Easter 2: Revelation 1

Revelation 1:4–18 ESV

John to the seven churches that 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, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

Introduction

This year, during the seven Sundays in Easter tide, seven readings for the Book of the Revelation will be read as our second reading. We will be using them for the basis of our sermons throughout this season up to the Sunday before Pentecost.

Revelation is probably the most misunderstood, misquoted work in all of the Bible. Often people want to see if they can find the secret code in Revelation that would let them know more about Jesus’ return.

But, as I’ve told our class who is studying this wonderful book, the Revelation (there’s only one) is not about the end times, nor does it contain any secret gnostic knowledge to enlighten some kind of weird inner circle of Christianity with knowledge that the rest of us cannot grasp.

Some points to assist us as we engage in this book. Revelation contains absolutely no doctrinal instruction. Nothing new is given to us in the Revelation that has not already been declared elsewhere in Sacred Scripture, right down to the visions.

My beloved, sainted Seminary Professor, Dr. Louis Brighton relates this story to help us understand.

“As a parish Pastor, I would teach many adult classes for people who were becoming Christians and joining our congregation. I would take them through all of the parts of the Small Catechism and speak about all of the components of our faith in great detail. During Advent one year, I was teaching the class about the fulfillment of prophecy, the annunciation of the Angel Gabriel, Mary graciously consenting to being the mother of Jesus— all doctrines that the Church confesses down to the last minute detail. But when I got home that evening, I sat in my living room and put on Handel’s Messiah. I simply took it in. Everything. So beautiful. Just sheer joy of the Gospel set to music. THAT’s what Revelation is. Nothing new. Simply celebrating God’s Grace.”

So, let’s take a deep dive into these wonderful texts.

To the Churches/To the Church

The Revelation is given by Jesus to the Seven Churches in Asia Minor. Of course, by extension, He gives them to us, too.

Jesus is about to give His revelatory unveiling of His grace and presence to these churches, but He cannot and will give it until each church repents of her sin.

In like fashion, this is what we do every Sunday. Before we begin to worship, we first deal with our sin. This is why the first thing we do each Sunday is confess our sins to God. It is only under the cleansing blood of Jesus that we are made worthy to worship, praise, and adore our God.

As we will not be reading about the Churches on Sunday mornings this year, these are the Seven Churches. Almost every one has a charge against the sin that the congregations are committing, followed by a commendation, followed by an exhortation.

The first church is Ephesus. Her sin is against the First Commandment. Losing her first love, Jesus, in favor of things that are not above. He calls her to repentance.

The second is Smyrna- the church over which Polycarp was bishop, who was executed for confessing Jesus. Her sin is fear- as their church was being slaughtered for faith in Christ. He gives them the promise to be faithful to death and they will receive the crown of life.

The Third is Pergamum. They were holding to the false teachings of the world. He will give them a white stone— salvation— when they repent.

The Fourth is Thyatira. The congregation tolerated all forms of sexuality and deviancy. They are called to repent and hold fast.

The Fifth is Sardis. They are hypocrites, saying that they are alive in Christ, but their lives say otherwise. They are called to wake up lest Jesus comes while they are far from Him.

The Sixth is Philadelphia- This is the only church that does not get called out on sin by Jesus. They will reign with Jesus on His throne.

At the end of each of the letters to the Churches, Jesus ends with the refrain, “He who has an ear let Him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches.

Beloved, all of these things resurface even today. The Lord calls His Church to repent, and this can only happen if you repent.

We know that all of the Churches repented because Jesus gives them the Revelation.

Preamble

Revelation 1:4–18 ESV

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, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.

The message we are about to hear is not from John; it is directly from Jesus as recorded by John.

Through John Jesus is granting you His grace and peace. God’s undeserved love and perfect wholeness that comes by way of the cross and resurrection. Here, the Trinity is named: The One who is and was and who is to come is the Father. The seven spirits are the Holy Spirit. And Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, who is raised from death and is now our King.

Revelation 1:4–18 ESV

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

The text starts with a dedication and a statement of truth. Jesus is the one who loves us. He frees us from our sins with His blood from the Cross. He has made us to be a kingdom- God’s Kingdom, the Kingdom of Grace. He has made us to be priests. You do not need someone to intercede for you. Many of my Roman Catholic friends ask me to pray for them— not simply because it’s asking another person to pray, but because in their minds they need a priest in between them and God. But you have a priest— Jesus Christ. Not some earthly human. Jesus is our Prophet, Priest, and King. He is the firstborn from the dead— meaning Jesus has Risen for you!

There is that false teaching that rumbles around the church and frequently shows its head— that somehow the church will be raptured away and history will continue. It is further stated that the rapture will be a secret. This passage shines light on the evil darkness of this false doctrine. Every eye will see Him. Nothing secret about His Second Coming.

Even so, Lord Jesus, our Alpha and Omega, our Beginning and End, quickly come!

John gives us the setting

Revelation 1:4–18 ESV

I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”

John now adds his introduction.

One must understand the history around Jesus giving this Revelation. John sets the stage.

This is John, the Apostle, the Brother of James, the Son of Zebedee. The setting is between 90 and 95AD. The Churches of God are under severe persecution. Hated by the Jews, and threatening to the Romans, it seemed that the entire known world wanted the Christians wiped out. All of the disciples at this point except John had been martyred. Emperor Tiberius had overseen the destruction of the Temple. His brother, Emperor Domitian, was on the throne at the time that Jesus gave John this vision. They had one goal in common: Death to the Church. They seemed to be very successful. In fact, all of the emperors of Rome from Nero on wanted Christians wiped off of the map. Hence the Coliseum, the Christians thrown to lions, the Christians crucified and dowsed with paraffin and lit on fire on crosses to illuminate the “games” and all sorts of other horrific atrocities.

The Christian Church was desperate for hope. Some took the easy way out and threw the pinch of incense to the Caesars, thus saving their lives now but losing their lives in eternity. The faithful clung to the Lord despite what they faced.

By the way, there are some false teachers out there today that say that the Church will not undergo the tribulation of which John mentions. Along with the false claim of a secret rapture, many believe that the Church will not be on earth when this terrible period happens. Jesus tells us otherwise:

Matthew 24:9–14 ESV

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Who are the ones against the tribulation comes? Just ask those Christians in the coliseum, or those who suffered under Rome. Jesus makes clear that the tribulation comes precisely because the Church is on earth, and it is directed against the followers of Jesus. Satan has no need to bring tribulation upon the world or unbelievers, the are already under his command. No, the Tribulation is specifically aimed at God’s Children.