Bible Talks - Sunday Night Church

Series: Letters from heaven · Talk No. 1

I saw heaven opened

Sunday, 19 June 2005

Neil Atwood

Revelation 1 ESV or NIV

1. Revelation – the scariest book in the Bible?

I think if you asked people which book of the Bible they have most difficult understanding then the book of Revelation would probably be the top of the list.
There can be no denying that Revelation is a strange book.
Its a book that is jam packed with imagery & symbols.
It often uses pictures rather than words to describe things and events.
It is a book that talks about beasts and dragons and seals and scrolls and trumpets.
It is a book that speaks about battles and struggles.
It is a book at deals with judgement and punishment.

Revelation is also an interesting book in the way Christians approach it. Put your hand up if you have read Revelation all the through…
98% of Christians rarely or never open it. The other 2% of Christians seem to spend most of their time reading it!
The sad thing is that the 2% give the book such a bad name that the 98% are even less interested in looking at it!

Everybody knows where Revelation is in the Bible – right at the very end of the book.
And most people seem happy for it to stay there – out of harm’s way. But I think that is a pity. This is a great book – and it is a book we can benefit greatly from looking at.
It is a book that can offer us great encouragement to be more serious about living out our Christian lives in a world where it’s sometimes hard to see Jesus.
Like all Scripture, Revelation is going to be able to rebuke, correct, equip and train us in righteousness. It is a book that will motivate us to be more faithful in following Jesus. In fact it is the only book in the Bible that comes with a pronounced promise of blessing to the reader right at the beginning.
Have a look at v3: “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.”

2. Four Approaches to the book.
Now before we start looking at the book of Revelation I want to take a minute to look at a few ways of approaching the book.

There are 4 main approaches people take to the book of Revelation.
Now my first rule of thumb with the book of Revelation is be suspicious of anyone who wants to show you charts or diagrams that explain the book of Revelation! And I want to say that I don’t think any of these view is completely right., and I suppose I want to pick a bit from each of them.

The first view is called the Preterist view.
The idea is that the events in Revelation happened in the time frame of the Roman Empire. That all the events that the book describes took place when the Roman Empire was in power.

Now what I like about that view is that it tries to take seriously the immediate context of people that this letter was sent to.
This letter was written to Christians in first century Rome and we need to first try to understand how they would have understood it.
But unfortunately what this view fails to see is that Revelation is dealing with the second coming of Jesus and the judgement that will come with him. It must reach beyond the Roman Empire.

The second view is the Futurist view.
This view holds that the events in the book of revelation were going to happen in the far distant future. That the book is talking about events that are still to come, that Jesus has not come again yet.
But this view fails to see that this letter had a real meaning and significance for the people it was originally addressed to.

View three is the Historicist view that sees the book of Revelation as describing the events from the death of Jesus to his return to judge. This is probably the view I favour least.
I don’t think that Revelation is the timetable of events between the death of Jesus and his second coming.

I don’t’ think we are supposed to put a name to each of the events in Revelation as though they represent some event in history.

The last view is the Idealist view that says Revelation isn’t talking about time – it is talking about a pattern of events that will be repeated throughout history. There is a sense in which this is possibly the best view of Revelation.
To a people facing persecution here is a letter that seeks to encourage us to be faithful to Jesus. And there have been plenty of times in the history of the church when those who trust in Jesus have been under persecution. The pattern of persecution we see in Revelation does happen throughout the history of the church.

But perhaps the single most important thing we need to remember about the book of Revelation is that it is written in a style of writing called apocalyptic.
There are a few other examples of it in the Bible. Half of the book of Daniel is written in that style. We also find examples of it in Ezekiel and even in the gospels. The simple thing to remember about apocalyptic literature is this:
It is picture language.
Look at the picture we have in this opening chapter. Look at the image we are given starting in verse 12:
John hears a voice that sounds like a trumpet. Look at what he sees:

• seven golden lampstands

• someone like a son of man

• wearing a long robe

• with a golden sash

• his hair was white like wool

• his eyes were like blazing fire

• his feet were like bronze

• his voice was like the sound of rushing waters

• he is holding seven stars

• out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword

• his face like the sun shining

An amazing picture!
And we are going to be presented with a large number of images like that as we look through Revelation.
But be wary of one of the mistakes that people make with the book of Revelation is that they think you need to identify every single detail. They want to figure out what the gold sash represents.
They want to know why the feet are bronze. What does the rushing water symbolise?
But I think that is a mistake. That is not how you are supposed to read apocalyptic literature. They way you need to read apocalyptic literature is to step back and get the big picture.
In this chapter you are suppose to step back and be impressed by this regal figure of Jesus as he stands before us in all his glory…
If you need to know about the small detail or what things symbolize what then the text will tell you. And again the chapter we are looking at today is a good example.
We are told about lampstands Jesus is walking among and the stars in his hand.
Look at v19. “Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. ²⁰As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.”
If we need to know what the symbols are we are told:
* The seven lampstands represent the seven churches.
* The seven stars are the angels of those churches.
This is picture language and we need to make sure we read it that way.
I read a great quote about the book of Revelation that sums up that idea. “Revelation is a picture book, not a puzzle book. Don’t become preoccupied with isolated details. Rather become engrossed in the overall story. Praise the Lord. Cheer for the saints. Detest the beast. Long for the final victory.” (The Returning King – Vern Poythress (P & R Publishing, 2000), p.13)
So lets start looking at the book.

3. The Setting.
Now one of the most crucial things to understand about the book of Revelation is that it is a letter. Look at v4-5 “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, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.”
This is a letter that was to be sent to a specific group of people.
It was sent to seven churches in the province of Asia.
We are told in v10 exactly where these churches are: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.
Now if you turn over to chapter 2 & 3 you will see that there is special mention to each of those churches individually.
Those 2 chapters are often called the letters to the seven churches. But that is a little misleading.
The whole book of Revelation is the letter to the seven churches.

And you can also see on that map the island of Patmos. That is where John – the writer of the letter - is located.
And he tells us why he is there?: v1:9 “I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.”
John is on the island of Patmos, and here is there because he has been bearing witness to Jesus. He has been sent there as a prisoner.
Patmos was the prison island that was used to get the trouble makers out of the way. And did you notice the way he describes himself? At the time that John wrote this letter the persecution of Christians was beginning to Grow and spread.
Look at the verse again in the NIV this time: “ I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus…”
John is writing this from his island prison, and is writing to a group of people who are beginning to face that same persecution. And he wants to assure them that he knows what they are going through. He is not only a companion of theirs in the Kingdom. But he is also their companion in suffering and in patient endurance.

It is interesting that all three of those things – suffering, the kingdom and patient endurance - are all ours in Jesus.
It’s a job lot. You don’t get to pick and choose.
Being part of the Kingdom where Jesus is king means suffering and patient endurance will also be yours.
John has been put in prison for bearing witness to Jesus, and the readers of this letter know that if they continue to bear witness to Jesus then they may face the same fate as John.
In fact their fate could be worse.
There had already been many who had lost their lives because of their faith in Jesus. That is how serious things were in the Roman Empire at that time.

4. John Writes…
What John is given in this opening chapter is primarily a vision of Jesus. We touched on it briefly before. You see in there in v12-16.
It is a vision that filled John with awe. In fact we are told that when he saw the vision he fell at Jesus’ feet as though he was dead!
And the first thing that Jesus says to John is ‘don’t be afraid’.
I think that living in a day and age of movies with impressive special effects it takes a lot for us to be impressed.
Look at how the effects they used 10 years ago make us yawn now. And I think one of the side effects of that is that we can fail to be impressed by passages like this in the Bible.
This figure of Jesus is supposed to leave us in awe. And it is a stunning figure that is described.
There is a great scene in the Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe that captures that idea of the awe we should have for Jesus.
In the book Aslan the lion is the Jesus figure. And Susan has just found out that Aslan is a lion. Up to this point, she had thought everyone was talking about a human. And Mr Beaver is trying to explain what it will be like when they meet Aslan.
Let me read you the passage: “Ooh!” said Susan, “I’d thought he was a man. Is he – quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.” “That you will, dearie, and no mistake,” said Mrs Beaver; “If there is anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, their either braver than most, or else just silly.”
Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy. “Safe?” said Mr Beaver; “Don’t you hear what Mrs Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he is good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
Here stands Jesus in Revelation chapter 1. And look at the image we have:
* His eyes are like blazing fire.
* A double edge sword comes from his mouth.
* He holds the keys to death and Hades in his hand.
Of course he isn’t safe! But he is Good. And he is the king.
And here is the one who is Lord of the past and the present and the future.
Look at v8: “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Now go back to those opening verses – verses 4-5.
I think that John is setting before us what will be the major issues in this letter. And he does it in the way he describes Jesus.
He gives three titles to describe Jesus. Read Revelation 1:4-5 – “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, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.”

Our Example
First of all Jesus is our example. Jesus is the faithful witness.
One of the big issues in the book of Revelation is that of bearing witness.
* If you were part of the Roman Empire at the time of the Emperor Domition then there was one simple test of your loyalty as a citizen of that empire: you were to bow down and worship the emperor. In fact Domition even insisted that people call him Lord and God. You couldn’t get by with ‘your highness’ or ‘your excellency.’
He insisted the people call him Lord and God.
There was a temple in Ephesus with an 8 meter high statue of Domition outside. And Domition was cruel to those who refused to worship him.
And it was the Christians who were in his sights. They seemed to be most defiant and least willing to worship him. Tradition has it that it was Domition who exiled John to the island of Patmos.

But think about the vision of Jesus they are being given.
* Here is the faithful witness.
* Here is the one who faithfully fulfilled all that was entrusted to him.
* Here is the one – who in the face of great opposition – was a faithful witness.
* Here is the one – who is the face of death on a cross – was obedient and faithful.
Jesus was faithful in his witness.
John knows that his readers need to continue to be faithful in their witness. In the face of persecution and suffering John says that the believers in these seven churches need to continue to bear witness to Jesus – no matter what the cost might be.
And John himself is also a great example for them.
Here he is on the island of Patmos because of bearing witness to Jesus. And he is still bearing witness to him. Read v9 : “I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.”
But it is Jesus who is our great example. He is the faithful witness.

Our Hope
Go back to v5 for a moment. “and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead…”
Jesus is our hope. He is the first born from the dead. Jesus is the one who died and rose again, and because of that we have hope.
Move up to v17-18: “…Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades….”
It is not the emperor that they need to fear. Sure! He may be able to take their life. But Jesus who was dead is now alive forever! And it is Jesus – not Domition – who holds the keys to death. And it is Jesus – not Domition – who can give eternal life to his people.
Because of that we have hope!
But our hope is not just that Jesus was raised from the dead. Our hope is that he will come again to take us to be with him. And that is the hope we see expressed here in v7: “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.”
Jesus died. Jesus rose again. And Jesus is coming again!
That is the great hope that John is told to remind the seven churches in Asia. And that is the great hope that we need to continually remember:
Jesus died. Jesus rose again. And Jesus is coming again!
And to a group of people who faced the possibility of death because of their faith in Jesus there could be no greater hope.

Our Confidence
But above all, Jesus is our confidence.
Look at how John describes Jesus (v5): “and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.”

Jesus is the ruler of the kings of the earth!
Now it would be easy for us to let that one slip by unnoticed, but imagine what it meant to a group of people who were facing persecution from an emperor who thinks that he is God?
That was exactly what they needed to be reminded of.
They needed to remember that Jesus is the King of kings.
That is the image that will be repeated throughout the book.

John presents us with the majestic figure of Jesus – standing among the churches. They are his and they have nothing to fear.
I remember a friend telling me about an experience he had at school. He said that a group of year 4 boys were picking on a Year 2 child. They had got him into the corner and were pushing him around. He said that it looked like a very one sided affair.
But what the Year 4 boys didn’t realize that the Year 2 boy had and older brother – and he was in Year 6!
When the older brother saw what was happening he went to defend his younger brother. At that point it truly was “no contest”.
Now I don’t want to cheapen the image that John gives us here – but that is a similar thing.
John is reminding us that we have an ‘older brother’ who is bigger then everyone. Jesus is the ruler of the kings of the earth.

It may have looked to the Christians in those seven churches as though it was the emperor who walked among their churches doing as he pleased. But that wasn’t the reality.
Jesus is the one who walks among his churches. They are his, and he is their king.
Here is Jesus – our example and our hope – but above all, our confidence.

5. John, Jesus & Us
Well where does that leave us?
Revelation can seem like a distant and remote book. It’s addressed to people living in ancient Western Turkey, and we live in Australia. It is addressed to people living in the 1st Century – we live in the 21st Century. It is addressed to people facing severe persecution for their faith in Jesus – we live in a country where there is great freedom as Christians.
But for all the differences there great similarities.
The recipients of this letter were in danger of being less than serious about following Jesus.
They are in danger of failing to bear witness to Jesus.
And so are we.
For them it was persecution. For us it’s affluence and wealth and apathy. But the same danger is there.
As we will see in the next few weeks – the message of Revelation is a message that we need to hear.
The recipients of this letter are reminded that time is running out – Jesus is coming again. Well, how much more urgent is the message for us – people who live that much closer to the return of Jesus.
And what the Christians in those seven churches needed to see was exactly what we need to see:
A clear picture of Jesus…
Who he is… What he came to do…
And the fact that he is the king over all.
He is our example. He is our hope. And he is our confidence.