Principles in Handling the Book of Revelation

In this part of the sermon: Martin contrasts subjects of idle curiosity with the life-and-death importance of Jesus Christ's person and work as Redeemer, particularly His kingship, which has been the ongoing…

Martin compares discussing South Pacific weather or Borneo's agriculture (met with indifference/idle curiosity) to the irreverent and irrational attitudes some have towards the rescue of lost sinners by Christ, highlighting the gravity of the latter.

I'm sure that all of you would agree with me that there are many subjects that we could examine with a legitimate degree of curiosity or even a detached indifference. If I were to announce this morning that we were going to occupy our minds with a discussion on the weather patterns in the South Pacific or the agricultural problems of South Borneo, you could listen, if you would listen at all, with a legitimate degree of indifference or, at best, idle curiosity. Sort of the attitude with which some of us read many of the articles in National Geographic. Interesting, informative, but certainly n...

0:02 - 1:24 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The book of the Revelation is not pre-written history describing in cryptic or code language a detailed account of the world and of the church.

Martin describes the common misconception of Revelation as a 'Christian's crystal ball' where one tries to unlock cryptic symbols to see detailed world history, illustrating the fanciful and often useless interpretations that result.

You see, there are many people who approach the book of the Revelation with a presupposition. And the presupposition is this, that this is the Christian's crystal ball. And as you look into the book of the Revelation, you will be able to see the entire panorama of detailed world history. But now the problem is, in the crystal ball you have these unusual figures.

6:54 - 7:20 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Secondly, it is not a pre-written account of events that will be limited by a few years at the end of the world.

Martin lists Napoleon, Balkan Wars, Hitler, Mussolini, Mao Zedong, European Alliance, and United Nations as examples of historical figures and events that people fancifully claim to see in Revelation, demonstrating the arbitrary nature of such interpretations.

Napoleon is seen in the book of the Revelation. The Balkan Wars are seen. Hitler is seen. Mussolini is seen.

7:51 - 7:58 Read in full sermon

The point: Sit prepared to hear things that would impinge upon the ethical and practical dimensions of your Christian life when engaging with Revelation.

Martin compares Revelation 1:1-3 to a caption on a picture, suggesting it was written after the book's composition to summarize its essence, which is ethical and practical.

Number one, the contents are essentially ethical and practical. The contents of the book of the Revelation are essentially ethical and practical. Notice in the caption verse three verses one to three of chapter one are a caption probably written after the entire book was composed just as a picture will have a caption on it to give us a summation of what it's all about. We read in verse three blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the word of God the words of the prophecy and keep the things that are written therein for the time is at hand. So if you sat in the congregation at Ephesus th...

15:46 - 17:16 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin introduces the principle that faith focuses on the aspect of Christ most suited to a believer's present need, illustrating this with Christ as sympathetic High Priest for…

Martin illustrates the principle of faith regarding Christ's most suited aspect by describing how a saint bowed down with weakness and temptation contemplates Christ as a sympathetic, tempted high priest (Hebrews 4:15).

It exercises itself upon that facet of his personal work which is tailor-made for my need. Let me illustrate this. When the saint is bowed down with a sense of weakness, human infirmity, bowed down with a sense of shame that he is tempted by sin, what aspect of Christ is faith to contemplate? Well, the Scripture is plain.

33:51 - 34:20 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Ah, my friend, the Holy Ghost is saying in the book of the Revelation, the Church needs a throne fixation. Forty times John says, the throne, the throne, the throne, the throne!

Martin illustrates the principle by explaining that when a believer is conscious of guilt, faith contemplates Christ as the curse-bearer, focusing on Calvary's scenes to cleanse the conscience, rather than His humanity or sympathy.

Faith is to feed upon Christ as a sympathetic, tempted high priest. Now, it does not deny all the other things he is, nor does it push him totally into the peripheral. But faith, you see, fastens upon that aspect of Christ's glory which it most desperately needs. When the believer is conscious of his guilt and he thinks of his sin in the light of God's holy law, what facet of Christ's person and work is to be the basis of his comfort, to be the conscious exercise of his faith?

34:47 - 35:24 Read in full sermon

The point: In times of persecution and loss of free assembly, find your stay and comfort in the Spirit-wrought understanding that 'the Lamb is in the midst of the throne'.

Martin uses the metaphor of America living in a 'fool's paradise' to suggest that the comfort and security they've known may soon end, making the 'throne fixation' of Revelation critically relevant for future suffering.

Now right now, for many of us, we say, well, that doesn't scratch me where I itch. My friend, in a sense, we in America have lived in a fool's paradise for several centuries. And our time may come sooner than many of us realize when you'll need nothing more than a spirit-wrought understanding of the overall thrust of the book of the Revelation. The time may come when free assembly such as we know this morning will simply be a memory to which our minds look back with great longing.

39:04 - 39:43 Read in full sermon