Revelation

The speaker wishes everyone a Happy New Year and Happy Sabbath. They hope that God will be good to everyone throughout the year and keep control of their lives. They introduce the book of Revelation and emphasize its importance in understanding the end times. They explain that Jesus Christ is the author of the book and that he received the revelation from God and communicated it to John through an angel. They discuss the significance of Jesus' death and resurrection, emphasizing that his bloodshed on the cross offers forgiveness and eternal life to anyone who accepts him as their savior. They also highlight the importance of recognizing one's sins, repenting, and accepting Jesus as the mediator between God and humanity. They reference biblical verses to support their points and stress that the resurrection of Jesus is undeniable, giving hope and assurance to believers. They invite listeners to surrender their lives to God and accept Jesus as their savior. They conclude by stating that Brothers and sisters, if we gather together at this time, to all of you, I wish a Happy New Year. At the same time, I would like to wish you Happy Sabbath. I expect that God was good for all of you. He is good for you and He will be good for all of you during all this year. I expect that God keeps control of your life, your destiny, and gives you good understanding to do His will. As we are going to study the book of Revelation, we are starting with this book a long time ago. We study in French several parts, the first chapter of this book. But now we are going to start with the English part. I would like to ask you to pay attention to every single verse that we are going to analyze. We are going to analyze this book because it is very important. It is a book of, a catalogic book, that means it concerns the end of time, the time that we are living, this book concerns it. And then now we are going to start with the first chapter and the first verse. We are going to analyze this book, Revelation chapter 1, verse 1. Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him to show unto his servants the event which must soon take place, and which he made known by sending his angel to his servants, John. Now, who is the actual author of the book of Revelation? The author of this prophetic book is none other than Jesus Christ himself. The first verse effectively indicates that the book of Revelation constitutes the revelation of Jesus Christ. Jesus learned all the details about the event to come from God himself and will use an angel to communicate in the form of vision and symbolic representation with John, the writer of the prophetic book. As we can know that the book of Revelation is a special book, God himself communicates the information to his servants and Jesus Christ comes down to present in form of angel to John and lets him know who exactly he is. Another question, the question that we can ask, how could John transmit the prophetic revelation to John in the year 96, knowing that he was crucified in the year 33? Therefore, Jesus is itself the foundation of Christian belief, it is indeed the bloodshed by Christ which redeems humans wishing to submit to God and which gives them the assurance of obtaining eternal life. There is no eternal life without Jesus Christ. His bloodshed on the Calvary gives us assurance of everlasting life because he died on the Calvary that assures us everlasting life. Matthew 36 verse 28, This is my blood, by which the covenant is sealed. It is going to be shed for many men that their sins may be forgiven. This is an assurance for everyone, whatever you have done, whoever you are, there is hope for you. Your sin can be washed, you can be cleaned from your sins in accepting Jesus Christ because he made a covenant to anyone with his blood shed on the Calvary. As soon as you recognize your sin, you recognize you are guilty of sin and you repent, God, Jesus Christ is able to forgive your sin. In 1 Timothy chapter 2 verse 4 to 6 he says, For he wills all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and likewise also one mediator between God and men. One man, Jesus Christ, he offers his life as a ransom for all. You can't understand, oh God would like everyone to be saved, whoever, wherever you are, whatever you are doing now and before, the will of God is every man to be saved. But accepting Jesus Christ as your savior, but there is no condemnation for you. One thing, because we have one mediator between God and men, nobody can serve as intercessor for you, as mediator for you, only Jesus Christ. One man, this one man, this one mediator is Jesus Christ, that's why he qualifies to be your mediator because he offers his life as a ransom for all, not only for people close to him, not only for his disciples, not only for the Jew, not only for Abraham, not only for David, he offers his life as ransom for all from Adam and Eve to the last person exist in this earth. The birth of Jesus' perfect man, an equivalent of Adam, was thus part of the divine plan concerning the salvation of humanity. After three days, Jesus Christ was resurrected as prophesied, Matthew 12 verse 40, the resurrected Jesus first appeared to Mary of Magdala, and the other women who were mourning his death, which once again shows the consideration he had for women. For 40 days, his apostles and many disciples were able to rub shoulders with Jesus and receive his last instruction from him, but when Jesus Christ was resurrected, he is not just going in heaven, he is not giving a confirmation about his resurrection. What he has done is appear to some people that they can testify the truth about his resurrection. Nobody can deny his resurrection, that's why he passed 40 days after he resurrected with his disciples, and all people around him can testify they saw him, not only the women, not only Mary of Magdala and other women who saw that he was resurrected, but he has appeared to a lot of people, he mingled with them, his disciples, that they can really testify that Jesus Christ resurrected. Nobody can deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a ransom for all that anyone can have everlasting life through his blood shed on the Calvary. In Matthew 28 verse 1 to 7, after the Sabbath has done, on Sunday Mary Magdalene and the other Marys went to see the tomb. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and wore away the stone from before the opening and sat on it. It looked like lightning, and his clothing was white as snow. The God trembled with fear and became as if dead. But the angel spoke up and said to the woman, As for you, do not be afraid, for I know that you were looking for Jesus. The one who was crucified is not here. For he is risen, as he said, come and see the place where the Lord lay, and go quickly and tell to his disciples that he has risen. But this is the confirmation. When the disciple Mary Magdalene went to the tomb on Sunday morning, and Jesus Christ was resurrected, there is no, nobody can deny it. There was a great earthquake, and then all people, they got tremble, fear, and became like this, because of the earthquake. But that is right, nobody can deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Anywhere you are, wherever you can be, whoever you are, you cannot deny that Jesus Christ did not resurrect. His resurrection gave us hope, gave us assurance of everlasting life. When we read 1 Corinthians 15 verse 3 to 7, Christ died for our sins. According to the scriptures, he was buried and was again on the third day according to the scriptures. Then he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve, after that he appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one, most of whom are still alive, and a few of whom are dead. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. But there is no one can deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He was resurrected for our salvation, for our future, and then there is no condemnation for those who connected to Jesus Christ. As soon as you recognize that you are sinners, you come to Him, there is hope for you. There is hope for you that only one thing that you have to do is accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. As soon as you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, your life will be changed. It will have an innovation in your life, and you will be able to glorify His name and testify what Jesus Christ has done in your life. And when we read 1 verse 3, after he suffered, he presented himself to them alive and gave them many proofs. For forty days he appeared to them and spoke concerning the kingdom of God. Yes, brothers and sisters, this is the moment that we have to live you all your lives, to recognize that there is someone, someone has ability to defend your case, to be your mediator, to be your intercessor, to stand in the heavenly court and defend your cause. You need someone like Him. This is the reason I invite you right now to surrender your life to God, to surrender your life to Jesus Christ. Accept Him as your Savior, and you will be saved, and your life will be changed. Once ascended to heaven, Jesus sat at the right hand of God, who entrusts Him with all power and communicates to Him the last important, the last crucial prayer concerning the end of this world. Matthew 24 verse 36, Matthew 28 verse 18 and Revelation 1 verse 1. The rising, the rising Jesus was a sign, a mission, of the most important. Yes, He assigned a mission, He mended everyone, everyone who accepted His His blood, and then to do something. The resurrection of Jesus Christ marks the beginning of a certain hope for all Christians, and of the expectation of the messianic reign. Jesus Christ will reign in the name of His Father on the earth until He will make everything new. He will change this world. He will give us a life and peace. He will restore our breaking heart, and then you will be happy forever and ever. Whoever we are, wherever we live, we all have the same origin. Yes, we have the same origin, the Creator and Sovereign of the universe whose name is Yahweh, and the Elyon, and the Lord Almighty. The message contained in the book of Revelation concerns each of us, believers and unbelievers, Christians and non-Christians, educated and ignorant, rich and poor. Don't say things won't happen if we don't believe in Him. What God has predicted will come to pass without fail. Whatever God said will pass. I repeat for you, the message contained in the book of Revelation concerns each of us, believers and unbelievers, Christians and non-Christians, educated and ignorant, rich and poor. Whoever you are, whatever your title, whatever your group, don't say things won't happen if we don't believe in them. What God has predicted will come to pass without fail. Let us take cognition of the prophecies concerning the whole earth. Let us open our ears to the message of hope which is proposed to us. Jesus Christ reaches out to each of us, whoever we are, let us seize the hope that is offered to us. At this point, we have to accept the hope. This is the message from Revelation 1 verse 1. We came to analyze and give you, well, through a deep idea about this hope. Who was Jesus Christ? He is the only one able to give us hope. Whatever you are doing now, whatever you have done in the past, come to Jesus Christ. He is able to give you a clean life, a clean heart, make you a new person. As Apostle said, if someone in Jesus Christ, if someone comes to Jesus Christ, it will be a new life. He wants you to be a new person. Now, we are going to analyze Revelation 1 verse 2 today. The Revelation chapter 1 verse 2, this is what we are going to analyze. Let's read it. Who testified to the word of God in the testimony of Jesus Christ in all that is so? That is talking about the Apostle Paul. Jesus Christ, who exactly he is, he is the one who came. John testified the word of God in the testimony of Jesus Christ in all that is so. Difference, let's see some difference between this difference and confusion among Christians. Some Christians say that Jesus Christ is not God. Some people say that he is God. This verse speaks of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, which lead us to question the connection that exists between God and Jesus. Many confusions concerning the nature of God and Jesus have crept among the Christian religion since the Council of Nicaea in Asia Minor, Turkey in 325. For some, Jesus Christ and God the Father are the same person. A lot of persons at this moment say Jesus Christ and God is the same, is one person. For others, Jesus Christ and God the Father are the same, but equal in part of a trinity with the Holy Spirit whom they also consider as a person. The doctrine of the trinity teaches the existence of a composite God made up of three persons of equal divinity, glory, power, eternity, and majesty. Let me rephrase again for you. This verse speaks of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, which lead us to question the connection that exists between God and Jesus. There are many confusions concerning the nature of God and Jesus have crept among the Christian religion since the Council of Nicaea in Asia Minor in 325. For some, Jesus Christ and God the Father are the same person. For others, Jesus Christ and God the Father are the same, but equal in part of a trinity with the Holy Spirit whom they also consider as a person. The doctrine of the trinity teaches the existence of a composite God made up of three persons of equal divinity, glory, power, equal eternity, and equal majesty. What did Jesus Christ say and teach? Jesus is the Son of God, a Father and His Son, although similar and close, are quite distinct, one existing before the other, one having given birth to the other. This is some existence. Jesus prayed to God by raising his eyes to heaven and saying, My Father, John 17 verse 1. He declares, John 17 verse 3 and 4, Now eternal life consists in knowing you, the only and true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have said, I have made your glory known on earth by accomplishing the work you entrust to me, sorry. Now you can see, Jesus clearly distinguishes between the one and the true God. His Father, he came, he said that he came to accomplish the work that his Father mandated to him. His Father whose name is Jehovah, Yahweh, Yahweh in the Hebrew scripture and the one whom God sent to earth, Jesus Christ. If Jesus were God the Father, would he have prayed to him? This is a mystery. Did he send himself to earth? Would he have entrusted himself with a mission? It would make no sense as for human beings as us. We could not understand this. Jesus was sent to earth by his Father. Jesus accomplished the work entrusted to him by his Father. Jesus made known the glory of his Father on earth. Obviously, Jesus is submissive, subordinate to his Father as he said and desire more than anything to glorify him. But we can according to this thread, but are we going to say the first person, the first group are right? No, but there is other things to prove that Jesus Christ is God. This is something human nature cannot understand and say. Jesus also declared that he came down to do his Father's will and that is all and that he act according to the command that his Father gave him and that he does nothing on his own initiative. He also declared that his Father is greater than him. The apostle Paul wrote that the head of Christ is God. Jesus also said that his Father loves him and will give him power to do greater works as Jesus Christ tells us. It is better that I go to heaven and then if I go, I will send the power to you. The Holy Spirit will always be with you. To obey someone and to be submissive to him necessarily implies two distinct persons, one being superior to the other in authority. All Jesus' words bring out a deep respect and an entire submission, a work accomplished in the greatest seriousness and in the desire to please God. 4 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my will, but the will of him who sent me. This is a confirmation that Jesus Christ was sent by his Father. 1 Corinthians 11 verse 3 The head of Christ is God. 2 John 14 verse 28-31 If you love me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, for my Father is greater than me. However, in this way the world will know that I love the Father and that I act according to the order that the Father has given me. John 5 verse 19 and 20 Jesus answers these reproaches by saying to them, Truly I assure you, the Son can do nothing of his own initiative. He acts only according to what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he does. He will even give him the power to do greater works than you have seen so far, and you will be amazed. Jesus also said in Matthew 18 verse 6, He who has seen me has seen the Father. That means he has compounded me and then he has combined the relationship between him and his Father. Jesus and his Father are similar and have the same quality. Love and kindness characterize them. A deep bond unites Jesus and his Father enduring his baptism in the Jordan. A voice from heaven says, He, this is my Son, my Beloved, who has all my approval. Matthew 3 verse 17. Jesus would not have approved himself. The fact that one is approved by the other implies a relationship of authority and not of equality. Shortly before his death, Jesus had prayed to his Father in this term, Nevertheless, let not my will be done, but yours. Finally, if God himself has been crucified, who would have risen him? But he has the power. Moreover, just after his resurrection, Jesus prayed to Mary, head of Magdala, the first person who had the privilege of seeing the rising cross. John 20 verse 16 through 18. Jesus said to her, Mary. She turned around and said to him, In Hebrew, Rabboni. That is to say, Master. Jesus said to her, Do not hold me back, for I have not yet ascended to my Father, but go to my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father. In your Father, to my Father, in your Father, to my God is your God. Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciple that she had seen the Lord and that he had told her this. In this verse, Jesus explains that he must ascend to his Father. If he must ascend to him, it is because Jesus and his Father are not in the same place. This is the logic, the human sense. So, they can be the same person at this point. Furthermore, Jesus said, I ascend to my Father, in your Father, as creator, he is the Father of Jesus and of all humans, and to my God, in your God. If Jesus ascends that his Father is his God, it is because he obviously considers him to be greater, more powerful, more sacred than him. This means that he worships him in honor with deep and reverent adoration, something that we have to understand, the mystery between God, Jesus Christ, and his Father. Thus, all of these verses together demonstrate that Jesus and God are two distinct persons, one being the Father and the other the Son, both being united by the powerful bond of unfailing love. Jesus Christ is completely submitted to his Father, whom he considers his herd and his God. God and Jesus Christ are united in fulfilling divine purpose and fulfilling Bible prophecy. God has given Jesus Christ all power in heaven in order to direct all in time events as he himself predicted in Revelation. This is the point, some basic point that we come out in Revelation chapter one verse two. As you are reading, if you have some questions, do not hesitate, write it down and let us know. Let's see Revelation chapter one verse three. Revelation chapter one verse three, we have to pay attention. Revelation chapter one verse three, blessed is he who reads and those who hear the word of prophecy and keep what is written therein for the time is near. The word for hearing or listening are shaman in Hebrew and akur in Greek. These two words encompass the idea of understanding, learning, hearing, considering, eating, practicing and obeying. Let's repeat again, the word for hearing or listening are shaman in Hebrew and akur in Greek. These two words encompass the idea of understanding, learning, hearing, considering, eating, practicing and obeying. The Bible encourages us to listen. We can understand there is a great bridge between hearing and listening. Throughout the Bible, many exhortations to listen to the instruction and advice of God and Jesus Christ are given to us. The book of Proverbs, in particular, encourages us to develop listening, reflection, knowledge, discernment, common sense, knowledge. This is some advice that the book of Proverbs, in particular, encourages each of us that we, all Christians, should develop this habit, this characteristic, characteristic of listening, learn to listen. And when you listen, you have to develop reflection, reflection about what you listen, what you are reading, develop knowledge, it is important, discernment. When you use, when you read or you listen something, you have got the spirit to discern what you are listening and have got the Holy Spirit that you can be able to use your common sense and your knowledge will be good. Lord, God gives himself, God gives himself as us to pay attention to his word. Learn to pay attention to the word of God. This is the reason when somebody proclaims the word of God, you have to pay attention because from this message, discernment, someone through this person, God can communicate to each of us. In Proverbs 1 verse 1 to 5 it says, Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel, to know wisdom and instruction, to understand the word of understanding, to receive instruction in common sense of justice, equity and righteousness, to give discernment to those who lack experience, knowledge and reflection to your people, let the wise listen and he will increase his knowledge. He who is intelligent will gain skills to understand proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their readers. In Proverbs 4 verse 10 it says, listen my sons and receive my words and the years of your life will multiply. So, you have to be multiply, you have to learn to listen. When you listen, you will increase your knowledge, you will increase your common sense, your experience. Proverbs 7 verse 24 it says, and now my son, listen to me and pay attention to the words of my mouth. In Proverbs 8 verse 33 and 34, listen to instruction to become wise, do not reject it. Blessed is the man who listens to me. In Proverbs 16 verse 20, he who listens to the word happiness and he who trusts in Yahweh is happy. That means in listening to the word of God, meditating on the word of God will give you happiness. If you are looking for happiness, there is a way that you can find it. There is only formula that you can use is learn to listen to the word of God. If you listen to the word of God, you will find happiness. And he who trusts in Yahweh and God is happy. That means you have to trust God, trust his word. Proverbs 8 verse 4 to 7, men, it is to you that I cry out. Listen, for I have great things to say, and my lips are open to teach what is right, for my mouth speaks the truth. This counsel and exaltation are all the more crucial today as we approach the time of the end and the return of Christ is soon to come. This advice is invaluable. If we want to come to understand the deep meaning of the mystery and prophetic vision contained in the book of Revelation and prepare ourselves for the return of Jesus Christ, we must learn to listen. We must learn to listen. Our understanding will open widely and we will be able to discern the time that we are in. Revelation 1 verse 3, blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of prophecy and keep what is written therein, for the time is near. Yes, we must recognize that the time is near. It is not a time to play games. It is not a time to waste our time, to wasting time. Procrastinating is not necessary at this moment. What is important is to learn to listen, to understand the word of God, to stay connected with God. In Revelation 22 verse 7, behold, I come quickly, happy is he who keeps the word of the prophecy of this book. Jesus Christ comes quickly. He will come soon. You have to keep the words of the prophecy of this book. Jesus Christ urges us to listen to his word. Chords came to listen to the wise words of Jesus. Luke 5 verse 15, more and more people were talking about him and people came in droves to hear him. Luke 21 verse 37 and 38, during the day Jesus stopped in the temple and he went to spend the night at the hills called the Mount of Olives. All the people went to him in the temple early in the morning to hear him. In Luke 10 verse 38-39, as Jesus was on the way with his disciple, he entered a village and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary who sat at Jesus' feet and listened to what he said. This is something important. We worry about a lot of things in this world. We worry about tomorrow. We worry about the future. But one thing is important right now is to listen to the word of God. Put God first in every single thing that you have to do. Stay connected with him by listening to his word, by listening to his message and you will be able to have happiness. You are looking for happiness? Listen to God, his word. Jesus repeatedly insisted on the importance of listening. To his teaching our very salvation depends on it. Our very salvation depends on listening. John chapter 5 verse 24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life. He does not come into judgment, but he has passed from death unto life. Luke 8 verse 21 My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it. Luke 11 verse 28 Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it. Something that you have to when you hear the word of God you have to do it. When you hear the word of God what he asks you to do, keep it. Do not leave it. Keep it. Matthew 13 verse 16 But happy are your eyes, because they see, and your ears because they hear. Matthew 8 verse 18 Have you a hard heart? You have eyes and you cannot see. You have ears and you cannot hear. John 14 verse 24 He who does not love me does not keep my words, and the word that you hear is not from me, but from the Father who sent me. Luke 8 verse 18 So be careful all you listen. You have to be careful about all you listen. All you pay attention. When you listen you should do it. Do what the word of God asking you to do, and keep it. Do not leave it alone. Do not leave it. Keep it. Practice. Practice it and follow his direction. It is like a GPS. It will guide you in the right direction. If you want to become wise you have to keep the word of God. Keep it. Do it. Keep it and be careful about what you listen. God asked us to listen to the word of his Son Jesus Christ. During the Transfiguration of Jesus, a bright vision of his celestial glory. God himself declared in Matthew 17 verse 5, while he was still speaking, a luminous cloud covered him. From the cloud a voice spoke these words, This is my beloved Son who has all my approval. Listen to him. You must listen to the word that Jesus Christ teaching you. He lives on words you have to obey. Matthew 11 verse 15. He who has ears to hear let him hear. I think anyone on the earth has ears. If you have ears to hear, you should be able to hear. Matthew 13 verse 7, verse 9, 45. Mark 4 verse 9, 23. Mark 7 verse 17. Luke 8 verse 8. Luke 2 verse 35. But when you read all of them you will see the same thing. He who has ears to hear let him hear. Revelation 2 verse 7. Let him who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I know everyone who listens to me right now has ears. Because you have ears, you have to hear what the Spirit says to you. You have to listen to the word of God and do what he asks you to do. Do not leave it, but keep it. Walk it and practice it and you will be happy because you do so. Jesus used a parable to insist on the importance of listening to his words in order to build solid reasoning and act accordingly, taking into account what we have understood and discerned. Matthew 7 verse 24 to 27. Therefore, whoever hears this word of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock. The wind fell, the torrent came, the winds blew and raged against this house. It did not collapse because it was founded on the rock. But anyone who hears this word of mine and does not do them will be like a madman who built his house on sand. The wind fell, the torrent came, the wind blew and fell on this house. It did not collapse because it was founded on the rock. But anyone who hears this word of mine and does not do them will be like a madman who built his house on the rock. What we as intelligent you are, you and I are, we must build our house on the rock. As we are listening to the word of God, we must build our lives on Jesus Christ. That when tribulation, trouble, hardship come, we are not going to fail. We will stand fast and we will overcome. To be overcome, you need to hear what Jesus Christ teach you, what the word of God taught you and practice it. James, the brother of Jesus will later take up this advice. James 1.25 But he who has girded into the perfect law, the law of freedom, and has endured, he who has not forgotten what he has heard, but saith to walk, he there will be happy in his activity. The last thing that we have to say today in this verse as we analyze this verse, what it means to hear the words of prophecy and keep them. The verbs to listen and to hear as they appear in the verse of the Bible quote above imply an action on our part that of paying attention in order to fully understand and discern the depth of divine teaching. It means heeding in our lives the promises, counsels, and warnings given to us. It is this active listening that will help us to be ready and will earn us the approval of Jesus Christ when he returns and when he judges all the earth. There is a time that the judgment of God will execute, will happen. God promised that he will judge everyone. But that's why I advise you right now at this time to learn to the word of God, to listen to the teaching of Jesus Christ, lay and build your life on Jesus Christ, the work solid and cannot be removed. When you build your life on Jesus Christ, the solid work, nobody can remove your life. You will be safe. Nothing can happen to you because you build your life on the solid work. Right now, I invite you to build your life, to make a solid construction, to read yourself and listen and practice. Keep, do, you have to do it, keep it and practice it. May God bless you all. Revelation 22 verse 7, Behold, I come quickly, quickly. Happy is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. God bless you all. Stay connected because God has surprise for you. He wants to save you. He wants to deliver you. During this new year, he has a great surprise for you. Stay on next Saturday, we will see the verse 14 and talk about the seven churches of Asia and the seven spirits before the form of God. May God bless you. May God protect you. May God secure you. May God give you a hope, a solid hope of everlasting life. Thank you. Be blessed. Amen. Amen. Amen.