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Chapter One

What a book this is! Its fundamental purpose was...and is...to give courage to Christians in the face of persecution. They were running a collision course with the wrath of the pagan force that ruled the world.

How can God prepare them for, and help them through, those trials? Would it help to tell them that it won’t be all that bad? Would it help to tell them that things will probably be O.K.? Or would it be better to tell them ahead of time what is going to happen (proving that God knows beforehand), telling them that God is in control (proving that there is some reason for their suffering), and telling them that they will be victorious (proving what will be the outcome)? God chooses the latter approach.

The theme of the book is contained in Romans 8:28-39. We are more than conquerors.

This is the only book in the Bible that begins with a blessing for those who use it properly (1:3) and closes with a curse for those who abuse it (22:18,19).

Revelation stands out because of its organization. The blessing and curse are an example. In all, there are seven blessings pronounced in the book (1:3, 14:13, 16:15, 19:9, 20:6, 22:7,14).

Twice in the first chapter the urgent nature of the revelation is stressed (1:1,3). Twice in the last chapter the urgent nature of the revelation is stressed (22:7,12).

Why such a well-planned book? Could it be because God’s plan is well-organized? A letter that follows a perfect plan will reflect that perfection.

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Introduction

Verse one gives the line of communication for the revelation: God-Jesus-angel-John-Christians. The roles of God, Jesus and John are obvious, but the angel is sometimes overlooked. Notice how angels play important roles throughout the revelation. Angels are often the ones actually addressing John. By the end of the book, John is confusing the messenger with the One who is actually sending the message (Revelation 22:8,9).

When are these things going to take place? Verse one says they will take place “shortly.” How long is “shortly?” Daniel was told to seal up the things he saw because they pertained to things “many days in the future” (Daniel 8:26). That period of “many days” involved about 400 years. So how long is “shortly?” And why is it so important that the urgency is repeated a total of four times in the first and last chapters? “Shortly” means “shortly.”

Verse three repeats that the time is near. It also contains the first of the seven blessings. The blessing is three-fold. One must read, hear (or understand) and heed (or keep, obey) the words of the prophecy. Notice the words “read” and “written” in this verse. Look at the commands in verses 11 and 19. Does God intend for His people to follow a book? What does John say in other places (John 20:30-31, 21:24-25, 1 John 1:1-4)? What does Peter say (2 Peter 3:14-18)? What does Paul say (1 Corinthians 14:37-38)? Does God intend for us to place any importance in a book?

Revelation is, after all, a book of books. At least five books are mentioned:

the book of Revelation: Revelation 1:11; 22:7,9,10,18,19

book of life: Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:15; 21:27

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books, including book of life: Revelation 20:12 God’s plan: Revelation 5:1,2,3,4,5,8,9 Gospel: Revelation 10:2,8,9,10

The Alpha and Omega

Many Christians are going to deny Christ during the upcoming persecution. Even so, He remains the “faithful witness” (2 Timothy 2:11-13).

Notice the reference in verses four and five to the One who was, is and is to come, to the seven (complete) Spirits and to Jesus. The word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible, but the concept is. We have neither the vocabulary nor the mental capacity to understand how God can be One yet at the same time be three distinct individuals. All we know is that it is true. The Father and the Spirit were both present at the creation (Genesis 1:1,2) as was the Son (John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:16,17). Spiritual actions are undertaken in the name (by the authority of) the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).

Jesus is the “firstborn of the dead.” Is He the first one to ever be resurrected? No, others are raised in both the Old and New Testaments before Jesus. But He is the first one to defeat DEATH. The others died again. “Firstborn” does not always mean “first in order,” as we see in Colossians 1:15. It means the “chief, the cause, the reason.” According to Adam Clark, the Jews called Jehovah the “firstborn of all the world, or all creation, to signify His having created or produced all things.”iii Colossians 1:18 speaks of Jesus as the “firstborn of the dead” and explains the idea that is behind this title.

When did Jesus begin His rule? Verse five seems to think it was before this book is written.

Verse six seems to think the same thing.

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Verse four is valuable in showing how we are saved. How are our sins forgiven? It is through the blood of Christ.

God is the Alpha and Omega, according to verse eight. Jesus is the first and last, according to verse 17. This would certainly indicate divinity on the part of Jesus.

In the Spirit on the Lord’s Day

John explains in verse nine why he is on the island of Patmos. This is no letter of comfort from some “ivory tower.” John is on the battle line. He has been exiled because of the testimony of Jesus. We can’t help but feel sorry for those people who are going around saying that the Bible instructs us to be witnesses of Jehovah and not of Christ. It’s too bad that their mistaken insistence keeps them from participating in Revelation 12:17 and 19:10.

John is in the Spirit (or spirit) on the Lord’s Day. Things aren’t going well for him. He isn’t in the best of circumstances. There isn’t a congregation nearby. But he still sets aside time on the Lord’s Day. How convincing are the excuses that we offer to God when we don’t bother to gather with the brethren?

John is doing what he is supposed to be doing on the Lord’s Day. And look what he enjoys as a result. What would have happened if he would have been “gone fishing” when the Lord came to give him this revelation? John liked to fish.

“But I can worship God just as well at the lake as I can at some church building,” is a common excuse. John isn’t fishing. Being with the Lord is his only undertaking that day. Worship is not the real thing if it is secondary.

John hears behind him a voice that sounds like a trumpet. Does he hear a voice or a trumpet? The text says he heard a voice. The word “trumpet” is used to paint a picture. This is

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but the first example in the big body of figurative language that makes up the book of Revelation. To get the full impact of the book we really need to read it with our eyes closed.

The voice tells him to write in a book the things that he sees, and send the book to seven congregations. These are seven real groups of Christians. But the fact that seven of them are chosen indicates that the message extends to the church as a whole.

Son of Man

When he turns to see the voice (see a voice?), what he sees is seven golden candlesticks. Verse 20 says these are the seven churches. In the midst of the candlesticks (churches) is one “like the Son of Man.”

He is dressed in a full-length robe and girded with a golden girdle (signifying authority, wealth). His hair is like wool, like snow. The thing that these two have in common is their color: white. White hair means experience and wisdom.

His eyes are like a flame of fire. They can see right through a person.

His feet are like burnished bronze. The image in Daniel chapter two is composed of gold, silver, bronze and iron. But what kind of foundation does it have? We are only as strong as our foundation.

His voice is like the sound of many waters. We could go on for hours talking about the power and beauty of rushing water, but this phrase shows the eloquent simplicity of symbolic, figurative prophetic language. So much is expressed with so little.

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In His right hand are seven stars, the messengers of the churches. Out of His mouth comes a sharp two-edged sword (John 12:48, Hebrews 4:12), His face has the overwhelming beauty and the power and the purity of the noon sun.

Do Not Be Afraid

John reacts just as we would; he falls down on his face. But the One who stands before him reaches out to reassure him. He is the First and the Last. He has battled death and won. He holds the keys of death and Hades. He is here to comfort and not to frighten. This is not an uncommon scene. Ezekiel and Daniel both fall on their faces when presented with a heavenly vision and are made to stand up (Ezekiel 1:28-2:2 and 3:23,24; Daniel 8:17,18 and 10:9-16).

The command is repeated to write what is being revealed.

Verse 20 explains that the stars are the angels of the seven churches. An angel is simply “a messenger,” so it is safe to say that the letter is to be transmitted through this (human) means (2 Corinthians 8:23). Since many things in Revelation are given angels, it would also be safe to say that these angels represent the essential natures of the congregations themselves.

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Chapter One Questions

1) What was the line of communication of the message (1)?

2) When were these things to take place (1)?

3) What blessing is pronounced (3)?

4) What does John say about Jesus (5)?

5) What has Jesus done for us (5,6)?

6) How does John describe himself (9)?

7) What happened to John (10,11)?

8) What did John see (12-16)?

9) Who was this that John saw (17,18)?

10) What was explained to John (19,20)?