The Revelation Of Jesus Christ – Chapter 1
I. Things Which Thou Hast Seen – Rev 1
In the introduction we dealt with the purpose of the Book of Revelation. If you will recall – the purpose of the book is to reveal Jesus Christ and to reveal things. If you get nothing else out of this study I hope that you will see Jesus in a different light. If all you read are the gospels – your view of Jesus will be that of a suffering servant. Here you will get a picture of Him as the King of kings and Lord of lords. When He returns He will come to return all of creation back to the way it was intended to be.
A. The Purpose of the Book – The Revelation Of Jesus Christ
1. To Reveal Jesus Christ – Rev 1:1
2. To Reveal Things – Rev 1:1
Last week – if you recall – I gave you 25 ways Jesus is revealed in the Book of Revelation – 25 descriptions of Him. He is called the faithful witness, the first begotten of the dead, the prince of the kings, the Alpha and Omega, the one who is, who was, and who is to come, the living one, one who holds the keys of hell and death, the faithful and true witness, the bright and morning star among other titles. As we go through the study we will look at these titles as we go.
Let’s look now at:
Rev 1:1-2 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.”
B. The Penning of The Book, The Revelation – Rev 1:1
1. The motivator of the Book – God – Rev 1:1
a. He sent it
b. He signified it by his angel – a Messenger
2. The writer of the book – John the apostle – Rev 1:1-2
a. He was moved by the spirit – 2 Peter 1:20-21
2Pe 1:20-21 “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”
b. He was hearing things while in the spirit - Rev 1:10-12
c. He was shown things while in the spirit – Rev 1:2
d. He was shown things and heard things from a angel – Rev 22:8
Rev 22:8 “I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things.”
C. The Promise of the Book, The Revelation – Rev 1:3
In the Book of Revelation we find seven blessings:
1. The 7 blessings in the Revelation
a. The Blessed Challenge – 1:3
b. The Blessed Comfort – 14:13
c. The Blessed Cautiousness – 16:15
d. The Blessed Calling –19:9
e. The Blessed Conquest –20:6
f. The Blessed Cherishing – 22:7
g. The Blessed Conformity –22:14
The Blessed Challenge – Rev 1:3
Rev 1:3 “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.”
The Threefold Challenge
*Read the Revelation – 1 Tim 4:13
1Ti 4:13 “Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.”
*Hear the Revelation – Rev 22:18
Eight times in the gospels Jesus says, “He who has ears let him hear.” We are to listen and listen intently.
*Keep the Revelation – Rev 1:3; 2:26; 3:8; 3:10; 12:17; 14:12; 22:7-9
Jas 1:22 “Prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”
The Urgency Of The Challenge
*For the time is at hand – Rev 1:3
*For apathy is in the land – 2 Peter 3:3-4
2Pe 3:3-4 “Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation."
*For many are not ready – Luke 12:35-40
Luke 12:35-40 "Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect."
D. The Partakers Of The Book
Rev 1:4-6 “John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood--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.”
1. The seven churches in Asia – Rev 1:4
a. Their names – Rev 1:11; Rev 2-3
b. Their number 7
c. Their blessing
(1) Grace to you
(2) Peace to you
There can be no peace without grace.
2. The source of the churches blessings
a. God – the Father – Rev 4b
(1) Him which was, is, and is to come –Rev 4:8
(2) The I AM – eternal one
b. God – the Spirit – Rev 1:4c
(1) The 7 Spirits – Rev 5:6; Isa 11:2
Isa 11:2 “The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.”
(2) Which are before the throne
c. God – the Son – Jesus Christ
(1) Who is the faithful witness – Rev 1:5; 3:14; Isa 55:4; John 18:37
(2) Who is the first begotten of the dead – Rev 1:5; Col 1:18
Jesus is the first and only one who has been resurrected from the dead. There are many others who have been resuscitated even being dead for three days – but all of those died again. Jesus is the only one who has been resurrected and now has a resurrected body – He will not die again.
Col 1:18 “He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.”
(3) Who is the prince of the kings of the earth – Rev 1:5; Ps 2:1-6
(4) Who loved us – Rev 1:5; Rom 8:35-39
(5) Who washed us from our sins in his own blood – Rev 7:14; 1 Peter 1:18-19
(6) Who hath made us kings – Rev 1:6; 5:10
(7) Who hath made us priests – Rev 1:6; 1 Peter 2:9
3. The song of the churches – Rev 1:6b
a. To Him (Jesus) be glory, dominion, forever and ever, Amen
E. The Preview Of The Book - Rev 1:7-20
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 is to be. Amen.”
1. The Destiny of Christ – His second coming
There is a big contrast to how He comes this time as to He came the first time.
a. He is coming with clouds – the certainty of His coming
b. Every eye shall see Him – the scope of His coming
c. They also who pierced Him shall see Him – the saving in His coming
Zec 12:10 "I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.”
d. All kindred shall wail because of Him – the sorrow of His coming
e. The saved shall welcome him – “Even so, Amen” – the shouting and His coming
Rev 1:8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
2. The Deity of Christ – Rev 1:8
a. I am Alpha and Omega – Rev 22:13
b. I am the beginning and the ending – Gen 1:1, John 1:1-4; Col 1:16
c. I am the Lord, who was, which is, and which is to come – Rev. 1:17; Rev. 4:8
3. The Discussion with Christ – Rev 1:9-16
Rev 1:9-12 “I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, saying, "Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea." Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands;”
a. The describer – John – Rev 1:9
(1) John your brother
John was a brother because he had been born again and this letter was written to folks who had been born again. That is what we are in Christ. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. I have a brother after the flesh – but fellow Christians are brothers and sisters after the spirit – that is why John calls himself “your brother”.
(2) John, your companion
(a) In tribulation
(b) In the kingdom
(c) In patience of Jesus Christ
(3) John, your friend in exile – Patmos
Patmos was the island to which John the Apostle was banished. It is a small Greek island in the Aegean Sea and currently has a population of about three thousand. It sat out at sea only about forty miles from the great city of Ephesus. It is not a tropical island with beaches and palm trees. There would have been other people on the island – but remember that John was banished there. It is interesting to note that John mentions the word “sea” 24 times in the Book of Revelation.
(a) For the Word of God
(b) For the testimony of Christ
(4) John, your revealer of the Revelation
(a) For I heard a great voice – Rev. 1:10
-while I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day
-from the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last
-like the sound of a trumpet
(b) For I was given a great mandate – Rev 1:11
-to write in a book
-to write what I see
-send what I write to the 7 churches
(We will cover the 7 churches later in the study)
(c) For I turned to see – Rev 1:12
-the voice speaking
(d) For I saw – Rev 1:12
-7 golden candlesticks – Rev 1:12
Rev 1:13-16 “and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.”
b. The description of Christ
(1) He was like unto the son of man – Rev 1:13
John did not recognize the voice nor does he recognize Jesus here. He says he saw one “like a son of man”. (Literally – Similar to a human being.) But John describes him.
(2) His garment reached to his feet – Rev 1:13
(3) He was girt about with a golden sash – Rev 1:13
(4) His hair was white like wool – Rev 1:14
(a) It was white as snow
(5) His eyes were like a flame of fire – Rev 1:14
(6) His feet were like fine brass – Rev 1:15
(a) As if they were burned in a furnace
(7) His voice was as the sound of many waters – Rev 1:15
(8) In His hand were 7 stars – Rev 1:16
(9) Out of his mouth went a sharp two edged sword – Rev 1:16; Heb 4:12
(10) His face was like the sun – Rev 1:16
(a) Shining in its full strength
What John is seeing here is the glorified Jesus.
Rev 1:17a “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying,”
4. The Response of John
a. Fell at His feet as dead – 1:17
b. He touched me
c. He said to me “fear not”
Rev 1:17b-19 "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.
5. The Reassurance of Christ – Rev 1:17-19
a. The mystery of who John has seen is revealed
(1) I am the first and the last – Rev 1:17
(2) I am the Living One – Rev 1:18
(3) I was dead – Rev 1:18
(4) I am alive forever – Rev 1:18
(5) I hold the keys – Rev 1:18
(a) Of death
(b) Of Hades –
The Greek actually says Hades not Hell.
b. The mystery of the order of the Revelation is revealed – Rev 1:19
(1) Write the things which you have seen – Chapter 1
(2) Write the things which are – Chapter 2-3
(3) Write the things which shall be – Chapter 4-22
Rev 1:20 "As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.”
c. The mysteries of the 7 stars and lampstands revealed – Rev 1:20
(1) Seven stars are the 7 angels of the churches
(2) Seven lampstands are the 7 churches
This verse holds the key to understanding the Book of Revelation. What this verse tells us is that the Book of Revelation is full of symbolism. If I were to make the statement, “My heart skips a beat each time I see the stars and stripes.” What would you think of that statement? What would a person 500 years ago think? The Book of Revelation is full of symbolism. Sometimes we are told what the symbols mean - sometimes we are not.
