“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants-things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John” (1:1) Introduction Sermon 1 Reason From

 Title  Dispensation  Timing  Style  Author

1:1

2. DISPENSATION 1:1

‘Lifted Up From Earth’ Was A Sign Of Death By Crucifixion

5. AUTHOR: “…His servant John.”  Four times “John” is said to be the author (1:1, 4, 9; 22:8) NOT John the Baptist (Jn. 3:23) John Mark (Acts 12:12) John who opposed the apostles (Acts 4:6) BUT John the apostle, the son of Zebedee (Mk. 3:17) authored four other New Testament books (John, 1 st John, 2 nd John, 3 rd John) 1:1

 Referring to Jesus as “The Word” (John 1:1; Rev. 19:13)  Referring to Jesus as “The Lamb” (Jn. 1:29, 36; Rev. 5:8, 12, 13, etc.)  Exhortation to “overcome the world/Satan” thus a keynote for the Book of Revelation (Jn. 16:33; 1 Jn. 5:4; Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; 12:11; 21:7)  “The Greek diminutive for "Lamb" (arnion, literally, "lambkin") occurs twenty-nine times in the Apocalypse, and the only other place where it occurs is Joh 21:15” (JFB)

 addressed seven churches of Asia (1:4)  suggests apostolic authority  because the book remained, it shows they accepted the writer’s authority  speaks authoritatively on identifying and testing legitimate apostles (Rev. 2:2)  appears to claim apostolic authority for the writer!

 TESTIFY:  “to make a factual statement based on personal experience or to declare something to be true from personal experience” (Encarta)  “who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw” (Rev. 1:2) John’s work was presented as a testification (cf. Jn. 19:35; 21:24)

 based on his literal & direct senses  “…to all things that he saw” (v. 2)  “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20)  “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life” (1 Jn. 1:1)  this evidence is laid before the world’s courtroom for a reason…

 through the gospel (Rom. 1:16)  by: trusting/believing (Eph. 1:13) repenting (Mk. 1:15) confession (2 Cor. 9:13; initially in confessing Christ, Rom. 10:9, 10; 1 Tim. 6:15) baptism (Mk. 16:15, 16) burial (Rom. 6:3, 4) in water (Acts 8:36-38)