Revelation Messages

Revelation, Part 1. Introduction, A.

Revelation is an important book, but it is terribly confusing and difficult at points, and so a thorough introduction is unquestionably required

Revelation, Part 2. Introduction, B.

These 22 chapters help us keep believing in Jesus when the evidence makes it difficult.

Revelation, Part 3. 1:1-5

The first five verses of Revelation bring us incredible grace and comfort, by reminding who God is.

Revelation, Part 4. 1:5-8

Revelation 1:5-8

Scripture Text: Revelation 1:5-8

God has made it so that our identity is that we are truly loved children of God. He has changed our nature from true sinners into truly forgiven and made truly righteous. Our citizenship is in heaven, and our work is as priests of God in everyday life.

Revelation, Part 5. 1:9-20

Following Jesus often involves some sort of trouble or hardship, in the middle of which we are called to remain faithful and obedient to the Father, even when we don’t understand. Jesus words to each of us today are: "Do not be afraid. I have the keys to death and hades. I have this. I have you. I am the first and the last - I have your trouble surrounded.

Revelation, Part 6. 2:1-7

Scripture Text: Revelation 2:1-7

In a culture that was hostile to Christianity, the Ephesian church was intolerant of those who called themselves Christians, and yet indulged in sin and called it OK. They were intolerant of would-be celebrity leaders who taught bad doctrine. Jesus praised them for this sort of intolerance.

Revelation, Part 7. 2:1-7, Part B.

Nothing – absolutely nothing, should come before God in our lives. What is your first love, really? Jesus is clear here – it should be Him. If Jesus is your first love, He should have first claim on your time, energy and resources of all kinds. This message shows you how much we need to repent, and promises how much we gain when we do.

Revelation, Part 8. 2:8-11

The church in Smyrna, at the end of the first century AD was facing tremendous persecution. Jesus has wonderful, encouraging words for them.

Revelation, Part 9. 2:12-17.

The church at Pergamum resisted persecution, but they began to fall to seduction. With overwhelming cultural pressure around them, they began to compromise. They sought satisfaction in physical things, and it cost them greatly in spiritual things. Jesus told them to repent. He said that he was willing to go to war with them over their compromise with the culture. But he promised to the repentant o

Revelation, Part 10. 2:18-29

Jesus has some very harsh words for those who claim to be Christians, yet do not repent. He is judgmental toward Christians who are tolerant of such people. But He offers strength to those who hold on to Him, and the promise of His own fully satisfying Eternal Presence as compensation for the things we lose in this life by following Him.

Revelation, Part 11. 3:1-7

Sardis was one of the two worst churches to which Revelation was written. Jesus literally has nothing good to say about them. What was their offense? Were they pursuing some particularly bad heresy? Were they pressured by the culture into some terrible compromise? No. In the eyes of Jesus, what made them so bad was that they simply didn't care very much. Even though they looked good on the outside

Revelation, Part 14. 4:1-11

Seven times, in the Book of Revelation, we are given the perspective of Heaven. It is beyond us, and difficult to understand the particulars, however, the overall idea is to give us hope and joy, and the certainty that God is in control.

Revelation, Part 13. 3:13-22

The point of repentance is not to get you to try harder. True Biblical repentance means you give up on yourself. You are saying, “I can’t do it, Lord. I don’t have what it takes. My only hope is your mercy.” You turn away from trying to fix things in your own strength, and throw yourself entirely on the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ. You are abandoning all hope apart from Jesus, includin

Revelation, Part 12. 3:7-13

This is a gracious word to the humble, faithful believer who feels small; perhaps even illegitimate or worthless. Jesus sees your faithfulness to his word. He sees your endurance. You are honored, legitimate and precious in His eyes. Nothing can prevent you from walking through the door He opens for you.

Revelation, Part 15. 5:1-11

Scripture Text: Revelation 5:1-11

This life will never completely fulfill us or satisfy us, because it is not supposed to. The good news is that Jesus Christ is enacting God’s plan to bring history to its ultimate fulfilment, and to bring those who trust him – his people – into the New Heaven and New Earth, where we will be completely fulfilled, and completely joyful.

Revelation, Part 16. 6:1-2

The seals begin with a picture of the gospel going out and "conquering." Before the end, the gospel will be proclaimed to every tribe, language and nation. We Christians are destined to be a part of that.

Revelation, Part 17. 6:1-17

You need not fear the terror of night, or the arrows of war, or the plagues. God is in control of history. He is using the sinful and horrible works of humankind to bring about his purposes. In the simplest possible terms, God is putting things right. Even the sorts of things that make us think God is not paying attention are, in fact, being used to prepare the world for the end of the old, broken

Revelation Part 18 - Coming to terms with Judgment

Here is the audio file for this sermon. To play, simply click on the link. To download it, right click on the link (or do whatever you do on a Mac) and save it to your computer: Download Revelation Part 18 Below is a link to the written version of the message, in a PDF file.

Revelation Part 19. 7:1-8

Scripture Text: Revelation 7:1-8

Here is the audio file for this sermon. To play, simply click on the link. To download it, right click on the link (or do whatever you do on a Mac) and save it to your computer: Download Revelation Part 19   Below is a link to the written version of the message, in a PDF file.

Revelation, Part 20. 7:9-17

Scripture Text: Revelation 7:9-17

The writer of Hebrew says of Jesus that “for the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2).” This passage today describes the joy set before us. Let us keep it in mind, keep it in focus, so that we too can endure whatever comes in this life, and finally enter the glorious and thrilling presence of God.

Revelation Part 21. 8:1 - 9:21

Scripture Text: Revelation 8:1-9:21

Last time we saw the glorious hope we have in Jesus. We saw the joy and wonder of our future in heaven if we trust Jesus. This time, God is presenting the alternative. If we finally decide we want to continue to control our own lives, this horror will be the end result. And yet, in God’s mercy, he doesn’t yet send human beings to the abyss. He gives them a foretaste of the horror, in the hopes

Revelation Part 22. Revelation 10:1-11

Scripture Text: Revelation 10:1-11

It is a sweet thing for us to absorb the Word of God into our minds and hearts. It is good to tell others. However, the fact that some will reject God finally and forever is a bitter truth. Even so, the Lord will exhaust all possibilities before unleashing the full and final judgment that is coming. He wants to give the people on earth every possible opportunity to repent before it is too late.

Revelation Part 23. Revelation 11:1-11

Scripture Text: Revelation 11:1-11

By ancient Jewish law, it required two witnesses to establish something in a court of law. When there are two witnesses, something is established as certainly true. God will not judge the world without first giving solemn witness to the truth of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The world may reject that idea, but God will make every effort before he brings the final judgment.

Revelation Part 24. Revelation 11:15-19

Scripture Text: Revelation 11:15-19.

Up in the heavenly throne room no one is worried; on the contrary, they are praising God. In heaven, the war is already over, already won. God has already begun to reign, the nations have been judged, God’s prophets and saints have been rewarded. The victory that is still in the future for God’s people on earth is a present reality in heaven.

Revelation Part 25. Revelation 12:1-6

Manifesting Jesus

Scripture Text: Revelation 12:1-6

God’s people are in the business of bringing Jesus Christ into the world. Jesus came physically, through the people of Israel. Today, the church still has the task of helping Jesus to be manifested to the world. We do this primarily as Jesus told us, by making disciples. In this we may be opposed. We may become distracted by pleasure, or wealth, or power. But if we trust the Father of our hearts

Revelation Part 26. Revelation 12:7-12

Scripture Text: Revelation 12:7-12

Maybe you find yourself in a situation like that of the first Christians to read Revelation. You've tried to follow Jesus. You've been faithful, but sometimes it seems like it isn't working out. Life is still hard, and sometimes it costs you to be true to Jesus. You look around and see others who don't care about Jesus, and they seem to be doing great. It's easy to be discouraged. We need to remem

Revelation Part 27. Revelation 12:13-17

The Battle for Our Minds

Scripture Text: Revelation 12:13-17

Whether we choose to believe it or not, we Christians are in the middle of a spiritual war. Often, following Jesus is hard, and the reason we find it so is because we have enemies in the spiritual realm. They will attack whether we believe in them or not. The primary weapon used against us is lies. Often we think these lies are our own thoughts. We need to be aware of this, and learn how to fight

Revelation Part 28. Revelation 12:13-17

The Beast

Scripture Text: Revelation 12:13-17

To our suffering brothers and sisters today, and to future generations, this passage contains a powerful message. No matter how strong the Beast is, no matter how absolute his authority appears to be, his time is limited. We need to know that there may indeed be terrible consequences to being a Christian. But our names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. The long-term future that is coming f

Revelation #29: 666 - THE NUMBER OF LIES, PEER PRESSURE AND THE SELF

Scripture Text: Revelation 13:11-18

Whatever we see as the Supreme Good, unless it is God, is an idol; even if it is our own well-being. Pressure to conform to the culture, enticement to idols, false teaching – all these are the work of the second beast. They aren’t neutral, they aren’t just about fitting in. They are part of the cosmic spiritual battle between the Dragon and those who hold to the testimony of Jesus. The stake

Revelation #30. Revelation 14:1-5

The Reality of Spiritual Victory

Scripture Text: Revelation 14:1-5

This whole section of Revelation is about the underlying spiritual reality that is affecting the events of our physical lives. It is here to remind the first readers, and us, that the things that we experience every day are also part of an underlying spiritual reality that we cannot see, but is nonetheless very real. In that Spiritual Reality, we are already holy and blameless (Ephesians 1:6); alr

Revelation #31. Revelation 14:6-13

Hell, and the Love of God

Scripture Text: Revelation 14:6-13

If God is infinitely good, infinitely glorious, then to sin against him is infinitely evil. And to say that a loving God would never send anyone to eternal punishment is to say that God himself is not eternally valuable. But even more than that, the Christian doctrine of hell shows us the extravagant extent of God’s love for us: Jesus suffered unimaginably in hell, for our sake.

Revelation #32. The Two Harvests

The wilderness is beautiful and awe-inspiring. But if you cross it, it will kill you in a heartbeat. The wilderness doesn’t kill you because it is mean. It kills you if try to do something that is contrary to its nature, because its nature is unyielding. It is what it is. In the same way, God isn’t mean or vindictive. But he is Absolute. His nature is the foundation of everything that exists.

Revelation #33. Feast Your Soul on God.

Revelation 15:1-8

Scripture Text: Revelation 15:1-8

At some time in the future, our eternal joy will be found in feasting our souls on God. Therefore, now in the present, it is important for us to learn how to enjoy God; to feast our souls on his presence. Ultimately, we are dependent upon Him to make it happen, but we can put ourselves in a position to make it easier. We can learn to delight in God as we delight in a delicious feast.

Revelation #34. The Dangerous, Good God. 16:1-21

Scripture Text: Revelation 16:1-21

The first readers of Revelation would have seen this judgment as a good thing, precisely because it is a God thing. I’m reminded of a concept from the beloved books, The Chronicles of Narnia. The children discover that the King of the World is a lion. They are shocked. “But is he safe?” they ask. “Of course he isn’t safe,” reply the citizens of Narnia. “He’s the King. But he is go

Revelation #35: The Culture Clash. Revelation 17:1-18

Revelation 17:1-18

Scripture Text: Revelation 17:1-18

We have now come to the point when Western Culture is, in fact, incompatible with Biblical Christianity. By using the image of the prostitute, John tells us that there is a certain kind of attraction toward ungodly culture. We are prone to be drawn into it. To remain Christian, and to pass on the Christian faith to future generations, we are going to have to live lives that are radically differen

Revelation #36: Coming out of Babylon

Scripture Text: Revelation 18

We Christians are called to live in this world, and love our fellow Christians, and also those outside the family of faith. But we are also called to be spiritually, morally and ethically different from the world around us. We are not supposed to be absorbed into the culture, but rather, we are to be "salt" and "light" for culture around us. That means we must be radically different from it. It me

Revelation #37: The Divine Marriage

Scripture Text: Revelation 19:1-9

Every human being longs for true, deep, honest intimacy. We want to be able to be fully ourselves, and totally known by Another Person. We long to be able to be completely “naked” – not pretending or hiding; body, soul and spirit, and in that state, be fully loved and accepted with no blemish or shadow to mar that experience. This is exactly what is being promised to us.

Revelation #38. The Dangers of Superficial Grace

The Dangers of Superficial Grace

Scripture Text: Revelation 19:11-21

It is our job to warn those who reject Jesus, but not to condemn them. On the other hand, when we tell people there is no judgment for sin, we are treating their brokenness superficially. We are misleading people that God loves, people whom he wants to repent, and that makes him angry. In Jesus alone is the perfect balance of grace and judgment.

Revelation #39. One Foot in Heaven

One Foot in Heaven

Scripture Text: Revelation 20:1-11

We puny, stupid creatures are standing with one foot in heaven, and that gives us authority over all the power of the devil, plus a whole lot more, besides. We are called to focus on the spiritual reality that has already begun. Though we may look marginalized and defeated, we are, in fact, gloriously victorious. The one who is responsible for so much of our pain and misery has already been defeat

Revelation #40: The Book of Life

The Book of Life

Scripture Text: Revelation 20:11-15

Real Christians are both more pessimistic, and at the same time, more hopeful than other religions. Jesus sets a standard that is not only based on performance, but also on the heart, and on that score, every human being falls short. And so, he offers the alternative: Repent of your sins, repent of your pride that says you are good enough to deserve heaven. Instead, let Him live the perfect life o

Revelation #41 Heavenly Rewards

Heavenly Rewards

Scripture Text: Revelation 20:11-15 Part B

The entire New Testament teaches us to invest in heaven, to put our hopes and desires there; our treasure. The Lord sees the things you do that no one else sees. He knows the  battles you have fought alone; the things you have done for which others got the credit. And his grace is such that he not only gives us a salvation that we could not earn, he rewards us for treasuring him.

REVELATION #42: THE NEW CREATION

Scripture Text: Revelation #42

We are promised a new world that contains the beauty, but not the fragility. It contains the excitement and wonder, but not the mortal danger. In our perfect bodies, exploring the wilderness will be a joy. In Earth 2.0, humans will not corrupt or threaten the environment. The New Creation will hold the people of God, but not their garbage, because garbage will no longer exist. These promises, and

Revelation Part 43. God Himself

Scripture Text: Revelation 21:1-8 (part B)

If you have the treasure, you don’t need anything else, because the treasure will provide you with everything. And that is the promise of Revelation 21:3 – that we will have the Ultimate Treasure – God Himself. Anyone is welcome to receive this treasure, by walking through the Door – Jesus Christ.

REVELATION #44: THE CITY OF GOD. Revelation 21:9-27

Scripture Text: Revelation 21:9-27

The New Jerusalem is not a literal city. The description of it in Revelation 21 is a metaphor to help us envision God’s relationship with His people as a whole; his people’s relationships with each other; and also God’s relationship with each individual. Seen that way, we learn wonderful things about God, each other and us as individuals.

Revelation Part 45. Rev. 22:1-5

The Tree of Life

Scripture Text: Revelation 22:1-5

Virtually all human beings have a deep desire to live in a world that is perfect. All of us have to reckon with that desire, one way or another. But here is the problem: If there was a perfect world, we ourselves could not live there without destroying the perfection of that world. If we entered a perfect world, we ourselves would bring our selfishness, our pettiness, our impure desires and thoug

Revelation Part 46: Faith Worthy and Reality Defining

Scripture Text: Revelation 22:6-11

The words of Revelation are true, and worthy of our faith. The words of the whole Bible describe reality, and are worthy of our faith. Jesus Christ is the ultimate Word of God, and he created reality. He is more than worthy for us to put our faith in him. Among other things, that means that we believe what the Bible says, and act accordingly.

Revelation Part 47. Parentheses: Sex, Marriage and Civilization

Scripture Text: Revelation 22:12-15

Even here at the end of Revelation, Jesus mentions the problem of sexual immorality. The Bible’s teaching on sex is much greater and deeper than simply “don’t do it.” In fact, the Bible tells married couples that they should “do it.” Let’s investigate the importance of Biblical sexuality together. Many people have failed in this area, but Jesus offers forgiveness and holiness to ever

Revelation Part 48. "Because I said so."

Scripture Text: Revelation 22:16-17

When we take these two declarations of Jesus together, they share a common theme: You can count on Jesus. You can rely on his word. Come to Him, be satisfied in Him, by reading his word. At the same time, understand this: all satisfaction in this life is only a foretaste of what is coming. So we, the Bride of Christ, say with the Spirit to world: Come and drink now, feed yourself on the Word of Go

Revelation Part 49 - The End!

Scripture Text: Revelation 22;

Remember the first readers of this book? They wondered if Jesus had forgotten his promise to return. They wondered if God had forgotten about them. They wondered how God could possibly be involved in the crazy, brutal, senseless, evil world they lived in. Sometimes we want to know God’s plan. Revelation shows us that we may not understand God’s plan, even if he reveals it to us. But what we ca