Introduction

that's why it's important for me to study the bible to study the book of revelation to get a

background on the book of revelation so that i can prepare for the rapture of the church

everybody's going to die except one generation the generation where the

rapture of the church will come who will never die

welcome to somebody loves you radio the bible teaching ministry of roll reese

and

we're glad you've joined us for a new series exploring the complex but faith-building book

of revelation roll will begin with a challenge to dig into god's word and learn from its glimpses

of the future as you await christ's return we'll learn to prioritize the study of the bible making

sure its truth is what directs our lives not the unreliable sources of information in our world

today here's roll reese with our introduction to the book of revelation the book of revelation

is one of the books that uh is very hard to teach but at the same time it has so much to give to each

one of us individually the last book of the bible but just the word the way it's described the book

of revelation the uncovering the unveiling the disclosing people are doubting whether jesus christ

is going to be coming or not it's been a long time 50 years ago i was learning about the coming of the

lord just about all the time and when he taught the book of revelation we listened to it we thought

for sure that jesus was going to come well it's been 2 000 years now a lot of people get discouraged

and they don't really believe that jesus is coming again but when you start studying the prophecies

you begin to think differently matthew 24 25 mark 13 luke 21 and then you look at paul's letters

going through the scriptures and going through the prophecies you begin to see that somebody's

telling the truth i don't know what you've gone through in your own personal life i don't know

what you believe i don't know how many times you've read through the bible and i wonder if any

one of you have ever read the bible actually the book of revelation a lot of times people say well

the book of revelation is very hard to read but you know john the beloved was called to write the

book and when he wrote it

he was inspired by the holy spirit he saw things like ezekiel he saw things that he never had ever

seen and then he had to write them down and then the lord said to daniel in the last days things

that you didn't understand are going to be understood because i'm getting close to coming

again and as i was reading the scriptures i was really blown away by the lord that

the disclosing of the lord jesus christ it's the book of revelation

the lord jesus christ and the revealing of who really is jesus christ the power the authority

of jesus controlling the times speaking about the times and then fulfilling the times they

were living in at the present time today and what's incredible about that is that jesus intended

to start these things in the church and in the church and in the church and in the church and in

the church and in the church and in the church and in the church and in the church and in the church

age we are the church age today the church age is the church that is going to be on the earth

when jesus comes again no man knows the day or the hour but when it happens concerning the church

the real church is going to be in a just like a twinkle of an eye that fast we're not even know

that it happened but the world will be able to see some things happen their families

friends are going to be missing at that particular moment and as i have told my friends i have told

my family there are non-believers and all of a sudden it happens they're going to go wow what

they told me was true but now they're left behind that's why it's important for me to study the bible

to study the book of revelation to get a background on the book of revelation so that i can prepare

i can prepare for the rapture of the church the rapture of the church is so important

everybody's going to die except one generation the generation where the rapture of the church

will come they will never die they're going to be transformed they're going to be taken to heaven

and the sound of the trumpet immediately in a twinkle of an eye boom they're gone

let me read to you from first corinthians if you can go there first corinthians chapter 15

i'm reading from the old king james version

beginning of verse 51 he says behold i show you a mystery we will know i die

that we shall be changed

how to be transformed in a twinkle of an eye at the last trumpet for the trumpet shall sound

and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed for this corruptible

must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality so then or when

this corruptible has put on incorruption and this mortal

in mortality then shall be brought to pass the saying this is written death is swallowed up

in victory oh dead where is your sting oh great where is your victory the single death is sin

and the strength of sin is the law but thanks be to god which gives us the victory through our lord

jesus christ therefore my beloved brethren be you steadfastly

as in removal always abounding in the work of the lord for as much as you know that your labor is not

in vain in the lord first thessalonians chapter 4 he goes on to declare paul the apostle

he says in verse 13 he says and this is important to understand because it is going to happen

according to the word of god chapter 4 verse 13 starting with

he says but i would not have you to be ignorant brethren concerning them which have died

that you saw or not even as others which have no hope but if we believe that jesus christ died and

rose again even so them also which are dead in christ and jesus will come again he will bring

with him for this we say unto you by the word of the lord that we which are alive and remain

alive until the coming of the lord shall not prevent those who are dead for the lord himself

shall descend from heaven with the shadow of a voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of god

and the dead in christ will rise first and then we which are alive and remain shall be

caught up together with them in the clouds and we shall meet him in the

air and so shall we ever be with him wherefore comfort one another with these words

so the scripture is very clear there's a day that a generation is not going to experience death

no death they'll be mad attacked they'll be transformed in a twinkling overnight the bible

says so when i read the scriptures and i go back to the new testament

and i begin to see what the scripture says i believe it and if i believe it then i need to

live according to the scriptures because he's coming for those that are ready ready spiritually

because when that sound of the trumpet sounds immediately we're out of here or you're out of

here we're that generation it won't be departing

and if you read philippians chapter 3 verse 21 and 22 he tells you the same thing first john chapter 3

verse 1 and 2 and then revelation chapter 4 let me read to you he says beginning with verse 1

he says after these things i looked and behold the door was open in heaven

and the first voice which i heard

was it were of a trumpet talking with me which said to me come up here and i will show you things

which must take place after these things john the beloved speaking of what of the coming of the lord

the rapture of the church we're going to be caught up in the air and what's going to happen we're

going to come to the throne of god he goes on verse two and immediately i was in the spirit

and behold the throne of god was in heaven and one sat on the throne and he that side was to look

upon like a jasper like a sardis stone and there was a rainbow around about the throne he says in

the side like an unto an emerald and he goes on and

on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on

on it begins to describe heaven and in chapter five we're worshiping in the presence of heaven

the angels the church is worshiping the lord so when you begin to read scriptures like that you

begin to see that everything's done decently in order you get blown away by the lord because

the background to the book is very important and we have here the apostle john

taking over not only the work that he's to do in Ephesus remember in 70 AD including the churches

seven churches they were not only going to be proclaimed in chapter two and three of revelation

but the Roman hero was living at this particular time in Rome and I'm going to leave some things

that I wrote down the Christians in Rome were not only killed and they were going to fiery trials

because of this

of Nero, the emperor.

He was horrible.

He took Christians and put them up on crosses,

lit them on fire as he put,

actually, he would put the star on them

and right around his chair and light them on fire.

He set Rome on fire and blamed it on the Christians.

He was promoted as emperor worship.

He introduced how to worship him.

He said this,

Our Lord and God, the Midian, commands this.

And this, everyone who spoke to him

had to address him as Lord and God.

And if you didn't, you would be killed.

This is Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Reis.

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Now, back to more with Raul Reis

and our introduction to Revelation.

Nero was bitter in his treatment,

both Jew and Christians.

John was exiled at that particular time into Patmos,

the island where he lived

and where he wrote the book of Revelation.

He was 90 years old when he was there.

Every one of the apostles was murdered.

Martyred completely and fully

except for John the Beloved.

Patmos was a rocky little island

10 miles along, 6 miles wide

in the Aegean Sea.

Something happened to us.

The last time we went, we were going out

to the island of Patmos.

And we were in this big ship.

And as we were on our way there,

there was a huge storm.

A huge storm.

I mean huge.

We thought we were going down.

The waves coming over the ship.

And we couldn't go to Patmos.

They closed down the island.

And I wanted to go to Patmos so much

for so many years, and I couldn't go.

And Patmos is an amazing island.

John the Beloved spent his life

writing the book of Revelation.

And then he died of natural causes.

But he gave us the book of Revelation.

Amazing.

It was here where the isolated spot

that John received the visions

to make up Revelation.

The visions he had as we're going to study them.

When you read them, you go,

man, how can somebody think like that?

No, it wasn't thinking.

God gave them those visions.

So for us to study the book of Revelation,

it's a blessing

that we can learn before those things happen

so we can tell people.

Not preach them.

Tell them the stories.

These are real stories

that I'm going to tell you

as you read the book of Revelation to them.

And then the character of the book.

Revelation is what?

A unique book

with characteristics that must be noted

by John's text, for example.

Prophetically.

Revelation 1.3 says,

Blessed is he who reads

those who hear the words of this prophecy

and keeps those things

which are written in it

for the time is near.

And he said to me,

you must prophesy again

about many people, nations, tongues, and kings.

John, you're going to do this.

Revelation 22.7

Behold, I am coming quickly,

blessed is he who keeps the words

of the prophecy of this book.

Verse 10.

And he said to me,

do not seal the words of this prophecy,

of this book,

for the time,

the time is at hand again.

The time is his prophesying

and his warning all the way through.

Chapter 22.18

For I testify to everyone

who hears these words

of the prophecy of this book.

If anyone adds to these things,

now listen carefully,

God will add to him

the plagues that are written

in this book.

Judgment.

To anyone that adds

to the book of Revelation,

or to the word of God.

Chapter 19.

And if anyone takes away

from the words of this book,

of this prophecy,

God shall take away his part

from the book of life,

from the holy city,

and from the things which are written

in this book.

That's why we have to take the Bible

so carefully,

that we study it

the way it's supposed to be studied

in truth.

This book is Christ-centered.

It is a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Not of John,

of Jesus Christ.

In chapter 1,

he is the risen priest and king.

In chapter 2 and 3,

he examines the churches.

Seven churches.

In chapter 4 and 5,

he receives worship

and prays the title

of the day to creation.

In chapter 6 to 9,

he judges the world

and returns in glory

at the second coming.

In chapters 20 through 22,

he reigns in glory

and in power.

And Revelation

has no direct quotation

from the Old Testament.

It contains a total

of 550 allusions

and references,

which appear

in 278 verses.

This is back

to the Old Testament.

Amazing.

The word revelation

means literally

unveiling.

The unveiling

of our Lord

and Savior,

Jesus Christ.

Daniel was told

to seal his book.

Remember,

he's the one

that gave us

the 490 years.

Daniel was told

to seal his book,

but John

to seal it not.

Daniel 12, 4 says,

But you, Daniel,

shut up the words

and the seal

of this book

until the day

of the time

of the end.

Many shall run

to and fro

and knowledge

shall increase.

When I read that

the first time

I was blown away.

He says in Daniel

chapter 12

that in the last days

knowledge

is going to increase.

Phones,

iPads,

computers.

Knowledge has increased

and it's going to continue

to increase

according to the word of God.

Why?

Daniel said it.

The Lord told Daniel.

Again,

he says until the time

of the end

many shall run

to and fro

and knowledge

shall increase.

Revelation 20, 10.

And he said to me,

do not seal the words

of this prophecy

of this book

for the time

is at hand now.

Revelation is the reason

of orderly book.

The unveiling of Christ.

His final victory

over Satan's sin

and the world system

in the book of Revelation.

Again,

the victory,

final victory

over the devil,

the sin,

the world system,

Antichrist,

false prophet,

hell,

and the lake of fire

forever and ever and ever.

It's a done deal.

Every person

who's not found

written in the book of life,

it's over forever and ever

in the lake of fire forever.

That's what's important

to know Christ.

That's what's important

to know what's going

on in people's lives.

Symbolism,

the book suggests

that the book uses signs,

symbols,

to convey a message

in the book of Revelation.

Some are explained

and some are not.

And the some are explained

by referring to

the Old Testament parallels.

Secondly,

the spiritual symbolism

would be clear

to the Roman persecution

of the Jews.

Secondly,

the spiritual symbolism

Symbols speak of reality.

A flag, for example,

stands for the existence

of a nation.

The picture of Christ

in 1, 12-16

is not literal,

but each of these symbols

convey spiritual truth

about Jesus Christ.

The prophecy based here

on the Old Testament.

It is impossible

to understand this book

without referring

to the Old Testament

Scriptures

as the whole New Testament.

That's why I tell people

on Sunday mornings,

if you don't read

the Old Testament,

how are you going

to learn the New Testament?

And that's why he says

it is impossible

to understand this book

without referring

to the Old Testament Scriptures.

Secondly,

out of the 404 verses

in Revelation,

278 contain reference

to the allusions

to the Old Testament.

It is calculated

that there are over

500 references

to the Old Testament.

Revelation,

Psalms, Daniel,

Zechariah, Genesis,

Isaiah, Jeremiah,

Ezekiel, Joel,

being referred to

often in the New Testament.

And then numerical,

there is a series of sevens

as you look to the book

of Revelation.

Enter the book.

Seven churches,

seven seals,

seven trumpets,

seven vials,

seven lampstands,

the number three

and one half also showed up often.

Remember the three and a half years?

We also find 144,000

sealed Israelites,

12 stars,

12 gates,

12 foundations.

We're going to be seeing

all these things.

Universal Revelation

focuses on the whole world.

Universal Revelation focuses on the whole world.

Not just Israel.

The whole world is involved.

As we continue our journey

through this marvelous book,

we'll learn more about

Jesus' eternal victory

and the divine sovereignty

that will oversee

our world's last days.

You're listening to

Somebody Loves You Radio

with Raul Reis.

Today's introduction

to the book of Revelation

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Available on either CD

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and shore up your hope

in a mighty God.

You'll be encouraged

to live every day

in readiness for Jesus' return

as you discover the meanings

behind prophetic imagery

and consider God's

unparalleled power

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You'll see that

as an end-times believer,

you can stand on the solid rock

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as the last chapter

of world history unfolds.

Now, with a closing comment,

here's Raul once again.

As I learn once again,

and I study,

and I bring it to you,

I hope that you learn

and you take it to somebody else.

We're living in the last days.

Jesus is going to come.

And if He comes,

have you done your job?

Have you told people about Jesus?

And I'll say this,

what I tell my staff,

when is the last time

you led somebody to the Lord?

We should be able to set somebody

and give them the gospel

of Jesus Christ

and it's not up to convert anybody

or pull somebody

to tell them the gospel.

It is the work of the Holy Spirit.

My job is to get on my knees

and pray

and ask the Lord

to touch that person.

And as I'm praying for them

one day,

one month,

two months,

six months,

and all of a sudden

I begin to see

that my prayer is being answered.

And that person gets saved

how I thank the Lord for that.

And that's what we want to see

in the kingdom.

That's what I want to see

in this church.

And we pray as we study

the book of Revelation

and then we'll change

our whole lives.

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