7/31/2019 The End is Near - Chap. 1

1/7

7/31/2019 The End is Near - Chap. 1

2/7

2012 Dive in Scripture (www.diveinscripture.com)May be copied and distributed provided the document is reproduced in its entirety,including this copyright statement, and no fee is collected for its distribution.

http://www.versebyverseministry.org/http://www.versebyverseministry.org/

7/31/2019 The End is Near - Chap. 1

3/7

The End is Near. A series on the book of Revelations.

Introduction - Chapter 1

! I cant think of another book that brings forth so many controversies anddisagreements. Idealists imply their own opinions and church members add theirpersonal touch and we stray further and further from the truth. The body of Christ is justthat, a single body. Our understanding need to be lined up not with other opinions butwhat scripture intends for us to know. This book in particular requires attention andpatience, for it is a treasure like no other for the student. Some argue that we are notmeant to understand it but God would not leave a book that we could not understand,and with the help of The Holy Spirit we will come to an agreement as scripture interpretsscripture.

! We will study the book a chapter at a time. Also keep in mind we will notconstrain to only the book of Revelations but also a portion of Daniel, Ezequiel,Jeremiah, and significant amounts of a few other books. Even so there are things wecannot explain. Ive learned when The Bible is silent on these matter, I should do thesame. This avoids speculation and false conclusions.

Interpretation will be based on:

1. When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense.Failure to respect this rule results in non-literal, over spiritualized interpretations thatmiss the main point.

2. Law of Recurrence! An event in Scripture may be recorded twice with the second account included inorder to provide additional detail (Gen. 2 is a repetition of day 6).

3. Law of Double Reference! Scripture may blend together within a single narrative two diferent eventsseparated in time. Failure to observe this rule leads to misinterpretation ofevents or general confusion.

4. Scripture usually interprets symbolic language within its own context, or else we relyon man written books to provide the interpretation. We dont have to guess as to the

meaning of symbols. A symbol used in another biblical text will have a consistentmeaning with the symbols used in Revelations.

7/31/2019 The End is Near - Chap. 1

4/7

The things that were.

Rev. 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to Hisbondservants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicatedit by His angel to His bond-servant John,

Rev. 1:2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even toall that he saw.Rev. 1:3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, andheed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.Rev. 1:4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, fromHim who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who arebefore His throne,Rev. 1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and theruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins byHis blood.Rev. 1:6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father to

Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.Rev. 1:7 BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him,even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it isto be. Amen.Rev. 1:8 I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who wasand who is to come, the Almighty.

Notes:The book of Revelation is apocalyptic.

Written by the Apostle John, delivered to John by an angel, dictated by Christ, given by

the Father. To his bondservants (slaves). John adds this hierarchy because he knowsmany will discredit his account. So he presents this to show credibility to him and thesource.

The letter is intended to the church (bondservants). How many of us take responsibilityof reading and meditating on this? Verse 3 tells us this is the only book of Scripture thatpromises a blessing for those who read and hear the words of the prophecy.

The Greek word for hear is akouo, which means; to heed, to understand or give watch.

V. 4 The time is near.

The phrase in Greek literally means a short time Meaning once these events begin,they will conclude quickly (domino effect).

John is instructed to deliver the letter to seven church in Asia Minor We talk much moreabout these churches and why the letter includes this when we get to chapter 2.

7/31/2019 The End is Near - Chap. 1

5/7

But why only seven?

The number seven is commonly an indication of totality, perfection. (Why did God chose7 days? People that look for alternate meanings and say it was a symbolic forthousands of years, loose the point that He was simply teaching us something!)

So the message from the beginning is that this letter is for thechurch and was delivered to 7 literal churches in his day. Passed on to the surroundingchurches and reaches us today. We we get to this on chapter 2.

Some scholars say that 278 of the 404 verses of Revelation contain references to OTbooks with over 500 mentions altogether. Yet there is no direct quote of the OT in theletter. Since the author of Scripture is the same God, its clear that therevelation of this letter is a continuation of all prophecy from earlier in the Bible.

John begins his greeting in v.4 as from the Trinity

The Father, Spirit and Son are mentioned.

The order in which he mentions Them;Father - Spirit - Son.

Usually the Spirit comes last but John arranges it this way becomes the focus for theremainder of the letter in on Christ. The book is Revelation of Christ.

The next verse are a praise to the Sons nameHe is a faithful witness to the Father (prophet), the firstborn of the dead (priest), ruler ofthe earth (king).

V. 5

The early church had been told to expect the return and were waiting for it anxiously!

In v.7we have the theme or purpose of Johns revelationBehold, He is coming on the clouds..From Dan. 7.

The theme of the letter is The 2nd Coming of Christ.

Rev. 1:9 I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom andperseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the wordof God and the testimony of Jesus.

Rev. 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lords day, and I heard behind me a loud voice likethe sound of a trumpet,!

7/31/2019 The End is Near - Chap. 1

6/7

In Spirit, refers to a time of prayer, meditation, reading the bible. Lords day, The wordLord is used as an adjective implying a day He made.

Rev. 1:11 saying, Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: toEphesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to

Philadelphia and to Laodicea.

Johns identity - First personThe Apostle, wasnt just anyone but a partaker in tribulation. keep in mind not alltribulation is The Tribulation mentioned in Revelations. Also partaker in the kingdom.

Revelation v.16John was to record what he saw and then write it in letters to seven churches whatfollows in chapter 1 is what John saw

Rev. 1:12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned Isaw seven golden lampstands;

Rev. 1:13 and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed ina robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash.

Rev. 1:14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyeswere like a flame of fire.

Rev. 1:15 His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in afurnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters.

Rev. 1:16 In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharptwoedged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.

Rev. 1:17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His righthand on me, saying, Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,

Rev. 1:18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and Ihave the keys of death and of Hades.

When he turned to see v.12 This begins the section of what he saw.

He sees seven lamp stands and he sees in the middle the Lord, the Son of Man (fromDaniel) meaning the Messiah.

He is dressed in a robe, a golden belt, His face and hair are white with eyes like flamesof fire. Feet are glowing like bronze in a fire, Voice is like a roar. He is holding sevenstars and has a sword in his mouth. His face shines like a sun (which is why it is white)

7/31/2019 The End is Near - Chap. 1

7/7

His reaction, Falls to the floor like a dead man. He was great friends with Jesus, Thebeloved disciple. Yet instead of running and hugging Him. He falls dead. The reason is

that this is a diferent Jesus then John saw in the Gospels this is a prophetic vision ofChrist ruling on earth as King. John had seem him as;

Prophet: Which was his earthly ministry.Priest: After the resurrection.King: Now as the King of kings.

His automatic reaction is fear because he is a sinner. A natural reaction of unholycreatures to a holy God. Fear is the natural response when sinfulness comes intocontact with holiness. Jesus tells him, dont worry about that, I have the keys! Wellcover this in detail in chapter 6.

Rev. 1:19 Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are,

and the things which will take place after these things.

Rev. 1:20 As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, andthe seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches,and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

John is to write about three things; Each of these parts is prophetic.

1. What he has seen - Chapter 1

2. The things that are - Chapters 2 & 3! The things that are remain a present tense prophecy until the things thathappen after these things begin (today).

3. The things which will take place after these things - Chap. 4:1

In the next chapter we will cover the 7 phases of the church. the Literal meaning andrepresentative in periods of the churches, and find which one we are currentlyexperiencing.

2012 Dive in Scripture (www.diveinscripture.com)May be copied and distributed provided the document is reproduced in its entirety,including this copyright statement, and no fee is collected for its distribution.

http://www.versebyverseministry.org/http://www.versebyverseministry.org/