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Revelation Review Part 1- Introduction and Rev 1 · Journey Elgin

• riverside edit phillip — take 03 journey church of e: Hey, it's good to see you today. My name is Philip Thomas here with Tom Burns with Redeemed Idiot. If I if this is not your first time, you know that we've kind of been on a hiatus for a while. Tom has been j a little out of pocket. You know, he's like you know, j just a couple thousand miles. You know, actually probably more than a couple thousand miles. and he's been kind of in a very sandy area, a little bit hotter and drier than than we are here. but things. Possibly the largest sandbox on the planet. Yes, yes. And that's all he was doing. He was just building sand castles over there and and and you know, really just kind of enjoying himself. Didn't work that well because it wasn't much water fifty. But but no, so we we we have I I guess been what nearly two years ago, we started you started going through Revelation and And you have a a ministry called Redeemed Idiot. which by the way, you can find the YouTube page, Redeemed Idiot. You can also go to Journey Church of Elgin. We have a church app that has there's under the media column, there's a a redeemed idiot thing that that does all the things that you were teaching on the book of Revelation. and and we're going through Revelation. and trying to connect it to what what's going on in the world around us. So you would teach on Wednesday nights and then we would also we would have a conversation like this, you know, kind of a recap, a revelation recap. so Tom is gonna be beginning that process again at the first of the year. So every Wednesday there'll be a new kind of moving forward. I think we made it up to Revelation chapter six. but in in that area. We finished sixth, about ready to pop into seven. Yes. And and so so that's where we ended about a year ago. and in January we are going to pick up from that point. But each week on Wednesday we're gonna upload a kind of another little recap and sum up what you taught all two years ago basically. Right. So that's kind of what we're doing here. So so this will kind of give me a refresher if you watch those videos. If you haven't watched those videos and you you I'd encourage you to go and and watch them, but if you can't, we're we're hoping to to catch you up. But so this is this is kind of an introduction. So I want to start off. you one, you started a ministry called Redeemed Idiot. All right. That's kind of a funny name and and we we we kind of have fun with it. But Let's just start off there, not even touch revelation necessarily, but you you wanted this ministry and called it Redeemed Idiot. Why? What's behind that? Me? So it it the concept really is obviously the point of redemption. You know, that that that's pointing out being redeemed by Christ, you know, having that salvation piece. and when I first was starting the ministry, I was like, You know, I I understand when you put things on social media and all that, you gotta have a title and a name and just Tom was like, meh. So I was like, I gotta come with a title. What do I put this in? And and when I first was coming up with it because of my military background and what I do, I was like coming with like cool stuff like Soldier for Christ and all this other stuff. Like, man, that is just so like generic and you know, it didn't fit necessarily 'cause I It fits, but it didn't fit what I was looking for and what I wanted the message really kind of to be. so I came up with the concept realizing, you know, okay, I am redeemed, do have redemption, I do have salvation. But at the same time, I'm still an idiot. I still screw up, I still sin, I still make mistakes, I'm not like perfect, I'm not sanctimonious. And that was in part, especially now that I have some shirts or whatever, but when people hear it and if I talk to somebody, and my hope is sometimes I can actually just talk to people in public, that The concept is I'm not here to judge. You know, I'm a moron, I'm an idiot, I sin, I make mistakes just like everybody else. That maybe there could be a thing where we can kind of like come together on the same principle where I'm not like, I'm better than thou and thou's just screwed up and you are sinning. You need to repent and repel and all this other stuff. It's like I can be like, I get it, man. Been there myself, done the stupid thing, still doing stupid things, and have conversation and and so that people can see. You can still have redemption. You can still look at Christ. You can still come to church and all these things, even even if you're not perfect. because I was raised in that kind of concept of the sanctimonious type of way. And I don't want to be that person. I don't want to people to think I'm sitting in an aspect of judgment. that I'm there just for no matter what. So if someone I'll I'll just say if someone's i in a bad situation with drugs, for instance. They're not looking down upon like, hey, we can talk about this. We you know I guess kind of the concept is be relatable. There's what I'm looking for. I can relatable to people. Yeah, because you know, the correct me if I'm wrong, the goal of your ministry, and and we're gonna get into revelation here in just a minute, but revelation is not the endpoint of the of your ministry. The the end point of your ministry is redemption, is helping people Come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, right? And and doing that in a little bit different way, using revelation to kind of point people to Christ. And we'll be talking about that here in a minute, but but trying to to reach those people who have maybe already given up on the church or been offended by the church, or believe some of the stereotypes of the church that may have some truth, but But maybe Satan has used a l to to just convince people that they won't be welcome, right? Because I the r the reality is, is most churches will be very welcoming to nearly anyone. However, there are some times that that's not always the case. But now that's just kind of become the stereotype that most people believe, that, if I don't fit this certain paradigm, then I they're not going to welcome me. well whether that's true or not, y you if if perception can become reality and I think it's become reality. So even with you the name that you have given of redeemed idiot, it's just trying the best we can to to reach those people who feel like th the church is not for them. Right. Because y Christ is for them, right? That that's what it's all about. It's about that redemption that we find it in. Right. you made a a good point on the point it's not just about the book of Revelation. it's a it's about the redemption part to it and and and hoping people hear and understand. And so even from how this started on my side was that when I first went to Revelation, it was not to learn the prophetic things and the signs and the end times and all the things and the world's gonna blow up and all this other. It wasn't it was never about that. It was it's it in in in short, it was A lot of people use the term and say that person's not a Christian, that person's not saved, or that person is and like they have some authority to make that decisive decision based upon someone's personality or their behavior, whatever, that they somehow know. And and I had a problem with that because I didn't feel I had we as humans have the power and authority to actually know who or who is not saved. You can't just judge it by the behavior because we're all sinners. We all screw up. We all do stupid things. And different people experience different things in life. you know, if someone loses a child or a husband or a wife, that could put them into a spiral. You know, and just because they're in that spiral and they're and they're hurting, they may do stupid things that are not good, but that doesn't mean that person doesn't have salvation or it doesn't mean it that they do if they were going to church before. It's not our place to make that statement. And So since the church that I heard a lot growing up, and I was battling with this, a lot of times it was said revelation is the revealing of who Jesus Christ actually is. So based upon that theory and thought, I was like, well, okay, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the Bible does say that we have the authority or the power to read when someone is saved or not saved. And we can actually say, You are not saved. Yeah. You are. That person's going to hell. Maybe I'm the one missing the mark on all this. Maybe everybody else is right and I'm wrong. So based upon that theoretical concept that the revelation is about the revealing of Jesus Christ is, I'm like, okay, I'll read Revelation because that's going to tell me who Jesus Christ is. I'm going understand who Jesus and God is more. And maybe I'll figure out, okay, I can actually tell somebody that they're going to hell and they're not saved. so when I went through it first time, I was looking and that never came out. But as I was going through it, I started realizing things in Revelation never understood before. And that's what promoted this whole thing. It's like, wow. And then I went through it more and more. And that's where the twenty five hundred hours originally came from. I like, this is really interesting. It's not this doom and gloom type of thing. It's actually a story still of redemption. Yeah. Of Christ, what he is going to do. And I was like, I want to share this with people. Yeah. and that's how it kind of all came about. And that's why I'm using Revelation, because it does take the other sixty five books of the Bible to understand and brings it all into context. Yeah. No, that's one hundred percent. And and by the way, whenever you're you're talking about salvation, you're exact you know, Jesus whenever he's talking about not to judge, that that it's kind of getting at that. Yeah. You know, yes, we can recognize people's fruit by their fruit, you will know them, right? But yes, we are all sinners and and redemption comes only through Jesus Christ. Right. And and that's what we should be that's where our main focus is, is introducing people to Jesus Christ. And once once that happens, then the fruit starts to change. Right. And but it it if if there hasn't been that that redemption and that that change from what what Christ does, it it the fruit really doesn't matter, right? Yeah, like there's lots of people who do good things and do good fruit, but they're not redeemed. And one of the things that I've appreciated is, you know, that looking at Revelation that I don't think most of us think about is that it is the conclusion of the larger redemptive story arc of scripture. Right. So you're you're never going to be able to fully grasp revelation if you you're not at least familiar with the rest of scripture. Right. and and it in fact that that's that's necessary to ha even having a clue to what Revelation says. It really is. Is because everything in there is essentially talked about somewhere else in scripture, right? And and so y it it there's a really positive things of going through Revelation because it does teach you the rest of the Bible if you do it honestly. Correct. now, now there are, so it so you mentioned 2,500 hours. So when was it that you kind of started this process of really diving in to Revelation? it was well, I was on a deployment in 22. My years right. It was on a deployment in 22 and where I made the statement of, you know, the you're saved, you're not saved thing. It was actually pointed at me once by someone saying, Well, you're not saved. and that's because I'm an idiot. And what I do militarily does change your thought process and your mind and how you are and how you act and sometimes how you speak. And just as a simple example, I can get very I'm getting better at it, but I can get very aggressive toward people on the road. and I don't mean like like vehicle aggressive and pull them over and go beat them up like this. But it boils and I will yell at people, I'll do whatever, because they can't drive right. That's just that I'm not showing what would be considered a Christian personality. But there's other things as well. And it was pointed out to me and it fumed me. So that being said, so when I was there, I was deployed and I happened to get stuck in a certain place for a while that I wasn't really in my deployment area. I had to just watch some things, but that's a whole nother story. is when I sat down and it was really bugging me. And I there's other things that I had done previously to try to understand things. There was more on a scientific approach that could be a different discussion at a different time. But I was like in a confused state. Like, like, how do I know? I mean, am I right? Am I wrong? Am I saved? Am I not saved? How do I find out? Am I do I understand God enough or I don't understand? Why does everybody seem to understand him better than I do? And they can make these statements. And I was really in a confused place. And I c I can still remember vividly that I was standing out by this picnic table and not that it's a a real thing that happens. I don't want to create like I was seeing God or Christ and all this stuff and he was actually like in my ear and sitting on my shoulder little things. Is I was in this confused state and I was really kind of lost, like, how do I figure this out? How do I know? How do I know? How do I know? And that it was a point when it in my head I could picture, I'll just put it that way. It wasn't like real, that that like there was this argument in heaven. Between God the Father and God the Son. Jesus like and like Jesus was saying, Dad, come on, man. This guy's really trying. Give him a chance. Like, tell him. And God's like, nope, he's got to figure it out on his own. And Christ was in my defense, like, come on, man. Come on, Dad. Let him know. And like God was like going, okay, go ahead and tell him. And it's just a weird visual type of thing going on. And almost I didn't hear the words, but almost like I sensed or could feel like Christ is like, Or God like one of them, I don't know which one was like the answer's in your hand, stupid. And it was referring to the Bible. Yeah. And I didn't have it in my hand, but I knew what that was implying. And I knew where my head was like, get in the Bible, dummy. Because before this I was looking at scientific approaches and string theory and quantum physics and mathematics and like trying to figure things out about God. Like, I need to go back into the Bible. And that's where the revelation thing. Like, maybe he's in Revelation. And that's how it all got started and where it really came from. And that just put me on this progression where I would sit, because I didn't have anything to do. I had to kind of like watch things basically. I would sit there on this easy boy thing and I'd have my computer in front of me and my Bible and I would just go through it from easily from eight o'clock in the morning to up until midnight at night. I would have to go to g I'd go to the gym twice a day, go run, because everything I was kind of learning going through this was boggling in my mind. There was just so much information. I was going so slow. And I had already done study on language. So I was looking at things in its language context. And I did this this beginning part is literally I think it totaled seven weeks. Then that's all I did every single day for whatever, eighteen, sixteen, seventeen hours a day. So whatever that is. Sixteen hours a day. That's all I did. And once I got deployed, I kept doing it when I had every if I had fifteen minutes to jump over by my bed and study, I would study. And that's where it came out. That twenty five hundred hours eventually came out during this whole period that I was deployed. And I went through Revelation three times. And the first time was like I said, looking to see who Jesus and God were like, let me find out what you're revealing. Then I realized, hold on, there's a little bit more to this. So I went through it really slowly. The second time like, did that make sense? I understand what this book actually says. Like, let me do it again. Next time was a little bit faster. So I went through like, damn, I get this this book is wow, this is an amazing book. It's really about more of Christ's redemption. Yeah. And then that's kind of where it went and yeah. Here we are, I guess. Yeah, no. And I I I think that's it's it's good to kind of understand that background because it's not it's not like you've been obsessed with the book of Revelation, obsessed with end times, obsessed with with kind of the the fascination behind it, right? And I and I think I think sometimes, you know, especially now we're we live in a time where there's been focus on revelation that has been really unhealthy. Right. Right. You know, we've talked about Hal Lindsay and he he had like the number one selling book in the 70s, Late Great Planet Earth. And he essentially was pointing to a date in nineteen eighty eight or whatever, right? That the when Christ was going to come again. And you know, and then we realized I think he missed on that, right? I'm fairly confident that he had. and then you had in the nineties, the the Left Behind series of books, right? And they would they're really interesting, really entertaining. And by the both Hal Lindsey and the Left Behind would have things that appear to be true and what scripture says, but then they were nearly blown out of proportion to this fantastical you know spiritual battle that is just you know something that that we can't even fathom, right? And and so some people though get really into that. That's that kind of, you know, it it it meets that need for you know, for that that fictionalized view of things. And so that's the motivation for getting into revelation, right? Is I'm just fascinated with all this. I think it's It's good to point out the direction that you entered this. It wasn't because you were like, this is the coolest book ever and I I just wanna spend time in it. No, it was it literally was more about I just I just want to understand who God is and I I want to understand who Christ is and this and and this is a good place to to start and and would you say that as you started going through it, it It just you started realizing, wow, this this book isn't about how it's been portrayed in the past. This really is about redemption. It is it is about Christ. To a degree, it is revealing who Christ truly is, right? But doing it in a way that's pulling all of scripture in. and then also it is pointing to something that is going to happen. Right. Is that was that be Fair that you've you found. Yeah, that's perfectly accurate. and when you when you when you say that they it really kind of does reveal who Christ is, yeah, it definitely does. I mean more more in the his true overall power, glory, that he is God and all the things, absolutely does. But the thing that that captured my attention the most, and because like I I didn't go through it in a personal perspective, I didn't let go. Well, this probably means this. this sounds like this. It's like there's a specific verse in there that that that captured my attention in Revelation one, that that everything I need to understand and know, and the understanding actually comes only from the scripture, meaning everything in Revelation is actually talked about and explained in the rest of the Bible. The only cap caveat is you gotta go figure out and understand the rest of the Bible. And that's where a lot of the study comes from. It's like, okay. If the answer to the what does that mean is in the rest of the Bible, I need to go find what that's actually talking about. And that was where the blowing away came and started the understanding that was no longer like what I wanted it to say and think, because I already thought I had a good foundational understanding of what revelation was is and what's gonna happen and when it's gonna happen and all these things. and I didn't realize how much I didn't actually know. Yeah. because I listened to a lot of other people. And I was like, okay, I get it. it's not this scary doom and gloom book that that we've put out there. It it it it absolutely is not. Is things going to happen? absolutely. Yeah. But things are already happening anyways that are almost in a doom and gloom kind of way. Yeah. Yeah, there's Christians right now over in Nigeria that are being beheaded for their faith. Yeah, exactly. Right. So when does Revelation talk about things like that happening? Yeah. And but that shouldn't be that shouldn't be terrifying to us in the sense that guess that's already happening in our world today, right? And and that's that's one thing that I I I really appreciate how you approach revelation, is that it it's not as sci fi as that's a good word as the way that it's been portrayed in many i in in many, you know, kind of left behind series. Yeah. I I would say that nearly fits a sci-fi genre. Right? That's actually not what Revelation is. Revelation is just showing, hey, here's how the world works. Here's how it's leading up to this point. And at some point in history, Christ is going to say, Enough is enough. Mm-hmm. And he does come back. So yeah, that that aspect I guess could be kind of sci-fi, right? Like the that Christ is actually going to come back again. but all the things that lead up to it and the actions are just worldly actions that we're kind of familiar with. They just become heightened and more specific. Is that fair to say? That's perfectly fair. yeah. So yeah, so Christ coming back from heaven drops down, feed well, we'll go through Mount of Olives. Here he is, the God himself in flesh. Yeah. I mean, that can be like I get where people have a little issue with that. But the thing is, is even leading up to basically kind of that point, there's more to it, but that overall supernatural aspect where people just literally think God is doing this and throwing stars out of the sky and hitting the planet and doing all these things. just blows people's mind and that's actually not what happens. There's a lot of symbolism. Yes, there is, but that symbolism is answered in the rest of the scripture to see what it's actually talking about. Yeah. And when you are able to break it down and you let the scripture do the work for you and you gotta do the work, you'll find it, but of the scripture, it actually just comes out going, this is just it really is kinda like this is just the life we're living already. I mean, there's so much in it, it'd be like, that sounds like the world today. Yeah. Well, it kind of is. It's leading that direction. And it's not so much that God it's not that God is making things happen or Christ like, okay, I'm gonna do this right now to screw these people up. It's us. Yeah. We're causing the problems. And I don't and you know, if you just really were honest and looked out into the society and the world today, that yeah, there's what is called the spiritual battle going on, absolutely, but we are putting ourselves in our position we are because of us. Because of our politics, because of our beliefs, because of our ideologies, because of whatever. We're we're leading it down this road, a lot of it because of money and finance and becoming rich and power and all this stuff is where we're because of us. It's not that God made it happen. We're doing it to ourselves. And and I think a good way to see and understand this is if you read through the old testament, you know, you have God at at that point is working specifically through a A nation state, the nation state of Israel, right? Right. And and they have kings and things like that. And and over over decades what you see repeated over and over again is that the the nation would begin to follow other gods, and that would start filtering down into the culture, and that culture would become more and more ungodly. And there would be people that God would rise up, say, Hey, God. Go tell them, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, all the prophets, right? And they would be telling the the leadership and the people saying, Hey, we're headed down the wrong road. specifically, if we don't, listen, there are going to be consequences. And they'd say things like, God is going to to to unleash his wrath and and things like that. And then all of a sudden, if they didn't turn and repent, and there were a couple of times, there were a couple of kings that kind of steered them back, right? And but but what you would see is all of a sudden, and the the last major one, all of a sudden the king of Babylon is right there at the door and overtakes the country. Well, that was a normal thing that happened, right? Countries were toppled by other countries all the time. And so it it was God just allowing humanity and the consequences of humanity to to manifest itself. And he was sitting there warning, hey, if you don't stop the direction you're going, you're opening yourself up for another country to just come in and wipe you out. Right. And and that's essentially what we're looking at in the end. But it's not it's not just one country it's involved, it's it's kind of God's whole redemptive plan of the world. Right. That as a as a as a as a world, as people, We are we are going our own way and eventually God's gonna come back and say enough is enough, right? And but it's just because we're we're the ones that are doing this. We're the ones that are causing this. We are. God's given us enough guidance that we don't have to go down this path, but we are, and he knew that we were, right? And that's kind of what revelation brings out, just showing, hey, this is This is where everything's leading, leading to. And from that way it makes sense. It does. And you you bring up a really good point when you go back to Babylon, and that they take over today Israel. But you know, then Canaan, the promised land, however, however you want to word it. and and it it's not that God went down to Babylon and and King Nebuchadnezzar go, okay, dude, go over there and bust those guys. I want you to imprison them. Now Scripturally speaking, there is a spiritual aspect that because they have fallen and they've gotten to pagan beliefs and doing pagan things, it was allowed to happen. I mean, it happened, yes, because of the choices they made. It was a punishment from God. Yeah. But God just many times God just punishes us by allowing our own actions to have the consequences that He's warned us of. Exactly. And so when you look at the Babylonian as a per and then this goes into Medopersia after that, but well, you talk you mentioned Babylon. The reason why. it Babylon would have done this, wasn't because they were they were not pagan or any it wasn't even a spiritual aspect of why they did it. Right. It was because Israel, today's Israel, that location was one of the best trade route, was the greatest trade route in the area because it brought you had the Mediterranean came in from the west. So it was it was a place where you could actually have sea trade. North of that was you had what would stay Europe. But that was a trade route for the northern part of Europe or above the Mediterranean, would go through Israel to get down toward Africa. Africa could go up toward up toward what would be north of Mediterranean. Then you had the Red Sea and you had a and all these were trade things. Israel was like in the perfect prominent position. It was a very fertile land, and trade was very heavy, and that's why people wanted to control it. Yes. Because that's where the most amount of money could could actually be. hell because they controlled the trade route. And Israel, today's Israel, just happened to be what God gave them the promised land. They were getting busted down because we want what you have. We're gonna take it because of trade was the hugest thing. So it was really a a financial, a geopolitical thing that was happening. It's just a natural thing that we've done in history. Yeah. No, and and it it was the perfect place to if you wanted to impact the rest of the world. Yeah. It was a a perfect place to do that. Because by the way, today there's different trade routes because you can fly, right? Yeah. However, if you were, if you were going to set out on foot, right, and go from from France, you know, to Egypt, you you, you would go right through Jerusalem. You because you would not go further out. Because guess what? You're getting away from water. All you are is going through desert. That's y you you can't do it. And even coming like if if you're in Ira Iran in that area, if you were going to Egypt, you wouldn't take a straight shot because you would die. Even today, you would die. There's no water. It is just a huge desert on that side, right? So it funneled everybody through this little area. And and if I can to your point of the the Iran, what we call Iran today. Going I mean, yes, they could go through Saudi Arabia, what we call Saudi Arabia today today, but the problem is like it's very deserted. And there were small trade areas and small like villages along that route. But if you took the route, which would what today we would call Iraq, Syria, and down, it was a it was there's more people living there and more trade and more places to stay and all these things to bring you down into Egypt. You wouldn't do the harsh desert cross as opposed to we're gonna take the easy route down into into Egypt. So It all made sense. You everything kind of moved through modern day Israel in everything they did. Yeah. And that kind of points to the the big picture here. And I think this is important w as as we go through Revelation, we we really are talking about the big historical salvation arc of history. Right. And and God intentionally chose that area, right? Because he knew that that was going to be the best area to influence the world. And and I mean you can we could really go off some rabbit holes here, right? But but but you know, some say, well why did he wait so long for Jesus to come and and all this stuff. And there's, you know, w one, because he's God and he can do what he wants, right? But but what was the first time in all of human history that there was an ability for a new message To actually spread throughout the known world. You're talking about the Roman Empire? That's exactly right. Is the Roman Empire takes power, the and and Israel is part of the Roman Empire, right? But now all of a sudden you start to have not just trade routes, you have start to have roads between those trade routes. It's relatively safe for, say, a bunch of guys who are just all they know how to do is be fishermen. They're not, they're not. warriors. They don't know how to protect themselves if they were just to start traveling around, right? And but now they Christ comes, rises again. This is a new message, and now all these just normal people have the ability to go throughout the whole world. Right? It when you look at it from that perspective, it starts to make sense. And then you get to Revelation, which is talking about things that are going to happen. At least that's how that's how I believe it's doing. There are we know there are people that are gonna disagree with everything about Revelation because it's just become a mess, right? Which is actually part of a spiritual battle as as well. Right. but but now you you look and and you can see why it would make sense that, you know, maybe maybe we're getting close to the time that that Christ is going to come back, right? Because we can you can piece together and you can actually see this big picture of how God is is working. and now people have misused that. y you're never gonna hear us s you know say circle this date on the calendar, right? That's that's ridiculous. but we can recognize the signs of the times. We can recognize those things. And and really our point of going through Revelation. is not to convince people of exactly when the end times is going to have our happen. Our point is to show people what's happening in the world and to point them to Jesus, to point them to him so that we are aware that, whoa, if we all of a sudden wake up and we realize maybe we are in those last times, well, we can use that to point people to Christ. And say, hey, look, look at all the things that the Bible has said, and now they're actually happening. Maybe consider this Jesus guy. Right. You know, that's that's the whole purpose behind this. It's not just to create a a fun sci-fi story. No. 100% not. But so since this is the introduction to what we've already done of introduction, but yeah, yeah. Because I've been gone for so long. and and Just to elaborate so people can understand, because I mentioned the point about Israel and the trade route stuff. So also when I was going through it and understanding it, I was like a two year old or a three year old. You have your little kid and like, don't do that. Why? Why? You know. So when I was studying, it's like, okay, so why did this happen? And I would why did things happen? I wouldn't look at it just like, cause the Bible said. Right. Because God said. Yes, he did say, or it's in his word. I got it. But I would look at it from a historical perspective as well as going, Well, why would Babylon want to take this over? What what what what would be the significance of it? I 'cause I don't I'm like I don't believe necessarily that God was whispering in kingnabbed a kinizer's ear. There had to be something beneficial. Because that's just the way human humans are. Yeah. So what benefit is there to go take Israel, what we call Israel today? And when you look at the historical aspect and what happened, you see that there is an aspect of, it's trade, it's money. This is the same things we work on today in our global picture, people trying to take over other countries, you know, and destroy economies. I mean, let's be honest, we're seeing this right now with the US to Iran. Yeah. All right. So yeah, the US right now is trying to put Iran into economic downspire, down downward spiral and destroy them economically, not just by bombing them, but by e economically to open up the straighter humos, to stop the nuclear weapons. I get it. But That's just the way the world works. And so when I am teaching this, and that's why it's taken so long to get through it, I try to bring out that historical aspect to answer more than, well, just because God said. Yeah. Well, here's the historical reason of why things are also happening, which is just human history, human nature. And then as we progress through time, because we do talk about Babylon and and and Roman Empire and Medo Persia and all the things that's being talked about, and then you Keep fast forwarding it to today, it kind of like, well, that's just kind of how humans are, how we are. it helps make it a little bit easier to digest and understand and not be so scary. Be able to recognize things that are happening. And the other piece to that I I use as well, since this is the introduction, is language. So, and that's the Koine Greek, that is the ancient Hebrew, that is Aramaic, that's also in the Bible. And I go back into the Semitic language, which is the foundation for Hebrew, Aramaic, and even Arabic. Mm-hmm. So that we can understand when a lot of times it's translated incorrectly into the English. And not that it's an intentional thing. Right. But because words don't always translate perfectly one to the other, we read in English. Our English word, we do we can make assumptions from it or or make something we're not quite exactly sure what it's trying to say. But when you use the original language, and we've talked about this sometimes just for one single word. It takes a paragraph of understanding what that actually meant at that time, that language, but it does open up like clarity to what was actually being said. So when we're going through it, we're we're taking this is what is said at the exact time in that language. And here's the historical aspect to it. And it sounds funny when you talk about Revelation. You're talking about history? Yeah. Well, yes, in order to understand Revelation, like I said, you have to go get the other 65 books of the Bible, including all the Old Testament back to Genesis. That is history. So when we start putting that all together, then it all really starts making sense. And you're like, okay, that's not that big of a deal, a hard thing to understand. Yeah. And it really isn't. No, no, it's not. And so so let's let's let's go ahead. so we've been going a little over 30 minutes. Okay. let's let's go ahead and get into revelation. So so like I said, what we're gonna do is we're basically going to Just do a quick summary over the next eight, nine, ten weeks, you know, of what we've already talked about. and again, you can get on Redeemed Idiot and you can go and and watch all of those things. but this will kind of r rehash some of that and hit hit the high point. So let's let's start in Revelation one. Okay. it starts starts off at you know, kind of this is labeled the prologue. I don't think that's actually in scripture, but we've labeled it. No. So but so it starts off, it says, the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. All right. So what what kind of jumps out there? You know, it starts off revelation of Jesus Christ, the that God is giving to show his servants so we can that's us, right? His servants. So of the things that must soon take place. I think that's that's probably one of the first. things to to hit 'cause we we hear the word soon. at the end of this we says for the time is near. Right. right. And we're now this was written probably in the nineties. I know there's some people that'll say earlier, but most people say I will say it's not probably it is. That's because of the emperors are in place and what was going on at the time and we talked about it another time. Yeah. But but so we're looking at the nineties and it was written. So So we are nearly two thousand years past this. Most people would not connect the word soon and time is near with two thousand years later. So so what what's what's going on there? So before I hit those two words or what you said, I I do wanna make the most the the the one of the most profound things And like I've said, if you don't understand Revelation one, you're not going to understand Revelation period end story. But is the first two verses of the revelation of Jesus Christ, those two verses right there is very profound because it's a legal statement. A lot of people just read it in like, there's just some words here and testimonies and but because of the the the word in itself of revelation comes from the word apocalypsis, which is Koine Greek, it actually means disclosure. So what's telling us is Christ is giving a disclosure. And at the end of verse two, it also says he his testimony that John attested to. Who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ. Right. So that word testimony means to hold nothing back. And this is a revelation, a a disclosure. A disclosure of Jesus Christ. So it's telling us he is giving a full disclosure, holding nothing back, a legal statement. To what's the rest of this prophecy is about as you read further through Revelation one. So this to me is a very important thing to understand. Cause a lot of people want to say, we don't understand Revelation. You can't, there's things we won't know till the end, all the different things that I've I've talked in the videos, but that's a false statement. He's actually saying, No, I'm gonna tell you everything. And the beauty is because it's a legal statement, we can hold him accountable. So if he's not telling the whole truth, nothing but the truth, then he's pretty much putting himself in contempt. And yeah, therefore the book of the Bible would be pretty much false. Yeah. But that's the beauty of Revelation. He actually does tell us everything. So that that's the point I want to make on that. Okay. It says so who bore witness to that was John. Right. Who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus. So okay, so he's going to give this full disclosure, but it inc i I think it just kind of is interesting that it includes the word of God. So It's incorporating right here, this is this is the whole thing. The word of God, which is is from all of Scripture, right? From Genesis on. All of that is part of this disclosure. A hundred per yeah. Revelation is is just the the book revelation or disclosure is just wrapping it all up. Right? It's it's taking everything that God has been doing, how he's been working. how he interacts with the world and it's he's just disclosing how all of this is going to wrap up. Is that is that a fair that no, that's that that's a perfect statement, a perfect understanding. And the beauty about revelation is why'd I do that? It's like a a Trump thing. So are you doing doing jazz hands? my gosh, okay. If you're still with us, we will continue. Okay, but I caught myself doing that. Okay. okay. So your point is i is a hundred percent correct. But here's what I love about Revelation. A lot of people will take things that are said as a singular concept and drive on. But so much in Revelation, things have more than one understanding behind the reason why things are said. And here's a perfect example. I'm glad you brought this up. Yes, the Word of God is that book we have, the Bible. that's what we call it the Bible. but also, what does it say in John one about who the word of God is? Yeah. So this is also exposing who is the word of God. It is Christ. It is Christ. Everything is is everything is about Christ. So this is disclosing him, the Bible, the what's gonna happen, everything. And that's that's the beauty of it. It has two meanings behind it. Yes, it's the word of God, and it's also the word of God is Jesus, which we agree in John One, is also God Himself. God Himself is the Word. The Word made flesh, right? The Word came and dwelt among us. Yes. I mean again, it's tying all of this together. Now now that that all sounds great. Yeah. However, you know, clearly this can't be referring to things that are gonna be happening in the future from where we are now because we're two thousand years past. So so obviously this was probably talking about, you know, 70 AD, the fall of the temple, you know, th thing things like that. Because it says right here, soon, and the time is near. And come on, it's been two thousand years. So so that's a bunch of fake news. Yeah. Sorry. So don't be real. So so now moving from full disclosure, which is vital to understand, but but the things that must soon take place, that the time is near. What what's really being said there? So so what's being said that things that must soon take place. So remember you mentioned this is written in the nineties, because that's when John was on the island of Patmos and wrote this when he was imprisoned. and then released in ninety six, so it was done before ninety six. Which by the way, we have there is evidence outside of scripture that John was on Pat. Exactly. you know, so so that that that historically that it it points to the fact that John was actually on this island at at this time. Exactly. that's not just from the Bible. No, no, no, it definitely is not. That's the beauty of history. There's actually there's things out there that are secular, the answers Bible that people don't want it to answer. Yeah. Yeah. but so this this concept of soon taking place. So if this is happening at that time, it's after 70 AD. I don't even care if it was before 70, it was real irrelevant. It doesn't matter. Yeah. So the word soon in the Greek it actually means to imminence, an imminent. Meaning these things are already taking place that he is talking about. And that's the part sometimes we get confused, like where people might want to say, we've already in tribulation or whatever. No, the things that he's talking about in Revelation 1, 2 that are soon to take place, and he's telling John to write on, which we find out later, is is essentially this church age. It already has started. When he rose from the dead. He came when he came out of that tomb, the time was soon. Yep, the time was soon. Imminately. So now the next things are taking place that goes through a period of seasons. Now that goes in the last part where it says, And the time is near. He says for the time is near. Yeah. So the word time actually means opportune time or a season. So he's pointing out it's already started, and there's an opportune time, and it's talking about his return at a period of season, of a season. And then there's interestingly, there's seven different types of seasons that go through the churches that lead up to a season that he'll come back, which shows us a 2,000-year period of time that he is speaking of. What he's telling John to write, well, we'll get that later, but what he's telling John to write. So it's already started, and that's where we get lost. A lot of times we'll say a lot of people teach on Revelation say, try to put this time concept in there that the clock started to tick when Israel became a country. And that's not true. It's a it's a thing. Yes, it definitely is a thing. And that gotta be reverts back more to is to Ezekiel. Yeah. But what it was being talked about here. It started two thousand years ago. Right. Yeah. The profession of him coming, the prophecies of him coming, he came, did his did was around or did his his ministry for the three years, crucified, came back to life. Okay, I'm gonna come again. So here's the next seasons that are gonna take place, basically. Yeah. Yeah. If that makes sense. I mean Yeah, I think so. I think looking at it as in seasons, you know, you know, recognizing that it's it's a it's it's a It's time period, right? It's it's and it it's not the way that we calculate time. Right. you know, and you know, and I I'm trying to think of a good example. It's it's kind of like, you know, the the moment that you you y you start college, you come up with a a a plan that is all pointed and you you now you actually know the date of okay, I'm gonna be able to graduate in, you know, this this year. So, you know, say twenty thirty. That's when I'm gonna graduate. Well, it's only twenty twenty six right now, but the s your college season has now begun. Right. So you yeah, you're still got a ways to go, but you're in the season of life where you're going through that college and you're progressing and it's moving, and you can actually you know look back. There's kind of a plan in place. You take these courses here and then then you're able to go to this place, and then you go to this place, and then that will get you to the graduation. Well And so you could say the moment that you start college, well, the time is near that you're gonna be graduating. Right. But but in a literal time frame, it's still years away. Correct. But you're in that season now that that's where it's gonna end up. So when Christ comes out of that tomb, we are now in the season that he is going to return. but that can be many years, including up to a couple thousand years. And that's the way that revelation now starts to unfold, it makes sense that it's going to be that length of time. Correct. No, correct. And and and on his specific, which is what is we we'd know as the term tribulation, the period of tribulation, that seven years, that that is the season he actually is going to return during that seven years. but so recognition of the seasons that are happening that lead up to it. And J to just compound on your on your analogy, you even use the word season. So if you're in October and you know you're gonna plant when spring hits, and let's say it's I don't know what, March seventeenth or whatever, okay, you're looking forward that there's that season of spring I can plant. But as you get going through and come to that period of season, you may not be able to plant 'cause winter could still be there. Yeah. So you don't know the exact date that you're gonna plant. You have to wait for the season. And the weather to be correct to actually start the plant. So you're just waiting for the right weather conditions to plant, and then that's making it the right season. Which that's that's why when Jesus says no one knows the time or the day, right? that's kind of what he's getting at there. Because Jesus also says, Recognize the signs of the times. Well, those can fit together. Because we can recognize the seasons that we're in and and maybe we we can start recognizing, we have j you know, looks like the the snow's starting to melt, the ice is starting to thaw. We're getting really close to the the spring, but we still don't know that exact day, right? Exactly and and and that so both of those things can be true. We don't know the day, and that's where people have really messed up by trying to even figure that out. w we shouldn't even we should not even worry about the day it's going to start. Pay attention to the seasons that we're in. because and it's also human nature. If we we should always be sharing our faith, right? We should be trying to point people to to Christ. But you know, whenever you're in the last season And you recognize, you know what, we could be in the last season. That should even heighten our our desire to share our faith, to try to bring people to Christ. Right. Because we're getting into that season. And and I think I think both of us agree that we are in that kind of that final season. How long it's gonna last, who knows? Right. A day. A day is like a thousand years to to to to Christ, right? But I think we can make the case biblically that we've been moving through some seasons and now we're getting close to the last of them, which Jesus told us to pay attention to that. So we should at least pay attention to that. And sadly, because of how misused revelation has become, we're terrified to even dive into it. Right. And that's what we're we're trying to to navigate those waters. Is that No, that's no 100% is exactly what we're trying to do. And to to your to as you're talking about that seasonal point, that this is so imperative to understand. It's not just like we're making something up right here, like bringing something out of the Bible, we're gonna make it force this. Here's the beauty of the Bible. As an example, not knowing, to the Hebrews, even before Christ, right, they had season, they their own calendar and it had 12 months in the year. Now their days were different than ours. They base it a solar lunar thing and a new moon. We'll get into that later when we're studying. But so they would get to the twelfth month of the year and they would look at the conditions. And if it the conditions weren't right to be able to plant the next year, which would be or next month, which would be their Nissan that starts their new year as far as how they track it. There's another month that's a different story, but in Nissan, then they would come out and go, Hold on, add another 30 days. it's not ready to plant. So they'd actually add that would be their leap year a whole nother 29 or 30 days. This has to do with the moon thing. Cause then they would know, okay, that next month to be able to. So they didn't even know up until the end of the month. And they may not even make that decision if that last month was only 29 days based upon a new moon. And we'll get into that later, they'd go, they'd be it's not ready to plant yet. And we have to be planting biblically speaking as Nissan our first month of spring, then let's go ahead. We need to add 30 more days. And that's how they would do it. They didn't even know that that and and and some people may think, What are you talking they just added a month to the year? And the answer is yes. And that shouldn't be all that foreign to us because every four years, what do we do? We add a day. Yep. Right? Like this is morphed over time, but the the principle underneath it is the same. Mm-hmm. Right. and and that's that's what we're we're getting at here. And that's very important to understanding revelation. This is pointing to things that are to come. It specifically says that, right? and and it's frustrating that because of the way that it's been handled, there are people that argue that all of this has already been fulfilled. There's people that argue that no, you know, this is just this is all symbolic. listen. Those are not salvation issues. so don't don't get bent out of shape when people have a different view than you. However, we should strive to understand this disclosure, right? And and and it it is saying he's he is disclosing to us how all of this is going to wrap up. Right. Right. And we We should be able to learn from that. And it actually draws us closer to him. It actually confirms scripture. It you know, so many people are like, if if I just had more evidence of Christ, you know, maybe I would believe. Or well, if if we actually understand this, it gives us more evidence of the validity of Christ. Right? And I and I think that's why it's important to to go through. let's see, it man Let's let's stop there. That's good. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because we've been we've been going for a while. This is a an introduction. we started the introduction of Revelation, and then we'll get to the the greeting and and and then kind of that turn to now we're looking forward. Right. next time. So so we'll we'll stop there again every Wednesday, or probably every Wednesday, maybe not, right around Thanksgiving or Christmas. But we'll we'll we'll upload a new video. All of this will be summary of what we've already talked about. and you can watch it on Redeemed Idiot YouTube page. You can also go to Journey Church of Elgin, our YouTube page we'll we'll make sure they'll we'll put a playlist that is you know, for for revelation. We'll put a playlist there or you can get our app and and watch all of these things. So I I hope our our hope is that this draws you closer to your savior. that you recognize that all of this is about redemption. And you know what? Here's the reality is right now, I don't know if you've looked at what's going on in the world, but it's a mess out there. It doesn't make sense. Up is down, down is up, right is wrong, wrong is right. That is one hundred percent happening out there. Lots of people have questions. You know what? This disclosure has a answers. And and that's what we're looking looking at and and hopefully that'll be a benefit to you. Yep. All right. Well, thank you so much and we'll see you next time.