Rev. 1:1, 22:20, Prepare for Jesus’ 2nd Coming.

Rev. 1:1, 22:20, Prepare for Jesus’ 2nd Coming.

  Last Sunday/1) Jesus is the Alpha and Omega 2) Wash and prepare with the blood of Jesus 3) Drink the water of life without cost 4) Hear the perfect word from Him 5) Amen Come Lord Jesus.

  Today’s sermon : The whole theme of Revelation is Jesus Christ Himself (1:1,22:13). 1:1, The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John. 22:13, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.  Let's listen to this revelation and live righteously.

1. The living Jesus Christ (Ch.1) 1:17-19, “Do not fear, I died and was risen.” “Write what you have seen(past), what is now (present), and what will take place later(future). The living Jesus is in control of all history.

2. Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Church (Chs.2-3)
  Let's read the Book of Revelation, the love letter of Jesus sent to the seven churches in Asia Minor (including us, 1:11, which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”), and live according to the Word. The church in Ephesus, which lost its first love, the church in Smyrna, who was faithful to death during tribulation, the church in Pergamum, who suffered, the church in Thyatira, who compromised with the world, the church in Sardis, who died spiritually, the church in Philadelphia obeying the missionary command, and the lukewarm church in Laodicea. Let's all hold on to the Lord, the Lord of the church, and live as the true church.

3. Jesus Christ, the protagonist of the heavenly throne (worship) (chs. 4-5)
  Before the tribulation, in chapters 4 and 5, the Lord shows the proper worship of God who sits on the heavenly throne and the Lamb that was slain (5:12, In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”).

4. The Judge of history and the world, Jesus Christ (chs.6-18)
  Chapters 6-18 proceed in a structure of repeated, gradual, and spiral ascending of the triple seven series. 1) The Seven Seal Plagues (Ch.6). 6:1-2, 1.I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!” 2. I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest. 2) The 7 trumpets plagues(chs. 8-9, 8:7, The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. 3) Seven bowls judgment (chs. 15-16). 16:2, The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.).

*There are signs of the end of the world (Jesus’ 2nd Coming).
1) Changes in the natural world and the universe: It is gradually destroyed.
2) Spreading the gospel all over the world (Mt.24:14, And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come).
3) The advent of the Antichrist (6:2, 13:4, People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?”)
4) The last war (Euphrates, Armageddon, etc.). The whole world and the nation will perish (18:2, With a mighty voice he shouted: “ ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’ She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal).

5. Jesus Christ, the Completer of History (chs.19-22)
  Jesus returns and conquers the world (ch.19; 19:11, I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war.)
  A millennial kingdom (ch.20; 20:6, Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.)
  A new heaven and a new earth, a new Jerusalem, and an eternal new world begin (chs.21-22). 21:1-2, 1.Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2.I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.)
22:20, He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The world and history are complete.

* How should we prepare for Jesus’ 2nd Coming?
1. Be filled with the Holy Spirit rather than the time of the Second Coming (Acts 1:7,8, 7He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”)
2. Give priority to the Word of the Bible rather than subjective revelation.
3. Prefer spiritual principles over specific events or people.
4. Prepare for a faithful life rather than a mysterious experience(1 Thes.4:16-18,16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words./ 1 Cor.15:58, Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain./ 2 Thes.2:1,2, Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come./ Titus 2:13,14, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.).

I pray that all of us will be faithful to the Lord and prepare well for the coming Lord while preaching the gospel to our neighbors. 22:20, Maranatha (Come, Lord). Amen.