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Summary

If you go to Revelation the first chapter, so it's the last book in the Bible, Revelation first chapter where where Jesus is revealing this to John, we'll look at we'll look at first verse 8 where Jesus tells John, I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty, then let's jump down to 17. So as we're going through, there are so many things that are symbolic and some of the things I know I've said we're going to come back, we're going to come back to the throne room. And so we're going to come back and we're going to study the seven trumpets today and we're going to look at the seven bowls or the seven sensors and that's all over the same period of time. Remember Abraham was a moon worshipper here but this grace that comes to this one who is righteous, remember scripture says, because of faith, you see, righteous through faith, that grace and also that application of the law that shows all of us our sin in our need for repentance and then points the person right back to the cross of Jesus Christ where we know that our sin has been forgiven and heaven is open to us not based on our righteousness but because the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. So Jesus sent Peter and John saying go and prepare the Passover meal for us that we may eat it they asked him where do you want us to make preparations for it listen he said to them when you have entered the city a man carrying a jar of water will meet you follow him into the house he enters here's very specific instruction about this man so prophecy can really deal with small matters it can also deal with great events for example the prophecy with regard to flood the prophecy with regard to the destruction of Jerusalem both times Jesus's death and resurrection the end of the world so prophecy can deal with small and also great here's something else to keep in mind prophecy can cover either a short or long period for example some prophecies are fulfilled the very same day in Holy Scripture and other prophecies other prophecies take thousands of years the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in his first coming or his second coming is an example of that or we hear it put this way in second Peter the third chapter a good way to find second Peter is to go to the book of Revelation and start to work your way back toward Matthew you're going to cross over the Johns and then you bump into the Peters very quick second Peter chapter 3 we'll pick up in verse 3 first of all you must understand this that in the last days scoffers will come scoffing and indulging their own lusts and saying where is the promise of his coming for ever since our ancestors died all things continue as they were from the very beginning of creation they deliberately ignore this fact that by the word of God heavens existed long ago and an earth was formed out of water and by means of water through which the world of that time was deluged with water and perished but by the same word the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the Godless but do not ignore this one fact be loving that which the Lord one day that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like one day the Lord's not slow about his promise is some think of slowness but is patient with you not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance so what we see is it can be either covering a short period of time or a long period of time here's another descriptor with regard to prophecy it can be conditional or unconditional unconditional prophecy is God promises something and it's simply going to be Christ birth death resurrection his return perfect examples of unconditional prophecy but then you have conditional prophecies in other words they are fulfilled only if the people who received them met certain conditions so for example when when Jonah foretold the destruction of Nineveh that immediate fulfillment that immediate fulfillment was laid aside when the people repented or another example is in Jeremiah chapter 18 let's turn there please in the Old Testament Jeremiah chapter 18 and we'll pick up in verse 7 Jeremiah 18 verse 7 at one moment I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it but if that nation concerning which I have spoken turns from its evil I will change my mind about the disaster that I intended to bring on it and that another moment I made to declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and planted but if it does evil in my sight not listening to my voice then I will change my mind about the good that I had intended to do to it so you can have prophecies then that are unconditional you can have prophecies that are conditional here's the next some prophecies were delivered by dreams or night visions so for example you've got Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the image that was interpreted by Daniel or Jacob's dream of the latter or Joseph's dreams about his family you can also have visions examples of of that is Paul and Acts 22 or John in the book of Revelation here's another descriptor of prophecies some prophecy is received by direct encounter with God Genesis 18 is an example of that Abraham received a promise of a son that was a direct encounter with God or sometimes the angels will come and deliver the prophecy we read in scripture about the angel coming and delivering the prophecy with regard to the birth of John the Baptist or the angel coming and delivering the prophecy with regard to the birth of our Lord so here's some then principles or descriptors of prophecy just to review they can deal with matters smaller great they can cover a short or long period they can be conditional or unconditional some were delivered as dreams or night visions some were received by a direct encounter with God okay let's go on let's gain that greater understanding around this whole issue of prophecy some can be given in plain literal language and other prophecies can be given in symbolic language what we can deal with are what are called types and types is an old testament event that looks forward to the new testament and the ultimate fulfillment so a type a type can be for example a person we see in scripture Melchizedek was a type a type of Christ the true priest or a type can be an event the freeing of Israel from Egypt is a type that points forward to the redemption that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ or it can be a thing the Passover lamb in the old testament is a type that points forward to the lamb of God Jesus Christ prophecies can be acted out symbolically for example let's go to Jeremiah chapter 27 verse 1 Jeremiah 27 verse 1 and here we have a prophecy that's with symbolic actions as it's communicated so verse 1 chapter 27 in the beginning of the reign of King Zedekiah son of Josiah of Judah this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord thus the Lord said to me make yourself a yoke of straps and bars and put them on your neck send word of the king of Edom the king of Moab the king of the Ammonites the king of Tyra and the king of Sidon by the hand of the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to kings at a kaya of Judah give them this charge for their masters thus says the Lord of hosts the God of Israel this is what you shall say to your masters it is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth with the people and animals that are on the earth and I give it to whomever I please now I have given all these lands into the hand of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon my servant and I have given him even the wild animals of the field to serve him all the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson until the time of his own land comes then many nations and great kings shall make him their slave but if any nation or kingdom will not serve this king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and put his neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon then I will punish that nation with the sword with famine and with pestilence says the Lord until I've completed its destruction by his hand you therefore must not listen to your prophets your diviners your dreamers your soothsayers or your sorcerers who are saying to you you shall not serve the king of Babylon for they are prophesying a lie to you with the result that you will be removed far from your land I will drive you out and you will perish but any nation that will bring its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him I will leave on its own land says the Lord to till it and live there see there we see the prophecy symbolically lived out by Jeremiah there can be symbolic language you see that in Ezekiel Daniel Zechariah also with John for example the candlesticks in Revelation they stand for congregation the beasts in Daniel stand for the kingdom so prophecy can be communicated symbolically here's a very important point I'd like you to remember truths which are taught in symbolic language in scripture are also taught elsewhere in plain literal language let me say that again truths which are taught in symbolic language in scripture are also taught elsewhere in plain literal language so one looks then for the plain literal language and then uses that in the interpretation of the symbolic so always when one sees symbolism look for the plain literal interpretation if one doesn't that's where that launch into imagination can simply come into being where sometimes people will interpret prophecy and you say where are you getting that because you see it doesn't bear the correct biblical principles of interpretation so why is it important to study prophecy we've laid principles with regard to prophecy why is it important to study prophecy first prophecy shows the glory of the true God that he's in control that we can count on him that we can count on his word let's go to Isaiah chapter 46 right before Jeremiah Isaiah 46 we'll pick up in verse 8 Isaiah 46 verse 8 remember this and consider recall it to mind you transgressors remember the former things of old for I am God and there is no other I am God and there is no one like me declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done saying my purpose shall stand and I will fulfill my intentions prophecy shows as we see the fulfillment of prophecy prophecy shows that we can rely on God that his word is trustworthy here's a second reason why it's important to study prophecy prophecy directs us to Christ let's go to Luke chapter 24 Matthew Mark and then Luke Luke chapter 24 verse 44 then he said to them these are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you that everything written about me in the law of Moses the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled Jesus of course is the one speaking here then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures see Jesus showed how the very scripture points to himself here's a third reason prophecy prepares us for the events that are still coming let's go to Matthew chapter 24 verse 32 Matthew chapter 24 verse 32 Jesus said from the fig tree learn its lesson as soon as its branches become tender and puts forth its leaves you know that summer is near so also when you see all these things you know that he is near at the very gates here's another reason prophecy influences are conduct in the present let's go to second Peter chapter 3 and we're a good way to find second Peter's just go to revelation and then slowly work your way backwards second Peter chapter 3 verse 14 therefor beloved while you are waiting for these things strive to be found by him at peace without spot or blemish another reason why we study prophecy is it makes up a great part of the word of God there are some 8,300 verses in holy scripture that have elements of prophecy in them so you consider 8,300 verses in scripture that contain elements of prophecy within the 31,000 verses in holy scripture so a major portion of scripture is dealing with prophecy we study prophecy also so that we may be a people that can recognize where there's a bad interpretation of prophecy and then we can address that bad prophecy those false views so in the weeks ahead let's study about the prophecies fulfilled at Christ's first coming the prophecies fulfilled being fulfilled today the prophecies to be filled be fulfilled at Christ's return and next week we'll take a look at prophecies fulfilled during the old testament God bless Okay, so quick review because we are shifting over into the humanity or I mean into the divinity of Jesus today, but to go back to look at the humanity of Jesus, we know from biblical sources that Jesus was born of a woman. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate he ascended into heaven is seated at the right hand of the Father same thing he will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead his kingdom will have no end then moving over to the Athenation creed we read that the Father is one person the Son is another the Spirit is another but the deity of the Father Son and Holy Spirit is one equal in glory co-eternal and in majesty what the Father is the Son is and so is the Holy Spirit uncreated is the Son the Son is infinite eternal is the Son Almighty is the Son the Son is God the Son is Lord the Son was neither made nor created but was alone begotten of the Father he has taken humanity into himself he does not transform deity into humanity it's very important again that's holding those two full natures with one another as complete and whole truth those are from the creeds but those words that we hear from from that the the only Son we hear that in scripture and that's exactly where we're going to turn now let's go to John the the gospel of John that's the fourth gospel and we're just going right to that first chapter this first chapter when you really sit there and think and read through it and ponder and meditate on what it means and what is really being written and said here it can become overwhelming just the the heavy truth of it it's absolutely gorgeous so John the first chapter we're going to look first at verses one through three in the beginning was the word so in the beginning we have that in another place in scripture Genesis in the beginning in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God he was in the beginning with God all things came into being through him and without him not one thing came into being so here we have it set up that there's this word the word was not only with God but the word was God that is absolutely trinitarian in in its nature and it's in its patterns words that this word which in the Greek is logos or logos this is held up as as that that which is with God in the beginning and not only with God but was God this is where we get that from the Athenation Creed the Sun is infinite eternal is the Sun right we have this uncreated that he is with God continuing on with verses 14 through 18 the word became flesh and lived among us and we have seen his glory the glory as of a father's only son full of grace and truth John testified to him and cried out this was he of whom I said he who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me from his fullness we have all received grace upon grace the law indeed was given through Moses grace and truth came through Jesus Christ no one has ever seen God it is God the only son who is close to the father's heart who has made him known so we know God and God is revealed through the person of Jesus Christ Jesus himself tells us this which we will get to let's look at the birth of Christ we had this reading earlier today in service or we'll have it in a little bit in service Matthew 1 so go over you're going to flip backwards to the first gospel which is Matthew and this is about the birth of Jesus the Messiah bless you so skipping down into into verse the last verse in or last sentence in verse 18 she was found this Mary was found to be with child from the holy spirit then jumped down to verse 20 when Joseph had resolved to to dismiss Mary quietly an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said Joseph son of David do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife for the child conceived in her is from the holy spirit you are to name him Jesus for he will save his people from their sins and this is what fulfills the prophet the words of the prophet look the virgin shall conceive in baris son and they shall name him in manual which means God is with us so again we have that set up right from the beginning in this birth telling or retelling of Christ that he is conceived of the holy spirit that he will be named Jesus that he will be called Emmanuel which means God is with us let's go over to the gospel of Luke the first chapter that's the third so you're going to go through Matthew past mark and find yourself in Luke the first chapter and starting in verse 30 this is where the angel has come to Mary to tell her well we'll read it the angel said to her do not be afraid Mary for you have found favor with God and now you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you will name him Jesus he will be great and will be called the son of the most high and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and his kingdom there will be no end Mary said to the angel how can this be since I am a virgin the angel said to her the holy spirit will come upon you and the power of the most high will overshadow you therefore the child to be born will be holy he will be called son of God again that birth story or the coming birth story the angel stating this is this is the son of God he will be called holy name him Jesus so we're getting before he's even born we're getting this set up by the angel through the holy spirit that that Christ will be conceived by the holy spirit and that he will be indeed the son of God here God with us in the solid declaration in the formula of concord so that's part of the book book of concord the confessions the Lutheran confessions it says it reads that he demonstrated his divine majesty in his mother's womb in that he was born of a virgin without violating her virginity I thought that was very poignant that even before birth Christ was proving himself to be God in that he was conceived within a virgin by the power of the holy spirit but she in her virginity was not violated right I think that's that's a really poignant poignant remark there so that was one demonstration of his divine nature he had humbled himself and he was found to be in human form but Jesus did reveal his divine nature in his earthly ministry let's go back oh you know what let's stick in Luke because we're here already and we're just going to go down to Luke 2 verses 41 or picking up in 41 and we're going to we're going to kind of skip ahead this is where Jesus was lost and I say that with air quotes they thought he was lost in Jerusalem so Mary and Joseph turned back to find him they found him on verse 46 after three days they found him in the temple sitting among the teachers listening to them and asking them questions and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers when his parents saw him they were astonished and his mother said to him child why have you treated us like this look your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety he said to them why were you searching for me did you not know that I must be in my father's house but they did not understand what he said to them then he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them his mother treasured all these things in her heart and Jesus increased in wisdom and in years and in divine and human favor so he knew he was in his father's house can you imagine a 12 year old speaking with such authority and such wisdom amongst these learned rabbis that there was even in his young age it he was already revealing his divinity just by his wisdom so now let's go over to John the second chapter where we have Jesus first miracle at the wedding at Cana John chapter 2 on the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee and the mother of Jesus was there Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding when the wine gave out the mother of Jesus said to him they have no wine and Jesus said to her woman what concern is that to you and me my hour has not yet come his mother said to his servants do whatever he tells you now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rights of purification each holding 20 or 30 gallons Jesus said to them fill the jars with water and they filled them up to the brim he said to them now draw some out and take it to the chief steward so they took it when the steward tasted the water that had become wine and did not and did not know where it came from though the servants who had drawn the water new the steward called the bridegroom and said to him everyone serves the good wine first and then the inferior wine after their guests have become drunk but you have kept the good wine until now Jesus did this the first of his signs in Cana of Galilee and revealed his glory and his disciples believed in him so this is his first miracle that he performed he is revealing his glorified nature he's revealing his divine nature through that miracle if we go over to John 11 we see another incredible miracle in the raising of Lazarus we're going to start with verse 25 because I think this is a really important I don't think I just think but this is period a really important statement that Jesus makes about himself in verse 25 Jesus says to Lazarus's sister I am the resurrection and the life those who believe in me even though they die will live and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die he is declaring himself to be the resurrection let's go down to verses 38 through 44 Jesus again greatly disturbed came to the tomb it was a cave and a stone was lying against it Jesus said take away the stone Martha the sister of the dead man said to him Lord already there is a stench because he has been dead for four days Jesus said to her did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God so they took away the stone and Jesus looked upward and said Father I thank you for having heard me I knew that you always hear me but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here so that they may believe and that that you sent me when he said this he cried out with a loud voice Lazarus come out the dead man came out his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth and his face wrapped in a cloth Jesus said to them unbind him and let him go this only God could do the man had been dead and I know that that Paul does call someone back to life but this it's done in the name of Jesus right and here we have Jesus praying he's saying this is done to show his glory to show the Father's glory rather and it's it's very important to realize and this is something that I like to draw attention to when we're called into faith it is just as Christ called Lazarus right he said come out Lazarus didn't him and ha he didn't sit in the cave saying I don't know is this the choice I want to make right he just came he was called and he came and that is that is how we are called into faith we are dead in our sin we are dead in our trespasses we may as well be Lazarus physically dead we're dead and then Christ calls us into faith and we respond not because we make a choice but Christ has made that choice for us and has called us into faith by name we're about out of time I've got some more okay hold on okay I know I've got so in John 14 it tells us that Jesus is the revelation of the Father Philip Jesus is talking to Philip and Philip is saying where are you going and where are you going and and he says that Philip could believe because of all the works that Jesus had performed through his divine nature he was able to perform all of these works and that Philip could believe through those works by witnessing those works if not by the words alone but again those works always point to the word they always point to the truth that Christ is God in Philippians 2 6 through 11 it says though he was in the form of God he did not require a regard equality with God as something to be exploited but emptied himself taking the form of a slave being born in human likeness he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even death on a cross therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name so at that name of Jesus every knee should bend in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father in collagens to verse 9 it says in him in Jesus the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily second Peter has more we're going to go into this more next next class period where we'll also look at the transfiguration where Jesus glory is shown and revealed before three of his disciples so if you have questions ha ha that's the there you go no time for questions today ha ha ha ha if you have questions email me and we will pick up here on the first of January so not next week but the following week in 2020 we will pick up with the divinity of Christ Well, last week we took a look at one of the more rugged parts of the prophetic books and that was Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Habakkuk and Zefania.

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