Key points
1Revelation's purpose is stated up front: knowing what happens next should change what we do now.
Pastor Bill reads the first three verses of Revelation 1, noting that God blesses those who not only read and hear the prophecy but obey it. He argues that obeying isn't about decoding prophecy for its own sake but letting the knowledge of the ending reshape present-day living.
2The whole book follows a simple outline Jesus gave John: what he had seen, what is now, and what will happen.
From Revelation 1:19, Pastor Bill shows the vision of Jesus in chapter one, the letters to the seven churches in chapters two and three, and the end times beginning in chapter four. He notes the church itself is not the main character of the book — the unbelieving world and God's covenant with Israel are the real focus.
3Revelation seems weird and scary for four explainable reasons, but none of them should scare us away from its hope.
He walks through apocalyptic literature as a lost genre (comparing it to old Grimm's fairy tales), the way the book jumps through time and space, the misconception that America or modern nations are the main characters, and John's struggle to describe things two thousand years beyond his own experience, like technology and modern weapons.
Once upon a time, there was a man named Jesus, who battled a dragon, the devil, to save his bride, and they lived happily ever after
4The next prophetic event is the rapture, and Scripture gives real reasons to expect it before the tribulation begins.
He reads 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, explaining believers will be caught up and transformed in an instant. He notes 'church' is mentioned repeatedly in Revelation's first three chapters then disappears until the end, and points to Revelation 3:10 as evidence the church is spared the tribulation.
Carrot came first, stick comes second
5We don't know the day or hour, and that's intentional — it produces urgency rather than complacency.
Pastor Bill reads Matthew 24:36, noting even Jesus does not know the timing. He compares it to studying for a pop quiz versus a scheduled test — not knowing the date keeps us alert and engaged rather than putting off change until later.
6Signs suggest we're closer than any generation before, as things once dismissed as mystical are now practical reality.
He points to Revelation 11's prophets seen by 'every eye in the whole world' and Revelation 13's mark of the beast, once mocked by skeptics as impossible, now plausible through satellites, smartphones, and microchip technology. He shares a story of villagers in Malawi with almost nothing but a cell phone charging hut.
Not knowing should bring a better sense of urgency and clarity to our mission
A story from life
Pastor Bill Bush describes visiting a remote village in Malawi, Africa, where residents had a phone-charging hut despite living in traditional huts — illustrating how the once-mystical is now practical
7The goal of knowing what's coming is to build eager expectation to become like Jesus now.
Reading 1 John 3:2-3, he explains sanctification as the ongoing process of becoming like Christ now, versus glorification when we're fully transformed at His return. He says the point of Revelation isn't debate but living so much like Jesus already that the final transformation feels like no big change at all.
If the answer is yes, then what's stopping you from trusting Jesus and making those changes right now
A story from life
Pastor Bill Bush recounts being stranded 27+ hours in Newark and then rerouted through Zurich on the way to Israel with a group of 54
Application
Pastor Bill's closing challenge: if you'd live differently knowing Jesus returns in sixty days, ask what's stopping you from making those changes now.
Let the ending change your living now
Don't just study or debate Revelation's details — let the knowledge that Jesus is coming back shape decisions you make today.
Examine what you're afraid of
If the idea of the rapture unsettles you rather than encourages you, ask honestly whether your life is more planted in the things of this world than in wanting to be like Jesus.
Build eager expectation to be like Jesus
Live now in a way that mirrors who you'll fully become at His appearing, so the transformation feels like less of a change because you're already pursuing it.
Answer the sixty-day question honestly
If told Jesus was returning in sixty days, would you live differently? If yes, trust Jesus and start making those changes now rather than waiting.
Take it into your week
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