Revelation 1 – The Introduction

Revelation 1:1-2

The (1) Revelation (2) of Jesus Christ, (3) which God (4) gave Him (5) to show to His bond-servants, (6) the things which must soon take place; and (7) He sent and communicated it (8) by His angel (9) to His bond-servant John, (10) who testified to the word of God and (11) to the testimony of Jesus Christ, (12) even to all that he saw.

  1. Revelation, or apocalypse.  “Uncovering” or “revealing”.
  2. That is, apparently, the revelation that belongs to Jesus Christ.
  3. It was God’s sovereignty to reveal prophecy.
  4. God the Father gave this revelation to Jesus.
  5. It was the Father’s intent that Jesus show all these things to his bond-servants, his followers.
  6. These things would shortly happen.  Taking an early date for Revelation, the bulk of these things would happen within ten years.  The second half (chapters 12-20) of the book is a “second prophecy”, stretching until today.
  7. It is the revelation of Jesus Christ.  Specifically, of Jesus, not the end times or anything else.  Jesus is Lord over all time, the same yesterday, today, and forever. The book reveals Christ.
  8. Angels are ministering spirits sent forth to minister unto the heirs of salvation (Hebrews 1).  Jesus did not communicate this by His Spirit, which He could have, but chose a “messenger”, an angel, to communicate the message.
  9. John is specifically identified as the recipient of this message.
  10. John communicated this word, a Word of God, as it was the revelation given to Jesus Christ.
  11. John also testified to the testimony of Jesus, the spirit of prophecy as per Revelation 19:10).
  12. It says he communicated here everything he saw, save, of course, the seven thunders, which are specifically excluded as per described (Revelation 10:4).

Revelation 1:3

(1) Blessed (2) is he who reads and (3) those who hear the words of (4) the prophecy, and (5) heed the things which are written in it; (6) for the time is near.

  1. Blessed.  “Most Happy”, the same as the Beatitudes and elsewhere.
  2. The man who “reads aloud” the words of this book, that is, communicating them to those who hear.
  3. Those to whom the book is read to.  Obviously, this would apply to us today, reading in silence, as well, as this specifically referred to the common mode of communicating letters in the day.  Blessed is the man who has this communicated through and by them.
  4. This book is prophecy, a forth-telling.  It is not primarily pastoral, devotional, or any other such thing.  It tells of things to come.  Therefore, it cannot be “idealistic”, but must correspond to actual events in the Earth.
  5. The point of writing and reading is action.  Faith without works is dead, and a warning without action is wasted.  The blessing is on those who both read and hear, and respond.
  6. The time is, again, identified as near.  Same as Revelation 1:1.

Revelation 1:4-5

(1) John (2) to the seven churches that are in Asia: (3) Grace to you and peace, (4) from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and (5) from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and (6) from Jesus Christ, (7) the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. (8) To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— 

  1. John identifies himself again as the author.
  2. He addresses all seven churches together.
  3. Grace and peace.  These are real blessings that can be bestowed.  As death and life are in the power of the tongue (or the letter, perhaps), John’s greeting bestows these real things.  As Jesus’ instructions to let one’s peace rest upon a house, one can literally cause the peace upon one’s life to rest upon a dwelling.  It is a spiritual thing.  In addition, Christ left His peace upon the apostles.  This greeting is not mere formality, it is spiritual conveyance of Christ and His Kingdom (Romans 14:17) upon the recipients.
  4. That is, the Father.
  5. The Seven Spirits, or the seven-fold spirit.  As understood, the Holy Spirit.  As the previous is the Father, and the next is the Son, this constitutes substantial clarity that the seven-fold spirit is the Holy Spirit, not seven particular angels or spirits.
  6. And, the Son.  All three are represented.  These are the source of the Grace and Peace which John’s words speak forth into the recipients.  While a measure of authority is involved, it is because John has these things from Christ, he is able to release them.  They are as spiritual and yet real as anything else, such as the gifts of the Spirit, yet they are also conferrable through the Word of Faith, speaking, or writing them, out to the recipients.  Let us be in possession of these, and let us speak life to our brothers and sisters in the faith, that we might multiply the fruit among us.  How much is lost, simply because we do not release these things, willingly, willfully, in accordance with the Father?  Not in word or form only, but in actual substance and in truth.
  7. These three titles for Christ are given.  Faithful witness, firstborn from the dead, and ruler of the kings of the Earth.  They can be seen as chronological.  However, it does indicate that He is now ruling, and He is now ruling over the kings of the Earth .
  8. It is He who loves us, and His blood that freed us from our sins.

 Revelation 1:6-7

and (2) He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—(2) to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. (3) Amen. (4) BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and (5) every eye will see Him, (6) even those who pierced Him; (7) and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. (8) So it is to be. (9) Amen.

  1. He has made us into a Kingdom, the church.  We are priests unto God the Father, and, as Hebrews says, He is our high priest.  What God wanted through Israel, He has done through His people, the church.  Yes, God still has plans for national Israel, as Romans 10-11 and Ezekiel 38-39 tell, all Israel will be saved, but salvation will only ever be by the name of Jesus Christ.  God has no “special provision” for salvation outside the blood of Christ.  Those Jews who do not believe are just as damned as the unbelieving Gentile.  The only way into the sheep-fold is through the door, and anyone who comes in otherwise is a thief and a robber.
  2. Glory and dominion belong to Christ forever.
  3. Amen – So be it.  That it is so.  This is a way of repeating and strengthening what was said.
  4. Talks of Jesus’ future second coming.  He will come with the clouds.
  5. This reminds us of the Olivet Discourse, where you do not have to be in some special place when He comes back.  As lightning in the east is seen in the west, so every eye will see Him.  When Christ comes back, there will be no mistaking it.  It will be visible everywhere.
  6. Even the Jewish people.  They are the ones for turning Christ over to the Romans for crucifixion.
  7. All the world will mourn for Christ.
  8. “So it is to be”, as opposed to “so be it”.  It will be.  It will come to pass.
  9. “So be it”.

Revelation 1:8

(1) “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says (2) the Lord God, (3) “who is and who was and who is to come, (4) the Almighty.”

  1. Four titles are given for Christ. He is the first and the last (Greek letters).
  2. He is “Lord God”.
  3. He is the one “who is, was, and is to come”.  As opposed to the beast, who was, is not, and will come back for a little while in the book.
  4. Christ Jesus is the Almighty.  The intermingling of titles here shows that Jesus and the Father are one.

Revelation 1:9-11

(1) I, John, your brother and (2) fellow partaker in the (3) tribulation and (4) kingdom and (5) perseverance which are in Jesus, (6) was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. (7) I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and (8) I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, saying, (9) “Write in a book what you see, and (10) 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.”

  1. John again addresses the recipients, and describes the manner of the revelation.
  2. He is their brother.  He is with them in this.
  3. Not the great tribulation, but in the trials that all believers have.
  4. He, too, is a partaker in the Kingdom.  Hence, the Kingdom cannot be “future”, as some suppose.  This cannot be a “future kingdom”, since the partaking on either side of this is current as well.
  5. It is in the patient perseverance that we overcome.
  6. Patmos – the location of the vision, while in exile for the Gospel.
  7. In the realm of the Holy Spirit.  On Sunday.
  8. Not, probably, the angel that was commanded to bring the revelation, but Christ, as the next verse describes.
  9. John is specifically instructed to communicate this vision to the churches.
  10. The seven churches are specifically named. 

Revelation 1:12-16

(1) Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. (2) And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and (3) in the middle of the lampstands I saw (4) one like a son of man, (5) clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and (6) girded across His chest with a golden sash. (7) His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and (8) His eyes were like a flame of fire. (9) His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and (10) His voice was like the sound of many waters. In (11) His right hand He held seven stars, and (12) out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and (13) His face was like the sun shining in its strength.

  1. John turns to see, so he has some range of movement.  He tries to identify the voice.  In doing so, he sees Christ, in the seven-fold description.
  2. The seven lampstands are the seven churches, as below.
  3. Christ is standing in their midst, meaning, He is over them.
  4. A Son of Man
  5. Robe to His feet
  6. Gold sash on His chest
  7. White hair
  8. Eyes like fire
  9. Feet like bronze
  10. Voice like many waters
  11. John sees seven stars.  Each of these can be seen as a parable, and spiritual meaning derived, which is good, but they also represent the actual thing as well.  There is a correlation between the heavenly and the earthly, that, perhaps, our minds cannot fully comprehend, except by the Spirit.  When John sees the stars, he in one way or another sees the messengers, whomever they are.  When he sees the candlestick, the same way.
  12. That is, the Word of God.
  13. His face shines with the sun.  Again, like the Father on His throne.  Also, apparently, John 17:5 has been fulfilled, and He has once again been glorified in the Father’s presence with the glory He had before the world began.

Revelation 1:17-18

(1) When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And (2) He placed His right hand on me, saying, (3) “Do not be afraid; (4) I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and (5) I have the keys of death and of Hades.”

  1. John’s involuntary response is collapse.
  2. The touch and the words impart life and strength.
  3. Fear goes at the command to not be afraid.  In the command is the strength to stand.
  4. Christ relates three titles of Himself.
  5. He has, then at that time, the keys of death and hell.

Revelation 1:19-20

(1) Therefore write (2) the things which you have seen, and the (3) things which are, and (4) the things which will take place after these things.

  1. This is the commission of the book.
  2. John has just written the things he has just seen.
  3. The book will constitute things which are…
  4. As well as prophecy, the things which must take place.  Again, this book is prophecy.  It must correspond to real, actual events.

Revelation 1:21

(1) As for the (2) mystery of (3) the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: (4) the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

  1. Jesus explains the vision.
  2. It is identified as a “mystery”.
  3. The stars and the lampstands.
  4. The stars are angels, possibly human messengers, but perhaps not.  The lampstands represent the churches.  The church is not merely an organization, but is a spiritual lampstand, which brings light to people.  While Christ was in the world, He was the light of the world.  Today, we who believe are the light of the world.