Freedom Ministries Fellowship Notes
Revelation: Unveiling Jesus
Opening prayer:
Praise and Worship: 10 minutes:
Testimonies: 5 minutes
Review: Revelation: Unveiling Jesus
The first five words of Revelation tell us that the book is about the revelation, or unveiling, of Jesus Christ. If you are a believer, you don’t have to fear the judgments and wrath of the great tribulation. We are seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. The book is a book of signs and symbols that reveal God’s plan for the redemption of man as well as the entire world. The book has a literal interpretation for Israel as well as a spiritual interpretation for the believers. We are going to focus on the spiritual interpretation for believers.
Jesus appears to John in the seven golden lampstands. He then talks about the wrong doctrines in the seven churches. Just like the nation of Israel didn’t enter the Promised Land because of wrong beliefs, much of the church has not entered into their full inheritance because of wrong doctrines in the seven churches. For instance, Revelation 2:14 explains the church was in error because they hold the doctrine of Balaam. Numbers 23:20-23 clearly states the error of Balaam was believing that God’s people could be cursed. We still see a lot of this teaching in the church. Jesus was correcting the wrong doctrines in the church so they could come completely into His finished work. The churches were experiencing persecution that was never intended for God’s people.
In Revelation 5-6, we see that John wept until Jesus was able to open the seven seals on the scrolls. The scrolls were the title deeds to our lives and the entire earth. Ever since Adam sinned, our lives and the earth were sealed with death, famine, war, martyrdom etc. Jesus was the only One who could buy our lives and the entire earth back. We have been redeemed by His blood, and are now sealed, or owned, by the Holy Spirit. We have been redeemed from all of the seals listed in these two chapters. We still see all of these evil spirits and their effects on the unredeemed earth, but believers do not need to experience them. The enemy no longer owns the title deed to our lives. Jesus removed the seals and has now sealed us with the Holy Spirit.
When the seventh seal is opened in Revelation 8:1, there was silence in heaven for a half hour. Then the 7 trumpets release the judgments of God. This leads to the 7 bowls of wrath poured out on the earth. The good news is that for a believer, God’s entire wrath was poured out on Jesus. We will be raptured before the judgment and wrath is poured out during the tribulation. How do we know this, it is clear from the story of Jericho. In the story of Joshua and the walls of Jericho, we see there was silence until the seven priests blew the seven trumpets. Then the walls of Jericho fell and the worldly cities and kingdoms were replaced with God’s people. When the seven trumpets are blown in revelation, this is clearly the time Jesus returns to establish His earthly kingdom. We obviously had to be raptured before the seven trumpets sounded, and the judgments and wrath were poured out on the earth.
The intent of this message is not to predict when the rapture and second coming will happen. Instead, it is intended to show believers that we have already been redeemed from the wrath and judgments of God. We have already been redeemed from plagues, famine, disease, martyrdom etc. We will not experience all of the calamities listed in the rest of the book of Revelation. Jesus took them for us on the cross. Praise God!
Prayer: 10 Minutes:
If there is any situation in your life that needs prayer, ask the Holy Spirit to pray through you for that situation. The Holy Spirit makes intercession for us according to the will of God. It is the perfect prayer and is always answered!
Announcements:
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Share God’s goodness together.
Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Amen