Study on Revelation 06-26-2026
Study on Revelation • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Revelation 1:1-10
Revelation 1:1-10
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:
This verse identifies the entire book of Revelation as “The Revelation of Jesus Christ”. The word “revelation” comes from the Greek word “apokalypsis”. This means disclosure or an unveiling. The association of this term with John’s depiction of the end times is one reason we refer to the end of the world as the apocalypse. Although scholars will argue that this is either thought as a disclosure about Jesus Christ or a disclosure from Him. I will let you think about that as we study. However it is likely both.
God gave the apostle John the book of Revelation to communicate events which will take place suddenly once they begin. He revealed these events to John through an angel. Although the angel is not named, it may have been Gabriel, who carried messages to Daniel, Mary, and Zechariah.
Look at this
16 And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.
21 Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. 22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. 8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, 9 According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. 11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. 14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. 15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. 17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. 18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. 19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
John is referred to as God’s servant. The Greek word translated “servant” means a slave. Just as a slave in ancient times did whatever his master told him to do, so John obeyed whatever God instructed him to do. In this case, God trusted John to communicate the revelation of Jesus Christ. The same Greek word, translated “servant”, identifies New Testament figures.
Here are some examples
1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:
Our next verse
2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
In this verse, John testifies that this encounter with Jesus Christ is recorded accurately. Further, he describes the substance of his testimony as the Word of God. The book of Revelation therefore is a product of divine inspiration.
John had previously wrote the Gospel of John, introducing Jesus to the world as the Word, God’s message in human form. In his Gospel, John depicts Jesus as the Son of God and frames His work around seven key miracles. These are “signs” which show conclusively that Jesus is the Son of God.
These were
1. Changing water into wine (John 2:1-11)
2. Healing the nobleman’s son (John 4:46-54)
3. Healing the paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-9)
4. Feeding the 5,000 (John 6:1-14)
5. Walking on Water (John 6:16-21)
6. Healing the man born blind (John 9:1-12)
7. Raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:38-44)
John recorded these miracles to persuade his readers to believe in Jesus and thereby receive eternal life.
John later wrote this is his Gospel
30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
This revelation bears further testimony to the character of Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Here John promises a blessing to the person who reads the words which have been written and a blessing to those who hear and respond in obedience to what they hear. Now this does not seem to imply a universal , tit for tat blessing on any person throughout all time who recites these passages. Rather, “the one who reads “ refers to the persons who originally read this message to a congregation, those who hear and obey its words refers to that congregation. Both the reader and the audience are blessed. This means literally happy or fortunate. In a more general sense, this implies that there is a great benefit to those who study and understand this writing.
When read and obeyed, the Word of God rejoices the heart, Jesus promised this
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
When the Thessalonians received the word, they did so with the joy of the Holy Spirit
6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:
The first Psalm describes the person who delights in God’s Word as “blessed”.
1 Blessed is the man That walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; And in his law doth he meditate day and night.
David said this in Psalm 119...
111 Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: For they are the rejoicing of my heart.
John concludes this verse by stating the time is at hand. The Greek word translated “time” here refers to a period of time. In other words, John is predicting that the period described in this writing, when God wraps up history, is soon to begin.
4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
Here John greets the seven churches in Asia. They are his designed audience. He employs the customary apostolic greeting, wishing his readers grace and peace. The two qualities are in an appropriate order. Grace is mentioned first which is followed by peace. Grace is God’s undeserved kindness from which everything good and necessary flows. Peace is the state of wellness of heart and soul. It is impossible to experience peace without first experiencing divine grace.
In this verse, John identifies the triune God as the source of grace and peace. God the Father is viewed as eternal, existing in the past, present, and future. The reference to the seven spirits have always generated some debate. Some believe this to be a unique reference to the Holy Spirit. Usually these interpreters believe the number seven, a literal number often representing perfection in the Bible, describes the Holy Spirit as perfect. Others claim the Holy Spirit performs seven major ministries and those ministries are alluded to in the term “seven Spirits” And the following reference to Jesus Christ seems to suggest that John is describing the entire Trinity, in turn.
John describes the seven spirits as being before God’s throne. The prophet Isaiah once depicted God as seated upon a throne in a highly troublesome time.
1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
Judah’s long reigning king had died and the nation was at a very low point spiritually and morally. Also, enemy nations were pointing their swords at Judah. However, unsettled times can not topple or shake God’s throne. He is all powerful, sovereign, and eternal. Believers can trust Him, and experience His peace , at all times.
5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
John describes Jesus Christ as a faithful witness. Why? He is truthful, a reliable source of what is recorded in this revelation. Jesus conquered death and arose from the grave. He was the first to rise from the dead in a glorified, everlasting body. As such, He is referred to as “the first begotten of the dead”. His resurrection guarantees the resurrection of believers of the church age.
12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
the resurrection of tribulation martyrs
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
the resurrection of Old Testament believers
2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
and the resurrection of the wicked dead of all periods of history
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Someday He will return to earth and reign over the nations. At that time every king will submit to His rule.
John points out that the ruler of kings is the believers redeemer. In His deep love for us He shed His blood on the cross to end sin’s tyranny over us.
6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Once we were helpless sinners, but now, as John explains in this verse, we are a royal priesthood.
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
Once we served sin, now we worship and serve God. we are a kingdom of priests. In the Old Testament, priests offered sacrifices on behalf of the people of Israel and stood as mediators between the people and God. Now we come directly to God through Jesus, and we offer ourselves and spiritual sacrifices to God.
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Once we were in Satan’s domain; now we are in Jesus’ domain
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
This reminds us that once we were followers of the prince of the power of the air , Satan, but our merciful and loving God made us alive together with Christ.
As John contemplates what God has done for believers by making us a kingdom of priests, he spontaneously offers a praise to God. He ascribes glory and dominion. He concludes by saying Amen. this means “Let it be so!” A similar praise for God’s grace and power on our behalf should arise from our hearts and lips.
7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
John is looking forward to the second coming of Jesus Christ. It is important not to confuse the second coming with the rapture. The rapture occurs when Jesus comes in the sky and catches up Christians from earth to be with Him. The rapture is a secret event, in a sense that only those who are saved will see Jesus. On the other hand, the second coming is a public event. John declares every eye will see Jesus at the second coming.
Also the tribes of Israel will have gone through a national revival when Jesus comes again. John recalls what Zechariah had prophesied about Israel’s revival when Jesus comes to earth again.
10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, The spirit of grace and of supplications: And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, And they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, And shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
Likely John remembers what the angel told him and the other apostles when Jesus ascended to heaven. The angel promised that Jesus would come again in the same way as He went into heaven. Then, Jesus ascended in a cloud from the Mount of Olives.
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. 12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey.
and at His second coming He will return in the clouds to the Mount of Olives.
4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, Which is before Jerusalem on the east, And the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, And there shall be a very great valley; And half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, And half of it toward the south.
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
John’s joyful anticipation of Jesus’ return to earth caused him to exclaim, “Even so , Amen.” Look at this
12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
We, too, should eagerly anticipate the second coming, because Jesus will reign over the earth, and we will reign with Him.
8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
John identifies Jesus as the Alpha and the Omega. This is the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. The designation emphasizes Jesus as eternal, the beginning and the end. As someone correctly observed, “Jesus is the Alpha and Omega and everything in between.” In His address to the church at Smyrna, Jesus affirmed that His words were those of the first and the last.
8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
John further describes Jesus as the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. The title “the Lord” reminds us that He is our ruler, who deserves our obedience. As God, He deserves our worship. Jesus has always existed and always will exist as the Almighty. Before the world was formed Jesus existed. This points this out.
2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
He was in the beginning with God, and He created everything, Because He is Almighty, nothing is too hard for Him. The latter part of Revelation depicts enemies marshaled against Jesus, but they can not defeat Him. He destroys His enemies with the breath of His mouth.
4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, And reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: And he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, And with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
Because He is all powerful, we can trust Him to accomplish for us what we could never do for ourselves.
9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
This is the second time John identifies himself directly. The first back in verse 4, he gives his name. Now, he writes that he is his readers’ brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patience that is in Jesus.
Although John could have called himself an apostle, he chose to call himself simply a brother. The choice shows John’s humility and is a strong indication that he and his readers shared an equal standing in God’s family. Further, they were partners in suffering, as are all who live a godly life.
12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
John tells his readers that he and they were patiently enduring tribulation with the hope of Christ’s kingdom in their hearts. Tradition holds that the Roman Emperor Domitian had banished John to Patmos around AD95. Later in that exile, also according to tradition, John was forced into hard labor in the mines. Finally, Roman officials sent him to an ancient version of a concentration camp, where God communicated the book of Revelation to him.
Because this proclamation of God’s Word and his witness about Jesus , John was banished to lonely Patmos, but the Roman Empire could not silence John. His testimony about Jesus continued in the form of the inspired book of Revelation. By faithfully writing Revelation, John reached more people with the good news about Jesus than he could have if he continued his pastoral ministry at Ephesus.’
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
John explains the circumstances surrounding his charge from God: to write to the seven churches. He was somehow “in the Spirit”, when he heard a loud voice behind that sounded like a trumpet. This might refer to a state of deep communication with God, or even an overt moment of control by the Holy Spirit.
Some people believe that by “Lord’s day” John was referring to the tribulation, the seven years of judgements that follow the rapture. It is true that the term” day of the Lord” is used in the Old Testament
1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: For the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand;
and in the New Testament
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
to refer to the tribulation. However , that does not seem to be what John means in this verse. In 2 Thessalonians, Paul wrote that the claim that the day of the Lord had already come was false. He declared it was still in the future, and would follow a rebellion, an apostasy, and the appearance of the “man of lawlessness”. Most likely then, John’s use of “the Lord’s day” implies the first day of the week, when Christians gather for worship.
7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
John writes that he heard a loud voice that sounded like a trumpet. The word for trumpet used here specifically identifies a war trumpet. This would certainly have gotten John’s attention. It was definitely a commanding voice that must be heeded.
We will finish chapter one next week by doing verses 11-20.
Let us pray.
