Led By The Lamb (Revelation 1-11)
Throughout the Old Testament, we have learned so much about God. He has set up a nation, and he patiently worked with them until their rebellion was hopeless. Throughout the prophets, we learn why God destroys his people. They won't stop rebelling against him. He tries to warn them, and he is willing to forgive them. But they won't stop being evil toward each other and him. In Daniel, we learned about how God still reigns in the kingdoms of men. He can bring glory to his name through the pagan kings of the earth, and he can protect those who put their trust in him.
But we also learned in Daniel about future persecution of God's people and God's plan to set up a kingdom with his king ruling from heaven. Nebuchadnezzar sees a vision of a statue with four parts (gold, silver, bronze, and iron mixed with clay) that represent four kingdoms. Then, Daniel sees four beasts coming up out of the sea. In both images, the kingdoms are destroyed as the Lord sets up his kingdom to be the eternal kingdom with an anointed one ruling from a throne in heaven. Almost every other prophet hints at what life will be like in this kingdom. Over the next year, I plan to look at many of those promises.
Based solely on Daniel's prophesies, do we wonder why the Jews didn't believe in Jesus? This grand vision of a coming Messiah didn't fit with the man they saw from Nazareth. They rejected him and crucified him. But God planned for that to happen. He still lifted Jesus and put him on the throne in heaven. Did you know a book in the New Testament reveals these Old Testament prophecies' fulfillment? That is what the book of Revelation is all about. Today is going to be Revelation day. In this first lesson, I want us to get a general feel for the book of Revelation and see the images in the first half of the book. Tonight, we will look at the second half of the book.
What is Revelation?
Revelation means that God is revealing something. Note that it is not plural. God is not revealing Revelations. He does not come to John on multiple occasions and gives him multiple visions like Daniel. This is one grand Revelation.
Revelation 1:1--3 (ESV) --- 1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
What is God revealing? I have already hinted at it. He is revealing the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. As we read through this book, it's easy to get confused. We typically take everything we read in the Bible literally unless it is clear that the person describes a vision or dream. Visions aren't literal. They are figurative. This is the way the Bible interprets dreams for us. Joseph does not literally become a stalk of wheat. The stalks of wheat represent Joseph and his brothers. When we take figures of speech literally or make a literal story figurative, we miss the true meaning. Men can make anything figurative to deny what it is saying. We do not want to do that.
The book of Revelation is full of visions. Sometimes, we get a literal interpretation of what the figures mean. Most of the time, we have to figure it out based on our Old and New Testament knowledge. That's why there are so many different interpretations. So I could be wrong in my interpretation of some of these things. If you have studied this before, you could as well.
But notice that there is a boundary given in the first few verses. Before the visions, we get a clear understanding of what this is about. The introduction says, "Things that must soon take place." Notice, if John says that God gave Jesus this Revelation to make known to John what must soon occur, this can't be a book about the end of time. We are nearly 2000 years away from when this was given to John. Again, notice that verse three says, "The time is near." In God's time, "near" and "soon" commonly mean within the next forty years.
We see these words over and over in the prophets. Jeremiah preached the destruction of Jerusalem was near for about forty years. That doesn't mean that *every* event in this book will happen during the next forty years of these Christian's lives, but it is reasonable to assume that the primary events would happen within the lifetime of those reading.
What's About To Happen?
Revelation 1:4--7 (ESV) --- 4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
This tells us what is going to happen in the book. Jesus is coming in the clouds, which indicates his return with judgment. Over and over again, in the Old Testament, God is portrayed as coming in the clouds to judge his people or to judge a rival nation (Jeremiah 4:13, Daniel 7:13-14, Ezekiel 30:3, Zephaniah 1:15, Matthew 24:30). So this may not indicate the return of Christ for the final judgment.
Then it says that "every eye will see him even those who pierced him." This is alluding to Zechariah 12:10-13:1, which is an important passage to understand to make sense of this book. The text points out that the Jews will weep in repentance because they have pierced the Messiah. Then, God will open a fountain to cleanse them from their sins.
After that, it says, "All tribes of the earth will wail on account of him." This shows us that Jesus is not just going to have an impact on the Jews. He will also bring mourning on the whole earth for their sins.
The primary event of this book is Jesus being placed on the throne and destroying his enemies. This idea is repeated after he conquers each enemy. The first enemy he conquers is in Chapter 11. It is described as "the holy city" that refuses to listen to God's witnesses and where Jesus was crucified. Who might that be? Notice the result.
Revelation 11:15 (ESV) --- 15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”
The second enemy is twofold. A beast rises out of the sea with ten horns, reminding us of Daniel 7, and another beast who looks like a lamb but sounds like Satan. Later, this beast is called a prostitute riding the first beast, and she is called the daughter of Babylon. She is said to cause great sexual immorality/idolatry and have dominion over the earth's kings. Who do these represent? Again, notice what the result is.
Revelation 17:14 (ESV) --- 14 They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”
There is also a dragon pulling their strings to deceive the earth's people and persecute God's people. Look what happens to him...
Revelation 20:10 (ESV) --- 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
These events are the fulfillment of scripture about the Messiah reigning from heaven and demonstrating authority over earth's kingdoms. As we see what must soon occur, all the puzzle pieces start to fit together to reveal Jesus as the Messiah the Jews were hoping to see! This book explains how all the prophecies find their fulfillment in Christ.
Overview
Now that I have told you the book's main focus, let's work our way through the first half of the book from a very high level. Remember, John is writing what he sees in a letter to seven churches in Asia, so try to imagine these visions in your mind to get the full effect.
Revelation 1:10 (ESV) --- 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet
To begin, notice that he is "In the Spirit on the Lord's day." This is indicating that it is a spiritual vision God gave him. He heard a voice like a trumpet telling him to write this down and send it to the seven churches. Most of the times that we see a trumpet in the Old Testament, it indicates a warning.
The Seven Churches (1:9-3:22)
The first vision is of "one like the son of man," walking amid seven golden lampstands with seven stars in his hand. The "son of man" is another name for Jesus. In this vision, we are told that the seven stars are his angels over these seven churches. The lampstands are the churches of Asia. We don't have to guess what these signs mean. They are interpreted for us. There is no need to add interpretation to the interpretation.
Chapters 2 and 3 tell us what is going on in those churches and what Jesus wants them to know. Each church is going through trials and persecution. Asia Minor is a heavily Gentile region, and they have to deal with "the synagogue of Satan." That is a reference to Jewish persecution since synagogues are where Jews worshipped. They also have to deal with imprisonment, murder, Nicolaitans' teachings, and the corruption of a woman called Jezebel. These are referring to Gentile persecutions. Jesus tells them if they can overcome and repent of what he tells them they are doing wrong, they will be rewarded for conquering Satan and sin.
This first vision is such a great message for us. We need to apply what is said as a church and overcome the struggles that might plague our congregation. But also notice that Jesus gives them all time to repent. I love what he tells Laodicea.
Revelation 3:19--22 (ESV) --- 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”
The Scroll With Seven Seals and The Lamb of God (4-11)
The next vision opens up many additional visions, so it's easy to get lost. This vision will span many Chapters, and it is all we will focus on this morning. It starts with twenty-four elders and four living creatures falling before the throne of God and worshipping him. As we follow the visions, we learn that there is a scroll that no one is worthy to open. This leads John to start crying. One of the twenty-four elders reveals that the lion from Judah is worthy. Then, John turns to see a slain lamb walk up to the throne of God and take the scroll. The rest of this section is about the Lamb receiving power as he opens each seal.
The first four seals are four horsemen of different colors. These horsemen are from the book of Zechariah. In Zechariah, they were patrolling the earth. These horsemen are now given the power to conquer, take away peace, cause famine, and kill much of the earth. It's important to remember that the Lamb is opening these seals. These four horsemen are under God's control, but it may be indicating that they are now under Jesus' control.
The fifth seal reveals the martyrs crying out, "How long?" They want justice, but they are told it will be a little longer. The sixth reveals calamity. The Lamb has the power to destroy everyone. But Chapter 7 reveals that he will wait to destroy until another angel seals 144,000 of God's servants who have come out of the tribulation. Who are the 144,000? Notice in verse 9 that it seems to represent a multitude of saved people. Numbers are always symbolic. Occasionally we will find a literal interpretation, like the seven churches of Asia, but the number seven represents being complete.
The Seventh Seal and Seven Trumpets (8-9)
In Chapter 8, the Lamb opens the seventh and final seal.
Revelation 8:1--5 (ESV) --- 1 When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, 4 and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. 5 Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
Notice that as he opens it, there is silence for about half an hour. You can imagine the suspense. What will the scroll say now that it is opened? Then seven angels are given seven trumpets. Before they blow them, an angel carrying a golden censer with prayers from the saints fills the censer with fire and throws it on the earth, and there are peals of thunder rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
As we said earlier, trumpets are commonly a form of warning before being attacked. The first four trumpets bring partial destruction. A third of the earth is burned up, a third of the sea becomes blood, a third of the springs become blood, and a third of light is put out.
Then an eagle flies overhead saying, "Woe, woe, woe because of the sound of the next three trumpets!" If they didn't get the message by now, they better from the next three trumpet blasts.
The fifth trumpet reveals a star falling from heaven. Stars represent angels based on the first vision. This angel falls from heaven. Jesus says that this happens to Satan in Luke 10:17-18. This angel opens the bottomless pit and lets out locusts on the earth. Locusts sound like the day of the Lord prophesied in Joel. But these locusts have the power to sting like scorpions, and they torment people for five months.
Revelation 9:12 (ESV) --- 12 The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come.
The sixth angel blows his trumpet, and the four angels at the four corners of the earth let go of their troops, numbering 200 million, all riding horses that breathe out fire, smoke, and sulfur with snakes making up their tails. This results in the death of one-third of mankind, but the rest of mankind did not repent. They were stubborn and hard-hearted, refusing to change.
The Little Scroll (10)
Now, we have seen all seven seals broken and six of the seven trumpets blown. But we still don't know what the scroll says.
Revelation 10:1--4 (ESV) --- 1 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. 2 He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, 3 and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. 4 And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.”
The scroll was read to John, but we aren't going to hear what the scroll says. But notice what happens next. As the angel in Daniel 12:7 raised both hands and swore that Daniel's visions would not take place for times, time, and half a time, now an angel stands on the bank and says this.
Revelation 10:5--7 (ESV) --- 5 And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven 6 and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, 7 but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.
There will be no more delay. The mystery of the prophets will be revealed. After this, John is told to eat the scroll. It is sweet like honey in his mouth and bitter in his stomach. Then, he is told that another prophecy would be given to him concerning many nations on the earth.
Revelation 10:11 (ESV) --- 11 And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”
I believe we will learn about this prophesy beginning in Chapter 12.
The Two Witnesses and The Seventh Trumpet (11)
Now, to wrap up this section, we get back to the previous visions and learn about what Jesus will do before blowing the seventh trumpet. Chapter 11 is full of symbols that are a little easier for us to interpret. We left off in Chapter 9, seeing that the men refused to repent. Now John is given a measuring rod in his hand to measure the Temple of God. This is a typical picture throughout the prophets. Measuring can be for judgment or salvation. But notice that he will not measure the outer court because the nations will trample it along with the rest of the holy city, Jerusalem.
Then, in verse three, we learn about God sending his two witnesses. These men have the power to turn water into blood and withhold rain, so they are like Moses and Elijah, but no one will listen to them. The beast rises from the bottomless pit and kills them, but the people in the city where Jesus was crucified refuse to let them be placed in a tomb. They hate these witnesses because they tormented them with their words. But God raises them from the dead and sends an earthquake to destroy a tenth of the city.
At the end of this section, we see Jesus trying to convince the Jews to change their ways, and some appear to change after the city falls. Jesus is given the glory he deserves, and the seventh trumpet blows.
Revelation 11:15--19 (ESV) --- 15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” 16 And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. 18 The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.” 19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.
Jesus is recognized as being the Son of Man from Daniel and the anointed one from Psalm 2. He is fully recognized as the Son of God. The Temple of God is opened, and the ark with his mercy-seat has returned. The flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, earthquake, and heavy hail show that the judgment is complete. Jerusalem has moved to heaven, and Jesus rules in his kingdom.
What's The Message?
So far in our study, we have seen two main visions. There is the vision that focuses on the seven churches of Asia and the vision of the Lamb. The second vision message is challenging to interpret, but the angel standing on the seashore swears that the prophets' message would be delayed no longer. Jesus is given all power, authority, and dominion over the nations, and he is using his power to avenge the martyrs. He delivers on the promises made to Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Zechariah, and Daniel. The message of this section is that Jesus is the king of the Jews. He is the shepherd of the true Israel of God, and we finally see him purge all of the evil out of Israel.
The Jews have been waiting for this, but the one thing the Jews don't understand is that judgment will begin with God's people. Chapters 2 and 3 reveal that the Jews were a significant part of the persecution of Christians. They were allowed to persecute until the destruction of the Temple in 70AD. This event was foretold in Matthew 24. As his disciples were marveling at the beauty of the Temple, Jesus says, "Not one stone will be left on another." Then, he goes on to mention earthquakes and nations rising against nations.
By the end of the first section, we see Jesus exalted in heaven with the power given to him that no nation can oppose. But that won't prevent them from trying. In the next section, we will see another enemy rise, explaining who is underneath God's servants' persecution. Jesus will once again prove that his kingdom is the greatest on earth.
Application
How could we apply this to ourselves? Do we learn from the loving rebuke of Jesus? Jesus is walking in the midst of this congregation. He sees all that we are going through and he sees how we respond to trials. His point to the churches is clearly to us as well. All who forsake him will lose their relationship, but those who conquer receive great rewards!
Revelation 3:19--22 (ESV) --- 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”
Some of the most difficult words in the book for us to hear are the words spoken to the martyrs. They ask how long until their blood will be avenged. Can you imagine going through the suffering these men and women have gone through?
Revelation 6:11 (ESV) --- 11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.
Revelation 7:14--17 (ESV) --- 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
We have learned a lot about the Jews in Matthew. Isn't it amazing that Jesus becomes what they were looking for, but they couldn't accept him because they desired sacrifice and not mercy? They didn’t love men so Jesus showed them how to love. He shows us too.
We have to approach people with love and stop being so self-focused and critical. As we learn about the Jews, I feel condemned for being judgmental and harsh toward my fellow Christian. That is what led them to murder so many as Saul of Tarsus led the way. We have to be transformed to be like Paul, full of love and patience.
Conclusion
Revelation contains vivid imagery. By seeing the imagery, we can grasp the meaning. God is trying to encourage his people to remain faithful to Jesus. He is the king, and he is worthy of our allegiance amid great suffering. Judgment begins with the house of the Lord. All of those who hate their brother and oppose our king will be crushed. Are you on the right side of history? Do you submit to the one true king of the earth? Jesus has not relinquished his throne. "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry" (Psalm 2).