Initiate meaningful conversation with your family no matter how long the commute with Joe White's age appropriate short talks on scripture, parenting, culture, and community.
Episodes
Wednesday Sep 25, 2019
Wednesday Sep 25, 2019
"You and I are about to embark on a new adventure together over the next 20 some odd days. And we're gonna look at a book in the Bible that not only is the last book in the Bible, but some would say is the most perplexing book of the Bible. Some would say it's the most difficult book in the Bible, but there are many of us who would say it is of the most exciting books in the Bible."
Family Discussion:
- Describe your anticipation of our study together in Revelation.
Transcription:
00:14 You and I are about to embark on a new adventure together over the next 20 some odd days. And we're gonna look at a book in the Bible that not only is the last book in the Bible, but some would say is the most perplexing book of the Bible. Some would say it's the most difficult book in the Bible, but there are many of us who would say it is of the most exciting books in the Bible. We're going to be in the book of Revelation and today we're in chapter one verse three and then we're going to skip to verses 17 through 19 and it says this "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy. And heed all the things that are written in it for the time is near."
00:53 And then skipping to verse 17 it says this, "when I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. And he placed his right hand on me saying, do not be afraid. I am the first and the last. I am the living one. And I was dead. And behold, I am alive forevermore and I have the keys of death and of Hades. Therefore, write the things which you have seen and the things which are and the things that will take place after these things."
01:24 The book of Revelation, as we all know, was written by John. John, was one of the 12 followers of Jesus. John was one who did not die a martyr's death after the crucifixion, but John died in exile on the island of Patmos. We believe that this book was written in about the year 95AD and in some of the latter years of John's life, John sees a vision and we understand from reading the book of Revelation that the book of Revelation comes to us from God through Jesus, through his angels. From the angels the message is given to John. John gives the message to his bond servants, to the seven churches of Asia, and to all who would believe.
02:09 If you've ever wondered what an angel looks like or what an angel sounds like, this book is not necessarily to tell you what they look like, but they are going to tell you what they sound like. Angels don't look like this, and I don't want to put down to this beautiful little figurine, but angels are messengers from God. Angels have a very, divine in designated purpose. And the job of the angel that spoke to John in the book of Revelation was to give John exactly what God had to say about the end of the age. John's message was for the seven churches of Asia of that day, and his message was for the bond servants and a bond servant is probably the highest title that you can have as a person on this earth. A bond servant who receives the message of the book of Revelation is a man or woman who is sold out for Christ. A bondservant is a man or woman who has given his life even though we're set free in Christ, we live our masters so much that we chain our heart back to our masters saying, Jesus, my love for you is greater than my freedom. My love for you is greater than my life. My love for you is greater than anything. That makes you and me a bond servant of Christ. And so that message is for you. In chapter one, John writes about things that he has seen. In chapter two and three of Revelation, he writes about things that are. Those are the, those are the words to the seven churches of Asia. And then from chapter four on, the rest of the book that we're going to be doing in the next 20 something days together are the things that God calls after these things.
03:43 It's gonna be the rise and the fall of the antichrist. It's going to be talking about the last seven years that Daniel spoke about some 600 years before the vision that God gave Daniel of the last seven year period as the end of this age consumed. It's going to talk about the first three and a half years of the antichrist. And then it's going to talk about the great tribulation and the final battle of Armageddon. This book's going to talk about the thousand year reign of Jesus as the Lion of Judah, the millennium. It is going to talk about judgment, and it's going to talk about the new heavens and the new earth. This is going to be an exciting study together. And I can't wait to do this study with you in the next three weeks together. And you know what, you will say I hope as John said, when you're finished with this study, 'Blessed is the man who not only hears it, who not only reads it, but who heeds the things that are written in this book. And a little discussion question for you today is this. Describe your anticipation of our study together in Revelation. Knowing that Revelation is going to talk about all these things at the end of the age.