Revelation Intro

Revelation Introduction notes
Wednesday night July 8 2009

Worship led by Jimmy Robeson - talented young man, awesome worship
There is a youtube video of him here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m6oALYERjA

Service is now live on the internet http://www.calvarychapelnewlife.com

Other videos of past studies will be posted there eventually

Apocalypse from the Greek apokalupsis which means "laid bare" "revealed"

Revelation not a hard book to understand - consider the title - revelation means disclosure

Chapter 1 divides into three parts Opening, Occasion, Outline
"the answers are truly in the back of the book"

1-8 Opening of the letter
9-18 Occasion of the letter
19-20 Outline of the letter

Opening 1-8
Purpose - reveal
1. more of Jesus Christ
2. the things that must shortly take place

Person - written by John
John wrote several books. One that you might believe. The next that you would know you have eternal life, and the last so that you would be ready

history - Caesar nero began the persecution of the Christians then Emperor Domecian who continues and intensified the persecution, blaming everything including natural disasters on the Christians. Had John brought to Rome, beaten, poisoned, boiled in oil and stil John survived. Banished him to Patmos where he in the spirit on the Lords Day (worship was the first day of the week after the Shabbot or Sabbath - gathered together for worship). God chose John because John bore witness to the Word of God, that is, he didn't keep it to himself - he shared it. It was "signified" or coded with symbols from the Old Testament to protect it from people who didn't know the bible - not to make it difficult to understand, but to protect it.

Promise - 1:3 says you will be blessed in the the reading of it.
1. read - out loud
2. hear - corporately
3. keep the words of the prophecy - or heed

People - written to the seven churches of Asia Minor (what is modern day Turkey)
except for Ephesus they were small churches

Proper Source - NOT the National Enquirer
God the Father
Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2)
God the Son

Occasion 1:9-18
John is God's own messenger but humbly addresses the church as "your brother"
occasion was the Lord's Day (day of worship) Acts 20:7

Also see Romans 14:5 for dissention on what day should be worship - main point being, what day is not as important as worshipping period. "Should be a seven day a week relationship"

The letters reveal a piece of Jesus to each church so the only way to have the whole picture is when they get together - a word for dissention among churches today. God is big enough to allow for many ways to approach Him

Outline of the Letter 1:19-20 "Divine Outline" John Coursin
1. Things you have seen
2. Things that are (the church age)
Things that will take place after (the church)

layers of application:
letter to the literal church (individual churches at that time)
all churches - message to the "Church" the body
all believers - prophetic look at church history

Chapter 4 and 5 - the church in heaven (7 year wedding feast)
Chaper6-19 hell on earth 7 year tribulation
ending with the battle of Armegeddon when the armies of the earth come against Christ in the valley of Megiddo
Chapter 20 Millenium
100 year reign of Jesus on earth
satan released one more time to lead one last rebellion
New Heaven, New Earth