The Blessing Book

Revelation 1:1-3

I. INTROCUCTION-
a. The Bible promises that those who read and study the book of
Revelation … will be blessed.

b. Tonight, as we begin our study… there are four things that I want us
to see from these verses.

II. THE CENTRAL CHARACTER OF REVELATION-

a. Revelation 1:1 says that this book is… “The Revelation of Jesus
Christ…”

b. The book of Revelation is a blessing… because the hero of this book

… the main character of this book… is the Lord Jesus Christ.

c. The word translated revelation… is the Greek word apokalupsis…

which literally means “to unveil.”

d. More than any other book in the Bible… the book of Revelation
unveils and reveals the person…the power… the majesty… and the
greatness … of the Lord Jesus Christ.

e. Many people are unsure about studying the book of Revelation

because they think that with all of its imagery… this book is too hard
to understand.

f. But the purpose of Revelation… is reveal the Lord Jesus Christ…not

obscure Him.

g. The truth is… once a person understands the keys to this book … the
meaning, purpose and truth of Revelation can be clearly understood.

h. The book of Revelation is also a blessing… because it assures us that

Jesus Christ is coming again to this earth.
 i. The second coming of Jesus…will be much different from His first.

j. When Jesus Christ came the first time… His glory was veiled…when
Jesus comes again… His glory will be unveiled.

k. When Jesus came the first time… He came to a crucifixion… when

He comes again… He’s coming to a coronation.

l. When Jesus came the first time… He came to a tree… when He

comes again… He’s coming to a throne.

m. When Jesus came the first time… He stood before Pilate to be judged
… when He comes again… the world will stand before Him to be
judged.

n. When Jesus came the first time… He came for shame… when He
comes again… He's coming in splendor.

o. When Jesus came the first time… He came to redeem…when He

comes again… He’s coming to reign.

p. When Jesus came the first time… He came as the Suffering Servant
…when He comes again… He’s coming as the mighty Sovereign.

q. The book of Revelation reveals that Jesus is not only Savior… He is

also Lord… Jesus is not only the One who justifies… He is also the
Judge … Jesus is not only the Redeemer… He is also the Ruler of all
that there is.

r. One of the purposes of this wonderful book… is to reveal the Lord

Jesus… He is the central character of this book.

s. As a result of our study of Revelation…we should love the Lord Jesus

in a greater way.

III. THE CERTAIN PROPHECIES OF REVELATION-

a. Not only does this book reveal the glory and person of the Lord Jesus
… it also reveals to God’s servants…what is going to happen in the
future.

b. Revelation 1:1 (NKJV) “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God

gave Him to show His servants--things which must shortly take
place…”

c. Only God knows the future…the devil does not know the future…
fortunetellers do not know the future… only God… and those He
chooses to reveal it too… know the future.

d. The word servants in Revelation 1…is the Greek word doulos… the
word literally means “bond slaves.”

e. The Bible uses the word doulos… as another word for a Christian.

f. A Christian is someone who has believed in Jesus as their Savior…

and who has willing surrendered themselves to the Lordship of Christ
over their life.

g. A Christian is someone…who has made themselves a bond slave of

the Lord Jesus.

h. Non-Christians can read the book of Revelation… non-Christians can

try to understand what the book of Revelation means.

i. But if a person really wants to understand the book of Revelation…

they must be a Christian.

j. Only Christians… have the spiritual discernment and capacity to

understand the true meaning of the book of Revelation.

k. The book of Revelation was not written to non-Christians… when a

non-Christian reads the book of Revelation… they are reading
someone else’s mail.
l. The book of Revelation contains magnificent and wonderful
prophecies about the future… that God has revealed to His people.

m. Revelation 1:1 says three things…about the prophecies found in

Revelation.

n. #1, These prophecies are sure… these prophecies “must or will come
to pass.”

o. Just as surely as the prophecies of the Old Testament were fulfilled in

the first coming of Jesus Christ… the prophecies concerning His
second coming are going to be fulfilled as well.

p. #2, Once these prophecies begin to happen… they will happen

quickly… the word “shortly” literally means “quickly.”

q. One day…boom…just like that…these things will begin to happen …

and once they start…they will happen quickly…so a person had better
be ready.

r. #3, The prophecies of Revelation… are communicated in signs.

s. The book of Revelation is filled with all kinds of signs and symbols…
most of Revelation is written in what is called apocalyptic language.

t. How are we supposed to understand these signs and symbols?... #1,

We use scripture to interpret scripture… #2, We use our
understanding of how to interpret apocalyptic language… #3, We
understand that the symbols of Revelation represent that which is
literal and real.

u. For example… in Revelation 12… Satan is spoken of as a great red

dragon with seven heads… and having a tail so long that he can knock
a third of the stars from Heaven.

v. Obviously… that is apocalyptic language… that is symbolism.

 w. Satan is not actually a red dragon with seven heads… and a tail so
long that he could sweep a third of the stars from Heaven.

x. But using our keys to understanding the prophecies of Revelation…

we know that Satan is characterized as a dragon because of his
ferocity, and his cruelty, and his power, and his might.

y. We know that the stars… represent the fallen angels that have become
demon spirits under Satan’s control..

z. This is a symbolic representation of the devil…who is very real.

aa. The central character of Revelation is Jesus Christ… the prophecies of

Revelation are certain.

IV. THE COMFORTING PROMISE OF REVELATION-

a. Revelation 1:2-3 (NKJV) “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.”

b. All of the Bible is blessing to read… and study… and obey… but
there is something special about the book of Revelation.

c. There is a special blessing that comes from reading this book…

heeding this book… and keeping this book.

d. It is a blessing to know that the world we live in… which in many

ways has gone absolutely crazy and mad… the world we live in which
is becoming more wicked, evil and dangerous every day… will not
continue as it is.

e. It is a blessing to know that one day… Jesus is coming again… and

when He comes the evil of this day will be stopped…the plan of God
and the purposes of God will be fulfilled… and God and His people
will triumph.
 f. The Central Character (Jesus)… The Certain Prophecies… The
Comforting Promise (blessed are those who read this book)

V. THE CRITICAL WARNING OF REVELATION-

a. Revelation 1:3 warns that the time for the events described in the book
of Revelation to happen “is at hand”…the fulfillment of these events
are imminent … they could start at any moment.

b. No generation has had more reasons to believe in the soon return of

Christ… than this generation.

c. Let me share with you ten major signs… that I believe tell us that the
return of Christ is imminent.

d. #1, The return of Israel to her homeland… #2, Russia’s prominence

and involvement in the middle east…fulfilling the prophecy of
Ezekiel 38… #3, The revival of the Roman Empire in the form of the
European Union… #4, The growing spiritual apathy… and apostacy
… in the modern professing church… #5, The rise and prominence of
cults… false Christian groups… and false religions… in the world…
#6, The growing political turmoil… and the tensions among nations
… that characterize the modern world… paving the way for predicted
antichrist to come on the scene… #7, The exploding growth of
knowledge and technological advances… and the shrinking of the
world through instant communication and the capability of modern
travel … fulfilling Daniel 12:4… #8, The capability of mankind to
destroy life on earth through weapons of mass destruction… #9, The
growing turmoil in the middle east between Israel and the Islamic
nations… #10, The increase of earthquakes… famine and
pestilences ... in the modern world.

e. The imminent return of Christ is a warning to the unsaved… if you

are going to be saved… if you are going to give your life to Christ…
then you had better do it today.
 f. The world of the end times will not be like the world today… if you
think this is an evil, wicked, dangerous and God-hating world now…
the world we live in now… is nothing compared to what the world of
the end times will be like.

g. It will not be easier for a person to give their life to Christ in the end
times… it will be a thousand times harder.

h. If you are going to give your life to Jesus Christ… you had better do it
now … because tomorrow may be too late.

i. The imminent return of Jesus is also a warning to believers… because

Jesus is coming again soon… we are not to waste our time on things
that do not eternally matter.

j. Knowing that Jesus could come again at any time… should motivate
us to live holy, good, godly and faithful lives in this world.

VI. CONCLUSION-

a. The Central Character (Jesus)… The Certain Prophecies… The

Comforting Promise (blessed are those who read this book)… The
Critical Warning

b. Are you a Christian?... if not be saved today.

c. If you are a Christian… be faithful and committed… our Lord is

coming.

d. Illustration… getting the house ready for a visitor.