THROUGH THE BIBLE (Revelation)

By Bishop Elijah H. Hankerson III, BA, MA, DD

LESSON NOTES:

I.                  THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING THE ENTIRE BIBLE. If you understand that the Bible is written to show us how humanity was created for God, fell into sin, was reconciled through Christ (who was the product of a family) and God will restore everything through His sacrifice on the Cross; then you have the message of the entire Bible.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 ¹⁷Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. ¹⁸And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. ²⁰Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. ²¹For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

     I.            HOW WOULD THE FIRST CENTURY CHRISTIANS VIEW THIS BOOK? We have already dealt with this book from an eschatological view. However, for Christians of the first century; this was a book about the confrontation of the Church vs the Roman Empire. And, in spite of how powerful the empire was; the Church was going to prevail.

                         A.            HAS THE TRIBULATION OCCURRED? The first century Christians would probably have thought that they were in the Tribulation; considering the suffering that they were enduring under the hands of the Roman Empire.

II.            THE EMPERORS WERE GOING CRAZY ON CHRISTIANS. At this time Christians were suffering under two evil emperors. Nero from 54-68 and Domitian from 81-96.

                         A.            THE EMPIRE WAS ENFORCING EMPEROR WORSHIP. The church taught strongly against this; emphasizing that Jesus is LORD. That was both illegal and insulting to the emperor.

Luke 2:11

for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Romans 10:9

that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

Colossians 3:17

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Philippians 2:9-11

For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

1 Peter 3:15

but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;

Revelation 17:14

These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.”

1 Corinthians 8:6

yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.

2 Corinthians 4:5

For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.

1.               CHRISTIAN PRACTICES WERE ALSO SEEN AS BIZARRE AT THE LEAST AND CRIMINAL AT THE MOST.

                                                                           a.            CHRISTIANS WERE LOOKED AT AS CANNIBALS THAT ATE FLESH AND DRANK BLOOD. Because of the Holy Communion.

John 6:56 ⁵⁶Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 ²³For I received from the LORD what I also passed on to you: The LORD Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ²⁴and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." ²⁵In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." ²⁶For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the LORD's death until he comes.

                                                                           b.            CHRISTIANS WERE ALSO CONSIDERED INCESTUOUS. Because the world did not understand the use of the term brother and sister.

John 13:34-35
A new commandment I give to you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.

John 15:17
These things I command you, that you love one another.

1 Peter 3:8
Finally, be you all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brothers, be pitiful, be courteous:

1 John 3:18
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

1 John 4:11
Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

1 Peter 4:8
And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

1 John 3:11
For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

1 Peter 1:22
Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit to unfeigned love of the brothers, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently.

1 John 4:12
No man has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwells in us, and his love is perfected in us.

1 John 4:7
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God.

III.            THE SETTING OF THIS STORY.[1] John was banished to the isle of Patmos was an island in the Aegean sea. It was pretty small being about 30 square miles. It was the Alcatraz of that day.

Revelation 1:9-11 ⁹I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. ¹⁰On the LORD's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, ¹¹which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."

IV.            SUMMARY OF THE BOOK.

                         A.            Introduction (Revelation 1).

                         B.            Churches Rated (Revelation 2-3).

                         C.            Vision of Heaven (Revelation 4-5).

                         D.            Tribulation: Seven Bowls, Seven Trumpets (Revelation 6-9).

                         E.            Two Witnesses (Revelation 10-11:14).

                          F.            Seventh Trumpet, Red Dragon, Antichrist (Revelation 11:15-14).

                        G.            Seven Bowls (Revelation 15-18).

                        H.            Second Coming, Battle of Armageddon and White Throne Judgment (Revelation 19-20).

                             I.            New Heaven and Earth (Revelation 21-22).

 V.            PRAYER FOR SALVATION. As we close, if you have not received this Jesus pray this simple prayer:

"Father, I know that I have sinned against You. Please forgive me. Wash me clean. I promise to trust in Jesus, Your Son. I believe that He died for me—He took my sin upon Himself when He died on the cross. I believe that He was raised from the dead. I surrender my life to Jesus today.

"Thank You, Father, for Your gift of forgiveness and eternal life. Please help me to live for you. In Jesus' name, Amen."

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[1] Bell, James. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Bible. Penguin: New York, 2005.