Study In Revelation 1 Series

Introduction to The Revelation of Jesus Christ

No Work Sheet

Revelation 1:1-1:1

No other book ever written has caused more fascination and misunderstanding than the Book of Revelation.

H.G. Wells wrote in his book, “The Fate of Man”, “Who, except cranks and lunatics, reads the Book of Revelation?”

I totally DISAGREE! That’s a statement of ignorance!

For too long this book has been used to create confusion within people’s heart, but I believe that the whole purpose of this book is to bring hope within people’s heart!

Now let me give you an easy to follow outline that puts the Book of Revelation into perspective:

· The Unveiling of Jesus. Ch.1-5

· The Judgment of God. Ch. 6-19

· The Jubilation of saints. Ch. 20-22

This outline is wrapped up in 7 major visions that John saw through the Spirit.

The author is the Apostle John – not John the Baptist! It’s been 60 years since John saw Jesus last and now he’s about 90 years old. He wrote this in 95 A.D.

John left Jerusalem in 70 A.D. because of the destruction of Jerusalem and went to Ephesus where he was pastor for many years until he was put in prison because of his faith in Christ.

Patmos is in the Aegean Sea, basically a volcanic rock where criminals of the worst were banished from society – kind of like Alcatraz in San Francisco.

Patmos was an island surrounded by waters full of sharks even to this day, some of the fiercest sharks roam this sea. It was about 24 miles of the shore of Ephesus - so no one would think to escape!

These times that John lived in were some of the worst for Christians because of a leader by the name of Domitian. This wicked ego maniac demanded full worship or it was prison or worse!

A great Historian named Shaffer writes about this period, “Domitian was the first emperor to wage a proper campaign against Christians; and the Church answered the attack under the leadership of Christ’s last Apostle, John…Nero had Paul and Peter destroyed, but he looked upon them as rebellious Jews. Domitian was the first emperor to understand that behind the Christian movement there stood a figure who threatened the glory of the emperors. He was the first to declare war on this figure, and the first also to lose the war – a foretaste of things to come.”

Nero would capture the Christians and have them be-headed. He would use their heads and sometimes the whole person to light the path to his castle…

This wasn’t the last round of persecution for Christians either! In 303A.D. Diocletion launched his great killing of Christians throughout Europe and Africa.

In fact, Diocletion in his pride and arrogance set up a stone pillar that inscribed these words…“For Having Exterminated The Name Christian From The Earth.”

If he could only now see how wrong he was!!

Another Roman leader made a coffin, which symbolized as he put it… “To bury the Galilean by killing his followers”.

1 Peter 2:6 “…he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”

Matthew 16:18 Jesus said, “I will build My church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

You and I can live for Jesus no matter what the goons in the government say! Or the crazies on the courts say! Or what the scoundrels in our schools say!

The Book of Revelation is the last book in the Bible for good reason! It’s the capstone to all other books in the Bible!

· In Genesis we see the dawn of Satan and his activity, but in Revelation we see the doom of Satan!

· In Genesis we see the entrance of sin and the curse, but in Revelation we see the final exit of sin and the curse!

· In Genesis we see sorrow brought to creation, but in Revelation we see sorrow banished forever – no more tears, sorrows and pain!

1. The Subject of The Revelation. Vs. 1a

Jesus!

Revelation = apocalypse, literally an unveiling.

Its like John is drawing back the curtain and for just a moment we see the glory of Jesus!

But this is not what we see in the gospels:

· Humiliation and His humanity, being fully God. But for the most part His glory is covered up by His humanity!

· The suffering servant! He was hung on a cross so that we might be set free!

Even in the gospels we see glimpses of His glory:

· The Mount of Transfiguration.

· The miracles.

Lazarus raised from the dead! Can you see it – Lazarus is walking the streets of gold and Gabriel says to him, “Hey Lazarus, Jesus is calling you back”

Jesus raising the little girl from the dead and she goes home – that’s glory!