The Coming of Christ Brings Hope

“The Coming of Christ Brings Hope”

REVELATION 1:7–8

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him—.” This is the first sentence with which this last book in God’s Word begins. This must be understood in connection with Himself as the Son of Man. As the Only Begotten He had no need of a revelation; in His Deity He is acquainted with all the eternal purposes. One with God He knows the end from the beginning. But He, who is very God, took on in incarnation the form of a servant, and thus being in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself (Phil. 2:7–8). And as the Man who had passed through death, whom God raised from the dead, and exalted at His own right hand, God gave Him this revelation concerning the judgment of the earth and the glory of Himself. “God raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory” (1 Peter 1:21). What this Glory is which He received from God is fully and blessedly revealed in this book. It is the revelation of His acquired Glory and how this Glory is to be manifested in connection with the earth. And this revelation He makes known to His servants, because His own are sharers with Him in all He received from God.

The Revelation is pre-eminently His revelation; the revelation of His Person and His Glory. “In the volume of the book it is written of Me.…” (Heb. 10:7). Martin Luther asked, “What Book and what Person?” and answered, “There is only one Book—the Bible; and only one Person—Jesus Christ.” The whole Book, the Word of God, bears witness of Him, Who is the living Word. He is the center, the sum total and the substance of the Holy Scriptures. The prayerful reader of the Bible will never read in vain if he approaches the blessed Book with the one desire to know Christ and His Glory. His blessed face is seen on every page and the infallible Guide, the Holy Spirit, never fails to satisfy the longing of the believer’s heart to know more of Christ. Inasmuch as this last Bible book is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, an “Unveiling” of Himself, we find in it the completest revelation of His Person and His Glory.[1]

Here in verses 7 and 8 we see that John concludes his prologue with a brief word on what Paul calls “the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). Having discussed His work of redemption, he now draws attention to His day of consummation, “when he will return in triumph and bring history to a close” (Mounce, Revelation, 50). Allusions to the Old Testament dominate these two short verses. Here in this verse we see two Old Testament citations that contains a prophetic pronouncement that combines elements from Daniel 7:13, which in its OT context refers to the enthronement of the Son of man over all the nations after God’s judgment of evil empires (Dan. 7:9-12) and Zechariah 12:10[2]; pertaining to the end-time period when God will defeat the enemy nations. The first part of the pronouncement attributes to Jesus the description from Daniel of a human-like figure (“one like a son of man”) who descends from heaven with the clouds and is given “dominion and glory and kingship” (Dan 7:14).[3]

His Coming Will Be Seen (1:7)

The call to “Look!” (traditionally “Behold”) is a call to pay attention, appearing 25 times in Revelation. We as readers are beckoned to pay attention because what follows is important. “He is coming with the clouds” (John 3:31) draws from Daniel 7:13 (see Matt 24:30; Acts 1:9) where the prophet “saw One like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven.” He who is coming is literally, historically, and visibly “coming with the clouds,” which is also a symbol for the presence of God (Exod 13:21; 16:10). He who is coming is Jesus Christ (Rev 1:5–6), “and every eye will see Him.” This is not the coming of God incognito, which was the case, to some degree, when He came the first time. No, His authority, deity, and sovereignty will be put on full display for all to see. The whole earth will see this! [Yes he is coming back and everyone will see him when he returnes

John now combines Daniel 7:13 with Zechariah 12:10 and notes that the audience to this epiphany will include those “who pierced Him.” In that day Israel will see and understand that they crucified their Messiah. And “all the families of the earth will mourn over Him. This is certain. Yes, Israel will mourn and the nations will mourn. But by God’s grace some, including Jews and Gentiles, will mourn in repentance and salvation (5:9–10; 7:1–17; see Zech 13:1; Rom 11:25–26). Others, however, will mourn in remorse as the just and righteous judgment of God is poured out in the great day of wrath (Rev 6:16–17), what is called “the great tribulation” (7:14). Amazingly, they will seek death, not deliverance (6:16). Repentance will not be found in their hearts (9:21).

His Coming Will Be Strength (1:8)

Three of the many titles of God appear in verse 8, where we see one of the only two times God speaks directly in the entire book of Revelation (see 21:5–6). These titles serve as a revelation of His person and power. They also serve as a confirmation and guarantee that these things will surely come to pass. The “Amen” of verse 7 affirmed this. This divine confession settles it! First, ‘I am the Alpha and Omega,’ says the Lord God.” These are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. The phrase is expanded in 22:13 and applied directly to Jesus. What is said of God can be said of Him because He is God. There we read, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” The emphasis in 1:7 falls particularly on God’s omniscience. “He knows … the certainty of this promise” (MacArthur, Revelation 1–11, 34).

The second title, “The One who is, who was, and who is coming” (see v. 4), indicates that our God is the eternal and everlasting One. There never was a time when He was not, and there will never be a time when He is not. Stephen Smalley notes the phrase “is repeated from verse 4, and forms an inclusion at the end of the address with its opening.” Further,

The advent theme of verse 7 centered in the returning Christ, is picked up here once again, and set within the total context of the judgment and salvation brought by the living Godhead.… John is saying that God is in control of his world, and of all the human activity within it; he is the eternal origin and goal of history in its entirety. (Revelation, 58)

Third, our God is “the Almighty” (Gk pantokrator; Hebrew, El Shaddai (Gen. 17:1; 35:11). This is an epithet of God; ruler of all things; Theos ‘God’. The title again emphasizes God’s sovereignty and omnipotence. God has absolute authority, control, and power. He is “in control of this world and the next” (Osborne, Revelation, 72). God Himself have made this very clear![4]God is prior to all creation, and last he is the only One who can bring to consummation the purpose of the universe. Further, this One who is Alpha and Omega is the One who continually exists (present active participle of the “to be” verb), who always was and the One who is himself yet coming (a present middle participle). The term translated “Almighty” is a reference to the idea of the supremacy of God over all things.[5]

Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him!” those that are the enemies of Christ—hear this, those that dispute his right to worship—hear this, those that refuse to give him the ascription of glory and dominion:—“Every eye shall see Him, and all the kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him.” Yes: this is another object of the appearing of the Lord—to confute his enemies and the unbelieving. The Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty,”—to whom “all power is given in heaven and in earth,” “who is before all things, and by whom all things consist,” and all as “the Head of the body the Church.” “Even so” then: the Holy Spirit says, “Come Lord Jesus, come quickly.”[6]“It is Him who causes all things to begin and brings all things to an end,” says (the Lord) God who is all powerful (Almighty), who exists now, has always existed, and lives forever.[7]

He is the beginning, He who gives all things a being and beginning, and have no beginning My self: The ending, He who puts an end to all things; and in whom all things end, and hath no ending himself: for, all things terminate in Him as their end, Rom. 11:36. To Him are all things, which is, which was, and which is to come, the same description which was given to God the Father, verse. 4 setting out the immutability and unchangeablenesse of his being, that he is from Eternity to Eternity the same, and, the title Jehovah taketh in these three words. Then more plainly, the Almighty: every word here is a proper Attribute of God; he is infinite in power, sovereign in dominion, & not bounded as creatures are; And this is clear to be spoken of Christ, not only from the scope, (Johnbeing to set out Christ from whom He had this Revelation) but from the 11 verse. following, where he gives Him the same titles over again; or rather, Christ, speaking of himself, taketh and repeateth the same titles.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is God equal with the Father, & holy Ghost: he, who is the first & last, the beginning and the ending, which is, which was, and which is to come, the Almighty, must be God. These titles can agree to no other: there is no created being capable of any of these titles; but he is such. Therefore, He is!! The stateliness and majesty of our Lord Jesus Christ: What an excellent and stately Person he is. The use of it, is, to bring hearts to high thoughts of Christ: and it is not for nought, but for this end that the Scripture insists so much in giving him such stately stiles, even to wear souls out of their Atheistical thoughts of him, and to prefer and esteem him above all.[8]

Isaiah 44:6 NLT, God declares: “I am the first and I am the last, besides me there is no other.” He alone is our Creator, Redeemer, King and Rock; by comparison idols made with human hands are merely blocks of wood, suitable for stoking a fire but utterly incapable of saving their worshippers (Isa. 44:6–20).[9]

I. In Christ is the fulness of wisdom and knowledge. ‘in Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.’

II. In Christ is the fulness of all creation.—He is ‘the beginning and the ending.’ The ‘first-born of every creature’ is His name (Col. 1:15). ‘He is the beginning’ (Col. 1:18), as well as ‘in the beginning’ (John 1:1); and as such, He is the Creator of all things in heaven and in earth (Col. 1:16); the circumference as well as the center of the universe.

III. In Christ is the fulness of all space. Everything is in him.

IV. In Christ is the fulness of all time.—He is ‘from everlasting to everlasting, God.’ Past, present, and future are His. ‘Who was, and who is, and who is to come.’ The fulness of the past eternity is His; the fulness of the future eternity is His; and the fulness of the vast present is also His. The infinity of time belongs to Him; He is Himself that infinity. The eternal past is His; and His is the eternal future. He is living eternity.

V. In Christ is the fulness of all power.—His name is ‘the Almighty;’ the Lord God Omnipotent, to whom all power is given in heaven and on earth. As the Creator of the vast universe; as the sustainer of all being; as the Redeemer of His Church; as ‘the Lord strong in battle;’ as ‘able to save to the uttermost,’ ‘mighty to save;’ as the binder of Satan; as the destroyer of Antichrist; as the renewer of the earth,—He is Almighty. And when the great day of His wrath is come, who shall be able to stand?[10]

[1] Arno C. Gaebelein, The Revelation: An Analysis and Exposition of the Last Book of the Bible(Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009), 7–8. [2] Mitchell G. Reddish, Revelation, ed. R. Alan Culpepper, Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary (Macon, GA: Smyth & Helwys Publishing, Incorporated, 2001), 36. [3] Mitchell G. Reddish, Revelation, ed. R. Alan Culpepper, Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary (Macon, GA: Smyth & Helwys Publishing, Incorporated, 2001), 36. [4] Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in Revelation, ed. Daniel L. Akin, David Platt, and Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2016), Re 1:7–8. [5] Paige Patterson, Revelation, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, vol. 39, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: B&H, 2012), 63. [6] William de Burgh, An Exposition of the Book of the Revelation (Dublin; London: Hodges, Smith and Co.; Hamilton, Adams & Co.; Simpkin, Marshall, and Co., 1857), 12–13. [7] Robert G. Bratcher and Howard Hatton, A Handbook on the Revelation to John, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1993), 25. [8] James Durham, A Commentarie upon the Book of the Revelation (Glasgow: Robert Sanders, 1680), 21. [9] Brian J. Tabb, All Things New: Revelation as Canonical Capstone, ed. D. A. Carson, vol. 48, New Studies in Biblical Theology (London; Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press; Apollos, 2019), 35. [10] Horatius Bonar, Light and Truth: Or, Bible Thoughts and Themes, the Revelation (London: J. Nisbet & Co., 1883), 34–35.