The difference between common hope and Christian hope

Our hope in Him is the well-grounded expectation of what He promised.

The words from Revelation gave Jesus’ first followers, living in the 1st century, hope.

The word “revelation” means to reveal, disclose or to uncover. Revelation gives us some details about Jesus’ second coming to earth and some peeks into eternity in heaven, but also describes in symbolic detail what will happen in the time in between.

Overall important characteristics to know about the book of Revelation:

·         It is prophecy.

·         It is apocalyptic.

·         It was written to the first generation of Christians who were suffering.

·         It is Scripture- saturated.

·         It can’t be read literally or as a sequential timeline.

Chapter 1, verses 10-11… John says, “On the Lord’s Day, I was in the Spirit and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.” These major Christian churches in Asia were each told of their strengths and weaknesses and they were given hope-filled promises.

Read chapters 4-12 of Revelation this week– to prepare you for next week’s sermon.