Lesson 5 January 8, 2003

Review:

5. 1:6 The Focus Shifts to His people! Why we should give praise!

1. The redeemed of the Church age is the focus here;

"and He has made us [to be] a kingdom

- Rev 5:9-10; 20:6; 1 Pet 2:5,9

"priests to His God and Father;"

- Each believer as a part of the body of Christ, the Universal church, the spiritual house, (2:5), has a ministry, a service within the body of Christ.

* What are acceptable spiritual sacrifices?

a. Praise and thanksgiving; Heb 13:15

b. Divine good production; exhale towards others in their need, Heb 13:16; generosity

c. Phil 4:18 giving on a grace basis; acceptable sacrifice.

d. Rom 12:1 - our body, as a living sacrifice; living our lives under the rulership of H/S and the word of God.

e. P/T gives a sacrifice of time and energy for the ministry of the Word. Phil 2:17-18

2. 2nd Ascription of Praise to Christ.

After John focuses on some aspect of Christ inevitably breaks into praise, as at the end of vs:6. see 1:6b; 4:11; 5:13; 7:12

Then we have a very emphatic ending to indicate the eternality of God.

Point is: That eternal glory belongs to the person of Christ!

6. 1:7-8 His coming! The Theme of the Book!! Read vs:7

This is a quote from 2 passages in the OT. Dan 7:13; Zech 12:10

1. Emphasis on the fact of His coming!

* Says don't debate the fact that He is coming! It's reality;

2. Emphasis on publicity; His return is public!

- This is not speaking of the rapture; where He comes as a thief! This is clearly 2^nd advent!

3. Emphasis on judgment;

- We are either one of those who have been freed from our sins and are a part of His kingdom, a priest; vs:5-6 Or we are in vs:7 waiting for judgment.

4. The certainty of His coming! Seen in last 3 words; "Even so. Amen."

Together they put upon this prophecy the seal of certainty, reliability, firm assurance.

7. 1:8 Declaration of who is, the object of the revelation,

Verse points to Christ in several ways:

"I am (very emphatic; I myself keep on being) the Alpha (A a) and the Omega, (W w) says the Lord God" also in Rev 22:13

Emphasis: completeness of God in His essence and character; and the completeness of His control over history (for us the A to Z)

Coupled with the next phrase; who is and who was and who is to come," a focus on His eternality.

"the Almighty." o` pantokra,twr used 10x's in Scripture 9 of them in Rev.

- reference to His Omnipotence [OmPo], supremacy over all things;

8. Observations: 1:1-8

1. Jesus Christ is the central figure and focus as we open this book.

2. Vs:1 presents Him as the mediate source and object of the revelation, the disclosure.

3. Vs:2 He is the testimony about which John bore witness.

4. Vs:3 Special blessing is promised those who heed the disclosure in this book.

5. Vs:5 we see Him as the "faithful witness, the first-born, and ruler of the kings of the earth."

6. He is also revealed as the source of Grace and peace; the One who loves and freed us from our sins by His work on the cross, in bearing our sins. (also vs:5)

7. Vs:6 He is the source of our royal priesthood. We are a part of His kingdom.

8. Vs:7 He has promised to come with a great display of power and glory, and every eye will see Him. 2nd Advent.

9. Vs:8 He is OmPo, and has complete rulership over all things.