Begining and the End

The source of life

Revelation 1:1–3 NKJV

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, who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. 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.

We find in the opening verses that the purpose of the encounter John had was an opening-up of the mysteries of the final days

It begins with a declaration about Jesus Christ

“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him” - Him - Jesus Christ

The key to all the Scriptures is the person of Jesus Christ and His redemptive work

Hebrews 1:1–3 NKJV

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

John 5:36–39 NKJV

But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.

John 14:8–10 NKJV

Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.

Look at the order - God reveled through Christ - communicated to man unto salvation

Jesus was the faithful witness - v:5: and from Jesus Christ, witness, the faithful”!

This “unveiling” was delivered to John by an angel - messenger!

The angels are bound servants to Jesus Christ not fat babies with wings sitting on clouds playing harps!

They are awesomely powerful creatures not to be messed with!!

The good news is that one of the jobs is to serve us!

Hebrews 1:14 NKJV

Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?

So it would be natural that an angel would be the heavenly guide to John as God begins to reveal the coming days

Revelation 1:3 NKJV

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.

“words of this prophecy” - prophecy - “a declaration of the mind, will, or knowledge of God; especially concerning past, present or future manifestations of the outworking of His will or other events”

Notice the emphasis is “not” a revelation of John” but rather “a testimony of Christ v:3

It is interesting that the word prophecy here refers to the timelessness of God!

God exists outside of our limited understanding of time and space

There is no “timeframe” in the eternal realm! What was-is-and is to come

We find reference to this in the upcoming description of the nature of Christ!

Revelation 1:8 NKJV

“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.”

The beginning and the end - beginning means the “source from which something emanates” A point from which something finite commences” - Physics, the original material from which everything evolves

He is the source of life and creation itself

John 1:4 NKJV

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

Colossians 1:7 NKJV

as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf,

He is also the endpoint of this story - “end” meaning “execution of a resolve” Achievement or success, a state of perfection!

Daniel 9:27 NKJV

Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”

Daniel 10:14 NKJV

Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”

Habakkuk 2:3 NKJV

For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.

So we can see clearly again the story from beginning and end revolves around the work of Christ

Now the he direction of this section - Chapters 1-3

Revelation 1:4 NKJV

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,

The seven churches - There were more but we see these 7 churches representing the completion of the church era

The number 7 - always the number of completion and perfection - 7 days in a week, 7 notes in a scale, 7 days of creation,

More than 700 times we see this pattern in the Scripture and, we will see this pattern again as we work our way through this book

There are 7 words of Christ from the cross then completion, 7 petitions in the pattern of prayer;

7 metaphors of Christ; Bread of Life, Light of the world, Gate of Salvation; Good shepherd; resurrection; Life; Vine

Even Science agrees!

In the Brain, Seven Is A Magic NumberExamining a new model detailing the recall of information within the human brain.

“Countless psychological experiments have shown that, on average, the longest sequence a normal person can recall on the fly contains about seven items. This limit, which psychologists dubbed the "magical number seven" when they discovered it in the 1950s, is the typical capacity of what's called the brain's working memory. “

So the message is to these churches, each one as we will see representing a phase of the churches history!

Now we are told that John greets the churches in the name of the one who is and who was and who is to come

Now remember that John is writing this “post event” since he was in the timeless space of eternity he confirms the reality that there is a throne of God before which the Holy Spirt and Jesus are present and the fact that Jesus is the ruler over the kings of the earth!

How can he say this? He saw the whole picture from beginning to end!

So from the beginning of his letter there is the stability that everything we are going to read leads to the victory of Christ over the enemy!

We should stop here for a moment and discuss the “seven Spirits” presented here

Remember that our guide is what the Scripture reveals about God

We know that there is only 1 God and that He has manifested Himself through the Holy Spirit to the churches

1 Corinthians 12:11 NKJV

But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

About the Messiah we read the following:

Isaiah 11:2 NKJV

The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

Traditions hold that here is spoken of the ministry of the Holy Spirt through the Messiah - the issue is that there is only technically 6 things listed here! What the above verses do show us is that the ministry of the Holy Spirt is multifaceted!

Our guide for an explanation is back to the temple! A model of the throne room of God!

Exodus 37:17–22 NKJV

He also made the lampstand of pure gold; of hammered work he made the lampstand. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and its flowers were of the same piece. And six branches came out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side. There were three bowls made like almond blossoms on one branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower, and three bowls made like almond blossoms on the other branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower—and so for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. And on the lampstand itself were four bowls made like almond blossoms, each with its ornamental knob and flower. There was a knob under the first two branches of the same, a knob under the second two branches of the same, and a knob under the third two branches of the same, according to the six branches extending from it. Their knobs and their branches were of one piece; all of it was one hammered piece of pure gold.

The purpose of the lampstand was to ”illuminate the alter of sacrifice”! It was fueled by oil to produce light! We know that in the NT oil represents the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives illuminating continually the testimony of the sacrifice of Christ by which we pierce the veil of separation from God!

It is the Holy Spirits job from the beginning of time until to “glorify Christ” and give clarity and revelation to all about the work of Christ

Hence we do not “force” an interpretation on the verse but let the Word speak for itself

So the stage is set, the “key” to the story is about to be given to John in verse 19

Revelation 1:19 NKJV

Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.

Next week John encounters the living Christ in all is glory and Majesty Read verse 9-20 for next week!