Five Blesseds of Revelation

Five Blesseds of Revelation

Speaker	Sermon/Lesson Title	Audio   Video   Text    MS Word	Category
Bobby Stafford	Five Blesseds of Revelation		Revelation

Five Blesseds of Revelation

Introduction:

“It is the last message of God to man – the climax of all his written revelation.”  W. B. West, Jr.  The Book of Revelation is greatly neglected.  It means a revealing, an uncovering, an unveiling.  It was written to seven churches of Asia Minor.  Read Revelation 1:9-20. “I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.  I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,’ and, ‘What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.’  Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me.  And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.  His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.  And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead.  But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, ‘Do not be afraid, I am the First and the Last.  I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.  Amen.  And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.  Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.  The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands:  The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.’ ” NKJV

 The Theme is victory – triumph of the Kingdom of God.  Read Daniel 2:44. “In the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.”  Revelation 11:15 “Then the seventh angel sounded:  And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” NKJV  The Kingdom of God would be victorious over the Roman Empire and all other world empires.  Nothing would stop it.

In this divine book, five blesseds are pronounced on different people.  These will be the object of our Bible study.

1.  Revelation 1:3  “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.” NKJV  (Revelation 22:7)  “Behold, I am coming quickly!  Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” NKJV 

It is not enough to just know.  One must also do.  The Scriptures are stressing obedience and duty.  (Psalm 119:4)  “You have commanded us To keep Your precepts diligently.” NKJV  (John 8:51)  “Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.” NKJV  Why?  Time is near.  Fulfillment of many of these prophecies would soon start to take place.  His readers were in the midst of terrible persecution under the Roman emperor Domitian.  Don’t give up; persevere.  You will overcome. 

2.  Revelation 14:13  “Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, ‘Write:  Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’  ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.’ ” NKJV  In order to “Die in the Lord,” you must first get into the Lord.  (Galatians 3:26-27)  “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” NKJV  Then live faithfully until death.  (Matthew 10:22)  “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake.  But he who endures to the end will be saved.” NKJV  The Spirit says that blessing is rest from the work of teaching/preaching the gospel and enduring persecutions and sufferings because of their Christianity.  One’s works, deeds, goes with him to judgment.  (II Corinthians 5:9-10)  “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” NKJV 

3.  Revelation 16:15  “Behold, I am coming as a thief.  Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” NKJV  Christ will come suddenly, unexpectedly.  He who watches, be constantly prepared.  (Matthew 24:42-44)  “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” NKJV  (I Thessalonians 5:1-6)  “But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.  For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.  For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’  then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant women.  And they shall not escape.  But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.  You are all sons of light and sons of the day.  We are not of the night nor of darkness.  Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.” NKJV  One keeps his garments.  The one who takes off his garments runs the risk of not being ready when the time comes.  (Revelation 3:4-5)  “You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.  He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” NKJV 

4.  Revelation 19:9  “Then he said to me, ‘Write:  Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’  And he said to me, ‘These are the true sayings of God.’ ” NKJV  The Marriage Supper of the Lamb [Christ] comes last.  (John 1:29, 34)  “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold!  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the World! 34 And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God’ ” NKJV  Joys and blessings of heaven are described in this Scripture.  (Revelation 21:4)  “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.  There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’ ” NKJV  (Matthew 22)  Those called are those who are faithful all of their lives.  Even to the point of death.  (Revelation 2:10)  “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer.  Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days.  Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” NKJV  Marriage feast is final stage of the wedding. 

5.  Revelation 22:4  “They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.” NKJV  Do His commandments.  Wash your robes.  By obeying God’s law of pardon, sins are washed away by the power of Jesus’ blood  (Revelation 1:5)  “and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.  To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood.” NKJV  (Revelation 7:14)  “And I said to him, ‘Sir, you know.’  So he said to me, ‘These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’ ” NKJV  His law of pardon for the alien sinner:  (Acts 22:16)  “And now why are you waiting?  Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’ ” NKJV  His law of pardon for the erring sinner:  (Acts 8:22)  “Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.” NKJV  Blessings:  Right to the tree of life – eternal life  

  Gates of the city – Heaven  (Revelation 21:22-27)  “But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.  The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it.  The Lamb is its light.  And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.  Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there).  And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.  But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” NKJV

Conclusion: 

Will you answer the call?  Revelation 22:17 “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’  And let him who thirsts come.  Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” NKJV  The invitation is open to all who are willing to obey.

Bobby Stafford 

May 15, 2016