1. Never read the Bible through the newspaper. Don't check your understanding of scripture against what's happening in the news.

2. Don't link the Bible to every cataclysmic event in history. Not every earthquake that occurs relates to Bible prophecy.

3. Don't be afraid to read those with whom you disagree, but also don't accept their interpretation without a challenge from their equals. It's not wrong for us to look at different interpretations, but we need to be sure to compare them to others, and more than anything, compare them to the Bible!

4. Pay close attention to the little things.

5. Keep place references in mind.

1. Prophecy proves the authority of the Bible

2. Prophecy reveals God's power and wisdom

3. Prophecy reveals God's purpose

4. Prophecy brings peace to God's people.

Preterism: Events in Revelation have already taken place.

Futurism: Events in Revelation have not yet taken place.

The word "preterist" comes from Latin meaning “past.” A Preterist believes that the events described in Revelation took place in A.D. 70 when the Romans came and destroyed the city of Jerusalem.

- Nero was the Antichrist.

- The Tribulation period is already over.

- Christ came back in the clouds in 70 A.D.

- God replaced Old Testament Israel with the New Testament Church. He has annulled His covenant with Israel.

- Armageddon took place in 70 A.D. The fall of Babylon from Revelation is the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans.

- Satan is already bound in the abyss and cannot hinder the spread of the Gospel.

- Revelation 20 is already complete.

- Preterism undermines the literal meaning of Revelation--that there is a past, there is a present and there is a future.

- Preterism distorts the promise of the coming of the Lord.

Partial rapture view: Only spiritual believers who are watching and waiting for the Lord's return are going to be raptured when the Lord comes back and takes believers home to be with Him.

Post-tribulation rapture view: The Lord will return and will remove His church at the end of the tribulation period, just before the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus, at the battle of Armageddon.

Mid-tribulation rapture view: The church will be raptured in the middle of the seven year tribulation, after the first 3 1/2 years, but before the second 3 1/2 years. Believers will be taken to Heaven before God's wrath is poured out in the second half of the tribulation.

Pre-tribulation rapture view: The church is going to be caught up out of the world before the tribulation comes. Jesus Christ can come back at any time to take the believers out of the world before all these events in Revelation unfold.

Commendation: what the church has been doing well

Warning: what the church needs to improve

Promise: what the church can look forward to if they are faithful

The church at Ephesus was a big, successful church that had done a lot of things right and had influenced a lot of people. They worked hard, persevered through hardship and protected the integrity of the Gospel by rejecting false teachings like the Nicolaitans. However, in their success, they had forgotten their "first love."

*Nicolaitans, means "laity conqueror" or "one who conquers the people." May refer to a church in which the clergy ran everything, and the people did not have any input.

1. Repent: in the heat of success, sometimes our relationship with Jesus cools. So repent.

2. Remember: Remember what it was like in the early days before success came. There may have been more joy in that church during those days than during the current days of great success.}

3. Replay: Fall in love with Jesus again, not with status, not with symbol, not with success. Fall in love with the Savior.

4. Refocus: The activities that gave birth to the Church and the Book of Acts sometimes have been lost in the Church of the 21st century. Jesus says to refocus on how the Church began.

Jesus encouraged this persecuted church by letting them know He is aware of everything they were going through.

1. Don't be afraid. I'm aware of your persecution, of your poverty, and the fact you've been slandered unjustly and don't deserve it.

2. Your persecution is going to end. I'm going to do something about it.

3. Be faithful unto death, and you will receive a reward far better than you've ever seen before. I will give you the crown of life.

This church was in a city infested with idolatry. They had the challenge to "be in the world but not of the world" and had done well, but needed to watch to make sure the false teachings didn't seep into the church.

1. I know your neighborhood and that you hold fast to My Name. You refused to deny the name of Jesus even when others did.

2. Watch out. There are false teachings infiltrating your church, including the teaching of Balaam and the Nicolaitans.

*Teaching of Balaam: confessing Jesus in one breath, but in the next, permitting sin such as sexual immorality

*Doctrine of Nicolatans: may have been where the pastor or clergy ruled the church, rather than letting the people have input

3. Repent or I will come back to clean house. Confront sin, or I will have to.

In a small city full of pagan guilds (trade associations), the people in this church felt a lot of pressure to be tolerant of every other belief in town so they could do business and make a living. Jesus commends their love and motivation, how they are growing, but warns them not to tolerate sin in the church.

1. I know your deeds, your love and the motivation behind your deeds, your faith, your service, your patience and perseverance, and that your last works are even better than your first works.

2. You tolerate things you should never tolerate, including a woman in your church who is leading you astray.

3. Jesus is the One who will scrutinize everything that is done in the church by everyone in the church and will repay according to what He finds in their lives.

"Tolerance says, 'You must approve of what I do.' Love responds, 'I must do something harder: I will love you, even when your behavior offends me.'

"Tolerance says, 'You must agree with me.' Love responds, 'I must do something harder: I will tell you the truth, because I am convinced that the truth will set you free.'

"Tolerance says, 'You must allow me to have my way.' Love responds, 'I must do something harder: I will plead with you to follow the right way, because I believe you are worth the risk.'"

© 2006 PreachingToday.com and Christianity Today International, Brett Kays, Brownstown, Michigan; source; Josh McDowell, Focus on the Family Magazine (August 1999).

Sardis had a history of being a great church, but Jesus knew what was on the inside. It looked alive, but it was a dead church. Jesus told this church to wake up to the state of the church and repent, to strengthen what did remain, and to complete their service. If they didn't, He warned that He would come back when they weren't prepared.

1. Wake up – You have a history and a name, but you are now fruitless and dead. You are not interested in reaching out and winning lost souls.

2. Strengthen the things which remain – Find out what is good in the church and strengthen those things.

3. Your service is incomplete – Don't look to what you don't have, and make sure your service is complete.

4. Shape up – Hear, hold fast and repent.

5. Watch out – Christ will come unexpectedly if you don't pay attention.

The church at Philadelphia was small, but they were faithful to the name of Christ. Therefore, Jesus commended them, gave them an open door for opportunity and promised to subdue their enemies and keep them from the hour of trial.

1. I know your deeds, how you are faithful to the name of Christ.

2. I have given you an open door, to continue to reach out to your community.

3. I know you have a little strength, that you are a small church.

4. Because you've been faithful, I'm going to subdue your enemies and keep you from the hour of trial.

5. I will make you strong and secure and will write on you God's name.

This wealthy church thought they had everything they needed, even to the point of not recognizing their need for Jesus. They had riches, but they were lukewarm in their faith--in a geographic location surrounded by cold and hot springs, they were undesirably lukewarm. Jesus says to repent and to open the door because He is knocking. He isn't in the church, but He wants them to let Him in so He can lead this church.

1. They had no commitment to Jesus.

2. They had no discernment, to know if they were "rich" or "poor."

3. They had no vision and couldn't see what God had in mind for them.

4. They were not convicted by their own sins.

5. They were not allowing Jesus to be the head of their church.

1. The heavens part.

2. Christ rides out of heaven on a white horse.

3. He is faithful and He is true. He said He would come and today is the day.

4. He judges in righteousness.

5. He "makes war" and battles the Antichrist.

6. His eyes are like fire.

7. He is wearing multiple crowns.

8. He alone knows His name or, perhaps, names.

9. His robe is covered with blood.

10. He is the "Word of God."

11. His armies come with Him.

12. The armies are dressed in their linen whites.

13. The armies also ride white horses.

14. A sword comes out of Jesus' mouth to do battle; the sword of the Word of God.

15. He rules the world with a rod of iron.

16. He pours out His wrath.

17. The name "King of King and Lord of Lords" is written on His robe and thigh.

The Millennium is...

A thousand years of peace (Isaiah 2:4; 9:4-7; 11:6-9)

A thousand years of joy (Isaiah 9:3-4; 12:1-6; 14:7-8)

A thousand years of holiness (Joel 3:21; Zephaniah 3:11,13)

A thousand years of glory (Isaiah 24:23; 34:1-2; 40:5; 60:1-9)

A thousand years of knowledge (Jeremiah 3:14-15; Micah 4:1-2)

A thousand years of health (Isaiah 33:24; Jeremiah 30:10-17; Ezekiel 34:16)

A thousand years of healing (Jeremiah 31:8-9; Micah 4:6-7; Zephaniah 3:19)

A thousand years of protection (Ezekiel 34:27; Joel 3:16-17; Amos 9:13-15; Zechariah 8:14)

A thousand years of freedom from oppression (Isaiah 42:6; Zechariah 9:9-12)

A thousand years of prosperity (Ezekiel 34:26; Micah 4:1,4)

A thousand years of unhindered communication (Zephaniah 3:8-9)

A thousand years of worship (Zechariah 13:1-2; Zephaniah 3:9; Malachi 1:11)

A thousand years of God's manifest presence (Ezekiel 37:27-28; Zechariah 2:2; 10:13)

A thousand years of fullness of the Spirit (Isaiah 32:13-15; Joel 2:1-2, 28-29)

A thousand years of meaningful work (Isaiah 62:8-9; 65:21-232; Jeremiah 31:5; Ezekiel 48:18-19)

Jasper
Sapphire
Chalcedony (Agate)
Emerald
Sardonyx (Onyx)
Sardis stone (Carnelian)
Chrysolyte
Beryl
Topaz
Chrysoprase
Jacinth
Amethyst