Sound The Trumpet : The Divine Program

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Exploring Revelation

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“The Divine Program - Revelation 1:19”
by Art Sadlier
April 24th, 2020

In Revelation 1:19 we have the divine outline of the Book of Revelation. We have a threefold division given here. FIRST, John was to write about “the things that he has seen.” His vision of Christ in His Eternal Glory in Heaven. (Chapter one) SECOND has to do with the “things which are”. That has to do with the time period in which John lived, the church age, in which we still live. (Chapter two and three) THIRD has to do with the “things which shall be hereafter” This involves Chapter 4 to the end of the book.

At this point I want to give you a sketch of God’s Marvellous Program.

God has a program, it begins in Genesis and ends n Revelation, everything in between is the outworking of God’s Program.

I always feel sorry for those people who try to study the Bible with no understanding of God’s Program.

GOD’S PROGRAM is His plan to bring a remedy to all that is wrong with MAN, the NATIONS, the WORLD, and ISRAEL.

Rev. 21:1= THE CONSUMATION OF HEAVEN AND EARTH

Gen.3:1-19 = THE ENTRANCE OF SIN AND THE CURSE

Rev. 21:27-22:3 = THE END OF SIN AND THE CURSE

Gen.3:17 = DAWN OF SATAN AND HIS ACTIVITIES

Rev. 20:10= DOOM OF SATAN AND HIS ACTIVITIES

Gen.2:9-3:2 4= THE TREE OF LIFE RELINQUISHED

Gen.2:27, 5:5 = DEATH MAKES ITS ENTRANCE

Rev. 21:4 = DEATH MAKES ITS EXIT

Gen. 3:15 = SORROW BEGINS

Rev. 21:4 = SORROW IS BANISHED

Man persists in blaming God for sin - sorrow - death. God is not the author of these things (Ja.1:13) but God does have a solution to right every wrong if man will only apply that solution!

Man tends to sit at a judgment seat, and to call God to come and stand before Him and explain everything He has done.

In Revelation we learn it is Christ, not the nations, who has the answers. God doesn’t have to explain to us why He does what He does.

I want to give you some landmarks for the study of Revelation.

l. THERE IS A SHARP DISTINCTION BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE CHURCH.

a. THE BIBLE IS TO BE INTERPRETED LITERALLY.

(See Gen. 13:14-15) If that is not to be taken literally, then language has no meaning

or purpose.

b. ISRAEL ENJOYS A SPECIAL PLACE IN GOD’S DEALINGS.

(SEE Mt. 10:5-7 Acts 1:6)

c. THE ECCLESIA (CHURCH) HAS A SPECIAL PLACE IN GOD’S DEALINGS.

(See Mk.16:15, 16 Rom.16:25) A special called out group in a special dispensation.

2. THERE ARE SOME TIME PERIODS GOD HAS IN VIEW TO PERFORM HIS

PROGRAMS

THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES

(See Lu.21:24) From 586 B.C. until Armageddon . After the rapture God will begin to deal with Israel as a nation again. God will begin to bring an end to the Gentile nations’ rebellion against God, and their dominance of Israel. The times of the gentiles have not ended yet; the Temple Mt. was the capital of the Theocratic Kingdom. The gentiles still control the Temple Mount.

THE DAY OF THE LORD

We live in the Age of Grace. God is not taking vengeance today in this evil age in which we live. Judgment against sin and evil is delayed in the present age. Men can shake their fists in the face of God and nothing happens. Someday that will change! There is a Coming Day, “The Day of the Lord”. It will be a day in which God’s anger and judgment against sin will be revealed. (See Isa. 63:6, 9. Joel 1:15) The Day of the Lord will begin with the rapture of the church. When the church is removed, judgment will fall. (see 1 Thess. 5:2, 3) The church will not go through the Day of the Lord. (see 1 Thess. 5:9)

THE DAY OF CHRIST

This is not the same as the Day of the Lord (see 1 Cor. 1:8). This will take place in Heaven.

Just as evil for centuries has gone unpunished in the world, so righteousness has

gone unrewarded. Both will come to an end. The Day of Christ will begin with the

rapture and in heaven righteousness will be rewarded. (11 Tim.4:8)

Let us mark these time periods in the Book of Revelation.

CHAPTERS 1: -3

CHAPTERS 4: -5

- The Day of Christ (a preview)

- 1000 years

- Long Predicted Isa. 11:1-10

CHAPTERS 21: -22

- Endless ages

God chose to use a very old man, John the Apostle, in a very bleak circumstance to reveal these great truths to us.

-Twas on the Isle of Patmos,

Forsaken and alone,

That John beheld Heaven’s open door

And God’s Eternal Throne.

The Rocky Cliffs about him

The chains that bound him there,

Could not restrain his spirit’s flight

Or dim that vision fair

The hour of deepest darkness

Was oft the open door

To hidden heights and depths of love

Unknown to us before.

Lord help us follow gladly

The pathway Thou dost show,

That as we yield our lives to Thee

Thy fullness we may know.

On that lonely Isle of Patmos John was totally yielded to God and His will! That is the only place that God will bless, are you living there?

Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13