Revelation # 1 Rev. 1: Intro: - 4-18 Series

REVELATION # 1 REV. 1: INTRO: - 4-18-09

Today we’ll began a study of the book of the “REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST” ***and I’m sure we’ll be here awhile but we’re in no hurry.

Today I’ll try and lay a foundation to build on as we start. From what we read, we’re told that it was pinned down about “95-96 A.D.”

It was never God’s intention to hold back the meaning of the Revelation, but to show and to make known it’s meaning.

Without the book of Revelation, the Bible would be incomplete. Other Old and New Testament books add new dimensions and give added information and details of prophetic truth regarding the end times, but only Revelation draws them all together into a final conclusion.

Many other passages deal with this period of time like Matthew 24 and 1st thess. 5:, but not to the extent Revelation does.

In the Revelation we see Christ in His glory and position as the Great High Priest who is in charge of His church. We see Him in absolute control.

In the Gospels we find Him meek, lowly, humble, and dying upon a cross. He made Himself subject to His enemies on earth, but He is not like that in the Book of Revelation. He is in control. He is still the Lamb of God, but we see the wrath of the Lamb that terrifies the earth.

When He returns to the earth, He’ll not be belittled and spit upon, He’ll not be the meek and humble Person that He was the 1st time He was here, the next time the world hears from Him, He will be the Lion of the tribe of Juda as He roars out of Zion.

The message originated with God, it was given to Jesus Christ, He gave it to His angel, His angel gave it to John, and from John it goes to His servants that they might know what is coming to pass. And that is the way it has come to us today.

1The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified** it by his angel unto his servant John:

We see Christ in His glory and position as the Great High Priest who is in charge of His church. He is in absolute control.

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John the writer here is the son of Zebedee and Salome**[ sister of Mary the mother of Jesus] and the brother of James.

John’s was a fisherman (Matthew 4:21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. 22And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

John was one of the three that Jesus took with Him on several special occasions (Matthew 17:1; 26:37; Mark 5:37). Along with Peter and James, Johns brother.

He is referred to as “that disciple whom Jesus loved” in several places, and he is mentioned three times in the book of Acts. (Acts 3:1; 4:13; 8:14).

He wrote five books of the New Testament, and only he uses Christ’s title as “the Word” jn. 1:--1st jn. 1: & 5:

John said in Rev.22:8 that he saw and heard the things which he wrote.

He lived during the reign of Domitian, under whose rule the Christians were severely persecuted.

He identifies himself with other suffering saints as their “brother and companion in tribulation” (Revelation 1:9).

He was sent as a prisoner to the small island called Patmos about twenty-five miles off the coast of Asia Minor, in the Aegean Sea, or modern day Turkey.

It was while he was there on Patmos that God turned his bondage into a blessing, and gave John what we call the book of the “Revelation of Jesus Christ”.

And lets be sure to notice that it’s” THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST” singular, and not “revelations” plural. The book reveals Him, as we read all these verses in this book, every thing that is revealed in the book will happen in its own time and in the right order, all leading up to His revealing, or to His return in Chapter 19:.

The Patmos of persecution became to John the open door for service.

The word “REVELATION” means, “unveiling.” It gives us our English word apocalypse,

It means “to uncover, to reveal, to make manifest.”

In this book, the Holy Spirit reviles to us the glorified Christ in heaven and the fulfillment of His sovereign purposes in the world.

The opening statement vs.1 presents the book as “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” it’s not “The Revelation of St. John ”

This Book is all about His coming. His personal appearing is in view. It is the REVELATION.