The Revelation Of Jesus Christ – Chapter 1 Series

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."