Revelation: An Introduction
Revelation • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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So last week, we gave an introduction to the book of Revelation by discussing the various ways that many people use to approach the Book. We briefly viewed the different major doctrinal positions that are held by most and some of the supporting Scriptures that each one uses to support their belief.
Tonight, we are also going to have yet another introduction, but this introduction comes from John. As we look at the first three verses of Revelation, we get quiet a bit of information from John.
1 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,
Revelation - Greek: apokalupsis - “an unveiling; a revealing” / English word: apocalypse
Also notice that this is not the revelation of John....it is the revelation of Jesus Christ. John received the revelation from the angel of Christ, but the revelation itself is of Jesus.
“which God gave Him to show His servants” - This word gave is the Greek word “didomi” and it means to give or to grant. Most of the time when this word is used, it used in the sense that something has been given based upon a request. If this holds true here, it is as if Jesus asked the Father for the revelation and He granted the request.
32 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
Servants - Greek: duolos - “bondservant; slave / denotes a voluntary slave; one who has voluntarily pledged themselves to their Master and does not want to leave, even after given the opportunity to do so (Exodus 21:2-6).
Jesus makes it clear that this letter is addressed to those who have voluntarily given pledged their lives to God. This letter is to Christians.
It is as if Jesus wanted us to know more. Revelation is full of answered questions concerning the many prophecies of Scripture. Without this Book, we would be lost on much of the prophecies of Scripture. Jesus did not want that. He wanted His people to know more, so He asked the Father and the Father granted this information so that Jesus could share it with us.
“things which must shortly take place.” - This phrase, accompanied by others throughout the Book, have created quite a bit of controversy over the years. Bible critics will consistently go to these verses to support how the Bible is unreliable and those who we talked about last week who interpret Revelation allegorically will use this verse to support why they feel Revelation must be interpreted from that light. They will say that these things were to happen “soon”, so it simply does make sense for the 21st century church to believe that these things are still yet in the future. (1:1, 3; 22:6)
Shortly - Greek: en tachei - quickly, suddenly, swiftly / English word: taxi / does not mean necessarily that something will happen soon, but means when it does happen, it will happen quickly or suddenly.
“And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,” - Jesus does not send this revelation to John directly, but through His personal angel. We see God use angels all throughout Scripture to deliver messages to different people, so it is not uncommon to see God do this. We see Him do this many times throughout the OT, but we also see it several times in the NT as well, including here in the book of Revelation.
Signified - Greek: semaino - “indicate, mark” / literally to give sign;
He is telling us here in this first verse that He will be using signs to distinguish the events that will take place. We are to read them, understand them, believe them, and watch for them.
2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.
“who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ,” - John had faithfully recorded the things concerning Jesus’s first coming. He bore witness to the Word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ. He gave us a beautiful Gospel that honed in on the love of God for all mankind and how He so graciously gave His life for us. God now uses Him once again, but this time it is in regard to His second coming: “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.
Jesus here stresses the importance of reading this Book. We have here the first of 7 beatitudes throughout the Book of Revelation (1:3, 14:13, 16:15, 19:9, 20:6, 22:7, 22:14).
This word for “Blessed” is the same word we are currently looking at in the beatitudes of Matthew 5. Remember that this word is not a verb. This is not an action word. In other words, Jesus is not saying here that He will bless those who read this Book, even though He may very well do that. This word is an adjective, which means it is describing something, or in this case, someone. Blessed here means “Joyful”. Joyful is the person who reads, hears, and keeps these things.
Notice the progression: it is not just about reading it, or even just about hearing it. It is about reading it, hearing it, and keeping it.
Also notice the word prophecy. Prophecy, in the sense it is used here, always deals with the future. I find it hard to believe with that verse, that many believe the things written here in Revelation deal with things of the past. This is a Book that must deal with things moving forward from the time John wrote this.
“for the time is near.” - here is another instance that seems to say these things are close, or coming soon.
Time - Greek: Kairos - “season, epoch, era” / not referring to time on a clock, but rather a season, or era. In other words, the next major event, or season, on God’s calendar is the second return of Christ. That is why it is so eminent. That is why we stress this so much. We do not know when it will be, but we know from this that it is the next big thing that we are waiting on.
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,
John is writing this letter specifically to the seven churches which existed in Asia at that time. That is the land of Turkey today. All seven of these churches existed in very close proximity to one another in the grand scheme of things. This letter was to circulate throughout all of them and to be learned by all of them.
The greeting to the churches starts by explaining this letter is from God the Father “from Him who is and who was and who is to come”. John wants it to be very clear that this letter is not from him, but from God. It was God Himself who sent this letter and they are to heed the words written therein.
It is also addressed by “from the seven Spirits who are before His throne”.
The Holy Spirit - seven in Biblical Numerology represents the completeness, or fullness, of the Spirit. Used around 50 times in Revelation.
The Virtues of the Spirit - Isaiah 11:2
Seven Angels - Revelation 8:2
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.”
