What in the World is an Apocalypse?

Transcript

so brothers and sisters um the class x tonight I have entitled what in the x world is an apocalypse x um and here's how it came about as some x of you know I had an opportunity to as x Jim Sullivan did last year uh go up to x the Sussex New Brunswick Ecclesia where x they had a study weekend x and the subject that I um that I spoke x on was the Revelation and x what we did in our studies on the x Revelation was try to understand the x Book of Revelation from the perspective x of a first century believer x as opposed to a Christadelphian in the x year 2022 who has the hindsight of x looking at modern history and trying to x apply modern history to our x interpretation of the Revelation x um like many prophetic books x their tense in my view it seems as x though there is a way to interpret x prophecy for the you know those original x hearers and then sometimes we can see x sort of a later day prophecy that can be x applied to us and I think the same might x be said with the Book of Revelation x this is not a class about the Book of x Revelation though and what we'll be x looking at today are examples of x apocalypses I don't know if that's a x word but uh of Apocalypse that have x appeared to other x Believers other men and women uh written x about in the scriptures other than John x so the first the first thing that I'd x like to point out x is that when we think of the word x apocalypse x it comes you know I it comes from x Revelation The Apocalypse of Jesus x Christ that word apocalypse is very x different x I had a very different meaning to the x first century believer than it does to x us x so in modern days when we think of x Apocalypse if you're like most people x you think about it as sort of the end of x the world in fact if you were to look up x the word Apocalypse in a dictionary a x modern dictionary that's how it would be x defined it would be defined just as that x the end of the world the end times x but in the first century x it was completely different x the word apocalypse has mer has molded x over the years it has a different x meaning today but originally the word x simply meant an uncovering a revealing x hence the word revelation a revealing of x things x and um to try to understand that I'd x like to go to two places initially x the first place is is found in First x Peter x and we'll look at First Peter chapter x one and it's here where Peter is writing x about those ancient prophets those x prophets from the Jewish scriptures x who you know looked intently trying to x understand you know when is this Messiah x coming what's the deal with this Messiah x and we'll pick up uh in Peter and we'll x read what Peter has to say about these x prophets and we'll find the word x apocalypso the Greek word revelation x there or revealing and and hopefully x this will help help us make sense of the x original meaning of the word so we're in x First Peter chapter one and I'd like to x pick up in the 10th verse x and it says concerning this salvation x the prophets who spoke of the grace that x was to come x so this is Prophet speaking about the x future the grace that was to come x they searched intently x with the greatest care x trying to find out the time and x circumstances to which the spirit of x Christ in them was pointing x when it predicted the sufferings of x Christ and the glories that would follow x right so these are prophets that are x speaking about the future they're x searching intently trying to understand x about the the sufferings of the Messiah x right that was something that this it x wasn't on their radar right they were x thinking of the Messiah as the coming x King the you know the one that would fix x all the problems in the world right x and then in verse 12 so we're First x Peter 1 verse 12. here's where we see x the word apocalypso it says it was x revealed that's the word it was revealed x to them x that they were not serving themselves x but you so this is what Peter is writing x you know when he's talking when he uses x the word you there he's talking about x the readers of this letter that he's x writing it was not revealed to them as x they were not serving themselves but to x you when they spoke of those things that x they not that have now been told you x by those who have preached the gospel to x you by the Holy Spirit Sent From Heaven x even angels longed to look into these x things x so the reason I want again the reason I x wanted to go here is because we see that x this word apocalypso this Revelation x this word revelation is just that it's x not about the end of the world it's x about the revealing of things in this x case it's about the revealing of things x that even prophets and Angels didn't x understand x but now you through the spirit are x beginning to see these things it's been x revealed it's been apocalypsed to you so x that's the first one First Peter chapter x 1 verses 10 to 13. x second place I'd like to go to sort of x set the stage on all of this is found in x Matthew x and it's Matthew chapter 11 where where x we're going to actually be reading the x words of Jesus himself x and what happens here in Matthew 11 is x Jesus begins to offer a prayer he's x praising his father in Heaven and we're x going to see what he Praises God for x when we turn it up so we'll look at x Matthew chapter 11 and we'll start in x the 25th verse Matthew 11 verse 25. x that section where Jesus is promising x rest for the weary x and he begins by praising God he says at x that time the gospel accounts says at x that time Jesus said x I praise you father Lord of Heaven and x Earth because you have hidden these x things from the wise and learned x and revealed x apocalypse so you've revealed them to x little children x yes Father for this was your good x pleasure x all things have been committed to me by x my father no one knows the son x except the father x and no one knows the father except the x son and those to whom the son chooses x to reveal him x and so here Jesus I mean think about it x Jesus is praising God thanking God that x he Jesus has the privilege x to reveal his father to people that just x quite didn't understand it x the wise and the Learned didn't x understand it God revealed himself to x the little children and Jesus is x praising God because as it says there at x the end of that passage we read because x he's been given the privilege to reveal x these things see that there in verse 27 x all these things have been committed to x me by my father no one knows the son x except the father no one knows the x father except the son and those to whom x the son chooses to reveal him x so brothers and sisters we're the x beneficiaries of this revelation x you know there was a time when people x didn't get it the prophets searched and x they didn't get it the wise and the x Learned searched they didn't understand x but Jesus through through the spirit x Jesus has revealed these things to us x and now we have the benefit of that x understanding x so I think that's the first place that I x wanted to go x it's about bringing these hidden things x these things that were hidden were x clouded it's about bringing these things x to light x and you might think of it as an opening x or as um know providing A New x Perspective x so x when x in Sussex last weekend we were talking x about the Book of Revelation we were x trying to understand the people to whom x it was written x and the the struggle that these early x brothers and sisters were facing at that x point in time was was two-pronged x the first problem the first thing they x were struggling with was their faith x they were starting to have doubts and x they were starting to feel disillusioned x about their faith x because if you think about it the Book x of Revelation was written they they x think probably around 90 A.D x which means that Jesus had been x dead and raised to life again and had x ascended to heaven x and as he ascended to heaven the angel x said to those Witnesses the same Jesus x who you've seen go into heaven will so x come in like manner and for 60 years x these early brothers and sisters were x anticipating the return of Our Lord they x were expecting Jesus x at any moment and all of a sudden you x know 60 years into the mission x their their family their friends their x their brothers and sisters in their x Ecclesia are starting to die x even some of the apostles who walked x with Jesus at this point in history have x died x and they're wondering wait a minute is x this real x I mean is it really true that Jesus is x going to come back x so that was the first of the issues they x were struggling with it was one of x disillusionment and doubt x and then the second issue that they were x facing as Citizens or as residents in x the Roman Empire in Asia Minor was x persecution x there was uh this cultic Emperor worship x at that point in history x and for early Christians who refuse to x Bow Down and Worship the emperor they x were being persecuted and they were x suffering as a result x so a revelation a revealing comes about x in The Book of Revelation and the x purpose behind this was to give them A x New Perspective x on their problems in the world as though x it was like God saying okay I this is x how you see things you see things from x your human perspective x I'm going to give you x a Godly a Heavenly perspective of the x things that you're that you're feeling x and that you're facing x and that's really where we started our x classes about the Book of Revelation and x I set the stage I sort of provide this x background now brothers and sisters x because the next place we're going to go x is a very familiar verse to all of us I x would think it's found in Romans chapter x 8. and it's that verse that I think you x know we probably as we were chatting x before the start of class you know we're x all thinking about our brothers and x sisters who are struggling with their x health our brothers and sisters who are x hurting you know physically with cancer x or mentally with you know anxiety and x depression and stress or financially you x know all of the problems that we seem to x experience in this life x when we experience these problems if x you're like me you know you'll sometimes x go to this you know well-worn passage x from Romans and maybe you're saying it x to yourself as as I'm sort of teeing it x up here and it's for I reckon x that the sufferings of this present time x are not worthy to be compared to the x glory x remember how it goes that shall be x revealed in US x and as you might guess that word x revealed is apocalypso it's it's that x that revealing so while in this life x we're struggling the temporal problems x of you know the consequences of sin and x the consequences of mortality x God has a plan that goes well beyond our x temporal lives x and there is a glory that will be x revealed in all of us and when that x eventually is revealed you know we'll be x able to look back at our life experience x and say x that was nothing x wasn't even worthy be compared to the to x the glory that we have those sufferings x that was nothing x it's hard to imagine that now sometimes x but that's the difference that's the x that's the gulf you know between today's x problems and tomorrow's glory in Jesus x again it's a revelation the purpose x behind the Revelation is to give us a x perspective a Heavenly perspective on x life's problems so those were a couple x of uh passages that I wanted to um that x I wanted to bring up and as we think x about this perspective and as we think x about the the process of receiving an x apocalypse we'll talk more about that x there's an important distinction though x that I want to bring out x and that is that this revealing this x sort of better understanding of life's x problems x when we're talking about an apocalypse x it doesn't come about by our own you x know x understanding our own life's experiences x it doesn't come about by us reading the x scriptures and the wisdom that's x associated with those things that's part x of the the maturing process as a x follower of Jesus that's all well and x good but when we're speaking about uh an x apocalypse this is something that God x does to us x it's not something that just happens x through our own experiences God does x this to us or does this for us okay so x let me give you x um you know we can go back to to the x quote from Matthew where Jesus says you x know God reveals the hidden things to x the little children remember that from x from Matthew 11 God reveals these hidden x things these things that were hidden x from the wise and the Learned he reveals x them and that's what it's about it's not x about what book learning it's not about x what we know it's about what God does x and I'll give you an example x so uh let's let's take a look at uh x let's take a look at the sort of next x section and that is this idea of God God x actually doing the work God actually x performing this apocalypse performing x this revelation x and I want to start by looking at an x example from the New Testament and we're x going to look at the experience of x the Apostle Paul x at the time x he's not the Apostle Paul x he saw the one who was hunting down x those early First Credit First Century x Believers those ones who first left the x quote-unquote Jewish faith to identify x as Jesus followers x and I want to look at Galatians chapter x one x and we're going to actually read x Galatians because these are the words of x Paul and Paul's going to give us a x description from his point of view about x what it was that happened to him on the x road to Emmaus x so Galatians chapter 1 we'll look at the x 12th verse x um I'll start at the 11th verse that's x where the paragraph begins x so he's writing to these uh brothers and x sisters in the ecclesion galatia and he x says I want you to know Brethren I want x you to know brothers and sisters that x the gospel I preached x is not something that man made up x I did not receive it from any man nor x was I taught it x rather I x received apocalypsed x I apocalypsed it x from Jesus Christ this was something x that was heaven sent this was an x experience that was dictated by God x through Jesus x and that's how Paul explained his x situation you know explained his his x experience to other brothers and sisters x he referred to it as an apocalypse and x when we go to acts and actually look at x the account we can now start to open up x and see how it is that God works in this x way x so x you know it happens usually when when x one receives a revelation and revealing x of this sort it happens usually in the x form of Dreams or nightmares or visions x and that's what we're seeing in Acts x chapter nine so let's flip over there x we'll start at the beginning x uh chapter three at the chapter nine uh x verse 3. x Acts chapter 9. so again Steve we're x thinking about the conversion of Saul x all right uh here we go acts 9 verse 3. x he says uh as I neared Damascus so he's x ex you know we're reading about his x experience on the road to Damascus as I x near Damascus on as he neared Damascus x on his Road uh on his journey suddenly a x light from Heaven flashed around him he x fell to the ground and Heard a Voice say x to him Saul Saul why do you persecute me x who are you Lord Saul last I'm Jesus x whom you're persecuting you replied now x get up and go into the City and you will x be told what you must do x the men traveling with Saul stood there x speechless they heard the sound but did x not see anyone x Saul got up from the ground and when he x opened his eyes he could see nothing x so they led him by the hand into x Damascus for three days he was blind did x not eat or drink anything x now x we're familiar with this right I mean x obviously we know the account of Saul on x the road to Damascus x but what I want you to focus on now is x the hint that explains why this happened x to him x God did this to him and like all x Revelations all apocalypses there's a x purpose there's a method there's a x reason behind these experiences x and in Saul's case it was to change him x and we get a sense of it there where it x says um x verse six now get up x and go into the city x and you will be told what to do the x purpose of the Apocalypse was to affect x a change in Saul's life x the purpose was to cause him to do x something x and what it was that he was to do was to x rescue Jews and Gentiles alike x and turn them from Darkness into light x that was his role that was that was the x purpose of this apocalypse and he's now x in darkness x and he experiences the light of vision x once again x and he's now to take this this Vision x this nightmare whatever it was and he's x to to now bring light to the Jews and x the Gentiles Acts chapter 26 will go and x look at a second account of the same x experience of his Acts 26 verse 13. x um he it says on one of these Journeys I x was going to Damascus with the authority x and commission of the chief priests x verse 13 about noon O King I was on the x road I saw a light from Heaven brighter x than the sun blazing around me and my x companions we fell to the ground and I x heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic x Saul Saul why do you persecute me it is x is it is hard for you to kick against x the goads and then I asked who are you x Lord x I'm Jesus whom you are persecuting the x Lord said now here's the point here's x the reason now get up x and stand on your feet I have appeared x to you to appoint you x as a servant and as a witness for what x you have seen of me and what I will show x you what I will reveal to you x I will rescue you from your own people x and from the Gentiles I'm sending you to x them to open their eyes and to turn them x from Darkness to light and from the x power of Satan to God so that they may x receive forgiveness of sins so that they x may receive forgiveness of sins and a x place among those who are Sanctified by x faith in me x all right x and that's sort of like that that was an x apocalypse brothers and sisters you know x you think about the apocalypse that John x received on the Isle of island island of x Patmos what happened to Saul is not much x different than what happened to John it x was this Revelation this thing that God x had happened to him in a vision in a x dream and a nightmare however you want x to experience describe that experience x that real experience it happened to Paul x now if you think about like closely held x beliefs that you've had x you know I'm speaking to not just you x Jim but to all of us right when we think x about you know closely held beliefs x and you think what would it take for me x to change my opinion on this like when x was the last time I changed my mind on x something that was important x right it's a hard thing for a lot of us x to do x and it's so difficult in fact that there x are times when it seems to me that God x has to do the changing he's got to x create this environment that snaps you x out of what whatever the the blinders x are that you have on x and this apocalypse that Paul x experienced x is something that many other people x experience throughout the Bible well x look at one yeah Steve go ahead I see x you've got your your hand raised go x right ahead jump in yeah um x when we have saw x and called paw x uh was that a question is that a uh a x change in his mind is it that switch x over for for him to understand x uh what he was thinking was wrong uh x when was that switch it was that when he x his name was changed x I've always thought so Steve yeah I've x always thought that anyway the the x change in name was sort of reflective of x the change in character of the man x right x you know let the reader understand you x know it's sort of like a a little hint x uh x yeah this is not the same guy it's not x the same guy same guy but not the same x guy x yeah yeah x and you know brothers and sisters x the excitational point here x is that should be a lesson to us x because on the day of my baptism I put x on the name of Jesus Christ x right we are Brothers and Sisters in x Christ x and we are to be different with the same x guy x but we're to live a different life we've x got to have a different priority in life x we're no longer serving our own you know x desires x what was good for us we're we're serving x our heavenly father x yeah so Steve to answer your question I x think it was reflective of the change x that went on in his character x and what I what I was saying is this x example of Paul the Apocalypse happening x to him so that he would change is x something that we see not just to Paul x but to it wasn't unique to him it x happened to many other people too and x we'll look at one more example in the x New Testament and it's also an acts so x I'd like to flip back to Acts chapter x 10. x so the reason I want to go to Acts x chapter 10 x is because this is the this is the x passage that describes x the vision x that Peter x the Jew x who practiced kosher eating all his life x had to experience x so that he could know that it was okay x for him to give up the the idea of x eating only kosher foods x I mean how hard must that have been for x him it was part of his identity it was x part of who he was who he thought he was x and for somebody to say you know hey x you're a follower of Jesus now you don't x need to follow the law of Moses you can x you know you want to have shellfish go x right it go right ahead pork no problem x Bacon's good right uh he's like no way x and as a result there is this apocalypse x that happens to him it's the vision it's x where he's in a trance on the roof and x and you know the curtain gets lowered x with all sorts of evil you know unclean x animals on it and he's told that he can x go and eat x and it was that apocalyptic Vision that x dream that you know nightmare however x you want to describe it that changed him x so those are two examples from the New x Testament right two examples of the New x Testament x any questions on that or anybody can x want to add anything to that before we x start looking at the Old Testament x uh sort of we have some internet x problems so you might have answered the x question the last couple minutes we x might have missed but um is this term x apocalypsis is the Revelation uh you you x went out of the way to make the point x that x um this isn't something we set out x intentionally to get uh by book learning x or by going out to have a life x experience or something like that x um but you've provided examples where x um a revelation is occurring where it x seems like the fabric of reality and or x or the the gulf Between Heaven and Earth x is somehow being torn and and people are x getting direct Revelation from God would x you say that experiences that we have in x life that are not of our own creation x but have been you know we would look x back upon and reflect and think oh I can x see the hand of God working in my life x at this time to teach me something would x that qualify as this or or is that a an x equally valid experience but not quite x the same as what you're talking about x here x I'm not sure how to answer that Ben x um x and I think one of the you know speaking x personally I think one of the challenges x that I have as a as a believer x is looking at my own experiences and x trying to recognize when God has been x working in my life it's a weakness that x I think I have x um I remember some time ago we had a x Bible class speaking of Sussex and Paul x Baines was getting ready to move to x England and you know he felt like God x was opening doors for him and I asked x him the question you know what's that x mean what's that look like when you say x that God is opening the door for you x um so x I think it's hard for me to answer that x because I admittedly I I recognize that x as a struggle in my own walk x um certainly it's it's I would imagine x that it's possible for one to look back x and say oh that was God revealing this x to me but when I think of uh the x apocalypse like what John received in on x the island of Patmos or what you know x you know Peter saw when he was on the x roof of cornelius's homes those to me x are different than a x life experience x certainly there's no question about what x just happened whereas we might take it x might take many many years for us to x look back at something and realize how x God has molded us it seems like that is x in a different category x okay I I think it is and and it's not to x say that that other category isn't valid x I think it's an important thing I think x it's something that I hope that I can be x more attuned to looking for God working x in my life right I think that's an x important thing for us all to recognize x I have my experience but I think it's a x little bit different and yeah x not Richard yeah I have an experience x I'd like to share x um I remember when I was uh teaching x brother Phil x um x oh yeah you were talking about that x experience uh I think you've told that x story a couple of times where you uh you x started searching about uh the angel x that had fallen from heaven x yeah that one but this is a little x another one x oh uh it was uh x um we had been doing our lessons and um x the uh um x um x before the next day uh we were we had x said we was going to do another lesson x and uh I prayed about it that night and x I said I believe Lord you have a call x this man and I checked in my book x um the uh uh Isaiah 14 12 or Lucifer x that was falling from heaven and I x marked it and the next day when we got x together before we usually always open x up with a prayer and uh after I opened x up with a prayer he said uh I want to x know about that and uh and I thought x that's what yeah that's what we were x talking about yeah okay so I you know I x think that's really interesting I think x that probably goes more along the lines x of what Ben was describing as opposed to x a vision from Heaven uh which seems to x be what we see in uh you know the x Apostle Paul or Peter or John on Patmos x so I'm gonna in the in the in you know x because we're already at 20 past eight x I'm gonna plow ahead is that okay x Richard oh sure yeah okay so when we go x to the Old Testament uh the Jewish x scriptures you know one of the things x that jumped out at me x was Abraham x like the father of the faithful I never x thought about Abraham as receiving an x apocalypse x but when we come to Genesis chapter 15 x and we we read it it does give us this x idea that what was happening to Abraham x here was just that it was a revealing if x you know through a vision through uh an x opening through as Ben I think you x described it the merging of Heaven and x Earth x and uh I'll just I'll read uh verses one x through six to start it says uh in x Genesis chapter 15 verse 1. after this x the word of Yahweh came to Abram x in a vision x do not be afraid Abram I am your Shield x your very great reward x but Abram said o Sovereign Lord what can x you give me since I remain childless and x the one who will inherit my estate is x Eleazar of Damascus x and Abram said you have given me no x children so a servant in my household x will be my Heir and you know we know the x story but the point that I'm trying to x bring out here is this well-known x passage this you know patriarch the x father of the faithful the one who x received the great and precious promises x I don't know if it's just me but I don't x know that I you know recognize that it x was in a vision as opposed to just the x Lord speaking to him and when we come x down to verse 12 x it says as the sun was setting x Abram fell into a deep sleep x and a thick and Dreadful Darkness came x over him no for certain that your x descendants your seed will be strangers x in a country not your own and they will x be enslaved and mistreated for a hundred x years 400 years but I will punish the x you know so the point again here chapter x 15 starts out with a vision and now in x in verse x chapter uh verse whatever it was 13. x verse 12 he falls into a deep sleep you x know this deep and Dreadful sleep I x think we can view that as an apocalypse x we'll look at a couple more how about uh x David x King David x did David receive an apocalypse was x there this merging of you know Heavenly x reality with Earthly circumstance and I x think the answer is yes let's take a x look at First Chronicles x First Chronicles chapter 21. x it's a a tiny little verse in here but x it says an awful lot x um first Chronicles 21 we'll look at the x 16th verse x this is uh David numbering the fighting x men and in the 16th verse x we see this David looked up x and saw the angel of Yahweh standing x between x Heaven and Earth with a drawn sword in x his hand extended over Jerusalem x than David and the elders fell x clothed in sackcloth fell face down x right there's that that that Heavenly x perspective of what's happening on the x earth he looks and he sees a vision a x revealing an apocalypse I think x um x we can go on uh over and over again you x know you look at Jacob x you think of this this man Jacob fleeing x for his life I mean he's deceived his x family he's stolen the birthright x he's in trouble right in his mind he's x in trouble let's go to Genesis chapter x um x 28. x you know I don't know that we have time x to go there but you know you know that x you know the story you know where he has x this vision and he sees the Angels you x know going up and down through the the x gate to heaven you know Earthly problems x Heavenly perspective what's the Heavenly x perspective Jacob x pick yourself up you're gonna be okay x right you are going to be you know one x of the faithful uh you know one of the x fathers of faith of faithfulness x Abraham Isaac and Jacob you know the x Patriarchs of old x um there was a reason for this vision x and it was to change him either to x change like in the case of Saul to x change him from the error of his ways to x a new way or in the case of Jacob one x who is doubting everything and now to x realize that oh I am Abraham's seed x there's something special about that x so um those are some examples of why I x think we see these apocalypses and of x course I've I've left out some of the x you know the more common ones you know x we could go to Isaiah or we'd go to x Ezekiel or we could go to Daniel and we x see these you know very familiar x apocalyptic Visions but what I tried to x do tonight was draw out some of the less x obscure ones that when we read it and x carefully consider it we can say yeah x that's probably an apocalypse too x so what seems to be a common theme x between all of these events is what Ben x had described it seems to be x um this merging of everyday life x on Earth with a view of God's x perspective from heaven x it's though the apocalypse is designed x to reveal x or to open up a better understanding of x Earth's problems of my problems of your x problems x and the reason this is done is to affect x change in our lives change in our x Attitude Change in our faith if our x faith is waning like it was with the x brothers and sisters in Asia Minor the x apocalypse was to show them that God is x good x God is in control and that the Roman x Empire despite their might and power and x seeming success x is destined to fall Babylon has fallen x and that's the thing that all of us must x recognize we are either going to be x citizens of the kingdom of God x or we're going to choose to be citizens x of the kingdom of men and sometimes the x kingdom of men looks so attractive with x its successes and with its you know x wealth and you know power x but the perspective that we receive from x these apocalypses x is that God is a loving creator x who has chosen you x to live forever x in the restoration of Eden x Revelation ends with those words x that you know he sees a vision and the x New Jerusalem is coming down out of x heaven x and if we choose to align ourselves x brothers and sisters with the kingdom of x God rather than the kingdom of men we x will be x inhabitants we will be Kings and Priests x in that Kingdom age we will experience x the joy of the glory that will make our x present-day sufferings not worth x anything x these are the hopes that we have and x it's my hope that the you know the hour x we've spent tonight will encourage us in x our faith and uh maybe open up to us x reveal to us some of these apocalyptic x visions x because uh they can be hard to x understand but when we step back and we x try and just look at the big picture x it's my hope that we can find our x comfort in these things the way the x early First Christians did God is in x control there will be a day when just x like Adam and Eve walked with God in the x garden we too will walk with God it's an x exciting proposition and uh we can look x forward to that especially now as we x suffer with struggles in this life