The Revelation of Jesus Christ

Revelation is the last book of the bible and one that is hardly studied or taught. There are a lot of misconceptions about the book of Revelation. One of which is that it is a hard book to read or study. The introduction to this wonderful book informs us that it is not a difficult book to read or study. The Greek word for revelation is apokalupsis, which means to uncover, unveil, to make known. It pictures someone pulling back a covering or a veil that is hiding something. In fact, Revelation is a book that uncovers, unveils, and makes known to us Jesus Christ, the truth concerning future events of the church, its enemy Satan, and the end of the world. In school, when you wanted to know the answers to problems in the book, all you had to do was go to the end of the book. If we want to know the answers concerning Jesus' return, the future of the church, the end of Satan, and the world, all we have to do is go to the end of the book, the book of Revelation. I want to point out several important facts about the Revelation.

I. REVELATION REVEALS WHO JESUS CHRIST IS (v.1).

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Jesus is the object and subject in the book of Revelation.

Jesus is revealed as “the faithful witness;” “the firstborn from the dead,” and the ruler over the kings of the earth” (Rev. 1:5); the Alpha and the Omega (Rev 1:8; 21:6; 22:13); “the first and the last” (Rev 1:17), “the Living One” (Rev 1:18); Rev. 2:1 Jesus is “He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands,” Rev 2:8 “the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life,” Rev 2:12 “He who has the sharp two-edged sword,” Rev. 2:18 “the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass,” Revelation 3:1 “He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars,” Revelation 3:7 “He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens,” Revelation 3:14 “the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God.” Revelation 5:5 “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David,” and in Rev. 5:6 the Lamb of God (Rev 6:1; 7:9–10; 8:1; 12:11; 13:8; 14:1; 15:3; 17:14; 19:7; 21:9; 22:1), Revelation 19:11 He is “called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.” Revelation 19:13“His name is called The Word of God.” Revelation 19:16 “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS,” Revelation 20:6 He is the “Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years,” and finally Revelation 22:16 “I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”

The book of Revelation, unlike any other book in the Scripture, reveals to us who Jesus is, and what He is doing in the world, and what He eventually will do to bring an end to Satan and those who have rebelled against Him, and usher in the kingdom of God.

The communication of Revelation

Revelation 1:1b, c “which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place.”

First, Revelation proceeds from the God the Father to the Son. This shows us that God the Father is the ultimate source of all revelation, and the Son of God is the agent through whom this revelation is given to His servants. We see this in the gospel of John that God the Father gives to Son all things, (John 3:34, 35; 5:20-24;7:16;12:49 ;14:10, 24; 16:15; 17:8).

The purpose of Revelation 

1:1c God gave Jesus the Revelation to show His servants the “Things which must shortly take place.”

Unbelievers are not servants of Jesus. This is why those who are outside the faith didn’t understand Jesus’ teaching, and that still holds true today. Revelation is not written for non-believers, for they do not care about the return of Christ as we do. Dt. 29.29"The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. I Cor. 2.14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. Non-believers who are in this world do not look for Christ's glorious appearing; they are not concerned with their eternal destiny because they live for the here and now. And if they were to read this book, it would be closed in its meaning to them. But we who are followers and servants of Jesus He has revealed to us the “things which must shortly take place.”

The purpose why Revelation was written was to reveal the events that would shortly take place. The phrase shortly take place does not mean “in the next moment.” Rather, it means the nearness of Jesus’ return; the time of his return has already started. These events are future events that reveal the end of the world. Early Christians lived their lives as though Jesus Christ would return at any moment. They expected Jesus' return in their lifetime. And so they were living their life as Christ had told them Mt. 24.42, “Watch therefore for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming”.

Many mock at the words “must soon take place,” and since the writing of this book was in A.D. 95 and Christ has not come they don’t believe in his coming. Also, many believers feel they have all the time in the world before Jesus’ return.

We can all agree that time is rapidly moving, and time is winding up faster than many really want to acknowledge.

Turn to 2Pt 3:8. But the point is also that God’s clock measures quite differently than man’s clock. But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day (2Pt 3.8).

Some will ask why hasn’t the end happen by now? (2Pt. 3.9-13). So we see from this verse that God time is not man’s time.

As believers we cannot get overwhelmed by these people who are making prediction when Jesus is going to return. The Bible informs us that the Father has placed times and season in His authority (Acts 1:7).

And we who are believers must watch for Jesus Christ return and be ready for it. 1 John 2.28 “And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming”.

God used angels to convey Revelation

Revelation 1:1d “And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,”

The word signified semaino, means to give a sign or to make known, angel aggelos means messenger. God has often used angels to convey His message in Scripture Heb. 2.2; Acts 7:53. Here we read that God sent to convey the message to His servant John (Rev. 17:1; 19:9-10; 22:6, 16). Notice that the words the angel speaks are faithful and true, this is because their message come from God. Fallen demonic angels never speak truth for their messages does not come from God, but from Satan (2 Cor 11:14-15). Fallen demonic angels only preach a false gospel (Gal 1:8). This is why you are not to believe every spirit

Revelation 1:2a “who bore witness to the word of God.”

It was vital that the churches to whom John wrote, and we as believers, understand that John was not making things up as he wrote the book of Revelation, but rather it was God who used John to bear witness, to testify to the word of God. This was to stress the authority of God’s word to believers.

To quote George Ladd, “The word of God is thought of in the Bible not merely as a means of communicating truth, but as an active, dynamic entity. In the beginning God spoke and it was done (Ps. 33:9). God’s word goes out into the world to accomplish what he purposes (Isa. 55:11). At the end God’s word will go forth and his redemptive purposes be brought to consummation. It is significant that the only weapon of the conquering Christ is the sword that issues out of his mouth—his word (Rev. 19:15).”

Rev 1:2b John also bore witness to “the testimony of Jesus Christ,” to all things that he saw.”

John was tasked to bear witness to the churches what he heard and saw from,-and about-Jesus Christ.

Having to bare both the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ emphasizes the trustworthiness of God's message given to John, written to believers, and not something that was a figment of his imagination (Rev 1:11, 19; 19:9; 21:5; 22:6–9).

Lastly, we can be confident that what John wrote will come to pass (Rev 1:9; 6:9; 17:17; 19:9–10; 20:4).

The promises within Revelation

Revelation 1:3 “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.”

This is the first of seven blessings or beatitudes that are found in the book of Revelation (Rev. 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14). The number 7 is the number of completion and perfection. And it is no wonder that the beginning of completion starts with reading, hearing, and keeping the Word of God.

God promises a blessing upon believers who read, hear, and keep His Word. The word read meant reading aloud, and you and I are blessed today, for the prophecy of this wonderful book is being read today.

Why is prophecy important?

1,845 prophetic references to Christ's rule on earth

17 Old Testament books give prominence to the event of Christ's rule on earth

The Jews were so focused on the Messiah's reign on earth that they failed to recognize that Christ was the Messiah because he didn’t overthrow the Roman Empire.

The New Testament has 260 chapters. There are 318 references to the Second Coming of Christ

Christ's second coming is mentioned in 23 of the 27 books of the New Testament

For every prophecy relating to Christ’s first coming, there are 8 treating His second coming. Since the prophecies that relate to His first coming literally came to pass, what are the chances of His second coming to pass? All of them!

There are major prophetic themes in the Bible that are going on today. Israel (current peace deal between Israel and Hamas, 1 Thess 5:1-6), Jerusalem, talks of rebuilding the temple, Russia (Magog), the rise of China, European superstate, ecumenical religion, global government, and the rise of the occult. Everything you see is drawing us to the climax of Christ's second coming.

You and I are bless because these prophecies in Revelation are Christ’s promises that He will return, and He will overcome the onslaught of evil that comes against us, and ultimately will defeat and destroy the wicked of this world, the beast, and the devil, and will create a new heaven and earth for us to dwell with Him and our Father forever.

Then the blessing is not only tied to reading the words of this prophecy, but to the hearing of the words of this prophecy. I am glad he said that we needed to hear, for to hear meant to take to heart what was being said, for there are many people who don’t pay attention to what is being proclaimed from the word. They don’t take it to heart. Then God tells us to keep what is written in it. This means that there is a blessing to those who respond in obedience to what is said in the word.

I like what Joel Beeke said, “God’s blessing is not pronounced upon those who own a copy of this precious book, nor upon those who only read it or have it read to them, nor upon those who specialize in debating the meaning of this prophecy. The blessing is pronounced upon those who “keep those things” written in it. We keep the words of this prophecy by cherishing them as the Word of God and by applying them to ourselves and to our lives in such a way that, as followers of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, we look forward to his coming. We want to live as He would have us live until He comes. Knowing that this world will pass away, we look forward to a city with a foundation whose builder and maker is God (Heb. 11:10; 2 Peter 3:10–15), and we live as strangers and pilgrims in the earth.”

The opposite to this promise of blessing is a curse upon those who do not keep the things written in Revelation (Rev. 22:18-19). All those who continue to disbelieve the warning from God or purposely twist what has been written in Revelation will face the wrath of God.

Please understand that it is not enough to just read and hear the Word of God. The promise of God’s blessing comes when we do what God says.

God wants you to read and understand Revelation. So read it, meditate on it, and obey it, and you will be blessed.

There is an urgency why you should

Look at the end of verse 3: “for time is near.” This urgent declaration was in the opening of v.1 “things which must shortly take place,” and Jesus repeats this as a reminder in (Rev. 22:7). Time is at hand, and the events that will show the coming of Jesus Christ to the earth to redeem his church, to destroy Satan and all wicked people, is coming very soon.

It is interesting that Revelation begins with a promised blessing and ends with a promised blessing (Rev.22:14). Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.

The recipients of the letter of Revelation

Revelation 1:4a “John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:

John begins by addressing himself. John, who spent some time in Ephesus in the later years of his life before being exiled to Patmos, was known by the believers in these churches. These seven churches that would receive John’s letter of Revelation were Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, all located in Asia Minor, which today is modern Turkey.

At the time of John’s writing, there were many churches in Asia Minor, but God had drawn John’s focus to these seven churches. This is the first time the number seven is mentioned in Revelation, and as I mentioned before, the number seven represents completeness. The character of the seven churches depicts the chief characteristics of the seven periods of church history, the last of which will be a period of decline and apostasy (Laodicea). To put it plainly, the seven churches represent all churches in every generation to the end of the world; this is completeness.

I need to point out that these seven churches were experiencing great persecution during the end of Domitian’s reign, around AD 95. Historians have written that Roman emperor Domitian was a brutal ruler. He hated those who were Christians. He commanded everyone to address him as Lord and God, and when Christians refused to do so, he would have them persecuted and killed.

The Triune Grace and Peace to believers

1:4b 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 wants the believers who are facing present persecution and future persecution to know that Grace and peace comes from God. Notice that Grace come first then peace. The reason is that peace is always the product of knowing and taking hold of the grace that comes from God. If you ignore the grace of God then you will forsaking the peace of God. What I want you to understand is that peace is the product of grace (2 Pet. 1:2-4). The more you and I experience the grace of God, the more we will experience the peace of God. This is the comfort that John wants all believers to have that God will comfort and strengthen us by His grace and peace.

In this same verse when John describes God in three distinctive ways. Who is, Who was, and Who is to come. These three distinctive terms explain God-who is timeless-in time dimensions (past, present, and future).

Who is” this describes the fact and quality of God’s continued existence, God is the “I AM WHO I AM.” “Who was.” The word was is the imperfect of the verb is ongoing and refers God’s continual existences in eternity past. This lets us know that God is uncreated and has always existed. Finally, John says, “Who is to come.” This describes the future coming of God to take control of all things in this fallen world that has been in rebellion against Him. One day in the future God is going to put an end to His enemies and establish His reign through His Son Jesus Christ (1Cor 15:20-28).

The third member of the Triune God who is mentioned is the “seven Spirit” who are before His throne. Only one Spirit of God is before the throne of God, not seven (Eph 4:4), but the seven Spirit describes the perfection, completeness, and fulness of the Holy Spirit’s actions and the diverse nature of His ministry (Isa 11:2; Zech 4:1-4). The Holy Spirit shares the same attributes as the God; He is full of grace and peace and will send it to believers (Zech 12:10; Gal 5:22).

The second member of the Triune God - Jesus Christ

Revelation 1:5–7 “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, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 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.”

Grace and peace comes from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful (pistos/trustworthy) witness who only speaks and represents truth (John 8:14; 18:37; Rev 3:14; 19:11). Jesus is the Word, the Logos, the personified revelation of God to humanity (John 1:1, 14, 18). Jesus is the faithful witness who can never utter a lie, and his promise of our assured salvation gives us grace and peace.

Jesus Christ is “the firstborn from the dead.” Scripture informs us that there were others who were raised from the dead before Jesus Christ (1 Kings 17:17–23; 2 Kings 4:32–36; 13:20–21), and Jesus raised others during His earthly ministry (Matt. 9:23–25; Luke 7:11–15; John 11:30–44). The word firstborn “Prototokos” doesn’t in chronological order, it means the first in preeminence (Ps 89.27; Col 1:18), the first one from the dead in a glorified body, and being first means that all believers will res follow (1 Cor 15:20).

Jesus Christ is “the ruler over the kings of the earth.”