A FINAL UNVEILING
The book of the Revelation of Jesus is the final book of the New Testament. This book is unique as it is the only New Testament book written in the apocalyptic genre. The Greek word for revelation is Apokalupsis, from which we get the word apocalypse. The word itself means “reveal” or “unveil.” What was once hidden has now been unveiled! This book reveals God’s heavenly perspective on history and current events so that the present life could be lived in light of history’s final outcome.
With each chapter, John paints a beautiful vision of life from Heaven’s point of view. Today, on a daily basis, we are forced to ask an important question: how do the truths of the gospel relate practically and specifically to the difficult cultural, social, political, and economic realities we find ourselves facing?
Like a painter creating art on a canvas, John answers this question for his readers (and us) as he shares vision after vision and opens to us reality from heaven’s perspective. He shows us the beauty of God’s eternal plan. He sets our daily struggles of faith in the context of the cosmic battle between God and Satan—and assures us that we will share in the guaranteed victory of Christ in God’s new creation.
With each chapter, an incredible canvas of hope is created using the beautiful imagery of numbers, colors, and references to Old Testament scripture. This book will encourage us to persevere and not compromise or give up. We will be challenged to live in this world in light of the new world that is to come.
John writes this book while in exile on the isle of Patmos. In many ways, we too, are in exile. Like John, we have been invited to see God’s wonderful artistic masterpiece.
The Downtown Hope Team
A Final Unveiling | Revelation 22
Nov. 20, 2022 | DAVID BEMPONG
John brings this incredible book to an end in Revelation 22. He is attempting to find words to describe the indescribable. In this message we discover the promises that God ultimately has in store for all who will respond to his loving act of grace.
Living in Light of Eternity | Revelation 21.1-8
Nov. 13, 2022 | JOEY TOMASSONI
To be human is to travel a tear-soused road of pain and death. It is no wonder we all wander looking and longing for relief in our day-to-day lives. And yet complete repose in the present never seems to find us, haunting us with questions of the future - will we suffer forever, how long? In this message we walk through Revelation 21.1-8 to discover a rapturous vision of a future New Creation that is charged with enduring power for our road of tears today.
The Final Battle | Revelation 20.1-10
Nov. 6, 2022 | DAVID BEMPONG
As we reach the final few chapters of Revelation it has become clear that Jesus' victory over the enemy has blazed the trail for our victory. In this passage we are invited to see the final battle.
The Wedding Countdown | Revelation 19.6-10
Oct. 30, 2022 | ANUSH JOHN
There are many things in life that we wait for. Sometimes the best things come after the longest wait. In “The Wedding Countdown,” we will look at a countdown for an event that will be the focus of the future.
Living in Light of God's Justice | Revelation 15-18
Oct. 23, 2022 | LUKE HARBAUGH
In this message, we work through Revelation 15 through 18, focusing on God's wrath in just judgement of evil. In a world where we see so much evil seemingly go unpunished, this passage give us a glimpse into what it looks like when God repays evil with vengeance. This powerful passage is an important milestone and gives deep richness to the aspects we will see as we continue through Revelation in the coming weeks.
Worship the Lamb | Revelation 14.1-5
Oct. 16, 2022 | DAVID BEMPONG
Worship is not just something you choose to do on a Sunday morning. It’s the way you live your life. In this message we see the importance worship in the context of the cosmic battle of Revelation.
Living In Light Of The Cosmic Battle | Revelation 11.19-12.17
Oct. 9, 2022 | JOEY TOMASSONI
The traumas of illness, relational bullying, abuse, cancer, rape, war, torture, death, and other horrors have been and continue to be part of the human experience. Whenever we experience suffering, we rightly ask the question, “why God?” While biblical answers to this question are complex, mysterious, and take a lifetime to contemplate, there are a few foundational realities that emerge in the narrative of Scripture that help us to make sense of our suffering. Perhaps, the most significant of these realities comes to John through a vision of a cosmic battle in the middle of his Revelation. In this message Joey walks us through Revelation 12 to explore the “why” behind the question of our suffering.
Take and Eat | Revelation 10
Oct. 2, 2022 | DAVID BEMPONG
We are almost halfway through the book of Revelation. We've seen letters to churches, a throne room, seals, and trumpets. What are supposed to do with this Revelation? In this message we discover how John's commission is also our commission.
Sealed by God | Revelation 7:1-4
Sept. 25, 2022 | DAVID BEMPONG
John continues to see visions of things to come. Things will get worse. The question rightly asked at the end of Revelation 6 is "Who can stand"? In this message we discover how it is that God ensures that His people will stand regardless of the surrounding chaos.
Living in Light of His Worth | Revelation 4.1-5.13
Sept. 18, 2022 | JOEY TOMASSONI
Though our culture tends to reduce truth to measurable material and prescribed propositions, almost every civilization throughout history has had some capacity to believe there is more to the visible world than simply what we can concretely observe. Revelation confronts us with this reality as it offers us a vision into an unseen world flush with events that “are to come.” But before the visionary parade of future events, John is first given an open door to see an event, the event, that is, has been and will be happening forever. In this message Joey walks us through Revelation 4-5, to see the happening from which all happenings find their inception.
Living in Light of Jesus' Promises | Revelation 3.7-13
Sept. 11, 2022 | DAVID BEMPONG
In Revelation 2-3 Jesus assesses the church of that day and they are faced with similar challenges that we face today. In this message we hear Jesus' voice to the church, and may that strengthen us as we live in light of His promises.
Living in Light of Who Jesus Is | Revelation 1.1-8
Sept. 4, 2022 | DAVID BEMPONG
In this message we begin our series titled “A Final Unveiling: The Closing Scene of God’s Masterpiece in the Book of Revelation.”