Book of Revelation of St John the Divine

Book of Revelation of St. John the Divine

Chapter 1 -Intro to the Book I. Objective of the Book-record the revelation of Jesus Christ of things to come; pronounce a blessing; time is at hand. (Rev. 1: 1 -3) II. Addressed to the 7 churches but for all as well(He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches) (Rev. 1: 4 -8) III. The Almighty Lord Jesus Christ appears to John and commissions him to write things he has seen, things which are, things which shall be. (Rev. 1: 9 -20)

Rev. 1: 1 The 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. • apokalypsis – Lord’s intention is to reveal not conceal (Deut. 29: 29) • Jesus Christ-source of revelation (? ) given by the Father (eternal purpose); He is also object of revelation (Lk 24: 44; Jn. 5: 39 -40; Rev 19: 10) • servants- doulos, bondservant; natural man cannot spiritually discern (1 Cor. 2: 14) • must-”It is written”; Scripture cannot be broken (Jn. 10: 35; Matt. 24: 35); certainty • shortly (en tachei) come to pass-brief space of time but from the Lord’s perspective (2 Pet. 3: 8 -9); imminence • angel-are ministering servants the Lord uses to reveal message to man; the law (Acts 7: 53); prophetic truth to Daniel (Dan. 7: 16 -27; 8: 16 -26; 9: 20 -27); birth of humanity of Jesus to Mary (Lk 1: 26 -38) to Joseph (Matt. 1: 20 -21)

Rev. 1: 2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. • “bare record” – terminology of John (Jn 1: 32, 34 - And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God; 19: 35 - And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: ) signifying that the Book of Revelation was written by John the beloved. • “word of God and (kai-also, even, indeed, siya rin) the testimony of (provided by [subj. genitive - occurs when the noun in the genitive {being qualified} produces the action] and about [objective genitive – occurs when the objective genitive receives the action of the noun. ]) Jesus Christ and (kai) of all things that he saw. ” John saw all that Jesus revealed to him • The whole Bible is the testimony of (by and about) Jesus. (Rev. 19: 10; Heb. 1: 1; Zech 7: 12 - “Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in His Spirit by the former prophets. ” Joh 12: 41 These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him. )

Rev. 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. • Lk. 11: 27 -28 Jesus said, More blessed are they who hear and keep the word of God than the womb that bore Jesus and the breasts that nursed Him. • Keeping (holding fast, not letting things slip away) those things which are written therein: i. Involves consistent literal interpretation. You may be keeping incorrect or differing meaning. ii. Written therein is not only prophetic events but exhortation for application and promulgation of the Lord’s message. Be doers of the Word and not hearers only (Lk 6: 46 -49; Jas 1: 22) • “The time is at hand” (of things which must shortly come to pass). Time here is kairos not chronos. Kairos-the opportune time to do right/appropriate thing. (Gal 4: 4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law…; Eph. 1: 10) Chronos-the normal passage of seconds, minutes, hour, day, years. Summary: Chronos is counting your years; Kairos is making your years count. Prayer: Lord, teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom (Ps. 90: 12).

Rev. 1: 4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne… • Book of Revelation-addressed not only to the seven churches but for each and everyone. (Rev. 2: 7 -He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches…) • “from him which is, and which was, and shall be”- phrase denotes Father’s eternal existence • seven Spirits- seven different aspects of the Holy Spirit: “The (1) Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the (2) Spirit of wisdom and (3) understanding, the (4) Spirit of counsel and (5) might, the (6) Spirit of knowledge and (7) of the fear of the LORD. ” (Isa. 11: 2). • Seven-denotes ‘perfection’ in the sense of completion. God created in six days and rested on the seventh. Prevalence of seven throughout the book of Revelation has been recognized as signifying this book as the final revelation of God to complete the canon of Scripture. Book of Revelation records the completion of the Lord’s mighty act of redemption and renewal and restoration of His creation to the condition before sin.

7 Churches in Asia Minor

Isle of Patmos PATMOS

Rev. 1: 5 -6 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. • Appellations of Jesus: i. Faithful witness (Faithful and True, Rev. 19: 11). Jesus finished His redemptive work by resisting the temptation to circumvent the cross (Matt 4: 8 -10; Lk 22: 42 -44) enduring the cross, despising the shame (Heb. 12: 2) ii. Firstbegotten from the dead that in all things, He might have preeminence (Col. 1: 18). Firstborn, prototokus-first in order of time (resurrection, cf. translation, resuscitation, transfiguration) or preeminent in rank over all creation, over the church. iii. King of kings-prophecy culminates in the destruction of the armies of the kings of the earth at the Second Coming of Christ (Rev. 19: 11 -21). • Who is loving us (present participle) (God is love, 1 Jn. 4: 8, 16) while we were yet sinners/enemies, Christ died for us (Rom. 5: 8) and washed us by the shedding of His own blood (Heb. 9: 22; Jn. 1: 7) • Made us “kings and priests” or “a kingdom of priests, ” believers will rule with Christ during His coming earthly reign (Rev. 20: 4 -6). Kings and priests also have the prophets’ role of representing the Lord God to men just as priests represent men to the Lord God. Kings had the role of ruling for/with Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords. In the new heavens and new earth, our function would be primarily priestly, serving the Lord before “the throne of God and of the Lamb… and His servants shall serve Him. ” (Rev. 22: 3) There we will minister unto the Lamb upon the throne, giving Him all the glory and honor and dominion forever and ever. AMEN!