Outline of Series:
The “Be Happy” attitudes of Revelation!
Various titles I could have chosen for the series:
The Beatitudes of Revelation:
The word “Beatitude” comes from a Latin word meaning “happy” or “blessed.” Various forms of the word “bless” are used many times in both the Old and New Testaments.
The Blessings of Revelation:
The Holy Spirit wanted the church of Jesus Christ to know that they were indeed blessed even though they were being severely persecuted and martyred for the cause of Jesus Christ.
The Be Happy attitudes of Revelation:
Thesis: The message of Revelation is a message telling the church that they need to be happy because of their position in Christ. Even though they are suffering severe persecution there is a better day coming which should make them smile in the midst of their trial.
Introduction to Series:
For most people Happiness is very hard to find and even harder to hold on to. It’s elusive and it keeps slipping away through the pressures and the trials of this life. Many of us have tried to grab a hold of this slippery attitude only to find slip through our hands and into the drain of life. The 7 beatitudes or blessings found in Revelation where placed there by the Holy Spirit to tell us bad news can turn into good news if you realign your attitude toward tough times. If you see things the way God sees them. If you get a fresh revelation of Jesus Christ in the midst of the trial and tribulation.
Robert Schuller stated, ‘All the “If only’s” in the world –even if they all come true-still could not guarantee your happiness!’He adds, As we all have discovered at one time or another, cars, houses, jewelry, and other material gains don’t bring happiness for long. After the immediate rush of joy at receiving something we have longed for, we are hit with the unigue problems that every gain brings” (The Be Happy Attitudes, Page xi).
Topic I -- Sermon 1-The blessing of taking to heart God’s revelation of Jesus Christ!--Rev.1:3
Topic II -- Sermon 2- The blessing of deeds done for Jesus Christ! -- Rev. 14:13
1. Sermon 3-- Smyrna Rev. 2:8-11
2. Sermon 4 -- Philadelphia Rev. 3:7-13
Topic III -- Sermon 5- The blessing of staying awake for Christ! -- Rev. 16:15
1. Ephesus-- Rev. 2:1-7
2. Sermon 6--Pergamos-- Rev. 2:12-17
3. Sermon 7--Thyatira -- Rev. 2:18-29
4. Sermon 8--Sardis-- Rev. 3:1-6
5. Sermon 9--Laodicea-- Rev. 3:14-22
Topic IV Sermon 10-The blessing of being invited to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb! -- Rev. 19:9
Topic V Sermon 11-The blessing of taking part in the first resurrection! -- Rev.20:6
Topic VI Sermon 12 The blessing of keeping the words of this revelation! -- Rev. 22:7
Topic VII Sermon 13-The blessing of washing our robes and the right to partake of the Tree of Life! -- Rev. 22:14
The book of Revelation—Means to be able to see something clearly which once was hidden from sight.
ILLUSTRATION:
SOMETHING IS HIDDEN UNDER THIS VEIL AND WE CANNOT CLEARLY SEE IT!
- I can tell you about it:
* For instance it gives a sweet taste to the mouth when you follow directions.
* It’s friendly
* It always gestures nice symbols to you
* It’s cute
* It is in the form of a circle
* It is famous
* It has a letter tattooed on its chest
- We can guess what it is but until I unveil it completely to you-you cannot understand everything about it.
- TAKE OFF THE VEIL it’s my MM figure waving at everyone.
This is what the book of Revelation does for us. It takes off the veil and reveals more than any other book in the Bible -- JESUS CHRIST. It reveals to a suffering persecuted church a victorious Jesus Christ. It’s the climax to the entire Bible fueling HOPE AND FAITH! It challenges the church to be ready because He is coming back very soon!
We need to take to heart the message of this book because it will give us joy even in the midst of persecution.
When we see Jesus we will be able to smile through the trial!
Scripture Text:
REVELATION: 1:1, 2: "The revelation of 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, who testifies to everything he saw-that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ."
Historical Background of Revelation:
A. The Roman emperors Nero and Domitian are persecuting Christians.
1. Nero - blamed the Christians for the great fire of Rome in 64. He was
responsible for martyring Peter and Paul.
He is noted for illuminating his gardens at night with Christians burning on poles.
• The Roman historian Tacitus says that Nero not just put Christians to death he used Christians as amusement in the circus. The Christians were clad in hides of beasts and torn to death by dogs, lions, and other beasts. Many were crucified and burned alive. He openly enjoyed his cruelty to Christians. He eventually committed suicide from political turmoil and his last words were, "What a showman the world is losing in me!"
The worst emperor was Domitian who was a paranoid savage killer.
• He was the first emperor to have himself officially entitled "God the Lord!" He insisted that other people hail his greatness with acclamations like "Lord of the earth," "Invincible," "Glory," "Holy," and "Thou alone."
• Many believe that John’s hideous beast as described in Revelation is pointing to Domitian’s blood thirsty reign and blasphemy.
• Domitian definitely had the spirit of the evil beast in him.
B. The historical setting for Christians was not one filled with hope because of the Roman Emperor’s demand to be worshiped as God and the severe persecutions.
1. A great multitude is being persecuted for refusal to worship the antichristian emperor.
• These Christians were eager for Christ’s return because it had been 40 - 60 years since Christ’s death and he had still not come.
• There was only one of Jesus’ apostles left alive and he was imprisoned on an island. All the others had been martyred.
• The authorities were always prowling around like lions to pounce on anyone who defied Rome. They especially targeted Christians.
Revelation became an encouraging letter to the persecuted Christians. Here is why?
A. Revelation 6:10 tells the Christians that God has heard their cry "They called out in a loud voice, How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?"
1. The cry from the people “How long?”
2. God’s answers, “The time is near!”
B. There is another section in Revelation which reminds the suffering saints that God is listening to their prayers and He will respond with power from on high see Revelation 8:1-5:
i. 1When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
2And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.
3Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne.
4The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand.
5Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
2. It tells the Christians that God quiets all of Heaven to listen to their prayers.
C. John also reveals that the Blood of the Lamb will overcome evil. He promises through the words of God’s revelation that evil will be over thrown. But He directs that there will be a succession of crisis’ before the forces of darkness will be conquered for all eternity.
1. Scripture Text Revelation 12:11: “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”
Summary of Introduction:
The book of Revelation was written to give to the church of Jesus Christ HOPE in midst of a crisis situation. The Church was in desperate need of a fresh revelation of Jesus Christ for encouragement. This book offered them a glimpse into the past - reminding them what Christ has done on the cross for them. It offered them a glimpse about their present situation and who will win in the end, a glimpse into the spiritual realm going on all around them presently and a glimpse into the future as to what Jesus will do. The future is made very clear on one point Jesus is coming again. Not only will He return He wins the war over evil. There is no doubt about the future – God said and it will be so!
Thesis: Revelation focus’ our attention on Jesus Christ and what he has done, how he is currently at work in the world and what he will do in the near future! It covers three time frames of history.
Be Happy Blessings of Revelation
Sermon 1
Illustration: Legend of the Cross Maker
A touching legend tells us that when Jesus was a boy at Nazareth he met a Roman lad by the name of Fidus, who confided this desire: "I’m looking for Joseph, the carpenter. From him I want to learn the arts of this craft."
I can lead you to him," answered Jesus, "for I am called the Son of Joseph." As Fidus watched and learned from Joseph, Jesus told him of a great King who would one day be raised upon a throne so high that all the world would see.
Fidus exclaimed: "Would that I might build the exalted throne of the great King!" "Fidus," said Jesus, "You will be the one to build the throne of the great king, the throne from which He shall rule the nations. I promise you."
Years passed, Fidus went home to Jaffa and practiced his trade with honor. He happened to return to Jerusalem on a day when the Jewish capitol was in an uproar. He could hear cries of Crucify Him! He makes Himself a King."
As he passed the gate of Pilate’s palace, a Roman soldier who knew the skill of Fidus greeted him. "You are especially welcomed, Fidus. Three are to be crucified today, and only two crosses are prepared. "Fidus was assigned the task. He put all his skill into its making, and viewed his finished product with pride. Later he followed the crowd outside the town and up a hill. He heard a voice, a voice he could never forget. Looking closely he saw a figure, a figure he could never forget. Yes, it was the boy of Nazareth, now a man, but writhing in agony on the throne Fidus had made. His eyes were opened."
Key Scripture Verse:
Revelation 1:3: "Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near."
Introduction:
This is the first of the seven blessings of Revelation. This one promises a blessing from heaven for everyone who reads, hears, and lives according to the book’s message. The key point in this verse is that "WE must take to heart" to heed, to watch over, to observe attentively, to implant within the message of this BOOK. Which is the "REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST" Why we need to take to heart the message is because the time is near, or imminent, or almost here. In other words it could happen at any moment!
Illustration: Hank Williams Jr. sang "Come on get ready were going to rock tonight." "With some football." Then there is more to the song. The he asks the big question "ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?" then the helmets crash.” The Book of Revelation is singing, "Come on get ready Jesus is getting ready to rock against Satan.” “So are you ready for a showdown soon between Jesus and his all=stars and Satan and his losers.” Revelation reveals the clash of the two heads and then the great “Super Bowl victory party of Jesus and the all stars”!
Question for the church to ponder today: Are you ready for Jesus to come back today?
T.S. - Let’s look at our 1st “Be Happy” statement this morning in more detail.
I. The opening word - “Blessed”
a. The “Be Happy’s” of revelation communicate to us the following thoughts –those who know Jesus will receive the following blessings and these will last forever.
i. 7 truths that will change your outlook on life.
ii. 7 truths that will give you a smile in the midst of a trial
iii. 7 truths that should transform your attitude of life and even death.
iv. 7 truths that if internalized will change your perspective in life.
v. 7 truths will change your perception of the church.
vi. 7 truths will change what you see in everyday life.
vii. 7 truths focus us on Jesus not the persecutions.
b. Holman Bible Dictionary notes the following about our word “Blessed” or BLESSING - 516 times it used in the Bible - bless (132), blessed (285), blesses (10), blessing (70), and blessings (19). These words carry a significant Biblical emphasis to those who believe.
i. In the New Testament, the word “bless” often translates makarios, meaning “blessed, fortunate, happy.” The special characteristic of New Testament uses of “bless” and related words is a close relationship to the religious joy people experience from being certain of salvation and thus of membership in the kingdom of God…“Blessed” appears frequently in the New Testament (88). Especially in reference to Jesus teaching “blessed” His well known --+references to the word in the Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:3-11) and His congratulations to those who respond positively to the kingdom of God (Matt. 23:39; 24:46; Mark 11:9; Luke 10:23; 14:15). ..Elsewhere, Pauline literature uses the word: “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered” (Rom. 4:7); “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3). John often used the word in Revelation: “Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein for the time is at hand” (Rev. 1:3); “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord” (Rev. 14:13; cf. 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14). Roy L. Honeycutt
T.S. – We are blessed, given the truth which will bring us eternal happiness if we read the prophecy – the message of Jesus that is revealed in this prophetic writing.
II. Who reads
a. George Quote: We are blessed when we read … the words. The word read comes from a word meaning to know accurately or certainly and is often used in the New Testament for reading the Bible in public worship. 1 Timothy 4:13 says, “I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine”
i. 2 Timothy 2:15: Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
ii. 2 Timothy 3:16-17: 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
b. George Quote: This is not reading for the sake of reading. Years ago we had a Weekly Reader program in school and earned points for the most books read. Since volume was all that mattered we picked all the short books we could find. We weren’t reading for understanding.
c. George Quote: Christ’s Church is blessed when it reads His words carefully. In the same way we are blessed when we hear the words. That word means to hear with understanding (see Matthew 13:13-17). We are also to keep those things which are written. The church at Sardis read and heard God’s Word but failed to keep it (Revelation 3:3). The above points a-c is quotes from ` sermon “The Happy Church” on sermoncentral.com
T.S. – We need to understand how blessed we are or how happy we should be because we can read the Word of God for ourselves.
III. The Words of this Prophecy
a. The emphasis of these words is understanding and continuation. All three words are Present Participles - We are blessed if we keep on reading, hearing, and keeping these truths.
b. This book was not given to entertain us; it was given to educate and establish us as part of the Kingdom of God.
c. It was given to us to reveal that we are a part of something bigger than ourselves and our own lives.
d. These words are from the Throne room of Heaven right out of the Mouth of the Lord God Almighty – they are unique, they are powerful, they are life changing.
e. This statement applies not only to the book of Revelation but to the whole Bible .
i. Highlight all 66 books of the Bible and not how each one reveals Jesus Christ in one dimension or another.
1. From sermoncentral.com - THE PERSON OF THE BOOK
GENESIS: Promised Seed
EXODUS: Passover Lamb
LEVITICUS: Scapegoat
NUMBERS: Brazen Serpent
DEUTERONOMY: Great Lawgiver
JOSHUA: Prophet, Priest and King
JUDGES: Judge of All the Universe
RUTH: Kinsman Redeemer
SAMUEL: Anointer of Kings
KINGS: King of Kings & Lord of Lords
CHRONICLES: Great Historian
EZRA: Rebuilder of the Temple
NEHEMIAH: Rebuilder of the Wall
ESTHER: Saviour of the Jews
JOB: Friend that Sticketh Closer than a Brother
PSALMS: Song of the Ages
PROVERBS: Truth
ECCLESIASTES: Great Preacher
SONG OF SOLOMON: Wonderful Lover
ISAIAH: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and The
Prince of Peace
JEREMIAH: Weeping Prophet
LAMENTATIONS: Street Preacher
EZEKIEL: Rebuilder of the Kingdom Temple
DANIEL: Stone Cut Out Without Hands That Will Someday Come Back to
Earth and Establish a Kingdom as Supreme Ruler and King
HOSEA: Forgiving Lover
JOEL-MALACHI: One Coming in Bethlehem Judea
New Testament
MATTHEW: King of Kings
MARK: Suffering Servant
LUKE: Son of Man
JOHN: Son of God
ACTS: Power of the Church
ROMANS: Dynamite of the Gospel
CORINTHIANS: Restorer of the Carnal Nature
GALATIANS: Rent Veil and Overcomer of the Schoolmaster
EPHESIANS: Heavenly One
PHILIPPIANS: Our Sufficiency
COLOSSIANS: The Shadow
THESSALONIANS: The Great Coming Christ
TIMOTHY: Our Great Appearing God
TITUS: Blessed Hope
PHILEMON: Great Master
HEBREWS: Best of All
JAMES: Fulfiller of the Law
PETER: Rock of Ages Cleft For Me, Let Me Hide Myself in Thee
JOHN: Assurance of our Salvation
JUDE: One Able to Keep Us From Falling and Present Us Faultless
Before Christ in Glory
REVELATION: One Saddled on a White Horse Coming Back to Set Up His eternal kingdom.
f. Video Illustration: The Bible from Blue fish Tv.
T.S. – We need to pay attention to the Words of this prophecy, pay attention to what the Spirit of the Lord is saying, pay attention to the message of Jesus Christ because it will give you hope as you read it and especially as you hear it spoken.
IV. Who hear it
a. Listen to Matthew 13:1-23: Parable of the Sower:
i. 1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake.
2Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.
3Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed.
4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.
5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.
6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.
8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
9He who has ears, let him hear.”10The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
11He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.
12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
13This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
14In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’
16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.
17For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
18“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:
19When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
20The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.
21But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.
22The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.
23But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
b. Listen to Acts 28:28:
i. “Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”
1. Are we listening?
2. Are you listening this morning?
c. Listen to it Hebrews 3:7,8:
i. Warning against unbelief – we need to hear the message.
7So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice,
8do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert.
ii. We have to tell people the Word, the truth, our testimony!
d. IVP Bible Background Commentary notes:
i. Most people in antiquity could not read, and there would not at any rate be enough copies of the book (which would have to be copied by hand) for everyone to have his or her own. Thus the blessing is for the one who reads aloud to the congregation (just as there was one reader in a *synagogue) and those who hear (just as the rest of the congregation listened to Scripture readings). The “blessing” form was common in the *Old Testament and Jewish literature (see comment on Mt 5:1-12), and here implies that the hearers were expected to understand and obey what they heard. (Revelation contains seven such “blessings” and seven curses or “woes,” probably all oracular, i.e., prophetic.)
ii. *Apocalypses commonly predicted the imminent end of the age, or imminent events heralding that end (especially in the roughly contemporary work 4 Ezra).
T.S. – We are blessed – able to be happy if we first of all hear the Word of God with our own ears, then we must do the next step allow it to take root in our hearts.
V. Take to heart what is written in it
a. Internalize it in their heart.
i. It’s a heart issue not a head issue.
ii. Too many people want to try to understand the Bible with their head knowledge but they never allow it to internalize into their hearts, their inner being.
b. James 1:22-25:
i. 22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror
24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
1. The key is to 1st “Hear it.” It is so important to hear because this opens the heart and the mind to truth but people must hear it to understand it -to embrace it and receive it.
a. If no one tells what they have read how can they hear it!
b. Many are afraid to share the testimony of Jesus today because it is not politically correct but people need to hear about the Good News.
i. We are all commissioned to share the Good News with those who don’t know it.
2. The second part is to do it!
a. You can only do it when it takes root in your heart! It becomes a part of who you are.
c. Holman Bible dictionary states the HEART is the center of the physical, mental, and spiritual life of humans. This contrasts to the normal use of kardia (“heart”) in Greek literature outside the Scriptures. The New Testament follows the Old Testament usage when referring to the human heart in that it gives kardia a wider range of meaning than it was generally accustomed to have:
i. First, the word heart refers to the physical organ and is considered to be the center of the physical life. Eating and drinking are spoken of as strengthening the heart (Gen. 18:5; Judg. 19:5; Acts 14:17). As the center of physical life, the heart came to stand for the person as a whole.
1. The heart became the focus for all the vital functions of the body; including both intellectual and spiritual life. The heart and the intellect are closely connected, the heart being the seat of intelligence: “For this people’s heart is waxed gross ... lest at any time they should ... understand with their heart, and should be converted” (Matt. 13:15).
2. The heart is connected with thinking: As a person “thinks in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7). To ponder something in one’s heart means to consider it carefully (Luke 1:66; 2:19). “To set one’s heart on” is the literal Hebrew that means to give attention to something, to worry about it (1 Sam. 9:20). To call to heart (mind) something means to remember something (Isa. 46:8). All of these are functions of the mind, but are connected with the heart in biblical language.
3. Closely related to the mind are acts of the will, acts resulting from a conscious or even a deliberate decision. Thus, 2 Corinthians 9:7: “Every man according as he purposed in his heart, so let him give.” Ananias contrived his deed of lying to the Holy Spirit in his heart (Acts 5:4). The conscious decision is made in the heart (Rom. 6:17). Connected to the will are human wishes and desires. Romans 1:24 describes how God gave them up “through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies.” David was a man after God’s “own heart” because he would “fulfill all” of God’s will (Acts 13:22).
4. Not only is the heart associated with the activities of the mind and the will, but it is also closely connected to the feelings and affections of a person.
a. Emotions such as joy originate in the heart (Ps. 4:7; Isa 65:14)…Discouragement or despair is described by the phrase “heaviness in the heart” which makes it stoop (Prov. 12:25). Again, Ecclesiastes 2:20 says, “Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labor which I took under the sun.”
b. Another emotion connected with the heart is sorrow. John 16:6 says, “because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.” Proverbs 25:20, describes sorrow as having “an heavy heart.”
ii. Finally, the heart is spoken of in Scripture as the center of the moral and spiritual life. The conscience, for instance, is associated with the heart. In fact, the Hebrew language had no word for conscience, so the word heart was often used to express this concept: “my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live” (Job 27:6).
1. The Revised Standard Version translates the word for “heart” as “conscience” in 1 Samuel 25:31 (RSV).
2. In the New Testament the heart is spoken of also as that which condemns us (1 John 3:19-21).
3. All moral conditions from the highest to the lowest are said to center in the heart.
4. Sometimes the heart is used to represent a person’s true nature or character. Samson told Delilah “all his heart” (Judg. 16:17). This true nature is contrasted with the outward appearance: “man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7 RSV) all the above taken from Gerald Cowen.
T.S. – To be happy in the midst of trial and tribulation you must hear the Words of Jesus and then internalize them in your inner being because we are running out of time on this earth and we all need to be ready for His Second Coming.
VI. Because the time is near
a. From The Bible Knowledge Commentary - John concluded his prologue with the time is near. The word “time” (kairos) refers to a period of time, that is, the time of the end (Dan. 8:17; 11:35, 40; 12:4, 9). The end time, as a time period, is mentioned in Revelation 11:18 and 12:12. In 12:14 the word “time” means a year (cf. Dan. 7:25); and the phrase “time, times, and half a time” means one year (“time”) plus two years (“times”) plus six months (“half a time”), totaling three and one-half years—the length of the time of “the end.”
b. The prologue presents concisely the basic facts underlying the entire book: its subjects, purpose, and angelic and human channels. It is most important to observe that the book was primarily intended to give a practical lesson to those who read and heed its contents.
Conclusion:
Thesis: The message of Revelation is a message telling the church that they need to be happy because of their position in Christ. Even though they are suffering severe persecution there is a better day coming which should make them smile in the midst of their trial.
Revelation 1:3: "Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near."
So:
We need to read it!
We need to listen to it!
We need to take this message and place it in our hearts.
We need to do the above because time is running out and we need to ready at any moment for the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ.
