I have been discipling our 40 pastors in Uganda out of the Book of John and Your Life In Christ as they are preaching to their congregations out of John’s Gospel. At the same time, I have been going over my notes from previous studies of the Book of Revelation and taking a fresh look via Hal Lindsey’s current update (free online). In the process God has taken me deeper into John’s writing while at the same time showing me things that I never saw/knew before. For example, one simple fact has had a profound impact on my current study of his book … John’s Book was the last book written in the Bible!
That may not, in and of itself, be awe inspiring but consider what preceded it.
John’s Book portrays Jesus as the Son of Man and the Son of God in order to instill believing faith in his readers. It revolves around the miracles of Jesus’ seven I Am statements that prove that He is who He claims to be … the Son of God.
I am the bread of life
I am the light of the world
I am the door
I am the good shepherd
I am the resurrection
I am the way the truth and the life
I am the true vine.
Now consider the authority with which John writes. He wrote the Book of John “after” he was taken up to heaven in the presence of Son of God.
Rev 1:17-19 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. 19 Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. ESV
It was then that he was challenged by Jesus to write the things which he had seen, the things which are, and the things which are to take place after this … which are recorded in the Book of Revelation.
What the Lord impressed on me was to consider the fact that what John wrote in his gospel was totally impacted by what he witnessed in heaven. By what was revealed to him by the King of kings and Lord of lords. What incredible insight and authority John had in writing his gospel in the full revelation of the Son of God. Just consider that fact as you read his opening statement:
John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. ESV
And His closing words of Revelation:
Rev 22:8-11 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” 10 And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. 11 Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.” ESV
As you read the Gospel of John in light of what he wrote in Revelation, there is a spirit of authority because Jesus told him what to write … the things which he had seen, the things which are, and the things which are to take place after this …