Bonus: Interpreting Revelation

The Everlasting Praise of Heaven: Rejoicing in the Lord

The book of Revelation is the pulling back of the curtain so that we can see what the future of God's people will be. This revelation is our glorious hope as we look to Jesus in these days of tribulation and know for sure he is coming back to take us home. Reading through Revelation there are many things that can be confusing or disturbing because we don't live in the same century as John, who received this vision. But as we come to chapter 19 there is absolute certainty that we can understand what is going on and how it applies to the redeemed of God and their future reality. As the world watches on at the destruction of Babylon, representing the world that has rebelled against God, the people of God in heaven rejoice at her destruction. Now they see that it is truly finished. Before them is set the wedding feast of the lamb, as the church is made ready by God to enjoy his goodness and fulness forever. This chapter presents us with the everlasting praise of heaven and teaches us that we must worship God appropriately here and now. As Psalm 96:9 tells us, > Worship the Lord in the splendour of holiness; temple before him, all the earth! Glorious Hope is a podcast teaching series from Annalong Presbyterian Church. You can find out more at http://www.annalongpc.org/sermons [https://www.annalongpc.org/sermons]. Get your copy of the ESV Scripture Journal (Revelation) [https://www.crossway.org/bibles/esv-scripture-journal-revelation-tpb/] wherever you get your Christian books to help your own study in this series. A video of this podcast is available at https://youtu.be/Ak9PbUiOzZQ [https://youtu.be/Ak9PbUiOzZQ].

The Danger of Loving the World: The Destruction of Babylon

The book of Revelation is the pulling back of the curtain so that we can see what the future of God's people will be. This revelation is our glorious hope as we look to Jesus in these days of tribulation and know for sure he is coming back to take us home. Chapter 18 gives us the final destruction of Babylon, representing all the adulterous cities of the world. As she faces her punishment those who loved her, benefited from her, and misled the people within her stand back in sadness and grief as she burns. They are not sad for the punishment but for what they will lose by her punishment. The warning for us today is to not fall in love with the world. Rather than be sad at her destruction we are to understand it as the moment when we eagerly wait for the return of the Lord. Glorious Hope is a podcast teaching series from Annalong Presbyterian Church. You can find out more at http://www.annalongpc.org/sermon [https://www.annalongpc.org/sermons]. Get your copy of the ESV Scripture Journal (Revelation) [https://www.crossway.org/bibles/esv-scripture-journal-revelation-tpb/] wherever you get your Christian books to help your own study in this series. A video of this podcast is available at https://youtu.be/7KZN0RUIyi4 [https://youtu.be/7KZN0RUIyi4].

The End of All Our Babylons: Punishment for a Rebellious World

The book of Revelation is the pulling back of the curtain so that we can see what the future of God's people will be. This revelation is our glorious hope as we look to Jesus in these days of tribulation and know for sure he is coming back to take us home. Reading Revelation can seem as if it is all doom and gloom, but at the start of chapter 18 we hear wonderful news that the persecutor and deceiver of the church, the great prostitute Babylon, faces the punishment she deserves for her evil and sin. Babylon is presented to John as the world and its cities that have lived in luxury with not a care for the things of God and eternal salvation. John is given a warning to the church that she must come out of Babylon so as not to be influenced and tainted by her sin. This is not a separatist approach where there is no interaction, for Babylon still needs to hear the good news of the gospel and salvation. Rather, the church is to be on its guard against the attacks of the devil through the actions of the great city. Glorious Hope is a podcast teaching series from Annalong Presbyterian Church. You can find out more at http://www.annalongpc.org/sermons [https://www.annalongpc.org/sermons]. Get your copy of the ESV Scripture Journal (Revelation) [https://www.crossway.org/bibles/esv-scripture-journal-revelation-tpb/] wherever you get your Christian books to help your own study in this series. A video of this podcast is available at https://youtu.be/Le13ygWdyx8 [https://youtu.be/Le13ygWdyx8].

Rejoicing in the Victory of God: The Self-Destruction of Sin

The book of Revelation is the pulling back of the curtain so that we can see what the future of God's people will be. This revelation is our glorious hope as we look to Jesus in these days of tribulation and know for sure he is coming back to take us home. Turning to chapter 17 we come to some images that John is given that are not easy for us to understand. The language is from John's time and he would have had no issue in interpreting it. For us, however, we need to understand what Revelation is saying to our generation as it has to every generation. John is given an image of the great prostitute, Babylon, and the Beast. John sees and marvels at the influence of the beast and how not only have many peoples given themselves over to it but also the leaders of the world have given it their authority. This only last for a short time as the leaders become jealous and turn on the prostitute, teaching us of the self-destructive nature of sin. Verse 14 gives us a great sense of hope as we see the Lamb victorious over those who want to war against Jesus and persecute his people. This means that no matter how hard the situations may be and how intent the world is in persecuting believers, the victory is Christs and his alone. Glorious Hope is a podcast teaching series from Annalong Presbyterian Church. You can find out more at http://www.annalongpc.org/sermons [https://www.annalongpc.org/sermons]. Get your copy of the ESV Scripture Journal (Revelation) [https://www.crossway.org/bibles/esv-scripture-journal-revelation-tpb/] wherever you get your Christian books to help your own study in this series. A video of this podcast is available at https://youtu.be/GDRwkF-jN3M [https://youtu.be/GDRwkF-jN3M].

The End of Gospel Opportunity: The Outpouring of the Seventh Bowl of Wrath

The book of Revelation is the pulling back of the curtain so that we can see what the future of God's people will be. This revelation is our glorious hope as we look to Jesus in these days of tribulation and know for sure he is coming back to take us home. Having looked at the first six bowls of God's wrath we now come to the seven and final bowl. This judgement and punishment on rebellious humanity comes at the en dot human history and verses 17 to 21 of chapter 16 tell us of the end of the world, the end of human society, the end of sin and the end of gospel opportunity. As we hear Christ declare "It is done!" we are reminded of his words from Calvary's cross "It is finished!", revealing to us that God's plan of salvation is now complete. But for those receiving God's punishment they are entrenched in their self-righteousness and see these punishments as too much for what they are guilty off. Still, they do not repent and as the chapter closes so the time for responding to the gospel comes to an end. For the unbeliever this should be a wake-up call to respond to the gospel and repent of sin. For the redeemed in Christ it is an encouragement that Christ will keep us to the end and we will know his glory complete as we will receive the blessing of our salvation, eternity in heaven. Glorious Hope is a podcast teaching series from Annalong Presbyterian Church. You can find out more at http://www.annalongpc.org/sermons [https://www.annalongpc.org/sermons]. Get your copy of the ESV Scripture Journal (Revelation) [https://www.crossway.org/bibles/esv-scripture-journal-revelation-tpb/] wherever you get your Christian books to help your own study in this series. A video of this podcast is available at https://youtu.be/72hzgaQslZo [https://youtu.be/72hzgaQslZo].