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Advent Productions

Benjamin Ng

Revelation’s Focus

Father in heaven, thank you so much for this time that we can come and study together.

Thank you Lord for the wonderful Sabbath day that you've given to each and every 1 of us.

Thank you for your watch care over us this past week.

And we just ask for your leading, oh Lord.

Ask that you would please be with us now as we open your word.

Fill us with a double portion of your Holy Spirit, Lord.

Help us to see very clearly from your words of Scripture and speak to each of our hearts, we pray in Jesus' name.

You know, if I were to ask you what the book of Revelation is all about, what would your response be?

Well, there'll be some that would say, it's the 3 angels' messages.

And we spent a lot of time in the 3 angels' messages in the past couple of months.

Others, it's about end time events, events that are really scary, such as the mark of the beast.

I mean, if there's any event really that stands out in the book of Revelation that's scary, It is the mark of the beast.

But whilst this is all true, friends, what I want to look at today with you is the purpose of John in writing this book.

And this is from my perspective, and you might not agree, but it's something that I feel really convicted to share with you.

And you know, the book of Revelation, it really is an important book for us today.

And maybe you've grown up in the church listening to sermons from the book of Revelation.

And the question that I have for you is, do we really know it as we should?

If this book is that book that SDAs always study about, do we really understand how to teach it, how to share it effectively, and especially know how to apply it in our life today.

Let's start with Revelation 1 and verse 1.

Maybe some of you know this off the top of your head.

Revelation 1 and verse 1, the Bible says this, 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.

So it's all about Jesus Christ and what Jesus wants us to know.

Now we know that the whole Bible tells us about Jesus.

But if there's 1 book above any other that Jesus takes interest in, is in the book of Revelation.

You see, what is the meaning of the name Jesus?

In Matthew chapter 1 verse 21, Matthew 1, 21, the Bible says, Friends, what about Jesus?

And thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins." Friends, what about Jesus?

The book of Revelation is about Jesus saving us from our sins?

That sounds like what Matthew, Mark, Luke and John should do, right?

But yes, friends, you're going to see here in Revelation, as we studied together this morning, that the book of Revelation is all about Jesus wanting to separate us from our sins.

In Revelation 1, verse 1, it said, the revelation of Jesus Christ that God gave to Him to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass.

Okay, so really the end time events, things that really in our day are fulfilling very fast, is the secondary reason behind the writing of the book of Revelation.

If you look at Revelation 1 and verse 3 as well, look at verse 3, So we see 2 themes seemingly coming out in the book of Revelation.

And for those that have gone through SALT with me, For those that have studied at our salt school or you've seen some of my audios on YouTube, this really is the theme and the introduction to the book of Revelation.

If you haven't noticed, I pasted some extra detail in the description there on Facebook this morning, a link that you can go to in YouTube, which gives you the first class that we have opened for everyone free to watch about the book of Revelation as we go through it verse by verse.

But I want to show you the book of Revelation is about Jesus who came to separate us from sin and it is about the shortness of time.

Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

And behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be.

And then verse 20, he which testifieth these things saith, surely I come quickly, amen, even so come, Lord Jesus.

The book of Revelation is about the shortness of time.

But then, verse 21, the last verse of the whole Bible.

Revelation 22, verse 21, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

It's because by grace are you saved through faith.

And so we need it to be saved, to be separated from our sins, to be cleansed from our sin.

And I want to show you that we also see this in the middle of the book of Revelation as well.

The Chiasm of Revelation, it's parallel thoughts that run side by side and they come and meet in the center.

So you'll see that the first 3 chapters of Revelation is entitled Jesus and His Church, part 1.

You'll see at the end there, it talks about Jesus and His church as well.

And then there's judgment from chapter 4 to 7.

God's judgment is also found from 17 to 19.

And then the war against error, that's the 7 trumpets at the beginning there from chapter 8 to 11.

And then we'll see the war against error from chapter 13 to 16.

And you will see that in chapter 12, the middle is the book of, the middle of the book of Revelation is that chapter, and in the middle of that chapter gives us the same theme that we've been looking at so far.

It's about Jesus Christ who came to save us from our sins and that time is short.

Turn with me in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 12.

It's like a little pyramid and it has parallel thoughts that help us to meet right there in the middle and reiterate the theme.

You see in Revelation chapter 12 verse 1, we see a woman Clothed with the sun, standing on the moon, crowned 12 stars.

When you go to Revelation 12 verse 17, the dragon was wrath with the woman.

In Revelation chapter 12 verse 3, you'll see a dragon, a great red dragon with 7 heads.

And then in Revelation 12, 16 and 17, you will see the dragon again.

Revelation 12 verse 6, you will see a woman fleeing into the wilderness.

In Revelation 12 verse 14, you also see a woman fleeing into the wilderness.

Parallel thoughts and they meet at the very center.

I don't have time to go through all the detail with you, but if you read through Revelation 12, you will see that it kind of mirrors each other and in the very top there, it gives us a theme, starting in verse 10.

Revelation 12 verse 10, sins, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ.

For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

And they overcame Him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Therefore rejoice ye heavens and ye that dwell in them.

Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea, for the devil is come down unto you having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but what?

Friends, we see the shortness of time there as well.

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Revelation’s Focus

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