Revelation chapter one, please. I'm reading in verse one. We began this series on the 1st of October in the year 2013, and we finish it on the 14th of February in the year 2017. Just listen to this question, and let me ask you it. How many are here tonight and they've never missed one book of the Bible. Now listen to the question. How many have not missed one book? Hands up. Good for you, Catherine, must be your mother's influence. Yes, Ruby and Billy and Stephen, anybody else? Charlie, yes, and Elizabeth, and you, you would never miss a night. Well, thank you. At least there's been a few. And many of you have been on holiday and some of you have been ill and you couldn't get on. We appreciate the effort that you've made. as we have gone through this book together night by night. And I trust, I certainly have found it profitable, and I trust that you too have found it profitable. When I began this series, I wondered what I had taken on after a few weeks, and fellow colleagues rang me and said, you're mad doing a series like that, you'll never get it finished, it's too difficult, it's far too comprehensive. Well, by the grace of God, we're here tonight at the final book. And somebody said to me tonight, you're not going to cover Revelation in one night. Yes, I am. And that's the purpose of it all, one book per night. And we have never deviated from that. Revelation chapter 1, we may be a minute or two longer tonight, but it should not matter. It's the final book on the final night. And if you find it difficult to sit, then just you slip out. Revelation chapter 1, I'll try and get through it as quickly as I can. The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass. And he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John. who bear record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein, for the time is at hand. John, to the seven churches which are in Asia, grace be unto you and peace, from him which is and was, and which is to come, and from the seven spirits which are before his throne. and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth, unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. On one occasion, that prince of preachers, C. H. Spurgeon, was accosted by a critic with a question from the Bible. And this man who wanted to trip the preacher up said to Spurgeon, there now, can you tell me what that means? And with a twinkle in his eye, Spurgeon replied, Why, of course I can tell you what it means. It just means what it says. That might well be an appropriate response when people ask the question, Well, what does the book of Revelation really mean? Perhaps these words may apply also. A question may be asked in a sentence. The reply may take a century. One thing is sure. The book of Revelation is one of the most difficult books in the Bible to interpret, to comprehend, and to explain. Perhaps one of the reasons for that is that Satan fights against us in our understanding of this book. David Pawson says, the devil hates the first few pages of the Bible, which reveal how he gained control of our planet, And he hates the last few pages of the Bible, which reveal how he will lose control of it. If he can convince human beings that Genesis is composed of myths and Revelation is composed of mysteries, he is content. And yet no book in the Bible has an introduction and a conclusion quite like the book of Revelation. It commences with a promised blessing, and it concludes with a promised blessing. Sure, much of this book is difficult to comprehend and understand, but just to hear the prophecies of this book being publicly read is a blessing and benediction in itself. Now, in order for us just to get a handle on the book tonight, I want to introduce the book by using five words. The first word is the word atmosphere. What is the atmosphere or the mood behind this book? Well, John's own personal circumstances give us a clue. You see what he says in verse 9 of chapter 1. He says, I, John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ." John was exiled to the isle of Patmos toward the end of the first century. He was probably put there by the Roman emperor Domitian. And it was Domitian who instigated emperor worship. Everyone who spoke to the emperor Domitian had to address him as Lord and God. And so here's John, he's laboring in the mines, he's laboring in the quarries on the island of Patmos, he's busting rocks on the chain gang. This man would not surrender to any but his Lord, Jesus Christ. And so throughout the book, we see the sufferings of God's people. John is in exile. Antipas is martyred. The church in Smyrna will face imprisonment, but God is on his throne and working out his purpose. Atmosphere. Second word that I want to use in introducing the book is approach. How do we approach a book like Revelation? Well, basically, there are four different approaches. There is the approach of the praetorist, the Latin word praetor meaning past, and this interpretation tells us that everything that has taken place in the book took place in the first century. And so John, they say, wrote to the saints to encourage them in their time of persecution, in their time of suffering. But John states seven times over in this book of Revelation that he's writing prophecy. Here's a book that deals with predictions. Here's a book that deals with people and events which lie in the future. There is the approach of the praetorist. And then there is the approach of the historicist. And this view holds that the book is in the process of being fulfilled throughout the whole Christian era. Dr. Harold Wilmington states, those who hold this view see in the symbols the rise of the papacy, the corruption of the church, and the various wars throughout church history. Most of the reformers interpreted the book in this manner. But there is another approach, not the approach of the preterists, not the approach of the historicists, but the approach of the idealists. And they spiritualize the teaching of the book and tell us that it doesn't set forth actual events at all, but that all its symbols depict spiritual realities. John tells us that he's writing prophecy. He's telling us about things that one day will take place in the world. The fourth approach is the approach that we're going to take tonight. It's called the approach of the futurists. And this approach emphasizes that the book of Revelation is prophecy, and that the major section of the book, the major part of the book, has to do with what is still future. And so we think of the word atmosphere. It's an atmosphere of persecution. We think of the word approach, and then we think of the word author. Who is the author of the book of the Revelation? We'll look at verse 1. the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him to show unto his servants, thing which much shortly come to pass. And he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John. This book had its origin not in the mind of John, but in the mind of God. How did the Lord convey the contents to his servant John? Well, the father gave the revelation to the son, and the son shared it with the apostle, using his angel as an intermediary. And so here's John. He's in this little island of Patmos. Maybe some of you have visited there when you've been on the mainland of Greece. It's in the Aegean Sea. I was near it on one occasion. It's a little island on the Aegean Sea. It's a penal colony of Rome, and here's John. He's busting rocks on the chain gang on the island of Patmos, and he's receiving this wonderful revelation from the risen Lord concerning end time events. atmosphere, approach, author. What's the aim of this book? Well, look at the title. It's the revelation not of St. John the Divine, but it's the revelation of Jesus Christ. It has to do with unveiling. Revelation is from the Greek word apokalips, which means an uncovering, an unveiling, or disclosure. The central person of the book of Revelation is not John, but Jesus Christ. And if we study the book of Revelation and we don't learn anything about Jesus Christ, then we have misread the book of Revelation. Revelation is meant to be an unveiling of Christ to us. It also tells us of that day when his future glory will be unveiled or revealed to all people. You remember when the Lord Jesus came the first time, his glory was veiled. When he comes again, his glory is going to be unveiled. Now, when studying the book of Revelation, it's so easy to focus on different events and different things. It's so easy trying to focus on prophecy and trying to decipher this and that and the other. However, our main focus ought to be on the Christ who is coming again. After all, tonight, it's not the coming we want to be familiar with, it's the person who is coming. Imagine a train station. And in that station, there is a station master. And that station master, well, his objective is to know as much as possible about all the trains. And so all around that office, he's got intricate charts to help him predict exactly when that train is going to arrive, where that train exactly is. But imagine also, in that train station, there is a young lady in that train station, and she doesn't know all about the charts and the details, but she realizes that her fiancé is on the next train that is about to arrive, and she can hardly wait for him to get there. My friends, our hearts also need to beat in anticipation for the arrival of the King. You may find justification for your point of view. You may find reasons to support your finer views on prophecy. But if you miss the Lord Jesus, you have missed the whole thrust, the whole message of the Revelation. It's an unveiling of Jesus Christ. It's not only an unveiling, but it's an unfolding. For this book is especially about prophecy. It shows us how all human events have been pointing forward toward one single event, the return of Jesus Christ to earth. to establish his kingdom. Unveiling, unfolding, upholding. For don't forget the practical import of this book. Remember, it was written during a time of intense persecution. It was written during the reign of a vicious Roman empire, Domitian, who declared himself to be Lord and to be God. Where were these believers going to find encouragement? Was there any hope for the future? Is there any hope for the future? The book of Revelation answers with a resounding yes. God is still on the throne. And all of history, including their time of trouble, and including your time of trouble, is under His sovereign control. The control of one. who is coming again to defeat evil and establish his reign." Think about these words—atmosphere, approach, author, aim. Here's the fifth word—analysis. I mean, how can we analyze this book of Revelation? It's so difficult to analyze for this reason. The scenes alternate between heaven and earth. For example, in chapters 2 and 3, we are on earth with the seven churches. But then in chapters 4 and 5, we're on heaven to see the Lord Jesus as he steps into the spotlight and receives the scroll, the title deed to earth. And then in chapter 6, we come back to earth as we see the scrolls being broken. Now, as far as I know—and correct me if I'm wrong—the only book in the Bible that has an inspired outline is the book of Revelation. Look at chapter 1 and verse 19. You remember I said to you that John the apostle always puts a key either at the back door or the front door of his writings. You remember he wrote the Gospel of John. That has to do with our past. 1, 2, 3, John. That has to do with our present. The book of Revelation, that has to do with our future. He always puts a key at the back door or the front door to unlock the meaning of the book. Here he puts the key at the front door. Look at chapter 1 and verse 19. Maybe that's where you've left your key tonight, at the front door. Hope the robber doesn't get it. But look at verse 19. "'Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.'" It tells us there is a past. "'Write the things which thou hast seen.'" Chapter 1. Write the things which are." Chapter 2 and 3. Write the things which shall be hereafter. Chapter 4 to the end. Chapter 1 is all about His glory. Chapter 2 and 3 is all about His grace. Chapter 4 onward to 22 is all about His government. Now, these three divisions are clear. They do not overlap. Each division is distinct in itself. It's distinct from the other two. Here's God's division of the book. Notice, first of all, the things which thou hast seen—chapter 1, the path. The book of Revelation is a book of symbols and signs. Do you see verse 1? the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass. And he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John." That word signified is interesting. If you want to get the true sense of the word, pronounce it aloud like this. He signified it! In other words, Christ made his revelation known to John by signs and symbols, and once you grasp the symbolic significance of the book, you understand it better. Now here in chapter 1, we see truth conveyed in the form of symbols. The Lord Jesus is described in a way which is not intended to convey his actual appearance, but various aspects of his character, his attributes, his role. For example, what are the seven candlesticks? Look at verse number 12. John says, "'And I turned to see the voice that spake with me, and being turned I saw seven golden candlesticks, and in the midst of the candlesticks one like unto the Son of Man.'" Well, what are the candlesticks? Well, look at verse 20. The mystery of the seven stars, which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. And the seven candlesticks, which thou sawest, are the seven churches. So here's the Lord walking in the midst of his churches. They form a rough geographical circle in Asia. And the risen Lord is walking in the midst of the candlesticks, He's walking in the midst of the churches, and He's taking cognizance of everything that goes on. You'll notice from Revelation 2 and 3, there's an angel to each church. Some people think that that's the leading elder, the pastor, whatever. I'm not going to get into that controversy. I only remember what J. Vermon McGee says. He wrote in his commentary, it's good to hear pastors being called angels. Sometimes we're called other things. But what a revelation this is of the Lord Jesus. I want you to see here the awesome sight, what I've called it, the awesome sight. What a revelation of glory for an old man, for an aged apostle. How thrilling it must have been for John, who had witnessed the sufferings of Jesus Christ, and now he's seeing the glory of Christ. What compensation for an aged saint denied the privileges of the Lord's day to get a vision of the risen Lord? Run your eye down this chapter for a moment and notice John's description of Christ. Look at verse 14, verse 13. Do you see the humanity of the king? Now, in the midst of the seven candlesticks, one like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and gird about the paps with a golden girdle. It was a full 60 years since John had seen Jesus, but he immediately recognizes him as the Son of Man, the humanity of the King. Look at verse number 13 again. He's clothed with a garment down to the foot and girded about the paps with a golden girdle. That's the authority of the King, the humanity of the King, one like unto the Son of Man, the authority of the King. He's clothed with this garment. In ancient times, the garment was the recognized apparel of authority, of dignity, of rulership. Look at verse 14. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow. That's the purity of the king. It's a symbol of Christ's absolute, sinless holiness. Look at verse 14, "...and his eyes were as a flame of fire." That's the sagacity of the king. Today we might say he's got x-ray vision. My dear friends, Jesus Christ cannot be deceived. As he walks among the churches, he sees every minister, he notes every member, he observes every ministry, he views every motive with x-ray vision. Look at verse 15, "...and his feet like undefined brass." That's the severity of the king. Brass in the Bible symbolizes judgment, and as the head of the church, Christ will judge sin in His church. And His voice, says John, has the sound of many waters. That's the integrity of the King. And He had in His right hand seven stars. That's the sovereignty of the King. Christ is holding His messengers in His right hand. It suggests His control of all things. Out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. That's the veracity of the king. The sword is the Word of God, and nothing can withstand God's Word. And then John sums it up in verse 16. And his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. That's the glory of the King. Once that face was sparred, once that face was marred, once that face was spat upon, and now it shines in resplendent glory, and it's that divine glory, it's that divine majesty, it's that divine splendor that John now beholds. Let me ask you tonight, do you think you have problems? I tell you, John the Apostle and these early Christians had real problems, real problems, facing persecution, hostility, losing their home, losing their livelihoods, perhaps losing their life. But I want you to see where John focuses. He turns his eyes on Jesus. He looks full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace. Sometimes, when faced with great problems, our tendency is to focus on the hands of God, what he has done for us, and what we want him to do for us, instead of focusing on the face of God, simply who he is. Often, In the midst of great problems, we stop short of the blessing that God has for us, which is simply a fresh vision of who Christ is. What a sight this was, the awesome sight. Look at verse 17. Look at the abject servant. And when I saw him, says John, I fell at his feet as dead, undone, unmasked, unraveled. John caught one glimpse of the Holy One, the Sovereign One, the Glorious One, and his self-esteem was shattered. Was it not the same for Isaiah? You remember when he saw the sovereignty, the purity, the authority of the Lord Jesus, he cried, woe is me, I'm undone, I'm a man of unclean lips, and mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Was it not the same for the Apostle Peter when he was standing in the presence of a holy God? You remember he fell at Christ's feet to part from me, for I'm a sinful man. Oh Lord, my friends, listen, is there not a dangerous absence of awe and worship in our churches? were boasting about standing on our feet instead of breaking and falling at his feet. You remember Ivan Roberts, he was the leader of the Welsh Revival, and at the beginning of the 20th century, he prayed this, Lord, bend me, bend me. And my dear friends, when God answered that prayer, the great Welsh Revival resulted. But here's where we are today. No fear. No awe. No wonder. No reverence. And what we need is a fresh vision of the glorified Christ that will instill within us holy fear, the awesome sight, the object servant. You see, in verse 17, the absolute sovereign, as he conveys his sympathy, fear not. As he reveals his identity, I am. I mean, did John not record seven of those I am's in his gospel? He says, I am the first and the last. In the Old Testament, God said, I am the first, I am the last. Beside me, there is no God. By saying, I am the first, Christ lays claim to eternal pre-existence. By saying, I am the last, he's saying, I am eternally immutable. I am he that liveth. That was another name that was applied to God. Amen. And have the keys of death and of hell. He conveys His sympathy. Fear not. He reveals His identity. I am. He affirms His authority. I am He that liveth and was dead. And behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And have the keys of hell and death. Listen, my dear friends. He's the all-sufficient One. I'm the first and the last. He's the all-victorious One. I'm He that liveth. He's the all-powerful One. I've got the keys of death and hell. Is that not encouraging? You see, despite cancer, and despite growths, and despite heart attacks, and despite angina, and despite stents, you'll never go through the door of death until he takes the key and opens the door. He's the sovereign war. And here's John. he's getting a vision of this awesome person. And he falls at his feet, and he hears words of reassurance, the things which are. Look at chapters 2 and 3 for a moment. the things which thou hast seen," chapter 1, the things which are, chapters 2 and 3. Chapters 2 and 3 deal with the churches in this age of grace. Now, we can view these churches tonight in a threefold way. We can view them historically. First and foremost, these are seven churches written to seven actual historical churches found in the Roman province of Asia, which was located on the western seaboard of what we know tonight as Turkey. Geographically, these churches form a rough circle, and they're listed here in the order that a messenger might visit them. Sailing from the island of Patmos, he would arrive at Ephesus, and then he would travel north to Smyrna and Pergamon, and then southeast to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, to Laodicea. Now, the churches in this region were tremendously hard-pressed. Circumstantially, there was persecution. As I have said, the Emperor Domitian regarded himself as Lord and God. And so the Christians of the first century who worshipped the Lord Christ were now being invited to worship the Lord Caesar. Once a year, they had to come and burn a little bit of incense to the bust of Caesar, and so here they were faced with a dilemma. They had to come before the bust of Caesar and say, Caesar is Lord. I mean, what were these believers to do? They were faced with a tremendous choice. If they burned that pinch of incense to Caesar and they said, Caesar is Lord, it meant liberty. If they said, Christ is Lord, it meant hostility and possible death. Circumstantially, there was persecution. Doctrinally, there was infiltration. False teachers were abroad, seeking to deceive the churches into their heretical teaching. Circumstantially, persecution. Doctrinally, infiltration. Morally, contamination. Immoral men were seeking to infiltrate and contaminate the church, and standards of behavior were being lowered. And so here was the devil and he was attacking the church at the end of the first century from all sides. Sometimes the onslaught was physical, the emperor. Sometimes the onslaught was doctrinal, false cults. Sometimes the onslaught was moral, lowering standards. My friends, have the tactics of the devil changed? Are the same pressures not troubling us tonight? Oh, you say, we're not being persecuted. Well, what about false cults? What about the continual desire to dilute the truth? What about the pressure of the world to conform the church to its own ways? Do these seven letters not issue a call to endure persecution, to hold fast the truth, to obey the Lord? We can view them historically. Something else we can view them prophetically. The plan of the book seems to indicate this. chapter 119, write the things which thou hast seen, chapter 1, the things which are, chapters 2 and 3, the things which shall be hereafter, chapters 4 to the end. And so chapters 2 and 3 reveal to us conditions in the church between Pentecost and the rapture. In other words, each church may be seen representing a different phase in church history. For example, Ephesus, the name means desirable. It represents the apostolic church. Even then, there was a gradual cooling off toward the Lord. Smyrna, it represents the—Smyrna means mare. It represents the martyr church. And then Pergamos, or Pergamum, it means marriage. It represents the compromising church. Thyatira, the word means continual sacrifice. It represents the rise of the papacy. It represents the people church. Sardis means remnant. It reminds us of the Reformation church. Philadelphia means brotherly love. It reminds us of the Revival Church, the great revivals that came to the United Kingdom and led us here. The name means people's rights. It represents the worldly church. And so we can take these seven churches as a panorama of prophecy from the day of Pentecost until the church is raptured and translated to glory. We may view these churches Historically, we may view these churches prophetically. But thirdly, we may view these churches typically. One might ask the question, why were there seven churches singled out by the risen Lord? Certainly, there were more than seven churches in the area. There were, at least at this time, 100 autonomous, local, independent churches at this particular time. But Christ, out of the hundred churches, singles out seven, and he addresses himself to these seven. Why? Well, it seems that the spiritual conditions found in these seven are typical and representative of what every local church has been throughout her history and what she is like today. You see, any church, any condition of any church at any place at any time may be found here. It may be that when you look at these seven churches, you say, well, that's my church there. For the conditions in these seven churches are conditions which have existed in the past and which exist in the present. You know something? Every thoughtful Christian will find himself mirrored in this church. And as you read these letters and see the state of each church, you'll be confronted with a series of questions. Let me ask you them. Are you an Ephesian believer? Have you grown cold in your love for the Lord? Maybe you're like the Christians in Smyrna. Maybe you're suffering for the sake of the gospel. Maybe you're like those in Pergamos. You're compromising the truth. You're just giving a little bit of the truth away. Maybe you're a picture of the believers of Thyatira. You believe in peaceful coexistence. You believe in having one foot in the world and one foot in the Lord's camp. Maybe you're like those in Sardis. Maybe you've got reputation tonight, but that's all. you've got no reality. Maybe you're like the Philadelphian believers. Maybe the risen Lord could commend you tonight. Maybe he could praise you. Or maybe you're like the Christians in Laodicea. You're lukewarm, and Christ is about to spew you out of his mouth. You see, in these two chapters, the risen Lord speaks his mind to the churches. And let me say this. It's in these chapters And not in Matthew 28, and not in Acts chapter 1, that the final words to the church of Jesus Christ are recorded. Sometimes I hear preachers, and they say, Matthew 28 is the last words of the Lord to the church. Acts 1 is the last word of the Lord to the church. No, it's not! The last word of the Lord to the church is found in the book of Revelation. And that means that Christ's message to these churches has a timeless relevance. Indeed, if you look at these churches closely, you'll see the character of a New Testament church. You say, well, what's a New Testament church like? Well, let me show you this very quickly. What ought to be found in a New Testament church? Love. The letter to Ephesus. Suffering. the letter to Smyrna, truth, the letter to Pergamos, holiness, the letter to Thyatira, reality, the letter to Sardis, opportunity, the letter to Philadelphia, wholeheartedness, the letter to Laodicea. Write the things which thou hast seen, that's the past, his glory. Write the things which are, that's the present, his grace. And now, John, write the things which shall be hereafter. That's chapter 4 to the end, his government. But let's go back for a moment to chapter 1, verse 19. Look at this. Chapter 1, verse 19. The Lord says to John, write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are and the things which shall be hereafter." The meaning is this. Write the things which shall be hereafter. Write the things which shall be after the church, when the churches are no more. Now look at chapter 4, because chapter 4 introduces the third section of the book. Remember, we have said that chapters 2 and 3 deal with successive periods of church history, which close with the Letician age, which is the church of today. But now look at chapter 4, verse 1. After this, I looked. And behold, a door was opened in heaven, and the first voice which I heard was, as it were, of a trumpet talking with me, which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. After this. After what? After the church age. And so from chapters 4 through 22, we have the third section of the book which focuses on prophecy after the church age. So when we come to chapter 4, we leave the church age. People say, well, where does the rapture come in? It's in the white spaces between chapters 3 and 4. Look at verse 1 again. What does that remind you of? It reminds you of 1 Corinthians 15. It reminds you of 1 Thessalonians 4, which tell us that there's going to be a trumpet blown when the Lord comes to rapture His church. Some people don't believe in the rapture. Well, we're going to deal with it in a couple of Tuesday nights. You know, one of these days, the Lord's going to say to the church, come up hither. And what we have in chapter 4 verse 1 is a picture of believers, the church being caught up to the throne at the rapture, and the rapture is the very first event in God's prophetic calendar. Now, here is John summoned to heaven. Why? Why has John summoned to heaven? Well, the Lord wants him to see the rule of the Lord. He wants to show him worldly events from a heavenly perspective. Now, you say, well, what does John exactly see? Well, he sees the throne. Look at chapter 4. John sees the throne. He sees God's throne. He sees God's throne set in heaven. John finds himself in the control center for the entire universe, and the central object of these headquarters are the throne of God. Now, Revelation is a throne book. The word appears 45 times in the book of the Revelation. This is a throne chapter. The word throne appears 13 times. You say, preacher, what's it all about? Just this. Though the storm is over for the child of God, Because the church is not going through the tribulation. We'll be caught up before the tribulation begins. But though the storm is over for the child of God, another storm is about to burst on planet Earth. The stage is now set. The church has been taken to heaven. The Lord is on His throne. All heaven praises Him. They're awaiting the outpouring of His wrath. And the challenge is thrown down to all humanity. Who of all God's creatures is fit to rule the world? Who has the right to the title deed of the earth? Look at chapter 5. Verse 1, "'And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within, and on the back side sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "'Who's worthy to open the book and to lose the seals? They're off.'" You see, the scroll in Revelation 5 is the title deed to the earth. And in this book are the final cataclysmic judgments of God that's going to be poured on the earth during the tribulation. And the one who possesses this book and can break its seals has the right to rule the world. Now look at verse 2. I want you to see the question. The question's not who's willing. The question is who's worthy. You know, my dear friends, that's the weakness of human civilization tonight. No one in Washington has the answers. No one in Moscow has the answers. No one in London has the answers. Surely there's no one in Stormont has the answers. No one can execute God's plan for human history. We are hopeless and helpless to usher in the golden age. No wonder John weeps. Is there anyone who can open the book? Is there anyone who can lose the seals? Is there anyone who can rule the world? Bless God, there's one, only one, the blessed, blessed Jesus. He's the one. Christ is about to open this seal book and release judgment on the earth. You see, this is the retribution of the Lord. Now, the Bible uses different terms for this chilling, terrible period. It's called the day of the Lord. It's called the indignation. It's called the time of Jacob's trouble. It's called the 70th week. It's called the tribulation. Jeremiah spoke of this event. Turn back to the prophecy of Jeremiah, just for a moment. Jeremiah chapter 30. Look at verse 6. Jeremiah 30, verse 6. Jeremiah 30 and verse 6. Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth reveal with the child. Wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas, for that day is great, so that none is like it, as even the time of Jacob's trouble. But he shall be saved out of it." Come forward a wee bit. Look at the book of Joel for a moment. Look at the book of Joel. Daniel, and then Hosea, and then Joel. Look at Joel chapter 2. Joel chapter 2, speaking of the same time, blew you the trumpet in Zion. Sound an alarm in my holy mountain. Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is now at hand, a day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness. as the morning spread upon the mountains a great people and a strong there hath not been ever the like neither shall there be any more after it even to the years of many generations the lord jesus spoke about this period come over to matthew's gospel chapter 24 Matthew 24. Look at verse 21. Matthew's Gospel, chapter 24 and verse 21. The Lord Jesus says, the Savior's the speaker here. He says, verse 21 of Matthew 24, "'For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.'" That's a remarkable statement. considering all the wars, the famines, the atrocities, the heartaches that have taken place on earth, to hear Christ say, there is coming a time the like of which the earth has never seen makes one tremble. According to Daniel 9, seven years are assigned to Israel in God's prophetic calendar. It starts with the signing of a contract with the Antichrist. It ends with Christ's return to establish his kingdom. Now, it's this period, the tribulation period, when God's going to pour out his judgment on the earth, it's this period that's described in Revelation 6 to 19. Some scholars, and I'm saying some, some scholars feel that the inspired outline in chapter 1 verse 19 divides this period into three parts, so that in chapter 6 to 9 we have the first three and a half years, in chapters 10 to 14 we have the middle of the tribulation period, and then from chapters 15 to 19 we have the last three and a half years. This seven-year week—because that's what it is, it's a seven-year week—is characterized by three series of events. The seven seals, the seven trumpets, the seven vials. I wonder, can you picture the scene? The Lord Jesus is about to take back creation from the usurper, Satan. But as the Lord begins to break the seals in the scroll, judgments begin to pour out upon the earth. The seals are broken, the trumpets are sounded, the vials are outpoured, and each series of judgments in an ascending scale of severity flows the one from the other. And each has its ultimate cause in the taking of the scroll by the Lord Jesus into His capable but pierced hands. Everything that now happens in the book of Revelation happens because Christ precipitates the action from start to finish. Christ is in complete control. The seven seals, the seven trumpets, the seven vials, I was talking to our brother Norrie Emerson the other day about this, and he described it to me in a wonderful way that I hadn't heard before. It's like a telescope, as these sevens begin to unfold themselves, the one flowing out from the other. But this is the thing that we must grasp. The Lord Jesus is in complete control as He breaks the seals, and judgment begins to fall upon planet Earth. And you say, why is God going to punish the world? He's going to punish the world for their sin, and especially the way they have treated the nation of Israel. Also, He's going to purge Israel. he's going to prepare a believing remnant to receive Christ when he comes in glory. That's the return of the Lord. And that's what is mentioned in chapter 19. Come over for a moment to it. Chapter 19. Look at verse 11. And I saw heaven open, And behold, a white horse, and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True. And in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns. And he had a name written that no man knew but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood. And his name is called the Word of God. You can easily identify him. This is the Lord Jesus. He's coming in power and in great glory. Now please keep in mind, that the second coming of Jesus Christ will take place in two stages. At the rapture, he's coming to the air. At the second advent, he's coming to the earth. Scripturally speaking, the come-up hither of Revelation 4 is the rapture. The appearance of the white horse and his rider is the revelation of Jesus Christ. You see, I can see how marital imagery and marriage imagery fit into the same picture. Because in the picture of the rapture, it's the picture of a wedding. In the picture of the revolution, it's the picture of a war. My friends, the King is coming. He's coming visibly. John says, every eye shall see him. He's coming victoriously. He's coming in vengeance. Look at chapter 19, or on verse 19. And I saw the beast, the Antichrist, and the kings of the earth and their armies gather together to make war against him that sat on the horse and against his army. This is the battle of Armageddon. This is west against east. This is east against west. This is all against God. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet, and who wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them, that had received the mark of the beast, and them that had worshipped the image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire, a lake of fire burning with brimstone." What a scene! Some of you have been on the plain of Esdrailon, the plain of Megiddo, Napoleon called it the greatest battlefield in all the world. What a scene! When the armies of the world will march across the plains of Estrilon, and the shipping fleets of the world will anchor in the Persian Gulf and along the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, and the aircraft of the world will darken the skies, and then suddenly it will all be over. Just one word. from him who sits astride the great white horse. One word, and the war is over, and the beast and the false prophet are taken and hurled headlong into everlasting flames, and the armies of this world fall down dead, and the vultures descend, and Christ is victorious. I was reading just the other day a story of some theological students who were tired and confused by some lectures they were getting on the book of Revelation, and so they thought they'd go down to the gym and play some basketball. They were Americans. And while they were playing the basketball, they noticed the old African-American caretaker reading his Bible, and the caretaker was waiting for them just to lock the place up. And they asked what part of the Bible— they come over to him, and they asked him what part of the Bible he was studying. And they were surprised that he was reading the book of the Revelation, and they looked at him and said to him, Sir, you don't understand that, do you? Sure do, said the old man. He said, what's it all about? With eyes that were lit up and a broad smile that came across his countenance, he said, it's simple, Jesus Christ wins. That's the message of the book of Revelation. Jesus Christ wins. and the long-awaited reign of Christ begins. Do you see here the reign of the Lord? Look at chapter 20 and verse 4. Time's moving on, but look at verse 4 and the end of it. And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. Bible scholars refer to this as the millennium, a Latin word that comes from the words mele, which means thousand. Anum means year. Think of this for a moment. Only a hundred yards, from where he wore the crown of glory, from where he wore the crown of thorns, he'll wear the crown of glory. For a thousand years our Lord will reign on earth. One of the problems that I find with some other views that deny this little rain is that they strip my Lord of this coming glory. At last, we will be able to sing, not at Christmas, but when he comes to reign, joy to the world, the Lord has come. Let earth receive her King, let every heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing. No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground. He comes to make His blessings flow, far as the curse is found. He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness, the wonders of His love. What a contrast, if you look at the end of chapter 20. to that other judgment. It's known as the great white throne judgment, when sinners will come face to face with the Christ they rejected, the Christ they spurned. Verse 15, And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. I mean, would that not stir you to reach the lost? whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire, put your son over against it, your daughter over against it, your loved one over against it, your brother, your sister over against it. Would it not stir us to tell them of Jesus, the mighty to see Him? I mean, would you not like others to dwell in the eternal residence, the residence of the Lord. For speaking of that eternal state, John says, chapter 21, 3, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. The word tabernacle means the place where God dwells. Today God doesn't live in man-made temples. He lives in the bodies of his people. He lives in the church, the church of God, a habitation of God by his Spirit. But in the eternal state, God is going to move into the city, is going to live with believers in intimate, conscious fellowship. "'I beseech thee,' said Moses, "'show me thy glory. O God,' says the psalmist, "'early will I seek thee to see thy power and thy glory.'" I tell you, heaven will be populated with millions of bright presences, but all eyes will be fastened and focused on the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Father of Jesus, love's reward, what rapture will it be? Prostrate before thy throne to fall and gaze, and gaze on thee. Now we sing by faith. One day we'll see him by sight. Look at chapter 22, verse 4. And they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads. What a moment that will be. We're going to see it the last Tuesday that I'm with you. We're going to see him visually, actually, literally, bodily. and they shall see his face. See how the book ends? Three times, verse 7, verse 12, verse 20, behold, I come quickly. The word quickly means immediately, rapidly, eminently, swiftly. In other words, his coming is very, very soon. He's already on his way. He's ready to burst upon the scene of human history right now. See what he says to John. He says, verse 18, for I testify unto every man that hears the words of this prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. If any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy city and from the things which are written in this book." You see what he's saying to John? He's saying, John, don't you change one word of revelation? Don't you change one word of the word of God? You see, when you add to the book, verse 18, that's Romanism. That's all what Romanism does. They add to the book. Do you see verse 19? When you take from the book, that's modernism. They cut out the miracles. They cut out the virgin birth. They cut out the sinless life of Christ. They hack so much out of the New Testament that you're hardly left with any New Testament. John, don't you alter the word of God. A curse rests on him who takes from, who adds to the word of the living God. And John, I'm coming soon. I mean, picture that for a moment. Picture it. Here's John, an old man, near 100 years of age, hammering stones on that chain gang in the Isle of Patmos. And the Lord says, John, I'm coming soon. And you hear the old apostle as he claps his hands and says, even so come, Lord Jesus. And thus ends the last book of the Bible. the book of the last things. Thank you for joining me on the journey through the Bible. Surely we can end this journey in no better way than to echo this prayer. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. I'm waiting for the coming of the Lord who died for me. Oh, his words have thrilled my spirit. I will come again for thee. I can almost hear his footfall on the threshold of the door. My heart, my heart is longing to be with him evermore. Let's pray.