Revelation 1
God never intended confusion, yet when we look at the world around us, confusion reigns like a mad, headless horseman, galloping through public life and characters as well as personal lives and relationships.
Governments struggle to maintain order, people strive for stability and security, all of which typify the kingdom of God. What we learn, we must teach our children as a treasure so that they can listen and live.
The things [the doctrine, the precepts, the admonitions, the sum of my ministry], which you have heard me teach in the presence of many witnesses, entrust [as a treasure] to reliable and faithful men who will also be capable and qualified to teach others. (2 Timothy 2:2, Ampl)
On our walk through the revealed mystery of Revelation, we must first and foremost declare God as multi-faceted and larger than anything we know or could ever hope to know. The explanation that we will study together is a scraping of the surface of a possible analysis. Mostly I have endeavoured to stay away from dispensational interpretations of which there are a number and which could all be plausible.
“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things which are revealed and disclosed belong to us and to our children forever, so that we may do all of the words of this law. (Deuteronomy 29:29)
We are in the unique position in the universe to have experienced the salvation of God. This treasure is our legacy and distinguishing symbol – the mark on our forehead that will make us known to the angels, who are not saved beings, but created by God as the hosts of heaven. The church carries the great work of Christ in the universe as Paul declares:
… to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 3:10)
What a magnificent and majestic role to play in our time! Gear up! Our triumphal parade ground with Christ is far beyond all we can think or dream of. May God equip us in every way, especially with a word in season.
“The Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. (Isaiah 50:4)
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
The key to the interpretation of the whole book is found in the first five words: The revelation of Jesus Christ. This goal is our foremost and utmost – nothing more and for sure nothing less than Christ shining in blazing glory from every word that we read.
Reading through the first chapter of Revelation, be quick to recognize the most important principles for studying the book. The Holy Spirit governs everything. He portrays the mind of God. Christ has given everything to the world, now He comes to take account.
Revelation is not fodder for intellectual speculation about the end times. It is a series of commands addressed to the present day lives of all who read it.
Always the attitude is positive. God’s desire is to bless. Blessing is the purpose of exposure, warning and uncovering. Every step of the way there is encouragement and reward for obedience.
All judgment and condemnation are always meant to clear the way for salvation, blessing and God’s approval.
Sin blocks blessing. This is a spiritual principle. (1:1-3) There are seven blessings proclaimed throughout Revelation. Let’s rejoice in it.
- Blessing of the word – to read, hear, keep, obey (1:3)
- Blessing of the Dead (14:13)
- Blessing on those who stay awake (16:15)
- Blessing of the invited (19:9)
- Blessing of the first resurrection – no touch of death (20:6) Salvation keeps you from death.
- Blessing of the wise (22:7)
- Blessing on those who have washed robes (22:14)
For those of us who have been redeemed by the Cross and therefore have received everlasting life through rebirth, all of the above apply.
For the time is near: John echoes the words of Jesus in Mark 1:15: The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand. At hand means: is now arriving.
Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place. (Revelation 22:6)
Jesus has come and the time is fulfilled.
The central theme of the whole prophecy is to bring Christ in His supreme fullness into view. Absolutely everything is centered on Christ. John paints a very vivid word picture of Jesus as he sees Him in this chapter.
Greeting the Seven Churches
4 John, to the seven churches which 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, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.
To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, “says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
Seven churches and the seven spirits (1:4,5) depict the fullness of the true Church representing the entire people of God and the sevenfold expression of the Holy Spirit. The number 7 is symbolic of completeness and fullness, like the seven days of creation. The church and the Spirit are universal and effective and applicable to all of history at all times – the Church in every age.
The phrase, Grace and Peace is an epistolary greeting (like Paul in all his epistles). These two elements of Christian living are signs of victory in tumultuous times of chaos and moral decay, amidst pressure to compromise.
He who was and is and is to come: Exodus 3:14. YAHWEH – I am who I am.
Compare the descriptions of Isaiah in chapters 41:4; 43:10: 44:6; and 48:12.
The throne is a symbol of government and authority, which is one of the functions of the Holy Spirit. Describing the throne is a vision of the Trinity in action who demands the features of Christ in the Church.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. (1:8)
John bends Greek grammar to show his reverence to God. He shows God to be supreme even if language demands otherwise. Alpha is the first letter and Omega the last letter of the Greek alphabet to signify completeness and full inclusion of everything in between. Alpha implies the beginning as the SOURCE of all things and Omega the end and the GOAL of all things.
The phrase – beginning and the end – is God’s description of Himself – Isaiah 44:6, 48:12. It is used to inspire confidence in God’s sovereign guidance of all earthly affairs.
To call God Almighty is to declare His dominion over all things. The church was failing and scattered at this point in history. It is best described in the words of the English poet Sir William Watson: the panting huddled flock whose crime was Christ.
The encouragement comes strong and clear. Revelation 19:6: The Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Nothing can pluck us from the hand of the Almighty.
Jesus is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. (Psalms 89:27,37) See also: Philippians 2:5-11 and Colossians 1:15-20. Christ rules over the kings of the earth who oppose him. (Revelation 6:15; 17:2; 18:3)
Made us kings and priests – Exodus 19:6. We are to exercise rule with him in His exaltation. We share his priestly office by our identification and birth into the death and resurrection of Christ. Believers are to enter into this role although their performance is still incomplete.
The lamps are torches of fire to reveal, test and determine a function of the Holy Spirit. The reference to torches of fire reminds us of the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out over the disciples waiting in the upper room. Torches of fire on their heads was one of the signs of the outpouring. (Acts 2:3)
The lamp stand is a familiar image. In the Tabernacle the candlestick was pure gold as was the candlestick in the Temple of Solomon (1 Kings 7:49) and the vision of Zechariah (4:2). The branches were almond branches with blossoms – Jeremiah 1. The symbol of the almond branch is that God is alert and active over his Word to perform it.
To reveal sin and to purify our lives are tested in the “fire” of the Lamp of the Holy Spirit. Christ will baptize with fire and the Holy Spirit in the words of John the Baptist. (Matthew 3:11,12) The Church is the carrier of the light, not the light itself. Compare the parable of the Virgins in Matthew 25. Lamps without the Holy Spirit is pretence, has no power and no light to guide.
Important principle: the best way to prepare for the revelation of new truth is to study the revelation, which God has already given. John knew the Old Testament well. We have the revealed will of God in the Word. His specific will for our lives will be revealed when we study that which is given.
Vision of the Son of Man
9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. 19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.20 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 lampstandswhich you saw are the seven churches.
John puts himself on par with the OT prophets. “I was in the spirit” – means that his words are not his own but a direct message from God. He hears a loud voice like a trumpet – the symbol of God’s voice. (Exodus 19:16-20; Ezekiel 2:2; 3:12, 14, 24)
He is told to write what he has seen in a book, a scroll. (Exodus 17:14, Isaiah 30:8; Jeremiah 36:2)
Seven-fold characterization:
- Garment – head to foot
- Girdle of gold
- Head and hair – like wool
- Eyes as a flame of fire
- Feet as burnished brass
- Voice as the sound of many waters
- Sword – sharp and two-edged, proceeding out of his mouth
Son of man (1:13) is how Jesus calls himself in John 1:51. Man is God’s special creation. The title “Son of man” embraces the original purpose of mankind – lost then redeemed by the divine Son of man. Jesus is God’s model for what He intended in the first place. The lamps reveal truth. The truth is how evident the Son of man is in mankind. We have Christ in us. The phrase is from Daniel 7:13-14; 10:5-6. Christ is the heavenly priest tending the lampstands.
Garment covering is full covering, not priestly, but is reminiscent of the priestly garment signifying the opening to the Presence of God. (Daniel 7:13.) Fine linen with a gold girdle was the robe of kings as well as special messengers of the king. Christ stands as divine messenger (prophet) from the Throne. He is priest, prophet and king.
Girdle of gold (1:4,5) is the burning fire of the first love.
It is only with love that we are girded for action. The Pharisees were not girded, only clothed with their own garment – the law. Love makes you worthy. Love will stand the test of fire, never pride and pretense.
Testing of fire is the crisis in our life. 1 Corinthians 3:12,13:
Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.
Girdle is good for action so that no pretentious clothes get in the way of work (ministry). Gird up your loins is the call for action. Gold always speaks of God. Breast always speaks of love. Love is first then works will follow.
Head and hair – white as wool, like snow
Daniel 7:9 describes the Ancient One and stainless purity. (Isaiah 1:18).
Eyes as a flame of fire
Daniel 10:6: Eyes like flaming torches is a description of eyes that can never be forgotten. They are eyes of judgment as well as love that has never been known in the earth. The Gospels give the impression that those who looked Jesus in the eye could never forget Him. (Mark 3:34, 10:23, 11:11) His eyes flashed in anger – Mark 3:5, looked in love – Mark 10:21 and sorrow – Luke 22:61.
To study this precious vision is to catch Jesus’ eye. The impression on our life can never be ignored or forgotten. In the words of C.S. Lewis:
“I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer. You are yourself the answer. Before your face questions die away?”
Feet like beaten brass – refined by fire in a furnace.
Daniel 10:6 – arms and legs of the divine messenger was like burnished bronze and Ezekiel 1:7 the feet of angelic beings. It brings us under the impression of strength and the shining rays of speed – God is swift to help. It is a symbol of moral purity
Voice like the sound of many waters
Ezekiel 1:24, 43:2. For John it might have been amplified by the roar of the waves in the cave on the island. God’s voice is not confined to one description. It can be the still small voice that Elijah heard in 1 Kings 19:12. Psalms 29 sings about the voice of God.
Seven stars in His right hand.
God controls the stars and the heavenly realm, with His outstretched hand. Job 38:31. He alone can tell you not to be afraid.
Out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword.
The sword described here was the Roman fighting sword – short and tongue-shaped, not the long fencer’s blade. (Isaiah 11:14 & 49:2,
Hebrews 4:12) God’s word is the sword with which we fight any attack of the enemy. Our struggle is not against flesh and blood.
His face was as the sun shining in its strength
Matthew 17:2 describes the transfiguration on the mount and says Jesus’ face shone like the sun. John was present on that occasion.
In His almost unapproachable glory He says: Don’t be afraid. They were terrified by the divine. (Matthew 17:7)
He declares himself the living one who was dead and alive forever, as identification to John. John himself experienced the empty tomb on that Sunday a few decades before he writes this.
Malachi 4:2 – Sun of Righteousness with healing in his wings.
Keys to death and Hades
Christ rules over the gates of death. (Psalm 9:13, 107:18 & Isaiah 38:10)
Christ brought life and immortality. (2 Timothy 1:10) He lives and because He lives, we live (John 14:19) For the saved, the bitterness of death is forever past (1 Corinthians 15). See also 1 Peter 3:19.
At the end of the first chapter, it is clear that Revelation feeds on the well-known images and symbols of the entire Scripture as was known at the time John wrote the vision. This was the code according to which he got the message out to those who had to hear and be encouraged.
Remember always that John called himself the beloved disciple. Jesus did not love him more than the others. John himself had a special revelation of how much Jesus loved him. What a blessing! May we come to the revelation of God’s love for us as the first blessing of the study of this book.
It is impossible for us to get the message out without the code. Our code is LOVE.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:2)
Jesus is the Living ONE. We should not fear He has triumphed over death. Threefold formula of triumph – living…dead…alive – 1:18.
Therefore 1:19 is very significant. John should write the things he has seen. This is a reference to the things John will be shown. The vision deal with: the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.
This phrase alludes to Daniel’s revelation of the end times, that is now fulfilled in the revelation of Christ. Thus: John stands at the beginning of the end times and he is to reveal what he sees as the unfolding of the end times.
The scope of Revelation deals with the events of world history commencing with the death and resurrection of Jesus and concluding with his final return.
Then John unfolds the mystery. (1:20) The lampstands are the churches, the angels the celestial beings, active in the execution of every word from the mouth of God.
The messages to the churches are addressed to their representing angel to remind the believers that they are already in a heavenly existence and that their real home is not with the unbelieving “earth dwellers”. Their weekly worship is woven into the ongoing heavenly worship.
Scenes of heavenly worship are woven throughout Revelation and serves as an interpretation of the vision. It is the celebration of Christ’s complete authority over human history. He stands among the churches who are going through all kinds of trials and apparent defeats but are led to ultimate victory with Christ.
Elevate your church experience. Could you set your mind on a joining of the heavenly worship? Could you “see” Jesus on the Throne with the rainbow of Covenant love to guide you in worship?
Christ is in a position of sovereignty among the weak and suffering in the Church of his Kingdom to bring them to a triumphant end of fulfillment. The mystery is the reality of Christ’s rule coexists with the suffering of the churches. That is the mystery of the Cross. Jesus had to submit to death to become the ultimate victor. (Romans 11:25; 1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 3:3-6)
Jesus was always fulfilling Scripture and prophecy in a surprising, unexpected way, contrary to what humans would have had Him do. The same mystery applies to the Church.
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