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>>>Notes for Revelation can be found HERE <<<

The three-fold outline of the book Revelation one is found in verse 1:19. Notice that Jesus says, talking to John, “Write the things that you have seen, the things which are, and the things that shall take place after these things.” If you look through the Book of Revelation, you’ll find that the phrase “after these things” is repeated over and over. And why is that? I think John is emphasizing to us that there is an orderly development of how things are going to happen. Some of it’s difficult to understand. Some of it we probably can’t fully grasp. But John wants us to understand that what is coming during the seven years of tribulation is going to be a very orderly, systematic judgment of God on the Earth. So he says, “Write the things that you have seen,” in the past tense. Right? So, what has John seen in the past in Revelation chapter one? The vision of Christ. He’s recorded that for us. “And the things which are” represent chapters two and three which deals with the seven churches of Asia. “The things that will take place after this,” represent Chapters four through 22. So, John really gives us his own outline. And if we just follow that outline, it’ll save us from a lot of confusion.

In the first few chapters, we have the seven churches as John ministered to them. In Chapters four and five, we see the church in heaven. There are certain things that are said that tell us that that can only be the church in heaven, which fits with our understanding of the rapture of the church. What do we read in Revelation 4:1? “I heard a voice saying, ‘Come up here.’”. Then in Chapters six through 19, we have the tribulation period itself. It’s very interesting to notice, the word church occurs 19 times in the first three chapters. It does not occur from Chapters six to 19 — the section that deals with the tribulation period. Instead, who do we read about? The nation of Israel. Remember that Paul tells us in Romans 11:25. “Blindness, in part, has happened to Israel.” God is faithful to His promises; what about the nation of Israel? Is God finished with the nation of Israel? Their time is yet coming, and that’s going to be the tribulation period. So, in chapter six through 19, we read about Israel. We read about the tribes. We read about Jerusalem. The whole focus goes back to the promised land.

So let’s go back to Revelation 1:1. “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to Him to show His servants things that must shortly take place and He Jesus sent and signify it by His Angel to his servant, John.” So, this book has been passed down from the Father to the Son to an angel to John. “Who bore witness of the Word of God in the testimony of Jesus Christ to all things that He saw. Blessed are those that read and hear the words of this prophecy and keep the things that are written in it for the time is near.” Because the Book of Revelation deals with everything from the time of John till the end of the Kingdom. No matter where you live in that time, the time is near because whatever is next to come is going to come and it’s going to come quickly. We notice several purposes behind the book: 1) to reveal Jesus Christ, 2) to reveal the course history, 3) to finish John’s testimony, and 4) to bless those who study the book and not only study but obey the book.

John identifies himself now in Revelation 1:4, “John to the seven churches which are in Asia.” This a typical opening of a letter in the ancient world; you identified yourself first and then identified who you’re writing to. “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 the throne.” So, what is “who is and who was and who is to come?” They mean that He’s infinite, and eternal. “The seven spirits before his throne” harkens to Isaiah 11:2, which lists the spirits of God having seven characteristics. So essentially, he’s talking about the Holy Spirit. The interesting thing to me at this point, in the first four versus we have the Father, we have the Son, we have the Holy Spirit, and they’re all sending greetings to us. They’re all working for our spiritual well-being.

Revelation 1:5 says, “From Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first born from the day of the ruler over the kings of the earth. To him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood.” This is talking about the finished work of Christ on the cross, the one who provided for us our so great salvation. Revelation 1:6 should really excite us, “and has made us kings and priests.” In all the Old Testament, you never read of a prophet, priest, and king together. Jesus is prophet, priest, and king. Here, we’re told, “He has made us kings and priest.” You can go to 1st Peter 2:9, where Peter reminds us that we are a royal priesthood. There was no royal priesthood in the Old Testament, with one exception: Melchizedek the King priest.

Revelation 1:7 says, “Behold, He is coming with clouds.” I don’t know about you, but I long for it more and pray for it more every day. “He is coming with clouds and every I will see him. Even they who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him.” Which coming is John talking about — the Rapture or Jesus’ second coming? Ask yourself the question, at the rapture will every eye see Him? No, not unbelievers. It’s going to be a secret departure. They will not see him. We will simply be gone. So, we know we’re talking here about the second coming. “All the tribes in the earth will mourn because of him.” Revelation 1:8 says, “I am the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end says Lord.” Which “beginning” is this? Go back as far as you want. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” That’s the beginning of creation. And then we have in John 1:1, “ In the beginning was the word.” What beginning is he talking about? As far back as you want to go into eternity past, and whatever beginning you can imagine and He was there. That’s the one “who was.” In first John 1:1 says, “That which you heard from the beginning.” You might remember too in Mark 1:1, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” a different beginning. Here in Revelation 1:8, the Lord says, “I am the beginning, and the end says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come. The Almighty.” What amazing statement of His dignity and glory and majesty.

In Revelation 1:9, John begins to describe for his congregations the conditions of his vision. “I, John, your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ.” We’re all in this together as children of God. He continues, “I was on the island that is called Patmos” off the coast of Turkey, “for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.” In other words, under persecution under Emperor Domitian, John was having too much effect, just like Paul was earlier. But unlike Paul, who was executed for his testimony, Domitian just shut him away on the Isle of Pattern of Patmos so John could write Revelation.

Gene Cunningham - January 28, 2003

Hebrews 06

Hebrews 06

Five warning sections in Hebrews, each are more severe, five is the number of grace. Heb 1:10-12, Psa 104:4 Joh 1:3 Col 1:16 without Jesus, nothing was made Anyone who things Jesus was a created being, read Joh 1:1-51, Col 1:1-29, and Heb 1:1-14 Psa 45:6-7 we are included in this citation, we must keep quotes in the context they were taken from Psa 45:1-17 the writer of Hebrews knows this Psalm is talking about the Messiah. Queen in psa 45:9 is the bride of Christ. Eph 5:6-7, Rev 19:6-9, Rev 21:2 we will be adorned with the acts we do in faith now Friends of the Bridegroom are Old Testament believers. Friends of the Bride are tribulation believers. Eph 2:7 Jesus received anointing after His resurrection. There are three anointings of Jesus: anointing of Jesus as a prophet isa 61:2, anointed as a priest psa 45:6-7, anointing as King psa 2:2, psa 92:10, psa 110:4 In the receiving of a crown, a crown follows anointing 6th superiority of Jesus to the angels: psa 102:25-27 He is superior to the angels because He is unchangeable. Job 38:4-7 Jesus is the foundation, He is the cornerstone. Physical and spiritual 1co 3:10-11, 1pe 2:6, col 1:17 He laid the heavens by the works of His hands. Isa 40:12 span of His hand, the entire creation. Salvation is the work of His arm, salvation is a greater work than creation isa 51:5, isa 52:10, isa 53:1, isa 59:16 If you are a Christian, and you have no burden for the souls of other people to come to know Christ, then you are apostate. His Spirit is not allowed to work in you because of your hardness of heart. We have great responsibility with the Grace He’s given us. 7th superiority of Jesus to the angels Heb 1:13, Psa 110:1, joh 19:30 it is finished, victory cry Heb 10:10-14 Jesus’ work was done so He sat down. Three postures in Ephesians: Eph 1:23, Eph 2:1-22, Eph 3:1-21 seated with Christ Eph 4:1-32, Eph 5:1-33 walking in the Light Eph 6:1-24 stand firm. Unless you learn to sit and rest in the complete work of Christ you’ll never be able to walk or stand firm. Our work is only of value when it comes from a posture of rest because of Christ’s finished work on our behalf. Heb 2:1 “Therefore” connects these chapters, and it ties into the first warning section. Heb 2:1-4 The danger is to those who received this letter and for us now too, the current day is the great apostasy, experience driven spirituality. It is demonism. Mormonism and Jehovah’s Witness is the Gnosticism of Col 2:8-23 If you are a child of God and you have an attitude of apathy, this passage is warning you that judgment is coming. The danger is casting of your anchor. Heb 6:19-20 Cling to the anchor and you are secure. Hope is assurance, it enters into the veil. The only anchor that works is on you can’t see, it has to go where you cannot see. Our anchor goes above; if our biblical assurance is connected to Jesus then there is nothing that can distract us. The need to give heed: Heb 2:1 dei-spiritual necessity required by the nature of things. It is of upmost importance that we give more attention to the things we’ve heard, to keep them in front of us wherever we go, to the extreme measure. Jesus is out of the reach of the enemy, but we are not, which is why we must cling to our anchor. Lest we drift, this is a daily threat. We can drift away at any moment. 2co 11:25, act 27:9-44 greater grace means greater accountability Heb 2:2-3. If is the lesser, then is the greater. Transgression- a voluntary stepping over the line, and disobedience- hearing and disobeying. Five times in four verses “we” refers to the heirs of salvation. This is a message to believers. Old Testament believers did not escape divine justice, there’s no way we ever could. Do not turn your back on the Word. Where we stand is dependent on where we stand in relation to Christ and if we’ve set aside or neglected the Word. Great Salvation: personally proclaimed by Christ who bought it, confirmed by the apostles who directly heard Jesus, given divine testimony by apostolic miracles. Apostolic miracles are a thing of the past. Heb 12:25 Jesus is speaking to you, do not refuse Him. The only security and hope is in God’s Word? The only way to escape is to not neglect what we’ve heard 1ti 1:18-20 These names were teachers of the word. Our record is kept of our conduct in heaven. The Christian life is a campaign-intense conflict over a long amount of time, just a few victories does not mean the whole life was victorious. You must choose this. We must recognize the terrible end of apathy to the word of God-spiritual shipwreck. You come through with just your life 1co 3:11-15 Constantly pushing away from us that which can stabilize us, the Word of God. We must hold two things to ourselves, clutch to ourselves, hold fast to the faith (which is delivered to us in the Word of God), and hold fast to a pure conscience (good of a divine kind, a conscience cleansed by forgiveness, through living in fellowship with Christ, to confess our sins and enter into His Light 1jo 1:9, 1jo 1:7) Heresy to ignore self-examination and confession. You need to find your spiritual gift so you know what you’re to do while you’re on this earth. It’s the treasure He gave you. The darkling thrush poem by Thomas Hardy: I leant upon a coppice gate When Frost was spectre-gray, And Winter's dregs made desolate The weakening eye of day. The tangled bine-stems scored the sky Like strings of broken lyres, And all mankind that haunted nigh Had sought their household fires. The land's sharp features seemed to be The Century's corpse outleant, His crypt the cloudy canopy, The wind his death-lament. The ancient pulse of germ and birth Was shrunken hard and dry, And every spirit upon earth Seemed fervourless as I. At once a voice arose among The bleak twigs overhead In a full-hearted evensong Of joy illimited; An aged thrush, frail, gaunt, and small, In blast-beruffled plume, Had chosen thus to fling his soul Upon the growing gloom. So little cause for carolings Of such ecstatic sound Was written on terrestrial things Afar or nigh around, That I could think there trembled through His happy good-night air Some blessed Hope, whereof he knew And I was unaware. We need to let the world know about Him. Our blessed hope.

Scripture References: Colossians 2:8-23, Psalms 45:6-7, Isaiah 59:16, John 1:7, Ephesians 2:7, Ephesians 2:1-22, Hebrews 1:10-12, Psalms 102:25-27, Hebrews 2:1-4, Hebrews 1:1-14, Isaiah 53:1, Hebrews 12:25, Revelation 21:2, Ephesians 1:23, Psalms 110:4, Hebrews 2:1, Colossians 1:1-29, Isaiah 52:10, Hebrews 2:2-3, Revelation 19:6-9, Hebrews 10:10-14, Psalms 92:10, Ephesians 6:1-24, John 1:1-51, Isaiah 51:5, Acts 27:9-44, Ephesians 5:6-7, John 19:30, Psalms 2:2, Ephesians 5:1-33, Colossians 1:16, Isaiah 40:12, Hebrews 2:1, Psalms 45:9, Psalms 110:1, Psalms 45:6-7, Ephesians 4:1-32, John 1:3, Colossians 1:17, Hebrews 6:19-20, Psalms 45:1-17, Hebrews 1:13, Isaiah 61:2, Ephesians 3:1-21, Psalms 104:4, Job 38:4-7

From Series: Hebrews (1998) | More Messages from Gene Cunningham | Download Audio

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