Revelation- the Book Opened Revelation 1:1-20
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.
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.”
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. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 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.”
12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 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. 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. 19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. 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.
The book of Revelation was given to open or unveil the eyes of mankind; to give us a sneak peak into the eternal. To open the eyes and hearts of humanity that God is in ultimate control of everything.
What this book reveals or unveils is Jesus Christ in glory. Truths about Him, His final victory.
Revelation begins with John, the last surviving apostle and an old man, in exile on the small, barren island of Patmos, located in the Aegean Sea southwest of Ephesus.
No other NT book poses more serious and difficult interpretive challenges than Revelation. There are four different approaches: The Preterist approach: First century events. 2. The historicist approach: They see it as a panoramic view of church history. 3. The idealist approach: They see Revelation as a view of struggle good verses evil. Almost like Star-wars. 4. The futurist approach: They view Revelation chapter 6-22 as future.
Revelation 1:1-2NLT This is a revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the events that must soon take place. He sent an angel to present this revelation to his servant John, 2 who faithfully reported everything he saw. This is his report of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ becomes clearly visible. Upon leaving the gospels show Christ in all His humility; however, upon His return He will come with blazing glory.
Notice verse 1, ... to show his servants the events that must soon take place.
2 Peter 3:8NKJ But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.
World news is viewed daily, however; this is the news report every christian needs to have knowledge of!
Revelation 1:3NLT God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.
Blessings come upon (unto) all who read, listen and heed.
Revelation 1:4NLT This letter is from John to the seven churches in the province of Asia. Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne;
God’s eternal presence isn’t limited by time He’s always present.
Revelation 1:4b...Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne;
The sevenfold spirit before His throne: These are found in Isaiah 11:2-3NLT And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay.
Revelation 1: 5NLT and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world.
Of everyone who have been raised from the dead He is the preeminent one, the only one that is the rightful heir.
Colossians 1:15NLT Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
Revelation 1:6-7NLT All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. 6 He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.
Within every believer- “the faith realm” there isn’t anything more powerful than the blood of Jesus Christ.
Verse 6, He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father.
Every blood bought believer has complete right and privilege to enter into God’s presence!
Revelation 1:7NLT Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven. And everyone will see him—even those who pierced him. And all the nations of the world will mourn for him. Yes! Amen!
This echos the promise of Daniel 7:13 The Son of Man will come with the clouds of glory.
These clouds of glory represent God’s light- called the shekinah or glory cloud. In the OT no one could see it fully and live! (Exodus 33:20)
Verse 7b... And all the nations of the world will mourn for him. Yes! Amen!
The house of David (The Jews) they will weep genuine tears of repentance. (Zeh.12:10) The mourning of the rest of the earth will be out of quilt, fear of punishment.
Revelation 1:8NLT “I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.”
These are the first and last letter of the Greek alphabet.
Verse 8c -the Almighty One! Almighty God occurs 8 times in Revelation, indicating that God’s power is supreme over everything.
Revelation1:9NLT I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus.
Here’s at least four characteristics that John and his believing readers share: 1. Persecution for their faith. 2. Membership in the redeemed community over which Christ serves as King and Lord. 3. Eager anticipation of the glory of His coming millennial reign on earth. 4. Endurance and perseverance in spite of difficult times.
Patmos is barren and rocky, it’s around 10 miles long and 6 miles wide.
John was there for preaching God’s word and for his testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 1:10-11NLT It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast. 11 It said, “Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
This wasn’t a dream- John was supernaturally transported out of the natural world, and experienced beyond his normal senses.
The Holy Ghost empowered John to see beyond; He wants to empower you!
Remember Acts 10:9-12NLT The next day as Cornelius’s messengers were nearing the town, Peter went up on the flat roof to pray. It was about noon, 10 and he was hungry. But while a meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners. 12 In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds. 13 Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.”
Have you ever been caught away in the Spirit? Read God’s word.
Revelation 1:12-18NLT When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. 13 And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. 14 His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. 15 His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. 16 He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.
John sees Christ- his reaction, I fell at his feet as if I were dead.
Verse 18, And I hold the keys of death and the grave.
Keys represent authority.
Revelation 1:19-20 “Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen. 20 This is the meaning of the mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lamp stands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
The lamp-stands represents the Churches, and the stars, His Pastors.
Jesus is in control!
Prayer.
