Let Us See Jesus Series

Let Us See Jesus!

Revelation is the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. The Bible is the inspired Word of God. Every word in it is true, but when men were putting the Bible in the canon of Scripture some of the titles that they gave to some of the books were not inspired. You will notice that your Bible reads, “The Revelation of St. John the Divine”. Now look at the first verse of the first chapter of the book of Revelation. It says, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ”. This is not a book that John gave so much as a revelation of what he saw, but rather it is a revealing to the church of Jesus Christ. We need to keep this concept in mind as we study the Book of Revelation. We won’t see the Book of Revelation as a book of prophecies that need to be fulfilled, but rather as Jesus Christ being revealed through it all. When we read the Book of Revelation with that in mind, we will get the blessing that we were promised by hearing, reading, and doing the things commanded in this book. You can have a special blessing just from reading the Book of Revelation. God wants us to desire the coming of His Son. This is the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. It is the revealing of Jesus Christ to His church. John, the Revelator, will see things and will hold them up for us to see. We will find out later on that John will eventually say that he was even forbidden to reveal some things that he had seen. Perhaps God thought that John could not handle those things; perhaps it was better for us to not know them. For the most part, Revelation is the revealing of the events of the End Times and about the character of Jesus Christ as it pertains to those events.

Let us look first at the personality of the Revelation—it is Jesus Christ. We shall see the purpose of the Revelation, the pattern of the Revelation and the promise of the Revelation. Look at 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.” There is a promise to those that read this book, to those that hear this book, and to those who keep the commandments of this book.

We shall see the formal addresses to the seven churches of Asia Minor: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Notice that the churches are addressed by the Holy Trinity. Verses 4-5 discuss the Everlasting Father, the Ever-Present Holy Spirit, and the Eternal Son. With these things in mind, and realizing that the Book of Revelation is not the Revelation of St. John the Divine, but the Revelation of Jesus Christ, let us now look and see Jesus.

Let us begin our reading in verse 9 of chapter 1 in the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. “I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ,” Let me stop right here for just a moment. What John was talking about there was present tribulation. He is not saying that he is going to go through the Great Tribulation. He will soon die. He is now in exile on the Isle of Patmos. He is going through tribulation even as he speaks. He is saying that he is a fellow brother and sufferer for the cause of Christ. He continues, “was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”