Sermon by Neil Earle, 4/30/2005
Revelation 5:12: "Saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!"
There are different ways to read this book and understand it apart from the totally futuristic view of trying to read world events into it. It is a book about God's revenge on the Roman Empire. This is one of the greatest themes of the book of Revelation and one of the reasons why it was written. Revelation had a lot to say for the first century church. It seems self evident that Revelation is keyed for a very different time of the church in a very different period.
Revelation 1:1-3, 19: "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants – things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near....Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this."
The main thrust of Revelation is not what Satan is doing through the beast power but the main thrust is what Christ is doing through the church.
Revelation 2:5, 10, 16: "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place – unless you repent....Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life....Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth."
Four Main Ways People Have Gone Through the Book of Revelation:
The first century view.
Historical or road map view. There are coded things in here that project a road map all throughout human history. This is a respectable view in church history.
End time view. We will not understand Revelation until the very crisis at the close of the age.
Symbolic view. Revelation is symbolic of events that affect the church all through its history.
Revelation 3:2, 11, 22: "Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God....Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown....He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
Apocalypse is usually when the people of God has their backs turned to the wall and they need something more than just preaching and teaching. They need powerful visionary forecast on the message that God is still with them. Numbers in Revelation are used not necessarily to depict time but for effect. They are used to create great impressions.
Revelation 12:1-6: "Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days."
This is where some of the history and the way this history is written in the book of Revelation.
Revelation 8:1-6: "When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound."
This talks about the opening of the seventh seal. We always pray in times of trouble and stress.
Revelation 9:13-16: "Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them."
Revelation 10:1-4, 8-11: "I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices. Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, "Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them....Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, "Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth." So I went to the angel and said to him, "Give me the little book." And he said to me, "Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth." Then I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. And he said to me, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings."
The beast is not the main subject in the book of Revelation. It is delayed until the 13th chapter. It shows there is a lot more going on about the church, encouraging the church and it is going to be tough and rough but here we now meet the culprit behind all of this.
Revelation 13:1-4, 9-11: "Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?....If anyone has an ear, let him hear. He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon."
In the book of Daniel he writes about the beast. Those who persecute the people of God will come to an end.
Revelation 14:13: "Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, "Write: 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.'" "Yes," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them."
The Roman Empire is the target in the book of Revelation.
Revelation 20:1-4, 6: "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years....Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years."
The book of Revelation was written for tough times in the church in the first century. Revelation has always been accepted by the church.