How we need a revelation of Jesus! "The great fault of many professors is that Christ is to them a character upon paper; certainly more than a myth, but yet a person of the dim past, an historical personage who lived many years ago, and did most admirable deeds, by the which we are saved, but who is far from being a living, present, bright reality." (Spurgeon)There are many differing viewpoints through Revelation.  How do we sort that out?  Who's right?  Isn't there one truth?  Well, of course there is one truth; it is the original intention with which John wrote.  If we can determine what John meant to write, we have the truth.  However, many have spent their life at this and are in total disagreement with others who have done the same.  The blessing of studying this book doesn't come when you finally arrive at the ultimate, final truth and timing, but about the study and journey; about getting to know Jesus in His revelation."Though it is filled with signs, the Book of Revelation is accessible to those who have an understanding of the first 65 books of the Bible, and especially an understanding of the first 39 books of the Bible, the Old Testament. The Book of Revelation is rooted in the Old Testament. It contains more than 500 allusions to the Old Testament, and 278 of the 404 verses in Revelation (that is almost 70%) make some reference to the Old Testament." (Guzik, David. Revelation . Enduring Word Media.)Studying Revelation is a great adventure.  It's a great time to remember the Proverb (3:5):5Trust in the Lord with all your heart,And lean not on your own understanding;6In all your ways acknowledge Him,And He shall direct your paths. It seems like all true believers ought to believe the same thing about these end events.  However, they don't for various reason; but these things are not to divide us.  I think we can all agree that Jesus is coming again.  How He will come, we may not get all the specifics right.  We can all agree we don't know when and that we are to be ready at any moment.   We shouldn't let the specifics divide us.  There are those who approach Revelation as a description of the first century events of the Roman Empire.  This is called the Preterists view.  This view seems to ignore the prophetic nature of the scriptures.  Others view this as a kind of panoramic view of the history of the church across the ages (historicist).  If that were true, then it would have been meaningless to the people John delivered it to.  Then there are those who view it as the age-old cosmic struggle between the forces of good and evil (Idealist view).  This ignores any predictions from prophetic passages and breaks the connection with history and reality of our days.  The most logical view then, in my opinion, as well as others, is the idea that Revelation speaks of future events (futurist view).  Specifically, chapters 6-22 are yet to play out; the events leading to the second coming of Christ, the final judgment and the eternal state of things.  This view allows for prophetic and apocalyptic ideas coming from interpreting scripture in the same way all of scripture is interpreted.  One of my earliest resources as a pastor was Halleys Bible Handbook.  I really like what he says this about Revelation:  "A thing that strikes one who browses around in the vast literature that has grown up about the book of Revelation is the utter Dogmatism with which so many put forth their opinions, not as opinions, but in categorical statements, as to the meaning of even the most mysterious passages, as if they know all about it and their say so settles the matter.  We think a spirit of reverent humility, and openness of mind, would be more becoming in those seeking to interpret a book like this.  It doesn't matter what I think; what matters is truth.  Probe to find the truth by listening; comparing with scripture, leading of the Holy Spirit and prayer." http://www.calvarychapelsweetwater.com Introduction and BenedictionVision of the Son of Man http://www.calvarychapelsweetwater.com/apps/articles/?articleid=239636&view=post&blogid=10236 Wed, 29 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400 The Loveless Church http://www.calvarychapelsweetwater.com/apps/articles/?articleid=239637&view=post&blogid=10236 Tue, 28 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400 Smyrna, The Persecuted Church http://www.calvarychapelsweetwater.com/apps/articles/?articleid=239638&view=post&blogid=10236 Mon, 27 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400 Pergamos - The Compromising Church http://www.calvarychapelsweetwater.com/apps/articles/?articleid=239639&view=post&blogid=10236 Sun, 26 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400 Thyatira - The Corrupt Church http://www.calvarychapelsweetwater.com/apps/articles/?articleid=239640&view=post&blogid=10236 Fri, 24 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400 Sardis - The Dead Church http://www.calvarychapelsweetwater.com/apps/articles/?articleid=239641&view=post&blogid=10236 Thu, 23 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400 Philadelphia - The Faithful Church http://www.calvarychapelsweetwater.com/apps/articles/?articleid=239642&view=post&blogid=10236 Fri, 22 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400 Laodicea - The Lukewarm Church http://www.calvarychapelsweetwater.com/apps/articles/?articleid=239643&view=post&blogid=10236 Thu, 21 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400 The Throne Room of Heaven http://www.calvarychapelsweetwater.com/apps/articles/?articleid=239644&view=post&blogid=10236 Tue, 19 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400 The Lamb Takes the Scroll http://www.calvarychapelsweetwater.com/apps/articles/?articleid=239645&view=post&blogid=10236 Mon, 18 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400 1st Seal - The Conqueror2nd Seal - Conflict on Earth3rd Seal - Scarcity on Earth4th Seal - Widespread Death on Earth5th Seal - The Cry of the Martyrs6th Seal - Cosmic Disturbances http://www.calvarychapelsweetwater.com/apps/articles/?articleid=239646&view=post&blogid=10236 Sun, 17 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400 The Sealed of IsraelThe Multitude from the Great Tribulation http://www.calvarychapelsweetwater.com/apps/articles/?articleid=239647&view=post&blogid=10236 Sat, 16 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400 Seventh SealPrelude to the Seven TrumpetsFirst Trumpet: Vegetation StruckSecond Trumpet: The Seas StruckFourth Trumpet: The Heavens Struck http://www.calvarychapelsweetwater.com/apps/articles/?articleid=239886&view=post&blogid=10236 Fri, 15 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400 The Fifth Trumpet: The Locusts from the Bottomless PitThe Sixth Trumpet: The angels from the Euphrates http://www.calvarychapelsweetwater.com/apps/articles/?articleid=241941&view=post&blogid=10236 Thu, 14 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400 The Mighty Angel with the Little BookJohn Eats the Little Book http://www.calvarychapelsweetwater.com/apps/articles/?articleid=241942&view=post&blogid=10236 Wed, 13 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400 The Two WitnessesThe Witnesses KilledThe Witnesses ResurrectedThe Seventh Trumpet: The Kingdom Proclaimed http://www.calvarychapelsweetwater.com/apps/articles/?articleid=241943&view=post&blogid=10236 Tue, 12 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400 The Woman, The Child, and the DragonSatan Thrown Out of HeavenThe Woman Persecuted http://www.calvarychapelsweetwater.com/apps/articles/?articleid=241944&view=post&blogid=10236 Sun, 10 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400 The Beast from the SeaThe Beast from the Earth http://www.calvarychapelsweetwater.com/apps/articles/?articleid=241945&view=post&blogid=10236 Sat, 9 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400 The Lamb and the 144,000The Proclamations of the Three AngelsReaping the Earth's HarvestReaping the Grapes of Wrath http://www.calvarychapelsweetwater.com/apps/articles/?articleid=241946&view=post&blogid=10236 Fri, 8 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400 Prelude to the Bowl Judgments http://www.calvarychapelsweetwater.com/apps/articles/?articleid=241947&view=post&blogid=10236 Thu, 7 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400 The Bowl Judgments http://www.calvarychapelsweetwater.com/apps/articles/?articleid=243496&view=post&blogid=10236 Wed, 6 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400 The Scarlet Woman and the Scarlet BeastThe Meaning of the Woman and the Beast http://www.calvarychapelsweetwater.com/apps/articles/?articleid=243497&view=post&blogid=10236 Tue, 5 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400 The Fall of Babylon the GreatThe World Mourns Babylon's FallThe Finality o f Babylon's Fall http://www.calvarychapelsweetwater.com/apps/articles/?articleid=243498&view=post&blogid=10236 Mon, 4 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400 Heaven Exults Over BabylonChrist on a White HorseThe Beast and His Armies Defeated http://www.calvarychapelsweetwater.com/apps/articles/?articleid=243499&view=post&blogid=10236 Sun, 3 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400 Satan Bound 1000 yearsThe Saints Reign with Christ 1000 yearsSatanic Rebellion CrushedThe Great White Throne Judgment http://www.calvarychapelsweetwater.com/apps/articles/?articleid=243500&view=post&blogid=10236 Sat, 2 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400