"The Unveiling" - The Revelation of Jesus Christ

THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST

“The Unveiling”

Revelation 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.

Introduction: One of my professors in seminary had this to say about the purpose of the Revelation. He said, “And finally, to live confidently knowing the ultimate victory that is ours in Christ as described by John in the apocalypse. In fact, that’s why the Book of Revelation was written, to give encouragement and endurance to suffering saints who were undergoing persecution, so we would live confidently knowing that ultimately the victory is ours.”[1] At the time of writing, we saw that John had been persecuted and was in exile in Patmos for the word of God and his testimony of Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:9).

The first four words of this verse (Rev. 1:1) speaks more than the eye often discerns. We have looked at the word “revelation” (Ἀποκάλυψις) and that it means an “unveiling.” The Greek word is an interesting one. It is a compound word, which means it is formed by two or more words brought together. In the Greek the first three letters, apo (ἀπό) is a preposition and means “from” or “away from.” The second word “kalupto” (καλύπτω) means “a cover” or “to conceal.” When you take the two words together you have an “uncovering” or a “removing of the covering.” The word means to show or reveal something that before had been hidden or covered. Now, the question is what needs to be revealed? Jesus Christ has already revealed Himself when he came the first time. That is not what we want to explain with this lesson on Revelation 1:1. What is the “revelation” of Jesus Christ at this writing about? One writer says, “The key word of the title, “revelation” (ἀποκάλυψις), denotes an unveiling or disclosure of something hidden, [BDAG 112; T. Holtz, “ἀποκάλυψις,” EDNT 1:130–32] referring to either the action of revealing (Rom 8:19; 1 Cor 1:7; 1 Pet 1:7) or the contentthat is revealed, as here.”[2][Emphasis added.] Another writer, Leon Morris, says,

“The very first word of this book, apokalypsis(translated the revelation), sets the stage. The word means the uncovering of something hidden, the making known of what we could not find out for ourselves. It makes plain that the book it introduces is not a book of human wisdom, nor for that matter a discussion of philosophical or theological problems. It is revelation. It is a setting forth of what God has made known. This revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which could mean either that the revelation was made by Jesus Christ or that it was made about him or that it belongs to him. In one way or another all three are true.”[3]

What this writer contends is the meaning of the phrase “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” Look carefully at Revelation 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.” The progression of this verse is obvious. The verse says that “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him. . .” Thus the source of the Revelation is with God the Father. The personal pronoun “him” is a reference to Jesus Christ. So, God gave the “revelation” of the events stated and described in the book of Revelation. That is what the meaning of the phrase “. . .to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass. . .” Then the next phrase, “. . .and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.” This phrase explains the word “servants” earlier in the verse, people. The progression of the revelation is like this: God the Father gave the revelation of things which must shortly come to pass to Jesus Christ. He in turn “sent and signified it by his angel.” This angel then gave it to John. The point to be made is that Jesus Christ is not necessarily the source of the revelation but the medium by which it is revealed. Not only is Jesus the means in which revelation is communicated, but it is my conviction that He is the object of the revelation as well. Yet, what is it that needs to be revealed? What are we missing about Jesus Christ. After all, we have the four gospels which give a biographical explanation of His life, ministry, and purpose. There is evidently something left out that believers and the world need to know. That is what this study is about.

This concept is compatible with what is stated in Daniel 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. The things in the book of the Revelation are evidently some of the things sealed up until the end. The events of the Revelation are what was hidden as well as the revelation of the person of Jesus Christ that was not seen with the first time He was on the earth.

There is some things in the Old Testament that needs to be examined to learn one of the things that the believer may not have seen. It concerns some things related to the High Priest and his function in the life of Israel.

If you study the book of Exodus, you find that the High Priest was clothed in garments and ornaments that were to magnify the office of the High Priest. Moses was instructed to make for Aaron, the High Priest, garments “for glory and for beauty” (Exodus 28:2). These garments included a “breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle” (Exodus 28:4). These garments are described further in Exodus 28:5-10 “5 And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen. 6 And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work. 7 It shall have the two shoulderpieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together. 8 And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. 9 And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel: 10 Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth.” The garments the High Priest wore could not be mistaken for what it represented. The High Priest was in charge of the priesthood of the sons of Aaron and had the responsibility of seeing that the sacrifices, offerings and other things pertaining to the purpose of the Tabernacle were carried out. The Tabernacle was the place where God met with man, and there was a “mediator” that went before God who represented the people and their need for worship and forgiveness. That person was the High Priest. The garments we looked at were to be worn by the High Priest always. When he was in the camp the High Priest was identifiable by the garments he wore.

There was one exception to this and that was on the “Day of Atonement” (Leviticus 16). On that day the High Priest would take off his garments “for glory and for beauty” and then put on “the holy linen coat and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garment’s” (Leviticus 16:4). Now do not miss what is taking place here.

Jesus, before the incarnation, was in glory and had on his “garments there of beauty and glory.” When He came to the earth he put on his linen garments, a type of holiness. Note: “And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints” (Rev. 19:8). The “fine linen” here is defined as “righteousness” and the believer has this because he/she is clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:22). When Jesus was on the earth the first time he was in His righteousness. He came the first time to make atonement for sin for the entire world, every human being. At that time He was clothed in His righteousness. When he comes the second time he will be clothed differently as the first chapter of the Revelation demonstrates in Revelation 1:13-17. Note the description here who the Old Testament describes similar appearances of God the Father.

1. His attire: Revelation 1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. Compare Daniel 10:5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:

2. His appearance:

a. Revelation 1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; The Old Testament comparison, Daniel 7:9 “I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

b. Revelation 1:15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. Another comparison: Daniel 10:6 “His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.”

3. His attributes. When you compare these identifying things about Jesus Christ with those in the Old Testament which were attributed to God, you find that the goal of these instructions were to demonstrate that Jesus Christ is God. All the things mentioned, His hair, eyes, throne, the color of his garments (“white as snow”), throne, feet, voice, body, face, arms, and His voice. There is no reason to mistake who Jesus Christ was. Yet what about the Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16? There were different garments for this one day in the life of the nation of Israel. Does it have any significance? The answer to this is a resounding YES! Now, an explanation.

4. His atoning sacrifice. When the High Priest entered the Tabernacle (Temple in Solomon’s day) one the “day of atonement,” he had an objective. That was to secure for the nation of Israel forgiveness of sin for the coming year. That is stated in a passage looked at earlier which said in, Leviticus 16:4, “He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.” Did you ever consider the reason behind this activity and how it might teach us something about the “atoning sacrifice” Jesus made for all of mankind?

When Jesus Christ came to this earth the fist time, He came veiled in flesh and that flesh was perfect humanity, not contaminated by Adam since His father was God the Father. In a sense Jesus came clothed in “linen,” flesh which had no sin nor a sin nature. This made it possible for Him to make the sacrifice for sin. He walked among the people of the world without sin and demonstrated to the world that He was the son of God. Look at Hebrews 4:15, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” And Hebrews 9:28, “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

The second time He comes he is going to be dressed in His garments of “glory and beauty.” Look with at the description of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in this same book, the Revelation. Revelation 19:11-16, “11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.Jesus is going to come the second time to defeat the enemies of God and to establish His kingdom and rule the earth for 1,000 years.

[1]Stanley Toussaint, lecture on “Hebrews, General Epistles and Revelation” at Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, Texas, n.d. [2] Buist M. Fanning, Revelation, ed. Clinton E. Arnold, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2020), 73. [3] Leon Morris, Revelation: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 20, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1987), 51.