Revelation 1:1-3
Of Jesus - God
Almighty
Intro
√ The Book of Revelation is the climax of the Bible recording the fulfillment of what God started in Genesis.
Genesis = literally means "beginnings"
Revelation = records the end of all things relating to God's plan on earth.
Ex. Genesis vs. Revelation
Fellowship with God broken - restored
The origin of Man - the end of Man
The creation of heaven & earth - destroyed and replaced with a new heaven & earth
All that God planed, which Man and Satan destroyed, God in the final reckoning brings to completion.
In fact, many of the symbols found in Genesis are also found in Revelation:
Light and Darkness
Stars
Babylon
A Bride
A Garden
A tree of Life (Gen. 2:9 - Rev. 2:7)
A serpent
And because the Book of Revelation is so filled with symbols - more than any other book of the New Testament - many Christians never read, let alone study, this Book.
Almost afraid to read it's pages because of the strange imagery and symbolism.
Some Christian denominations will not even teach it! They claim that it is impossible to understand.
That's tragic! Saints - God wants you to read this Book!
It is the only Book in the Bible with a promised blessing to those who read, hear and keep (hope for it's fulfillment), the Words recorded.
7 beatitudes given to those who get a hold of it!
So take good notes; study at home, ask questions, get to know this Book.
√ Couple of hints to understanding this Book.
1) Handout
2) Most of the symbols are explained in the text; if they aren't
then we can presume that they are to be read and
understood in their most natural interpretation.
Rev 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.
Stars = angels (or messengers)
Lampstands = symbols of the church "light of the world"
Seven = literal number of churches which are addressed in chapters 2 & 3.
3) Remember that God wants His people to understand it!
Ap. We're living in the Last Days!
The signs of the Lord's return are all around us. It would be to our advantage to apply ourselves to the Word of God that we might be ready when He calls!
The unveiling
Rev 1:1 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,
√ Vs. 1 sets forth the basic scheme of the entire book...
It's subject matter
It's purpose
The angelic channel
The human writer
1) Opening verse introduces us immediately to the central theme - or the subject matter of the whole book...
"The revelation of Jesus Christ"
This book reveals Jesus in His present and future glory.
No longer...
A humble carpenter
Rejected prophet from Galilee
Despised common man
...Jesus is here revealed in all the glory which He left in heaven when He came to save you and me from our sins!
We find Jesus…
Worshiped by angels and man
Judge of the whole earth and the spirit realm
All powerful God
King of kings
Victor over all enemies
Savior of those who trust in Him
√ "Revelation" is the Greek word apokalypsis -
We tend to think of destruction and the end when we hear "apocalypse" but in fact it simply means...
"the unveiling, or disclosure, or revelation, of something."
Ex. Bride when she enters the church!
So here in the Book of Revelation we have recorded the unveiling, the disclosure, the revelation of truth concerning...
Jesus Christ - Who He is
Jesus Christ at His Second Coming
Jesus Christ and His dealings with Mankind as He brings a close to human history.
So while many say…
"it's a sealed book", or "man can not understand it".
Quite the contrary - the whole point of the Book of Revelation is to unveil the Truth concerning Jesus Christ and His plan for the End Times!
2) Notice the purpose of the Revelation...
"which God gave Him to show His servants--things which must shortly take place. "
God wants His servants - you and me - and the church throughout history to know the end of the story!
That Jesus wins!
That the Church is victorious!
That evil will be destroyed!
Understand that at the time of the writing of the Revelation that the church was under serious attack from the Roman government.
Written about 95 A.D. when the emperor Domitian was waging a full scale attack against the Christian "movement".
He was the first to recognize that behind the Church was a Person who threatened the very glory of the Roman emperors.
So he sent out edicts - letters - and his army to find and destroy the Christian church.
Domitian was the first to openly declare war on Jesus Christ and His Church. He was also the first to lose that war. So, in one sense the Revelation is Jesus' response to a declaration of war....
"If it's a war you want, then it's a war you'll get, and it's war you can't win!"
Key verse
Rev 17:14 "These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful."
Ex. Mr. O'Neil and the three tough guys who tried to beat him up.
3) Note the timing of this book...
"things which must shortly take place. "
This verse alone has caused many people to misunderstand the timing of the events described in the vision.
We read "shortly" and think - it's been almost 2,000 years since John wrote this - how is that "shortly".
The Greek phrase "en tachei" = "with speed", or "quickly coming to pass", "suddenly coming to pass."
The idea is not that the event may occur soon (relative to John's receiving the vision), but that when it does come, it will come suddenly - quickly.
"Suddenly" - theme of the New Testament writers...
1Th 5:1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.
1Th 5:2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
1Th 5:3 For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
Ap. Non-Christian - don't wait to get saved! By the time war breaks out upon the earth from heaven - choosing Jesus will be much more difficult.
Christian - be faithful and use your time wisely.
4) Note the messengers of the Book
"And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,"
√ We're told that the message of the Book was brought by an angel to His servant John.
The angel is not identified, though many believe it was Gabriel because it was he who....
Brought the end-time message to Daniel in chap. 8 & 9
Brought news of the birth of John to Zacharias in Luke 1
Brought news of the birth of Jesus to Mary - Luke 1
...but we aren't told for sure - so we can ask when we get there! J
However, don't miss the importance of the presence of the angel. No other book in the New Testament speaks so much concerning angels...both in God's service, and fallen-angles.
75 times angels are mentioned in Revelation
Ap. Today with all the interest in angels it would good for folks to study Revelation to see...
Who they are
What they do
For the Christian we find the angels of heaven to be partners with us in the work of God on earth.
While men have the great privilege of sharing the Gospel with other men.
Angels in God's service work along side of the Christian to strengthen us, encourage us and point us to Jesus.
Ex. Much as I like "Touched by an Angel" they have it wrong - it's man, not angels, who have been sent from God to tell them that Jesus loves them.
The main purpose of the angel who we are introduced to in verse 1 is to bring John the message which is recorded here in the Revelation.
√ The human messenger is declared to be John.
Here he is called a "witness"…
Rev 1:2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, and to all things that he saw.
√ "bore witness" = or to "testify".
Important theme in all of John's writings, that is, he was writing as an eye-witness of the things which he saw and heard and declared to be the true Word of God.
What makes John uniquely qualified as the writer of this Book is that he knew Jesus while He had ministered on earth as a humble servant.
1Jo 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life--
1Jo 1:2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us--
1Jo 1:3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
John was...
Last living apostle - Eusibius recorded the deaths of all the apostles and said that John was boiled alive in oil - but was not killed!
Exiled to the island of Patmos.
In his 90's!
Forced labor in the mines on the island
Freed after the assassination of Domitian in 96 A.D.
So we see that though the enemy would try and silence John, God had one more message for the last of His apostles to bring to the world, and no matter what Satan might try...
Boil him in oil
Exiled him to a remote island to silence him
Forced labor to bring about his death
...God would still get the Word out!
A special blessing
Rev 1:3 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.
√ God promises a special three-fold blessing here in the opening verses of this Book.
"he who reads"
"those who hear"
"those who keep the things which are written in it"
Unique in all the Bible! No other book of the Bible proclaims a direct promise of blessing to those who would simply read or hear it!
Note the blessings.
1) "he who reads"
The "he" is singular here because initially not all the church would have a copy of the Revelation to read. Seven copies sent to the seven churches.
Admonition to the pastor or ruling elder to read the Revelation to the people in his congregation.
Ap. I will be blessed to read it to you! You will be blessed if you just show up every Sunday to hear it!
Note also the special privilege we have today - we all have a copy of Revelation to read! May I encourage you to read ahead on your own time - get familiar with this book.
2) "those who hear"
"those" of course is plural and refers to those who would not have a copy to read - yet they are promised a blessing too simply by hearing the Word read to them.
Finally, both the reader and the hearer are blessed if they...
3) "keep those things which are written in it"
Liberally to "keep those things which are written" means to observe or pay attention to those things which are written.
This final blessing then is for those who don't just read the Book, or hear it, but those who take the...
Instruction
Warnings
Corrections
Predictions
...to heart and apply them to their life.
Ex. Matt. 7:24-29 - the person who is blessed is the one who hears and does the things which Jesus commanded.
Ap. As we get into chapter 2 and 3 Jesus has words of exhortation and rebuke for the church.
"For whom the Lord loves He chastens,..."
Heb. 12:6
Let's not try and defend ourselves, but instead let the Holy Spirit accomplish His will in our lives as we study together.
√ Note the content of the Book...
"the words of this prophecy..."
...that is, the whole book is prophetic in content.
Important because only God Who dwells outside of time and space can accurately "unveil" to us the future.
Ap. If we have the advantage of knowing the final end of Mankind and this world, then we can make decisions today that will be beneficial to our future.
Peter speaks concerning the End Times...
2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
2Pe 3:11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
That is, invest your time and resources into eternal treasures - not the things of the world that are destined to be destroyed.
Ex. In the material world; if you knew that on Tuesday Wal-Mart stock was going to triple in value - what would you be doing on Monday?
Well, we know what the future holds both in the material and in the spiritual, what should we be doing today - investing in the future!
"for the time is at hand".
"Come suddenly"
Close
√ Get blessed - read ahead!
Chapter 1 each day - ask the Lord for wisdom and understanding.
√ Get even more blessed - keep the words of this prophecy. Take them to heart and understand that Jesus is coming back to establish His kingdom and to put evil away forever!