Message Notes

INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF REVELATION

1. Defining Prophecy

a) Prophecy

i) Foretelling

ii) Forthtelling

b) Predictive

c) Apocalyptic

i) Revelation

ii) Divine information

2. Four Main Approaches to the Book of Revelation

a) The Preterist approach

i) The word “preter” comes from the Latin “past”

ii) The events in Revelation have already come to pass!

iii) There is no Predictive element

iv) John was writing in cryptic language to criticize the Roman empire

b) The Historicist approach

i) It describes “the church age”

ii) Not the End-Times events

iii) The predictive elements are restricted to the Church in symbols

c) The Poetic View (Allegorical)

i) Symbols in Poetic language

ii) The focus is not Predictive

iii) It is also not Historical

iv) It is just Personal in meaning

d) The Futuristic View

i) Historical

ii) Predictive

iii) End-Times scenario

1The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,

2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.

3 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.

Revelation 1:1-3

1. The Revelation (apocalypse)

a) Given by God

b) To the Lord Jesus Christ

c) To show to all His servants

d) Through an angel

e) To the Apostle John

2. The Contents of Revelation

a) Things which must shortly take place

b) God’s time table revealed

i) God’s time

ii) Not man’s time

c) “Time” to be understood from God’s perspective

8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:8-9

3. The Apostle John

a) John, a servant

b) Who bore witness to the word of God Acts 1:8

c) And to the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ

d) To all the things that he saw (visions)

4. Blessings

a) He who reads (the teacher)

b) Those who hear (The class/ congregation)

c) Prophecy is to be received well for the time is near!