Revelation Chapter 1
Before we go into the first chapter and verse of Revelation chapter 1, I would like to acquaint you with the penman, John the Apostle.
I believe that God Himself is the author of the Bible.
That includes the book of Revelation as all writing in the bible was inspired (by the Holy Spirit of God), but the penman was the apostle John.
John was the beloved of Jesus.
He and James were the sons of Zebedee, the sons of thunder.
John was one of the younger of the disciples.
He loved Jesus so much that John was known as the disciple of love.
He would lay his head on Jesus' chest. He adored Jesus.
It seems that Jesus felt the very same way about John.
It was John that Jesus entrusted his mother to.
Whenever three disciples went aside with Jesus, as they did at the transfiguration, John was one of them.
John was there at the Garden of Gethsemane, waiting while Jesus prayed. John loved Jesus so much, that he was never very far from Jesus.
It seemed that this great love that John had for Jesus helped him to understand the person of Jesus more than any other disciple.
In this book of John, it shows Jesus as God manifest in the flesh.
The first few scriptures say:
John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:2 "The same was in the beginning with God."
John 1:3 "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."
Now look at verse 14.
John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
This gives no doubt that it was Jesus who made everything including the earth, heavens, sun, moon, oceans and He created man as seen in the first 3 scriptures of the Gospel of John.
But verse 14 tells us that the Word (Jesus), was made flesh and dwelt among us as the true Son of God.
The four gospels show Jesus as a Lion, Calf, Man, and Eagle.
The Eagle is symbolic of God.
This is the message that John brought in his gospel, that Jesus was in fact God who took on the form of flesh and dwelt among us.
The apostle John knew Jesus better than any of the other disciples.
He even knew Him better than Paul knew Him.
There was something very special about John's relationship with Jesus.
John's mother knew of this closeness and even asked Jesus for James and John to sit on His right and left hand in His kingdom.
Jesus answered her and said that these positions were not His to give.
John was the only disciple present at Jesus' crucifixion (that the Bible mentions).
John penned several books in the Bible besides Revelation.
The Gospel of John, and First, Second, and Third John are written by him, as well.
Second John is even a mystery today.
So much discussion surrounds this little book, because no one knows for sure who it was addressed to.
(1)Was it a woman that John knew from his age?
(2)Was it all women in general?
(3)Was it Christian ladies of all ages?
(4)Was it written to the church?
(5)Was it written for our day to some woman prophetically? Only John and God know.
So many people are carried away with Paul's writings (and they are wonderful), but my favorite penman is John.
John knew Jesus personally.
He walked and talked with Jesus as He ministered here on the earth.
John saw the miracles. He was there when Jesus taught the Sermon on the Mount. He had first- hand knowledge.
Paul had a brief encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, but his other knowledge was by revelation.
He was carried into heaven for a brief encounter as well, but most of his knowledge of Jesus came when he was three years in the wilderness studying and communing with God in prayer.
Paul's writings are not to be diminished in any way, but John's writings seem to understand the purpose of Jesus' ministry more than anyone.
He knew Jesus' mission.
John understood that Jesus was the perfect sacrifice; that Jesus' blood would be sufficient to destroy death and sin.
John knew that Jesus was God the Word.
The Lord, in his three years of ministry here on the earth, seemed to be with Peter, James, and John even more than with any of the other disciples.
The thing that really stands out is that John was so bold for Jesus that he was banished to the Isle of Patmos.
John was so devoted, that even though there was no other one there, he was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day.
Many writers think that John had been fasting for seven days when he received the information for Revelation.
There is really no mention of this in the Bible, however.
Just the name of the manuscript gets me excited. The "Revelation of John the Divine" and "The Revelation of Jesus Christ our Lord".
Given by John the Divine are just two names that this book took on in various Bibles.
John was not just an ordinary man that walked the earth.
He was one who had touched and felt physically and even emotionally, the Lord Jesus.
One of the unusual things about the book of Revelation is that it is the only book in the Bible that contains a promise to everyone that reads it, and all that hear it will be abundantly blessed.
The early church read the book of Revelation in its entirety every time they met.
There is a curse spoken at the end of Revelation to anyone who tampers with the contents of the Bible.
Some of the Scriptures in this book were for John's time.
Most of the Scriptures in this book were for future events, especially the end of the Gentile age, the end of the world, and the 1000 year reign of Christ on the earth, then all of eternity in heaven.
You will notice that the number seven, which means spiritually complete, is all through Revelation.
We will also see in Revelation a restoration to man of the blessings of the Garden of Eden in heaven.
We will see again the tree of life and the water present.
We will see access to the tree of life, which was lost in Genesis, restored in Revelation.
The book itself says that it is the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
The chain of information came from the Father God to Jesus, then to Jesus' angel, then to John, and John was to write it down, and give it to Jesus' servants.
This book was probably penned around 96 A.D.
There is no proof of an absolute date.
We must remember, and I stress again, that John was banished to the Isle of Patmos, off the western coast of Asia Minor, because of his boldness in speaking of Jesus Christ.
He loved Jesus more than he feared punishment from the authorities.
Alone, with no other believers to share with, John had been left out there to die.
The authorities assumed that there was nothing he could do out there to promote this Jesus.
How wrong they were. He wrote the book of Revelation which would witness for him until the Lord returns.
His witness is even stronger today than when he walked upon the earth.
We must look at and understand the symbols we see to truly understand this book.
Revelation is easily understood if the Holy Spirit of God reveals to us the symbols within.
Revelation is not a horror story as many believe.
To the Christian there are wonderful promises of a fantastic future.
It is only a horror for those who have decided for all of eternity to refuse the free gift of salvation that Jesus offers to whosoever will.
In many of the books, it is undetermined who says some of the things (Hebrews for example), but in Revelation it is Jesus speaking and He is the Truth.
Jesus not only knows the end from the beginning, He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.
There is nothing before Him and nothing after Him.
Many people believe that the things in Revelation have already happened.
Many others believe that the things in Revelation are not even real, that they are a vision and we are not supposed to take it literally.
There are others (and I am one of them), that believe it is current, happening now, and in the very near future.
I really will not argue with anyone about any of this.
All I can relate is what it means to me, and that is what I will attempt to do in this study with the guidance of the Holy Spirit of God.
In Revelation, it appears to me, that our Lord is pulling the curtain aside and allowing us to see what He really is and what He expects from us.
Many people call this the Apocalypse which means the revealing.
Revelation is written in symbols so that people cannot understand with their mind but must have faith.
So many things in the Bible are veiled to the nonbeliever.
So many people look at the Bible literally, but to truly understand, we must understand it through the Spirit.
The veil in the temple was torn from the top to the bottom when Jesus died on the cross. This signifies that Jesus has opened the way to the Father for us.
God the Father is no longer unreachable.
Jesus opened the way to Him for us.
Now we pray to the Father in the name of Jesus.
We need no other go between.
The Holy Spirit of God reveals the Scriptures to the believer. He is our Teacher and Guide. There are so many ways to study the scriptures such as types and shadows.
This looks at the Holy City as a type of the Lamb's wife.
We will look at these scriptures a dozen different ways.
I believe in this study God will reveal Himself to us.
Jesus in the Scriptures calls Himself the Alpha and Omega, as in Genesis and Revelation (the first and the last).
He was promised in Genesis and the fulfillment takes place in Revelation.
We will see throughout this study as we will throughout the entire Bible that for every blessing God promises, there is a warning of curses, if we do not follow the Lord.
We will touch on the 144,000 which some denominations base their entire belief upon.
This 144,000 are physical Israel, in my opinion, and we will see also the large number of people around the throne in heaven when this 144,000 are here upon the earth.
Those in heaven are the believers (beyond number), who have on white robes washed in the blood of the Lamb of God.
Revelation, as well as the whole Bible, is of no private interpretation.
Revelation is not a horror story for the Christians.
Revelation tells us of the wonderful provisions made for the believers.
We read about the tree of life, and the river of water which flows from the throne of God.
What was shown to John in this vision is shown to all believers by John's written account.
John makes us realize that not only did John speak the message God gave him, but actually describes God's very nature in Revelation.
There is no question in my mind that this John is the very same who walked with Jesus.
"Revelation" means the unveiling of Divine mysteries.
Christ is both the Mystery and the Revealer of the mystery.
The Revealer is God the Son.
Read the following scriptures from the pen of John to better understand how well John knew Jesus.
John was the only penman who called Jesus "The Word" and "The Lamb".
The name "Word is (in John 1:1), and we see Jesus as "The Lamb of God" (in John 1:29, 1:36), and as "the Lamb" (in Rev. 7:17, 14:10, 15:3, 19:9, 21:22, 21:23, and 22:1).
Also (in Revelation 5:6), there is a reference to "a Lamb", referring to Christ.
Revelation 1:1 "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified [it] by his angel unto his servant John:"
"The Revelation of Jesus Christ":
The revelation is both from Christ and about Christ.
Since Christ is the revelation of God Himself (John 1:18), God gave the revelation to Christ to be shown to "John" by means of an angel (messenger).
The word "revelation" (Greek apokalypsis), refers to an unveiling or exposure of God's program for the world through Christ.
The prophecies of the book will occur "shortly" in the sense that the day of the Lord (the end of the age), may begin at any time (following the Rapture).
The statement must be understood in accordance with God's perspective on time (compare 2 Peter 3:4, 8).
The word "signified" (Greek seminew), refers to the conveyance of truth by means of signs and symbols, and refers to the vision described throughout the book.
Symbols must be interpreted either from something in the context or from other Scriptures.
We start Revelation chapter one with not a "theological" trip, but a spiritual journey into the future as we begin the study of the Book of Revelation written by John the Apostle while imprisoned on the Island of Patmos.
John didn't receive a dry, dead, theological explanation of future events.
He received a powerful, dynamic, life changing prophetic revelation.
He received a revelation of Christ in all His Glory.
He saw into the throne room of Heaven, and he received a supernatural unveiling of God's end time plan.
It was so awesome, that John fell down as though he were dead.
The Greek word, Apokalupsis, means to "reveal" or "unveil" that which is hidden.
The term "signified" does not mean that this is a book of unknowable signs, but that God signified by the miraculous presence of the announcing angel that the message was from Him.
When "apokalupsis" refers to a person, it means that person becomes clearly visible (see John 1:14).
This Revelation is a revealing of the mysteries of Jesus Christ.
God the Father gives this message to Jesus, Jesus gives it to His personal angel, the angel gives the message to John, and John writes this message to all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
This message is given to John to encourage the Christians.
These Christians should not be caught unaware.
These things must come to pass because it is the will of the Father.
"God gave unto him":
As a reward for Christ's perfect submission and atonement, the Father now presented to Him the great record of His future glory (compare Phil.
Readers eavesdrop on the gift of this book, from the Father to His Son.
"Soon": This word (compare 2:5, 16; 3:11; 11:14; 22:12; 2 Tim. 4:9), underscores the imminence of Christ's return.
Angels are ministering spirits.
This angel was Jesus' own personal angel who brought this message. "Jesus" means "Savior", "Christ" means the "Anointed One".
Verses
He "saw" the revelation and wrote what he saw.
The blessing (of verse 3), has a threefold condition:
(1)Read the book;
(2)"Hear" (understand) it; and
(3)"Keep" (obey) it.
The essential nature of "prophecy was the communication of new truth (divine revelation). God has given it to be obeyed, not simply to be discussed and debated.
"The time is at hand" in the sense that nothing else now has to occur before the Rapture and the beginning of the Tribulation Period.
Revelation 1:2 "Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw."
To "bare record" indicates that John saw these things.
John proclaims in his books that he is an eye witness testifying of all he saw and heard. John could easily bear record of the Word (Jesus).
He was a daily companion of Jesus.
This particular Scripture however is speaking of the things that John sees in his visions. The testimony of Jesus is salvation to all who believe.
Revelation 1:3 "Blessed [is] he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time [is] at hand."
This is the only biblical book that comes with a blessing for the one who listens to it being read and explained and then responds in obedience.
"Blessed" is also the first of 7 scriptures in the book (verse 3, 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14).
The first of a sevenfold blessing is pronounced (in Rev. 1:3), and expanded in the remainder of the book.
As a child of God, each of these blessings are yours to claim.
A blessing is pronounced upon those who read, hear, and keep those things written in the Book of Revelation.
The early church read the entire book of Revelation every time they met.
This is the only book in the Bible that promises a blessing to those who read it, and those who listen to it being read.
The preacher and the congregation that heed the teachings taught here will be blessed.
"The time is at hand."
This is an interesting true statement.
"Time" refers to epochs, eras, or seasons.
The next great epoch of God's redemptive history is imminent.
But although Christ's coming is the next event, it may be delayed so long that people begin to question whether He will ever come (compare Matt.
Even the people that read these things a thousand years ago, thought they would see this happen within sixty or seventy years, but they died before these things came to pass.
Of course, it is even more current to our generation, because the rapture of the church is imminent.
Verses
The Ephesian church had established a number of daughter churches throughout the province of "Asia" (western Asia Minor), and John exercised pastoral and apostolic care of them.
The blessing (of verse 3), comes from the triune Godhead: God the Father, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ.
"Him which is" is a paraphrase of the name Jehovah or Yahweh (Exodus 3:14): "I AM".
The description of the Father shows eternal existence in the past ("was"), present ("is"), and future ("is to come").
"The seven Spirits" is apparently a symbolic reference to the Holy Spirit (compare Isa. 11:2; Zech. 3:9; 4:10, see notes under verse 4 below).
"Jesus Christ" is the "faithful witness" in that He has finished His work of revealing the Father (compare John chapter 17).
The "first begotten of the dead" in that He is the firstfruits of the first resurrection (compare 20:6).
And the "prince of the kings of the earth" as the future worldwide Ruler of the millennial kingdom (compare 19:16).
Three works of Christ for believers are then listed.
"Loved us: Christ showed His supreme love for mankind in dying for them (compare Rom. 5:8; 1 John 3:16).
"Washed us": Believers have been redeemed for their sins through the blood and death of Christ.
"Made us kings and priests": In the true church, no one is called "priest" (singular), except Christ.
Believers are part of a "royal priesthood" in Christ (compare 1 Peter 2:9; Rev. 5:10).
The "glory and dominion" (authority), of Christ are emphasized throughout the book.
Revelation 1:4 "John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace [be] unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;"
"Seven churches which are in Asia":
Asia Minor, equivalent to modern Turkey, was composed of 7 postal districts.
At the center of those districts were 7 key cities which served as central points for the dissemination of information.
It is to the churches in those cities that John writes.
"From him which is, and which was, and which is to come":
God's eternal presence is not limited by time.
He has always been present and will come in the future.
The number seven means spiritually complete.
I believe this number is symbolic of all churches for all time.
These seven churches were probably literal churches of that day as well as giving us a view of the churches of our day in general.
These seven Spirits take in all the Spirits of God.
"The seven Spirits": There are several possible meanings:
(1)A reference to Isaiah's prophecy concerning the
(2)Also, a description of the Holy Spirit (see notes on 4:5, 5:6, Zech.
Revelation 1:5 "And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,"
"First begotten":
Of all who have been or will be raised from the dead, He is the preeminent one, the only one who is the rightful heir (compare 3:14; Psalm 89:27; Col. 1:15).
Jesus Christ is the faithful witness in that He has finished His work of revealing the Father (John chapter 17), the first begotten of the dead in that He is the firstfruits of the first resurrection (Rev. 20:6).
We see (in verses 4 and 5), the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
As we said, Jesus' witness is faithful, because He is the Truth.
Jesus was the very first person ever resurrected.
There was someone who went to heaven before, Enoch, when he was carried away into heaven mysteriously disappearing from the earth because he pleased God.
Then there was Elijah, who was carried to heaven in a whirlwind accompanied by the chariot of fire.
Neither of these however, were resurrected. They were never buried. Lazarus rose as did several others the bible mentions, but only to die again. Christ rose to die no more as will all believers in Christ.
We read in Matthew
Notice here that these saints' bodies were resurrected after Jesus' resurrection. You see Jesus' body was the first body to rise from the grave.
Notice too, that we are spoken of as rulers (in verse 6; Rev. 5:10).
During the 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ here upon the earth, we Christians will rule with Him. We will not be His equal, however.
This tells us that He will be ruler above us.
The love that is spoken of here, that He has for us, is "agape love".
This is love beyond our comprehension. So much love that He willingly suffered the pain and humiliation of the cross for us.
I love the song that says "when He was on the cross, I was on His mind".
How true this is. He died for us individually.
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). It is this precious blood that cleanses us from all unrighteousness.
We take on His righteousness.
This love that Jesus has for us is not in the past tense, but is still just as powerful today. His love is never ending.
Revelation 1:6 "And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."
All who believe live in the sphere of God's rule, a kingdom entered by faith in Jesus Christ.
And as priests, believers have the right to enter God's presence.
The most important statement (in verse 6), is that Jesus is called God.
The statement "God and his Father" leaves no doubt that Jesus was, is, and always will be God.
Notice too, that it is nothing we do that makes us kings and priests.
Jesus made us kings and priests.
We will sit on thrones in heaven with Jesus.
There is no greater glory due anyone than Jesus who actually did all the work.
We see that Jesus is supreme in dominion (in Philippians);
Philippians
Every Christian shares in Jesus' priesthood.
He is the High Priest forever. So be it. Forever never ends.
In the true church, no one is called "priest" (singular), except Christ.
Believers are part of a "royal Priesthood" in Christ (1 Peter 2:9; Rev. 5:10). The glory and dominion (authority), of Christ are emphasized throughout the book. (Romans 5:8; 1 John 3:16).
Verses
He will come with the "clouds" (Dan. 7:13), in the sky.
"Every" person will "see him" (Matt. 24:30).
Those who "pierced him" (Zech. 12:10), that is, those who rejected Him and wanted Him to die will repent and mourn ("wail"), over Him (Zech.
This refers to Christ's return to the earth to establish His kingdom (Second Coming), not to the Rapture.
"Alpha and Omega", the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, refer here to God's eternality and sovereignty, and possibly to the fullness of God's
Revelation 1:7 "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they [also] which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen."
"He cometh with clouds":
This echoes the promise of Daniel:
The Son of Man will come with the clouds of heaven (Dan. 7:13), not ordinary clouds but clouds of glory.
In the Old Testament, God often manifested Himself in an energized, blazing light, called the Shekinah or glory cloud.
No one could see it fully and live (Exodus 33:20), so it had to be veiled.
But when Christ returns, the glory will be completely visible (compare Matt.
This truth is the great hope and expectation of all true believers today and it is the theme of Revelation.
The death and resurrection of Christ and the promise of His second coming are the foundation of our hope.
They were a great source of strength to the Early Church and are even more so to us today as we move into the final days of time before Christ's return.
This verse reveals how Jesus will return.
He will come in the same manner in which He ascended into Heaven.
The interesting thing here is Jesus is coming in the clouds just as the angels said He would.
In the first chapter of Acts, Jesus was caught up to heaven in the clouds and the disciples were told by the angels, that Jesus would come back the same way.
Acts
why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."
Some people believe Jesus' return will be secret, I do not.
How could every eye see Him, if He came back secretly?
Don't you know that there will be some grieving people, when they realize who Jesus really is?
"They [also] which pierced him":
Not a reference to the 4 Roman soldiers usually involved in crucifixion, but to the Jews who were actually responsible for Christ's death (Acts:
Zechariah identified the ones who pierced Him as "the house of David" and "the inhabitants of Jerusalem" and prophesied that they will weep tears of genuine repentance because of what they did to their Messiah (Zech. 12:10).
Wouldn't you hate to be the one who spit on Him, or the one who drove the nails in His hands, or even the Scribes and Pharisees?
Anyone who rejected Him will have grief beyond explanation.
The grief will be so great that they will be moaning and grating their teeth.
Here John indicated (in verse 7), even if this is so, let it be.
The terrible thing even worse than the first crucifixion for our sins is the terrible times when we, knowing better, crucify Him all over again.
We must walk in our salvation.
We must not enter back into sin after we have been freed from sin by His precious blood.
"All kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him":
The mourning of the rest of the earth's inhabitants is not that which accompanies genuine repentance (compare 9:21).
It is the result of guilt for sin and fear of punishment (6:16; compare Gen.
Revelation 1:8 "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty."
The first words of Jesus to John personally identify him with the "I AM" of Scripture, for He calls Himself the "Alpha and Omega."
These are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.
The title signifies, in the language of communication, the completeness with which God revealed Himself to mankind through Christ.
This is nothing less than an official affirmation by Jesus of His personal deity. No ordinary human would ever say of himself, "I am the first and last."
We see here that God the Father, God the Word, and God the Holy Spirit are all three eternal. They each have no beginning and no end.
Their Spirit is one. Their embodiments are three.
"Almighty" indicates the power of the Godhead as being unlimited and omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient.
There is no other power.
This word indicates power beyond human imagination.
Jesus is equal to the Father and the Holy Spirit.
All three are the Spirit of God.
They have separate personalities.
This is Jesus speaking when He says "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending". It is red in my Bible indicating Jesus' own spoken words.
This leaves no doubt who He is.
Revelation Chapter 1 Questions
1.This is the Revelation of whom?
2.Who gave it to Jesus?
3.Who did Jesus give it to?
4.What is this revelation?
5.Why was this message given to John?
6.Why must these things come to pass?
7.What does "signified" mean?
8.Who was this angel?
9.What does Jesus Christ mean?
10.What does "bear record" indicate?
11.What is the testimony of Jesus?
12.Who will be blessed by reading or hearing Revelation?
13.How often did the early church read Revelation?
14.Who did John address this to in verse 4?
15.What two blessings did he speak on them?
16.Who were these blessings from?
17.Why was the number seven used for the churches?
18.What does the seven Spirits mean?
19.Name four operations of these seven Spirits.
20.Who was the first person resurrected?
21.Who mysteriously vanished from the earth, because he pleased God?
22.Who was accompanied to heaven by a chariot of fire?
23.When the saints were resurrected, who showed themselves in Jerusalem
24.During what period, will the saints reign with Jesus on earth?
25.What kind of love is Jesus' love?
26.When Jesus was on the cross, according to the song, who was on His mind? Is that true?
27.He made us kings and priests to whom?
28.What is the most important statement in verse 6?
29.Who will bow to Jesus?
30.What will every tongue confess?
31.How long is forever?
32.How will Jesus come back?
33.Who will see Him?
34.In Acts 1, what do the angels tell the men of Galilee?
35.What is worse than the first crucifixion of Jesus?
36.What does "Almighty" indicate?
37.Write a few words on what you learned in this lesson.