The History of the Future, Part 1 (Revelation 1:1–8) | John MacArthur | GTYtv

To me, life is all about the truth. We've  been moving phrase by phrase, verse by verse,   paragraph by paragraph, chapter by  chapter through these great truths. Open your Bibles with me. I want to take you to what I believe may be  the most comforting book in the New Testament.   And that is the book of Revelation. And I say that because it tells you the future.   And for those who belong to Christ,  the the blessed and the forgiven,   the future is all glorious. Uh why am I going to  spend some time in Revelation? Well u one reason   is to help you understand the future so that  we can set aside some of the insanity going on   in the world about climate change and global  warming and all of the things that are being said   in a very destructive way. The story of the  the earth is really a story of God's goodness.   He's filled the earth with good things. Good  things. We are to be fruitful and multiply.  

Not stop having children because we think the  climate is going to wipe us out. We are to   give him thanks for all the common graces. And  at this particular point in civilized history, we   we're the beneficiaries of a massive amount of  advances that have made life so much better,   so much richer, so much easier. And that is  common grace. You get the feeling, however, that   people aren't interested in thanking God for all  that he has provided that we can richly enjoy, but   rather they want to take us back to a primitive  point in time. They want to move us backwards.   They want us to have disdain for the good things  the Lord has placed in this earth for us to enjoy.   And it's because ostensibly they have some  inordinate insane fear of what might happen   to the planet. Well, we know what happens  and it's God who's going to decide when   the drama finally ends. And that's what's in  the book of Revelation. But more than that,   the book of Revelation exalts the glory  of Jesus Christ more than any other book.   And it's always been a concern  to me and and the sadness that  

the book which gives more glory to Christ than  any other book in the Bible is misunderstood,   misinterpreted and even neglected. To many, the  book of Revelation is a closed and sealed book.   Exactly what God did not want it to be. Now, some  things God intends to be sealed. In Daniel 12:9,   it says, "These words are sealed up until the  end times." And we know Deuteronomy 29:29 says,   "The secret things belong to the Lord."  There are some things that we cannot know.   But the book of Revelation does not  fit into that category at all. In fact,   it is the very opposite of that. It begins  particularly in verse three just to start with a   promise. Blessed is he who reads and those who  hear the words of the prophecy and heed the   things which are written in it for the time  is near. There's an urgency about this book   as it delivers to us the future. When you  go to Revelation, you go back to the future.

This is a revelation. This is an unveiling. It is  not to be ignored. It is not to be misinterpreted,   misunderstood. It's not to be sealed up.  In fact, in the last chapter of Revelation   and verse 10, that's chapter 22, it says, "Do not  seal up the words of the prophecy of this book,   for the time is near." It begins in  chapter 1 saying the time is near,   read and hear and heed for the time  is near. We're living in an urgency.   Even when this book was written, there was an  urgency. We'll look at that in a few minutes.   It is the only book in the Bible with an  opening and closing blessing on the reader.   And who wouldn't want to step  into that blessing from God?   If you're blessed if you read it, blessed if  you understand it, and blessed if you heed it,   why would you avoid it, ignore it? But it actually  can become fashionable to ignore this incredible   book. It's the last book in the divine  library. It's the last book that was  

inspired by the Holy Spirit at the very end of  the first century. It's the last word from God. In Genesis, you had the commencement of  heaven and earth. In Revelation, you have the   consummation of heaven and earth. In Genesis,  we were given the entrance of sin and the curse.   In Revelation, it's the end of sin and the curse.   In Genesis, it was the dawn of Satan  and his activities. In Revelation,   it's the doom of Satan and his activities. In  Genesis, it was the tree of life relinquished.   In Revelation, it's the tree of life regained. In  Genesis, death enters. In Revelation, death exits.   In Genesis, sorrow begins. In  Revelation, sorrow is banished.   In Genesis, paradise was lost. In Revelation,  paradise is regained. But most centrally,   in Genesis, the Savior was promised. And  in Revelation, the Savior is preeminent.   Let me read the opening verses, verses  1-8. The revelation of Jesus Christ,   which God gave him to show to his slaves  the things which must soon take place.   And he sent and communicated it by his angel to  his slave John, who testified to the word of God,   and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all  that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who  

hear the words of the prophecy and heed the things  which are written in it. for the time is near.   John, to the seven churches that are in Asia,  grace to you and peace from him who is and who   was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits  who are before the throne, and from Jesus Christ,   the faithful witness, the firstborn of the  dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth,   to him who loves us and released us from our sins  by his blood. And he has made us to be a kingdom,   priests to his God and father. To him be the  glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.   Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every  eye will see him. Even those who pierced him,   and all the tribes of the earth will mourn  over him. So it is to be. Amen. I am the   Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is  and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.   Now, beginning in the first verse, we'll just look  at some of the foundational elements. First of   all, the nature of this book is indicated in the  word revelation. Apocalypsis, it is an unveiling.   It is a revelation. It is taking the cover off.  It is telling us things that have never been told   before. It's a revealing. Some people assume that  the book of Revelation is supposed to hide things.  

That's the opposite of it. It is a full  disclosure, an unveiling, taking the cover off   concerning God's plan for the  end of his redemptive story.   The theme immediately, the revelation of Jesus  Christ. This is a book about Jesus Christ.   It is Christ unveiled, Christ uncovered,  Christ manifested in second coming glory.   We saw him in his humanity veiled. Was his glory  when he walked the earth. And here you see his   unveiled, uncovered, full glory on display. He is  the central theme of this book. It's divine source   which God gave. This comes from heaven. Of course,  it's a revelation. It comes from heaven. Only God   knows the future. Only God knows what is going to  happen. Only God ordains what is going to happen.   And God has given us this book to tell  us the future. But more importantly,   God put this book in our hands  to show the glory of Christ to us   because Christ humbled himself. God exalted him  and gave him a name above every name that at   the name of Jesus every knee should bow. And  one day the world will. But in the meantime,  

when you enter the book of Revelation, you  will bow. you will bow before his glory.   Its specific recipients are identified to his  slaves, believers. It's a book for Christians,   for believers, those who are under the master, the  Lord Jesus Christ. So here is divine revelation   about Christ from God to us and it's prophetic  character comes next. It is a revelation of   the things which must soon take place. It is  future prediction focusing on the return of   Christ in glory and all the attendant events and  elements and circumstances that accompany that.   So, we're on a journey into the future to see  things shocking and troubling and thrilling and   joyous and painful and woeful and disturbing  and encouraging and devastating and blessed.

But it is a book of hope. It is primarily a book  of hope. It is a book of comfort to the people of   God. It is for that that it was revealed to give  us the story of the future so that we would know   God has already determined the end of  everything and we rest in that glorious truth.   Now there's a word in verse one that I would  just mention to you. the things which must   soon take place. Now, when John wrote this,  it was about 90 AD in the first century.   It doesn't seem like 2,000 years later, this  word soon makes much sense. It's the word tacos   in Greek, and it can mean in a brief time.  It can mean quickly and it's often translated   that way and many times in the New American  Standard referring to rapidity of execution.   It's a it's a basic root for the word  tachometer which measures speed and velocity. So   there there is in that sense there's a quickness  about this book. There is a speed about this book.   You start with the Apostle John in chapter 1 and  you end up in the eternal state in chapter 22   and in a very brief period of time you could sit  down and read the whole story from the past and  

John's experience all the way to the new  heavens and the new earth the eternal state.   So there is a speed and a velocity about this  book and its chronology is crystal clear.   The prophetic section, the the bulk of the  prophetic section is from chapter 4 through   chapter 19 looks at a 7-year period of time in  the future called the tribulation. It's identified   as seven years. So that that section from say  chapter 4 it's introduced, five it's introduced,   chapter 6 begins the tribulation all the way to  the coming of Christ in 19. that that's a speed   read through a seven-year period in the future, a  period when God unleashes judgment in the world.   But I don't think the idea of quick or speedy  is the point of soon. I think soon is a good   translation of tu here. It simply really  means just that, soon, soon. And this also   appears in the very end of Revelation in chapter  22. And you'll see by the time I'm done how many   times this is this book is bracketed by the  same statement. But in chapter 22 and verse 12,   behold I am coming. And it says in the  NAS quickly, it's the same word soon.   Behold, I am coming soon. That's the last chapter  also. Chapter 22 verse 20. Yes, I am coming soon.

This this means that there's an imminence in his  coming. You see the same word in chapter 2:1 16   where our Lord is writing to a specific  church and he says I'm coming to you soon   and I'll make war against them with the sword of  my mouth and he came against that church that's   historically happened in chapter 3 and verse 11  same word I'm coming soon hold fast what you have chapter 11 verse 14 should  be translated the same way.   We read this, the second woe is passed. Behold,  the third woe is coming soon. And in the case   of the churches, the Lord came soon. And in the  case of that woe, it came soon. So the the word   fits better to be translated soon. [clears  throat] And we see it also in chapter 22   in verse 7, the Lord coming soon. So it's  a prophetic book, but it's intended to be   in our minds something that is coming at any time.  This is what we call the doctrine of imminence.   It's the next event on God's redemptive  prophetic calendar. People often ask me,  

"What has to happen before Christ could come?"  Answer: nothing. Nothing. Nothing prophetically.   He's coming soon. And he's been coming soon  for 2,000 years. This does not preclude a   a waiting time. Obviously, it's been 2,000  years. But the church has all always lived in   this expectancy. You find it even in the  language of the New Testament epistles. I just give you one illustration. 1 Peter 4:7. The  end of all things is near. That's 2,000 years ago.   But obviously, God is not bound by any  clock. And the second Peter 3:8 says,   "A day with the Lord is as a thousand  years, and a thousand years as a day." The   eternal God doesn't keep a calendar  or a clock. So for the church, from   the writing of the New Testament on, we  are put on notice that he is coming soon   and that that is the very next event in God's  prophetic plan. In Luke 12, just to reinforce this   from the lips of our Lord, verse 35, he says this,  "Be dressed in readiness. Keep your lamps lit.   Be like men who are waiting for their master when  he returns from the wedding feast so that they may  

immediately open the door to him when he comes and  knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master   will find on the alert when he comes. Truly I  say to you that he will gird himself to serve and   have them recline at the table and will come up  and wait on them whether he comes in the second   watch 9 to midnight or even in the third and finds  them so blessed are those slaves. Be sure of this   if the head of the house had known at what hour  the thief was coming he would not have allowed   his house to be broken into. You too be ready for  the son of man is coming at an hour that you do   not expect. That's the essence of imminence. It is  imminent. It will happen soon. We don't know when.   Which then is the call to the church and has  been for 2,000 years to at all times be ready.   So the the nature of this book is divine  revelation. Central theme is Christ.   The source is God himself who gave this  revelation. The specific recipients are   believers, the slaves of Christ. And the  prophetic character is that it takes us   into the future to the consummation of God's  redemptive plan for this world and this universe.   Now, it had a supernatural delivery also. Go back  to verse one. It was communicated by his angel.

By his angel. And this also is repeated at the end   in chapter six chapter 22 and verse 16. I Jesus  have sent my angel to testify to you these things.   This is the only book in the New Testament that  basically was delivered from God to John for us   by an angel. By an angel. Now, we remember from  Acts 7 and Galatians 3 that the Old Testament   law was given transmitted by angels. This is the  only New Testament book that has that distinction.   This is a book full of angelic  ministry. God turns loose angelic beings   in the story, the history that is written here.  In fact, there are angels in almost every chapter.   I think there are no angels in well there's   messengers that are human messengers in chapters  2 and three but starting in chapter 4 I think   there may only be three chapters that don't  include angels 67 times angels are referred to   so we're going to get closely acquainted with  the operation of the angels in the future   and then there was the human agent who  received the communication from God by an angel  

and that is his slave John. John the apostle of  the familiar triumvirate Peter, James and John.   Now he received this revelation and wrote  it down 60 years after Christ's death   at the end of the first century. At the time he  received it, he was in exile on an island called   Patmos in the Mediterranean. I've been there a  number of times. Incredible stony rocky place.   He was actually likely a  teenager, maybe in the late teens   when Christ was crucified. He's now in  his 80s. He was with Christ through his   suffering the first time he came and now he  has given the joy of recording his glory.   Verse two says it was he who testified John who  testified to the word of God, the revelation from   God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Same thing.  The word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ   both referring to supernatural revelation. even  to all that he saw. And the fascinating thing   about this book is when you look at other books  in the Bible, they're basically the revelation of   words. Revelation of words. This is a revelation  series in images. We have some of those in the Old   Testament. We have some visions, but but this  is a book that is loaded with them. There are  

there are words that are revealed of course in  this book particularly in chapters 2 and three   but it is primarily what John sees that he writes  down. So that gives you a sense of the book. This is truth that has never been known before.   John uncovers it because God  gave it to him through an angel.   And what is the benefit of this to us? Verse  three, blessed is he who reads, hears, heeds   everything written in it. Again, I just point out  it's inexcusable to ignore this book. It's not   difficult. It's not. It's one of the simplest  chronologies of all Bible books to follow. And why   would you ignore this when it says in verse three,  "Blessed is the one who reads, hears, and heeds."

It's just loaded with blessing. And again,   that same promise is given in the 22nd chapter.  again, blessed is he who hears the words of the   prophecy of this book. And John says, I'm  the one who heard and saw these things. You're blessed if you understand this book.  You're blessed in ways that are just amazing.   Amazing. [clears throat] You have no  fear of the future. That's one blessing.   There are seven blessings in this book.  Chapter one, blessed is the one who reads   the words of this prophecy. Chapter 14, blessed  are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.   That's chapter 14. Chapter 16, blessed is he who  stays awake and keeps his clothes with him so   that he may not go naked and be shamefully  exposed. That is it when Christ returns   in chapter 19. and blessed are those who are  invited to the wedding supper of the lamb.   In chapter 20, blessed and holy are those who have  part in the first resurrection. In chapter 22,   blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy  of this book. And again in chapter 22, blessed are   those who wash their robes that they may have the  right to the tree of life and may go through the   gates through the gates of heaven into the city.  Read, hear, heed. All present tense participles.

This book is heavenly. It is angelic. It is  elevated with visions of heaven. At the same time,   it is designed to be understood so that it can  encourage and bless the suffering, persecuted,   struggling, patient, hopeful Christians with the  glorious triumph coming soon and lasting forever. Those seven blessings, seven biatitudes are consistent with the way this book is  designed. Many many sevens are in this book.   Just listen to this. Seven churches,  seven spirits, seven candlesticks,   seven stars, seven lamps, seven seals, seven  horns, seven eyes, seven angels, seven trumpets,   seven thunders, seven thousand, seven heads,  seven crowns, seven angels, seven plagues,   seven b vials or bowls, seven mountains, seven  kings. That's not by accident. Not by accident.

And then there are as I just pointed out seven  beatitudes. Blessed seven years of judgment,   seven divisions of each of the  letters to the seven churches.   Seven I Am's of Christ and seven doxologies. Why so many sevens? because it's a number of  fullness and completion. It goes back to Genesis   chapter 2:3. And on the seventh day, what did  God do? It rested because everything was done.   This book is the fullness of God's  revelation. And when this history is done,   that's the end of everything with  regard to this universe. That's the end.