Bible Guys Classics: Revelation - When??

So, Jeff, I'm just wondering, did you know that I

was going to do that out? No, Well, in the world,

it's hard to predict what's coming it is. Well, we're

about to jump into the Book of Revelations.

Diving into the deep end today. So he's Chris and

I'm Jeff and we're the Bible guys.

Hey, so, uh, first of all, you didn't know it

was gonna.

Least I did not. Did that hurt a little? I

just left you pretty I know, Actually, actually, I you know,

I reacted pretty strongly. But it's because I'm such an

amazing actor.

Yes, real good jobs and a whip.

Yeah.

Okay, So so listen our segment today is you having

to guess whether or not what I'm about to read

is a Bible verse or a quote.

Oh these are hard. The last one only got three

out of five.

Yeah, well, I mean and then here's the thing. It's

not even like a like you know, everybody you know

remember like sometimes we would say it's all from Justin Bieber.

These are just just famous quote.

So here, so it's either a quote or a Bible verse.

Yep, here we go. You ready, Yes, I have been sorry,

I have been reduced to skin and bones, and I

have escaped death by the skin of my teeth.

I'm going to say a Bible verse.

Yes, because that because who would.

Quote that's right? That's right?

And where do you think it's found? It could be,

but it wasn't. It was job the skin. Okay. So

how about this one? God helps those who help themselves.

That's a quote, that's of course.

Uh. And by the way, I didn't know who said this.

I've heard that quote. Did you know that Benjamin Franklin

said that?

Okay?

So how about this one? Spread love wherever you go.

That's a quote. Who do you think said the Beatles?

That's awesome, that's awesome, and you know what, it totally

is believable. But it was mother Teresa.

Oh in this case, yeah, mother, she said the Beatles.

Well not only that, but like I bet you a

thousand people have quoted that just in our lifetime.

Yeah.

Sure, how about this one? Don't judge each day by

the harvest that you reap, but by the season that

you plant.

Oh it sounds like a Bible verse. Well, I'm gonna

say it's a quote.

You are four for four?

Oh wow.

So that was by Robert Lewis Stevenson. Oh so, and

then here's the last one.

Of my favorite writers, is it?

Yea, yeah, here's the last one. Let me gulp down

some of that red stuff.

Oh no, I'm going to say. It's a quote.

Apparently it's from Genesis, chapter twenty five of verse thirty.

In what translation.

I know, I'm looking at it because this is crazy.

What go down some of them? The red stuff? That's

sounds that's about it.

It sounds like a rapper talking about kool aid.

I mean I have never all right, hang on, hang on,

keep the crowd entertained. I'm almost there.

Yeah, yeah, twenty in the front thirty, thanks buddy.

Okay, so it says Esau. Oh, it's Esau Sells's birthrate. Oh,

he's talking about the stew.

Okay, okay, all right.

And so then verse number thirty in this translation reads, uh,

Esau said, I'm starved, give me some of that red stew.

Okay.

And this is how Esau got his other name, Eatam,

which means red. Okay, So let me gulp down some

of that red set the.

Message message or something that's Oh man, that is so funny.

So she snuck one in, but it was through a paraphrase.

So is a paraphrase an actual Bible verse or is

it a quote.

That's a really good huh, you may get a point.

I'm gonna get at least half a point. Paraphrases are

not a scripture.

You're assuming that it's a paraphrase.

The message is a paraphrase. That's what she got it from.

Yes, right, we don't know.

Right, Well, we need to find out because that's I

want my point.

Okay, that's so funny.

So dude, we are jumping off into the deep end

on this one. And so we're getting into really the

end times, not just the Book of Revelation. We're not

going to go for our longtime listeners. We usually go

chapter by chapter, verse by verse, but in the Book

of Revelation, we're not going to do that. Instead, we're

going to go a big idea by big idea, event

by event, person by person as much as possible through

the end time stuff. So a couple of things. One,

the Bible guys do not claim to be theologians and professors, right,

we try to be theologically accurate as much as possible.

But if you're looking for a seminary level class or

Bible study on the Book of Revelation. Well, this isn't

it right, And our lifetime listeners already know that. But

if you're a new person listening, this.

Is I mean hopefully it's and you know, this would

be something that I would choose to listen to our

version of this topic or this book, because we're going

to approach it more sort of topically, and we're not

going to get caught up in the details of saying,

now this, we believe that this happens after this, and

this represents this and let's you know, we're not going

to be because here's quite frankly, there's so many opinions

about revelation. In fact, I would go, let me go

on a limb and say this lightheartedly. Nobody comments more

than revelation people. And then not only will they comment,

but they'll only comment.

Forever, and they'll be angry that most most of.

The time, they'll be angry. Uh and and this is

and now. But by the way, we're not trying to

by me making those kind of comments. I'm not trying

to like stereotype everybody in the world, but I am

saying that's my life experience, so I can't you can't

deny that right. So in my life experience, that's the

case and all of that, But there's so many opinions

about it, so we could we can get really lost

and you know, what do you think this means or

this means or when is this or what's the difference

between this view and this view? And so I think

instead of doing that, and by the way, that there's

probably two thousand of those.

Oh yeah, well, how many Christians are there? There's about

that many. There's about that many opinions about these things.

And here's why prophecy in the Bible. Yeah, looking forward,

We just talked about this with our staff. Looking forward

at prophecy, it's like looking at a foggy mirror. You

can kind of see the outlines and get the gist,

but it's not clear. And then on the other side,

after a thing happens and you look back, you go, oh,

that's what it meant. And the proof of that is

how many times in the Book of Matthew does Matthew

say and the disciples didn't understand that the Bible had

prophesied this. Right, So the disciples understood it afterwards, but

not before, And it happens over and over and over

again through the gospels, where the disciples and the people

who were following Jesus did not understand clearly all of

the prophecies until they had been fulfilled. And so some

of the things that we're going to talk about are

pretty clear and pretty evident. He's really really clear on this,

he spells it out X Y Z right. But there's

other things that dude, he talks about a dragon with

you know, seven heads and ten crowns coming out of

the words. Is that a real dragon with seven right?

Or is that a metaphor for something or is that

an allegory for something? Right? So, and this is the

problem with the book Revelation. There's very clear factual things

that are said. There are also allegorical things, and there

are metaphorical things all put together and sometimes and and

and the Bible doesn't transition between them, doesn't say okay,

and now we're talking metaphorically metaphorical right, right, right? And

so so this is this is some of the difficulty

of it. So, hey, we're going to navigate through it

in a way that it makes sense to us. And

if you agree, that's fine. If you disagree, that's fine too.

But we've got a couple of warning labels. One, don't

lose the delight in the details. Right. Sometimes man, people

go in and dive down super deep and stay down

way too long and come up mostly dead.

Uh.

If you if you lose the light in the details,

you're missing the point.

Right. So Yeah, because overall, revelation is given to us

to communicate some very big and important and essential ideas.

Yeah, exciting things.

Yeah. Yeah, Jesus is in control of history. This is

who he is. He wins, God wins.

Yeah, we read the back of the book. We can

tell you that at the.

Beginning, and and you know he's coming. Uh, there's hope

for those who believe these are the things that revelation

points to. Yeah, and so that's what you're really saying.

You're saying, don't dive down too deep to lose the

overall message of revelation.

Right. And if you find somebody who is who steps

up and goes, I know for sure that this is

what this means or that means or there is no

within Christianity, there is no single cohesive understanding of these

prophetic things. Right. So there's a certain amount of vaguary.

So watch out for polarization. Quite honestly, in teaching about

the end times, people who want to fight about it,

I would just say stay away from them. You know,

I've had friends I've had in the faith group that

I kind of grew up in man alive. If you

believed in a pre post or mid trip belief system,

you may or may not be allowed to be my

friend or preach at my church. You know. That's how

many of our preachers, our pastors acted just based on nuances.

And so I would say watch out for polarization. God

is vague on purpose because he's he's got a better

plan and it'll be clear to us. And in the meantime,

if we pretend like we're experts or professionals on this,

I think that we're really running some real risks. So

that's our warning label for today. We've got a lot

to read about. Yeah, sure, so we're going to read

from three big passages. Say, we're gonna cover a lot

of Bible verses. And sometimes when it comes to these things,

it's better just to read what the Bible says than

for you and me to try to commentate on it.

All right, So let's just read the words of God

and let the words of God speak to you. So

the first big question we have, and this is the

number one question I get asked about it, is so

when's it all going to happen? Right? So that's not

an original question. Christians have been asking it from the

very first week of Christianity, right right. So here's what

happens in just as Jesus is getting ready to ascend

back to heaven, says so when the apostles. This is

in Acts, chapter one, verse six. So when the apostles

were with Jesus, they kept asking him, Lord, has the

time come for you to free Israel and restore your kingdom?

And he replied, the Father alone has the authority to

set those dates in times, and they're not for you

to know. But you will receive power when the Holy

Spirit comes upon you, and you'll be my witnesses telling

people about me everywhere in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria,

to the ends of the earth. And after this, he

was taken up into a cloud while they were watching,

and they can no longer see him. And as they

strained to see him rising into heaven, two white robed

men suddenly stood among them, men of Galilee. They said,

why are you standing here staring into heaven. Jesus has

been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will

return from heaven in the same way you saw him go.

Yeah. So what's interesting is is that other verses also

say that that the the day and the hour, so

not just the day but the hour. Okay, we'll not

be able to be known. And then it even goes

as far as to say only the Father knows, not

even Jesus knows, right, right. So so the answer to

the question when is it all going down? Okay, so

this is this is I just got done talking with

somebody about this before this podcast. When you drive from

Detroit into Ohio, he made a comment. I've not seen this,

but he made a comment and said, there's usually like

a billboard, a certain billboard that's like that says something,

and I'm sort of poking your breath.

You're getting ready to go into Ohio.

It's going to be gross, right, No, no, no, no, no,

Actually it's when the roads get better as soon as

you cross over the line. But when you when you

go into Ohio, there's a billboard that's that's basically that

I'm poking fun but it says like God's coming next Tuesday, right,

So it has the prediction of when and so, and

then when that day passes and God doesn't come, it

recalculates change. They change the sign, and then it has

like a new date, right, a new prediction. And so

it's like, you know, they're trying to do the blind

score on the nothing. So what's but what's really interesting

is like every time I will pass something like that

in my you know, my wife's in the car, whatever,

my kids are in the car, and I'll see that

and it'll literally have a prediction. We'll say like God

is coming, and we'll give the date and I'll say, hey, kids,

the only thing we know for certain is that God's

not going to come on that date, right right, right right.

It's actually the only thing we know is that no

man will know the day or the hour. So if

you think that you know that, the only thing I

know is it's not going to spend that day.

So Jesus literally says the Father alone has authority. But

basically what Jesus says is it's not for you to know.

He literally is saying, this is the Plight way, this

is the Bible way. Of saying, Jesus going, it's none

your business, right right, Only the Father knows, and so

it's none of your business. Instead, you're going to be

filled the Holy Spirit and go tell everybody about me.

That.

So he pivoted them off of the curiosity of winning

is all this end and moved them back to their mission.

And so we have to be careful. I think this

is the first time that you find after the Resurrection

Jesus talking about this issue and he pulls away from it.

He says, none your business. The Father knows and he's

in control. You go about your business, and your businesses

tell everybody everywhere, and he says, hey, the power of

the hoyspirits there. So they're standing there with their mouths

wide open, looking up into heaven, and two angels have

to go, man in the galilee, njerim, what are you

standing here for? Get about your business?

Right?

And so it wasn't like someday, go tell somebody it's

going right now, and so let's not get distracted by

these things from the mission God has and that is

to tell everybody. But for me, I have to tell

you knowing that there is an end game and that

God is working towards It kind of lights a fire

under me to want to tell everybody. I want to

go tell everybody that Jesus is coming soon. You need

to respond now right. I don't want to wait till

tomorrow because I don't know if he's gonna come. So, yeah,

there's that. So I would say this, and we don't

have to overtalk it too much. But I love Revelation

chapter seven. If you're saying, so, when is it going

to happen, I can tell you this. It's not going

to happen until every people group, every tribe, every language

has somebody around the throne of Heaven. I'll just read

the passage. We don't have to talk about it too much.

But Revelation seven says, after this, I saw a vast crowd,

so there will be people from every tribe and language

around the throne. After this, I saw a vast crowd,

too great to count, from every nation and tribe and

people in language, standing in front of the throne and

before the lamb. And they were clothed in white robes

and held palm branches in their hands, and they were

shouting with a great roar. Salvation comes from our God,

who sits on the throne and from the Lamb, and

all the angels were standing around the throne and around

the elders and the four living beings, and they fell

before the throne with their faces to the ground, who

worshiped God, and they saying Amen, Blessing in glory and

wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength, belong

to our God forever and ever. Amen. And then one

of the twenty four elders asked me, who are these

who are clothed in white? Where'd they come from? And

I said, sir, you're the one who knows. And then

he said to me, these are the ones who died

in the Great Tribulation. They've washed their robes and the

blood of the Lamb and made them white. And that

is why they stand in front of God's throne and

serve him day and night in his temple. And He

who sits on the throne will give them shelter. They

will never again be hungry or thirsty, and they will

never be scorched by the heat of the sun. For

the Lamb on the throne will be their shepherd. He

will lead them to springs of life giving water. And

God will wipe every tear from their eyes. So there's

a lot in there. But one of the things he

says is that there's going to be people from every nation,

every tribe, every language standing in front of the throne.

This is why when the disciples go to Jesus and say, hey,

when's it all going to end? He goes, none of

your business, father knows. Go tell everybody. And until we've

told everybody, until every nation, every tribe, every language, every

people group has somebody standing around the throne, Jesus isn't

coming back, right, So we've got to be about our

father's business.

And there are scriptures to talk about. That's the main

reason why he tarries. It's the main reason why he

doesn't come back now. So if you're wondering why doesn't

Jesus come, he's waiting for us to fulfill the great commission.

Yeah. I think next week we talk about that. Two

Peter says, God's not willing that any would perish, but

that all would come depends. So he's not being lazy

in this, he's being patient in that, right.

Yeah, that's great, and I love of course, you know,

like there are certain parts of revelation that you hear at,

for instance, like funerals, and the last part of that

in verse number seventeen, and God will wipe away every

tear from their eyes. It's just wonderful. And then the

imagery of it's all about the Lamb, right, yea, So

it's capital l lamb. Jesus is referred to as the lamb.

You know, when he came on the scene. It was

the first thing that John the Baptist said, behold the Lamb.

The Old Testament pointed toward it, and all the way

in the future in the Book of Revelation, it's just

you know, it just calls Jesus the Lamb, and it's

all about him.

So this is the one that's sitting on the throne, right,

But let's jump to Revelation chapter one, the very beginning.

This is the very beginning, and then I guess we

got to wrap up. We're going to run out of time, dude.

We're never getting this done in two weeks, you know that, right,

there's so much, so much affrasition. We know what we're

going to go until we cover it covered. We were

hoping to do it in two weeks, but I just

can't imagine it. So here's the beginning, the very beginning,

because I know some of our listeners like what, I

need more information right now, so let's just start the

beginning of revelation. Verse eight, Jesus says, I am the

Alpha and the Omega, which literally means the beginning. In

the end, says the Lord God. I'm the one who is,

who always was, and who is still to come, the

Almighty One. And then John said, when I turned to

see who was speaking to me, I saw seven golden

lamp stands, and standing in the middle of the lamp

stands was someone like the son of Man. He was

wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest.

His head and his hair were white like wool, as

white as snow, and his eyes were like flames of fire.

His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace,

and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. He held

seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp, two

edged sword came from his mouth, and his face was

like the sun and all its brilliance. And when I

saw him, I fell at his feet as if I

were dead. But he laid his right hand on me

and said don't be afraid. I'm the first and the last.

I'm the living one. I died, but look, I'm alive,

forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death

and the grave.

That is one of the best.

I cannot read it without getting teared up about it. Yeah,

so man alive. What a vision of Jesus John has

in this moment. And Jesus has to say, hey, listen,

I'm going to tell you some crazy things, but don't

be afraid, right, because I hold all the keys. Yeah,

And that's that's the message. So I think a lot

of people enter into or curious about the book Revelation

or curious about the end times, and it's because they're

afraid of it. And so even though we're going to

study some really crazy things, Jesus goes, don't be afraid.

I've already won.

Yeah. And I love how John describes his vision of

Jesus as quite honestly the most intimidating moment, right, And

he says, I fell down as if I were dead.

And so you know when when the Book of Philippians

talks about one day, every knee will bow every time,

will confess. Yeah, yeah, that God, you know that the

Jesus Christ is Lord. It's because how can you not

after reading this?

Yeah?

Right, and then he leans over. He laid his right

hand on me. So if you fall on the ground

as if you're dead, it means you're on the ground, right, yeah, yeah, yeah,

So he leans over and he puts his hand on

him and says, don't be afraid. Oh, it's amazing.

So there's a lot of things. Next week we'll talk

about the description around the Throne of God, which is

like this intense times ten. It's really amazing. But there

are a couple things. He's standing among the lamp stands.

We know in the next couple chapters, it highlights the

fact that these lamp stands our pictures are representative of churches, right,

seven of the major churches at that time, and we

know the stars represent the angels that are supporting and

encouraging those churches. Right. So, as you read through the

Bible will begin to unpack what those are, and you

as we won't spend a lot of time on that.

But what I love about it is he's standing among

his church. He's standing among the believers, and so he's

not a God that's separate from us. This powerful one

to sharp two edge toward. We know the word of

God is sharp right, and Jesus is the word of God.

And so that's what it's talking about, is the word

of God is coming out of his mouth. He's declaring

his power. Everything is amazing. But he's doing it in

the context of the relationship he has with his church

and right from the very very beginning. So you don't

have to be afraid God. Jesus didn't tell you these

things to be afraid to make you afraid. Jesus told

you these things to give you courage and confidence that

he's in control. Yeah.

And if you're listening to the podcast and you don't

know God, and maybe you just tuned in somewhere and

you're just a person who's curious, just know that God

is both forgiving and relational. But he is also everything

that John describes here as well. Yep, so he is

he is the fullness of who he is is someone

who's a warrior. He's the creator, the first, and the last.

He is quite honestly, I don't know. I want to

say the word intimidating, but it's okay. If he's on

your side.

Well, so what you're doing is you're seeing Jesus and

all his glory. The last time we saw Jesus, you know,

in the Bible, he was ascending to heaven. The time

before that he was a lamb being beaten and sacrificed, right,

and now here he is in all of his power

and glory.

Technically, we saw him one other time in Acts nine

when he appeared to Paul.

Right right, that's right, yeah, But as far as the

descriptors of him, what you have is this lamb at

the whipping whipping post and being crucified. That's what you saw.

Then we see him as a man resurrected. Right then

the god man resurrected, ascending to heaven. But now we

see him in all of his glory. Is the king

of the universe. That's pretty cool.

Well, I think that is a great introductory podcast, and

we want you guys to buckle up because we're going

to be diving in to get crazy. Yep, we'll see

you tomorrow on the Bible guys. Hmmmm