Seven week 2
Joy’s Notes:
week two
Revelation 1:1-20
“Guard your GATES in order to preserve the holiness of sabbath.” Neh 13:22)
Middle eastern way to feast on bible:
👇
Gaze at God
Glance at me
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TONIGHT: John begins book by sharing the awesomeness of who YHWH is!!!
Because: Unbelief will move us to construct a god in our own image”
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Peek into the man of J O H N :
• (Remember: island Patmos is Desolate, rocky, barren, sterile small island )
• Exile gave John:
1. Time to pray
2. Time to reflect
3. Time to receive the most EXPLOSIVE vision of God’s mind-blowing power; and also His gentleness & kindness!
• Written by John, the disciple Jesus loved!
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⁃ John called himself this 5x in bible!
• John wrote 5 books in NT (John, 1 John ,2,3 & Rev.)
• John was the youngest disciple
• James was his brother - 1st to be killed.
• John stayed at cross & jesus told him to care for Mary (Jesus mother)
• John took Mary into his home from that time on!
• John was only book describing feet washing at last supper recorded! (This deeply impacted him!)
• John was first Disciple to arrive to empty tomb AFTER Mary M. told them it was empty!
• John was the bishop of the church Ephesus & Timothy was the pastor at Ephesus
John (& Peter) was an “ordinary, and unschooled” man (acts 4.13) yet religious people could “see” he was a man that had been with Jesus!
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• written 65 years after Jesus resurrected
• John is writing this book to the 7 church’s in the province of Asia.
• All 7 church’s were located on a major Roman road. (DRAW MAP)
• A letter carrier would leave the island of Patmos & drop off this letter to each church along the road. (draw on the board)
“ if John saw the church in America, we’d be getting a letter too!” 🤣
The LAST sentence written by John in gospel of John:
“Jesus did many other things as well. If everyone of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” (John 21:25)
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KNOWING OUR IDENTIFIER, FIRST:
John begins this book by sharing who GOD is! 👇
(Middle eastern way)
✝️It’s not enough to know his name, we have to know his character!
• we were made to worship!
• If we don’t think Jesus is worth worshiping above all else — we’ll worship something else!!🔥 (inordinate worship)
He spends entire FIRST CHAPT. describing who God is (character) and what he looks like— BEFORE writing the letters to the church!!
CONNECTION before CORRECTION
• Sarah knew Gods name, but didn’t believe He was a promise keeper!!!
• even demons believe in God (james 2:19)
If I don’t KNOW my identifier— I won’t know my identity
If I don’t know my promiser — I won’t know His promises.
• Eve— Satan didn’t mess with her identity- but GOD”s (did he really say that?)
• If He can convince us that God isn’t who He says He is, we’ll be convinced we’re not who God SAYS we are!
• moses: Exodus 4:10-12
“But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.“
• God doesn’t tell Moses that he’s QUALIFIED enough… He tells Moses that HE (God) is Enough!!!
• HE QUALIFIES THE CALLED!
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H E I S T H E G O D :
(John gives us 9 attributes to WHO God is!)
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Rev 1:4
1.He is the GOD:
“of GRACE & PEACE
• Receiving undeserved GRACE= gives us the fruit of PEACE (Galatians 5)
• H= 5th letter of Hebrew alphabet which means GRACE!
• YHWH= His very name is grace
(YHWH- breathing.)
“ then I heard every creature in heaven, and on earth, and under the Earth, and in the sea singing, “ blessing, and honor, and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne into the lamb, forever and ever!” Rev 13 5:13
MERCY = the father running to the prodigal son.
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GRACE= The father throwing him a party!
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Rev 1:4
2.He is the God: “Who IS, who WAS, who IS TO COME.”
• we have the same God as yesterday as we will forever
• He is same God we read about in the OT & NT!!!! 🔥
⁃ still does miracles
⁃ still the signs and wonders
⁃ Still speaks
⁃ Still heals
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Rev 1:4
3. He is the God:
• With “Seven Spirits before His throne.” (Rev 1:4)
• 7 spirits is another name for Holy (7) Spirit!
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Gods throne is a THRONE of GRACE that we “approach with confidence, so that we receive mercy & grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)
Millions upon millions of angels all around His throne singing “ worthy is the lamb who is slaughtered, to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength, and honor and glory and blessing.” (Rev 5:12)
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Rev 1:5
4. He is the God:
• “who is the Faithful witness to these things
• Even if no one has been faithful to you, Jesus has been !!!
• The first to rise from the dead (Others who rose from the dead, died again!)
• The Ruler of ALL the kings of the world!
(he’s got the whole world in his hands)
_________
Rev 1:5
5. He is the God:
• Who loves me.
• Freed me from my sins by His blood.
• Made me a kingdom of priests for God His father
1. He loves you
2. He’s freed you
3. He’s forgiven you
4. He’s made you a priest
1 Peter 2.9 says, "You are a royal priesthood and a priestly kingdom.”
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Rev 1:6
6. He is the God:
• “who has ALL the glory & all the power forever!”
What inordinate affections have glory & power in your life?
__________
Rev 1:7
7. He is the God:
• “Who’s returning with the clouds of heaven— and everyone will SEE Him—even those who pierced him. And all the nations of the world will mourn for him. Yes! Amen!”
⁃ scripture speaks of His return at least 22 times.
⁃ Matt 24:30 “And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
• DEEP MOURNING- 2 kings & neh 8:9 = they all wept aloud when His Word was found & read aloud!
👇
• 2 cor 7:10
“For godly sorrow produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.”
_________
Rev 1:8
8. He is the God:
Who is the: “Alpha & Omega” (first & last letter of Greek alphabet)
Who is the: “the Beginning & the End.”
👇
⁃ The WHOLE of something — NO GAPS
⁃ IT’s also saying: Jesus was at the beginning of all things; & He’ll be at the closing of all things!
⁃ It’s another ways of saying: He’s always existed and will always exist!
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⁃ He’s from “everlasting to everlasting!”
⁃ Isaiah 44:6 “ I am the first and the last” (Isaiah was written about 740 years earlier)
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Rev 1:8
9. He is the God:
• “Who IS, who always WAS, & who is still to come— the ALMIGHTY ONE.”
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John gives a word of encouragement & connection BEFORE we read about the 7 church- vision Jesus gave him!
(CONNECTION before CORRECTION)
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R E V 1:9 =
“ I, Paul, am YOUR brother”
“ I, Paul, am YOUR partner…
In suffering & the patient-endurance to which God call US.”
“ I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God & for my testimony about Jesus”
⁃ John lived in a cave, cut off from those he loved, and was treated with cruelty and reproach.
⁃ He learned to look beyond his earthly sufferings to the heavenly glory that awaits all who patiently endure.
(John lived w/ an ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE)
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REV 1.10- John hears God’s voice (sounds like a trumpet) to write on a scroll what he (john) sees & send it to the 7 church’s.
Rev 1.12-I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me, and when I turned, I saw seven gold lampstands.
⁃ the 7 lamp stands (menorah lights) = the 7 church’s
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Jesus appearance: (Rev 1:13)
1. John saw Jesus as teacher, healer, giver, lover, friend.
(normal everyday stuff)
2. John saw Jesus in His glory on Mount of transfiguration
3. John saw Jesus beaten, bloody & nailed to cross
4. John saw resurrected Jesus
5. AND NOW- John saw Jesus in Heaven!!
👇
🔥STANDING: In middle of lamp stand (the 7 lights of the church)
• these 7 church’s represent all the church’s in the world
• God is STANDING in here tonight!
🔥WEARING: long robe with gold sash across chest.
• Isaiah 6 the train of his robe filled the entire throne room!
• the SASH represents: GLORY & BEAUTY
• The GOLD sash represents: PURITY (w/out spot or blemish) & TRUTH
🔥HEAD/HAIR: white like wool. As white as snow.
• Is 1:18 “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.
🔥EYES: Flames of fire
(Story of calling Jesus’ eyes blue)
(Show Arizona pic of Sun)
• Psalm 17:8 “Keep me as the apple of your eye, God; hide me in the shadow of your wings.”
• APPLE OF EYE: “it refers to the tiny reflection of yourself that can be seen in other persons pupils. To be the apple of someone’s eye means you are being gazed upon and watched closely by that person. “Your very image is dancing in the eyes of that person!”♥️
🔥FEET: polished bronze refined in a furnace:
• eph 6:15 “ for shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.”
• our feet= our readiness to do the GREAT COMMISSION!
(“Send me!”)
BUT we can’t GO (“send me”) until we’ve been in the fire with Jesus — and came out not even smelling like smoke!
• we experience the PEACE of God IN THE FIRE! (Shadrach, meshach, abednego)
• 1 peter 1:7 “These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being TESTED as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold.
Mal 3:2-3
“…For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal, or like a strong soap that bleaches clothes. He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away the dross. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold and silver, so that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the LORD.”
(Gold is Done when refiner can see his reflection in the gold!)
• Pre-testing says:
“I see MY DEPLETION in my REFLECTION!”
• After-testing SAYS:
“I see His PERFECTION in my REFLECTION!”
Is 43:2
• “WHEN (not if) you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set YOU ablaze.”
🔥VOICE: thundered like a mighty ocean wave
Psalm 42:7= Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls, all your waves & breakers have swept over me.
• Deep calls to deep= “a deep need of God.”
• a deep need call for a deep remedy!
🔥 HAND: He held 7 stars (angels) in his right hand. (Gods RIGHT hand has LIGHT in it!!)
• Psalm 63:8 “my soul clings to you, your right hand upholds me.”
• Psalm 139:10 “ even there, your hand leads me, and your right hand, will hold me.”
• Isaiah 41:10 “ do not fear, for I am with you. Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Shirley I will help you. Shirley, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand!”
• Gods RIGHT HAND = over 132 x in bible!
🔥 MOUTH: A Sharp two-edged sword came from His mouth.
• His mouth speaks to us each time we open up His Word:
• Hebrews 4:12= “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. “
🔥 FACE: Like the sun in all it brilliance.
• Moses radiant face story- exodus 34:35
• Psalm 34:5 “Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.”
• GOD IS LIGHT (no darkness in heaven)
• Luke 11:36 “If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light.”
• Daniel 10:6-13 — sees almost the same visual of God!
• Ezekiel 1:26-28– sees almost same visual of God
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Rev 1:17
“When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead….
• John collapsed at His feet as though dead in glory of Jesus! (Rev 1:17)
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⁃ Abram collapsed when God spoke to him. Gen 17
⁃ Joshua collapsed when he experienced the presence of the Lord.
⁃ Ezekiel collapsed when the glory of the Lord appeared to him.
⁃ Daniel collapsed on the ground when he encountered the glory of God
⁃ Peter collapsed at his feet in the boat when it was verge of sinking from all the fish he supernatural caught in Luke 5.8
⁃ Peter, James, and John men collapsed to the ground on mt. of transfiguration.
⁃ Paul collapsed to the earth when he saw Christ on the road to Damascus.
REV 1:17 cont “… then he placed his RIGHT HAND on me, and said, do not be afraid. I am the first and the last!”
• The RIGHT HAND in the biblical world means;
1. Honor
2. Blessing
3. Favor
4. Sonship
• Isaiah 41:10 “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”
• 365x “do not be afraid” — His RIGHT hand is ON YOU!!!! (Do we live knowing this?)
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Rev 1:18
“ I am the living one! I was dead, and now look, I am alive, forever, and ever! And I hold the keys to death & the grave (SHOW KEY)
• Jesus is the ONLY key outta of that grave!
KEY OUTTA the GRAVE” 🔑
• He alone has the keys that open up the GRAVE leading you to the GARDEN🙌 (the cross is the key ✝️)
(genesis started in a garden.
Jesus resurrected in a garden.
Revelation ends in a garden!)
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Conclusion: READ…
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Psalm 63 1-8
⁃ O God, you are my God;I earnestly search for you.
⁃ My soul thirsts for you;
⁃ my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.
⁃ I have seen you in your sanctuary
⁃ I have gazed upon your power and glory.
⁃ Your unfailing love is better than life itself
⁃ how I praise you!
⁃ I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer.
⁃ You satisfy me more than the richest feast.
⁃ I will praise you with songs of joy.
⁃ I lie awake thinking of you,
⁃ meditating on you through the night.
⁃ Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
⁃ I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.
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Questions:
1. What did you just hear or see in our time together that you want to remember?
2. When was the last time you allowed yourself to just collapse your heart out before Jesus?