Revelation One.

 

The Revelation of Christ.

Revelation One.

 

          “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants, things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John.”

 

1.    JESUS SPEAKS TO JOHN ON PATMOS. Revelation 1:1-7.

 

1. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants, things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John.

2. Who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.

3. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

4. John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne.

5. And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood.

6. And has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

7. Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

 

Jesus’ words to John are here for us in the Book of Revelation. It is fascinating to note that, what Jesus says in this setting is also intended to guide rather than to teach. That is, Jesus is not providing new teachings, as for instance in the Sermon on the Mount or in the Last Supper.

Instead, Jesus is intent on encouraging and guiding those to whom His words are addressed.

For many years John had lived in Asia Minor and guided the churches there. Then around a.d. 90 the churches there experienced an outbreak of government persecution, and John was exiled to the Isle of Patmos. While John was praying on the Lord’s Day (Sunday), Christ appeared to John.

After identifying Himself, Jesus directed John to record Christ’s message to the churches in the seven major cities of Asia Minor.

The account of the appearance of Jesus, and His words to the seven churches, are recorded in the first three chapters of Revelation.

Jesus does not directly address the readers of Revelation again until the last chapter of the book, and then again, His words are exhortation and encouragement rather than instruction.

While we cannot treat Jesus’ words in Revelation as “teachings,” they are instructive and have valid application to our lives as well as to the lives of those to whom they were addressed originally.

 

2.    JOHN SEES THE GLORIFIED JESUS. Revelation 1:8-11.

 

1:8. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

1:9. I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

1:10. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet.

1:11. Saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”

 

The Jesus who appeared to John looked very different than the Jesus the apostle had known. This time John saw Jesus glorified, in His splendour and majesty. John had to struggle for words to describe the bright and brilliant vision of Christ fully unveiled as God the Son.

The best that John could do was to note that the figure seemed human, with white head and hair that glow, eyes “like a flame of fire,” and a face “like the sun shining in its strength.” Even the feet of the figure glowed like brass being refined in a furnace.

John was stunned at the sight, and “fell at His feet as dead.” There was no way that John, who had had the closest relationship of any to Jesus during His time on earth, could bear to gaze on the Son of God revealed in all His glory.

Jesus then identified Himself and told John to record what he saw and to send his writings to the seven Asia Minor churches.

 

A. Jesus’ reveals His identity, Revelation 1:8.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

 

John had known Jesus during His incarnation. Now the figure that John sees announces His identity. The one whose glory was both revealed and concealed during His time on earth now announces:

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

These titles leave nothing to the imagination. Now and from eternity to eternity, the glorified Jesus is God, the Almighty.

 

B. Jesus commissions John, Revelation 1:11; 17-20.

 

1:11. “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”

 

1:17. “And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.

1:18. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

1:19. Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.

1:20. The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.”

 

Jesus tells John to write what he sees to “the seven churches which are in Asia” (verse 11). The announcement of Christ’s identity and the commission to write are repeated (verse 18). The next two verses are important for interpreting Revelation.

The structure of the book (verse 19). Jesus tells John to “write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.” Many commentators see this verse as the key to understand Revelation.

1.    The “things which you have seen” are in Revelation 1:1-17.

2.    The “things which are” are the subject of Revelation 2 and 3.

3.    And the rest of the book, Revelation 4-22, concerns “the things which will take place after this.” If this is correct, we must treat the Book of Revelation as prophecy rather than as mere Second Coming literature.

The symbols are explained (Revelation 1:20). When Jesus appeared to John, He was standing during seven golden lampstands holding seven stars. Jesus explained,

“The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.”

The seven churches have already been named. They are the Asia Minor churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadephia, and Laodicea. There is some question about the “angels” of the seven churches.

While some take these as literal guardian angels watching over the churches, it is more likely that the word should be translated “messenger.” A Heavenly angel and the earthly leader!

The basic meaning of both mal’ak in Hebrew and Angelos in Greek is “messenger,” with angels being “heavenly messengers.” If the text should read “messenger” rather than “angel,” Jesus would be referring to the person in each church responsible to read aloud Jesus’ message to the congregation.