Revelation - Chapter 1

Book of Revelation
Chapter 1

Introduction

Rev 1:1-3 This is the revelation of Jesus Christ [His unveiling of the divine mysteries], which God [the Father] gave to Him to show to His bond-servants (believers) the things which must soon take place [in their entirety]; and He sent and communicated it by His angel (divine messenger) to His bond-servant John, ² who testified and gave supporting evidence to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to everything that he saw [in his visions]. ³ Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and who keep the things which are written in it [heeding them and taking them to heart]; for the time [of fulfillment] is near. AMPC

The Apostle John, while serving his prison sentence by the Roman government on the Island of Patmos received a revelation of Jesus Christ in a vision of divine mysteries to show believers things that will take place.  God revealed to him through an angel that He wanted His children to know this information because it is very important to their future.  What the apostle saw and heard was the unveiling of prophecy which the Church needs to be aware of in these last days.  In this prophetic vision, John spoke out saying that certain things must take place in the last days.  

Once the vision was complete, not only was it confirmed by an angel of the Lord to John, we will discover throughout the Book of Revelation that God used one of His angels to complete this vision for John.  The angel finished by giving John the message saying: "Blessed, meaning one who is happy, prosperous and admired is the person who not only reads and hears these words of prophecy, but keeps the things that are written in it - for the time is near. 

We today might say it something like this:  “Happy, prosperous and admired are the pastors who teach the Book of Revelation, and fortunate is the congregation who hears and studies it.
Then, most of all, pastors and congregations, those who keep those things which are written in the Book of Revelation are victorious in all things."

Benediction

Thus the Apostle John begins his scroll (letter) by giving an introduction, followed by a benediction of who Jesus Christ is.  Something extremely important was going to happen in the days to come that the Church must be aware of.  For the time was drawing close and when it comes, it will come quickly!

What was written here as things that must take place shortly - "for the time is near" is a phrase referring to the whole dispensation of the Church - which are the latter days upon the earth.  Each generation of the Church needs to be ready for Christ to come back - to be ready for His coming as a bride waits for her bridegroom.  As such, our living must model that we are anxiously awaiting Christ's soon coming return.

^{4 John, to the seven churches that are in [the province of] Asia: Grace [be granted] to you and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being], from Him Who is [existing forever] and Who was [continually existing in the past] and Who is to come, and from the seven Spirits that are before His throne, 5a and from Jesus Christ, the faithful and trustworthy Witness, the Firstborn of the dead, and the Ruler of the kings of the earth.} 

The Apostle John begins to pen his letter on a scroll to the seven churches which were under his jurisdiction.  That does not mean that other churches should not know of this prophecy.  This prophecy was meant for the whole Church of Jesus Christ in other cities throughout the world from generation to generation.  Jesus simply picked out seven of the main churches in Asia Minor as an example of the churches at large.

 Interestingly enough, the Apostle Paul also wrote to seven churches: Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Colosse, Philippi, and Thessalonica.

To properly understand end-time prophecy, we must keep in mind that God gave the Jews words of end-time prophecy through the Prophet Daniel and other Old Testament prophets of God, as well as what Jesus told the Jews and unbelievers in the Book of Matthew.  This differ from the words of prophecy given to the Church through Jesus to the Apostle John and Paul. 

It's important that we see prophecy through the lenses given to the Church.  While both views will be happening simultaneously, a believer in Christ needs to see it from perspective of the Church and not get bogged down by what is happening to an unbelieving world.

The Apostle John's begins his opening benediction by saying:  "Grace to you and peace from Jesus Who is in heaven, who is ruler over all the kings of the earth, and from the Spirits who are before His throne." 

Two things to note here:  Jesus as ruler over all the kings of the earth AND the Spirits who are before His throne:

• Jesus, who is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords reigns in heaven, but since the fall of mankind, man gave Satan the rule as the god of this world.  While Jesus rules spiritually in the hearts of His believers, the time will come at the end of this age when Jesus will come back to earth to take over and He will then reign physically over the whole earth as the King of kings and the Lord of Lord.  He will reign then forever and ever.
• Who are these Spirits who are before the throne of Jesus?  Coming out of Isaiah 11:2, which describes seven complete aspects of the Holy Spirit, the seven spirits speak of the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge, and the fear of the Lord, which is to say the Spirit of the Lord has these characteristics, which completes the fullness and perfection of God.  

Kings and Priests

5b To Him who [always] loves us and who [has once for all] freed us [or washed us] from our sins by His own blood (His sacrificial death)—⁶ and formed us into a kingdom [as His subjects], priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the power and the majesty and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 

At the present time, Jesus rules a kingdom, but it is a kingdom that is not yet of this world.  Jesus shed His physical blood on the cross of Calvary as a sacrifice for the sins of the world.  Only those, however, who claim Jesus as their Lord have use of that shed blood for the remission of their sins.  Again, while Jesus reigns spiritually over His body at this time, we will see that before this Book of Revelation is completed, Jesus will take dominion over every earthly king and every person upon the earth.  He will then reign forever.

Because we are Christ's body of believers, belonging to the family of God, Jesus has made us kings and priests unto God - Jesus' and our Father in heaven.  As a promise of things to come - during the Millennial Period, we, the Church - Christ's Bride - His Body, will co-rule with Jesus as kings and priests for 1000 years (Rom 5:1-2). 

Amen - it is written, it is so!  The Greek word Amen is a tranliteration of a Hebrew word meaning truth or faithfulness; hence the meaning it "to be true, or so be it."  

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession,
that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light NKJV

Rev 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. NKJV

Christ's 2nd Coming

7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes (nations) of the earth will mourn over Him) realizing their sin and guilt, and anticipaing the coming wrath; So it is to be.  Amen.

There will be a time coming soon, at the end of the Tribulation Period, when Jesus will come through the clouds to the earth at His 2nd coming.  Every eye will see Him, meaning He will be visible to every tribe and nation in the world, and they will mourn His coming, especially those who hated Him.  The time of destruction has come upon them - meaning their judgment. 

• The Apostle John had always known it because this Day of the Lord was written in the Old Testament (Dan 7:13014) and from Jesus' own words (Matt 26:64). 
• It will happen because the Word of the Lord has said so. 
• All those who do not believe in Jesus as the Christ will be destroyed. 
• Amen, it is written, it is so!

⁸ “I am the Alpha and the Omega [the Beginning and the End],” says the Lord God, “Who is [existing forever] and Who was [continually existing in the past] and Who is to come, the Almighty [the Omnipotent, the Ruler of all].”

Throughout the Old Testament this phrase of Jesus being the Alpha and Omega communicates His eternal nature and unchanging presence the idea of the Triune God - Yahweh.  It reflects that Jesus, as part of the Triune God has this eternal nature just as much as God the Father does.  Heb 13:8 states Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  He always was and will be forevermore.   He is the alpha and the omega - the beginning and the end, who is and who was and who is to come.  Jesus is Almighty God."

• It's hard as a finite man to realize Jesus, as God, as always was and always will be.  
• As mankind, we live in time, and base everything on time.
• God, however, does not live on time.  There is no time in God.

This word Almighty in this verse translates the ancient Greek word pantokrater, which literally means “the one who has his hand on everything.”   It is used ten times in the New Testament - nine of them being in the Book of Revelation.  It speaks of the great sovereign control of Jesus over everything - past, present, and future. (1)

Vision of the Son of Man

⁹ I, John, your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patient endurance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos, [exiled there] because of [my preaching of] the word of God [regarding eternal salvation] and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

The Apostle John pens a short reason why he was on the Island of Patmos.  As was brought out in the Background lesson of the Book of Revelation, the apostle was a prisoner on the island because of His testimony for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  As a leader of the Church, the Roman Government arrested him and put him on the island, which was a penal colony to work the marble quarries.  

• The apostle, as an old man in his 90s, was not new to persecution and tribulation.  Life was hard as a prisoner of the government, working in the quarries everyday for a total of 18 months.

¹⁰ I was in the Spirit [in special communication with the Holy Spirit and empowered to receive and record the revelation from Jesus Christ] on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, ¹¹ saying, “Write on a scroll what you see [in this revelation], and send it to the seven churches—to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”

Among pagans of the Roman Empire, the first day of each month wasa called Augustean Day, or Emperor's Day in honor of the Roman Emperor.  Christians may have proclaimed their allegiance to Jesus on that day by honoring the first day of the week as their own Lord's Day.  We know that day as Sunday.
It is, not, however, the same term used for The Day of the Lord that Scripture points out regarding end-time events.

The Apostle John was deep in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, meaning he was in full union and yielded to the Holy Spirit.  He was probably praying in tongues allowing the Holy Spirit to pray through him to God as his eyes were closed and focused on the Lord, when suddenly...  

When I receive visions from the Lord, just about everytime I am fully yielded to the Holy Spirit,
eyes are closed, and I am praying in tongues.  

This vision came to John on the Lord's Day, which was the first day of the week - the day of the Lord's Resurrection.  He heard a loud voice from behind him - as loud as a trumpet sound saying:  "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last.  As a repeat of verse 8, we are referring to Jesus Christ speaking to the Apostle John - loud and clear.

In our Bibles, these words are in red - meaning these words came from the mouth of Jesus Christ Himself.

Jesus was clear to identify Himself to John and then gave him instruction that what he sees and hears, to write down everything in a scroll (book) because the seven churches needed to know this information.  Again, while there were other smaller churches, Christ specifically named these churches because they represented Christianity as a whole.

This prophecy was not only for the 1st century Christians, but for every Christian throughout all generations.   

John was commanded to write what he saw. He would be commanded to write eleven more times throughout the Book of Revelation (1).  Doesn't this tell us the importance that the churches need to be fully aware of this prophecy written in the Book of Revelation?  

¹² Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And after turning I saw seven golden lampstands; ¹³ and in the midst of the lampstands I saw someone like the Son of Man, dressed in a robe reaching to His feet, and with a golden sash wrapped around His chest. ¹⁴ His head and His hair were white like white wool, [glistening white] like snow; and His [all-seeing] eyes were [flashing] like a flame of fire [piercing into my being]. ¹⁵ His feet were like burnished [white-hot] bronze, refined in a furnace, and His voice was [powerful] like the sound of many waters. ¹⁶ In His right hand He held seven stars, and from His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword [of judgment]; and His face [reflecting His majesty and the Shekinah glory] was like the sun shining in [all] its power [at midday].

1. John didn’t see Jesus at first, but seven golden lampstands with each having lamps on its top to give out its light.  
2. In the midst of the seven lampstands stood One like the Son of Man.  Jesus was the One who stood in glory with authority and dominion (Dan 7:13-14).
3. Jesus was clothed with a garment down to His feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.  This indicates that He is a person of great dignity and authority. Garments were only worn by those who didn't have to work much, so they were a picture of great status and authority.  The golden band around the chest hints at the garments of the high priest (Ex 29:5).  In Ex 39:1-5 shows us there were golden threads in the band that went around the chest of the high priest of Israel.  Here, however, Jesus as the heavenly priesthood, Jesus' band was displayed in all gold.
4. Jesus' head and hair were white like wool or white as snow.  The white hair speaks of old age, great wisdom and timelessness and Ancient of Days pointing to God the Father, meaning Jesus is equal with God as to His Divine nature (Dan 7:9).  The white as snow emphasizes the idea of purity (Is 1:18).  
5. His eyes were like a flame of fire, piercing right through him, associating Him with judgment (Matt 5:22; 2 Pet 3:7).  Jesus' eyes displayed the fire of searching, penetrating judgment. 
6. His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace.  Fire is connected with judgment.  Jesus has already passed through the fires of judgment and has come forth with a refined purity (Refiner's Fire).  Brass also is a strong metal, the strongest known in the ancient world.  
7. His voice as the sound of many waters.  Jesus' voice had the power and majest of a mighty waterfall.
8. In His right hand He held seven stars which speaks of the leaders or pastors of the seven churches (Rev 1:11; Rev 1:20).   The stars are securely in the hand of Jesus.  Since seven is the number of completion, we can say that "He's got the whole church in His hands."
9. Out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword.  This was a heavy sword used to kill and destroy.  The idea of it coming out of His mouth is not that Jesus carries a sword in His teeth, but that the sword is His word - His weapon - as well as our weapons.  Eph 6:17 tells us that part of our weapon against Satan is the sword of the spirit which is the Word of God.  As Jesus spoke, John felt the penetrating power of His words - as if a sharp sword proceeded from His mouth.
10. His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.  The glory of Jesus is so great, so shining, that it is hard to even look upon Him.  In the transfiguration in Matt 17:2, Jesus face shone like the sun.  (2)

Everything in John's vision spoke of strength, majesty, authority and righteousness. 

John immediately recognized Jesus' voice as well as his appearance because he had walked with him decades before while his Savior walked the earth.  Jesus' hair was now white and His eyes were like a flame of fire.  His feet looked like fiery fine brass and His voice echoed like the sound of many many waters.  But he still knew it was his master Jesus. 

¹⁷ When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. And He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last [absolute Deity, the Son of God], ¹⁸ and the Ever-living One [living in and beyond all time and space]. I died, but see, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of [absolute control and victory over] death and of Hades (the realm of the dead).

When John saw Jesus in his vision, while he was praying in the Spirit, he fell at His fell at His feet as dead.  In other words, John was so overwhelmed to where he was slain in the Spirit where he could no longer sit or stand and he slumped to the ground like a dead man fully engaged in what Jesus was saying to him.

What a wonderful place to be - slained in the Spirit.  That has happened to me several times over the years.
 As you lay slain under the power of God, you just let God minister to you.  Those are experiences you never forget.

Jesus then laid His right hand on John to comfort him with a compassionate touch.  Then Jesus gently said to him:  “Do not be afraid,” followed by identifying Himself again by saying:  I am the One Who lives and was dead, and is alive forevermore.  He spoke of his resurrection in that He will never die.  This was a permanent victory.  In His victory, He holds the keys of Hades and of death.  We can trust that Jesus will never give those keys to Satan.  They belong to Jesus.

¹⁹ So write the things which you have seen [in the vision], and the things which are [now happening], and the things which will take place after these things. ²⁰ As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels (divine messengers) of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Jesus now lists five things that John needed to write down for the churches:

1. The things which he had seen in the vision:  Revelation Chapter 1.  The vision of Christ in the midst of the seven lampstands. 
2. The things which are now happening:  Revelation Chapters 2-3  The things concerning the churches.
3. The things which will take place after these things:  Revelation Chapters 4-22  The events that must take place after the church leaves the earth. 

These instructions become the divisions for understanding the whole Book of Revelation, of which will be referred to over and over throughout the book..

This chapter closes with Jesus telling John that the seven stars are the angels of the seven church - meaning its pastors ("messengers") of the church and the seven lampstands which he saw were the seven churches.

The culture of the Roman Empire:  Sexual immorality marked the culture of the ancient Roman Empire.  All Gentiles took it for granted that men and many women would be involved in sexual immorality.  Pagan temples to the various gods or goddesses were located in the larger cities throughout Asia Minor in which prostitutes and young women came to give away their virginity as an act of worship to the gods or goddesses.  The larger the city, the greater the sexual deviances were displayed in and out of the temple.  Any person who lived by biblical standards of purity was considered strange.  To keep sexually pure in that culture, you had to swim against the current of the sexual deviances of that society. 

Responsibility of every pastor (or church leaders:  Because Jesus was holding each star in His right hand, it signified His authority over each and every pastors.  This should be sobering for all pastors, knowing they are responsible to the Lord for teaching the Word of God faithfully, praying for them regularly, and be the one to give spiritual direction for the maturing of all believers in his congregation.  Pastors have a very high calling from God and it is important that every pastor understand the seriousness of this calling and what the Lord requires of them.   It should be taken with a degree of fear and trembling, realizing they are responsible to God for the spiritual growth of all believers within their church ( Peter 4:11).

Thus we see Jesus speaking directly to the pastors of each church.

Footnotes

(1)  https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary  Revelation 1
(2)  ebid