finish at the end of the summer, 728 00:39:30,870 --> 00:39:33,110 whenever we'll finish looking at it, but we'll go back to it and 729 00:39:33,110 --> 00:39:35,870 read it afresh so that we will understand. 730 00:39:36,670 --> 00:39:41,670 And these I hope, Sunday evenings, I hope, and it has been 731 00:39:41,670 --> 00:39:44,830 my prayer, my intentional prayer, as well as these evenings, 732 00:39:44,830 --> 00:39:46,270 that this is not divisive. 733 00:39:46,430 --> 00:39:47,550 That's not the point in this. 734 00:39:47,550 --> 00:39:50,710 The point of all of this is not to get over one perspective or 735 00:39:50,710 --> 00:39:50,990 another. 736 00:39:51,070 --> 00:39:54,640 Next week I will tell you what perspective I come from, and I am 737 00:39:54,640 --> 00:39:55,440 not ashamed of that. 738 00:39:55,440 --> 00:39:57,120 I am biblically convinced of it. 739 00:39:57,600 --> 00:40:00,440 But if you don't agree with me and you're biblically convinced of 740 00:40:00,440 --> 00:40:02,240 another interpretation, that's okay. 741 00:40:02,240 --> 00:40:03,520 We're not going to fall out over it. 742 00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:05,680 We're not going to fall out over it. 743 00:40:06,880 --> 00:40:09,200 But what we must know is that it is to heart. 744 00:40:10,160 --> 00:40:12,320 But the question is, are we looking. 745 00:40:13,120 --> 00:40:14,240 In the right places? 746 00:40:15,120 --> 00:40:19,000 Are we actually looking at what should be primary rather than 747 00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:20,580 secondary and tertiary? 748 00:40:20,820 --> 00:40:26,420 Are we looking to Jesus, the why, so that we can be blessed in. 749 00:40:26,420 --> 00:40:30,260 Knowing Christ as the risen Savior, the. 750 00:40:30,260 --> 00:40:34,060 One who is, as I say there, looking to Jesus as the one who. 751 00:40:34,060 --> 00:40:38,660 Is the Lamb who was slain and who is coming back again? 752 00:40:39,460 --> 00:40:42,780 Take it to heart that Christ is. 753 00:40:42,780 --> 00:40:45,060 The One in revelation, he points us. 754 00:40:45,060 --> 00:40:47,760 To what is our glorious future. 755 00:40:47,840 --> 00:40:48,880 Yes, there's a warning. 756 00:40:48,960 --> 00:40:50,160 Of course there's a warning. 757 00:40:50,960 --> 00:40:55,320 But it must first and foremost point his people to that glorious 758 00:40:55,320 --> 00:40:55,680 future. 759 00:40:57,680 --> 00:41:00,720 So what we're going to do at our tables now, it's five to nine. 760 00:41:00,720 --> 00:41:02,120 Don't worry, this isn't going to take long. 761 00:41:02,120 --> 00:41:04,520 You'll notice there's no questions written there because there's 762 00:41:04,520 --> 00:41:06,200 no real discussion this evening. 763 00:41:06,200 --> 00:41:08,800 Because really, you've probably heard most of this before 764 00:41:08,800 --> 00:41:11,600 and this is just to get us in next week we're going to be looking 765 00:41:11,600 --> 00:41:13,990 at how to interpret. 766 00:41:14,550 --> 00:41:17,710 And I want to say straight away, we're not going to be looking 767 00:41:17,710 --> 00:41:23,030 at three categories that are premillennialist, amillennialist 768 00:41:23,110 --> 00:41:24,550 or post millennialist. 769 00:41:24,950 --> 00:41:28,310 We're going to look at four different words because there are 770 00:41:28,310 --> 00:41:29,910 four ways to. 771 00:41:29,910 --> 00:41:35,030 Understand and interpret revelation, none of which involve 772 00:41:35,350 --> 00:41:36,550 the word millennium. 773 00:41:37,030 --> 00:41:40,480 So at a if you don't have an idea what I'm talking about by millennium, 774 00:41:40,480 --> 00:41:40,920 don't worry. 775 00:41:40,920 --> 00:41:42,000 We'll come to that, too. 776 00:41:42,720 --> 00:41:45,880 So that's where we're heading next week in terms of how to interpret 777 00:41:45,880 --> 00:41:46,160 it. 778 00:41:46,320 --> 00:41:48,480 But what I want you to do for a couple of minutes, and I. 779 00:41:48,480 --> 00:41:49,840 Probably should have warned you about this,. 780 00:41:50,480 --> 00:41:54,600 But I just want you to go around your tables and we'll come 781 00:41:54,600 --> 00:41:54,760 to. 782 00:41:54,760 --> 00:41:56,960 A time of prayer in just a moment as well. 783 00:41:57,600 --> 00:42:01,600 But I want you to share anything you've thought about either 784 00:42:01,600 --> 00:42:03,880 from tonight or if you have brought your notebook with you, if 785 00:42:03,880 --> 00:42:03,980 there's. 786 00:42:04,050 --> 00:42:06,850 There's something you've scribbled down at some point, share 787 00:42:06,850 --> 00:42:07,810 it with your table. 788 00:42:08,130 --> 00:42:11,970 And then I haven't got any blank paper, but someone can make 789 00:42:11,970 --> 00:42:12,930 a note somewhere. 790 00:42:13,490 --> 00:42:16,610 And if there's any questions, genuine questions that we have, we're 791 00:42:16,610 --> 00:42:17,290 going to look at those. 792 00:42:17,290 --> 00:42:20,330 Because again, the book of Revelation is not about you being 793 00:42:20,330 --> 00:42:22,050 lost, but also it's not about me having all the. 794 00:42:22,050 --> 00:42:24,050 Right answers either, by the way, because. 795 00:42:24,050 --> 00:42:25,290 I don't know all the right answers. 796 00:42:25,290 --> 00:42:27,690 That's why I'm not answering any questions tonight, that if any 797 00:42:27,690 --> 00:42:28,690 questions do come,. 798 00:42:29,010 --> 00:42:32,020 I will look at them and we'll see how to answer them. 799 00:42:32,580 --> 00:42:34,780 Because sometimes it's not so much what. 800 00:42:34,780 --> 00:42:39,300 The answer is, but it's how we go about answering the questions. 801 00:42:40,500 --> 00:42:44,140 So take five minutes, have a chat around your tables, and then 802 00:42:44,140 --> 00:42:44,660 we'll come. 803 00:42:44,660 --> 00:42:48,500 Back and we'll finish off this section before we go into a time 804 00:42:48,500 --> 00:42:49,140 of prayer. 805 00:42:50,260 --> 00:42:55,020 Yeah, we're gonna have to go to prayer, however, just so that 806 00:42:55,020 --> 00:42:57,950 we don't leave anyone feeling they're a wee bit short change this 807 00:42:57,950 --> 00:42:58,430 evening. 808 00:42:59,470 --> 00:43:02,430 Anything anybody wants to comment or even question at this 809 00:43:02,430 --> 00:43:02,750 point. 810 00:43:05,390 --> 00:43:06,350 That's a good question. 811 00:43:06,990 --> 00:43:08,030 Find out next week. 812 00:43:09,310 --> 00:43:11,950 But I mean, there's some of these things. 813 00:43:13,390 --> 00:43:13,710 Why? 814 00:43:13,710 --> 00:43:17,470 It's the way God give it, and I'm not brave enough to argue with 815 00:43:17,470 --> 00:43:17,790 him. 816 00:43:17,790 --> 00:43:19,470 So if you want to get first. 817 00:43:19,470 --> 00:43:20,430 In line, by all means. 818 00:43:20,430 --> 00:43:23,010 But it's not the only place in the Bible we have literature like 819 00:43:23,010 --> 00:43:23,290 this. 820 00:43:23,690 --> 00:43:25,610 Yeah, Daniel's the same. 821 00:43:28,170 --> 00:43:31,810 You could even verge in some of the poetry by the imagery they 822 00:43:31,810 --> 00:43:32,810 give as well. 823 00:43:32,810 --> 00:43:36,250 You know, let's forget about the message for a moment. 824 00:43:36,410 --> 00:43:39,130 The message of Daniel and the message of Revelation are very similar, 825 00:43:40,490 --> 00:43:41,290 but let's. 826 00:43:41,290 --> 00:43:44,010 Focus on the imagery that we're presented with these things. 827 00:43:44,010 --> 00:43:45,450 We just don't know what to do with it. 828 00:43:45,770 --> 00:43:49,020 But again, going back to Song of Songs, that's quite similar. 829 00:43:49,020 --> 00:43:52,220 It's quite graphic, you know, even some. 830 00:43:52,220 --> 00:43:54,140 Of the prophets and what they write. 831 00:43:54,140 --> 00:43:56,420 And how they turn a phrase of things. 832 00:43:56,740 --> 00:44:00,540 And so again, I'm going to Be honest here. 833 00:44:00,540 --> 00:44:01,540 English doesn't help us. 834 00:44:02,980 --> 00:44:03,260 Now. 835 00:44:03,260 --> 00:44:06,220 That's not to say only those who have studied Greek can understand 836 00:44:06,220 --> 00:44:06,460 this. 837 00:44:06,460 --> 00:44:07,420 I'm not suggesting that at all. 838 00:44:07,420 --> 00:44:12,540 But English uses one word to describe one thing, whereas the Greek 839 00:44:12,540 --> 00:44:14,680 would have had maybe five words to explain it. 840 00:44:14,680 --> 00:44:18,880 And so it just, as you've seen tonight, apocalyptic. 841 00:44:18,880 --> 00:44:22,200 We all know Hollywood have us an idea of a desolation, a plane 842 00:44:22,200 --> 00:44:22,480 that's. 843 00:44:22,480 --> 00:44:24,360 Just completely desolated, where nothing's ever going to grow 844 00:44:24,360 --> 00:44:24,680 again. 845 00:44:24,840 --> 00:44:26,840 That's not the original meaning of that word. 846 00:44:27,240 --> 00:44:30,319 It's a revealing, it's a revealed, it's. 847 00:44:30,319 --> 00:44:32,800 An understanding, it's been shown something of. 848 00:44:32,800 --> 00:44:33,640 What is to come. 849 00:44:35,400 --> 00:44:37,640 And so as language. 850 00:44:37,640 --> 00:44:39,560 Language change hasn't helped us either. 851 00:44:39,560 --> 00:44:43,160 Also, we're 2,000 years away from some of this might have been 852 00:44:43,160 --> 00:44:44,200 known to. 853 00:44:44,200 --> 00:44:45,360 The people of John's day. 854 00:44:46,400 --> 00:44:49,080 God would not be so unkind to. 855 00:44:49,080 --> 00:44:50,400 Give us a book we do not understand. 856 00:44:51,920 --> 00:44:53,360 And actually, if you look at the. 857 00:44:53,360 --> 00:44:57,520 First bit in your introduction, there's two ways of 858 00:44:57,520 --> 00:45:02,600 reading Revelation, either as a puzzle book to be solved or a picture 859 00:45:02,600 --> 00:45:07,730 book to be enjoyed and which camp you fall in. 860 00:45:07,730 --> 00:45:10,130 So there's only two camps of how to read it, but then there's 861 00:45:10,130 --> 00:45:11,370 four and how to interpret it. 862 00:45:11,610 --> 00:45:14,490 So we'll come to think of that next week a little bit. 863 00:45:14,490 --> 00:45:16,810 But God has given it to us. 864 00:45:17,610 --> 00:45:20,490 We assume the early readers understood it. 865 00:45:21,530 --> 00:45:26,730 We're 2,000 miles and 2,000 years after them in our modern age. 866 00:45:26,730 --> 00:45:28,970 And it's just harder for us because we're not as close to the 867 00:45:28,970 --> 00:45:29,370 original. 868 00:45:31,130 --> 00:45:33,780 But maybe we'll come to think about that later on. 869 00:45:35,060 --> 00:45:37,900 Anything else for tonight so that I can say? 870 00:45:37,900 --> 00:45:38,540 That's a good question. 871 00:45:38,540 --> 00:45:40,180 We'll discover that next time. 872 00:45:44,980 --> 00:45:46,980 These will all just be ready for next week then. 873 00:45:49,300 --> 00:45:53,060 Can I finish this section by reading verse 8 again? 874 00:45:53,060 --> 00:45:55,860 I actually have read this on my pastoral visits. 875 00:45:56,100 --> 00:45:57,220 May I even have read it to. 876 00:45:57,220 --> 00:46:00,910 One or two of you here circumstances, because I. 877 00:46:00,910 --> 00:46:02,550 Of all the verses, of all the. 878 00:46:02,550 --> 00:46:04,590 Verses in Revelation, I've been struck by this one. 879 00:46:05,390 --> 00:46:07,470 Of course, this verse in Revelation at. 880 00:46:07,470 --> 00:46:10,110 The start gets changed as we go through revelation. 881 00:46:10,670 --> 00:46:12,830 As Christ wins. 882 00:46:12,830 --> 00:46:16,390 Christ the victor, but I am the. 883 00:46:16,390 --> 00:46:18,070 Alpha and Omega, says the Lord God. 884 00:46:18,070 --> 00:46:20,190 We know that to be the beginning and the end. 885 00:46:21,150 --> 00:46:22,110 This is what God says. 886 00:46:22,110 --> 00:46:26,110 Who is and who wants was and who is to come? 887 00:46:26,590 --> 00:46:27,550 The Almighty. 888 00:46:28,990 --> 00:46:30,190 That's where we take heart. 889 00:46:30,990 --> 00:46:32,270 Even right at the very beginning. 890 00:46:32,270 --> 00:46:37,310 Look into Christ as he has been with us in the past, so he is 891 00:46:37,310 --> 00:46:38,670 with us in the present. 892 00:46:39,869 --> 00:46:42,990 And he will be with us when he brings us home. 893 00:46:43,790 --> 00:46:45,470 That's the blessing of Revelation. 894 00:46:46,430 --> 00:46:48,270 Now, why does that change later on? 895 00:46:48,270 --> 00:46:51,370 Because it simply becomes, you know, I am the. 896 00:46:51,370 --> 00:46:53,890 You know I am the one who is and who was. 897 00:46:54,770 --> 00:46:57,250 Because by the time you read this again in Revelation, he is the 898 00:46:57,250 --> 00:46:57,970 one who has come. 899 00:46:57,970 --> 00:46:59,810 So he doesn't need to say and who will come. 900 00:47:00,370 --> 00:47:02,370 He is the one who was and who is. 901 00:47:03,010 --> 00:47:05,170 And so he will remain faithful to. 902 00:47:05,170 --> 00:47:09,570 Us, regardless of how many, how many of us agree and how many 903 00:47:09,570 --> 00:47:10,370 of us disagree. 904 00:47:11,010 --> 00:47:14,770 That's why we must look at the book of Revelation through the glasses, 905 00:47:14,770 --> 00:47:19,820 through the lenses, searching for Jesus, because he is the one 906 00:47:19,820 --> 00:47:22,540 who was and who is and who is to come. 907 00:47:23,020 --> 00:47:25,580 So let me pray before then we'll come to pray together. 908 00:47:27,100 --> 00:47:27,940 Our Father God. 909 00:47:27,940 --> 00:47:29,140 We do thank you that as we've. 910 00:47:29,140 --> 00:47:31,499 Spent this first evening together of the. 911 00:47:31,500 --> 00:47:35,580 Where, the why, and the who and the why, we thank you for a. 912 00:47:35,580 --> 00:47:38,180 Bit of deeper understanding of maybe helping. 913 00:47:38,180 --> 00:47:41,260 Us then how to read it, knowing that there's images given 914 00:47:41,260 --> 00:47:41,750 to us that,. 915 00:47:41,900 --> 00:47:44,260 That were so much closer to the time of John that they'd have 916 00:47:44,260 --> 00:47:47,500 been understood without second thought, but how much harder it is 917 00:47:47,500 --> 00:47:47,780 for us. 918 00:47:47,780 --> 00:47:49,580 And that's where we need your Holy Spirit to help us. 919 00:47:50,460 --> 00:47:54,580 And Father, as we dig deeper into greater understanding of how 920 00:47:54,580 --> 00:47:58,140 to interpret and how to think of the different styles, we pray 921 00:47:58,140 --> 00:47:59,100 that you will help us. 922 00:47:59,500 --> 00:48:01,140 Not that we'll be forced into a. 923 00:48:01,140 --> 00:48:03,860 Corner of what to believe, but rather. 924 00:48:03,860 --> 00:48:06,260 That we will be biblically convinced of. 925 00:48:06,260 --> 00:48:09,860 What is your truth to us, and that we will know it as a book of 926 00:48:09,860 --> 00:48:13,420 blessing and a book of joy rather than a book to be feared. 927 00:48:14,140 --> 00:48:16,460 So Lord, continue to reveal yourself to us. 928 00:48:17,260 --> 00:48:20,780 We pray that we'll continue to know you as we go through these days, 929 00:48:21,180 --> 00:48:24,820 particularly as we worship you again at the weekend with morning 930 00:48:24,820 --> 00:48:27,980 worship and then with the women together service in the evening. 931 00:48:28,300 --> 00:48:31,260 We ask that it will be a day of great blessing as we look ever 932 00:48:31,260 --> 00:48:35,030 onto Jesus and he may himself known to us more and more. 933 00:48:35,430 --> 00:48:38,630 So we ask these things in Jesus name, Amen.