Greetings. This is Pastor David Bass at New Geneva Orthodox Presbyterian Church with the moment of truth, where we challenge you to think through an important issue of life and faith. And today we challenge you to think through the book of Revelation and its beginning. What are the major themes of the book of Revelation? That's what I want to challenge you with today.

The book of Revelation is not just a handbook on the last things, on the rapture and the seven-year tribulation and who the Antichrist is. No, the book of Revelation is so, so much more. And I want to cover with you some of the major themes of the book of Revelation that we will be covering in days and weeks and months to come because New Geneva Orthodox Presbyterian Church has launched out on a study of the book of Revelation. I'm preaching through the book of Revelation now, and I have never enjoyed preaching more than I have the book of Revelation here at this time.

It's very challenging and it's very sobering to the Christian view as we look out over the book of Revelation because it's not a book just for the future. It's not a book just of the past. It is a book that is so relevant to every Christian, every man, Jack, one of us here on the earth as we live out our Christian lives. So I want to be able to cover some of the major preaching themes that I am going to be covering that the book of Revelation lays before us, and I'm trying not to skip any one of them.

This is not just a kickbook to be able to have fun predicting the future and seeing whether Hillary Clinton is really the Antichrist or whether it might be Barack Obama or even Donald Trump, of course, as some might even posit. But dear listener, the book of Revelation is so, so much more. So I want to introduce my message today by reading for you the prologue of Revelation, and that begins in chapter 1, verses 1-3. So let me read, begin to temper our study of the book of Revelation with the text. Always, always stick to the text.

Keep your eyes, hearts, and minds glued to the text. Revelation 1, 1-3. 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 to 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.

Revelation 1, 1-3. And the last time we were together, we covered some of the introductory matters to the book of Revelation. I want to finish some of those introductory matters, give you just a brief perspective on where I go in the book of Revelation, and where every preacher should go, consequently, too. Not just plumbing and mining and skimming and cherry-picking the book of Revelation for the fun stuff, as many would perceive it to be. That is, oh, when does the seven-year tribulation begin?

Who's the Antichrist? When's the rapture? No, there are other major themes in the book of Revelation, and I want to cover those with you. And 12 major themes the book of Revelation lays out for us. Number one, the suffering of the saints is the means of its triumph.

Yes, the suffering of the saints is the means of the triumph of the church. This, indeed, is ironic to the worlding, isn't it? We'll unpack this as we go through more and more. And it's hard for us to get through our heads sometimes, too, right? Oh, let's win elections.

Let's raise armies. Let's do it the way the world does it, right? The way the cynical Chairman Mao would put it. Chairman Mao. Excuse me, not Mao.

He's not mayonnaise. It's Chairman Mao. Mao Tse Tung. Of course, he said political power comes out of the barrel of a gun, doesn't he? That's pretty cynical and that's pretty worldly, too.

And it's true as far as the world goes. But we know that true spiritual power comes from the blood of the cross, doesn't it? Spiritual power comes from the blood of the cross because this is how Christ triumphed. And it's ironic and it's foolish to the world, but it is so true for us, isn't it? We embrace the cross.

That's where the Apostle Paul could hold the cross up as his banner because spiritual power comes from the blood of the cross. That's one of our major themes in the book of Revelation. And it should be for every preacher out there. Secondly, the apocalypse is now. That's another major preaching theme.

That is the theme the Apostle John holds forward throughout the book of Revelation, that the apocalypse is now for whoever might be reading it. And this we will be unpacking for you. It's not just off some far distant day in the future. And we put the book of Revelation on pause until then. No, the book of Revelation, the apocalypse is happening now because apocalypse is a constant theme throughout the Bible.

And the Apostle John is certain of this, too. That's why I preach from the book of Daniel, because it was an apocalypse for its day. And there is throughout the life of the church, the sense that all things that are transpiring in the book of the apocalypse are unfolding and happening currently, presently for every single generation. That's our second major preaching theme. The apocalypse is now, dear listener.

Thirdly, government not explicitly given to Christ is by its very nature the beast. That's another major preaching theme throughout the book of Revelation. Government, human government, and that includes ours today. And that's including government that has ever been, ever will be, or has been, and is now. Government not explicitly given to Christ, because we will see how indeed the nations are his, and he will shatter them with the rod of his mouth.

And indeed, all government is the Lord Jesus Christ, because he governs all things, all things have been given to him, all power and authority, as he told his disciples, have been given to me. Therefore, go forth, make disciples, baptize, and the gates of hell will not prevail against you. And the book of Revelation bears this out as well. Government not explicitly given to Christ is by its very nature the beast, including our own, especially our own today, dear listener. That's the third major preaching theme.

Number four, spiritual combat is the state of affairs for the church under this covenant, the new covenant. We're not under dispensations, dear listener. We are under covenants. And the book of Revelation bears this out as well. Spiritual combat, consequently, is the state of affairs for the church under this covenant.

And this is a major theme of the book of Revelation, right? Combat from the very beginning. We overcome. We are conquerors. We are Nikes.

That's the Greek word. Nikos is a conqueror in Greek. The word Nike, in fact, is taken from the Greek, meaning to conquer or to overcome. And that's a major word. That's a major word and theme all through the book of Revelation, is that we are conquerors, but we don't conquer by sword.

We conquer by spirit. But spiritual combat is the state of affairs for the church under this covenant, and we better get used to it. So many of us are flabby and weak and on our rear ends. We are couch potatoes when it comes to spiritual combat, many of us, especially in the American church. But that's not what the book of Revelation lays out for us.

That's not what the apostle John tells us. That's not what our very Lord Jesus Christ tells us either. No, indeed, spiritual combat is the state of affairs for the church under this covenant. And then fifthly, dominion is our destiny, a very important theme. Dominion is our destiny.

The Lord Jesus Christ, he unfolds his inheritance in the seven-sealed scroll, his inheritance handed to him, and he goes out like Joshua did to take the land. And indeed, he takes dominion of the world. The Lord is in process of taking dominion of the world, even now as we speak. And you, dear listener, are a soldier in that army, in that spiritual combat, to indeed take the Lord Jesus Christ's inheritance, even as Joshua had to earn it. Dominion, then.

We are taking dominion, and we are expected to hold dominion and exercise dominion over all of creation because it is now Christ's inheritance and the church's inheritance. So, another major preaching theme in the book of Revelation, and should be with every preacher, is that dominion is our destiny. Sixthly, there can be no compromise with the world come out of her. That's one of the Exodus themes. There are many themes in the book of Revelation taken from the Old Testament.

You don't know your Old Testament. You do not know the book of Revelation. You never will know the book of Revelation. Exodus, the theme, come out of her, come out of the pagan world, come out of Babylon, John was exhorting, even as Israel came out of and the Exodus came out of Egypt and left Pharaoh and all of his minions behind. And we are to leave the culture and the idols and the living styles, if you will, of Babylon, our present-day Babylon.

And this is something the church has gone soft on, too. It has compromised far too much with the world. This has been one of those things that has sobered me as I have studied the book of Revelation this time around. I've been studying the book of Revelation all my life. And this is one of those themes that has struck me deeply, that has confronted me very much.

We're far too comfortable in the world. There can be no compromise with the world. The book of Revelation brings this forward for us. Come out of her, we are exhorted. Seventhly, a seventh major preaching theme for the book of Revelation is that God's love is with the suffering, marginalized church.

In the day of John, oh, how it seemed that the church was not long for this world. It was oppressed. It was weak. It had no power. It had no status.

The Roman Empire was persecuting her, especially under the Emperor Nero, using Christians as torches. He would coat them with tar and pitch and then light them to illumine his festivities in Rome during the evenings. Oh, how the church seemed marginalized, persecuted, and about to be stamped out. This was the feeling among many. We'll see this unpacked for us.

But the Lord tells us in the book of Revelation that God's love is with the suffering, marginalized church. He hasn't forgotten her. He knows her. She is before his very throne at every moment of every day, and he loves every single one of us. He loves those, even though we may not know the names, remember the names and faces and lives of all of those being persecuted today, for example.

How many of us know the particular individual believers that are being persecuted and slain in Syria, for example? But there is a revival going on because the lives of the saints indeed have been a witness to those taking their lives. And many Muslims have come to Christ. This is something you'll never hear on CNN, but indeed many Muslims in Syria have come to Christ because of the faithful witness, the martyrdom of the witnesses and believers in Syria, because God indeed does love the suffering, marginalized church. That's preaching theme number seven, preaching theme number eight.

God will requite perfect justice on the wicked. Yes, how long, O Lord, the souls cry underneath the altar in heaven? How long, O Lord, before you do take vengeance upon our enemies? This is a major theme of the book of Revelation 2. God will requite perfect justice on the wicked.

God is just. He is perfectly just. And not only in the last judgment, but as we see unfolded for us in time and space, he also requites perfect justice on the wicked, and he will redeem his people. He will vindicate them. He will justify them before the world and before all of history because he is perfectly just.

God will requite perfect justice on the wicked, preaching theme number eight. Preaching theme number nine that should come through, that should come through with every preacher is that Jesus is the new Joshua and the conquest is the new paradigm. Yes, Jesus is the new Joshua. His very name is what? Yeshua, which is Joshua then in the Hebrew.

And it comes through in the Greek as Jesus and of course in English as Jesus. But the name Joshua is the name that was commanded to be given to him, that Jesus would be his name. Joshua would be his name. That is deliverer. Jesus is indeed the deliverer.

And the conquest is the new paradigm. He unfolds. He breaks open the seven seals of his inheritance. And one by one, he goes forth and conquers. And we are his co-heirs.

We are his co-conquerors too, but we don't conquer with sword. Political power may come out of the barrel of a gun, but spiritual power comes out of the blood of the cross. And indeed, that is how we conquer with the blood of the cross, the sword of his mouth, as Jesus characterizes it. That is the word of God is a, is a weapon we use to conquer as well. The word of God and the blood of the saints is indeed how we conquer, how we overcome in the world.

Jesus is the new Joshua and the conquest is the new paradigm. Preaching theme number nine. Preaching theme number 10 is that heaven and earth are intimately connected. God is bringing about his will on earth as it is in heaven. This is a major theme.

And it's one of those that reassures those suffering crushed saints is that indeed, however, so our state seems here on earth, how desperate it may seem, how crushing it may seem, how full of defeat and death and blood it may seem. Nevertheless, Christ sees, Christ knows, God knows. Everything is present before him in the heavenlies. And we are alive in the heavenlies as well as here on earth because heaven and earth are intimately connected. I've mentioned to you last week, the idea of the oscillation between heaven and earth.

This is meant to show that God indeed has not forgotten. He sees all, he knows all, he loves us, and he uses our suffering and death to conquer. This is reflected in the heavenlies. Heaven and earth are intimately connected and, and the book of revelation oscillates beautifully between heaven and earth to demonstrate this to us. Preaching theme number 10.

Preaching theme number 11. Liturgy is life. Heavenly life. Indeed, worship is a major theme of the whole book of revelation. And this is one of those often neglected things, especially by our, us Protestants, is that our worship is meant to be guided and shaped and shown by the book of revelation.

New Testament worship is very much revealed for us. It's meant to be too. The heavenly pattern is meant to be that replicated on earth. Liturgy is life, dear listener. And you should not neglect this in your rush to find out who the antichrist is, uh, when the seven year tribulation begins, begins, when the rapture will be.

No, you don't sack the book of revelation looking for these things and leave everything else because the pattern for worship, for heavenly worship, for new Testament worship is reflected for us in part in the book of revelation. That's a preaching theme. Number 11. Liturgy is life, dear listener. And you neglect it to your own peril.

Liturgy is life. It is heavenly life. Preaching theme number 11. Every preacher should be taking this up, but they don't do that. Your preacher, no doubt does not do this.

Liturgy is life. It is heavenly life. Number 12. God is sovereign over all. Indeed, that's preaching theme number 12.

And this is one of those umbrella themes that stretches from chapter one to chapter 22. Does it not? Indeed, that God is sovereign over all. Um, I like that better than just the glib quip so many people throw out. God's in control.

God's in control. God's in control. That's usually a sign that whoever is saying it is throwing up their hands and saying, I don't have to do anything because God is doing it all. All I have to do is wait for the rapture. That is the theme that so many modern, uh, evangelical Christians bring to the book of revelation that does not translate to the major theme.

John is holding out for us that indeed God is sovereign over all. And he expects his whole church to participate in taking dominion. Dominion is our destiny. He expects his whole church to suffer and bleed. He expects his whole church to come out of the world.

And indeed you are an active participant in all of this. And as you do, you find out indeed God exercises in your life, his sovereignty. God is indeed sovereign overall. These are our major 12 preaching themes. Dear listener, we'll be unpacking them in days to come, but there are also some common errors.

I want you to avoid as you take up, uh, the book of revelation with us. I urge you to join us. Uh, we meet for holy worship on Sundays at, uh, uh, on at 10 AM, uh, at one on one four street. And I'm preaching through the book of revelation, but there's some common mistakes I want us to avoid. Number one, I want us to avoid the mistake that, uh, revelation is somehow a prophetic handbook that lays out in coded form, the second coming of Christ.

That's a common error. That revelation is somehow a prophetic handbook that lays out in coded form, the second coming of Christ. And then somehow magically, uh, once we have the code, we can know what's coming. For example, I once heard John Hagee say, once the church is raptured from the earth, I can tell you precisely what will happen for the next seven years, month by month, unquote. Oh, that's hubris.

That's arrogance. That's vanity. Revelation is not a prophetic handbook that lays out in coded form, the second coming of Christ. Revelation is less a prophetic handbook than it is a combat manual on how to wage spiritual warfare under the new covenant. This is not a dispensational book.

It is a covenantal book. So it is more a combat manual on how to wage war, spiritual warfare under the new covenant with the new Joshua as our commander in chief. So avoid that error of seeing revelation as a prophetic handbook that lays out in coded form, the second coming. Secondly, another common error we want to avoid. And that error is that revelation lays out prophetic events in a linear historical sequence for the future.

Oh, dear have dear Lord, please keep us from this error. That somehow revelation lays out a prophetic event calendar in a linear historical sequence for the future. And so often many believers, beginning with the four horsemen of the apocalypse, they think prophetic events move sequentially to the end when the new Jerusalem descends from heaven. No, this Western reading habit fundamentally misreads the genre of apocalyptic. I tried to unpack, go back and listen to those earlier messages on what genre revelation is.

It's not a literal unfolding of prophetic events. Rather, revelation employs literary techniques like recapitulation, where the same scene is revisited time and time again, and it's gone over again and again with new insight each time. Revelation is more a visionary kaleidoscope than it is a left to right cartoon panel as so many modern believers take it to be. So thirdly, the third error we want to avoid is that revelation is primarily for the generation in which the prophecies will come true. This is how futurists take it so often, and they are just plain wrong.

Revelation is not primarily for the generation in which the prophecies will come true. Sure, revelation had some good, encouraging things to say they say to previous generations, but really, we can see by the signs happening around us that revelation was meant for us. Can't you see it? We will see that it might also be true that those things foreshadowed in the book of Revelation happened in the day of the seven churches of Asia. Yes, but also with lasting consequences for us.

This book is just as much for us as it was for them, and it's not just for the future generation. No. So, just as the Gospels capture redemptive history with power and meaning, so does the book of Revelation. Fourthly, the fourth error that we must avoid if we are going to understand the book of Revelation, avoid this error. That is, revelation must be read literally to avoid spiritualizing the Bible.

Oh, what a gross error. Revelation must be read literally to avoid spiritualizing the Bible. This is a spiritual book, dear listener. It is also a symbolic book. In the past, interpreters have gone into grave error by seeing other meanings than the literal one intended by the author, they say.

And a good example, and one that always amazes me, is a literalistic error is that the thousand-year millennium is a literal thousand-year millennium. In a book that is symbolic to the hilt, to the core, the most symbolic book and the most spiritual book in the entire Bible, oh, it's taken literally. That's the first error. What if spiritual symbols, spiritual meanings symbolize spiritual meanings for us, right? In the most spiritually symbolic book of the Bible, that is indeed the book of Revelation, and we fall into grave error when we take it literally.

Oh, so we begin then, dear listener, to unpack this wonderful, marvelous labor of love that so beautifully brings us the Lord Jesus Christ. The book of Revelation does this for us, and it does it in ways only hinted at in the rest of Scripture. I love the book of Revelation because I see Jesus so clearly in it. Revelation is so necessary to the life of the church, and we must understand it with the principles laid out for you here, the errors to avoid, and the 12 major preaching themes. Christ, in the book of Revelation, is the Alpha and Omega.

He is the first and the last. This is why we love the book of Revelation, because Christ is so clear and present in it, isn't he? He is the Lamb of God, the Lamb of God indeed who conquers. A Lamb looking as if slain is one who conquers. And he is the very new Joshua as well.

His very name is Yeshua Joshua. That is, he is the one who delivers. He is the one who conquers, even as Joshua conquered the land in the Old Testament. So now our Lord Jesus Christ, the Yeshua, the Joshua, conquers his inheritance, which is the entire world. Yes, and we are co-conquerers with him.

We are co-heirs with him, and we indeed conquer by his blood. We indeed conquer by the word of his mouth. We love him. I hope that you love the Lord Jesus Christ as well, because he is ours. He is yours.

He is mine. All things are ours. All things are mine. All things are yours. All things are the church's.

And dominion is our destiny, brother and sister. Dominion of all creation is our destiny. And we are in the midst, in the middle, if you will, perhaps at the end, perhaps close to the end of that conquering, when indeed all things will be our Lord's and ours too, as co-heirs. He loves his church. He loves you.

He sees all that you do. He sees your suffering. He sees the suffering of our brothers and sisters all over the globe. He is ever present with us and to us. And he loves you and continues to sustain you and sustain me.

I love him for it. This has been Pastor David Bass at New Geneva Orthodox Presbyterian Church. New Geneva Meets for Holy Worship, where we are studying the book of Revelation. New Geneva Meets for Holy Worship on Sunday at 10 a.m. Join us at 101 4th Street on the corner of 4th and Boulevard. And you can call us for more information, perhaps some comments you want to make at area code 208-523-0196. That's area code 208-523-0196.